Chapter 290: 290: An Arrow to the Throat!

Words : 1339 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

Chapter 290: Chapter 290: An Arrow to the Throat! Vermilion Bird looked at the whip tightly gripped in Zhan Lan’s hand, a whip specially selected by the Master, studded with dense, tiny spikes. The whip was already soaked with saltwater, and once it struck a person’s body, the flesh would burst open, causing an agonizing pain that penetrated to the bone. He still remembered the Master’s instructions before she left—to keep a close watch on Li Sui and not let her die. To make sure to torture her every day. For such a malicious woman, this was what she deserved. Vermilion Bird felt a pang of sympathy for Madam. For eighteen years, she, like the Master, had never received maternal love. Perhaps Madam was even more pitiable. Her mother had given all her love to another’s daughter, while at least when his Master’s mother was lucid, she loved the Master. At least she was there as the Master grew up. Even if that love was perverted, it was still better than Madam being deceived all these years. Calling Li Sui ‘mother’ for so many years, nursing a broken heart for so many years, only to find out in the end that her mother was a sham. Vermilion Bird watched as Zhan Lan lashed out at Li Sui again and again, and he felt a sense of satisfaction. Li Sui’s expression was twisted with agony as she pleaded, “Lan’er, after all, I raised you... only through great suffering can one become superior... If you must punish me, please grant me a quick death, okay? I was wrong, please forgive me...” After a few cold laughs, Zhan Lan lifted the bloodstained whip in her hand, its movement lifting her sleeve and hair with the wind. Her voice was devoid of warmth as she said, “Why should I forgive you? I am no saint; I don’t have such magnanimity!” When someone harms you, there are two thoughts behind it. One is, they bet you’ll never find out, and so they are safe. The second thought is that when she hurt you, it was after weighing the pros and cons, finding she could gain more from it; getting caught didn’t matter to her. Given the chance, she would not hesitate to hurt you again in the future. Therefore, never forgive someone who has hurt you! Even if they appear pitiful, like Li Sui, if she wasn’t tied up here, for the sake of Zhan Xuerou, she would undoubtedly hurt her again without hesitation. Li Sui, on her last breath, looked towards Zhan Lan, realizing she seemingly never really knew Zhan Lan or when exactly Zhan Lan had become like this. Zhan Lan’s hatred seemed to stem from more than just the switching of identities; there seemed to be deeper grievances. But why... Zhan Lan threw the bloodied whip to the ground and turned to Vermilion Bird, “Find someone to treat her wounds. Once she recovers, continue the punishment...” Vermilion Bird nodded, “Yes, Madam!” As a Hidden Guard for Mu Yan, there wasn’t a form of execution he hadn’t seen, but Madam’s method of healing someone to continue the beating was new to him. Yet, it sounded incredibly cathartic! “Zhan Lan, you might as well kill me...” Li Sui’s voice echoed in the dungeon, and as Zhan Lan glanced back at her, Li Sui saw the icy coldness in her gaze. Li Sui looked despondently at the whip marks on her body, realizing all this was because she had been too kind-hearted and not ruthless enough. If only she had known, she would have strangled Zhan Lan to death as a child and none of this would have happened. Zhan Lan’s method of torment was worse than a swift death. Alas, there were too many ‘if onlys’. Regret, pain, and endless punishment loomed like an unfathomably deep abyss, waiting for her... After arranging everything, Vermilion Bird followed Zhan Lan out. As the two rode past the long street in a carriage, Zhan Lan smelled something scorched in the air. She lifted the curtain and saw the Heavenly Person Building, now reduced to ruins. ... Standing not far from the Heavenly Person Building, Si Jun watched as the place he had managed for years was destroyed in an instant, his heart aching immensely. Si Jun trembled all over, clenching his fists in anger. After he returned to the Prince Wei Mansion, he immediately summoned Hei Yu. “Hei Yu, how many Death Guards did we lose this time?” Si Jun asked expressionlessly. Hei Yu nodded and responded, “Master, last night someone broke into the Heavenly Person Building and killed ten of our highly trained experts. By the time I arrived, the last one, with his dying breath, told me the assassin was a man wearing a silver mask.” “Then, he set fire to the Heavenly Person Building, and one of our secret training bases was also exposed. I have already quietly relocated it last night.” Si Jun’s expression was icy as he analyzed, unable to believe that someone had the audacity to break into the Heavenly Person Building alone. Hei Yu speculated, “Could it be someone from the Regent King’s or the Crown Prince’s side?” Si Jun’s eyes darkened as he inquired, “What weapon did they die from?” “Master, except for the last Death Guard who was killed with a dagger, the rest of the experts were shot with arrows. The person was steady, accurate, and ruthless, striking directly in the throat with a single arrow.” Si Jun analyzed calmly, “In Nanjin, the only person with such archery skills is Zhan Lan.” He immediately refuted himself saying, “However, Li Sui told me that Zhan Lan’s hand was injured. It takes considerable strength to shoot an arrow through the throat; it couldn’t be her.” “Then who could it be?” Both men fell into silence. “Hei Yu, halt all activities aimed against Zhan Lan; we need to act with extra caution lately,” Si Jun instructed. “Stay close to me at all times. I have a feeling that this person’s target is me.” “Yes, Master,” Hei Yu nodded in agreement. A Death Guard came to report, “Master, Miss Xuerou Zhan has arrived.” Si Jun’s stern expression softened as he said, “Let her in.” Miss Xuerou made her two maids wait for her in the tea hall while she entered Si Jun’s study. Upon seeing her, Si Jun was taken aback for a moment. Miss Xuerou looked dejected, her makeup was smeared, and there was blood on her forehead as if she had been hit. Si Jun stepped forward, steadied her staggering body, and said, “Rou’er, what happened to you? Who bullied you, tell me!” Xuerou threw herself into Si Jun’s arms and said, “Your Highness, I had an argument with my parents, can you take me in?” Upon hearing this, Si Jun’s brows furrowed as he said, “It’s not possible. You are an unmarried young lady; it’s definitely not appropriate for you to stay at my residence.” Xuerou looked at him in surprise, “Why, aren’t we going to get married?” Si Jun held Miss Xuerou’s hand and said, “For your reputation, if this gets out, what will you do?” Already frustrated about the Heavenly Person Building incident, if Xuerou estranged from her parents, how could he use the Zhan Family to his advantage? So he spoke softly, tenderly persuading her, “Rou’er, you are the best. I’ll have someone treat your wound, and later, I’ll send you back.” Tears streamed down Xuerou’s face as she said, “Your Highness, they won’t find your place, don’t worry.” Si Jun looked at her in surprise, wondering what she meant by that. Suddenly she had an idea, and while crying, she said, “They have been deceived by Zhan Lan, who has been impersonating me, the legitimate daughter of the General Mansion. Now, I have nowhere to go...”

Chapter 290: 290: An Arrow to the Throat!

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