Chapter 288: Chapter 288: Never Underestimate a Downtrodden Maiden; A Toast Refused, a Forfeit Drunk

Nalan Hongbo knew about the situation with the Jin Meng Empire from the very beginning. Naturally, when he was escorting Princess Lan Yue, he planned to play some tricks. After all, a helpless Princess Lan Yue would be much easier to handle.

Unfortunately, Princess Lan Yue was far too vigilant. She refused to eat any of their food. Even if they ate it right in front of her, she wouldn’t touch it, consuming only the provisions she had prepared herself.

Besides, they weren’t far from White Jade City at the time, and news of the war between the two nations hadn’t spread yet. Nalan Hongbo certainly wasn’t going to look for trouble then, so he reluctantly gave up on the idea.

However, he switched from poisoning the food to poisoning the water supply. But even that failed to trap Princess Lan Yue. Instead, she discovered what was happening with the Jin Meng Empire and fled without a second thought.

If it weren’t for the superior short-burst speed of the Jin Meng Empire’s horses, they would have never been able to catch up to Princess Lan Yue’s Night-Shining Jade Lion. Now, however, their mounts were showing signs of fatigue, and they were out of better options.

He had considered dismounting to pursue her on foot using a Light Body Technique, but if he couldn’t catch her, he would end up utterly exhausted. He might even be counter-killed by Princess Lan Yue.

His bone Tempering was slightly stronger than Princess Lan Yue’s, as was his Combat Power, but that didn’t guarantee victory.

Given the Weapon in Princess Lan Yue’s hands and any hidden methods she might possess, he could very well die on the spot if his condition weakened. Thus, he could only choose to continue the chase on horseback. It was the safer option.

"An opportunity? You mean an opportunity to die?"

"It’s practically a tradition for the Jin Meng Empire to kill their marriage alliance partners from the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty as a sacrifice to the war banner."

"Lord Nalan, instead of chasing me, you should be thinking about how to escape the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty!"

"Once word of the war reaches the Old Emperor’s ears, he’s guaranteed to dispatch the Divine Constables of the Six Gates to hunt you down. The more time you waste on me, the lower your chances of escape."

"And don’t even think about using my status to escape the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty. I’m guessing the Old Emperor has already issued an order to capture me, dead or alive. Relying on me to escape is a complete fantasy. You’d be better off leaving now, and then we won’t have to fight."

Princess Lan Yue was speaking the truth, because she genuinely didn’t want Nalan Hongbo and his men chasing her anymore. If they kept pursuing her, she wouldn’t be able to conceal her identity, and eventually, the people from the Six Gates would catch up to her.

She didn’t believe a good life awaited her if she were taken back to White Jade City. Given the Old Emperor’s paranoid nature, it was entirely possible he would have the Six Gates kill her.

After all, her royal father, her family, and her master had all died by the Old Emperor’s command. To him, she was nothing but a source of future trouble.

’After all, it is better to slight a white-haired elder than to bully a poor young maiden.’

’Who’s to say she can’t rise up? The history of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty is filled with stories of people who survived the annihilation of their clans, only to grow stronger and return for revenge, wiping out their enemies entirely.’

’Such tales were even more common in the Jianghu. She had sought out many of them because she loved how inspiring they were.’

’Now that she was in this exact situation, she was determined to become one of those people.’

’In her eyes, the Old Emperor was the ultimate culprit. If she had the chance, she would naturally get her revenge.’

"Commandery Princess, why do you debase yourself so?"

"As a Commandery Princess of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, I imagine you’ll still be of some use when we reach the Border Region."

"Since your circumstances are so dire, Commandery Princess, why don’t we join forces and leave the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty together? Wouldn’t that be mutually beneficial?"

Nalan Hongbo remained unaffected by Princess Lan Yue’s words. In fact, he had already considered this possibility before he even made his move.

In his eyes, Princess Lan Yue’s purpose was to help them get past the Border Region. A Commandery Princess was, more or less, of some use. If the Old Emperor of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty hadn’t sent orders to the border yet, Princess Lan Yue’s value could be even greater than he anticipated.

After all, Princess Lan Yue was a daughter of the Imperial Family. Even if the Old Emperor wanted her dead, he most likely wouldn’t relay that information to the soldiers guarding the border.

Nalan Hongbo had already made his plans and had no intention of giving up. He even tried to persuade Princess Lan Yue to his side instead.

"It seems we can’t reach an agreement. In that case, let’s see who can outlast whom!"

"Hah!"

Seeing this, Princess Lan Yue’s expression darkened. She knew Nalan Hongbo wouldn’t give up. Her only hope was to rely on the Night-Shining Jade Lion’s stamina.

She had no intention of dismounting to fight. For one, Nalan Hongbo’s Cultivation was a notch above hers. On top of that, there was the Jin Meng Empire’s Prince, who had a powerful, deadly Hidden Weapon at the ready. Against the two of them combined, she was likely no match.

She had prepared some tricks of her own, but they were mostly for self-preservation, not for powerful offense.

"Hmph! You had to do this the hard way."

"Then don’t blame me for being ruthless!"

As Nalan Hongbo spoke, he had already readied his Bone-Piercing Nails again. In fact, he had used the conversation with Princess Lan Yue as a cover to prepare them, just waiting for the right moment to strike.

The moment Nalan Hongbo’s voice fell, all nine Bone-Piercing Nails shot out. At the same time, Wulan Haochuan, at his side, unleashed his Golden Armor Sleeve Arrows. The two of them attacked in unison.

While Nalan Hongbo was talking to Princess Lan Yue, he had secretly signaled Wulan Haochuan to attack. The instant he made his move, they struck together.

In an instant, a barrage of Hidden Weapons flew toward Princess Lan Yue, sealing off every direction. They intended to take her down right then and there, leaving her no chance to escape.

"Despicable!"

Seeing this, how could Princess Lan Yue not understand the purpose of Nalan Hongbo and Wulan Haochuan’s earlier actions? It was all to stall her for a moment longer.

A Sharp Sword appeared in Princess Lan Yue’s hand. She executed her Swordsmanship, swinging toward several directions to slash away the Hidden Weapons.

But she was fundamentally a Pharmacist whose training focused on that path. Her Swordsmanship was not particularly outstanding. Even as she executed her Sword Techniques, a Bone-Piercing Nail still pierced her shoulder. This was only because she had twisted her body aside, barely dodging a Bone-penetrating Needle aimed at her chest.

Although she wore Heart-Protecting Armor, it didn’t cover her entire body. The chest area in particular, being rather well-developed, was not fully protected.

At that same moment, her mount, the Night-Shining Jade Lion, collapsed beneath her. This time, Nalan Hongbo and his companion had also targeted her horse, clearly intending to leave her no chance of escape.

That was why Princess Lan Yue was so furious. Without the Night-Shining Jade Lion, it would be incredibly difficult to escape, especially while facing both Nalan Hongbo and Wulan Haochuan.

Her figure blurred as she leaped off the collapsing Night-Shining Jade Lion. She pulled an Antitoxic Pill from her robes and swallowed it immediately.

She could feel a problem with her shoulder wound; a stream of poison was intermittently invading her body. The nail had clearly been poisoned.

Princess Lan Yue stared daggers at Nalan Hongbo and Wulan Haochuan, a look of grim determination in her eyes. If she couldn’t escape, she would fight to the death. Even if she couldn’t kill Nalan Hongbo, she would take the Jin Meng Empire’s Prince down with her to cushion her fall.