Li Yuncheng looked at Xuanyuan Heng with disdain, and said coldly, "Heh, who is it that can make the Regent so humble? I presume this person must be very important to you."
Xuanyuan Heng frowned, his face looking extremely displeased.
"Li Yuncheng, just state what you want, and this King will grant it to you."
Li Yuncheng sneered, full of contempt.
"Regent, everyone in the world knows that I only treat people when I'm in the mood. Only when I'm in the mood."
"However, what you're saying now has put me in a very bad mood. Therefore, no matter who it is that the Regent brings, I will not even glance at them."
"Regent, please leave. There's no need to waste your time here."
Xuanyuan Heng directly pointed his blade at Li Yuncheng and said coldly, "This matter is not up to you. If this King asks you to treat, you will do so. Do you understand?"
"Heh, is that so? What if I refuse?"
Li Yuncheng showed no fear, and said coldly, "The people you brought are no match for me. You should think carefully before acting."
Just as Xuanyuan Heng was about to make a move, a gust of wind blew up the curtain of the carriage. By chance, Li Yuncheng saw it. His gaze fell on the person in the carriage, and his previously ruthless demeanor vanished.
His eyes fixed on Feng Ran. "She... what happened to her?"
Xuanyuan Heng was quite puzzled by Li Yuncheng's change of heart.
Li Yuncheng ignored Xuanyuan Heng's thoughts. He stepped forward, directly picked up Feng Ran, and carried her into his residence.
Xuanyuan Heng was unsure what had happened. He simply stood by and watched.
Xuanyuan Heng stood on the side, watching Li Yuncheng's anxious demeanor. He was certain that Li Yuncheng knew Feng Ran. The worried look on his face could not be faked.
The time it took for an incense stick to burn.
"Her life is temporarily out of danger," Li Yuncheng said coldly. "This time, she was lucky to have encountered me. If it were anyone else, she might have lost her life."
"Her foundation was already weak, and she couldn't withstand such torment from you."
Li Yuncheng said coldly, "Xuanyuan Heng, you were ruthless enough to try and take her life, weren't you?"
"Even if you wanted her dead, you didn't have to do it this way."
"Tsk." Li Yuncheng scoffed. "The common folk have been spreading rumors that the Prince kills without mercy. I didn't believe it at first, but now it seems the rumors are true."
"Next time, you won't be so lucky."
"Be careful."
Hearing this, Xuanyuan Heng frowned and looked at Li Yuncheng, but he did not retort.
His gaze fell on Li Yuncheng. "You were unwilling at first, but then you agreed. What happened in between?"
"You know Feng Ran, don't you?"
"Heh, I cannot disclose that."
Xuanyuan Heng said coldly, "This silver is your reward." He placed a gold ingot directly in front of Li Yuncheng.
Li Yuncheng had intended to say more, but after a moment's thought, he ultimately remained silent.
Perhaps, it would be best to ask Feng Ran herself about some matters.
However, remembering that Feng Ran had nearly lost her life, Li Yuncheng said with some pity, "Regent, her body is already very weak and needs rest. Please, do not torment her any further. Her body cannot withstand your torment anymore."
"If you continue to torment her, even I won't be able to save her."
"Seeing how anxious you were just now, it's clear she is of utmost importance to you. Therefore, I implore you to be merciful and stop tormenting her."
After saying these words, Li Yuncheng's eyes were filled with helplessness.
Even he himself found it strange why he would say such things at this moment.
Normally, he wouldn't speak so softly.
In his opinion, nothing was better than money.
His greatest joy in life was earning money.
Only money could provide him with security.
Li Yuncheng finally saw Xuanyuan Heng out.
...
At the Regent's mansion.
Xuanyuan Heng stood by quietly, his gaze fixed on the wound.
If the wound had been any closer, Feng Ran's life would surely have been lost.
Xuanyuan Heng had also said while treating her that if he had been any later, Feng Ran's life would have been gone.
He also said that Feng Ran's body was riddled with poison, and the poison had been there for too long. He could no longer detoxify it.
Some of the poison had even seeped into her bones, leaving no way to cure it.
Li Yuncheng also said, who could have inflicted such a vicious attack on Feng Ran? It was as if they wanted her dead.
He recalled that at Chunmanyuan, whenever Feng Ran met him, her face was always heavily made up. At the time, he had just thought she was wallowing in depravity.
But seeing her pale complexion now, he finally understood. She had been doing so just to conceal her sickly state, to prevent anyone from discovering that she had long been poisoned and was gravely ill.
He even ordered people to remove the heavy makeup from her face.
His cold hand landed on Feng Ran's face, tracing it with a hint of heartache.
What kind of suffering had she endured over the years, over these days, to become like this?
His hand moved to her lips, caressing them.
He tightly clasped her hand, his eyes filled with emotion.
Feng Ran's hands were already calloused.
Her hands were rough, not at all like those of someone her age.
His hand landed on her wound. He remembered her resolute gaze as she looked at him, and without hesitation, plunged the dagger into herself. That cold look was enough to unsettle anyone.
Just then, Bei Chenye appeared and knelt before Xuanyuan Heng.
"Speak. What is it?"
"My Lord, everything has been handled. However, how should Huang Qianqian be dealt with?"
"Heh, she is injured, so let her suffer a hundredfold. Remember, she must be kept alive." Feng Ran had begged him to kill Huang Qianqian, but he did not want to kill her.
He wanted to see Feng Ran desperately beg him to kill Huang Qianqian.
"Yes, my Lord."
As Bei Chenye was about to withdraw, Xuanyuan Heng said, "Keep Hongyi alive. This King has questions he wishes to ask personally."
"Dispose of her as you see fit, as long as she's kept alive, as long as she can speak."
"As for her limbs, that's not an issue."
"..." Bei Chenye paused for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. "Yes, your subordinate will ensure that everything your Lord wishes is done."
Bei Chenye returned to Chunmanyuan and took away Huang Qianqian and Hongyi.
Huang Qianqian and Hongyi were both bewildered and shocked. They had never imagined they would end up in such a situation.
"Guards, take these two down and watch them closely. Just keep them alive."
The words "just keep them alive" utterly terrified Huang Qianqian and Hongyi.