Upon hearing the guard's words, the three immediately thought of their chance of escaping Mardan.
"Mardan, if you release Niannian, I will spare your life."
The Emperor looked at Mardan, who was being held hostage, and tried his best to speak calmly.
Mardan took advantage of the moment when Nian Nian woke up and everyone relaxed to sneak into the palace, where he kidnapped the weakened Nian Nian and drugged the others.
"Ha, Emperor, do you think I believe you? You killed all my clansmen, I must take one with me."
I've heard that you care most about this Princess Shen, so I'll use her as a sacrifice to commemorate my people. That's worth it."
Surrounded by people, Mardan's eyes were bloodshot. He held a dagger to Shen Nian's neck, and with the slightest movement, a bloody gash appeared.
He knew he was very likely not going to escape, and he absolutely could not give the people in his hands to them; they were his only bargaining chip.
"Maldan—!"
Upon seeing the bloodstains on Chen Nian's neck, the group gasped in surprise.
It wasn't that they couldn't control Mardan; it was that they couldn't risk the life of Chennian.
"If you release Niannian, we will definitely let you go. I keep my word."
The Emperor continued speaking.
"Mardan, release her, and I'll take your place, okay?"
Ertai looked at the kidnapped person, whose neck was now covered in even deeper bloodstains, and felt a sharp pain in her heart. Her health was not good, and she could not afford to get hurt again. She slowly tried to walk forward step by step.
"What? Feeling sorry for him?"
Noticing Ertai's actions, Mardan laughed maniacally.
"If you let her go, we'll definitely let you leave. We mean what we say."
Ertai suppressed his urge to tear the man to pieces and calmed Mardan down opposite him.
"What, you're heartbroken? Don't want me to hurt her? How about I hurt you instead?"
You must want to tear me to pieces right now, right? I've heard you spoil this Princess Chen rotten, you must be itching to kill me now.
"You killed so many of my people, how can this debt be so easily settled?"
Noticing the intense heartache in Ertai's eyes, Mardan's smile deepened.
"Fine, release her, and I'll let you do whatever you want with her."
Seeing that Mardan had ill intentions, Ertai's handsome face remained unchanged as he spoke calmly, his eyes showing only concern for Chen Nian.
Having just been rescued from the brink of death, Ertai is now being kidnapped again; he feels like he's suffocating.
"You stab yourself first, let me see your sincerity."
Mardan was no benevolent man either; his smile was inexplicably chilling. He raised his head, signaling Ertai to make his move.
He saw Ertai stab himself in the abdomen with a dagger without hesitation, showing no mercy whatsoever.
Mardan was a martial artist, so he could tell whether she was holding back or not, and he wouldn't dare to joke about her safety.
Even though he knew Mardan might be lying to him, he still didn't want to give up any hope.
"Ertai!"
The others gasped in surprise at Ertai's actions.
"Can you give me the person now?"
Ertai raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face remaining unchanged, as if he hadn't been stabbed, as if he couldn't feel the pain, calmly staring at Mardan opposite him.
All I could see and thought about was the unconscious person opposite me.
"That won't do. She's my bargaining chip. Besides, I never said I was going to give her to you."
Seeing Ertai Zhen stab himself without hesitation, Mardan's eyes widened slightly, then a playful smile appeared on his lips, and his words were infuriating.
"You're despicable!"
Upon hearing Mardan's words, Little Swallow was so angry that she jumped up and down. She didn't know which of the three words touched a nerve with Mardan, but it made his expression change instantly.
"Ha, I'm despicable, so what? As long as it works, isn't that enough?"
Mardan's smile vanished, replaced by a sinister and cold expression.
The word Hanxiang used most often to describe him was "despicable".
"Maldan, you, you let go of Niannian, you're looking for me, right? I'll go with you, just let go of Niannian, please don't hurt Niannian."
Hanxiang, who rushed over, saw the bloodstain on Chen Nian's neck and her eyes welled up with tears. She gently coaxed the out-of-control Mardan across from her.
Receiving a worried look from the Emperor beside her, Hanxiang shook her head.
Niannian was already in poor health, and in this situation, the most important thing is to switch Niannian out. At this time, we must not upset Mardan.
Moreover, she believed they wouldn't let anything happen to her; compared to her, Nian Nian was in greater danger.
"Hahaha, Hanxiang, you're in cahoots with them too. You've fallen for the Emperor, haven't you?"
Upon hearing Hanxiang's voice, Mardan regained a little of his senses. His eyes were bloodshot as he looked up and laughed. He pressed the dagger against Shen Nian's neck even tighter, feeling nothing but irony.
"Hanxiang, I've been so good to you, why did you agree to enter the palace? You provoked me first, how could you leave first? My family was destroyed because of you. Hanxiang, I truly love you, why don't you believe me? I didn't even say anything when you stole my Ningxiang Pill!"
As he spoke, Mardan twitched the corners of his mouth, his eyes filled with madness and despair, his slightly reddened eyes brimming with an extreme and obsessive love.
"Okay, okay, Mardan, I believe you love me now. If you love me, please let Niannian go, okay? I'll go with you, alright?"
Hanxiang nodded repeatedly, agreeing with Mardan's words.
"Hanxiang, do you really think I'm easy to fool?"
Hearing Hanxiang's words, Mardan forgot about Ertai and stared blankly at Hanxiang, a sinister smile creeping across his face.
"Maldan, please believe me? Release Nian Nian, and I'll come to you, okay?"
Hanxiang spoke very slowly, word by word.
While the others were distracting Mardan, Yongxuan and Fu Yuxing, who had been hiding in the shadows, approached Mardan and Fu Yuxing step by step.
...
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