The Stunning Mad Empress: The Useless Third Miss-Chapter 13 - Hidden Agendas

Nan Gongyu, upon hearing the commotion, turned to Xiao Qingcheng with a hint of anger on his face. He was indeed somewhat interested in this woman, but the Xiao family, standing behind Xiao Qingxue, was what he truly coveted.

“Miss Qingcheng, your actions are a bit too much!” he said.

“Damn this scum! He’s not even trying to figure out the truth! Master, let me go up there and beat him to death!” Xiao Zhenzhen exclaimed telepathically.

“No need! Just stay put,” Xiao Qingcheng replied. She stuffed the Wulong Grass into her sleeve, then squatted down and looked at Xiao Qingxue, who was being held in Nan Gongyu’s arms, with a half-smile. “Miss Xiao, even when framing someone, you should use your brain.”

Xiao Qingxue was taken aback for a moment. “Yu, you have to believe I’m innocent. I was just trying to help Miss Qingcheng get rid of the poisonous plant so she wouldn’t accidentally get poisoned. But she… she… she tried to kill me!” Unable to hold back any longer, she burst into tears, feigning grievance.

Xiao Qingcheng let out a cold laugh. Such a low-level poison powder wasn’t even worth her time. It was a shame that Xiao Qingxue could so shamelessly put on such a dramatic act.

“Miss Qingcheng, do you realize what it means to poison the eldest miss of the Xiao family? In the entire Xiao Family Town, Qingxue is the most outstanding and powerful cultivation genius. The entire Xiao family is her backing. Offending her is the same as offending the entire Xiao family. Now, I ask you to provide the antidote. Otherwise… don’t blame me for being impolite!” Nan Gongyu’s face was dark, his expression inscrutable.

In just a few short words, he had already gone through several layers of thought. He intended to use Xiao Qingxue’s formidable background to intimidate the woman in front of him and then extend his olive branch at the right moment. He believed he could easily bring this woman into his fold as a concubine.

“So?” Xiao Qingcheng wasn’t naive. Looking at Nan Gongyu’s face, she had already guessed part of his intentions.

“So, Miss Qingcheng, if you stay by my side from now on, I will take responsibility for this matter. The Nan Gong family may lack many things, but we certainly have no shortage of alchemists. For me, it’s a piece of cake to antidote Qingxue, while for you, it might be as difficult as climbing to the heavens.” Nan Gongyu, with one arm around Xiao Qingxue, looked at Xiao Qingcheng arrogantly.

Xiao Qingcheng rolled her eyes in disbelief. She had seen shameless people before, but this was truly the first time she had encountered someone so utterly shameless.

At that moment, Xiao Qingxue, who was nestled in Nan Gongyu’s arms, instantly lost all color in her face. She clung tightly to Nan Gongyu’s arm, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at the man she loved the most: “Yu, you promised me that you only loved me. You said you would only marry me.”

Nan Gongyu reached out and gently patted Xiao Qingxue’s head, replying with tenderness and indulgence: “Of course, Qingxue. You will be my principal wife.”

After speaking, Nan Gongyu leaned intimately towards Xiao Qingxue’s ear and whispered: “This Miss Qingcheng is no ordinary person. Qingxue, it would be such a pity not to bring someone with her talents into our fold.”

Xiao Qingxue’s heart skipped a beat. At that moment, the toxin on her face had already started to take effect. The burning sensation made her shiver uncontrollably.

“Yu, I feel so terrible,” she moaned.

Nan Gongyu frowned: “The alchemist who previously detoxified her is still at the Xiao residence and didn’t come with us this time. Qingxue, just hold on a little longer.”

Turning to Xiao Qingcheng, he continued: “So, Miss Qingcheng, have you made up your mind?”

Xiao Qingcheng crossed her arms, calm and composed, and smiled:

“Young Master Nan Gong has an engaged fiancée on one hand and another in his arms, and now you’re setting your sights on me. That’s a bit too much, don’t you think?

Actually, if the poison on Miss Xiao’s face isn’t treated now, by the time you take her back to Xiao Family Town, her face will be ruined.”

“What?”

“You’re lying!”

Nan Gongyu and Xiao Qingxue almost shouted in unison.

Xiao Qingcheng nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders: “The poison powder Miss Xiao sprinkled is too low-grade; I wouldn’t even consider using it. Likely, it’s someone like Miss Xiao, who’s just entering the world of medical poisons, who would brew something like this.”

“You’re lying. It was clearly you who sprinkled it on my face.”

Xiao Qingxue, gritting her teeth through the pain, continued to frame Xiao Qingcheng.

Nan Gongyu, standing nearby, narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening slightly.

“Actually, the poison powder itself wouldn’t have disfigured her. But just now, when you framed me, you accidentally touched the Toxic Wanderer Grass. This plant, once it comes into contact with any part of the skin, releases tiny spines that pierce the flesh and spread the toxin through the bloodstream. Combined with certain herbs in your poison powder, it will disfigure your face within fifteen minutes.”

As Xiao Qingcheng spoke, a smile curled at the corner of her lips.

Xiao Qingxue, leaning against Nan Gongyu, glared at her with hatred, wishing she could stab this wretched woman into a honeycomb with a sword.

“Oh? Miss Qingcheng, don’t speak nonsense. Otherwise… the consequences will be more than you can bear,” Nan Gongyu warned, his eyes narrowed and his mood already sour.

Xiao Qingcheng raised an eyebrow: “Don’t believe me? Then press on her Baihui, Zanzhu, and Shenting acupoints.”

“Ah! Ah! Aaaaaaaaaaaah!”

As soon as Nan Gongyu pressed the points, Xiao Qingxue convulsed in agony.

Xiao Zhenzhen, perched on Xiao Qingcheng’s shoulder, was laughing so hard she was rolling around.

“Hahaha, this is hilarious! These two fools!”

Xiao Qingcheng reached out and gently patted Xiao Zhenzhen’s head before continuing to Nan Gongyu: “Pressing these points normally wouldn’t cause pain. Don’t believe me? Try it on yourself.”

Nan Gongyu pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, then softened his tone: “Miss Qingcheng, could you please help Qingxue with the antidote?”

Xiao Qingcheng was taken aback for a moment.

“This Nan Gongyu is truly shameless!”

“Master, are you going to help her?” Xiao Zhenzhen asked telepathically.

“No, I won’t. I just want to extort them,” Xiao Qingcheng replied.

“Miss Qingcheng, it’s not impossible for me to help. But I want a reward of one hundred thousand taels of gold. Otherwise… forget it,” she said.

“One hundred thousand taels! Are you planning to rob someone?” Xiao Qingxue, hiding in Nan Gongyu’s arms, shouted in anger.

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If she hadn’t been so weak, she would have rushed over and killed Xiao Qingcheng on the spot.

Even Nan Gongyu’s expression was quite unpleasant.

“Miss Qingcheng, you’re really asking for too much,” he said.

Xiao Qingcheng shook her head, her finger raised like a piece of jade: “No, no, no! I didn’t say the gold is for me. Since I’m saving the eldest miss of the Xiao family, let Xiao Qingxue and you write a contract together. Hand over the dowry of the third miss of the Xiao family to me for safekeeping, and I will give it to her when she comes of age. All you need to do is write the contract. Of course, you should also give me ten thousand taels of silver as a reward.”