Chapter 244: Pei Sanlang, you really are a murderer!

Li Qingluo tried asking a question.

That woman tilted her head, looking at her doubtfully, as if she hadn't quite understood what she meant.

Li Qingluo: "What exactly is the Pei family doing?"

She frowned tightly, but the woman on the ground suddenly let out a scream, as if she had seen something extremely terrifying, and with a jump she ran toward the corner—

"Ah! Ah——!! Ah——"

She kept screaming, Li Qingluo sensed something wrong, turned and shot a sleeve arrow behind her!

However, the sleeve arrow was firmly caught by someone.

The comer turned out to be the Third Young Master of the Pei mansion, Pei Jinghong.

Li Qingluo raised her hand and fired another sleeve arrow; Pei Jinghong dodged and reached out to grab her.

Li Qingluo immediately raised her dagger and stabbed forward!

Pei Jinghong seemed to know she knew some martial arts, dealing with her effortlessly; obviously in his eyes, Li Qingluo's little tricks were not worth looking at.

Pan Li retreated backward with a pale face, constantly murmuring: "Don't… don't fight… don't fight…"

She seemed to recall something, her whole body trembling, choking in her throat, her voice growing harder to produce.

Until Li Qingluo was seized, and then Pei Jinghong tightly held her bent body in his arms.

Pei Jinghong grabbed Li Qingluo's wrist, then used the dagger in her hand to slowly stab toward her throat.

Li Qingluo discovered that her strength against Pei Sanlang was merely an egg against a stone; her martial arts of these few months were utterly unable to truly move him!

"Pei Sanlang, you really are a murderer! Wasn't it you who killed your paternal cousin, Pei Shierniang, back then?!"

"Today you actually still want to kill me, but even if I die, I should die with understanding, knowing why I die!"

Li Qingluo panted and roared in extreme anger.

She must delay time.

Grandmother's side must have already noticed her disappearance.

With grandmother around, she would always have a backup to rely on; no matter what, she must keep delaying to have a chance to survive.

"Shut up!"

Pei Sanlang ferociously pointed the dagger's tip at Li Qingluo's neck.

As long as he exerts a little more force, this blade will pierce Li Qingluo's neck, causing her to bleed out immediately.

Her earlier words seemed to have angered him.

Li Qingluo only heard Pei Sanlang coldly say by her ear: "Stop the nonsense. To die in the Pei Guogong mansion is also the utmost honor of your life."

Li Qingluo let out a scoff.

Pei Sanlang: "You still not convinced? My Pei Guogong mansion has fought to the death on the battlefield for the country, defending home and nation, the whole family loyal and brave. Since my great-grandfather's generation, dozens of sons have died for the country!"

"Now, dying for my Pei Guogong mansion—isn't that your glory?"

Li Qingluo: "Your Pei Guogong mansion has generation after generation of loyal ministers; your service to the state has never been denied! All your sons who died for the country are also great, worthy of being mourned by all the people of DaLiang."

"But is this the reason your Pei clan so wantonly slaughters the innocent?"

"Don't you younger generations have enjoyed the wealth, honor, power, and fame brought by your ancestors?"

"But what are you doing now?"

"Trampling on the people they protected, even the foundation of the state, upon their loyal bones..."

"Shut up!" Pei Sanlang laughed angrily, "What a silver-tongued woman. I really underestimated you."

"But no matter how much you say, today you will surely die."

Pei Jinghong said, preparing to first cut Li Qingluo's throat, while Pan Li, who had been shrinking and hiding to the side, suddenly shouted: "Don't——"

Li Qingluo seized the opportunity, fiercely struck with a backward elbow, and quickly flicked the dagger's sheath to expose the point, then thrust fiercely at Pei Sanlang——

"You——! How could you have this dagger!?"

Pei Sanlang's expression changed dramatically!

He didn't dodge in a hurry, quickly let go, but Li Qingluo still drew a long gash across his face.

Li Qingluo finally realized that, because she was wearing a veil, he might not even know who she was!

However, if not for today's incident, she truly wouldn't have known the true face of the Pei family's third son.

Li Qingluo felt utterly ridiculous; seizing the chance, she broke free, quickly ran over, pulled Pan Li up, and fled.

Pan Li trembled all over, yet she mustered her strength to follow Li Qingluo headlong forward, but her constitution was truly too weak; after just a few steps she was panting and unable to run further.

"No, I can't…… I, I might…… die again…… die here……"

"Luo'er…… don't, don't worry about me…… you yourself…… hurry——"

Li Qingluo: "What nonsense!? I won't allow you to die, hear me!?"

"Today, none of us will die!"

But behind them, Pei Sanlang had already chased out.

He seemed not at all anxious, leisurely following behind them like a cat catching a mouse, calmly watching their fleeing backs, as if he were sure they couldn't escape today.

Indeed, at the end of the road was a stone staircase, and above it a large iron door tightly locked.

This is the exit of this dungeon, but at the same time, a dead end locked shut.

Li Qingluo turned with Pan Li, slipping the dagger into Pan Li's hand.

She herself then drew a sleeve arrow, aiming at the approaching Pei Sanlang.

"At worst, we'll fight to the death."

"Moreover, she might not necessarily die."

Li Qingluo saw a water cell beside the stone steps, thinking how to lock Pei Sanlang inside, but saw Pan Li slump down with an abnormal expression.

She seemed to recall something, her face full of terror and dead silence: "Useless…… can't escape…… simply can't escape……"

That day I just happened to witness their secret…… He clearly knew it was me…… yet he still stood by and watched me be tortured to death……

What is familial blood relation?

What are siblings?

What is flesh and blood?

This family is too disgusting…… too disgusting, ah!!

Pan Li covered her ears and let out a startled cry.

Li Qingluo embraced her: "Pan Li, it's okay, it's okay. Just treat it as a nightmare; if it hurts too much, give those who hurt you a harsher revenge, then your heart will feel relieved and you will let go of these matters……"

Believe me, everything will pass……

While Li Qingluo kept wiping Pan Li's tears and comforting her, Pei Jinghong had already walked up to them.

Seeing them tightly embracing each other, Pei Jinghong thought they had resigned themselves, that they were afraid.

He turned his gaze toward Pan Li and coldly said: "Originally, if you had behaved well, I only needed to hand you over to that person, and you, Miss Pan, would not necessarily have died today."

But you insisted on not listening.

Since that's the case, you might as well both become blood slaves of my great-grandfather.

Great-grandfather!?

Li Qingluo trembled all over, as if she had glimpsed a deeper secret of the Pei family……

Pei Sanlang, so Pei Nan Jia was killed by you, and then her blood was taken for the old duke's use?

Pei Sanlang, answer me!

Are you even human anymore!?

She is your sister! In this family, she regards you as her closest elder brother. You are blood relatives—how could you let her great-grandfather drink her blood!?

You killed Nan Jia, yet you also dismembered her corpse, abandoned it, and threw her head into a snowdrift.

I never expected you to be such a shameless and cruel beast!

Li Qingluo shouted a torrent of abuse, and a flicker of sorrow crossed Pei Jinghong's face.

Not me!

I didn't kill Jia'er——

However, Li Qingluo no longer believed his words.

She raised her arm again, aiming at Pei Jinghong.

She still had two sleeve arrows.

If she couldn't kill him, it would be troublesome.

Just then, Pan Li suddenly leapt up, brandishing the dagger in her hand and rushed out——

Luo'er, don't worry about me, run quickly!

Pei Jinghong trembled all over upon hearing those words: "Luo'er?"

He grabbed the lunging Pan Li in one hand, his gaze complex as he stared at Li Qingluo.

She had always been veiled, so he had never yet seen this woman's true face!

That day, in the Pei family great-grandfather's courtyard, this woman constantly followed Prince Su step by step; however, she had only just entered the great-grandfather's room when the great-grandfather began to murmur about the woman's extraordinary blood-scented fragrance, a fragrance that the great-grandfather pondered for many days.

Even taking blood-congealing pills had lost its flavor.

Unfortunately, Pei Jinghong searched everywhere in Jinling City, yet never again saw a trace of this woman.

Even by Prince Su's side, no woman ever appeared again.

Only today did he catch a glimpse of her in the west of the city.

Even though she was far away, Pei Jinghong still recognized her eyes at a glance.

He naturally used some means to bind her and bring her here!

But he never imagined that she might be her!

You, just who are you?

Pei Jinghong gave a low shout, seized Pan Li and choked her neck.

Take off your veil. Otherwise, I will first strangle her to death.

Li Qingluo could never abandon Pan Li.

She stood up and slowly moved her hand toward her ear.

However, her veil had not yet been lowered when a strange sound suddenly came from the water prison.

Who's in there!?

Pei Jinghong gave a low shout; taking the opportunity, Li Qingluo fired another sleeve arrow, which accurately struck his left shoulder.

When Pei Jinghong winced from the pain, Li Qingluo shouted: "Pan Li!"

Pan Li, using all her strength in a backhand thrust, stabbed at Pei Jinghong; he raised his hand to block, and the blade pierced straight through his entire palm——

Pan Li was fiercely slapped to the ground by Pei Jinghong's other hand.

However, at that moment, a thick white smoke suddenly rose from the ground, instantly obscuring Pei Jinghong's vision.

After he pulled the dagger from his palm, waved away the white mist, and looked ahead again, where were the traces of Li Qingluo and Pan Li?

Li Qingluo did not know that there was actually a secret passage beside the water prison.

She supported Pan Li and looked toward the man walking ahead of them.

This man was very tall.

His stature was hardly different from Prince Su's.

But he seemed thin, his body also weak.

Even though he wore bulky, heavy furs, and even a full black outfit that completely enveloped him, Li Qingluo still saw that his whole body seemed to be shivering from cold.

Li Qingluo looked toward Pan Li.

Pan Li looked disheveled, and right now she basically had no inclination to worry about who this person who had suddenly shown up and rescued them was.

Li Qingluo then said: "He looks very much like that guest staying at the Pei Family's Thought Garden."

Pan Li raised her head in surprise, only then beginning to size up the person ahead.

However, she quickly turned her head again, looking at Li Qingluo with shock filling her eyes: "Luo er, you, you know?"