Luo Qingyi remained unmoved. The sword pressed against Qin Changqing’s neck pushed down further, the blade slicing open a thin line of blood.
Blood trickled down his neck, staining the pristine white collar of his robe crimson.
Yet Qin Changqing suddenly smiled. With a flick of his finger, he struck precisely at the weakest point of the blade.
“Clang!”
The sword trembled violently, the shock numbing Luo Qingyi’s wrist. She nearly lost her grip.
She staggered backward, crashing into a bookshelf.
The wound on her shoulder split open again. Blood slowly seeped through her white gauze clothing, blooming like red plum blossoms on snow.
“The condition is simple. You only need to agree to one request.”
“And I won’t make you do anything against your will. How about it?”
“You think you’re worthy of negotiating terms?” Luo Qingyi’s brows knit slightly, pain flickering across her face.
Qin Changqing knew she was already at the end of her strength.
“I can kill you with a single strike right now…”
“You certainly can. But what then?” Qin Changqing’s gaze remained calm. “With the cold poison raging inside you, and your body already severely injured, do you think you even have the strength to walk out of this residence?”
He suddenly grabbed her icy wrist.
“That palm strike from the emperor must have severely damaged your internal energy. Right now, even mobilizing spiritual power is difficult for you, isn’t it?”
She abruptly pressed him down onto the bed, the sword hilt digging painfully into his collarbone.
“A mere Postnatal Realm ant… killing you would only take…”
“Only thirty percent of your spiritual power?” Qin Changqing suddenly leaned close to her ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe. “But do you dare gamble on that?”
His finger suddenly tapped a point three inches below her navel.
“Here… doesn’t it feel like piercing agony with just a light press?”
Luo Qingyi’s pupils shrank sharply. She coughed out several mouthfuls of black blood, faint threads of icy energy mixed within it.
At last, she could no longer hold on. Dropping to one knee, she stabbed the Shattered Jade sword into the ground to keep herself from collapsing.
Qin Changqing crouched down and used his sleeve to wipe the blood from the corner of her lips.
“Impudent!”
Luo Qingyi raised her hand to circulate her energy, but her meridians screamed as if tearing apart.
Only then did she realize she couldn’t even gather her spiritual power anymore. Meanwhile, the man before her calmly loosened his hair crown.
The moment his black hair fell loose, Qin Changqing suddenly seized her wrist again.
“Since you’ll be captured anyway, you might as well let this young lord take advantage!”
Luo Qingyi trembled all over. Rage surged through her heart, and suddenly a metallic sweetness rose in her throat. The last thing she heard was the man’s teasing whisper.
“…You faint that easily?”
When the person in his arms went completely limp, the smile at the corner of Qin Changqing’s lips instantly vanished.
He pulled open Luo Qingyi’s bloodstained collar. Her shoulder had clearly been struck by a palm. With the cold poison still lingering in her body, the fact that she had managed to endure until now was already remarkable.
“I don’t remember this part in the game…”
In the game, her cold poison was supposed to be cured only after the protagonist Ling Feng rescued her, obtained the thousand-year blood ginseng, and refined a Snow-Melting Pill in Medicine King Valley.
So why had she come to the royal palace herself to steal the blood ginseng?
“Strange… very strange.”
“The current storyline seems to have deviated from the game.”
Fortunately, the immediate danger had passed. This fairy was the type to draw her blade at the slightest disagreement. He had no intention of getting killed right after transmigrating.
Qin Changqing recalled the game’s setting.
The Qin Empire had existed for over 400 years. The demon race had been driven to the far northern lands, and the empire’s rule was stable.
The emperors of successive generations had achieved neither great feats nor great failures. The only ongoing conflict was with the martial sects of the martial world.
Many of these sects had long histories, some even existing for over a thousand years. As a result, many disciples from major sects held the royal family in contempt.
While incidents rarely occurred in the capital, in remote regions, violence, banditry, and so-called “robbing the rich to aid the poor” were commonplace.
Thus, a hundred years ago, the previous emperor established the Royal Feather Guard to regulate these various factions and sects. However, the results had been mediocre.
In the martial world, strength ruled all. To put it bluntly, the Royal Feather Guard lacked a truly powerful figure who could suppress these chaotic forces.
Just as Qin Changqing’s thoughts drifted, heavy footsteps suddenly echoed outside. The furious roar of the royal guard commander sounded close at hand.
“Check whether the assassin fled here!”
Hearing that the guards were about to search, Qin Changqing’s face changed drastically.
He hurriedly looked around for a place to hide her. If they found the assassin lying in his room, he would never be able to explain himself.
At that moment, a guard’s voice rang out.
“We are under orders to search for the assassin. The situation is urgent, so please forgive any offense!”
Qin Changqing’s heart tightened. He knew the few servants he had couldn’t stall them for long.
Cold sweat poured down his back as he cursed inwardly.
“Damn it… what should I do?”
Just as he was at a loss, a faint “squeak” suddenly sounded.
Following the noise, Qin Changqing looked up. It was a small mouse on the roof beam.
Already on edge, the sudden sound made him flinch.
“Roof beam… mouse?”
An idea flashed through his mind.
Without hesitation, he quickly wrapped Luo Qingyi’s clothes tightly around her, lifted her into his arms, and leaped silently onto the roof beam.
Fortunately, the beam was wide enough. With her slender figure, she could be hidden easily.
He adjusted her position carefully, placing her in a blind spot that couldn’t be seen from below.
After finishing, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, straightened his robes, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open to face the guards.
The guards outside shoved aside the servants blocking the entrance as soon as they saw him emerge.
The leading guard glanced at Qin Changqing and quickly bowed.
“We are under orders to search for the assassin. If there is any offense, please forgive us, Your Highness.”
Qin Changqing knew this was not the time to argue. He had to send them away as quickly as possible.
Furrowing his brows, he feigned panic.
“An assassin? How could there be an assassin in the palace? Is my father safe?”
Seeing his shaken appearance, the guard’s tone softened slightly.
“Please rest assured, Your Highness. The seventh prince is accompanying His Majesty. There is no danger.”
Qin Changqing pretended to relax and nodded.
“Then please come in and search. Start with my room so I can be at ease. I’ve been inside the entire time and haven’t seen anyone enter.”
As he spoke, he led the guards inside.
After entering, the guards glanced around.
The room’s furnishings were simple, with few places to hide.
Moreover, none of them believed the young lord would be harboring an assassin.
Just as one guard was about to look up at the roof beam, a sudden “squeak” drew everyone’s attention.
“There!” Qin Changqing pointed toward the cabinet, raising his voice to redirect their focus. “The sound seemed to come from over there. Brothers, please check it for me!”
The guards immediately drew their blades and approached the cabinet with steady steps.
One guard slashed the cabinet door open. A furry little creature shot out with a “whoosh” and dashed out of the room.
“So it was just a mouse!”
The guards relaxed, sheathing their weapons. Turning to Qin Changqing, they bowed again.
“Sorry for the disturbance, Your Highness. There is no assassin here. We must continue searching elsewhere.”
Qin Changqing patted his chest, feigning calm.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Before leaving, the guards reminded him, “Please be careful as well, Your Highness. Do not wander at night. The assassin has not yet been captured, and the palace is not safe.”
Qin Changqing nodded in acknowledgment and watched them leave. Only then did he glance up at the roof beam, silently letting out a breath of relief.