The commotion was more real than any gold.
Feng Wuxi watched his manor gates being breached, a sense of déjà vu washing over him.
Wasn't this the same scene last night when they captured Ye Tingyan? But now, the target of the assault was him!
"Does Your Highness truly intend to go to such lengths? We agreed during our cooperation..."
The iron cavalry was originally meant to defend against Ye Tingyan, but now it conveniently aided Ye Tinglan's actions.
Ye Tinglan cast a cold glance, his voice chilling, "Sect Master Feng, you were the one who concealed it from this King first!"
Other matters could be negotiated, but this one was not.
"This King gives you one last chance. Hand over the Princess, and this King will immediately withdraw his troops."
"It's not..."
"Think carefully before you answer."
...
The space within the hidden compartment was cramped and sealed. After only half an hour, Feng Yinwan's oxygen was nearly depleted.
Confirming that the commotion outside had ceased, she prepared to crawl out for some air. However, as her hand touched the mechanism, footsteps suddenly echoed, startling her into freezing her movement.
"Where is the person?"
This voice was nothing but stern and cold. Feng Yinwan's heart tightened, and she held her breath.
Her hiding place was beneath the Xuanjing platform. Besides Feng Wuxi, no one else knew of it. Even she had only discovered it recently.
So... who was Ye Tinglan asking about just now?
"Your Highness, do not be hasty. There is a mechanism here."
As he spoke, it was indeed that scoundrel Feng Wuxi.
A surge of anger ignited within Feng Yinwan, and her already oxygen-deprived head spun even more.
This bastard was secretly selling her out!
Trapped in this narrow space with no room to maneuver, unable to retreat or charge out directly, Feng Yinwan hardened her heart and simply raised her hand to lift her mask.
With a faint sound, the mechanism was opened from the outside.
The cold light emanating from the Xuanjing platform shone down, easily illuminating the scene within the hidden compartment.
As his gaze fell upon it, the cold intensity surrounding Ye Tinglan instantly froze.
Within the hidden compartment, a woman was curled up, half her face buried in her sleeve, her beautiful eyes gently closed, her breathing shallow. Her serene sleeping face was no longer concealed.
The person before him was the one he had longed for day and night, the one he had searched for madly – Feng Yinwan!
He had finally...
A slight abnormality appeared in his blood circulation. Ye Tinglan frowned, instinctively lowering his eyes, only to be met with several flying silver needles.
The speed of the needles was incredibly swift. He raised his hand to block, but his internal energy was sluggish, failing to manifest.
In an instant, the silver needles pierced his flesh, embedding themselves directly into his palm. At the same time, the woman who had been sleeping in the hidden compartment had already risen.
Ye Tinglan looked up, his expression undeniably tinged with coldness.
"You ambushed this King?"
After so long, their reunion was marked by such a grand 'gift'.
He should have known long ago that this woman always had a rebellious streak.
Feng Yinwan curved her lips, her beautiful eyes filled with icy disdain.
"It's all thanks to Your Highness's willingness to give me the opportunity."
Last time, at the hunter's house, she had taken advantage of his relapse and unconsciousness to seal his meridians. Today was different. If she confronted him directly, she would surely be no match for him.
Therefore, lifting her mask just now was a gamble.
A gamble that he would be momentarily distracted upon seeing her, allowing her to poison him.
It seemed her gamble had paid off.
Her gaze swept over Ye Tinglan's palm, which was already seeping blood. Feng Yinwan's eyes narrowed, and a silent curve formed on her lips.
The silver needles carried internal energy. Ye Tinglan's internal energy had been obstructed. Without his usual defenses, he was as vulnerable as any ordinary person. His palm was almost completely pierced.
With him like this, she was confident she could fight.
She had expected to be met with terrifying coldness, but to her surprise, the dark eyes that met hers held no trace of anger.
Ye Tinglan gazed at her deeply but did not pull out the silver needles embedded in his palm.
"Return to the capital with this King, and you can do whatever you wish. This King will comply."
As long as she was no longer angry.
Feng Yinwan could never agree.
Her delicate face sank, her voice growing colder. "No need! I said the Princess of Mo was already dead."
That was a cage she had resolved to break free from. How could she possibly return?
"Your Highness, please leave. The position of Princess of Mo is not irreplaceable, but it will never be me again."
She would not touch anything that others had laid their hands on, especially since he had tried to utterly destroy her!
"Very well. Since you insist, this King will bring you back in his own way."
A wave of chill surged before him. Ye Tinglan expelled all the silver needles with his internal energy.
Feng Yinwan hadn't expected his internal energy to be this profound. Her brow furrowed, her beautiful eyes instantly becoming vigilant.
"You are poisoned. Forcing your energy will only damage your meridians. Why push so hard?"
She couldn't understand.
If he wanted to kill her, why did he insist on taking her back to the capital? Wouldn't it be better to simply announce her death to the world and take another bride?
Or perhaps he intended to publicly execute her, the "former Princess," to quell the Southern King's suspicions.
Ye Tinglan remained silent, his expression exceptionally resolute.
Feng Yinwan's gaze towards him grew colder.
In an instant, silver needles spilled from between his fingers, all aimed at the vital pressure points on Ye Tinglan's body.