Chapter 11 Xuanlong Token

Xie Yuming saw no change in her expression, unable to discern her thoughts. He continued, "I saw Prince Xiangchen."

"Impossible!" Qingyuan glared at him angrily, her eyes bloodshot. "The uncle emperor died long ago! Xie Yuming, if you want to lie, at least make it believable. The uncle emperor died three years ago!"

Prince Xiangchen, her father's younger brother, was granted the title of Xiang at the age of eighteen and later bestowed the title of Xiang, governing a territory of three thousand li in the Tang Dynasty. She had vivid memories of this old uncle who had a close relationship with her father.

When she was thirteen, she had accompanied her father to his territory in Chenzhou for a month. It was the first time in her life that she had left the capital and the Tang Palace. During her time in Chenzhou, she experienced the joy of ordinary families for the first time. Her father had let go of his dignity and was no longer strict with her.

The kind elder who always accompanied her with a smile was Prince Xiangchen. So when news of his death reached the palace, she had mourned for several days.

Prince Xiangchen! It's impossible. How could someone who died three years ago still be alive? Qingyuan felt her blood constricting towards her heart.

She stared at Xie Yuming, who was kneeling in front of her. If her gaze could turn into a blade, he would have died a hundred or a thousand times over. He betrayed the Tang Dynasty, killed her kinsmen, and even her deceased loved ones!

"Fine, fine, fine!" She said three times in a row, smiling darkly. "Xie Yuming, you continue to fabricate..."

Seeing her disbelief, Xie Yuming hurriedly pulled out an inconspicuous token from his pocket. He lowered his voice, "Qingyuan, what do you see here?!"

Qingyuan glanced at the dim light and was instantly shaken. However, she quickly regained her composure and spoke calmly, "What is this?"

"Qingyuan, you don't recognize it! This is the Xuanlong token, the treasure of the Tang Dynasty. Have you forgotten?" Xie Yuming's voice was as cold as before.

"I don't recognize this thing. You can't trick me again," Qingyuan replied in a cold voice.

Seeing her resolute refusal, Xie Yuming was at a loss for words.

"Get lost," Qingyuan said coldly, turning away. "If you want to kill me, then do it. Don't think you can manipulate me again and again, Xie Yuming. You've used me multiple times and I'm sick of it."

Gritting his teeth, Xie Yuming suddenly pulled out a dagger and aimed it at his own heart. His eyes were bloodshot.

He exclaimed, "Qingyuan, I'm not here to kill you. If you don't believe me, you can kill me now."

Qingyuan slowly turned around. She stared at the gleaming dagger without blinking. The dagger was sharp and deadly, but it reflected a chilling coldness in her heart.

She suddenly remembered the sword that had pierced Qier, emitting the same chilling aura.

"Is that so?" She chuckled lightly, her gaze fixed on Xie Yuming, who was kneeling in front of her. The man before her had deceived her time and time again, causing her country to fall and her loved ones to never rest in peace. What was he going to do now?

"Do you really want me to kill you?" Her eyes were strange, her voice soft and gentle. But her hands firmly gripped the handle of the dagger, slowly piercing his chest.

Xie Yuming groaned, his face contorted in pain.

She watched his suffering without blinking, her voice becoming even softer, "Xie Yuming, Prince Xiangchen, the Xuanlong token... Do you really think I would believe you? You killed Qier, a child who always called you 'uncle.' How old was he? He knew nothing, understood nothing! Yet you killed him with a single sword..."

"Do you think I will show mercy now? Believe your excuses? Dream on! Even if you have excuses, killing Qier means you must die!"

As the dagger slowly penetrated his flesh, warm blood splattered out, causing Xie Yuming to tremble in pain. But she deliberately intensified his suffering.

Feeling the warmth of the blood, she felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

"Qingyuan... I... I didn't lie to you..." Xie Yuming's face twisted in pain. He stared at her with all his might. "Prince Xiangchen was imprisoned for eight years. Before he died, he entrusted me with this token... He said... he said there is a top-secret location in the Tang Dynasty. If we find it, not only can we revive the Tang Dynasty... but we can also unify the world..."

Qingyuan's hand trembled, and the dagger could no longer penetrate.

Revive the Tang Dynasty? Suddenly, she burst into laughter. The laughter grew louder and eventually turned into hysterical laughter.

Xie Yuming was frightened by her strange behavior and retreated in confusion, "Qingyuan... Qingyuan, what's wrong with you?"

She laughed uncontrollably, her laughter sounding like crying. She stared at him, her eyes as red as if they were stained with blood.

"Revive the Tang Dynasty? Your Li family was exterminated by us. Revive whose country? Fulfill whose ambition?! Tell me! Tell me!"

She said, as if she had gone mad, lunging at him for the final blow.

Terrified, Xie Yuming turned and ran without looking back. Qingyuan slipped and fell heavily to the ground.

This time, the commotion in the courtyard finally alerted the guards, who shouted and rushed in their direction. Some of them yelled, "Catch the assassin! Catch the assassin!"

Qingyuan lay motionless on the ground, as if dead. Her gaze was cold, fixed on the pool of bright red blood.

For a long time, she slowly reached out and dipped her hand into the pool of blood, then put it to her lips. The strong smell of blood rushed into her mouth, and she closed her eyes as if savoring it.

This blood was left by Xie Yuming.

After some time passed, the sounds around her disappeared. A pair of boots embroidered with flames slowly approached her.

"Dead?" a familiar voice, as lazy as ever, "If you're not dead, get up. It's cold on the ground."

Soon, a handsome face appeared above her, surveying her.

Qingyuan said expressionlessly, "I hurt my foot and can't get up. Please trouble the Prince Liet to help me up."

Suyutian smirked and lifted her up, placing her on the edge of the bed. It was only then that Qingyuan noticed his attire for the night.

He casually draped a black cloak over himself, and his raven-colored long hair hung loosely on his shoulders. The sternness in his eyes and brows during the day was replaced by a hint of charm and femininity. Only his eyes remained as cold as the stars in the sky.

Suyutian's casual and lazy demeanor was probably something few people in the world had seen. Just one glance would deeply captivate the soul.

Qingyuan's eyes flashed, then she looked away from his face.

Suyutian lifted the hem of her dress and saw a bruise on her fair and straight legs.

"It's indeed a serious injury. How did this happen?" he frowned, then raised his voice to order the palace maids to come and attend to her.