An Ping's heart skipped a beat, "You... what do you want to do?"
Xue Changan sneered, "Since you won't change your mind, I know only the dead will not argue."
An Ping retreated several steps in fear, "You... you want to kill me?"
Xue Changan remained silent, emanating a palpable murderous aura. An Ping wanted to run but found her path blocked by a man behind her.
Xue Changan coldly ordered, "Xue Yu, kill her."
Xue Yu's eyes chilled, and he moved towards An Ping. An Ping cried out in desperation, "But I am the Princess of Anguo."
"I am the Empress of Huangze. If I kill you, Emperor An will say nothing," Xue Changan said with a cruel smile, her face contorted.
An Ping shook her head, looking at the approaching man with terror, "You can't kill me, you can't kill me..."
Xue Yu's hand clamped around An Ping's neck, tightening little by little. An Ping's face turned purple, and she was clearly about to suffocate.
Suddenly, a voice called out, "Let her go..."
Xue Changan was startled, never expecting anyone else to be there. Her gaze turned icy, and she commanded, "Kill them all."
Xue Yu tightened his grip, just a moment away from strangling An Ping to death, when a flash of silver light appeared.
Xue Yu instinctively dodged, and the hand strangling An Ping loosened.
An Ping gasped, breathing in the long-lost air.
Xue Changan looked at the girl before her and said coldly, "Who are you?"
"Princess An Ru." An Ru stared coldly at Xue Changan.
Xue Changan finally remembered; this was the second daughter of Emperor An, Princess An Ru.
"Princess An Ru, wouldn't it be better to pretend you didn't see some things?" Xue Changan asked with a sneer.
"If it were any other time, I would have pretended not to see, because they wouldn't harm my sister. But you are different. You want to kill An Ping, and I cannot stand by and do nothing," An Ru said angrily.
Xue Changan let out a cold laugh, her eyes dismissive and mocking, "With you? Can you defeat my guard?"
An Ru braced herself, "How can we know without trying?"
*Such overconfidence*, Xue Changan thought to herself.
She looked at Xue Yu and said coldly, "Since Princess An Ru looks down on your skills, why don't you spar with her?"
Xue Yu cupped his hands, "Princess An Ru, I must offend you."
Before he finished speaking, he lunged towards An Ru. An Ru was greatly alarmed; she couldn't even see his movements, let alone dodge.
She stepped to the right, and at that moment, a sound reached her ears. Instinctively, she stepped to the right, and the wind brushed past her ear.
An Ru rejoiced; she had actually dodged the Huangze Empress's guard.
Xue Yu was also surprised. How could a princess who seemed to have no martial skill possibly dodge his attack?
Xue Yu struck again with his palm, and An Ru dodged it once more.
Gradually, Xue Changan also noticed something amiss. She frowned and said coldly, "Xue Yu, what are you doing?"
Xue Yu stopped and suddenly changed his direction and strategy. The next moment, he appeared before An Ru, and An Ru felt her heart stop.
Xue Yu moved to grab An Ru's neck, when a cold voice called out, "Xue Yu, what are you doing?"
Xue Yu's hand froze. He turned and saw two people standing not far away.
He saw one of the girls standing there, her water-sky colored long dress swaying in the breeze, matched by her flying black hair.
She stood there quietly, like a statue.
His heart skipped a beat. A person had already appeared before him, coldly demanding, "Xue Changan, what do you think you are doing?"
Xue Changan sneered, "Hua Yunjin, I told you from now on, we would mind our own business. Are you trying to interfere now?"
The newcomer was Hua Yunjin. He said coldly, "I never want to get involved in your mess, but are you sure you want to kill two princesses of Anguo?"
Xue Changan looked down disdainfully at An Ping, who was trembling on the ground, and An Ru, who stood motionless. She sneered, "So what if I kill them? A mere Anguo means nothing to me."
Hua Yunjin looked at the ferocious Xue Changan and said with a smile, "You don't care, but he will. Doing this will only push him further away from you."
"You..."
"Who likes a cruel-hearted woman?" Hua Yunjin said mockingly.
Upon hearing this, Xue Changan's gaze suddenly turned cold, "The dead cannot speak."
"The dead cannot speak, but only if you can kill me."
Xue Changan sneered, "Hua Yunjin, I will remember this day. One day, I will kill you."
"Alright, I'll be waiting..." Hua Yunjin replied.
Xue Changan flicked her sleeves and left in anger.
Xue Yu followed her. He couldn't help but glance back, only to see the girl also looking at him, her gaze as cold as frost.
"Sister An Ru, are you alright!" An Ning helped An Ru, who's legs went weak and she collapsed onto the ground.
After a while, she said, "I'm fine. What about Eldest Sister?"
An Ning said, "I'll go check."
She then approached An Ping. Although An Ping looked much better mentally, her face was still frighteningly pale.
"Sister, are you okay?" An Ning asked.
An Ping looked up at An Ning and finally couldn't help but sob, "I... I almost died..."
"Sister, don't be afraid, you have me and Sister An Ru," An Ning comforted her.
An Ping nodded, "An Ning, An Ru, thank you both."
An Ning shook her head, "Eldest Sister, we are princesses of Anguo. Whether inside or outside the country, we must present a united front."
An Ping lowered her gaze, "I know, An Ning, thank you!"
"Alright, let's leave here quickly," An Ning said, not daring to guarantee Xue Changan wouldn't change her mind.
An Ru helped An Ping, about to wait for her. An Ning looked at the Prince of Hua still standing there and said, "Sister An Ru, you escort Eldest Sister back. If anyone asks, say it was a dispute among us sisters."
An Ru was displeased, "Why? It was clearly the Empress of Huangze who wanted to kill Eldest Sister..."
"Do you think she would admit it? Without witnesses, do you think anyone will believe you?"
An Ru was about to explain, but An Ping spoke, "An Ning is right. When we get back, do as An Ning says."
An Ru had no choice but to nod, "Alright, I understand."
An Ru and An Ping left. An Ning approached Hua Yunjin and bowed slightly, "Thank you, Your Highness, for today's events. My gratitude is beyond words. If there is ever a way to repay you, I will certainly do so."
Upon hearing this, Hua Yunjin took a step forward. An Ning subconsciously took a step back, her eyebrows furrowed as she looked up at him.
He looked into the girl's pure, sky-like eyes and asked word by word, "Are you Xue Zining?"
An Ning blinked and asked, "Who is Xue Zining?"
Hua Yunjin let out a low chuckle, his expression tinged with a hint of sadness, "It's nothing, I was just reminded of an old friend."
"Do I look very much like the person you knew?"
Hua Yunjin looked up at the girl before him, and after a long pause, he shook his head, "No."
She always carried an air of majesty about her.
It made him unconsciously want to submit. The girl before him was merely an innocent princess.