At this moment, she stood beside the dining table. Although there were two guards watching her, they obviously didn’t take her, a weak woman, seriously. Their gazes frequently drifted out the window, evidently wanting to know what enemy their team had encountered.

Seizing the moment they turned their heads, Xie Wanqing quickly hid a metal spoon inside her sleeve. The handle of the spoon was not sharp enough, but if she were to use all her strength, it was enough to seek death.

The spoon had just slipped into her sleeve when Jin Wuji hurriedly entered from outside, no longer composed and carefree as before. He stared at her intently, appearing both puzzled and shocked.

Xie Wanqing felt a chill down her spine under his gaze, and her arm was suddenly pulled tight, dragging her outside.

"Lu Ziyuan would disregard the frontier affairs for a woman, traveling thousands of miles to this place!" he said quickly as they walked. "Miss Xie, you’re more important than we imagined."

On the deck of the pleasure boat, the wind howled fiercely. Xie Wanqing was tightly held by the man behind her, the cloak billowing in the wind, faintly revealing the thin clothing inside.

On the opposite ship, Lu Ziyuan stood in a dark robe, facing this side from afar, his gaze falling on the hand around her waist, his eyes slightly narrowed.

He stretched out his hand, and Ming Feng immediately placed a longbow onto it.

"Hold on!" Jin Wuji’s expression changed as he shouted loudly, "Brother Lu, if you dare to draw the bow, I cannot guarantee what will happen to this Miss Xie."

As he spoke, he carelessly pulled open Xie Wanqing’s cloak, revealing the thin silk dress beneath, swaying in the wind.

The clothing was not too revealing, but the posture was quite humiliating.

Lu Ziyuan’s jaw tightened suddenly, a faint twitch in his chin.

"Let her go, and I will spare your life."

The voice, cold and hard as ice, was carried over by the autumn wind.

Xie Wanqing’s heart pounded fiercely, her eyes reddened, unable to describe her feelings.

She would rather die than be humiliated. Taking advantage of Jin Wuji’s attention being focused on the opposite person, she decisively pulled out the iron spoon from her sleeve, and with the long handle, she fiercely slit her neck...

"No!" Lu Ziyuan’s mind was torn apart, "Wanwan, no!"

Jin Wuji was also surprised, snatching away the iron spoon she tried to wield again and threw it aside.

Xie Wanqing used all the strength she could muster, but with half a month poisoned by paralyzing drugs and the spoon’s handle being indeed blunt, she only managed to cut a four-finger-long wound on her neck. Skin was broken, flesh torn, blood spurting, looking quite terrifying.

Jin Wuji glanced at the wound, sneering, "Want to die? That’s up to me to decide."

Afraid she might further affect the situation, he lightly tapped her mute acupoint at her neck.

Looking at the uncomposed, distorted face of Lu Ziyuan on the opposite side, he laughed heartily, "Indeed, since ancient times, heroes can’t resist the charms of beauties. This beauty may be a bit prickly, but with such a graceful figure and soft body, it’s no wonder Brother Lu thinks of her so much."

Lu Ziyuan’s hands suddenly tightened, the heavy iron bow bending and deforming.

Behind him, Ming Feng spoke softly, "Master, do not fall into a trap. This thief is deliberately disturbing your mind."

Though he spoke thus, everyone knew that a beautiful girl like Xie Wanqing falling into the hands of the Jin Thief for half a month would have likely meant...

Lu Ziyuan took a deep breath, threw the bow behind him, and said in a deep voice, "What will it take for you to release her?"

"I’ve heard that Brother Lu has a proud spirit and never bows his head. It seems that’s not entirely true," Jin Wuji smiled even more, "I wonder if Brother Lu is willing to kneel and pay respects to me?"

"This is outrageous!" Ming Feng shouted, "Jin Wuji, you’re courting death!"

Nearby, Lu Ziyuan’s deputy generals had already reddened with fury, their shouts echoing to the skies, every word carrying murderous intent. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Jin Wuji raised an eyebrow, showing no fear, instead slowly reaching towards Xie Wanqing’s waist tie, saying loudly, "Good things shouldn’t be enjoyed alone, don’t you agree, Brother Lu?"

Lu Ziyuan’s face twisted momentarily, his fists clenched tightly, suppressing the rage within, "I, Lu Ziyuan, swear that if you dare hurt her even slightly today, I will annihilate every last person in your Jin Country!"

Jin Wuji was not afraid in the slightest. His hands had seen plenty of blood. Hearing this, he laughed loudly, and with a flick of his fingers, was about to pull down the waist tie, stopped abruptly by Lu Ziyuan’s urgent shout.

Hearing it, he paused and asked with a smile, "Are you willing to endure this humiliation for Miss Xie, Brother Lu?"

Lu Ziyuan’s gaze remained fixed on Xie Wanqing, the two of them locked eyes across the long stretch of water, one shaking her head incessantly with a face full of tears, while the other’s gaze gradually softened.

Seeing her face wet with tears, Lu Ziyuan blinked gently, glanced sideways at Ming Feng, bent his knees, and in front of everyone, heavily knelt on the deck.

For a moment, everything was silent. Even Jin Wuji’s pupils widened in shock.