Chapter 125: If You Want to Die, Just Say So

Ning Bai dropped to her knees with a heavy thud and began kowtowing violently against the floor, a bruise instantly forming on her forehead.

"It’s true! It’s the truth, Master! Ning Bai hasn't lied to you. I would never do something so absurd; you must believe your disciple!"

Huo Tianqing hooked her chin with the hilt of his sword, observing her tear-streaked face. Though she looked pitiful, like rain-drenched pear blossoms, not a shred of pity stirred in his heart.

"If you ever dare to touch her again, you will suffer a miserable death. Do you understand?"

Huo Tianqing’s voice was clear and elegant, like a mountain spring in a secluded valley, yet it struck terror into the depths of Ning Bai's heart. Why was that vixen able to capture her master’s attention so completely? Why? Why!

Unwilling to accept this, Ning Bai bit her lip and fell silent.

Xie Yingying approached in a white dress. Seeing Ning Bai kneeling on the ground, she couldn't help but laugh. This woman was truly foolish—to actually think of poisoning her own cup. She was nothing more than a textbook example of a disposable female villain.

As Xie Yingying drew near, Ning Bai’s eyes locked onto her with intense hatred. Xie Yingying originally hadn't intended to lower herself to the level of such a minor antagonist, but it seemed this woman was hell-bent on her own destruction. Since she was so eager to die, Xie Yingying decided she had no choice but to oblige.

Noticing Xie Yingying’s arrival, Huo Tianqing looked her over and asked in his serene voice, "Are you alright? Did she poison you?"

Xie Yingying nodded and looked down at the kneeling Ning Bai. Before she could speak, Ning Bai shrieked hysterically, "Master, you must believe me! I didn't poison her! She’s framing me; she intentionally found someone to slander me because she wants me driven off the mountain!"

Regardless of Ning Bai’s protests, Xie Yingying held the teacup in her hand—the very one that had been poisoned. She crouched down in front of Ning Bai and gripped her chin. "You say you didn't poison me?"

Ning Bai glanced at Huo Tianqing and nodded vigorously. "I didn't."

"Very well."

So, she was going to deny it to the end. Xie Yingying swirled the tea, which still gave off a fragrant aroma. Though her lips were unpainted, she smiled with a bewitching charm. "You say you didn't poison me, right? Then fine—if you drink this, I’ll believe you. How about that?"

Clad in purple, Ning Bai’s face turned deathly pale. Her voice trembled. "I… I don’t like tea."

Xie Yingying chuckled. "Is it that you don’t like it, or that you’re afraid to drink it? If you drink it, I’m sure Master will believe you."

Ning Bai stared at the cup, terrified, yet her pride kept her stubborn. "Who knows if you put poison in this cup yourself!"

Xie Yingying sneered at her. "What? Are you scared? Don’t worry, I haven't touched this cup; it’s exactly as I left it on the table earlier. If you didn't poison it, just drink it."

Huo Tianqing added from the side, "If you want me to believe you, then drink it."

Ning Bai shook her head violently. To drink it would be to seal her own fate. She crawled toward Huo Tianqing, clutching his pant leg and sobbing as she begged for mercy. "Master, please! Please, you must believe me! What if this woman poisoned it herself? She wants me dead!"

Huo Tianqing coldly kicked her away. Ning Bai tumbled across the floor like a ball, looking both wretched and ridiculous. As she wiped away her tears, she wondered why he despised her so much. What kind of sorcery did that little vixen use to charm him so thoroughly?

Xie Yingying continued to swirl the tea. "Well? Are you going to drink it or not? Master has already said: if you don’t, you are admitting that you poisoned me."

Ning Bai’s body shook, her purple robes stained with dirt, making her look utterly disheveled. She glared at Xie Yingying. "You vicious woman! What kind of poison did you feed the Master to make him trust you so much?"

Xie Yingying found a seat and sat down, crossing her legs. The intelligence level of this female villain was truly something else; it was no wonder she was destined to be nothing more than a supporting character. "Are you brainless? The Master has already stated that he placed secret guards outside my room. If there had been any movement, they would have reported it to him. Are you now suggesting that the Master's own guards are lying?"

Ning Bai pointed at her nose. "Who knows? Who knows if you didn't poison this yourself just to frame me!"

Xie Yingying sighed in frustration. "You truly are one who refuses to weep until you see the coffin, never giving up until you hit the Yellow River. Are you accusing the Master’s guards of lying?"

Ning Bai was left speechless. She was merely struggling in her final moments, hoping the Master might spare her life. She crawled back to Huo Tianqing, wailing in a tearful voice, "Master, please, I beg you! Please spare me!"

Huo Tianqing was beyond mercy now. He sneered, "I never imagined you were so vicious! I can no longer keep you here. Guards! Drag this woman away at once! And never let her set foot here again!"

Ning Bai had never been so terrified. The Master was her entire world! "Master, please! Please forgive your disciple! I promise I will never do anything so absurd again!"

Huo Tianqing was not a man who understood sympathy. To him, anyone who dared to harm Xie Yingying was beyond forgiveness.

Just as the guards stepped forward, Ning Bai looked at Xie Yingying with murderous intent. *Bitch! Die!* She drew her sword and lunged at Xie Yingying.

Xie Yingying reacted instantly, grabbing Ning Bai’s wrist. "Overestimating yourself." With a swift motion, she threw Ning Bai to the ground. Huo Tianqing walked over and delivered a harsh kick.

"How bold of you. It seems you are truly courting death!"

He slashed at her hand with his sword, and blood began to flow. Ning Bai shrieked in agony as the guards swarmed in, grabbed her, and began dragging her toward the mountain path.

As blood dripped from her hand, Ning Bai cried out, "Master, please don’t cast me out! Please! I know I was wrong! You can punish me however you like, just don't send me down the mountain!"

The person she loved most was her master, and now that he was casting her aside so heartlessly, her world was shattering. *It’s all Xie Yingying's fault! If it weren't for that bitch, I wouldn't be in this position!*

Her desperate cries gradually faded into the distance. Xie Yingying walked over to Huo Tianqing, who looked at her and said, "Rest assured, from now on, I will protect you."

Though she knew this master would eventually descend into madness, there was no denying that he was looking out for her. Xie Yingying smiled. "Thank you, Master."

Those words made Huo Tianqing pause; he seemed to relish being addressed that way. "Very well. Go and get some rest. I still have books to attend to."