The man advanced slowly with steady footsteps, his cold voice spreading through the air layer by layer.
“You trespassed into my War Prince’s Manor at night. What secret were you trying to steal?”
Pain shot through Lin Yanxi’s chest and back so fiercely that she grimaced, completely unable to answer Xiao Junyan’s question.
His icy voice continued beside her ear.
“Are you going to speak or not?”
Gritting her teeth, Lin Yanxi showed not the slightest trace of fear as she stared directly back at him.
“What secret would I steal?”
【I came to steal the jade pillow!】
The two sentences echoed one after another in Xiao Junyan’s ears.
His eyes narrowed slightly as his probing gaze swept over her repeatedly.
If she truly wanted the jade pillow, she could have gone directly for it. Why sneak into his study instead?
Or was stealing the jade pillow merely a cover, while her true goal was the confidential documents inside the study?
While Xiao Junyan was lost in thought, Lin Yanxi struggled to prop herself up against the steps and stand.
As he examined her, she examined him as well.
【Wasn’t he supposed to be inspecting the military camp? And not returning for three days?】
【So all that information was fake?】
【Are they messing with me?!】
Lin Yanxi cursed inwardly, every word reaching Xiao Junyan perfectly intact.
However, he still had not uncovered any useful information, so he decided to pressure her further.
“Wei Xing. This person trespassed into the War Prince’s Manor with the intent to steal important secrets. Drag her out and execute her.”
Wei Xing was startled by the order.
The prince had gone through all this trouble just to lure her into a trap… only to kill her?
【What? Execute me?!】
“Who said I came to steal secrets?” Lin Yanxi immediately protested. “I wasn’t trying to steal anything… I just…”
“Just what?” he pressed coldly.
Lin Yanxi inhaled deeply.
【Even if I wasn’t stealing secrets, I can’t exactly tell him to his face that I came to steal the jade pillow, can I? Wouldn’t I still get killed?!】
She stammered for quite a while without explaining herself, but one of her hands quietly continued moving.
Knowing full well that infiltrating the War Prince’s Manor would be dangerous, she had naturally prepared in advance. Though her silver needles were gone, she still carried plenty of poison.
While stalling for time, she secretly searched for an opportunity to use it and create a chance to escape.
Hearing her thoughts, Xiao Junyan became somewhat puzzled.
Had he truly been overly suspicious?
Was she really only here for the jade pillow?
Then why had she tried to enter the study?
What Lin Yanxi herself did not realize was that because of her inner thoughts, she had successfully dragged herself back from the edge of death.
Finally, her fingers found the pouch of poison powder. A sly gleam flashed through her lowered eyes.
“I’ll say it… I’ll say it…”
“The reason I came to the War Prince’s Manor is actually…”
Beneath her veil, the corners of her lips curved upward slightly.
At the same moment, the powder in her hand scattered completely into the air.
She was extremely confident in the poisons she concocted.
Back in her previous life, when she had been bored staying alone at her sect, she loved experimenting with poisons like these.
Compared to medicine, poison-making was actually her greatest skill.
It was only because her master had forbidden her from touching such things that she could only secretly experiment after all her senior brothers had gone down the mountain.
The instant the powder spread out, a large number of guards collapsed.
Naturally, Xiao Junyan—who stood closest to her—could not escape its effects either.
The moment he was poisoned, Lin Yanxi turned and bolted.
As she ran, she continuously pulled out every remaining pouch of poison on her body, scattering them toward the guards pursuing her.
She was just about to escape the courtyard.
Victory already seemed within sight.
But then—
【I’m only doing this to survive, so sorry everyone. But hopefully you’ll all have good luck afterward. After all, your War Prince only has three years left to live anyway…】
Every word entered Xiao Junyan’s ears clearly.
In an instant, murderous intent exploded within his eyes.
So she truly knew…
His fingers rapidly struck several pressure points on his body. Immediately, his mind cleared, and he mobilized his inner strength to pursue Lin Yanxi.
Lin Yanxi suddenly sensed a dangerous aura approaching behind her.
When she glanced back, all she saw was an icy, stern face.
Xiao Junyan’s large hand clamped tightly around her throat, lifting her completely off the ground.
Lin Yanxi instantly felt herself engulfed by suffocating pressure. She desperately clawed at the hand around her neck while her other hand tried to reach for the poison hidden on her body.
“L-let… go… of… me…”
With her throat crushed in his grip, she could not even complete a sentence.
There was only killing intent in Xiao Junyan’s eyes. The hand around her neck tightened relentlessly.
Breathing became harder and harder.
In her panic, she no longer had the ability to search for poison and could only struggle with both hands.
【Heavens, am I really going to die here today?!】
【No! This isn’t how the story is supposed to go!】
【Wait… he’s poisoned?!】
During the struggle, Lin Yanxi accidentally touched Xiao Junyan’s pulse.
She discovered that his pulse lacked the strong vitality of an ordinary person’s—and at the same time, she found herself a chance to survive.
With great difficulty, she raised a hand and pulled the hairpin from her head, ruthlessly stabbing it into a specific point on his arm.
The sharp pain instantly weakened most of the strength in Xiao Junyan’s grip.
Lin Yanxi finally managed to gasp for air as she broke free from his hand.
While she bent over, gulping down breaths, Xiao Junyan’s expression changed drastically.
“Your Highness!”
Wei Xing dragged his nearly collapsing body toward Xiao Junyan and quickly supported him.
“Your Highness, how are you feeling?”
Xiao Junyan pressed his lips tightly together. His breathing became rapid, and beneath the skin on the back of his hand, a bluish-purple vein visibly spread upward along his arm.
Wei Xing immediately understood.
The prince’s poison had flared up.
“Your Highness, how are you? This subordinate will take you to Divine Doctor Zou immediately!”
Xiao Junyan’s sharp gaze locked firmly onto Lin Yanxi, who was still gasping heavily for breath.
She really did know about the poison inside his body!
Suppressing the violent agony churning through his internal organs, he pretended nothing was wrong and coldly ordered Wei Xing:
“She knows about my poisoning… she must be killed.”
Wei Xing froze.
Only now did he understand why the prince had paid such close attention to Miss Lin these past few days.
So it was because she knew about the prince’s poisoning.
If she knew, then she absolutely could not be allowed to live!
“This subordinate understands!”
Wei Xing immediately commanded the guards:
“Men! Capture this intruder who trespassed into the manor!”
Only after personally seeing Lin Yanxi restrained did Wei Xing finally support Xiao Junyan and prepare to leave.
Even while being held down, Lin Yanxi still refused to give up searching for a way out.
“Wait!”
She raised her voice desperately and shouted,
“Stop right there!”
Wei Xing suddenly turned around, his expression vicious as he glared at her.
“You dared injure His Highness. Even killing you would not be excessive!”
“Wait! I can cure the poison in his body!”
While supporting Xiao Junyan, Wei Xing snatched a sword from a nearby guard and pointed it directly at Lin Yanxi.
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
He rejected her claim outright before ordering the guards again:
“This thief dared use hidden weapons to injure His Highness. She absolutely must not be allowed to live. Kill her immediately!”