Liujin had no idea who Qi Yuan was going to kill now—all he knew was, he’d seriously underestimated her horsemanship.
He knew she could ride, but he didn’t know she could fly!
Qi Yuan bent low, her entire body nearly pressed against the horse’s back, shooting forward like an arrow from a bow—so fast she left behind only a blur.
Heavens!
She might as well take the job of an imperial guard!
With an Imperial Grandson Consort like her, who needs bodyguards?
Qi Yuan alone was enough!
The wind was slapping Liujin’s face raw, but when he looked ahead…
Oh, wait—he couldn’t see ahead. Qi Yuan was already out of sight.
Too unfair!
He whipped his reins hard and shouted at his horse: “Come on, make me proud!”
Then muttered under his breath: “How in the world did Marquis Yongping teach Miss Qi to ride like this? If she’s this amazing, what about the cavalry he trained?”
Far away, Qi Zhen sneezed.
He had just ordered his soldiers to let the people search for their loved ones among the corpses. When he turned back, he realized his daughter was gone—and couldn’t help but be surprised.
At this moment, Xiao Jingzhao happened to walk over. He gave Qi Zhen a nod and said in a gentle tone: “Marquis, thank you for your hard work.”
“Not at all, not at all,” Qi Zhen sighed deeply. “Your Highness, it’s the common people who are suffering.”
He spoke from the heart.
After all, people are people.
Those in power must treat the people as human beings, only then will the people support them.
But this dynasty—how many generations had even passed since its founding?
And already someone had gone so far astray, committing atrocities.
Perfectly good people—some just three or four years old—had been lured or kidnapped, and fed to dogs.
It was too horrific. Too inhuman.
He pointed at the dog arena: “Your Highness, you are of royal blood, and you enjoy the fruits of their labor. Look at them—these are your people.”
Your Xiao family’s people!
Qi Zhen’s eyes were red with emotion.
Xiao Jingzhao’s eyes, too, were rimmed with tears—not out of weakness, but human instinct.
He drew in a cold breath and said, “Everything that happened today—I will report it word for word to Royal Grandfather. I will make sure these people get justice.”
To be fair, Xiao Jingzhao had handled everything today decisively and competently.
So Qi Zhen didn’t resent him—he simply clutched his chest with grief.
Zhou Wang stood silently nearby. His face was expressionless, but Qi Zhen’s words had pierced his heart.
Yes—why should he be afraid of Tian Bozhi reporting him to the Empress Dowager?
Was this some trivial matter that could be swept under the rug?
Even if it were the Empress Dowager—did that give her the right to disregard human life?
How would that be any different from the tyrants of history?
Never in the dynasty’s history had there been such a shocking atrocity.
He gave an order to his men: “Go help the elderly, women, and children. If anyone finds the remains of a loved one, help them gather the bones and record the names. I’ll make sure His Majesty sees it all.”
The guards responded immediately.
Qi Zhen turned to look for his daughter.
Meanwhile, Qi Yuan was galloping across the hills—and soon enough, she caught up to the Tian family’s convoy.
Tian Bozhi, filled with fury, was frantically whipping his horse, desperate to reach the capital as quickly as possible.
He wasn’t unaware of how serious the situation was.
But in his mind, Tian Baoci’s death had already paid the price.
This incident should be canceled out.
However, those who caused Tian Baoci’s death—the ones responsible—they needed to pay.
People like Xiao Jingzhao. And Qi Yuan.
He would throw Qi Yuan into the dog arena himself—let her be torn to pieces until not even her bones remained!
It was all her fault. She was the cursed star.
His mind was full of his son’s mangled body, his thoughts spiraling—until a loud crash suddenly snapped him out of it. He turned around in shock.
Because he’d taken a shortcut toward Desheng Gate, he had to pull hard to stop his horse, struggling to rein it in. Then he whipped his head around.
Just in time to see the driver topple to the ground.
And the carriage—with his son’s corpse still inside—was now heading up a nearby mountain!
…Someone had hijacked the carriage!
Tian Bozhi immediately reacted and shouted: “Are you all dead?! Go after it!”
The rest of his guards also recovered quickly. They turned their horses and rushed after the runaway carriage.
Liujin had taken a moment earlier to cover his face and was now trailing Qi Yuan, running while still wondering: Why steal someone’s son’s corpse?
But Qi Yuan clearly had no intention of explaining.
She drove the carriage faster and faster. When she reached halfway up the mountain, she suddenly drew her sword and sliced down a bamboo stalk beside the path.
Then another. And another.
One after another, bamboo poles crashed down. The horses of the pursuing guards couldn’t react in time and slammed into the obstacles. The horses staggered, and the guards tumbled off their backs.
The ones behind couldn’t stop in time and collided with the ones ahead, falling into a tangled heap.
Tian Bozhi was furious. He lashed out at several guards nearby, beating them with his whip. Then he yanked his reins and used his superior riding skills to leap over the fallen bamboo and charge forward.
Qi Yuan stopped when she reached a wide, open plateau. She leapt down coldly and waited for him.
Tian Bozhi caught up, his face full of murderous rage. He snarled through gritted teeth: “Qi Yuan?!”
He’d seen her once before—at Baiyun Temple when she had gone to pay respects to Liu Wangfei.
But he hadn’t taken her seriously then.
Who would have thought their next meeting would be like this?
Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow. “Indeed. Duke Chengen has a good memory.”
Tian Bozhi had no patience for small talk. His face darkened, eyes locked on her: “You caused my son’s death.”
“I didn’t kill your son,” Qi Yuan said flatly. “He brought it upon himself. Heaven took him for the evil he did.”
At those words, Tian Bozhi erupted in fury and spat, “Bullsh*t! You motherless little b*tch! If it weren’t for you, my son wouldn’t have died! None of this would’ve happened!”
Some people really never learn.
Qi Yuan’s expression didn’t change. She suddenly let out a light laugh: “I told you long ago—do things with a brain, live life with a conscience. Too bad you have neither.”
Her voice turned cold.
“That’s why… you won’t even have your son’s bones.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she unhitched the carriage and kicked the wheel hard.
The carriage plunged off the cliff.
