Nanling Mountains.
Inn.
Zhou Changling's sudden killing of Xu Zimu caught everyone present off guard.
Zhao Xueqing, in particular, was so frightened that she trembled violently and let out a startling scream, "Ah—!"
Zhao Xueqing, after all, is a person living in modern society. No matter how ruthless she is, she has never faced death directly. Besides, she didn't kill those people; she used others to do the killings.
Zhao Xueqing's screams quickly ceased under Zhou Changling's gaze. She knew he was really going to kill her! She might very well be annihilated!
Zhao Xueqing frantically kowtowed and begged for mercy: "I...I'm telling the truth, please don't kill me, please don't kill me! I have the antidote, I really have the antidote!"
Zhou Changling didn't want to pay attention to what she said before; he had already made up his mind to kill this witch. However, her last sentence made him temporarily change his mind!
The moment he uttered the word "antidote," it struck a nerve. Although Bai Lingxi's whereabouts were currently unknown, he still hoped to obtain the antidote to save her.
However, Zhou Changling was shrewd and not easily deceived, and he did not completely believe Zhao Xueqing's words.
Zhou Changling narrowed his eyes slightly, observing Zhao Xueqing's expression, trying to determine the truthfulness of her words and see if she was lying.
Unfortunately, Zhao Xueqing was filled with panic, fearing that Zhou Changling would take her life right now, and wished she could escape from here immediately.
Seeing Zhou Changling question her because of those words, she grasped at the last straw and desperately repeated them, making it difficult to discern the truth in her words.
Zhao Xueqing collapsed to the ground, repeatedly kowtowing, pleading, "I have the antidote! I really have the antidote! Don't kill me! Please don't kill me!"
"Where is the antidote?" Zhou Changling stood up from his chair and walked to Zhao Xueqing. Just then, his subordinate pulled the knife out of Xu Zimu's body and respectfully handed it to Zhou Changling.
"Don't blame me for not giving you a chance. If you lie to me, I will cut you into a thousand pieces!"
Zhou Changling pressed the dagger against Zhao Xueqing's face; the cold touch felt like a slippery, venomous snake, sending a chill down her spine.
"Yes, yes, in the bandit's den, right there at Black Wind Stronghold! I was captured there, and they took everything from me, including the antidote!"
Zhao Xueqing spoke half-truthfully, saying that her things were indeed all in Black Wind Stronghold, but there was no antidote inside, only gold and silver jewelry.
Her purpose in saying this was merely to buy time and try to save herself; it would be even better if she could use Black Wind Stronghold to kill Zhou Changling.
Unfortunately, her goal was impossible to achieve, because the next second, Zhou Changling swiftly brought down his dagger, piercing her throat!
The smile on Zhao Xueqing's face hadn't even faded before it was frozen in that moment forever.
He definitely wanted to go to Black Wind Stronghold, but not now. His goal was to get back to the capital and find Bai Lingxi as soon as possible.
As for whether the antidote Zhao Xueqing mentioned is real or fake, the truth will naturally come to light once he sends his troops to wipe out the bandits, although he has already given up hope of it.
After killing Zhao Xueqing, Zhou Changling gave the order: "Return to the palace!"
None of those present were kind-hearted people; they had all crawled out of piles of corpses. No one thought Zhou Changling was ruthless, and no one sympathized with the two men.
Therefore, their bodies were carelessly dumped in mass graves, and no one knows whether they were carried away by wolves or eaten by wild dogs.
No one saw that the protagonist's halo, radiating colorful light, detached from Zhao Xueqing's body and flew into the distance after her soul dissipated, and that direction was none other than the capital city!
After dealing with this matter, Zhou Changling and his team hurried back on horseback.
During this time, he used his secret letters to spread the news of the search for the missing person throughout the country, and various intelligence stations also began to take action.
"Your Majesty, the Empress has not been found in the entire southern region."
"Your Majesty, the Empress has not been found in the north."
"Your Majesty, the Empress has not been found in the west."
"emperor……"
One message after another came from all over the place, but there was still no good news in the secret letter. The chill emanating from Zhou Changling grew stronger day by day, and his brows furrowed even more tightly.
And a small mountain village far away on the outskirts of the capital.
Since Bai Lingxi laid her cards on the table with Zhou Jin, the two have not spoken at all, and Zhou Jin keeps a tight rein on her, as if they are trapped in a vicious cycle.
Bai Lingxi could no longer stand Zhou Jin's control. She had no freedom and was being watched over like a heinous criminal.
That day, she counted the days until Zhou Changling returned to the capital. He would surely discover her disappearance. She needed to run to a lively place and find a chance to escape!
So she said to the person taking care of her, "I want to see Zhou Jin!"
The female guard nodded after hearing this, her face expressionless, but her cheerful steps betrayed her inner anticipation.
When Zhou Jin arrived, Bai Lingxi had just finished lunch and was rinsing her mouth with tea. Every move she made exuded elegance and grace, and her stunning beauty made every action she took captivating.
When Bai Lingxi saw him arrive, she was taken aback, because Zhou Jin was much thinner than he had been a few days ago, and he was handsome and refined, with a touch of otherworldly elegance.
Although it wasn't their first time meeting, it felt like the first time. Their souls were drawn together. Bai Lingxi put down her tea and stood up to greet him.
The two looked at each other in silence, yet it seemed as if they had a thousand words to say. For some reason, Bai Lingxi's eyes suddenly reddened.
"Xi'er, don't cry." Zhou Jin's voice was slightly hoarse as he reached out his hand, trying to comfort her, but he stopped just before touching Bai Lingxi's shoulder.
"I didn't cry." Bai Lingxi's soft voice carried a hint of grievance, and she was startled when she said it.
Bai Lingxi didn't want him to continue the topic, and she also wanted to pretend she didn't care, so she spoke casually.
"It's so boring here, I want to go out and explore. Didn't we say we were going to the market? It's almost the end of the year, I want to go check it out!"
Zhou Jin hesitated. His hesitation wasn't because he didn't want to take Bai Lingxi out for a trip, but because his secret guards had discovered that Zhou Changling was secretly arranging for people to search for Bai Lingxi.
Zhou Jin was worried that if he encountered those people, he wouldn't be 100% sure he could bring the person back, or that if his whereabouts were exposed, things might not end well.
Zhou Jin tried to speak: "But..."
"Is it not allowed? I've waited so long and I still can't have it? What can I do then? Perhaps I can only be a bird in a cupboard, a sparrow in a cage, for your amusement!"
Bai Lingxi's face was full of mockery and indifference, as if she was extremely disappointed in him. She turned her head away and refused to look at him again!
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