[TCFO] Arc 3 — Chapter 119

The Vicious Princess Wants to Reverse Fate (13)

Zhou Min took a bold step forward and reached out her hand, saying, "Don't reject me, Shangguan Qi... You don't want to die in this lonely place with me, only to be discovered as mere skeletons a hundred years later, mistaken for a pair of foolish lovers who died for love, do you?"

Zhou Min's self-mockery suddenly caused Shangguan Qi to open his eyes, and his cold, fierce gaze fixed upon the woman standing before him, illuminated by the firelight. At such close proximity, he felt the bitterness beneath Zhou Min's self-deprecation for the first time.

Sensing Shangguan Qi's gaze, she met his cold, piercing eyes. Shangguan Qi furrowed his brows, and the dislike and disdain in his eyes caused Zhou Min's heart to ache a sharp and painful ache. She thought she no longer wanted to be involved with the male protagonist, but at this moment, Zhou Min realised she had underestimated her feelings for Shangguan Qi.

How could the emotions from her past life truly disappear without a trace?

Feeling uneasy under Shangguan Qi's gaze, Zhou Min avoided his eyes, fearing that she would crumble under his disapproving look. However, her left hand gently lifted his clothes, and she asked, "Do you have any wound medicine on you? I came out hurriedly and didn't bring anything except my sword!"

Shangguan Qi remained silent, slightly turning to the side. He took the corner of his clothes that Zhou Min was lightly holding in her hand and retrieved the last bottle of wound medicine from his garment. When Zhou Min was unprepared, he used a silver needle to seal her acupoints.

Zhou Min was shocked. She didn't expect that he already had the medicine and sealed off her internal energy. But she didn't anticipate he could still use a silver needle to seal her acupoints. If Shangguan Qi wanted to kill her, what could she do to save herself?

"After we leave the valley, I will kill you!" Shangguan Qi's words made the anxious Zhou Min suddenly grasp the key point that hadn't been online for a long time!

He said he would kill her after they left the valley!

So, she can survive now.

She couldn't bear to watch her host acting foolishly. Has her host's expectations become so low? Did she forget that she cannot die before fulfilling all the wishes of the supporting female character? Otherwise, the mission would fail. Even if she collected all the male protagonist's essence, it would be useless. 

Moreover, even if she completed all the missions, she still had to live until the commissioner died in her past life, or else the mission would be considered a failure!

Is this person completely out of her mind? So oblivious!

Shangguan Qi didn't pay attention to Zhou Min's inner thoughts. He kept his eyes fixed and removed the fiery red clothes from her body. The long strapless dress couldn't conceal the bloody wounds on her back. The wounds showed signs of tearing, as if a second injury had occurred after the initial one. He remembered her carrying him and finding the cave, and his thoughts became complicated.

As Shangguan Qi looked at the wounds on Zhou Min's back, his gaze grew dark. She must have been carrying him all the way, so the hidden weapon that had originally penetrated only halfway had now buried itself completely in her flesh, with the surrounding flesh and blood turned inside out, a gruesome sight to behold.

Looking at the person whose acupoints he had sealed, Shangguan Qi, for the first time, couldn't understand Zhou Min. How could she carry such severe injuries without uttering a word? Wasn't it painful?

Without saying anything more, Shangguan Qi took out a dagger from his boots and began treating Zhou Min's wounds. He carefully removed each hidden weapon buried in her flesh. Throughout the process, Zhou Min only felt the sensation of flesh being turned and something cutting, but there was no pain. Zhou Min knew that it was due to the medicine he gave her.

However, compared to Zhou Min's calm expression, Shangguan Qi was already sweaty.

Although Zhou Min's pain awareness had been numbed, her body still involuntarily followed Shangguan Qi's every step and reacted subconsciously. For example, Zhou Min's complexion had turned ghostly pale, and although her acupoints were sealed, her body still trembled involuntarily, covered in a cold sweat.

Sitting behind Zhou Min, diligently removing the hidden weapons, Shangguan Qi couldn't see her expression, but he could tell from her body's trembling and reactions that she had reached her limit!

If it were him before getting injured, he might have used the Plum Blossom Five Element Needle to alleviate her pain, but now it was impossible. His body simply couldn't support it. So he used the simplest needle technique to protect her heart meridian, but even that was his limit.

He could ignore her and let himself self-destruct, but that was under the assumption that he hadn't seen the wound on her wrist. If he had, although he couldn't be certain, he would investigate after leaving. If it were what he suspected, this intervention would be considered a balance. If it weren't, he would kill her!

When the last hidden weapon was removed, Shangguan Qi was already completely exhausted, and Zhou Min's eyes rolled back as she fell backwards, losing consciousness.

This was a reflex of her body. Although she hadn't felt any pain throughout the process, it was strange, like being anaesthetised from behind. But her body had reached its limit and couldn't sustain itself.

Looking at the person who had fainted in his arms, partially undressed, with fair and smooth skin that appeared even more beautiful against the blood-red clothes, Shangguan Qi's gaze remained completely unmoved.

Wasn't she beautiful?

No! She is beautiful, the kind of beauty that is vibrant and alluring without being vulgar. Her phoenix-like eyes are slightly slanted, although they are currently closed; he has always known that a sparkling pearl-like radiance inside them occasionally mesmerises anyone who gazes at her.

In the sunlight, she would smile, full of vitality and liveliness. Every frown and smile she made always carried a captivating charm that even she was unaware of, causing one's heart to involuntarily beat faster, hot enough to make people pause in their tracks. But looking at her now in his embrace, with her pale complexion, slightly furrowed eyebrows, and drenched in cold sweat, she unconsciously appeared fragile like a crystal doll. One careless move, and she might shatter into pieces.

Shangguan Qi looked at Zhou Min, feeling a complex mix of emotions. The girl who had once been proud and full of vitality at the Valley of Divine Physicians, whose every smile could leave people dazed, had become someone he no longer recognised for some reason.

Her eyes no longer held the same purity and brightness as before; he couldn't understand something in them.

What surprised him, even more was that she could mercilessly and ruthlessly slaughter the entire Valley of Divine Physicians without hesitation. Hundreds of lives were taken, including the little radishes who used to follow her. She was no longer the innocent and carefree princess he had known five years ago.

Thinking about the world's assessment of her—arrogant, indulgent, ruthless, heartless, capable of tearing apart lovers—his brows furrowed. He pushed her away, placed her in a corner, and applied wound medicine. Then he walked to the other side, not casting another glance at her.