I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 377 A Guest Arrives

"I don't care how much brotherly affection the Emperor has for Prince Rui; I want Prince Rui to live, no matter what means are involved."

"Yes." Ping Xuan nodded, then, remembering the two others who were also being troubled while imprisoned on Thousand-Foot Cliff, he asked, "What should be done with Jiang Zhou and Zhang Qian?"

"Hmm..." Yin Lanci twirled a strand of hair between his fingers, tilted his head and smiled, "If they don't obey, I'll kill them."

"But Prince Rui..."

"Ok?"

"Disciple understands."

Being lively and energetic is living, and being barely breathing is also living.

Pingxuan brought out another jade cup and poured wine for Yin Lanci.

The melodious sound of the zither filled the room. Yin Lanci nestled softly into his arms, her fingertips gently parting his clothes and roaming freely over his bare chest, as if caressing a fine piece of jade.

Pingxuan was so aroused by her teasing that she couldn't breathe properly, but because of the kick she had just received, she dared not be presumptuous again, and she didn't even dare to tighten her grip on her.

"Have Zilu go and pick up your younger brother. Judging by the days, they should be arriving soon. Is your younger brother as handsome as you?"

The beautiful woman in his arms spoke softly and gently, yet Ping Xuan's heart pounded with fear, partly because of Ping Yu and partly because of Zi Luo.

Yin Lanci always kept six medicine practitioners by his side, named Qingjiu, Chinian, Huangdeng, Baiou, Heife, and Zilu.

Zi Luo was Ji An, the one Yin Lan Ci disliked the most, and the only one who didn't want to be a medicine person and only thought about escaping all day long.

Yin Lanci was extremely annoyed, so she simply pulled out his tongue herself, disturbed his mind, and turned him into an obedient tool.

If the Nine-Eyed Gu hadn't been so detrimental to Yin Lanci, and she hadn't been so reluctant to waste it, a disobedient medicine person like Ji An would have been thrown into the poison pool on Thousand-Foot Cliff long ago as nourishment.

Pingxuan had actually lost contact with Zilu, but he dared not tell Yin Lanci, and secretly sent out Shadow Chasing Insects to search for her.

Although Yin Lanci disliked this medicine man, he found it somewhat convenient to use. If it were to disappear for no reason, he would surely be furious.

Thinking of the consequences of angering Yin Lanci, Pingxuan felt a chill run down his spine. He dared not show it on his face and echoed, "If he doesn't arrive today, he should arrive tomorrow. Master, I regret bringing my younger brother here."

His words were tinged with bitterness. He deliberately moved closer to Yin Lanci, as if trying to steal a kiss from the beauty's face, but instead he was slapped in the face, which made him turn his head away.

Half of his cheek instantly became red and swollen, the finger marks were horrifying, and even the corner of his lip was broken. It was clear that Yin Lanci had not held back at all.

But in just a moment, Pingxuan's face returned to normal.

He seemed to have forgotten that he had just been slapped, and smiled as he leaned in, his sweet voice whining, "Master, be gentle, it hurts."

Yin Lanci loved his appearance. She scratched his chin like she was playing with a pet. Seeing his face turn red, she couldn't help but get excited. Just as she was about to pull him to the bed to roll around, there was a knock on the tightly closed door.

"Master, we have a guest."

It was the voice of the second apprentice.

Yin Lanci loosened the folding cloth and gestured for Chi Nian to open the door.

Seeing that Yin Lanci was no longer paying attention to the matter of Zi Luo, Ping Xuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quietly wiped the damp sweat from his palms onto his thighs. For the first time, he felt that this second junior brother was not so annoying.

The door opened, and a young man, also dressed in white, led in a veiled woman. The young man's features were not as refined as Pingxuan's; his hair was slightly curly, his features were rugged, and his eyebrows and eyes were striking—a different kind of handsome.

“Master.” Zheng Qianqian respectfully bowed to Yin Lan and said, “I happened to run into Miss Huang on the street. Miss Huang heard that you were here and wanted to come and catch up with you. I thought that Miss Huang was not an outsider, so I brought her here.”

As he spoke, he glanced at Ping Xuan, who was standing next to Yin Lanci, and looked at his still flushed cheeks and the rouge on his lips. A hint of anger and mockery flashed in his eyes.

"Sister Lan, it's been a long time." Huang Ting stepped forward, curtsied to Yin Lan, and said, "I apologize for disturbing you so abruptly."

Yin Lanci glanced at her and saw that she was still wearing a veil and behaving in a very proper manner. He couldn't help but find her boring and waved for her to sit down.

Huang Ting was used to his lukewarm attitude. She placed the gift on the table and sat down sideways.

Yin Lanci leaned back lazily against Ping Xuan, her fingertips slowly gliding along his leg, completely ignoring the fact that Huang Ting was also in the room.

The two were so intimate that Huang Ting didn't know where to look. Her gaze wandered awkwardly around the room, and she stammered out the greetings she had prepared. Yin Lanci laughed so hard that his shoulders shook.

Ping Xuan casually put his arm around the person, but then noticed a sharp gaze. Looking up, he saw it was Zheng Qianqian.

The young man's eyes seemed to blaze with fury as he glared at this traitor who had betrayed his master and ancestors.

Pingxuan's lips curled slightly, his fingertips lingering intimately on the snow-white skin as he pulled the outer garment that had slipped off the person in his arms back onto his shoulder and carefully straightened it.

Zheng Qianqian: !!!

What a shameless bastard!

If looks could kill, Pingxuan would have died a thousand or eight hundred times over.

Hearing Yin Lanci's unrestrained laughter, Huang Ting was both annoyed and embarrassed. Her face under the veil turned red. She wanted to get up and leave, but when she thought of the purpose of her visit, she had to give up the idea. She sat stiffly on the stool, waiting for Yin Lanci to finish laughing.

"What brings you here, sister?" Yin Lanci finished laughing and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Considering how happy Huang Ting had made her, she was willing to give Huang Ting a chance.

Huang Ting was overjoyed, but looking at the room full of men, she hesitated and remained silent, clutching her handkerchief.

“My sister is still so easily embarrassed.” Yin Lanci got up from Ping Xuan and poured Huang Ting a glass of wine. “Everyone, please go out. I want to talk to my sister alone.”

Everyone left, with Ping Xuan at the back. He turned around and closed the door, about to go and do the things Yin Lanci had asked him to do, when a cold snort suddenly came from behind him.

He turned his head and saw that it was indeed his good junior brother.

Zheng Qianqian raised an eyebrow, staring at his stained red lips: "Senior brother, with such good looks, and you've added rouge to your lips, don't let people mistake you for a maid and steal you when you go out."

"No need for you to worry, Junior Brother." Pingxuan raised his hand and touched the corner of his lips. "Even if I were robbed, Master would come to my rescue, unlike you, Junior Brother, who doesn't even have the chance to be robbed even if you want to."

"You!" Zheng Qianqian, stung by the attack, raised her hand and slapped him, cursing, "You vixen!"

He was originally the eldest brother, but Pingxuan came and squeezed him out, and became the master's darling. How could he be willing to accept that?
"You flatter me." Pingxuan was not ashamed but rather proud, dodging the palm strike and smiling slightly. "Who told Master to like this vixen like me?"

"Shameless! You wicked thing!" Zheng Qianqian was so angry that his eyes turned blue, completely forgetting that he had used a poisonous palm strike on Ping Xuan right outside Yin Lanci's door.

Ping Xuan neither dodged nor avoided the attack. Just a second before the palm strike landed on him, Zheng Qianqian suddenly clutched his chest and knelt down on the ground. The veins on his neck and forehead bulged, as if he was enduring some intense pain, and he could no longer utter a single word.

"Disciple thanks Master." Pingxuan bowed towards the door, grabbed Zheng Qianqian by the collar, and dragged him into the opposite room like a dead dog.

(End of this chapter)