After Li Ji appeared, many more people quickly emerged. They were all Li Ji’s trusted aides.

They surrounded Xiao Hong.

Now, Xiao Hong was completely trapped.

Xiao Hong ignored the excruciating pain in his arm, pressed his curved blade against Hua Manman’s neck, and snarled.

"If you dare take another step, I’ll spill her blood right here."

The moment he spoke, Li Ji’s gaze turned even more savage, his killing intent becoming almost tangible.

Yet, he didn’t take another step forward.

Since Prince Zhao didn’t move, his trusted aides naturally didn’t dare make a rash move either.

Seeing this, a vicious smile spread across Xiao Hong’s face.

"For Prince Zhao to risk his own life for a rescue... it seems you’re truly smitten with your Princess Consort. And to think I almost believed Princess Consort Zhao’s utter nonsense."

At this, he deliberately raised his voice, speaking to Prince Zhao in a malicious tone.

"Do you know what your Princess Consort told me about you? She said you prefer men and have absolutely no interest in women."

Hua Manman immediately shot back with a string of denials.

"I’m not! I didn’t! You’re talking nonsense!"

Xiao Hong gave her a sinister look. "If you had the guts to say it, you should have the guts to admit it."

Hua Manman replied without the slightest hesitation, "I have no guts, so I don’t dare to admit it."

Xiao Hong: "..."

’How can she be such a coward so naturally? There’s not even a trace of pretense.’

Hua Manman said righteously, "You can kill me, but you can’t slander me! My feelings for Prince Zhao are as clear as day!"

Xiao Hong gritted his teeth and barked, "Shut up!"

’I never should have let this woman open her mouth!’

Hua Manman looked aggrieved.

"You’re about to kill me. Can’t you at least let me say a few last words?

My final requests aren’t complicated.

Just burn some incense and joss paper for me during the Qingming Festival each year.

It would be even better if you could leave me some zongzi and mooncakes as offerings during the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Oh, and you can’t forget Laba porridge in the first month, and you’ll need to prepare a serving of dumplings for the Winter Solstice, too.

And if the weather gets too cold, I’d like a hot pot..."

Xiao Hong: "..."

Unable to stand it any longer, Xiao Hong cut her off.

"Say one more word and I’ll kill y—"

Before he could finish, Hua Manman’s hand shot out and seized his wrist!

At the same instant, Li Ji had already drawn his bowstring taut.

An arrow shot forth with a WHOOSH.

It struck Xiao Hong squarely in the throat!

The arrow pierced through his neck. His eyes flew wide as he collapsed to the ground with a thud, lifeless in an instant.

In the commotion, the edge of the blade lightly grazed Hua Manman’s neck.

Thankfully, the cut wasn’t deep, merely breaking the skin.

She collapsed onto the ground, clutching her chest and gasping for breath. "Heavens, that scared me to death! I was a hair’s breadth from kicking the bucket!"

The next moment, he pulled her to her feet and into a tight embrace.

Hua Manman quickly cried out, "Gently! I’m still injured, it hurts!"

Li Ji eased his grip slightly but didn’t let her go.

Just a moment ago, she had been so close to death.

The thought of her as a lifeless corpse made his chest tighten with fear, threatening to stop his breath.

He lowered his head, burying his face in the crook of her neck and inhaling deeply.

And then...

...he frowned. "How many days has it been since you last bathed? Why do you stink?"

Her reputation on the line, Hua Manman scrambled to defend herself.

"I bathe every day! I’m perfectly clean. It’s these clothes that are filthy." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

When she had gone to steal clothes, she was so focused on avoiding being seen that she hadn’t paid attention to what she was grabbing. It was only after she put them on that she realized they hadn’t been washed in days and carried a sour, musty odor.

By then, she had no time to find another outfit, so she had to make do.

Li Ji released her and silently took two steps to the side.

Even in the hazy night, Hua Manman could clearly feel the disdain radiating from that jerk of a man.

’Hmph! A jerk through and through. One moment he’s hugging me like he can’t bear to let go, and the next he’s disgusted by how I smell.’

’Then again,’

’I’m disgusted with myself, too!’

The next moment, a black cloak settled over her shoulders.

The cloak carried his distinct, cool scent.

Hua Manman looked up, stunned.

Li Ji tied the cloak’s laces for her and said in a low voice,

"Don’t just wear any random person’s clothes in the future."

"Oh," Hua Manman replied quietly.

’It’s not like I wanted to wear someone else’s clothes. The situation forced my hand; I had no choice.’

Li Ji asked her where she hurt.

Hua Manman took a moment to assess, then said earnestly,

"There isn’t a single part of me that doesn’t hurt."

Li Ji felt a pang of pity, yet he was also exasperated.

"If you’re in so much pain, how do you still have the energy to argue with me?"

Hua Manman sighed. "Arguing with you helps distract me. That way, I don’t feel the pain as much."

While they were talking, the trusted aides had already searched Xiao Hong’s body. They found quite a few odds and ends on him, including, to their surprise, a secret letter.

Li Ji took the letter from his aide and opened it.

It was a letter in Liu Ze’s own handwriting, addressed to Xiao Hong.

The letter was short, only a few sentences. In it, Liu Ze urged Xiao Hong to maintain absolute secrecy and ensure no one discovered their movements. He also instructed Xiao Hong to leave Great Zhou as quickly as possible after capturing Princess Consort Zhao.

A road guide was enclosed with the letter.

This was the road guide Liu Ze had prepared specifically for Xiao Hong and his men.

With this road guide, they could pass through any checkpoint within Great Zhou’s borders.

No wonder they had managed to sneak into Great Zhou undetected. It turned out a mole had been pulling strings for them.

Li Ji tucked the letter into his sleeve, his gaze falling to the corpse on the ground as he gave a cold command.

"Take his body down the mountain."

Hua Manman quickly added, "Si Yun and my aunt are still in the village! And there are many other West Liang people there, too."

"I knocked out all those West Liang people with poison, but unless they ate a large amount of the Xiangma Fruit, it isn’t fatal. At most, it will only keep them unconscious for a while."

’If they’re left to wake up on their own, they’ll definitely be a major problem later.’

’It would be better to take this chance to round them all up at once.’

And so, Li Ji decided to head into the village.

He crouched in front of Hua Manman, motioning for her to get on his back.

Hua Manman asked awkwardly,

"Weren’t you just disgusted by how ugly I am?"

Li Ji replied without turning his head, "A mother doesn’t mind her son’s ugliness, and a husband doesn’t mind his wife’s smell."

Hua Manman: "..."

’How infuriating!’

She draped her entire body over that jerk’s back, wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, and then gave his ear a hard bite.

As if he couldn’t feel the pain at all, Li Ji stood up with her on his back and began to walk forward with steady steps.

His trusted aides followed close behind.