Shuang’er was deeply moved. She never expected that her lady would truly keep her word, pulling her along at the first sign of escape. Nearby, Nanli finally revealed her presence. She noticed the Teleportation Talisman in Xue Shengnan’s hand, her gaze turning icy as she inwardly marveled.
Xue Shengnan was indeed extraordinarily gifted. Despite having no master to guide her, she had managed to create a Teleportation Talisman! Unfortunately for her, today she encountered Nanli! While others needed to recite an incantation to use a Teleportation Talisman, Nanli did not!
Xue Shengnan remained calm under pressure, having recited the incantation to the final word. But it was in vain. Nanli appeared in front of her like a ghost, her fingers lightly flicking. The Teleportation Talisman was split in half, with one part fluttering to the ground.
"Lady Xue, I’ve waited so long for you. Can’t you delay your departure just a bit?" Nanli’s eyes were as cold as her tone.
Xue Shengnan’s pupils contracted as she looked at the other half of the Teleportation Talisman. The talisman was now useless! She had thought that returning to the Xue mansion, the Ninth Princess would not have expected it, but it turned out she had been waiting there all along.
What should she do? For the first ti, Xue Shengnan felt fear. If she fell into the Ninth Princess’s hands, she knew she wouldn’t escape with her life. Cheng Wei would not save her; instead, he would kill her to cover up any evidence.
In a mont, countless thoughts flashed through Xue Shengnan’s mind. However, the usually timid and weak Shuang’er unexpectedly rushed forward at that mont, throwing herself at Nanli.
"Miss, run!"
Shuang’er knew that her mistress still had other Teleportation Talismans. Xue Shengnan was stunned, feeling a pang in her heart. But the opportunity was fleeting--she couldn’t let Shuang’er’s sacrifice go to waste! She quickly pulled out another talisman and began reciting the incantation.
Nanli, though montarily entangled by Shuang’er, was still able to cast her own spell. She used another Aqua Talisman, but this ti it wasn’t a small-scale one--instead, it caused a torrential downpour over the entire Xue mansion. As soon as Xue Shengnan held the Teleportation Talisman, it was drenched by the rain.
Her skill was not deep enough; the cinnabar ink used in the talisman began to sar. No matter how many tis she recited the incantation, the talisman was now useless.
At this mont, Xue Shengnan was soaked, her hair disheveled by the downpour. She looked up to see that after pushing Shuang’er aside, Nanli was still able to use a Body-Freezing Talisman in the rain.
"How can your talismans not dissolve in water? What kind of cinnabar did you use?!"
Nanli raised her eyes and said, "It has nothing to do with the type of cinnabar. I’ve suffered setbacks before, so I created Waterproof Talismans."
Xue Shengnan was montarily stunned, then let go, allowing the now useless Teleportation Talisman to fall to the ground and blend with the mud. She laughed bitterly, her voice filled with sorrow and resignation.
"Ha! I thought I could compete with you, but I never realized your skill in the mystic arts was so unparalleled. The idea of challenging you was nothing but a fool’s dream, utterly delusional!"
"You wretch!" Lord Xue, his arm still in excruciating pain from the burn, now seized the mont to act. Seeing that Xue Shengnan could no longer use her talismans, he grew bold again. He cursed as he charged toward her, intending to knock her down and beat her senseless to vent his anger.
Nanli glanced at him, noticing his blackened forehead and the clear signs of death. Tsk, his fate was sealed.
Indeed, just as Lord Xue reached Xue Shengnan, raising his hand to strike her down, she suddenly stepped forward, clutching a glimring object, and drove it fiercely into his chest. Lord Xue’s eyes widened as he looked down, realizing that she held a hairpin. But how could she, with such little strength, manage to stab the hairpin so deeply into his chest, instantly draining him of all his energy, leaving him no chance to resist?
"Father, I despise you most of all," Xue Shengnan’s gaze was icy and filled with hatred. "You gave life but never once cared for , only ever seeing as a commodity to be sold." She pulled out the hairpin, and Lord Xue collapsed to the ground.
The rain had stopped, and her expression was eerily calm. The Xue family mbers were all in shock. It was one thing to summon a vengeful ghost to kill her father, but to personally murder him was sothing else entirely. Lady Xue and Xue Yan’er, who had been cursing her monts before, were now utterly silent, not daring to utter a word.
Nanli glanced at Lord Xue’s body, noticing that his soul was dissipating within. She then focused on the hairpin in Xue Shengnan’s hand. "Did you place a soul-destroying curse on that hairpin?"
Xue Shengnan smiled faintly, raising the hairpin for Nanli to see more clearly. Under the bright moonlight, the hairpin glinted with a cold, ominous light.
"Yes, Ninth Princess. How do you think my curse technique asures up?"
Nanli responded truthfully, "Quite impressive."
Xue Shengnan’s smile faded as she slowly caressed the hairpin with her left hand. "I’m actually very smart. I learned everything quickly as a child, but I never dared to show it. If I ever outshone Xue Yan’er, I wouldn’t get a full al for a month."
Lady Xue gulped, terrified, as she quickly hid behind a pillar. Xue Shengnan saw her stepmother’s reaction and smirked slightly, then turned her gaze back to Nanli.
"I’ve always been cautious, only seeking peace. But after eting your brother, I no longer wanted to live such a miserable life. Today, my defeat is certain, and I know I won’t escape death. But could I see your brother one last ti?"
Nanli rolled her eyes at her. "You plotted against my sister-in-law, intending to replace her. My brother regrets ever saving you, regrets giving you clothes to cover your sha. You’ve repaid his kindness with malice, harming the person he loves most. Do you think he would want to see you?"
Xue Shengnan’s mind spun, her heart wrenching in pain. "But all I ever wanted was to stand by his side."
She thought that if she could be like the Ninth Princess--respected and admired by all--Chu Ye would notice her. But now... she had lost that chance.
"And did you ever ask if my brother was willing?" Nanli’s voice was cold. "Forcing soone will only breed resentnt and hatred."
Xue Shengnan murmured, "He loathes , he resents , he hates ..."
She knew she wouldn’t survive this. She also didn’t want a next life. Closing her eyes, she raised the hairpin to her neck, intending to end it all.
"Shengnan!" Third Lord Xue tried to rush forward and snatch the hairpin from her hand. Why go to such lengths? Why destroy her own soul?
But Nanli, her expression cold, held him back. "For the cris she has committed, how can her soul not be destroyed?"
Xue Shengnan had resolved to die. She knew well that falling into Nanli’s hands would not end well for her. She had endured enough of a miserable life, so now she would choose to end it on her own terms. Without hesitation, she drew the hairpin across her neck, leaving a deep cut.
This hairpin, imbued with a soul-destroying curse, would begin to extinguish her soul with just the slightest wound. As her soul slowly dissipated, she could still hear Shuang’er screaming, "Miss! Miss! Don’t leave !"
But then, images flashed through Xue Shengnan’s mind. First, she saw a woman in red slaughtering all around her, only to be trapped by a golden array in the end. The scene shifted. She was dressed in luxurious clothing, with an air of arrogance about her as she announced, "My father has dismbered the witch and shattered her inner core. All you need to do is take the glass jar back to your own celestial mountain’s spirit tree, and the tree will not wither, continuing to provide spiritual energy."
Xue Shengnan’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at Nanli in her final monts. "It was you? You ca to seek revenge on !"
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