The steward’s martial arts had been crippled, and he had been thrown outside the gate, completely powerless to resist. He could not even kill himself. Yet, for some unknown reason, his body had become extraordinarily tough. Even after people sliced pieces of flesh from him one knife stroke at a time, aside from feeling the pain acutely, he showed no sign of being in mortal danger.
He would rather have bled to death earlier than endure this torture worse than death. No human being should have to suffer such agony.
Thinking about the changes to his body, he was filled with terror—a fear of the unknown, and an even deeper dread of Xi Qingyue.
These were not methods a child should possess, nor were they methods any human being should possess. They were simply too horrifying.
Xi Qingyue had appeared at the gate at some point. Looking at the miserable state of Situ Tai and the others, she sneered inwardly. Those who committed evil had to bear the consequences. Only by experiencing it firsthand could they truly understand the suffering they had inflicted on others. That was far more satisfying than killing them with a single stroke.
The people of Xinzhou had long hated the governor and the others to the bone. Now that Xi Qingyue had placed this opportunity right in front of them, they naturally did not hold back.
Especially those who had once been persecuted by Situ Tai and his men. They picked up large knives, hacked off several pieces of flesh, and tore strips from their own clothes to wrap the meat in.
An old man trembled as he held the bundle of meat and muttered, “Little Flower, Grandpa has avenged you. Grandpa is bringing you your offering now. Wait for me.”
With that, the old man hugged the small bundle to his chest and headed away from the crowd. At first, he walked slowly, but before long he began to run in excitement. His aged body seemed to possess endless strength at that moment. Tears blurred his eyes, yet they did not hinder his sight in the slightest.
Xi Qingyue watched this scene and sighed inwardly. In this world, she did not know how many innocent souls had gone unavenged. Those who could take revenge—and do so with their own hands—were few and far between.
She felt that this world was no better than the apocalypse. There were no zombies, but there were creatures even more depraved than zombies.
She was no savior. Everything she did was simply according to her own wishes. Yet, as she watched the people laugh and cry in excitement, a smile unconsciously appeared at the corners of her lips.
Xi Qingyue glanced at the chaotic entrance to the governor’s residence, then turned and walked back inside.
Most of the people in the governor’s residence had been slaughtered by Nan Yun and the others. Apart from a few maids and servants, as well as the women who had been abducted, everyone else had become corpses on the ground.
When she arrived at a secluded courtyard, Xi Weilan was sitting on a stone stool, earnestly practicing her writing. Beside her, teaching her how to read and write, was Mu Jin.
“Big Sister, you’re back.”
The moment Xi Weilan saw Xi Qingyue return, she happily put down her brush and then shot toward her like an arrow.
Xi Qingyue hurriedly caught her and laughed as she rubbed her head. “Why are you in such a hurry? What if you fall?”
Xi Weilan shook her head happily, her face full of pride. “I won’t fall! Big Sister is so powerful—she would never let me hit the ground.”
Mu Jin nodded in agreement from the side. “That’s right. The Young Commandery Princess’s abilities are rarely seen in this world. The Young Commandery Princess couldn’t fall even if she wanted to.”
The more time she spent with Xi Qingyue, the more she realized how terrifyingly powerful she was. Mu Jin’s admiration for her grew accordingly. Xi Qingyue was practically someone capable of calling down the wind and summoning the rain.
Xi Qingyue smiled and cast Mu Jin a sidelong glance. “You’ve certainly learned how to flatter people. Compared with Luo Ling, you’re much more quick-witted. Why didn’t you stay by Big Sister Lu’s side?”
She found it rather unfortunate. If Lu Qianning had taken Mu Jin, Nan Yun, and the others with her when she went to the Northern Yue Empire for the political marriage, she probably would not have been hunted down so miserably. If they had known about the plot beforehand and launched a preemptive strike, they likely could have killed most of the Northern Yue imperial family. Lu Qianning had simply been too gentle in the past.
At the mention of this, Mu Jin sighed. “Sigh, the Princess didn’t want the two countries to go to war and cause suffering for the people. She thought she would merely make a show of going to Northern Yue, then fake her death and escape. She even asked His Majesty for an imperial edict stating that, whether she lived or died after the political marriage, the Emperor could not send any other princesses to marry off. She was thinking of all her sisters. She had us stay behind so that we could protect the Tenth Prince when necessary. Who would have thought he would turn out to be such a heartless, treacherous wretch?”
After hearing this, Xi Qingyue curled her lips. “Your Princess really was kind before—thinking of the people, thinking of her sisters, and even protecting her younger brother. She nearly lost her life before finally seeing the truth. If you ask me, she should have killed the Fourth Prince from the start. Then none of this would have been necessary.”
After saying that, she shook her head. “Though I suppose that wouldn’t have worked either. Even if she killed the Fourth Prince, there was still that venomous Tenth Prince. She would have ended up dying once anyway. That’s what they call being reborn through adversity.”
Sure enough, those who accomplished great things never had an easy path. They all had to die once and suffer a little first.
Mu Jin also thought that made sense. “The Young Commandery Princess is right. If the Princess had not gone to Northern Yue for the political marriage, the Tenth Prince would have continued pretending and would have schemed against her sooner or later. If the Princess had been more like you from the beginning, she wouldn’t have had to endure all that suffering. Luo Ling told me that when the Princess escaped Northern Yue, she had been struck by several arrows and was barely alive. They recuperated in the mountains for a long time, and her wounds still hadn’t healed when they encountered you.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Xi Qingyue tapped her on the forehead. “What do you mean, ‘more like me’? I’m only eight years old. I’m just a child.”
Mu Jin was not afraid of her. She covered her head and took several steps back, muttering softly, “Why don’t you go take a look outside the gate?”
Xi Qingyue had no intention of going to the gate. The scene was far too bloody. Her sisters should see as little of it as possible—it would not be good for their physical or mental development.
Then she turned to Mu Jin and said calmly, “Mu Jin, you’ll leave with Weilan and me later. Nan Yun and the others will stay here. Don’t move the yacht at the dock, either. Let everyone think we’re still in Xinzhou City. The three of us will take the speedboat somewhere else. It’s time to deal with the people from the Vast Ocean Pavilion.”
She was no kindhearted saint. Anyone who dared to assassinate her would have to die. She needed to deal with them as soon as possible. If she waited too long, she might not be able to find them.
After all, the Ninth Young Master had escaped. He might still be hiding somewhere in Xinzhou City.
Mu Jin’s eyes lit up when she heard this. She hurriedly went to call Nan Yun over, since there were still some things Xi Qingyue needed to instruct them about.
A quarter of an hour later, Xi Qingyue left the governor’s residence with Xi Weilan in her arms and Mu Jin by her side.
The three of them departed without a sound. No one knew that the person responsible for the commotion at the governor’s residence had already left. The common people were still kneeling outside the gate and thanking her, grateful that she had allowed them to avenge themselves with their own hands.
At the dock, when Xi Qingyue, Xi Weilan, and Mu Jin descended from the sky and landed on the yacht, the few people left behind to guard it stared at them in shock.
“Young Commandery Princess?”
They had not seen how the three of them had arrived. It was as though they had simply appeared out of thin air.
Xi Qingyue smiled and nodded at them. “Yes. The three of us are going out for a while. Guard this place carefully. If anyone comes with troops to surround and kill us, attack them directly. Don’t hold back. Even if it’s the Prince, kill him without hesitation. I’ll take responsibility for whatever happens. Also, no one except our own people is allowed on board, and don’t let anyone know that we’ve left Xinzhou.”
With that, she waved her hand, and a pile of food appeared on the yacht—not prepared dishes, but things like instant noodles, drinks, and bottled water.
She was worried that if these people left the yacht on their own, they might be killed by the Ninth Young Master. That would be far too great a waste.
