Watching Zha Muxi's face grow paler and paler, Lan Chenyu couldn't help but panic a little, but fortunately the bleeding finally stopped.
Only then did Lan Chenyu raise his eyes to look at Lan Wu, who was still kneeling, a faint, cold sneer curving his thin lips: "Ha, are you trying to court death?"
Suppressed by the heavy Internal Energy, Lan Wu could barely catch her breath, yet she still gritted her teeth and said, "Master, all those brothers of ours died because of this woman. She is clearly the weakest among us, yet none of the venomous creatures come near her. These beasts must have been lured here by her. Why don't you hand her over to me, Master? I will surely make her reveal where the treasure is hidden."
Lan Chenyu did not speak, lost in thought.
Inside the System space, 77 watched Zha Muxi with gloating amusement. "Little Master, you're about to flip your car over this time. Look, Lan Chenyu seems to be persuaded. Little Master, why are you still so calm? Aren't you scared?"
Zha Muxi curved her lips into a smile, almost bewitching, and said with confidence: "She won't have the opportunity. First, help me check the male lead's location."
"Alright, Little Master. Wow, wonderful! The male lead is already not far from us, having found an excellent spot to set an ambush. I even secretly gave him a signal."
"Terrific, you little fool." 77 almost suspected that the Little Master hadn't lost her memory at all, because the former master used to call it that too. It had actually planned to put on an act in front of the memory-loss Little Master!
Hearing this, the others naturally felt that Lan Wu made sense. Immediately, all of them dropped to their knees and chanted in unison, "We beg the Crown Prince to deal with this vixen."
Naturally, Lan Chenyu also found it highly suspicious that those venomous creatures did not bite her, so he nodded. "Very well. Once she wakes up, hand her over to you. Just leave her alive."
Zha Muxi merely watched all this with cold eyes, as though the person about to fall into hell was not her.
A dark and windy night destined this evening to be extraordinary. Suddenly, someone screamed, "Protect the Master! The venomous creatures are attacking again."
Zha Muxi had long since told 77 to forcefully wake her up. Standing up weakly, she said anxiously, "I once heard that there is a flower in this world called Alocasa (Giant Taro). Though poisonous, it is deeply favored by venomous creatures. Before I passed out, I glanced around and found the surroundings perfectly suited for Alocasa (Giant Taro) to grow. No doubt those beasts tracked us down this way. I was just about to report this when..."
Before Zha Muxi could finish, the others knew what had happened next. Their faces flushed with shame, and they cast accusatory glares at Lan Wu. If she hadn't stabbed Zha Muxi, they wouldn't have gotten into this mess tonight.
Zha Muxi sneered inwardly. *Look, this is human nature.*
Lan Wu naturally knew the others were resenting her, but she didn't care at all. Anxiously, she looked at Lan Chenyu, terrified that her master's eyes would also reflect the same disgust. Fortunately, however, her master did not.
Lan Chenyu pulled Zha Muxi's hand and asked, "How do we lift it?"
A bitter smile crossed the corner of Zha Muxi's mouth as she hesitated for a moment. "Someone needs to cut down that Alocasa (Giant Taro), uproot the very last flower, and run with it in the opposite direction from us."
Everyone was shocked. Wouldn't that make someone a live target? They all looked at Lan Wu—after all, if not for her, there wouldn't have been this disaster tonight.
Lan Wu stepped forward, her face filled with absolute resolve. "This subordinate is willing to risk her life to protect the Master."
Although these guards came from the same place, they shared no deep bonds. They had only a single mission: to protect the Master with their lives.
Lan Chenyu's expression remained unchanged. "Go."
Lan Wu suddenly dropped to her knees and said softly, "I will no longer be able to stay by the Master's side in the future, nor witness the day the Master achieves great hegemony. I only hope the Master will take good care of herself!"
With that, she glared fiercely at Zha Muxi and departed with the resolve of one facing death.
Seeing Lan Wu turn and leave, the others finally relaxed. They hadn't expected Lan Wu to be so loyal to Lan Chenyu, actually daring to face death now. *Still, you tried to get me killed time and again; I am certainly not saintly enough to let you off.*
After a long while, there were not many venomous creatures left. The others tiredly lowered their weapons, only to find the surroundings exceptionally quiet—an unusual quiet. Having licked blood from knife blades many times, they naturally possessed a keen perception of danger.
In an instant, a massive wave of venomous creatures swarmed toward this cave, even more numerous than before. Everyone was startled; even the formidable Lan Chenyu and Lan Yi did not look well.
Lan Chenyu suddenly stared fixedly at Zha Muxi, his voice cold. "Did you do this?"
Hearing this, the others glared at Zha Muxi with hatred, waiting only for an order to kill her.
Zha Muxi curved her thin lips into a bloodthirsty, cold smile. "Your Highness the Crown Prince, you truly wrong me. How could I have such ability? However, I did indeed send you a grand gift."
With that, she sprinted quickly toward the horde of venomous creatures while pressing hard on the wound on her shoulder, blood flowing endlessly.
Everyone thought this woman had gone mad, running injured straight toward a swarm of beasts capable of dissolving even bones.
Lan Chenyu felt a jolt of shock and reached out to grab Zha Muxi, but he was a step too late, watching her retreating back. *Why? Even if she dies by those creatures' hands, she refuses to die at mine?*
Just when everyone thought Zha Muxi was about to die, a bizarre scene unfolded. The venomous creatures parted ways around Zha Muxi, actually leaving a small path for her. There was only one chance, and Zha Muxi had to seize it; she ran for her dear life with all her might.
Just as Zha Muxi accidentally slipped and was about to fall, Mo Xuanjing leaped lightly and caught her. *Oh my god, that was close! My precious face, you've been startled.*
"Many thanks, Prince." Zha Muxi meant those words with utmost sincerity.
Mo Xuanjing looked Zha Muxi up and down, momentarily dazed. She seemed somewhat different from the memories he held.
"Prince, what are you thinking about?" Zha Muxi was frantic. Why was the Prince zoning out at a crucial time like this? She had no desire to be dragged back by that Crown Prince, and she was still bleeding.
Zha Muxi urged him once more, "Prince, let's hurry and leave!" She certainly didn't believe that place could trap them for long.
Only then did Mo Xuanjing snap back to senses, intending to carry Zha Muxi on his back and use Qinggong to leave this Secret Realm.
"Leaving? Xiao Xier, where are you going?" Lan Chenyu's voice suddenly came from behind.
Zha Muxi's heart skipped a beat. *How did he catch up so fast?* Slowly turning around, she wore a smile that was not quite a smile. "Your Highness the Crown Prince, naturally I am going back to my home!"
Lan Chenyu looked utterly disheveled at the moment, his voice hoarse to the extreme. One could easily tell what a brutal battle they had just been through.
The subordinates who survived with him naturally glared at Zha Muxi with burning hatred; this woman had caused them to suffer heavy losses.
"Xiao Xier, it seems the treatment I gave you before wasn't profound enough." Lan Chenyu looked at her with killing intent. "Come with Gu."
Although Zha Muxi looked haggard at the moment, her entire body exuded an air of aloof nobility. The gaze she cast upon Lan Chenyu was remarkably indifferent, her face carrying an icy coldness. "Your Highness the Crown Prince, do you take me for a fool? If I go back with you, will I still have my life? Have you lost your mind?"
Lan Chenyu's face turned ashen from being rebuffed.
Seeing his mortal enemy in this state, Mo Xuanjing couldn't help but let out a scoff. If murderous intent could be materialized, Lan Chenyu probably would have razed this place to the ground.
Staring fixedly at Zha Muxi, Lan Chenyu stubbornly reached out a hand toward her. He thought to himself that as long as she went with him, he wouldn't kill her and would even make her his concubine. Yet he never stopped to consider whether Zha Muxi wanted his favor at all.
Without the slightest hesitation, Zha Muxi refused: "Even if I die, I will die on the soil of Mo Kingdom."
Seeing the determination in Zha Muxi's eyes, Mo Xuanjing felt as though his heart had been lightly brushed by a feather.
Lan Chenyu's eyes reddened slightly, his brows tightly furrowed, his voice carrying a trace of pain. "Just now, when I saw you run toward those venomous creatures, I truly thought you were going to die. The ridiculous thing is, those beasts actually fear you. Hahaha, have you ever spoken a single word of truth to Gu? Have you ever..." had a shred of genuine affection for Gu?
Zha Muxi cut Lan Chenyu off, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Your Highness the Crown Prince, stop putting on an act of deep affection. You subjected me to the torment of your poison, watched coldly as I suffered in agony, discarded me whenever you pleased, and treated me as someone to be summoned and dismissed at will—and yet you still expected me to be sincere toward you? You'd have to be out of your mind to even conceive of such a thing."
Lan Er immediately raged, "You deliberately led Lan Wu to her death? Your blood could clearly repel the venomous creatures, yet you purposely lured one of our own to her death!"
With a look of Wuyu, Zha Muxi glanced at Lan Er. "Because of her, I was almost killed multiple times. Oh, so only you are allowed to kill me at whim, but I am not even allowed to fight back? What kind of warped logic is that? Besides, once you found out my blood could repel the beasts, would you have let me go? Simply laughable."
Lan Er was choked for words, her face flushing crimson with anger. The others naturally wouldn't let her off either; even if Zha Muxi ultimately survived, her fate wouldn't be pretty.
Lan Chenyu asked, "Didn't you say you hated him?"
Zha Muxi curled her lip. "Your Highness the Crown Prince, you know what? You are so naive that I find it hard to believe. It was all just to stay alive."
"Hahaha, so that's how it is. It was all a lie, all a lie." A desolate flash crossed Lan Chenyu's eyes.