Ye Lanshan rested her chin on her hand and said, "Interesting. I've never seen someone with such a fierce reputation for bringing death to their spouses."
Ye Feng said worriedly, "I'm afraid he called you back just for this matter."
Ye Lanshan clicked her tongue. "Tsk, tsk. This Ye Suzhe is truly cunning. He uses this marriage to get rid of me, while simultaneously avoiding the tragedy of Ye Siyu being betrothed to the Night King, and he even wins the emperor's favor."
Ye Feng said, "Miss, perhaps you should leave the Ye family first."
Ye Lanshan laughed. "Leave? Why should I leave? Not only will I not leave, but I will also agree to this marriage."
Ye Feng said, "Miss."
Ye Lanshan waved her hand. "You don't need to say any more. I have my own plans. You all stay here for now. And Ye Yuan, go find a few clever ones among the shadow army. I have use for them."
Ye Yuan immediately replied, "Yes."
Meanwhile, in the Night Kingdom's Night Manor, Ye Yutian was sitting in the seat of honor, listening to the report from Bai Yong, the leader of his shadow guards. "Your Highness, the emperor has arranged another marriage for you."
Ye Yutian said, "It seems he still hasn't given up."
Bai Yong asked, "Your Highness, should we eliminate her like before?"
Ye Yutian said, "Mm."
Bai Yong hesitated slightly. "But... this time it's... with the young lady of the Ye family from the Moon Kingdom."
Ye Yutian said, "Oh, the Ye family? Then I'll go myself this time."
At the Ye residence, Ye Suzhe was discussing the betrothal with Ye Lanshan. "Lanshan, you see, you've reached the age for marriage. I've arranged a match for you. The other party is the prince of the Night Kingdom. What do you think?"
Ye Lanshan smiled sweetly. "Alright, thank you, Uncle."
Ye Suzhe chuckled. "Then go back and prepare well."
Ye Lanshan replied, "Yes, I will prepare well," and returned to her room, looking very pleased.
Ye Suzhe thought to himself, She agreed so easily. It seems I overestimated her before.
Once back in her room, Ye Lanshan immediately changed into men's clothing, transformed into Shan Luo, and sneaked into the secret chamber.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. A volley of flaming arrows shot toward Ye Lanshan. She struck them with her mystic power, and the arrows fell to the ground as if they had lost their momentum.
Just as she was about to step over them, a loud cry rang out from the tree above. Ye Lanshan had no choice but to retreat for now.
Ye Suzhe immediately arrived at the secret chamber, but unfortunately, Ye Lanshan had already left. All that remained was a pile of spent arrows.
Ye Suzhe cursed at the pile of arrows, "Damn it."
Back in her room, Ye Lanshan quickly changed clothes and pulled the covers over herself.
No sooner had she covered herself than Ye Suzhe arrived. He knocked on the door and asked, "Lanshan, are you asleep?"
Ye Lanshan pretended to have just woken up. "Mm, what is it, Uncle?"
Ye Suzhe said, "Oh, nothing. I just came to see if you were asleep. Since you are, I won't disturb you."
Ye Lanshan listened to the fading footsteps and immediately let out a sigh of relief.
The next morning, the entire street was buzzing with rumors that the Ye family's legitimate daughter was to marry the Night King.
In a tavern, two richly dressed men were discussing. "Hey, did you hear? Ye Lanshan is engaged to the Night King."
"Really?"
"It must be true. Would I lie to you?"
"But wasn't Ye Lanshan kicked out of the Ye family? How could she be engaged to the Night King?"
Just then, someone interjected, "You wouldn't know this. Ye Lanshan was brought back a long time ago, just to handle this engagement."
"It seems Ye Lanshan is also a pitiful soul," the man sighed.
"Ah, who says otherwise? Losing her mother young, losing her father young, and even her beloved grandfather, alive or dead unknown. Now she has to be a stand-in and get engaged to that demon, the Night King."
"Ye Suzhe is still her uncle, after all. Ah... I never thought..."
Ye Lanshan listened to the chatter in the tavern, a faint smile curling at the corners of her mouth.
Ye Suzhe initially didn't care, but the rumors spread more and more, eventually drawing the emperor's displeasure.
After the morning court session, Ye Suzhe returned to the Ye residence with a grim face.
Ye Siyu came over and asked, "Father, who was the blind fool that made you so angry?"
Ye Suzhe didn't answer her question but softened his expression slightly. "Be nicer to Ye Lanshan lately. Take her out to buy some things."
Ye Siyu said, "Alright, Father."
Ye Suzhe waved his hand. "You may go."
Ye Siyu went to Ye Lanshan's courtyard and said gently, "Lanshan, you've been back in the capital for a while but haven't really had a chance to look around. How about I take you out for a stroll?"
Ye Lanshan said, "Sure, but I don't have any money."
A country bumpkin couldn't spend much, Ye Siyu thought disdainfully. So she said, "Don't worry about the money. I'll cover it."
Ye Lanshan asked in a hesitant tone, "Really? Are you sure?"
Ye Siyu rolled her eyes impatiently. "I'm sure."
The fish has taken the bait. Ye Lanshan curled her lips. "Then I'll gratefully accept."
At the Yidan Hall, Ye Lanshan was excitedly picking out herbs. Oh my, isn't this purple grass? This is a holy remedy for wounds.
Suddenly, she picked up a thousand-year snow lotus. With this, I can refine the Soul Absorption Pill.
She picked and chose, gathering a large pile of herbs and placing them on the counter. "Checkout, please. That'll be a thousand white mystic stones."
A thousand white mystic stones. Ye Lanshan clicked her tongue. That's all the mystic stones Lan Yexin gave me. No wonder alchemy is such a money-burning business.
Ye Siyu's face had already changed color. A thousand white mystic stones? Is she doing this on purpose?
Just then, Ye Lanshan said, "You're not going to back out on paying, are you?"
Ye Siyu forced a smile. "Of course not. It's just a thousand white mystic stones. I can afford it."
She handed her silver card to the shopkeeper, watching a thousand white mystic stones disappear from her account. Her heart ached as if bleeding. That's my entire year's allowance.
Ye Lanshan said, "Since we've bought everything, let's go."
Ye Siyu suppressed the urge to kill her and forced a smile. "Alright, let's go."
Back at the Ye residence, Ye Siyu threw a tantrum.
"Ye Lanshan, I'll let you have your fun for two more days. In two days, we'll see how I torment you," Ye Siyu said viciously, twisting her handkerchief.
Ye Lanshan, however, was delighted. Looking at the herbs she had bought, she thought, I didn't expect to find so many herbs here that are the same as the ones in our world.
Suddenly, she felt a chill. She quickly stored the herbs in her space and threw the dagger she had toward the tree in front of the window.
Sure enough, a man in a purple robe with a wolf-tooth mask emerged from the tree.
"Who are you, and why were you hiding there?" Ye Lanshan asked.
Ye Yutian said coldly, "You don't need to know who I am."
Ye Lanshan said calmly, "You must be sent by the Night King, right? You can go back and tell him I have a deal to discuss."
Ye Yutian suddenly became interested. "What deal?"
Chapter Twelve: First Visit to the Palace
Ye Lanshan said, "I assume the conflict between the Night King and the Night Emperor is already quite deep. Go back and tell the Night King that I have a way to block the Night Emperor's spies."
Ye Yutian asked, "What way?"
Ye Lanshan hesitated. "I'll have to discuss that with the Night King in person."
Ye Yutian took off his mask. "I am the Night King."
Ye Lanshan looked at Ye Yutian in surprise. "So that prince from the other day was you."
Ye Yutian frowned. "What?"
Seeing that he seemed to have forgotten, Ye Lanshan didn't bring it up again. Instead, she spoke of her plan. "I can be your shield and help you eliminate those spies one by one. But I need to use this engagement banquet to do one thing. Don't worry, though—I have no intention of marrying you."
Ye Yutian laughed once. "Woman, you're clever. But thinking you can enter my Night Manor with such a method is far too naive."
Ye Lanshan, feeling his hand already at her throat, said urgently, "Wait! I can swear to heaven and earth that I will never marry you."
Only then did Ye Yutian finally let go. Ye Lanshan coughed loudly a few times before recovering. She thought, So this is the power of a Grand Mystic Master? It's terrifying.
She had always thought that her immortal cultivation, even if starting from scratch, was stronger than these mystic cultivators. But today, she realized how powerful mystic power truly was.
At that moment, she felt her own weakness, and the desire to grow stronger had never been so intense.
Ye Yutian watched Ye Lanshan, who was coughing tears, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat. An inexplicable feeling spread through his chest.
But he ignored it. "Since you've made a vow to heaven and earth, I'll spare you for now." With that, he vanished into the night like an arrow.
Ye Lanshan touched the wound on her neck. It's been a long time since I've faced such a powerful opponent. I'll have to find a chance to fight him.
Well, the fighting spirit was unstoppable. In the following days, Ye Lanshan trained frantically, not forgetting to cultivate her mystic power while practicing her immortal arts.
After all, in this world, mystic cultivation was the mainstream. She still needed to use mystic power to deal with the world.
Amidst a commotion, Ye Lanshan emerged from her room.
A maid immediately ran over, a mix of respect and urgency in her voice. "Miss, you're finally out. Please come quickly and change clothes for the main hall."
The maid pulled Ye Lanshan toward the room.
In the room, Ye Lanshan said coldly, "What's the matter that has you all so flustered?"
The maid immediately knelt and kowtowed. "Miss, please forgive me. I was just so anxious that I forgot my manners and was so rude."
Ye Lanshan said gently, "Get up. I didn't say I was going to blame you. I was just curious why you were in such a hurry."
The maid, helped up by Ye Lanshan, felt a warmth in her heart. No one had ever been so kind to her. She resolved to make the miss look absolutely beautiful.
Ye Lanshan waved her hand in front of the maid's eyes. "What's wrong with you?"
The maid snapped back to reality and immediately tried to kneel again, but Ye Lanshan stopped her.
The maid said, "Miss, it's like this. Today, the emperor is hosting a banquet at the palace. The head of the family said you are to go with them, so he ordered me to dress you up."
Ye Lanshan said, "A banquet? It must be boring. Alright, you may leave."
The maid said urgently, "Miss."
Ye Lanshan waved her hand. "Alright, no need to say more. I know what to do." The maid had no choice but to withdraw.
A moment later, Ye Lanshan came out.
The maid was stunned. Oh my, is this a fairy?
Ye Lanshan said, "Let's go."
"Oh, oh," the maid quickly snapped out of it and responded.
At the main gate, Ye Suzhe was waiting anxiously. Ye Siyu said impatiently, "Is Ye Lanshan coming or not? If she's not, let's just go."
Ye Suzhe said angrily, "Nonsense! This is the Night King's engagement banquet. If Ye Lanshan doesn't show, what would that look like?"
"Uncle, what are you all discussing?" A crisp, pleasant voice sounded from behind. A woman in a flowing cloud-patterned dress appeared. Though lightly made up, it only accentuated her ethereal beauty. With only a white jade hairpin in her hair, it seemed as if heaven and earth were merely her backdrop.
Ye Siyu's face twisted with jealousy. She gripped her handkerchief so tightly it seemed ready to tear. Forcing herself, she said, "Let's go," and turned to board the carriage.
Ye Suzhe was also stunned, but he recovered in a few seconds and said calmly, "Let's go."
At the palace, the young masters of various families couldn't help but stare at Ye Lanshan in awe, quietly inquiring about her name.
The young ladies, on the other hand, glared at her with envy. If looks could kill, Ye Lanshan would have died a thousand times over.
Ye Siyu, seeing Ye Lanshan become the center of attention, was naturally very unwilling. Why should she, who had just returned, steal everyone's spotlight?
Full of resentment, she said, "Sister, let's go over there." She pointed to a quiet spot.
Ye Lanshan wanted to see what game she was playing, so she smiled and said, "Alright."
When the others heard Ye Siyu call her "sister," they knew who she was. The name Ye Lanshan quickly spread among the young masters and ladies.
"Ah... what a pity," the young masters all shook their heads regretfully.
The young ladies, however, laughed smugly. "How pitiful. She's only been back a few days and already she's marrying the Night King."
Ye Lanshan followed Ye Siyu to a secluded spot. There, Ye Siyu finally dropped her pretense and said viciously, "Ye Lanshan, you'd better behave yourself at the banquet."
Ye Lanshan chuckled lightly. "Behave? I've always been well-behaved. What more do you want from me?"
"What? Can't say it, so you want to resort to violence?" Ye Lanshan grabbed Ye Siyu's raised hand.
"You—" Ye Siyu struggled angrily but couldn't break free.
Ye Lanshan snorted coldly. "Ye Siyu, let me tell you, what I do is none of your business." With that, she flung Ye Siyu's hand away and walked off.
Ye Siyu glared at Ye Lanshan with venomous eyes. Ye Lanshan, don't get too cocky. Just because I've been letting you have your way doesn't mean you can do whatever you want.
Once the plan succeeds, just wait for me to torment you. At that thought, her mood improved considerably.
"Your Highness, are you really not going to kill her?" Bai Yan asked respectfully.
Ye Yutian said coldly, "No. Consider it my way of settling the score with the Ye family."
Bai Yan asked nervously, "Then, Your Highness, are you really going to marry Ye Lanshan?"
"No." Just as Bai Yong thought Ye Yutian was actually going to marry Ye Lanshan, the icy voice reached his ears.
Bai Yong's eyes lit up at those words, but quickly dimmed again. Even if he didn't marry Ye Lanshan, he would marry someone else.
No, the Night King is mine. Whoever tries to take him, I'll kill them.
Chapter Thirteen: The Old Affair from Three Years Ago, Prelude to Rebellion
"Your Highness, it's time." A servant announced from outside the door.
Ye Yutian replied, "I know."
Ye Lanshan sat in an inconspicuous spot, leisurely eating the pastries on the table, but she didn't touch the wine at all.
"The emperor has arrived!" A eunuch announced in a shrill voice. Ye Lanshan frowned at the sound. She had heard in modern times that eunuchs' voices were extremely unpleasant, but she thought it was just a rumor. Now she knew it was true.
"Greetings to the emperor! May you have boundless blessings and your mystic power reach new heights!"
"How dare you show disrespect to the emperor!" The eunuch pointed at Ye Lanshan and screeched.
Ye Lanshan sat calmly and said, "May I ask how I have disrespected the emperor?"
The eunuch said, "Not kneeling when the emperor arrives is disrespect. Kneel and beg for forgiveness immediately!"
Ye Lanshan stood up and bowed to the emperor. "I only know to kneel to heaven, earth, and my parents. Surely the emperor, in his magnanimity, will not hold it against a rustic, uneducated person like me from the countryside."
Emperor Yue Jinghong stared at Ye Lanshan, momentarily stunned. He quickly asked, "What is your name?"
Ye Lanshan replied, "Your subject's name is Ye Lanshan."
Hearing the name, a trace of nostalgia flickered in Yue Jinghong's eyes, along with a hint of indulgence he himself didn't notice. "I remember when I first saw you, you were just a little baby who knew nothing. Now, you've grown up so quickly. I'll let it slide this time, but don't let it happen again."
Ye Lanshan lowered her eyes and said softly, "Yes, thank you, Your Majesty." She then sat down.
Ye Siyu shot her a jealous glance, her eyes gleaming with malice, clearly plotting something.
Before Ye Siyu could speak, Sun Yulu, sitting across from her, began to mock, "The legitimate daughter of the Ye family comparing herself to a rustic country bumpkin—isn't that a joke?"
Ye Lanshan replied calmly, "Don't forget, I was exiled to the remote borderlands. Calling myself a country bumpkin isn't wrong."
Sun Yulu hadn't expected Ye Lanshan to say that. After all, no one would willingly bring up such a disgrace. She was momentarily at a loss for words and could only say dryly, "Even if you were exiled, you're still part of the Ye family. How can you lower yourself by calling yourself a rustic person? Aren't you ashamed?"
Ye Siyu chimed in, "Exactly. Even if you were exiled before, it was because of your own problems. Besides, you've already returned."
Seeing the emperor's displeasure, Ye Suzhe quickly scolded, "Yu'er, how can you speak to your sister like that? Apologize immediately!"
Ye Siyu said indignantly, "But it's the truth! Can't I even say that?"
While Ye Siyu was complaining, Ye Lanshan laughed. In a tone almost mocking, she said, "My own problems? So you mean your past framing and scheming, and now your exploitation, all boil down to my own problems?"
Ye Suzhe feigned heartache. "Ye Lanshan, what are you saying? Have all my years of good intentions been seen as exploitation by you?"
Ye Lanshan sneered. "Good intentions? More like for your own selfish motives."
Ye Suzhe's face turned ashen as he pointed at Ye Lanshan. "You... you have disappointed me so much!"
Ye Lanshan, seemingly unfazed by Ye Suzhe's anger, said calmly, "Can't take it anymore?"
"Ye Lanshan, is that how you talk to your uncle? Is that the attitude a junior should have?" Wan Lianjin, Ye Suzhe's friend, scolded.
In an instant, everyone began whispering among themselves.
"Miss Ye, what exactly happened back then?" A young lady asked Ye Siyu with ill intent.
Ye Siyu pretended to be conflicted. "This is a family matter. It wouldn't be appropriate to discuss it here."
"What's inappropriate about it? Ye Lanshan has pushed you to this point, and you're still covering for her? Besides, if you tell us, we can help you seek justice." Sun Yulu glanced at Ye Lanshan as she spoke.
Ye Siyu hesitated for a moment, then, under the expectant gazes of the crowd, slowly began, "Back then, to win the family competition, Ye Lanshan poisoned all the Ye family disciples with a toxin that temporarily nullified their mystic power."
"So the elders were furious and wanted to expel her from the Ye family. If it weren't for my father pleading for her, she wouldn't have just been exiled to Chaoyang City."
"Now, three years have passed. My father thought Ye Lanshan had repented, so he discussed with the elders to bring her back. But I never expected Ye Lanshan to... to act like this." Ye Siyu's voice choked with emotion.
Sun Yulu looked at Ye Lanshan and sneered, "I can't believe you can sit here so calmly. If it were me, I'd be too ashamed to show my face." "Yes, yes," the others chimed in. Even the young masters who had previously shown her some goodwill now regarded her with disgust and disdain. Only Mu Ziming of the Mu family gave her a kind smile.
Of course, the emperor didn't believe any of this. After all, back then Ye Suzhe had claimed Ye Lanshan went to the Medicine Spirit Manor due to health issues. Her current engagement to the Night King was supposedly because he had medicine in his residence that could cure her illness. But now it was clear this was all Ye Suzhe's selfish scheme.
Enraged, he said, "Ye Suzhe, is this what you meant by her going to the Medicine Spirit Manor?"
"At the time, family scandals shouldn't be aired publicly, so I had no choice but to say that," Ye Suzhe replied, his earlier anxious and pained demeanor shifting to calm composure.
The emperor trembled with fury, pointing at Ye Suzhe. "You—" But before he could finish, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Summon the imperial physician! Quickly, summon the imperial physician!" the eunuch shouted.
Just then, Ye Lanshan sent a voice transmission to Mu Ziming: "Check if you can use your mystic power. If not, don't say a word."
Mu Ziming's hand froze, and he immediately looked at Ye Lanshan.
Ye Lanshan nodded at him and transmitted again: "Find an excuse to leave now. Go find a man in purple robes carrying a purple short sword. Say the words 'Three Armies' Command.'"
Though Mu Ziming couldn't use his mystic power, he wasn't foolish. He asked silently, "Why?"
Ye Lanshan: "Ye Suzhe is about to rebel."
Mu Ziming: "Why should I believe you? What's your goal?"
Ye Lanshan: "Didn't you see the emperor coughing up blood while Ye Suzhe sits there perfectly calm? Look at the ministers—aren't they all anxious and worried? And it's not just you who can't use mystic power. Anyone who drank wine or tea is affected."
Mu Ziming looked into Ye Lanshan's sincere eyes and found himself believing her. He asked, "Besides finding that man, is there anything else?"
Ye Lanshan: "If possible, please find the Night King. If he's here, our chances of subduing him increase greatly."
Mu Ziming nodded. "Alright." Then he quietly slipped away.
While everyone was focused on the emperor's condition, no one noticed that a guard by the emperor's side had disappeared.
Midnight arrived. Ye Suzhe curled his lips into a smile. Finally, success was near. Nuo'er, wait for me—I'll be with you soon.
Chapter 14: Everyone Poisoned, Ye Suzhe Reveals His True Face
"Who are you? How dare you break into the palace and attempt assassination?" the Censor of the Ministry of Justice barked at the black-clad figures who had suddenly stormed the palace and surrounded them.
"You don't deserve to know who I am. Just know that you can't even save yourself," a man who seemed to be the leader said contemptuously.
"How dare you!" the Censor roared, swinging a palm strike.
"What's this? Why can't I use my mystic power?" He stared in shock at his mystic core, relieved to find it still intact.
Ye Suzhe chuckled lightly. "Why not?"
The Censor pointed at Ye Suzhe. "You did this? What are you planning? Let me tell you, rebellion is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations. You'd better not act rashly."
The others struggled frantically, but without their mystic power, they were like meat on a chopping block, utterly powerless.
Ye Suzhe stood up and strolled over to the Censor. "Act rashly? I've been planning this for decades—how could it be rash?"
He then walked to the center and said, "If you're willing to surrender and follow me, I might spare your lives."
"The Mu family would rather die than follow a traitor like you," Mu Yifeng said firmly. "Give up that hope."
Ye Suzhe smirked. "Clan Leader Mu, don't speak too soon."
Mu Yifeng laughed loudly. "Do as you please—kill or flay us. The Mu family has no cowards. But I tell you, Ye Suzhe, even if you kill us, you'll never sit on that throne."
Ye Lanshan sat calmly in her seat and said softly, "Clan Leader Mu, rest assured. As long as I'm here, he won't harm any of you."
Ye Suzhe snorted. "Relying on a waste like you?"
"Wait," he said in panic. "Why are you so calm?"
This Ye Lanshan had been opposing him at every turn since arriving at the palace, completely unlike her former obedient self. Could she have known about his rebellion all along and staged this act? But even if she knew, so what? One person couldn't affect his plans, especially since she was also poisoned and couldn't use mystic power. Relaxing at this thought, Ye Suzhe pointed at Ye Lanshan. "Kill her."
A black-clad figure acknowledged, "Yes."
He then unleashed the simplest fire-type mystic technique: a flame blade.
Ye Lanshan dodged it with a flash and chuckled. "Do you all underestimate me so much? Underestimating your opponent isn't a good habit."
The man sneered. "Let's see you dodge this."
Ye Lanshan watched as dozens of flame blades flew at her from every angle, impossible to evade. Since she couldn't dodge, she would fight back.
She used the most powerful technique her original body had ever known: "Water Ring Blade." A ring formed around her, surrounded by ten water blades linked in a circle. The blades shot swiftly toward the black-clad man, while the ring formed a sphere to protect her, keeping the flame blades at bay.
Ye Suzhe stared in shock at her sudden use of mystic power. "You—your mystic power didn't disappear? How is that possible? And when did you advance to Mystic Master?"
Ye Lanshan effortlessly blocked the black-clad man's attacks. She chuckled lightly. "Do you think I'm that foolish? Knowing your scheme, would I eat anything from the table without preparing?"
As she spoke, she pulled out a pill. "I have one last解毒 pill here. Starting bid: three thousand white mystic stones. Highest bidder gets it."
Ye Suzhe's face twisted with rage. "Capture her! Take that pill from her!"
Ye Lanshan looked at the nine black-clad figures surrounding her, anxiety creeping in. Why hadn't Ye Feng and the others arrived yet? She couldn't hold out much longer.
The black-clad men didn't care about her thoughts. They launched a fierce assault—water blades, flame blades, earth blades, metal blades, wood blades, wind blades—all flying toward her.
At this critical moment, Ye Lanshan's quick thinking birthed a new technique.
"Wings of Carnage." A pair of wings formed from mystic power appeared behind her, their feathers shooting out like sharp blades toward the attackers.
Ye Suzhe stared at her fiery red wings in shock. "How do you have fire-type mystic power? Weren't you only water-type?"
Ye Lanshan had no energy to answer him. Fighting nine opponents alone was exhausting, especially since some had higher mystic power than her. She was barely holding on because they underestimated her.
Sure enough, one black-clad man grew serious and unleashed his full strength.
"Flame Lotus." A lotus made of fire rapidly flew toward her.
"Water Shield." Forced into a corner, Ye Lanshan conjured another technique to block it, but she knew it wouldn't last long. She had to find a way out of this encirclement.
As expected, within a minute, the water shield shattered under the Flame Lotus. She quickly formed another.
The black-clad man watched her stubborn resistance. "It's useless. Give up. With the level suppression, you're destined to be caught."
Struggling against them, Ye Lanshan smirked. "Is that so? I, Ye Lanshan, refuse to believe it."
A wild glint flashed in her eyes. "Flame Blade," "Water Blade," "Flame Lotus," "Water Ice Lotus"—she unleashed a barrage of techniques all at once.
The black-clad men stared dumbfounded at the sky full of mystic techniques. How could a Mystic Master conjure so many? It defied logic.
In that moment of shock, Ye Lanshan broke free from their encirclement and reached Clan Leader Mu, stuffing the pill into his mouth.
In a barely audible whisper, she said, "In a quarter of an hour, the poison in your body will be neutralized. I'll create a diversion. Don't let them discover you've taken the antidote."
Then Ye Lanshan fed pills to others nearby—though these weren't real antidotes.
But Ye Suzhe didn't know that. Believing she had given antidotes to everyone, he flew into a rage. "I was going to spare your lives. Blame Ye Lanshan for this—since she gave you the antidote, now you all must die."
He ordered the black-clad men, "Kill them all. Leave no one alive."
Ye Lanshan stepped in front of them. "If you want to kill them, you'll have to go through me first."
The black-clad men sneered. "A mere Mystic Master? By your age, you're indeed a genius, but you're overestimating yourself. Do you really think you can stop us alone?"
Ye Lanshan snorted. "Let's try, then. Flame Tiger, come forth!"
A flash of white light, and a white-flame fire tiger appeared beside Ye Lanshan.
The black-clad men grew slightly more serious, but with their numbers, they relaxed again. "A fifth-rank beast—impressive. But even a fierce tiger fears a pack of wolves. What can you do with just one beast?"