Zha Muxi massaged her forehead and smiled helplessly. "It's simple. Since this is ancient times and that place is so mysterious, there are bound to be poisonous creatures and toxic gases acting as a barrier. Even though I've forgotten a lot, the knowledge I acquired is permanently stored in the human brain. That is humanity's most precious wealth."
"Th-then is there really treasure there? Will the male lead really come to save you?" 77 felt like its CPU was about to fry; it had no idea why its little master was so certain.
"Naturally. The male lead abandoned me today. On top of that, if he had the opportunity to rescue me and chose not to, resulting in my death, once word of this reaches the imperial court, my father and older brother will certainly not let the matter rest. By then, not only might his white moonlight have to die to appease their anger, but the entire Mo Kingdom will also be plunged into internal and external troubles."
"Little master, don't worry, 77 guarantees it will complete the mission perfectly." 77 raised its paw with a solemn expression, gave a salute, and scampered off to work.
Looking at that fluffy ball, Zha Muxi forcefully suppressed the impulse to snatch the little fox over and pet it.
Ten days later, Zha Muxi was finally able to leave her room, and her body had returned to normal.
Even though Lan Chenyu kept people watching her, which made her somewhat uncomfortable, the food and drinks were delicious over these past ten days, so she didn't mind it too much.
"Greetings, Crown Prince." Zha Muxi merely offered a bow of the hands without kneeling.
Jiang Cheng saw this and was just about to say something.
Lan Chenyu waved a hand, the corners of his lips curving upward, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. "No need. Miss Zha is an esteemed guest of our Lan Country. There's no need for such empty formalities."
Smiles bloomed in Zha Muxi's eyes, her brows curving gracefully. Everyone present was momentarily dazed—she was so breathtaking.
"Thank you, Crown Prince. This humble commoner will naturally devote everything to helping Your Highness achieve your grand ambitions of hegemony."
However, everyone knew full well that once the treasure was found, it would be the time of Zha Muxi's death. Yet this foolish woman still thought she had won the Crown Prince's favor.
A sneer flashed across Jiang Cheng's lips. He had a feeling that if this woman wasn't eliminated, she would surely become a femme fatale in the future.
"Is General Jiang dissatisfied with this humble lady in any way?" Zha Muxi asked with a hint of provocation.
The others couldn't help but think Zha Muxi was utterly foolish to dare provoke a general. If she didn't still have some utility, they would have squashed her like an ant long ago.
Zha Muxi certainly knew that acting this way would draw hatred, but trapped deep inside enemy territory, if she didn't disguise herself as an arrogant, ruthless, and foolish beauty, that Crown Prince would never lower his guard against her. With just a split second of an opening, she could turn a dead end into a path for survival.
When Zha Muxi saw Lan Chenyu's disguise, she paused slightly. Dressed entirely in red, striking and flamboyant, wearing a white jade crown inlaid with red rubies, and a black gold-embroidered belt around his waist from which hung an exquisite white jade pendant. *Uh, so much for keeping a low profile,* she thought. *Usually, clothes make the man, but now the man has to make the clothes. Alas, public morals are declining.*
However, Zha Muxi quickly regained her composure; after all, this Crown Prince was truly a ruthless character.
Lan Chenyu naturally knew that his appearance had attracted the attention of many people since childhood. Whenever people looked at him with those gazes, he only found it utterly disgusting and wanted to dig their eyes out.
To move about conveniently, the group disguised themselves as a merchant caravan and headed toward the Secret Realm.
Along the way, Zha Muxi saw many refugees and heard wails echoing across the outside world. She couldn't help sighing inwardly, though her face betrayed no emotion.
Since ancient times, whenever war arrives and the fires of battle burn, peace recedes and the common people suffer. If not for these natural and man-made disasters, who would willingly leave their homeland far behind?
Lan Chenyu naturally noticed that Zha Muxi's face showed no trace of pity. A strange, indescribable joy rose in his heart, as if he had found someone of his own kind—equally cold-blooded and ruthless, both looking down with the same contempt upon these lowly ants.
Suddenly, Lan Chenyu reached out and grabbed Zha Muxi tightly by the throat, coiling around his prey like a python.
Zha Muxi didn't struggle. She figured this pervert must think he had found a kindred spirit and was currently experiencing extreme excitement, but could he please try a different method next time, like choking himself?
Not until Zha Muxi was on the verge of suffocation did Lan Chenyu finally release his grip. He then saw the person before him with reddened eye rims, looking as though she had suffered some great grievance, glaring at him with a beauty's ire.
Unable to resist, Lan Chenyu lightly licked Zha Muxi's neck and asked in a hoarse voice, "Why didn't you struggle free from My grasp?"
Zha Muxi felt as though she had been touched by a venomous snake. She took huge, greedy breaths of air, and once she recovered, she pressed her lips together and spoke. "Because resisting is useless, and it might only anger the Crown Prince. Besides, this life of mine belongs to the Crown Prince—if Your Highness wants to take it back, go ahead. But I beg Your Highness to help me kill that pair of adulterers."Lan Chenyu looked straight at her, unable to help feeling a touch mesmerized. Those eyes were truly exquisite; if he were to gouge them out, they would surely become his most perfect masterpiece. Coming back to his senses, the corners of his lips curved upward, and his voice carried a somewhat bewitching tone: "Very well, but Us can't bear for you to die. Why don't you become a concubine for Us!"
Zha Muxi almost failed to restrain herself from killing this pervert on the spot. How on earth did this pervert's mind work to come up with something like that? Of course, Zha Muxi had no idea how great her charm was.
Zha Muxi said with a look of dismay, "Your Highness, I am no longer a maiden, and furthermore, I have been pregnant before. How could I possibly be worthy of the Crown Prince? If only... if only this humble commoner had met the Crown Prince sooner." She had no choice but to put on an act of infatuation while feeling unworthy.
Naturally, Lan Chenyu thought of this as well, and a flash of disgust crossed his face. That's right, how could this woman be worthy? He might as well just gouge out her eyes. The next second, he returned to his usual calm expression and ignored Zha Muxi altogether.
Deep inside, Zha Muxi also felt a sense of utter disgust. She hated nothing more than the feeling of her fate being controlled by others, and her eyes were now filled with coldness.
Although Lan Chenyu hadn't had a single concubine by his side until now, who would want to be favored by a pervert? Her life could end on any given day.
Still, Zha Muxi knew that one must endure small insults to achieve great things. Lan Chenyu, she would settle this score sooner or later.
"Young master, it's getting darker. There might be a heavy rain shortly. Should we pitch camp now?" A voice came from outside the carriage. This was Lan Yi, Lan Chenyu's most capable subordinate.
Lan Chenyu opened his eyes, his chin lifted slightly, and his voice was ice-cold: "Pick up the pace. Go ahead and check if there is an inn nearby."
Without sparing Zha Muxi even a single glance, Lan Chenyu closed his eyes again, feeling a trace of irritation rising in his heart.
Naturally, Zha Muxi was not about to ask for humiliation by disturbing him.
After a long period of quiet, coupled with the scorching weather and a long day of traveling, Zha Muxi couldn't help feeling a bit drowsy, and she eventually drifted off to sleep.
Only then did Lan Chenyu slowly open his eyes, the depths of his gaze entirely clear. His gaze swept over her long, dark eyelashes and her lips, as pink and tender as rose petals, finally landing on her neck—slender and graceful, fair and smooth, marked by the lingering bruises from earlier, giving off an aesthetic of cruel abuse.
Suddenly, the carriage jolted, startling Zha Muxi awake, yet she still inevitably tipped toward Lan Chenyu.
*Oh crap, this is going to be fatal,* Zha Muxi screamed inwardly. In her panic, she twisted her right right foot and collided with a thud against the wooden beam on the right side of the carriage, though fortunately, she avoided touching Lan Chenyu. Because of his extreme mysophobia, anyone who touched him either died or had their hands chopped off.
"Forgive us, Your Highness! This road is far too rugged and uneven!" Everyone outside was kneeling on the ground.
Lan Chenyu was utterly displeased at the moment, emanating an aura of chilling frost. His glacial gaze failed to convey the slightest warmth as he said in a low voice, "Resume the journey. Report for punishment upon our return."
*This woman would rather bang her head against wood than fall into My embrace. Dammit.*
"Understood." Everyone couldn't help exhaling in relief.
Zha Muxi now had a large bump on her forehead; with her complexion, even the lightest touch would leave a deep mark.
The pain was ten times that of an ordinary person, and in the end, unable to bear it any longer, Zha Muxi softly asked, "Your Highness, could you spare some ointment?"
Whose wooden beam was made of gold anyway? It hurt her enough to bring tears to her eyes.
Only then did Lan Chenyu look at Zha Muxi with a hint of pleasure, casually tossing out a small bottle of medicine.
If anyone else had been present, they would have been utterly shocked. The cold and merciless Crown Prince was actually giving such precious medicine to a woman! Moreover, this ointment was exceptionally rare—there were only two bottles in the entire country, and one of them was right in the Crown Prince's hands.
Zha Muxi was also somewhat surprised that Lan Chenyu had given her such fine medicine. Before long, the large bump subsided significantly.
Upon arriving at the inn, Lan Chenyu actually took the initiative to demand that Zha Muxi serve him.
Zha Muxi cursed a storm inside her head. Was this bastard out of his mind? She had no desire to get caught up in any romantic love story with him, but on the surface, she maintained a submissive expression and replied, "Very well."
However, Lan Chenyu didn't pull any further stunts, such as pinching her again.
Zha Muxi breathed a sigh of relief and went off to sleep. Lan Chenyu stared straight at her back, wondering what he was thinking.
The next day during mealtime, a woman suddenly rushed forward, attempting to embrace Zha Muxi.
To avoid drawing attention, Zha Muxi had been dressing as a man all along, and her overall appearance looked quite striking and delicate.
Just as Zha Muxi was about to dodge, the woman was sent flying with a blow. Raising her gaze, she saw that the one who had struck was none other than Lan Chenyu.
Zha Muxi was slightly stunned, and she softly asked, "That woman..." Is she dead?