Chapter 81: She’s Such a Clever Girl
"You’re so cruel. How could a woman as vicious as you even exist?"
Lu Yanzhi was calling *her* cruel? Xiao Li found it laughable. "I don’t think I’m cruel enough. If I truly hated you enough, I’d have dragged every member of your Lu family here to be killed one by one before your eyes. I’d let you soak in their blood until you drowned."
Trapped in the original owner’s body, she had experienced a full seven months of despair, and in the end, even went through the agony of childbirth.
The original owner was nearly tortured to death by the pain of childbirth, finally hemorrhaging. Blood flowed like water until she had bled out completely.
All of the original owner’s suffering was brought upon her by Lu Yanzhi. And Lu Yanzhi dared to do all of it because he was a young master of the Lu family.
With Lu Cang backing him, he could torture a princess to death right under the Heavenly Emperor’s nose.
The Lu Family all hated the Princess. They wouldn’t think Lu Yanzhi had done anything wrong. On the contrary, they’d only think the Princess got what she deserved.
’The Princess was carrying a bastard. The fact that their Mr. Lu even let her give birth was letting her off easy.’
The Lu family deserved to die, and Lu Yanzhi deserved it even more.
’Saying things like, "I was just confused for a moment, but you weren’t harmed in any way, were you?" How could he know she wasn’t harmed?’
’He sent a man to the Princess’s room—a guard who knew martial arts. The Princess had been pampered her whole life, utterly defenseless. How could he not have known what would happen?’
’The only reason she wasn’t raped was that she’d gained control of the body. That doesn’t mean the event never took place.’
’Even if none of them knew, *she* had experienced it, vividly and completely.’
’If she hadn’t been able to break free this time, the past would have just repeated itself. Nothing would have changed.’
’So forgiveness is impossible. I will never, ever forgive him!’
Lu Yanzhi’s pupils trembled with pain, hatred, and shock. "I never knew... To think that I... once felt something for someone like you..."
Xiao Li’s expression was indescribably foul. "You know, the fact that you like me is the most disgusting thing in the world. Bar none."
’His affection has tainted my revenge. He was supposed to love only Liu Xueyin, as single-mindedly as he did in our past life. Then he should have watched it all burn, suffering so much he’d wish for death, living a life worse than being dead.’
’Then I might have let him live a little longer, at least long enough for him to watch Liu Xueyin die before his very eyes.’
’Instead, he’s like this—some wire in his brain got crossed and he started liking me, putting on some tragic soap opera for me as he’s about to die.’
Lu Chengzhi stared at Xiao Li with hatred, growling through gritted teeth, "Do you have any conscience at all!"
’Yanzhi has humbled himself to the dust, so how can this woman still say such heartless things?’
’What on earth did Yanzhi do to deserve this much of her hatred?’
Xiao Li couldn’t be bothered to explain to Lu Chengzhi. This was a grudge between her and Lu Yanzhi.
Footsteps hurried over from behind. The palace must have finally made a decision.
Xiao Li looked at the sky. "Lu Yanzhi, it’s time to end this."
She swiftly raised her arm, and three sleeve arrows shot out at once. Before anyone could react, they all struck Lu Yanzhi in the chest, right over his heart.
"NO!!!" Madam Lu shrieked.
Lu Chengzhi roared, "Po Feng!"
CLANG!
Three highly skilled martial artists charged at Xiao Li. Rong Qing immediately raised his saber to block them. One of them bypassed Rong Qing and came straight for Xiao Li, clearly intending to take her life.
Xiao Li smiled and retreated a step, and Yang Jun appeared in front of her to block the attack.
Madam Lu cradled the breathless Lu Yanzhi, her sobs heart-wrenching. "Yanzhi..."
Lu Chengzhi’s eyes were red with hatred. "All men, listen to my command! At any cost, kill Xiao Xuanyang!"
Yang Jun bellowed, "Protect the Princess!"
All the Lu family guards charged. There were many of them, but Xiao Li didn’t just have the hundred men she brought with her; there were also over a thousand Imperial Army soldiers behind them.
The Lu family couldn’t hurt her, but she could slaughter the Lu family.
’If someone hurts me, I will repay them a thousand, ten thousand times over.’
’I’m a madwoman. Who told the Lu family to provoke me? They deserve this fate.’
’Go on, die in peace. And let’s never meet again in the next life.’
Xiao Li left the Lu family estate with her people. Lu Yanzhi was dead. The rest of the Lu family didn’t matter anymore.
She didn’t care if the Lu family had any means of retaliation, because... she was about to leave this world.
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Lu Cang and Prince Chen had started a rebellion. Although the unrest wasn’t major, things could hardly be called stable.
Everyone’s attention was focused on the palace and the Lu family, so many other places were neglected—like the empty rear courtyard of the Prince Mansion.
Xiao Li was very busy. Busy helping someone seize the throne, busy divorcing her husband, busy getting revenge, and even busy killing the female lead.
Because no one would have ever thought she would do these things—that she *could* do these things. The arrogance of those in power made them look down on a supposedly incompetent princess, so all her plans proceeded smoothly.
The secret chamber in the Princess Mansion had three doors in total. Xiao Li entered from the outside, locking each door behind her. This was the cage she had specially built for the female lead.
All the doors were made of refined iron, and there was only a single copy of the key for each. Now that she had locked them from the inside and taken all the keys, it was impossible for anyone to come in and interfere.
In the innermost room, Liu Xueyin was tied up and thrown on the floor. She startled awake at the sound of approaching footsteps.
"Mmmph, mmmph..." Liu Xueyin’s mouth was gagged, so she could only whimper continuously. But it wasn’t hard to see the terror and fury on her face.
’I’m really becoming more and more twisted,’ Xiao Li thought. ’Why does a scene like this excite me so much?’
"Now, let’s play one last game."
Xiao Li took a small porcelain vial filled with poison from her robes, bent down, and grabbed Liu Xueyin by the neck, ripping the gag from her mouth.
Liu Xueyin’s mouth was stiff, and with her neck still in a chokehold, it was clear she wanted to curse at Xiao Li but couldn’t get the words out.
Xiao Li twirled the small porcelain vial, her voice unnervingly gentle. "I’ll loosen my grip. Be a good girl and answer a few questions for me, can you?"
Liu Xueyin managed a difficult nod, and Xiao Li slowly loosened her grip.
"If a woman’s husband sent men to rape her, do you think that husband deserves to die?"
Liu Xueyin, both in pain and confused, asked in a hoarse voice, "What... what are you trying to do?"
Xiao Li’s voice was cold. "Now, answer the question."
Liu Xueyin took a deep breath, enduring the pain in her body as she answered, "He deserves to die."
"You’re right," Xiao Li agreed. "So he’s dead. Now for the second question."
"The woman becomes pregnant after being raped. Should she get rid of that bastard child?"
Liu Xueyin’s pupils contracted. "Her husband is already dead. Why would she still want to get rid of the child?"
Xiao Li sneered. "That child is a bastard. Should she really give birth to it?"
Liu Xueyin shook her head. Even though she was clearly under duress, she still held on to her kindness.
"That child is a life, after all. He’s innocent. Why should he be forced to bear the grudges of adults?"
Xiao Li laughed mockingly. ’As expected of the kindhearted female lead.’
She suddenly grabbed Liu Xueyin’s neck again. "Liu Xueyin, for that answer alone, your death will not be a wrongful one."
Liu Xueyin opened her mouth in pain, trying to speak, but Xiao Li poured the poison straight down her throat.
’Starving her to death would take too long.’
’Since she seems to be unkillable, poisoning her to death should do the trick.’
’I’m so clever.’