Chapter 271 This king never lets anyone leave his side!
Li Qingluo exclaimed in surprise, "Zayna? Master, it's her!"
She looked at Nangong Di, "But how is that possible? Shouldn't she be at least fifty years old?"
Nangong Di also found it very strange, thinking to himself: Perhaps only his junior brother and the old lady can tell whether this woman is really Zaina.
But right now, Zaina looks exactly like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl!
Li Qingluo's heart was pounding wildly; she felt as if she was about to uncover Zaina's true secret.
Duan Rongshi knew this was not the time to ask questions, so he only glanced at Li Qingluo.
Li Qingluo hurriedly explained to him simply, "Your Highness, if her identity is true, then she is the witch doctor who served the old Duke!"
“She disappeared without a trace at the Pei family’s residence, and I never expected her to be here. But she should be at least fifty years old, yet she looks about my age. This is really strange.”
"Could this blood worm really grant immortality?"
Seeing her so excited, Duan Rongshi simply stared at her and said, "It seems that I made the right choice in bringing you here today."
Li Qingluo: "Your Highness, what do you mean by that?"
Duan Rongshi did not answer, but instead called Zhuiyu forward.
"Go, order Po Feng to bring the Shadow Guards here, and do as I command..."
After a brief whisper, Zhui Yu replied clearly, "Yes, Your Highness!"
Then Zhuiyu went out first.
While everyone below was still puzzled, the masked young man explained, "Look at her, isn't she absolutely stunning, as young and fresh as an eighteen-year-old girl?"
"But actually, she's an old hag, at least seventy years old this year, right? Zaina, do you agree with me?"
A gasp of surprise rippled through the audience.
"seventy!?"
"How is this possible!?"
"Yes, very few people in our Great Liang live to be seventy years old, so how could they possibly maintain such a young and beautiful appearance?"
"No, this can't be true!"
Everyone treated it all as a joke, and the masked young man wasn't in a hurry to explain.
She simply said calmly, "It's a pity that she has suffered a backlash. The person she used the Gu on is now unable to move or speak, and is probably on the verge of death."
"That's why she looks like this."
The audience erupted in uproar.
"I've long heard of the power of the Gu worms from Miao territory, but how can they be so bizarre?"
"Yes, but what exactly did she do to keep her appearance unchanged and stay young forever after all these years?"
"If it's true, wouldn't it really be an unparalleled treasure?"
“But we don’t know what to do with these bugs. And didn’t you hear him say that raising these bugs not only costs money but also lives? Even a casino in Lisboa can’t afford to support them, so how could we possibly do it?”
The murmurs below were incessant, and almost no one dared to touch this mysterious object.
Moreover, the vast majority of people still believe that this is just a gimmick created by the Lisboa Casino to create mystery, and that it is not real at all.
If it were true, why would you be so vague and secretive?
However, in the several private rooms upstairs, quite a few people had already begun to have such thoughts.
Leng Dian came in and said, "Your Highness, Prince Jin and Prince Yun have already inquired about the price."
Zhuiyu, who had just returned, said while holding his sword, "His Highness Prince Jin certainly has the ability to buy this insect, but we don't know if it's true or not. What if it's a scam? Wouldn't we end up with nothing?"
Leng Dian: "Perhaps His Highness Prince Yun wants this more? His birthday is coming up soon, and he might want to take the opportunity to present it to the two above as a sign of filial piety..."
Duan Rongshi had only two words for his two older brothers: "idiots."
After he finished cursing, he suddenly gave a cold laugh, sat down, and leaned back.
"It seems that the person this casino in Lisboa is waiting for today is me. In that case, how could I possibly disappoint them?"
"Go, bid for this insect in the name of Fifth Master Yue. No matter the price, raise it for me!"
Li Qingluo looked at Prince Su with a puzzled expression.
A very bold idea suddenly came to her mind.
"Your Highness, could it be... that the Duke is in your hands?"
Duan Rongshi turned his head instantly, his gaze sharp as he looked at her.
He raised his hand, and Leng Dian immediately extended his hand to invite Zheng Mama and Nangong Di: "Could you two do me a small favor?"
Granny Zheng looked at Li Qinglu with a troubled expression.
Nangong Di, however, walked out first with his hands behind his back, saying, "Let's go."
Li Qingluo nodded, and then Zheng Mama followed her out.
Once only Li Qingluo and Prince Su remained in the room, Duan Rongshi looked at her seriously and asked her again, word by word, "Have you thought it through? If you insist on asking further, I can tell you what you want to know."
"But once you're in this mess, there's no turning back."
His eyes clearly held a deep warning.
It was as if if she dared to take that step, she would truly be plunged into an abyss of no return.
There was a sheer cliff ahead, just like the mountain she and he would jump off together that day.
That time, Li Qingluo was truly unprepared and was dragged into a near-death experience.
But this time...
She took a deep breath and said frankly, "Your Highness, please tell me. I am already deeply involved, how can I just extricate myself?"
"Instead of being framed and persecuted inexplicably, it is better to understand your own situation clearly so that you can have a chance to protect yourself in the future."
"and……"
Li Qingluo did not continue.
Duan Rongshi pressed on, "And what else?"
Li Qinglu shook her head: "Is Your Highness testing me today? If I pretend to be confused and say or do nothing, will Your Highness let me return to Jinling and never have anything to do with me again?"
Duan Rongshi replied without hesitation, "Yes."
She is absolutely right.
He didn't want to provoke her.
But there are always strange coincidences in this world that keep pulling her back to his side.
This led him to become increasingly entangled in it, time and time again.
He wanted to see her more and more each day, and wanted to be close to her.
He knew all too well that he had nowhere to go.
That's why things have been so unclear and ambiguous, and neither side has been able to clearly express their feelings.
Even now, though he was only asking about the Pei family, Duan Rongshi seemed to be waiting for a definite answer...
Li Qinglu remained silent.
Prince Su, however, became impatient.
His eyes grew increasingly dark, and suddenly, on impulse, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to his side.
"Li Qingluo, if you make your choice today, I will take it as you wanting to stay by my side and serve me."
"You must understand, I never let anyone leave my side."
"Unless, of course, death."
Meeting his cold and domineering gaze, Li Qingluo suddenly shuddered, as if she had instantly become much more awake.
"I……"
Before she could answer, a commotion suddenly broke out in the hall below.
The two quickly looked down and were surprised to find that a fight had broken out below.
Li Qingluo's eyes widened, and before she could understand what was happening, she saw someone suddenly lunge at Zaina, who was sitting on the chair: "Witch, prepare to die—"
However, before the man could even get close to Zaina, he was thrown into the barrel of blood worms by someone who had been lying in ambush nearby.
In just a moment, the man let out a scream: "Ah—"
Then, it was instantly engulfed in the wooden tub by the pink flesh worm. Moments later, not even a piece of cloth was left. It was completely crushed and devoured by the pink blood worm, leaving not even a skeleton.
Everyone who witnessed this scene was immediately terrified and turned deathly pale.
Following a series of screams, everyone rushed outside.
However, the Lisboa Casino had already taken countermeasures, and all doors and windows had been sealed off!
Only now did everyone realize that they had likely fallen into the trap of the Lisboa Casino!
"Everyone, what are you rushing for? Don't rush."
"Since we're here, let's make the best of it."
"The auction is not over yet, and no one is allowed to leave!"
The one who shouted these words was none other than the masked young man.
He was already wearing a red cloak and sitting in a sedan chair carried by ten men, looking at all the horrified faces in the hall with apparent satisfaction.
Granny Zheng pushed open the door, panting heavily: "Miss, it was one of Prince Jin's men, who was eaten by that blood worm."
However, when Zheng Mama's gaze fell upon Prince Su's tight grip on her young lady's wrist, she froze completely, her eyes widening instantly.
Is this something that this old woman could see?
Oh no, will His Highness Prince Su kill us to silence us?
While Granny Zheng was lost in thought, Li Qingluo had already walked over.
"Granny Zheng, are you alright?"
Seeing that Prince Su showed no sign of anger, Granny Zheng quickly shook her head and grabbed Li Qingluo, saying, "Miss, let's leave here quickly! It's no longer safe here; we can't stay and watch the show any longer!"
Adhering to the principle of protecting Li Qingluo, Granny Zheng only wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Li Qingluo firmly replied, "No, we have no way out."
With all the doors and windows sealed off, it's clear that only by sticking with Prince Su can we get out today.
Li Qingluo wasn't afraid at all. She calmly asked Granny Zheng, "What exactly happened downstairs? Wasn't it an auction? Why did things suddenly commotion?"
After glancing at Prince Su's retreating figure, Granny Zheng continued, "Originally, we were just about to film, but Prince Jin's people suddenly said they wanted to inspect the goods. They wanted the people from the Lisboa Casino to explain how to use this insect to achieve immortality, and they also wanted to see if the witch was real or fake."
"Others joined in the commotion, wanting to know too."
“The people at the Lisboa Casino wouldn’t have it, and a conflict broke out over just a few words.”
Li Qinglu frowned: "Are the Prince of Jin's men so impulsive? Is it really not intentional?"
Clearly, this blood worm is just a trigger today.
It's impossible for it to be auctioned off so easily.
But who exactly is being targeted?
Your Highness Prince Su?
As soon as Li Qingluo finished speaking, Duan Rongshi got up and came over: "Since you're not leaving, then stay and watch the show."
After saying that, he took her wrist again and strode outside.
Li Qingluo: ?
Did she really have the option to leave?
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