As the devastatingly beautiful woman approached inch by inch, the freezing aura she exuded made Xu Yuan feel as though he was in an ice cellar.
In this life-or-death moment, Xu Yuan's thoughts were extremely clear.
Having spoken his words, regret was useless; even if he cried, he had to grit his teeth and continue the act.
Under the immense pressure of Ran Qingmo's aura, Xu Yuan slowly let go of the wooden post beside him, steadied himself, and looked straight at her through gritted teeth,
"Mr. Ran, you seem rather surprised?"
"...." Ran Qingmo.
Xu Yuan, under pressure, gave a slight smile,
"Indeed, given the level of this secret, why would my father let a 'useless' person like me know about it?"
As he spoke, Xu Yuan's slender phoenix eyes narrowed slightly:
"But, Mr. Ran, compared to being the third son of my father, I am more curious about how a disciple of Sword Sect came to know such a secret?"
"....."
The air inside the temple turned deathly still.
The people who could know about this matter were only this body's father and his most trusted confidants—the implications of Xu Yuan's words were clear.
A pair of eyes from Ran Qingmo stared intensely at the noble young man before her. The dim light of the rainy night did nothing to obstruct her gaze, her words punctuated firmly,
"What do you mean by that?"
During the conversation, her footsteps also halted, and the sword in her hand slightly lowered.
Xu Yuan felt the overwhelming cold pressure suddenly lift somewhat; seeing this, he let out a sigh of relief internally.
Stimulated by the proximity of death, Xu Yuan dropped many of his reservations; now was not the time to cower.
"What do I mean?"
He slowly moved his feet, circling Ran Qingmo with interest in the darkness, his eyes sweeping over her graceful figure as he gradually intensified his tone.
"Officially, the Tianyuan Sword Sect has been established since the founding of the Da Yan Kingdom over 1300 years ago. Each generation's leader has been the National Master of Da Yan, and the current leader is revered as the martial mentor to the Crown Prince. The Sword Sect and Da Yan share glory and ruin together."
"Personally, my father has been friends with Mr. Ran's master for decades."
"And as a prominent disciple of Sword Sect, Mr. Ran, I am curious, who convinced you to believe my father would act against Sword Sect? Isn't it hard to comprehend?"
"....."
Listening to his words, Ran Qingmo tightened her grip on the sword.
She felt the man before her had changed.
From the moment he'd woken from unconsciousness, he seemed like a different person.
The microscopic Qi let her sense that the seemingly calm Third Young Master's heart was racing, far from the calmness displayed on the surface.
But with rumors no longer reliable, she couldn't determine how much Xu Yuan truly knew, or what cards he had to play.
Looking at the ice block standing silently in place, Xu Yuan's heart gradually settled.
His footsteps abruptly turned, meeting the gaze of the woman in black as he walked straight toward her.
Under Ran Qingmo's gaze, he stood a meter away from her, looking down upon her,
"Mr. Ran, put away your sword."
Ran Qingmo's indifferent eyes met his, and in that moment, she could feel his heartbeat gradually normalizing.
And the next moment,
She saw the man before her smile. He slightly leaned forward, lifted two fingers to catch her hanging sword blade, lifted it bit by bit, and moved it to his unprotected neck.
With the sword blade at his throat, he looked into her eyes,
"If you won't put it away, then perhaps you should just kill me, Mr. Ran?"
Xu Yuan, familiar with the plot, was sure the woman before him wouldn't kill him preemptively.
As soon as he finished speaking, Ran Qingmo's hand gripping the sword handle tightened slightly, and the blade at his neck emitted a humming sound.
A massive murderous intent surged,
For a fleeting moment, Xu Yuan saw an image of his own head flying high.
But the next instant, the illusion vanished, and the woman with the sword was still standing, his head still firmly on his shoulders.
The brush with death caused Xu Yuan's eyes to widen slightly, having never witnessed such an imposing force in his peaceful life. The death aura she exuded briefly made his legs weaken.
Even if she merely radiated her aura, it was enough to discompose him so thoroughly, but her mere action of releasing murderous intent also verified she indeed wouldn't kill him at this point.
Xu Yuan stared at her, each word deliberate,
"Mr. Ran, a threat that can't be enforced is nothing but a joke. Put away the sword, let's talk—I can help you."
The cold wind was harsh, and the blade against his throat was indeed very cold.
Xu Yuan had no system, no sage old grandfather; his body was merely that of an ordinary person. His knowledge of "Cangyuan Chronicles" and its characters was his biggest reliance, but even this was a death summoning talisman.
In the plot of "Cangyuan Chronicles," this Third Young Master from the family of the Prime Minister met a very grim fate—dead in every possible world line.
To survive, Xu Yuan had to act preemptively, take some gambles.
Ran Qingmo's eyes lowered slightly, pondering something, but indeed, she sheathed her sword.
The sword blade suddenly danced a beautiful flourish, and amid a ripple of blue sword light in the darkness, it smoothly sheathed back.
Very elegant.
Xu Yuan instinctively touched his neck.
Hmm… his head was still there, no blood seams or anything.
Ran Qingmo cast a slightly odd glance at Xu Yuan's action.
Xu Yuan smiled faintly at her, mentally preparing his choice of words.
But in the next instant,
Xu Yuan's smile stiffened.
Ran Qingmo had sheathed her sword but then silently picked up a long and thick wooden stick from the ground.
"......" Xu Yuan.
His pupils dilated slightly, Xu Yuan hurriedly opened his mouth to say something,
"Wait....."
"Bang!"
A muffled sound, and before he could finish, Xu Yuan fell straight down.