Liu Mingyan narrowed her eyes at Bai Ye and shrieked, "Bai Ye! In your dreams!"
Qing Xuantian was surprised by Bai Ye's request. He frowned and said, "Little Ye, what Mingyan did to you in the past was for your own good. We were only trying to help."
He shot a look at Liu Mingyan, signaling her to play along.
The woman's reluctance was evident as she bit her lip. A forced smile graced her face when she turned to Bai Ye and said, "Yes, Little Ye. You know I never meant you any malice."
"I've always treated you well, no? I even gave you all those beautiful clothes, jewelry and tidbits. Have you forgotten all about that?"
Forget?
Of course not.
Bai Ye's memories of Liu Mingyan were clear as day. Liu Mingyan often came over to spend time with her after Bai Ye turned ten. The bond they shared was akin to sisters but that was before all this happened.
It seemed the scumbags really thought of her to be a fool.
"Little Ye, the past is the past, don't be stubborn now. I'll arrange for the people to give Grandpa Bai a glorious funeral. Come with me, you should rest," Qing Xuantian said before Bai Ye had a chance to speak. He reached out and grabbed her hand.
The movement garnered an instant response from the girl. She skipped away with a mocking smile on her face. "Unwilling to meet my demands? You're soft for her, aren't you?"
"Little Ye…"
"Get lost then!" Bai Ye pointed to the gates and shouted.
She grinned when she noticed the change in Qing Xuantian's expression. The light in his eyes dimmed. "If you plan to take me by force, I'll make sure you end up with a corpse instead."
It was at that moment Qing Xuantian realized Bai Ye had changed. She was no longer the innocent child who could easily be tricked. "If I disable Liu Mingyan's limbs, will you come with me?"
"No! Brother Tian, you can't!" Liu Mingyan made her objection clear before Bai Ye could say anything. She knew Qing Xuantian—the fact that he asked meant there was a part of him that was willing to go through with the deal.
No…
No way!
Liu Mingyan's instincts screamed for her to run. She did not want to end up as Bai Ye's punching bag.
Before she could move, Qing Xuantian placed a hand on her shoulder. His grip was not physically strong but he exerted his Mystic Energy and Liu Mingyan found herself rooted to the spot.
"No…Brother Tian…" Fear coursed through Liu Mingyan's veins. She always found Qing Xuantian's ferocity to be attractive but when she was the victim…
"Little Ye, I would do anything for you. I was only following your grandfather's wishes when I did those things, to ensure you awakened the Bai family inheritance." Qing Xuantian immediately changed tack when his first method of persuasion failed.
"If revenge is what you want, I shall grant your wish. Little Ye, you are the only one I care about," Qing Xuantian declared as he brandished a dagger. With a flick of his wrist, he sliced open Liu Mingyan's arm.
A shriek tore through Liu Mingyan's throat. "No—"
The blade in Qing Xuantian's hands flickered. In the blink of an eye, all four limbs and their respective meridians were disabled. The elegance of his moves contrasted the cruelty of the butchery.
Blood seeped out from the wounds and Liu Mingyan crumbled to the ground. Wide-eyed, she could not believe Qing Xuantian sacrificed her for that little b*tch…
Qing Xuantian did not spare his victim a glance—there was only Bai Ye in his eyes. He was hoping for Bai Ye to let her guard down and give him a window of opportunity to strike. He aimed to incapacitate and kidnap the girl. "Little Ye, if you still hold a grudge, you can take it out on me but please don't reject me. Will you come with me?"
"Of course…"
"Not." Bai Ye grinned. With a quick tap of her feet, she made her escape.