"Maybe we should run away." White's earlier panic was gone, replaced by a calm demeanor.
"Have you lost your mind?" Black stared at White in disbelief, never expecting that his ever-dependent partner would make such a decision.
"I'm not crazy. I'm just tired. I don't want to hide in the shadows anymore, doing things I don't want to do." White gritted her teeth and finally voiced the thoughts in her heart.
"Run? Where would we run to? Don't forget, we still have the Lu family's poison blood in us."
The poison blood was the Lu family's most powerful tool for controlling assassins and intelligence agents.
It was precisely because of the poison blood that the Lu family had stood firm through two dynastic changes.
"You've seen Ye Lanshan's talent. She has terrifying strength on her own, plus the massive foundation of the Ye family. How can the Lu family compete with her?" White avoided Black's question and threw out another one instead.
Black's expression turned serious as he said to White, "That's not for us to think about. Remember, our duty is only to follow orders."
"Why? Why are we born inferior? Why are we born to be bossed around by the Lu family like animals?" White's emotions were unusually volatile.
She swallowed the blood she was about to spit out from Ye Lanshan's injury and said, "The Lu family is finished. We won't escape death either. We might as well leave now and enjoy a few days of freedom."
"White, don't force me to hurt you." A flicker of struggle passed through Black's eyes, as if he was about to make a decision he would regret.
"Are you really going to kill me for that hellish, heartless Lu family?" White was incredulous. She had planned for years, slowly breaking into his heart, all for the hope of leaving the Lu family with him one day.
But he would kill her for the cruel, ruthless Lu family—this was the outcome White least wanted to see.
"Don't forget what the young lady said when she chose us back then: 'I hope you will become my sharpest blades, slaying all my enemies for me.'"
"The young lady has no other power in the Lu family besides us. If her blades are gone, how will she survive in the Lu family?" Black's heart was always with the young lady.
"Of course I haven't forgotten. Didn't we later become the sharpest blades? But did she become our support? No."
"When we cleared obstacles for her, how many times were we on the brink of death? Did she care? She just kept squeezing our combat power to do her bidding."
"And you're still willing to follow someone like that?" White questioned Black, unable to understand why someone as despicable, ruthless, and uncaring as Lu Qingse would still have his loyalty.
"Do you remember who saved us from Lu Hao back then?" The struggle in Black's eyes faded into stillness, and even his voice grew calmer.
White said dismissively, "So what? We've done so much for her. The debt of gratitude is long repaid."
Hearing her answer, he closed his eyes tightly. When he opened them again, there was no trace of emotion. "Go. Go as far as you can. I'll pretend you're dead."
In the end, Black couldn't bring himself to kill White. He stood up and walked toward the door, unwilling to look at her again.
"You'll regret this decision sooner or later." White let out a soft laugh, hiding the loneliness in her heart. So no matter what I do, I can never compare to Lu Qingse in your heart?
Why? Why was Lu Qingse born to be a young lady, never having to struggle on the brink of death? Why did the feelings I painstakingly built lose to her small act of kindness?
White bit her lip, unwilling to accept it. Finally, after Black left, she held her chest and slowly stood up, limping out of the broken temple—but heading in the opposite direction from Black.
"Reporting to the young lady, our intelligence was wrong. Ye Lanshan has dual mystic powers. White... sacrificed herself to protect me." Black knelt on one knee before Lu Qingse, his expression filled with deep grief.
"You say White is dead?" Lu Qingse's head spun at the news of White's death.
Black and White were Lu Qingse's right and left hands. It was because of them that she had climbed to her current position.
Now that White was dead, it was like losing an arm. How could she not be devastated?
After a long moment, Lu Qingse came to her senses. She waved her hand wearily and dismissed Black.
Once Black stepped out, he was dazed. He had expected punishment for the failed mission, but Lu Qingse had let him go without a word.
Still, this indirectly showed that Lu Qingse hadn't caught his lie and truly believed White was dead.
"Ye Lanshan, you not only killed Ye Siyu but also my capable subordinate. I will settle this score with you." Lu Qingse directly pinned the blame for White's death on Ye Lanshan.
...
"Finally, we're in the capital of the Moon Kingdom. Uncle, let's hurry. Once we find Ye Lanshan, we won't have to worry about being hunted anymore." Arriving in the capital, even Yun Di's tone carried a hint of relief.
"Better stay cautious." Sikong reminded him lightly. "The Sikong family's intelligence network is formidable. Even if we find Ye Lanshan, can you guarantee she won't be tempted by a huge offer and hand us over to them?"
Yun Di said confidently, "Ye Lanshan wouldn't do that. I trust her. Besides, doesn't she still need you to refine pills for her? How could she hand you over to the Sikong family?"
"How can you be sure she won't betray us after just a few days together?" Sikong Kuang was truly afraid—afraid that Yun Di would face the same betrayal he had.
"Uncle, just trust me. My judgment of people isn't that bad." Yun Di was genuinely exasperated.
"Hmm? Is this the Ye residence Ye Lanshan mentioned?" He looked up at the sign, which bore a large character for "Ye."
"Stop right there. What's your business? Do you have a pass from the Ye family?" The guard at the door blocked Yun Di and the others as they approached.
A pass? What pass? Yun Di and Sikong Kuang exchanged glances, both unfamiliar with the term.
"Hey, big brother, please make an exception. I have urgent business with Ye Lanshan. We don't need to go in, but could you give this to her? She'll understand when she sees it."
Yun Di pulled a transmission talisman from his space and respectfully handed it to the guard.
The guard looked at them hesitantly, but seeing their sincerity, he finally agreed to their request.