Volume 1, Chapter 31: Do You Dare to Make a Wager?

Ye Xuan stepped forward, an invisible pressure cascading down upon the room. His cold, clear eyes were now as sharp as blades.

"Why should I agree to your terms?"

Ye Xuan’s voice was soft, yet it carried the unquestionable authority of a superior. He looked at the audacious woman before him, feeling a flicker of genuine admiration. To dare to negotiate with him, and to do so with a stance bordering on a threat—Su Qingxue was either hopelessly foolish or possessed a trump card that gave her complete confidence. Clearly, she was the latter.

The air in the room seemed to solidify. Moonlight drifted through the window lattice, casting mottled shadows on the floor and stretching their silhouettes into long, distorted shapes. Facing a gaze that felt as if it could pierce her very soul, Su Qingxue did not retreat. Instead, a faint curve appeared at the corners of her lips—a smile that was cool, distant, and carried an inexplicable meaning.

"Young Master Ye, you seem to have misunderstood one thing."

"Oh?" Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow, gesturing for her to continue.

"You are currently an honored guest of the Liu family and the savior of cousin Yuexue, so naturally, they will treat you with courtesy," Su Qingxue said, her voice steady and logical. "If you merely wish to leave Yun’an City quietly, the Liu family’s influence is indeed sufficient to handle that."

She paused, her gaze resting on Ye Xuan as if appraising a rare treasure. "But the question is, do Uncle Liu and the others truly understand your 'value'?"

Ye Xuan’s eyes narrowed slightly. He remained silent.

Su Qingxue continued, "In their eyes, you might be a wandering physician with superb skills or an extraordinary martial artist from the world of swordsmen. They will respect you and help you, but that help has its limits. Helping you leave Yun’an and evade Wang Defa’s pursuit is the absolute most they can do. But what then? If Wang Defa cannot find you, will he not vent his fury upon the Liu family? While the Liu family is a prominent clan in Yun’an, can they really remain unscathed when facing the Deputy Commander of the City Guard, a man who wields military power and acts like a rabid dog?"

"You, Young Master Ye, can simply walk away, but have you considered the risks the Liu family is shouldering for you?"

Her questions were like pebbles dropped into the serene lake of Ye Xuan’s heart. He had to admit that this woman perceived the situation with chilling clarity.

Ye Xuan offered a smile, though it did not reach his eyes. "You’ve said so much, Miss Su, merely to tell me that your presence is not dispensable."

"Precisely," Su Qingxue admitted candidly.

"And what can you do? What is it that the Liu family cannot achieve, but you, Su Qingxue, can?" Ye Xuan’s tone carried a hint of scrutiny.

Instead of being cowed by his aura, Su Qingxue’s smile deepened. It was the confidence of a master strategist. She paced slowly, her voice cold and firm.

"What the Liu family can do is help you escape Yun’an City. What I can do is help you walk out of Yun’an City."

A single word of difference, yet worlds apart.

"Wang Defa has sealed the city gates and launched a city-wide manhunt using the power of the City Guard. But at the end of the day, he is only a Deputy Commander. Yun’an City is not yet the domain of the Wang family." A glint of intelligence shone in her eyes. "If I write a letter and submit it to the Prefect of Yun’an in my father's name, do you think the Prefect would continue to follow the orders of a brute like Wang Defa, or would he grant my father a favor?"

Ye Xuan’s pupils contracted sharply. The daughter of the Grand Secretary! The weight of those words was far greater than that of a local Deputy Commander of the City Guard.

"Not only that," Su Qingxue continued, seemingly oblivious to his shift in demeanor, "I can ensure that Wang Defa never dares to trouble the Liu family again. I can even... make him personally escort you out of the city gates and guarantee your safe passage."

Ye Xuan fell silent. He was forced to re-evaluate the woman before him. Her intellect and her maneuvering were far beyond his expectations. She was not merely a clever woman, but a power player who knew how to push her advantages to the extreme.

Seeing his silence, Su Qingxue knew her words had struck home. She felt a brief moment of relief, though her expression remained impassive. However, she had underestimated him. The contemplation on Ye Xuan’s face slowly faded, replaced by a playful smile.

"Miss Su’s plan does sound flawless. But you seem to have forgotten something else." His voice dropped, suddenly laced with a dangerous edge. "Why would you assume that I need your help?"

Su Qingxue’s gaze froze.

"Wang Defa, the Prefect—in my eyes, they are nothing more than clay chickens and pottery dogs," Ye Xuan stated. "If I wish to leave, no one in this small city of Yun’an can stop me. If I wish to kill, taking Wang Defa’s head would be no difficult task. Your so-called connections and methods are meaningless to me."

His tone was flat, yet it radiated an overwhelming, world-dominating arrogance. It was not mere madness, but a confidence born of absolute power.

Su Qingxue’s heart sank. She felt the carefully constructed chips of her negotiation crumbling under his dismissive remarks. She clenched her fists inside her sleeves, her nails digging deep into her palms. She knew she had to play her final trump card.

"Is that so?" Su Qingxue suddenly laughed, a sound both mournful and resolute. She lifted her head, her cold eyes meeting his as she spoke each word with crystal clarity: "What if... I were to tell the Crown Prince about the news of the 'Eighth Imperial Highness'?"

Boom! The five words—"Eighth Imperial Highness"—exploded in the silent room like a thunderclap.

The smile on Ye Xuan’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a bone-chilling coldness like that of an ancient glacial cavern. A terrifying killing intent surged from his body like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing the room. The temperature seemed to plummet by a dozen degrees.

Su Qingxue felt her entire body stiffen, as if she had fallen into an icy abyss, making even breathing a struggle. She did not doubt for a moment that this man could end her life with a single thought. Yet, she did not retreat. She was betting that Ye Xuan dared not kill her—or rather, that killing her would do more harm than good.

"Are you... threatening me?" Ye Xuan’s voice was raspy, like metal grinding against metal, each syllable dripping with frost.

"No," Su Qingxue labored to speak, fighting through the terror that threatened to crush her. "I am merely stating a fact. You and I are now in the same boat. I need you to take me to Northern Liang, and you need me to help you mask your identity so you can reach Northern Liang safely. This is a transaction, not a threat."

Ye Xuan laughed, but this time, the laughter was filled with infinite coldness and mockery.

"A transaction?" He slowly took a step forward.

Su Qingxue instinctively wanted to retreat, but found her legs felt like they were filled with lead, unable to move. Ye Xuan’s figure loomed larger in her vision, the suffocating pressure nearly rendering her breathless. He stopped before her, the distance between them less than a foot. Leaning down, he whispered into her ear, his voice audible only to them:

"Su Qingxue, you are very clever. But clever people often die the soonest."

The warmth of his breath brushed against her ear, yet it brought a chill that made her very soul tremble.

"Do you think that by holding my identity over me, you can do as you please?" Ye Xuan’s voice held a trace of playfulness. "Have you ever considered that your own life is held just as firmly in my hands?"

He straightened slowly, his gaze dropping to her lower abdomen. "The cold-affliction in your body has already reached your marrow, hasn't it? With so many imperial physicians in the capital, they must have been helpless. Otherwise, why would the noble daughter of the Grand Secretary have waited so long without seeking a cure?"

Su Qingxue’s expression soured. "You..."

"I was able to cure Liu Yuexue’s cold-marrow ailment; naturally, I can cure your condition as well," Ye Xuan interrupted, a cruel curve touching his lips. "I can even tell you that in this world, besides me, no one else can save you. Your illness cannot be delayed much longer. At most one year, and the cold will strike your heart—not even the gods could save you then."

"So, Miss Su, tell me..." Ye Xuan leaned in again, their faces nearly touching, each able to feel the other's breath. He stared into her wide, shocked eyes and spoke one word at a time: "Will you die first, or will I be found by the Crown Prince first? Would you like to place a bet?"