“Scared?” Marquis of Huiding sneered evilly, “This marquis is rather impressed by you. To help Yuwen Hao overthrow this marquis, you really don’t care about your own life anymore.”
Because of her rage, Yuan Qingling became calmer instead.
She looked at Marquis of Huiding and slowly walked over, “The marquis got it wrong. I'm not doing this for him.”
“Is that so? Then who are you doing this for? Could it be that you want this marquis to enjoy your alluring body?” Marquis of Huiding laughed coldly, but his eyes lingered lasciviously over Yuan Qingling's body. Finally, he stared at her chest, swallowing as his eyes filled with bloodthirsty madness.
Yuan Qingling smiled faintly, hiding a syringe of anesthetic in her sleeves.
“All women like gallant generals.” Yuan Qingling gazed at him longingly, making her eyes misty with sorrow, “It’s just a pity that I was mistaken about Yuwen Hao. He doesn't like me so I'll stop pursuing him. He's spineless anyway.”
“Is that so?” Marquis of Huiding wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. Lowering his head, he sneered, “Regretting now is still not too late. Yuwen Hao is just a spineless fool, nothing to speak of.”
Yuan Qingling's hands clasped his back as she continued to gaze at him longingly. “Yes, I really hate him...”
Her fingernails dug into his skin, causing him to shudder lightly as he enjoyed the slight pain.
Yuan Qingling rested her head on his chest. At this moment, she was calmer than ever. The needle stabbed into the scratch marks from her nails. With her other hand, she pinched the skin and muscle by his side.
Suddenly, the iron hand seized her neck. Reaching around to his back, Marquis of Huiding grabbed Yuan Qingling's hand and snatched away the needle. His eyes filled with bloodlust as he slapped Yuan Qingling violently across the face. “You want to use hidden weapons?”
Yuan Qingling felt like that side of her head was gone. After some time numbly, she felt a searing pain. Her vision went dark and she felt dizzy.
There was a taste of blood in her mouth but she forced herself to stay conscious. Glancing at the syringe, her heart settled—the anesthetic had been fully injected.
She gave a bloody grin, “I hate how soft-hearted and weak he was for not killing you back then.”
She didn't know her smile was bordering on hideous. This ugliness provoked Marquis of Huiding. His eyes filled with killing intent as he tore open her clothes, revealing half her shoulder.
He lowered his head towards her shoulder, opening his mouth wide to bite down.
“...Three, two, one!” Yuan Qingling couldn't avoid it so she silently counted down.
Marquis of Huiding collapsed with a crash.
The intramuscular anesthetic had taken effect.
Yuan Qingling wanted to make a run for it, but with him now anesthetized, it was in her hands to make sure he didn't get off easy.
Yuan Qingling did the boldest thing she'd ever done in this life or her past one.
She picked up a chair and viciously jabbed its legs into Marquis of Huiding's crotch.
Cracking eggs with a rock!
This was very risky since the anesthetic dose wasn't large and he had strong martial arts. The intense pain could potentially wake him up. But if she just let it go, he would still harm other women in the future.
She had thought about killing him but couldn't do it, having never taken a life before.
Fortunately, Marquis of Huiding didn't wake up.
She saw a pair of bloody scissors on the floor and picked them up to hide in her sleeve pocket. She quickly retreated to the door. There were people outside. After taking a deep breath, she called out loudly, “Sorry, my lord, but I really do have an upset stomach today. I'm just going to the latrine and will be right back very soon. Please wait for me.”
She turned around, pulled open the door, and swiftly shut it. The two maidservants from earlier were standing outside.
Having heard Yuan Qingling, one said, “Miss is going to the latrine? Let this servant take you there.”
Clutching her stomach, Yuan Qingling replied, “Alright, thank you!”
As she spoke, she looked around. Other than these two, there were no other guards.
It seemed Marquis of Huiding didn't like too many people listening to his "performance".
Following the maidservant out, she had just left the courtyard when she heard another maidservant's voice behind her, “She has injured the prince! Seize her quickly!”
Having anticipated her cover being blown as soon as the shout started, Yuan Qingling acted before the maidservant could make a move. She swiftly took out the scissors and stabbed them towards the maidservant's ear.
A skilled fighter could block strikes to most parts of her body briefly. But a direct stab to the eardrum would cause enough pain to make her instinctively cover her ears rather than counterattack.
The maidservant let out an agonized scream as Yuan Qingling pulled out the scissors and broke into a run.
The scream alerted the guards and rapid footsteps approached. In her panic, Yuan Qingling ran into the neighboring courtyard.
Looking around after entering, she was so frightened her legs turned soft.
At least twenty vicious dogs were barking ferociously, eyes red—clearly starved and fed live meat.
Dogs fed live meat were aggressive with high obedience. If their master gave the order, they would maul enemies directly.
Yuan Qingling leaned against the wall weakly, retreating backward. The pursuers had caught up.
“Want to flee after injuring the marquis?” A man in his thirties stood before Yuan Qingling, smiling sinisterly.
She recognized him as one of the guards who had accompanied Marquis of Huiding to Qingcheng Pavilion.
Surrounded front and back, she despaired, not expecting her escape plan to fail so quickly.
She had crippled Marquis of Huiding's manhood. How would he not torture her to death?
Just thinking about the torture devices in that room, she would rather be mauled by the dogs. At least if they bit her throat, her death would be swift.
She wondered if Yuwen Hao would be very happy to hear of her death.
When nearing death, the scumbag was who she thought of.
The guard advanced step by step, whip in hand, his expression vicious and bloodthirsty—even more terrifying than the dogs' eyes.
Yuan Qingling resolutely turned to face the twenty-plus large vicious dogs. She didn't know if they could understand her words, but said anyway, "Come, bite my throat hard. I absolutely won't die by their hands."
Just as she finished speaking, all the dogs suddenly halted their advance and stood motionless, the red in their eyes seeming to fade somewhat.
There was even a trace of confusion.
Yuan Qingling was startled, and a streak of wild delight rose in her heart. Could they communicate with her like Fubao?
Either way, she was doomed, so she might as well try. She took a step forward and, pointing at the guards, said to the dogs, "Brothers, we are of one nation, the same kind. Bite them to death."
The twenty-odd dogs instantly erupted, barking at her, and charged straight for her.
Yuan Qingling's face paled. She understood—that was the war cry for attack.
Her little life was over.
But the situation quickly reversed. The dogs didn't pounce on her but ran past her from both sides, charging at the guards instead.
Apparently not expecting the dogs would turn on them, the guards were furious. They shouted a few orders that the dogs normally obeyed. But today the dogs seemed to have gone mad, biting anyone they saw. The guards were thrown into chaos, only concerned about escaping themselves.
The dogs didn't truly maul them though. They only bit trouser legs or clamped down for a bite that drew blood but no bone.
Even so, the scene was far too chaotic.
Yuan Qingling was frightened silly by the sudden reversal. Hearing the largest black-eared, erect-tailed dog bark at her a few times—seemingly urging the idiot to hurry and run—she panicked and fled like she was possessed.
Below the surrounding wall was an iron cage she could use to jump over the wall if she got enough of a running start.
