Chapter 54: Situ Lexuan

Twenty-first century?
Time travel? What does that mean?
As Hao Yaolian was pondering, she heard the woman's voice ring in her ear once more. This time, her tone was extraordinarily surprised yet exceptionally playful and cute: "Oh, how could I forget? How could I tell you my secret? Will you tell anyone?"
Hao Yaolian did not dare to shake her head because a sword was pressed against her neck! Terrified, she screamed, "No, I won't! I won't say a word! Please spare me, Your Excellency... I... wuwu wawa..."
It wasn't that she didn't want to finish her words; she simply couldn't speak anymore!
Hao Yaolian caught her own falling tongue in horror. Her tongue had been severed...
Because the woman's sword was so unimaginably fast, she hadn't felt any pain at all. It wasn't until a dozen seconds after her tongue was cut off that she felt that heart-piercing agony and bone-chilling terror, and she wailed incessantly.
Yet, she crashed heavily to the ground, completely unable to move. The tendons in her hands and feet had all been severed! Staring in terror at the woman standing before her and looking down upon her as if she were a mere ant, Hao Yaolian suddenly realized how terrifying this woman truly was.
Yun Qiange coiled her soft sword back around her waist, bent down to look at the woman lying on the ground, and cast a ruthless, merciless gaze like a soul-fetching Rakshasa from the dark night, laden with a biting chill: "I told you, whatever you inflicted upon me, you must repay a hundredfold. That was our agreement, wasn't it?"
"Make way, make way, everyone make way!!!" At that moment, a young girl riding a galloping horse came charging forward. Yun Qiange sidestepped to avoid her, and poor Hao Yaolian was trampled by the horse, finally drawing her last breath.
The young woman was dressed in pink, riding a furious horse. Her jet-black hair was tied into a ponytail with merely a pink ribbon. She wore an embroidered pink gauze tunic paired with a white pleated skirt. Her face was like peach blossoms, her lips like cherry blossoms, yet her brows carried a hint of heroic vigor. Complete with a pair of pink boots, she possessed an indescribable, dashing spirit. She pulled the horse to a halt at the entrance of the teahouse, glanced around, her thin lips pursed slightly with an air of arrogance. She let out a whistle, then shouted at the top of her lungs, "Dongfang Mingxuan!! Where are you?!"
"Lexuan, I'm here." A gentle, soft voice drifted from not far away. Sutu Lexuan beamed with joy and ran toward a large tree. Upon seeing Dongfang Mingxuan perched up in the branches, she scratched her head in confusion and asked, "What on earth are you doing climbing a tree for no reason?"
Dongfang Mingxuan's mouth twitched. Catching sight of Yun Qiange preparing to leave out of the corner of his eye, he hurriedly cried out, "If I jump down, will you catch me?"
Situ Lexuan nodded, her bright eyes shining with the unspoken words *you can trust me*. She generously held out both hands: "Alright, jump."
Elated, Dongfang Mingxuan leaped down, landing straight into Situ Lexuan's arms. Unexpectedly, Situ Lexuan abruptly let go, and poor Dongfang Mingxuan was once again dumped onto the ground, followed by the girl's heartless, carefree laughter: "Mingxuan, you're so silly. You only said I had to catch you; you never said I couldn't let go at the last second."
Dongfang Mingxuan's long eyelashes fluttered, his beautiful eyes seeming to mist over with tears. Biting his lip and ignoring Situ Lexuan's teasing, he scurried over to Yun Qiange, tugged gently at the hem of her skirt, and said cautiously, "Milady, thank you."
"Hmm." Initially, she hadn't done it to save him; she had simply been irritated and angry at someone touching her. Yun Qiange nodded indifferently and turned to leave, only to suddenly collapse after taking just a few steps.