Chapter 365: Prince Su cut his own flesh to feed her blood to save Luo'er!

Que'er obediently covered her mouth, sat down on the ground, and silently sobbed.

The cool and turbulent stream seemed truly able to wash away the myriad insects gnawing at Li Qingluo's bones.

She only wanted to escape quickly, so she closed her eyes and dove headfirst into the stream.

Fortunately, the stream at this point was deep.

Li Qingluo opened her eyes again.

Though it was pitch black, she still kept going downstream, wanting only to sink herself deeper.

Doing so, she thought she would not feel so much pain.

Then she could quickly rid herself of the sin and wretchedness all over her body…

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her.

Li Qingluo was forced to turn her head to look at the person behind her.

She could see nothing clearly, only a dark, huge shadow pressing tightly toward her.

Next, she was pulled over by a powerful, irresistible force.

This force clutched the continually sinking her tightly, allowing no resistance, and swiftly brought her upward together.

Soon, she was brought breaking the surface.

However, at this moment she had no strength left in her body, and could only go limp as she was carried ashore.

Until the pain surged again from her limbs, she let out a groan, uncontrollably shuddering and curling herself tighter, drawing herself into the embrace that was holding her at that moment.

"Miss——"

Que'er saw Li Qingluo being rescued and shouted, about to rush over.

Zhui Yu grabbed her from behind.

"Don't go over!"

Que'er wanted to push Zhui Yu away: "Let go!"

"I want to go see the miss——"

Zhui Yu could only hold her tightly with his arms.

"Are you crazy?"

"That's our Your Highness!"

"If you make him unhappy, you won't even keep your head today!"

"If you want to live, shut your mouth!"

Their Highness's mood today is like dark clouds pressing down; a slight carelessness will spark a thunderstorm.

Who dares to seek death?

If he hadn't heard that this little maid had committed a grave offense, he wouldn't have bothered with her at all.

If she were to be accidentally hurt by His Highness, the one who would feel heartbroken would still be the miss.

When the miss is angry, who else but their Highness goes to coax her?

Speaking of His Highness, even Zhui Yu today dare not make a sound, fearing he'll be beaten before he even gets a chance.

You should know, their Highness went to the Gui Garden early today.

They waited and waited in the Gui Garden, but the miss still didn't come.

When they realized something was wrong, Leng Dian also went to inquire and returned, saying the miss had actually left the city in broad daylight.

The Xiuli Jiangjun Fu said the miss had gone to Yangzhou.

But they there don't know the miss's condition, while their Highness does!

Knowing that today is the day the miss's poison flares up, it's absolutely impossible for her to go to Yangzhou at this juncture.

So the miss is simply lying.

She deceived His Highness.

She actually dared to deceive His Highness!

In this world, no one dares to do such a thing.

His Highness's face darkened on the spot, looking very grim.

And these guards of theirs each felt the master's aura, not even daring to breathe.

Fortunately, His Highness seemed to know where the miss would go.

All the way out of the city, aside from sending Leng Dian's group to Qishan, he followed His Highness and came to this hill.

This is the cave where they initially found His Highness and the miss.

The miss, indeed, is really here.

After great difficulty, His Highness found the miss; how could Zhui Yu let this little maid disturb them again?

He tightly covered Que'er's mouth, not allowing her to make a sound, but Que'er opened her mouth and bit him hard.

The two, like chicks pecking at each other by the stream, you block I dodge, you dodge I chase.

However, Duan Rongshi no longer cared at all about any surrounding disturbances.

He held Li Qingluo and rushed quickly into the forest, returning to the cave.

The fire inside the cave burned brightly.

It was still warm enough.

Duan Rongshi gently placed Li Qingluo on a stone, and was about to get up to fetch a clean cloak from nearby to wrap her, when she suddenly opened her eyes.

Moreover, she reached out and tightly gripped his sleeve.

Duan Rongshi's chest tightened.

He stared at Li Qingluo without a word, wanting to see her reaction.

He noticed her, those bright black eyes now faintly tinged with blood‑red……

"So fragrant……"

She, as if losing her soul, suddenly lunged forward and tightly embraced Duan Rongshi.

Then, in a panic, she tried to pull open his collar and bring her mouth to his neck.

"Your Highness——"

A guard noticed the scene and let out a startled cry.

Duan Rongshi: "Get lost——!"

"Everyone, withdraw three li from this place at once!"

"Immediately!"

Prince Su issued the order—who dares not obey?

Dozens of people immediately grabbed torches and quickly left the surroundings.

Even Zhui Yu, dragging the stubborn Que'er, hurried away.

Que'er kept struggling nonstop; finally Zhui Yu knocked her out with a single blade strike, and she fell still.

In the cave, the fire crackled and burned.

Li Qingluo's urgent panting kept coming.

She finally tore open the soaked collar, unable to resist the waves of fragrant scent coming from before her, and she kept swallowing saliva.

She felt only dry mouth and tongue.

Thirsty and hungry.

But just as she opened her mouth, she inadvertently bit her own tongue tip.

The bitter taste and sting gave her a flicker of clarity.

As she lifted her head and saw Duan Rongshi's face, then saw his opened collar, Li Qingluo realized what she had done.

Her face turned pale and panicked as she stepped back, then shoved him away hard.

"How did you come here?"

"Are you crazy?!"

"Do you want to die?"

"Leave quickly…… go——"

A splitting headache struck; she couldn't help but rise, kneel on the stone, and clutch her head, repeatedly knocking it against the rock.

"Go quickly…… Duan Rongshi…… you go quickly……"

"I don't want to become a monster……"

"I……"

She cried out in pain, yet the scent grew ever stronger in her breath.

That fragrance was like a delicacy, now placed before her, who was on the brink of starving to death.

It kept tempting her: just one bite…… one bite, and you'll be free of this pain, feel easy, and suffer no more torment.

Just one bite……

You won't die.

Just one bite, and you can go to bliss.

Yet the last shred of her stubborn will told her: Li Qingluo, just one bite, and you'll become a blood‑drinking evil ghost; from then on, you'll be a monster wandering the human world.

In her mind she thought of the late Marquis Pei, the corpses in the Pei family dungeon, and Nan Jia.

Anger flared in her eyes.

Do they want to control her and turn her into such a fiend?

She would rather die——!

Li Qingluo suddenly lifted her head, resolute and fierce, about to crash into the stone wall before her——

Yet she was caught in a pair of arms that held her tight.

His large hand gently and lovingly covered her forehead.

His broad embrace held her tightly in the crook of his arm.

His low voice, oddly alluring, told her: "It's all right, Luo'er."

"Do you want to drink human blood?"

"If this would ease you, then drink my blood."

"Go ahead and drink……"

Li Qingluo cried and struggled, mustering strength to push him away again.

"Are you crazy?"

"Get out——"

She raged like a wild beast.

Soaked through, her eyes blood‑red, hair disheveled, she pointed outward.

Duan Rongshi rolled up his sleeve, exposing his arm.

On his muscular arm, the color of the veins and arteries made Li Qingluo unable to look away.

She gulped down saliva hard.

Resentment filled her eyes: "Duan Rongshi, why are you forcing me?"

Duan Rongshi said nothing.

He merely used a knife to slit his own arm.

In an instant, fresh blood streamed.

The scent of blood quickly filled the entire cave.

This pungent smell made her legs go weak, leaving her completely powerless to resist.

Duan Rongshi walked over and sat cross-legged on a stone.

"Come here."

He let the blood on his arm flow as he silently stared at her.

Li Qingluo, like a puppet, knelt and moved closer to his side.

When he raised his arm, she clung to him like a lost soul, moving in……

Soon, she fell asleep.

Only then did Duan Rongshi tear open his robe and bind his wound.

Seeing her face finally relax, yet a hint of worry still furrowed her brow, Duan Rongshi, heart aching, pulled her into his embrace.

"If you dare to die, I will chase you to the underworld and never let you have an easy time."

In the flickering firelight, the two silhouettes slowly collapsed.

Duan Rongshi held Li Qingluo like that and slept the whole night in the cave.

The next day, when Li Qingluo woke up holding her heavy head, she was alone in the cave.

She held her heavy head, and in an instant, all the memories flooded into her mind.

The vague and the clear—everything came back to her.

She coldly looked at her own hands.

Although her hands were clean, a feeling of utter despair still welled up in her heart.

When Duan Rongshi returned with a fat rabbit, there was no one left in the cave.

Panicking, he dropped the rabbit and hurriedly turned to search for her.

Yet neither the nearby woods nor the stream banks showed any trace of her.

Only when he chased to the cliff's edge did he see her standing there.

Duan Rongshi dared not make a sound; he quickly approached and, while Li Qingluo was unaware, grabbed her and pulled her back from the cliff's edge.

He held her tightly in his arms.

"What do you intend to do?"

"Li Qingluo, are you trying to force me to imprison you——"

He angrily grabbed her and growled, his expression full of loss of composure.

Where is there any trace of his usual noble elegance?

Everything had long since completely spiraled out of control.

None of her choices ever involved him.

Her retreat also shut him out.

She is a selfish woman who would rather have him anxiously go mad, his heart torn apart, than believe him!

"What on earth do you want to do?"

"If you want to die, how about I help you fulfill that?"

With a sinister expression, he pushed her back toward the cliff's edge.

At this moment he seemed to become that ruthless Yama killing god, treating her like an unforgivable criminal with no mercy whatsoever.

Li Qingluo did not struggle.

She still stood with one foot half over the cliff.

Only her eyes, filled with brokenness, gazed at him: "Duan Rongshi, I have drunk your blood; dying is only fitting."

"Anyway, from now on I am a monster."

"I also do not wish to become like the old duke; merely surviving in this world is worse than ending my sins from the start."

"Kill me——"

Having said that, she closed her eyes, waiting for him to strike decisively.

But what came was a heavy pressure pressed upon her lips.