Qin Su suppressed her anger, her eyes fixed on the dagger, ready to act immediately at the slightest move by Xue Huai'an.
Xue Huai'an didn't seem to have any intention of harming Qin Zhi. He asked, "What exactly is your relationship with Prince Chen?"
"You only decided to break off the engagement because of Prince Chen, right?"
Qin Su found Xue Huai'an's behavior inexplicable, but she didn't want Yu Shuo to be smeared because of her. "I have nothing to do with Prince Chen. Do you think everyone is like you? Unchaste before marriage?"
Xue Huai'an wasn't angry. He knew Qin Su's personality; she disdained lying. If she said she had nothing to do with Prince Chen, then she really had nothing to do with him.
As long as Qin Su doesn't like Prince Chen, even if Prince Chen has feelings for her, Xue Huai'an is still confident he can win Qin Su back.
"You want to save your brother?"
"Name your conditions."
Xue Huai'an tapped Qin Zhi's chin lightly with the dagger in his hand, saying casually, "I didn't expect you to value this child from a collateral branch so much."
Before Qin Su could speak, Xue Huai'an added, "Marry me, and I'll let him go."
The room fell silent for a moment, becoming exceptionally quiet.
"What if I don't?" Qin Su stared intently at Xue Huai'an, her tone full of threat. "If you dare to touch Xiao Zhi, I don't mind making you pay with your life."
Xue Huai'an is a smart man. He won't kill Xiao Zhi, but he can never afford to gamble with his family member Qin Su.
"Kill me, and your brother will be resurrected?"
The two sides have entered into a stalemate, with neither side willing to back down.
Xue Huai'an knew that Qin Su couldn't afford to gamble.
Qin Su also knew how ruthless Xue Huai'an was.
"Let's change the terms." Qin Su took a deep breath and decided to back down for the time being.
Xue Huai'an could hardly believe that Qin Su would refuse, even after he had threatened her so much, she was still so good-natured.
"No replacement. The Duke of Cheng's mansion needs a mistress like you."
Xue Huai'an's hand stopped moving, remaining pressed tightly against the boy's skin. "Think it over carefully again. Do you want your brother to be safe and sound, or do you want to take a corpse with you?"
"You wouldn't dare!" Qin Su said firmly.
Xue Huai'an laughed, a laugh tinged with arrogance. "The Duke of Cheng's mansion has fallen on hard times. If I can't get back on my feet, I'd rather be dead. Qin Su, you can try and see if I dare!"
"If you take another step forward, the dagger will be even closer."
Blood slid down Qin Zhi's fair neck, and Qin Su immediately stopped in her tracks.
Being hesitant to act for fear of inadvertently makes progress extremely difficult.
"Is marrying me really that hard for you to accept?" Xue Huai'an couldn't accept this outcome, and Qin Su's appearance made him very unhappy.
"You don't have much time to think about it. Do you want to agree?"
Seeing the dagger sinking deeper and deeper, Qin Su, seething with anger, snapped, "Fine, I agree!"
Xue Huai'an immediately smiled with satisfaction, pulled out the dagger, and took out a handkerchief he had prepared beforehand to bandage Qin Zhi's wound.
"Can you give Xiaozhi back to me now?" Qin Su glared at Xue Huai'an, her anger almost reaching its breaking point.
Xue Huai'an placed a hand on Qin Zhi's shoulder. "Do you think I'm a fool? I won't hand him over to you until you marry into the Duke of Cheng's mansion."
Qin Su really wanted to stab Xue Huai'an to death right now.
"What if you change your mind now that I'm giving you the person?"
Qin Su really did have the idea of immediately backing out.
She raised her foot and rushed towards Xue Huai'an. Xue Huai'an immediately put the dagger back to Qin Zhi's neck, but Qin Su was much faster than Xue Huai'an. Before Xue Huai'an could make another move, the dagger had already been snatched away by Qin Su. Her palm was grazed by the blade, but Qin Su seemed not to feel the pain.
Qin Zhi landed in Qin Su's arms, and she used her bloodied hand to pull out the long whip from her waist and lashed it out at Xue Huai'an.
Xue Huai'an narrowly avoided the blow, then moved a chair to block Qin Su's second lash. In an instant, the wooden chair shattered into pieces.
"Wait!" Xue Huai'an shouted, but Qin Su didn't give him a chance to say a second word. The whip lashed his arm hard, and his white robe was instantly stained red with blood.
"Bang!"
The door was pushed open, and a cheerful voice suddenly rang out, "Stop!"
Qin Su turned her head and saw that Lian Tao had been taken hostage.
She had great confidence in Lian Tao's martial arts skills, but the fact that Lian Tao could be kidnapped meant that the person who kidnapped her must have extremely high martial arts skills.
"Don't worry about me, girl." Lian Tao couldn't bear to see Qin Su threatened, so she gritted her teeth and said, "It's just a life, I don't care."
Xue Huai'an got up and realized that he had been injured ever since Qin Su broke off their engagement.
Even though he was more patient than the average young nobleman, he still felt incredibly frustrated at this moment.
"You really think I don't have a backup plan? This maidservant beside you is also very important to you, isn't she?"
Just as Qin Su was caught in a dilemma, a gleaming broadsword slashed at the man in black.
Qin Su immediately grabbed Qin Zhi with one arm and reached out with the other to help the people Yu Shuo had arranged.
Xue Huai'an didn't place all his hopes on this person. He tried his best to interfere with Qin Su, which inevitably led to him getting hurt again.
This person's martial arts skills are really high, and all of them are killing moves. Qin Su felt that if there was no one to help her, she would probably be no match for him if she and Qin Zhi faced him alone.
Yu Shuo's men restrained the man in black, and Lian Tao took the opportunity to break his arm. Qin Su lashed out with a whip, and the man was ultimately no match for her.
Xue Huai'an was secretly annoyed. "I was careless. I should have found more people."
He stared intently at the person who had suddenly jumped out to help; he didn't remember Qin Su having such a person by her side.
With such excellent martial arts skills, it's impossible for them to go unnoticed.
"Qin Su, you just promised me." Xue Huai'an was afraid that Qin Su would go back on her word, and since there were no hostages now, he could only hope that she would keep her word.
Qin Su was indeed that kind of person before, at least in front of him.
Qin Su scoffed, turning her back to Xue Huai'an, "What did I promise you? Don't talk nonsense."
"you!"
Qin Su led her men away in large strides.
Xue Huai'an angrily smashed a tea set next to him. He glared at the injured man and said angrily, "I told you to find more people, but you insisted that you could do it alone!"
The man struggled to his feet, his sinister eyes fixed on Xue Huai'an. "What right do you have to order me around?"
He hadn't expected that woman to be so skilled in martial arts; such skill was rare, even among men, let alone women.
That woman truly deserves the title of "martial arts prodigy".
"If this matter isn't resolved, I'll add another one."
The man gave a mocking laugh. "You'll have to talk to my master about that. I'm not responsible."
Where can Xue Huai'an find Kang Lin now? He just sent Kang Lin out of the city of Kyoto when martial law was declared, and he dares not make any moves.
"Since Kang Lin has given you to me, I am now your master."
"You?"
...
"Young lady, please hand the young master over to me; your hand is injured."
Yu Shuo's men immediately handed over a bottle of medicine. Qin Su nodded in thanks and said to Lian Tao, "When we get back, pick a page who knows martial arts for Xiao Zhi."
She also bears some responsibility for what happened today. She never expected Xue Huai'an to target Xiao Zhi. Having a page with decent martial arts skills could have prevented some of this.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
