Xiao Minghuang’s face froze for a moment, then a strange expression appeared on her face.
“So you’ve mistaken me for those demonic cultivators?” The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, her eyes showing a mix of slyness, amusement, and a bit of mischievous spirit.
“What terms do you want to discuss?” Xiao Minghuang lowered her voice, imitating a man’s tone.
Hearing this, the woman was clearly startled, thinking to herself: Why does the voice sound different? Did they switch people?
“Who are you? Where’s Chief Chen?”
Xiao Minghuang thought for a moment, figuring that the ‘Chief Chen’ the woman mentioned was probably the fat man from earlier, the ‘third brother’ she’d heard about from the demonic cultivators.
“I’m his big brother.
If you have something to say, talk to me directly.
No need to go through him.”
Upon hearing this, the woman considered: Chen the Demon cultivates that evil art of harvesting yin to replenish yang, so negotiating with him would be tough.
But the person in the room now might not have practiced that kind of evil art—this could be a chance!
“My family is in Beiyang City, and we have some wealth.
I’m willing to offer a thousand spirit stones and ten Shengyuan Pills to help the chief with his cultivation, and I’ll also tell you the whereabouts of that spiritual herb.
As long as you let me go home, my father will have everything ready!”
“A thousand spirit stones and ten Shengyuan Pills? That’s a huge amount of resources.
Even the royal family couldn’t just hand that over.
Who are you, that your life is worth so much?”
Mentioning her family, the woman said proudly, “My father is the City Lord of Beiyang City, ruler of the northern lands of Daxia.
Not to mention a thousand spirit stones—even two thousand wouldn’t be a problem.”
At this point, she paused, then continued:
“The chief has a Qi Refining cultivation, but has been branded a demonic cultivator, forced to hide and run, never able to sleep peacefully.
Even if you enjoy yourself today, what about tomorrow?”
“If you let me go home, my father will not only give you two thousand spirit stones and twenty Shengyuan Pills, but will also invite you to become a Beiyang City honored guest.
You’ll be part of the Daxia court, which is far better than being a fugitive bandit!”
“Everything I’ve said is for the chief’s ears.
As for people like Chief Chen, their minds are corrupted by evil, beyond saving.
You mustn’t stoop to their level or associate with such scum!”
The woman spoke at length, and perhaps because she hadn’t eaten for days, even with her Body Tempering seventh-level cultivation, she still felt a bit tired.
Her rosy lips panted for breath, her low voice echoing in the room.
“Hearing all that, I’m almost tempted.”
Hearing this, the woman’s heart leapt with hope, and she quickly tried to press her advantage, flattering him:
“The chief is wise and righteous, a pillar of Daxia.
Today you’re a hidden dragon, but one day you’ll soar to the heavens!”
“But what if I just make things official right now and become the City Lord of Beiyang’s son-in-law? Wouldn’t that be even better?”
At these words, the woman’s face went pale.
She hadn’t expected that after all she’d said, it would have no effect at all.
But even facing a desperate situation, she wouldn’t just give up.
She had to fight for every chance and try to turn things around.
If soft tactics didn’t work, she’d try hard ones.
“So the chief is saying you don’t care about Beiyang City’s reputation?” Her voice turned cold and calm.
“I hold the knife, you’re the fish.
What’s Beiyang City to me?!”
Suddenly, a Qi Refining fourth-level aura spread out, filling the whole room.
Sensing this powerful aura, the woman’s face darkened.
It seemed her efforts had failed.
Even bringing up Beiyang City’s name was useless.
What now?
But just then, she suddenly remembered something from long ago.
She vaguely recalled that when she was a child, her grandfather had arranged a marriage for her.
“If Beiyang City’s reputation doesn’t work, what about the Daxia royal family?”
“I’m the fiancée of the current Emperor Xia’s ninth daughter.
If you dare lay a finger on me, the Ninth Princess will never let you go!”
“And this marriage was personally arranged by Emperor Xia.
If you touch me, you’re slapping the emperor in the face.
Emperor Xia is a peak Divine Sea cultivator and the ruler of a nation—how could he tolerate such an insult? When that happens, there’ll be nowhere in Daxia for you to hide!”
She blurted all this out in one breath, her mind unsettled.
This was her last chance—if she couldn’t seize it, she’d have to go down fighting.
She had a low-grade yellow-tier magic treasure, a pendant she’d worn since childhood, bound to her bloodline.
With a single thought, she could detonate it.
A low-grade yellow-tier magic treasure was extremely powerful—there were only a few in all of Daxia.
This one had been a token from Emperor Xia when the engagement was arranged.
At such close range, if she detonated it, even a chief with Qi Refining cultivation would die instantly!
“So, you and the Ninth Princess are pretty close, huh?”
Hearing this, the woman froze.
She hadn’t expected the chief to ask that.
In truth, she’d never even met the Ninth Princess, only heard her grandfather mention it when she was a child.
After the old Beiyang City Lord died, no one ever brought it up again.
But in this situation, she couldn’t show any weakness!
“That’s right!” she said proudly.
“The Ninth Princess and I swore an oath to each other, our bond is deep.
We promised to hold hands and grow old together—I’d marry no one but her.”
Then she added fiercely, “If you dare lay a finger on me, the Ninth Princess will have Emperor Xia cut you into a thousand pieces and grind you into meat paste!”
“Oh? Is that so? So you know her pretty well?”
“Of course! We’re completely honest with each other, closer than sisters.
I even know she has a mole the size of a sesame seed on her chest—how could I not know her?”
“Then do you know the Ninth Princess’s name?”
Crap!
At that, the woman’s breath caught and she clenched her fists unconsciously.
Her knowledge of the Ninth Princess was limited to knowing she existed and that she was female.
As for anything else, she knew nothing.
She didn’t even know her name.
After all, the so-called engagement was just a joke made by the elders at a banquet.
Besides, after her grandfather died—
Her father, the current Beiyang City Lord, had hidden injuries and was stuck at the peak of the Springwell Realm, unable to break through.
With such weak strength, he couldn’t possibly defend Beiyang City.
Emperor Xia had long wanted to bring their family back to the capital, but out of respect for the old city lord, he’d held off.
She knew all this well.
She also understood that Emperor Xia would never let the Ninth Princess marry into Beiyang City—that would be beneath her.
So everything she’d just told the chief was made up, just trying to scare him.
But now, she had no choice but to keep going.
She tried to recall—she vaguely remembered seeing the Ninth Princess’s name on an imperial edict.
“The Ninth Princess, of course, is called Xiao Ming…”
But she only remembered the first two characters, not the last one.
Just as she was about to make up a name—
A clear, melodious voice like a mountain spring suddenly rang out in the room, pronouncing a name with perfect clarity.
“Xiao Minghuang.”
