The moment they saw the explosives, Xie Ying, Babao, Liujin, and the others were all startled.
Especially Han Ding.
He had personally witnessed the terrifying power of the firearms used by the Three Great Military Camps.
If those explosives were ignited, no one in this room would survive.
No matter how capable Miss Qi was, she was still flesh and blood.
She couldn’t possibly have transcended mortality and remain unharmed after being blown up by explosives.
Everyone immediately cried out: “Stop! Stop!”
Qi Yuan naturally saw the explosives in their hands as well. She sneered and instantly leaped down from the roof beam. Landing heavily on Liu Jiajun’s chest, she looked lightly at the others and smiled. “I know who you people are. You’re the Crown Prince’s men, aren’t you?”
The moment those words were spoken, everyone’s expressions changed.
Even the man holding the explosives turned pale. His hands began trembling. Yet he still shouted instinctively: “What nonsense are you talking about?! You d*mned woman! I just don’t like you! It has nothing to do with anyone else!”
“Really?” Qi Yuan smiled faintly. “But the explosives you’re holding were recently developed by the Ministry of Works. I’ve heard they’re called Kaleidoscopes. Ordinary fireworks are launched into the sky for people to admire. But these ‘Kaleidoscopes’ can spray deadly projectiles across the ground. Such a useful thing isn’t something ordinary people can get their hands on.”
She spoke casually. Liu Jiajun, lying on the floor, immediately shouted: “Don’t listen to her nonsense! Light the explosives now!”
Let’s all die together!
He had heard of this woman. She was exceptionally skilled at manipulating people’s hearts. She couldn’t be allowed to find any weakness. Nor could she be allowed to obtain any leverage.
The others looked uncertain and nervously swallowed.
Qi Yuan merely chuckled. “You’ve all heard of Zhao Xing, haven’t you? I heard he died quite miserably. The Imperial Guard stripped off his entire skin in prison. They even hung it up at the Earth God Temple. The Emperor personally ordered the common people to come and look at it.”
Zhao Xing!
Of course they knew him.
He had been one of the lower-ranking leaders among their secret agents.
The expressions on everyone’s faces immediately changed.
Cold sweat covered Liu Jiajun’s forehead.
This woman was truly terrifying at sowing doubt and manipulating emotions.
No one knew how she had developed such a tongue.
Immediately he roared: “I told you to light the explosives! Are you all deaf?!”
“Go ahead, light them.” Qi Yuan remained completely calm. “Other than getting everyone killed, what good will it do? Perhaps you don’t know, but I’ve already sent a letter in advance to Commander Lai Chenglong of the Imperial Guard. If anything happens to me in Jinling, they’ll definitely investigate the Liu family.”
Liu Jiajun nearly collapsed.
Even he began doubting reality. “Why would they investigate our Liu family?!”
Qi Yuan had only just arrived in Jinling. She hadn’t even done anything yet.
The Liu family hadn’t even shown themselves before this.
Why would anyone target them?
And sending a letter to Lai Chenglong beforehand?
That was sheer madness!
Qi Yuan clicked her tongue. “Wen Mingfeng was born and raised in Jinling. And he’s someone supported by the Crown Prince. Wouldn’t I naturally investigate who he associates with and which families he has dealings with before coming here?”
She spoke as though it were perfectly obvious. There was even a trace of amusement in her voice. “Lord Liu. Killing me would be easy. But if you kill me, the Crown Prince will be in serious trouble.”
Then she smiled at the man holding the explosives. “Go ahead. Let’s all die together. Everyone present will have their nine clans exterminated. Even your ancestors’ coffins will be dug out of their graves. That should be quite entertaining to watch.”
Entertaining my foot!
This woman was a devil!
No,
She was even more terrifying than a devil!
This woman…
Liu Jiajun’s throat burned with pain.
Biting his lip hard, he stared at her and asked hoarsely: “What exactly do you want?!”
Xie Ying had finally learned his lesson.
He felt ashamed that he had once been attracted to her.
A woman like this should be paired with Xiao Yunting, the man who, at three years old, could spend an entire night alone in a ravine on Dragon Tiger Mountain.
A monster belonged with another monster.
That was the perfect match.
As for ordinary people like himself…
They should stick to liking ordinary people.
Qi Yuan yawned.
Lazily, she asked: “Well? Are you going to blow us up or not?”
No one moved. Everyone seemed frozen in place. Their faces were filled with confusion and unease as they looked back and forth between Qi Yuan and Liu Jiajun.
Liu Jiajun himself looked equally terrified and stunned.
But he no longer shouted about dying together.
Because he couldn’t afford that gamble.
If they blew up Qi Yuan and it still implicated the Crown Prince, what would be the point?
His family, and the families of all his brothers, would still have their nine clans exterminated.
Would such a death really be worth it?
He swallowed hard and stared at Qi Yuan.
Qi Yuan laughed softly. “So it seems you’re not going to blow us up. Liujin.”
“Yes, Miss.” Liujin immediately stepped forward and snatched the explosives from the man’s hands without hesitation.
The man looked furious and deeply aggrieved but in the end, he did not resist.
Babao’s grin nearly reached his ears.
Look at these fools. Trying to compete with Miss Qi!
Did they really think they were somebody important?
Trying to pull off an assassination?
Tsk, tsk. They should count themselves lucky that Miss Qi hadn’t gone out in the middle of the night to assassinate them instead.
And yet they actually dared to come to her door.
Did they have several extra heads attached to their shoulders?
Qi Yuan slowly stood up. She picked up Liu Jiajun’s nine-section whip and swung it around a few times. It was rather interesting.
But only for a moment. Then she coldly asked: “Where is Wei Yiniang from the Wen family?”
Wei Yiniang.
Wen Mingfeng’s biological mother.
According to previous information, she had been forced by the Wen family into a temple.
But now it was obvious that she could not possibly still be there.
Liu Jiajun stared at Qi Yuan in disbelief.
Had Qi Yuan gone insane?
They were enemies.
Mortal enemies.
Just moments ago, they had been trying to blow her to pieces.
And now she was asking them where Wen Mingfeng’s mother was.
How was that any different from asking them to betray the Crown Prince?
Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow and looked down at him in confusion. “Do you still not understand the situation? You can’t blow us up anymore. But now we have your explosives. We could simply use them to blow up the Jinling Prefecture Office. Oh right. The Prefect is your biological uncle, isn’t he?”
She smiled gently. Yet the words she spoke were enough to send chills down anyone’s spine.
Then she calmly continued: “If the Jinling Prefecture Office is blown apart by a large cache of explosives, where exactly did those explosives come from? The City Inspector and Administrative Commissioner would certainly investigate thoroughly. When the investigation leads back to you, Lord Liu… How exactly are you planning to explain yourself?”
“Monster!” Unable to endure it any longer, Liu Jiajun was so furious that he felt smoke might erupt from all seven orifices. “You’re a monster! You, You…”
Qi Yuan suddenly stomped heavily on his abdomen.
Then her expression darkened. Killing intent flashed in her eyes. “Have I been smiling too much? Did that make you think I was negotiating with you? Do you still not understand? Right now, I am the person who decides whether every member of your families lives or dies. You’d better make that very clear to yourself.”
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