CHAPTER 563: CHAPTER 562: SHE HUGGED THE BROCADE BOX, TREMBLING ALL OVER

"Where’s the maid who was sending the meal?" Yan Wanqing asked with a chill in her voice.

Cong Ge pointed toward the entrance, "Miss, hurry and pursue her; it’s not too late. She just left a short while ago."

As soon as the words fell, Yan Wanqing shot out like an arrow released from a bow.

Just as she exited the door, she saw a palace maid dressed in pale pink court attire turning the corner.

"Stop!"

Upon hearing a voice behind her, the palace maid immediately quickened her pace, but she was no match for Yan Wanqing, who caught up in no time and pinned her against a tree by her shoulder blade.

"Why are you running?" Yan Wanqing’s eyes shimmered with a cold light, her voice low and husky: "Could it be that you’ve done something guilty?"

"Your Highness, spare my life, spare my life!" The maid’s face was pale, hands pressed together in prayer as she begged for mercy from Yan Wanqing, tears welling up in her eyes.

From her reaction, it was clear that she knew what was in the box.

"Speak, who told you to bring this meal box over?" Yan Wanqing showed no mercy, squeezing the maid’s shoulder with such force it seemed her bones might break. Immediately, the maid spilled everything.

"It was given to me by Sir Ming Quan; truly, it has nothing to do with me!"

The maid told everything she knew in great detail. Poor girl, she was but a lowly errand maid and didn’t even know where Yan Jing was detained; she had only craved the meal in the meal box and thus by sheer mistake witnessed the severed finger inside the box!

"Where is Ming Quan?" Yan Wanqing asked directly, narrowing her eyes.

The maid immediately pointed in a direction: "Reporting to Your Highness, Sir Ming Quan is in that gray tent."

In the misty light rain, everything was enveloped in a haze, making it impossible to discern which was the gray tent.

Yan Wanqing’s patience had run out; she pushed the maid forward: "You lead the way."

When the maid brought her to Ming Quan’s tent, Yan Wanqing looked around and squinted her attractive peach blossom eyes slightly, "This area is quite open." If someone were to shoot a cold arrow or something, wouldn’t Ming Quan have no cover at all?

While she was pondering this.

Footsteps came from inside the tent, and soon after, a pageboy-dressed young boy respectfully bowed to Yan Wanqing: "Your Highness, Sir Ming Quan invites you inside for a talk."

The maid who had led the way had long since fled.

All of this was a ruse; Ming Quan had come prepared, deliberately luring her here.

Yan Wanqing curled her red lips into a hint of a cold smile, "Good, very good." She stepped forward to walk inside.

In the corner of her eye, she saw Cong Ge under a nearby tree, her eyes filled with concern.

She gave Cong Ge a reassuring look and then entered the tent without hesitation.

She wanted to see just what game Ming Quan was really playing.

Upon entering the tent, a warm fragrance mixed with charcoal fire immediately assailed her; Yan Wanqing sniffed twice and couldn’t help but roll her eyes internally.

This body of hers, after being conditioned by both the Sixth Princess and Song Huaxu, was immune to all poisons, and these common low-grade hypnotic fragrances had no effect on her.

Ming Quan’s methods were indeed unsophisticated.

"Where’s Yan Jing?" She stared at the young man in front of her, pressing him for an answer.

Ming Quan set down his wolf hair brush; the ink on the rice paper had not yet dried, leaving a watery texture that shimmered with a transparent and bewitching luster in the flickering candlelight.

He picked up the rice paper in front of him and shook it in the air.

Lit by the candlelight, Yan Wanqing saw that Ming Quan had written the character "Quiet."

"Yan Wanqing, oh Yan Wanqing, you’re a woman after all. Upon entering, you shout and yell; don’t you know the meaning of silence and propriety?"

Ming Quan was as unpleasant as ever, his words attacking her.

Yan Wanqing rolled her eyes directly in front of him.

She was short on patience and snatched the sword from a soldier inside the tent. The scabbard clattered to the floor, and she pointed a sword, gleaming with cold light, straight at Ming Quan sitting at the table.

"Protect the Think Tank!" The other soldiers inside the tent vigilantly picked up their weapons, watching Yan Wanqing.

She paid them no heed.

"I ask you once more, where is my uncle in Yan Jing now."

If she made a move, not a single person present would be her match.

Ming Quan sipped his tea unconcernedly, "Why must you always speak of fighting and killing, losing the elegance befitting the Township Manor? Looking at you now, who would associate you with the once world-renowned Commandery Princess Anping."

"None of your damn business." No sooner had their conversation turned sour than Yan Wanqing’s sword pierced straight towards Ming Quan.

Since Xiao Pingfeng had used her uncle’s finger as a warning to her, she would return the favor with the head of his Think Tank!

Just as her long sword was about to hook onto Ming Quan’s neck, he did not show the slightest panic. Then, a black figure burst out from the side of the tent, their sharp blade lifting Yan Wanqing’s long sword and forcing her to take a large step back.

"Someone from the eighteenth level of hell," she said, seeing Ghost Shadow step forward.

Yan Wanqing’s expression grew even worse, "Xiao Pingfeng actually gave you command over the forces of hell."

This was a clear sign she was prepared for a complete break.

Ming Quan put down his teacup, with a leisurely smile, "Yan Wanqing, be sensible and drop your weapon. It won’t look good if a young lady like you gets hurt and scars later."

"A mere Ghost Shadow, what can you do to me?!" scoffed Yan Wanqing, gripping her long sword tightly, "If you won’t speak, I’ll send both your head and Ghost Shadow’s to Xiao Pingfeng!"

"A head?" Ming Quan laughed heartily, as if he had heard something outrageous.

"So, you came here for this matter. And here I thought it was something serious," Ming Quan clapped his hands, barely containing his hysteria. A Ghost Shadow came forward holding a Brocade Box.

The size of the box made Yan Wanqing’s heart skip a beat.

At the same time, her long sword let out a resonant cry.

"There was a downpour last night, and some Angel Envoys attempted to escape, only to be caught and brought back by the Ghost Shadows serving directly under His Majesty. These shadows are quite ruthless; the escapees were barely alive when they returned," Ming Quan lamented, "I didn’t even get a chance to interrogate them before they died. It’s a pity, they seemed rather durable, yet they perished just like that."

Yan Wanqing stared fiercely at the Brocade Box, the corners of her eyes turning blood-red.

She did not know how she managed to walk over to it.

A thick scent of blood emanated from within the box as she raised her left hand, only to realize her fingertips were trembling.

Just as her fingertips were about to touch the lid of the Brocade Box, she hesitated again.

Seeing this, Ming Quan gave Ghost Shadow a look.

Ghost Shadow immediately opened the box.

The smell of blood assaulted her, and upon seeing the contents of the Brocade Box, Yan Wanqing’s pupils shrank in shock!

"...Uncle, uncle..."

After three years, Yan Jing had grown some hair and now had it tied in a ponytail at the back of his head. His heterochromatic eyes, one black, one purple, which usually twinkled brightly, were now dull and lifeless. Yan Wanqing remembered Zhang Lanyi, while she was alive, telling her how her uncle had such beautiful eyes. Every time he looked at her, she wished she could lay the world’s finest treasures before him... But from this day on, Yan Wanqing would no longer see the light in those heterochromatic eyes.

"Uncle..." She called again, the long sword falling from her hand to the ground. She took the Brocade Box into her arms, her heart feeling as though it was being mercilessly squeezed, ready to burst at any second.

This was her father’s only remaining brother...

Yan Wanqing did not know how she would have the face to meet her father and uncle in the afterlife if something happened to her.

Ever since Zhang Lanyi’s death, her uncle had lived a carefree life, never putting himself in danger.

His presence in Dawei’s military camp must have been because of her.

Even though Xiao Pingfeng did not say it, Yan Wanqing had a premonition.

Her uncle had rushed here on her account.

Tears gathered in her eyes, continually falling.

She held the Brocade Box, her entire body trembling!