"Your Royal Highness, this woman claims to know the location of the previous dynasty's hidden treasure. How does Your Highness plan to deal with her?" Jiang Cheng asked cautiously.
Lan Chenyu finally turned his head, his eyes lazily narrowing as his probing gaze locked onto Zha Muxi.
Zha Muxi looked up to meet his gaze, but quickly lowered her eyes, inwardly marveling at yet another striking hunk.
He had a high-bridged nose, thin lips, and a pair of extraordinarily amorous eyes that, when fixed intently on someone, made them feel as though they were the sole object of his affection.
Though she thought this inwardly, her expression remained unchanged. She simply enjoyed appreciating beauty; it didn't mean she fell in love at first sight with every handsome man she met.
Lan Chenyu raised his eyes, devoid of much emotion, and said with seeming indifference, "Oh? I have heard that you were hopelessly devoted to Mo Xuanjing. If you don't offer some sincerity, how do you expect me to believe you?"
At a single glance, Zha Muxi saw that while Lan Chenyu appeared harmless, if she failed to provide enough leverage right now, this high-and-mighty crown prince would kill her on the spot.
Zha Muxi steadied her nerves, her gaze instantly turning icy and filled with malice. "Your Royal Highness, it's true that I loved Mo Xuanjing, but how can I not hate him when he just chose that woman in front of the entire world? The moment I return to Mo Kingdom, I am bound to be mocked by everyone. If it comes to that, we might as well all die together."
With that, Zha Muxi's gaze grew even more frantic, like a venomous snake darting its tongue. "Therefore, as long as Your Royal Highness agrees to hand them over to me for disposal once you conquer Mo Kingdom, I will lead you to the previous dynasty's treasure."
Lan Chenyu chuckled faintly. "Very well, I am willing to cooperate with you. Once we find the treasure, they will be entirely at your disposal." Seeing others tormented by love and ultimately consumed by a bitter desire for revenge always brought him a sense of delight.
"Your Royal Highness, could you grant me a bowl of miscarriage medicine? I do not want his child. Since he is so ruthless, do not blame me for being heartless."
Looking at the deep hatred in Zha Muxi's eyes, Lan Chenyu smiled with a mocking curl of his lips. "Ha, interesting. Truly ruthless enough—even willing to cast aside her own flesh and blood. Someone, bring her a bowl of miscarriage decoction."
Zha Muxi knew Lan Chenyu didn't trust her, so she had to project the image of someone utterly abandoned and consumed by hatred for those people if she wanted a sliver of survival.
Though Lan Chenyu appeared gentle as jade, a romantic and dashing aristocrat of peerless grace, men like him were often the most dangerous. She certainly didn't believe anyone who managed to reach such a position could be innocent.
Besides, if utilized properly, she could become a sharp blade in their hands. That way, the chances of killing Mo Xuanjing would be even greater.
Once Mo Xuanjing was dead, no one in the entire Mo Kingdom could stand against them, and the nation would naturally fall into their grasp like fruit in a basket.
Zha Muxi had intended to drink it with an air of cool indifference, but she couldn't help almost retching. As expected, traditional Chinese medicine was utterly bitter. She frowned almost imperceptibly, showing a flash of pain.
Seeing this, Lan Chenyu asked, "Miss Zha, are you unwilling? If so, I naturally will not force you."
Zha Muxi quickly shook her head. "How could that be? It's just that this medicine is so bitter, it makes me feel a bit nauseous."
*Heh,* he wouldn't force her, he'd just send her to meet the King of Hell early.
Lan Chenyu paused, thinking her a delicate aristocratic miss indeed. He ordered a servant to bring candied fruit, then said with an ambiguous smile, "Miss Zha is truly interesting, seemingly quite different from the rumors. Even a fierce tiger will not eat its own cubs, yet you drank it just now without a moment's hesitation. I suddenly find it hard to tell whether you are clever or merely vicious."
"I only know that he didn't want me, and didn't want my child." With that, Zha Muxi's tone suddenly turned agonizing. "Since he doesn't want them, why should I keep this child?"
"Hmph, you had better not be lying. Otherwise, you won't be able to bear the price of deceiving me."
"I can swear to the heavens; if I have spoken a single falsehood, may I be struck dead by lightning." Zha Muxi's eyes were filled with hatred, while inwardly she kept praising herself for being utterly brilliant and acting so well. *As expected, a psychopath loves the scent of another psychopath.*
"Very well, I shall await your good news. Drink it, and I will believe you. Every half month, I will give you an antidote. If you dare betray me, your whole body will feel as though thousands of bugs are tearing at your flesh, and you will die in agony."
Without the slightest hesitation, Zha Muxi drank it. After all, there was no poison in existence that she couldn't detoxify.
Only after watching Zha Muxi drink it did Lan Chenyu tell someone to take her away to recuperate.
Jiang Cheng stepped forward and asked, "Your Royal Highness, should we believe what this woman said?"
Lan Chenyu replied with his usual indifference, "No matter what, anyone who betrays me dies."
After all, he was confident that no one in the world could neutralize his poison. "A woman consumed by love and hatred is capable of anything. As long as we use this woman well, she will certainly aid me in my grand undertaking."
Jiang Cheng still wanted to say something, but finally bowed respectfully instead. "Yes, Your Subordinate obeys."
"I am fatigued. Withdraw."
"Yes."
Jiang Cheng knew that although the crown prince had been exceptionally gifted since childhood, he was also bloodthirsty and permitted no one to defy his will. Otherwise, execution awaited them without mercy.
77 inspected Zha Muxi's physical condition and gasped in shock, "Little Master, you actually aborted the child?"
The moment Zha Muxi saw the little fox, she felt an urge to fetch a pot and stew it—this unreliable piece of work. She said coldly, "Yes, so what?"
Too terrified to speak further, 77 curled up in the corner of the system space looking pitiful.
Zha Muxi had never possessed much resistance to fluffy things, let alone anyone who could resist a little fox with nine chubby tails! She snatched the little fox up into her arms and stroked it happily, finding the texture simply divine.
After stroking it for a long time, she finally spoke unhurriedly, "That crown prince is extremely suspicious. I needed this child to gain his trust. Furthermore, if we went to that place and an accidental miscarriage occurred, I wouldn't have enough physical strength to escape. In that case, Lan Chenyu would have killed us both. That's reason number one."
"Secondly, I want my child to be born into a happy and joyful family, not one where the parents look at each other with mutual loathing. To be born into such a world—isn't that its own form of cruelty to a child?"
"Thirdly, once this child was born, my entanglement with the male protagonist would never end. I cannot abandon the child, nor can I trap myself in a prince's estate for a lifetime, fighting for favor against a gaggle of women just for a man."
With a tearful choke in its voice, 77 wailed, "It's all my fault for placing Little Master in such danger."
Though Zha Muxi had wanted to stew the fox earlier, she was now enjoying the thrill of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
Only now did Zha Muxi have time to pause and reflect, her tone carrying a hint of urgency. "You called me Little Master? Then who is your master, and what was the purpose of bringing me here?"
Regaining its reliable facade instantly—as if the tearful voice moments ago had never happened—77 declared, "Yes! My master is your father. Your soul suffered such severe damage that you ended up in that Abyss at the beginning. I sensed that this small world could repair your soul, so I chose this dying body for you. Little Master, as long as we find the method of restoration, we can go home and see Master! *Ying~* Master must miss us to death!"
Zha Muxi felt entirely estranged from the concepts of home and family, but she pressed on immediately nonetheless, "Where is my home? And what kind of person is my father?"
Just as 77 was about to speak, it found itself hit with a gag order. *Sob, sob, sob, Master is a big bad guy.*
Zha Muxi naturally noticed 77's anomaly and let slip a smile. It seemed this father of hers was quite mysterious, which only made her look forward to meeting him all the more!
At that moment, across vast expanses of time and space, a strikingly handsome man currently on vacation sneezed. He pinched his fingers to divine the cause, and a corner of his mouth curved upward. "Ah, so my precious daughter is missing me!"
Zha Muxi finally caught a glimpse of her own reflection. Every movement and expression resembled someone stepping out of a painting; her fingers were like tender white reeds, her skin like congealed lard, her delightful smile enchanting, her bright eyes captivating—truly a face that could topple states and cities, peerless in her era.
Seeing the Little Master staring at herself in a daze, 77 immediately rushed forward to lavish her with honeyed praise. "Little Master, I specially used the appearance of your original body! The residents of this world will also subconsciously perceive that this is simply what you look like. Oh, behold my perfect Little Master: autumn waters for a spirit and jade for bones, lotus blossoms for a face and willow catkins for brows. Truly, every frown or smile could sink a city, and every anger or joy could melt a soul!"
Zha Muxi couldn't help laughing. This foolish system had quite a way with words when flattering people! However, she still had to settle accounts with it for scamming her.
77 shivered violently and piped up weakly, "Little Master, we're in this together now."
Zha Muxi gave a faint "oh." "Find a way to contact the male protagonist and set an ambush in that Secret Realm. When the time comes, I will lead them there. Following the destruction of the previous dynasty, the current balance of the Seven Great Nations emerged. Once any of the Seven Great Nations finds the previous dynasty's treasure, subduing the rest is merely a matter of time. Therefore, even knowing it's a trap, they will certainly go. Besides, Lan Chenyu is self-righteous and doesn't believe anyone in this world can counter his poison, so naturally, he won't take me seriously."
"By the way, tell the male protagonist to find the Yang Spirit Grass first. It primarily grows on the sunny slopes of Tailou Mountain and can be used to repel venomous creatures and miasmas."
77 looked confused. "Little Master, how did you know about all this? The plot outline we were given didn't mention anything beyond the Secret Realm itself."