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墨書 Inktalez
Opening her eyes again, she found herself in a pitch-black room illuminated only by two white candles. She was bound by cold machinery, with no space to move at all. Her body felt weak and she couldn't muster any strength. Her water-colored eyes looked at the man, feeling as if darkness was tightly enveloping her, leaving no room for breath.
"You’re awake," the man said with a sinister smile. "I apologize for the poor hospitality; I hope I haven't offended you."
The voice in her ears was muffled and noisy, but she knew it was just coming from within her mind, as the room was airtight, likely not even allowing a mosquito to escape.
She bit her rose-colored lips, feeling uneasy. "What do you want? If it's money, just name your price."
The man laughed heartily. "Money? I'm not so down on my luck yet."
She furrowed her delicate brows, a bad thought flashing through her mind but quickly suppressed. Looking around, she asked, "What about the girl who was with me?"
"Don't worry, I don't capture useless people. She fainted over there; she'll wake up and go back on her own."
Cheng Mo sighed in relief; thankfully, Xiao Jing was fine. If that person had captured her...
She raised her exquisitely beautiful brows and looked at him with clear and calm eyes. "Don't think you can use me to threaten him!"
The man paused in surprise before laughing again. "You’re quite clear-headed, Miss Cheng Mo. But you can't blame me for this; blame whoever made you the cherished one of Shangguan Lin. Using you to threaten him is most advantageous for me."
She stared at him quietly, her water-colored eyes dark as night. In an instant, she understood where his strange accent came from and cursed herself for being useless. If she had noticed earlier, how could she have fallen to this point? Looking at him without a trace of fear, she said, "I won't let you threaten him. You conspired to take Feng Province from him; he will surely take it back."
"Hmph." The man snorted disdainfully through his nose. "You're quite clever to know I'm Japanese. Right now he's attacking Feng Province while I'm here stirring up some trouble for him; don't you think that's wonderful?"
"Shameless to the extreme!" She, with Water-colored Eyes, was filled with anger. "Not only did you take Feng Province while he was unprepared, but you also seized me in the process. In times of war, what happens to women and children is utterly inhumane; it's truly despicable!"
"Curse me as you wish. In a few days, you will see your lofty Shangguan Lin crying and begging me for you," he said with a sinister smile, revealing a hint of malice. With a wave of his hand, one of his subordinates struck her neck with a palm. She couldn't hold on any longer; darkness enveloped her vision, and just before losing consciousness, she faintly heard a voice.
"Inoue-sama, as per your request, I have sent the letter to Shangguan."
Inoue raised his murky eyebrows and picked up the scissors from the table, cutting off a lock of Cheng Mo Su's hair. He removed the ring from her ring finger and said with a smile, "Take this along to him. Tell him not to bring an army and come alone; otherwise, Miss Cheng won't be safe."
A faint light flickered continuously, shimmering and dancing. She slightly opened her tightly shut eyes and looked at the scattered lights, feeling her scalp tingle and her body grow cold. Remembering where she was and why she was there, her anxiety and confusion multiplied, merging into a wave of panic.
"Awake?" Inoue sat on the table, looking at her thoughtfully. "You’ve been asleep for two days; do you know what has happened outside?"
She shook her head, her beautiful brows furrowing together. Inoue laughed heartily. "Shangguan Lin's counterattack on Feng Province failed; he had no choice but to retreat to New North. With his forces, this action was like hitting a stone with an egg, yet he seems undeterred and is preparing to go again. But before that..." He looked deeply at Cheng Mo Su. "He is indeed too concerned about you; I told him to go alone to rescue you, and he is coming."
Her heart sank with a thud; she panicked. "Where is Shaoyi?"
"Don't worry; you'll see him soon." Inoue appeared relaxed, wearing an expression as if he were watching a show.
She paused for a moment as a series of clanging footsteps sounded outside, causing her heart to race. The door opened slightly, and the sudden brightness hurt her eyes. The tiny points of light converged into lines that illuminated his tall figure; even in darkness, his brilliance could not be concealed.
"Shaoyi..." Their reunion turned out to be an unexpected situation neither had imagined. His cold eyes trembled as he looked at her tormented state; the pain in his heart felt like it would consume him. Because of him, she had wandered close to death several times. His sword-like brows furrowed tightly, and his lips were filled with indifference. "Inoue, what do you mean by this?"
"I believe the young marshal understands my intentions clearly," Inoue said steadily as he gazed at him, greed evident in his eyes that threatened to drown him. "Feng Province has become our territory now; however, Zha Province remains under your command. Please sign the cession agreement to cede both provinces to me so we won't have to expend military force attacking them."
The silence in the air grew increasingly oppressive, making it hard to breathe. The two stared at each other in silence—one with a smile, the other with a stern expression.
"This matter should be discussed at the negotiation table. I wonder why Mr. Inoue has taken my wife," he said coldly after a long pause. His voice was flat, yet that made it even more terrifying.
"Young Master, you are like a dragon that appears and disappears. I wanted to talk to you but had no idea where to find you, so I had to bring Consort Shangguan here; otherwise, how could I have seen your face?" Inoue's gaze was as fierce and greedy as a wolf's. "You have quite the courage to come alone. Aren't you afraid I might kill both of you?"
Shangguan Shaoyi snorted coldly, their confrontation sharp and tense. "As far as I know, Mr. Inoue has been abandoned by the Japanese high command since Yun Yun's death, while your rival, Mr. Ono, has been greatly favored. If you want to take two provinces without using troops, you naturally need my assistance. By the way, I've already contacted Mr. Ono and informed him of my presence here, so he will come. Only then can the three of us have a proper discussion. As far as I know, Japan is still trying to win me over; if I were dead by the time Mr. Ono arrives, wouldn't he have plenty of material to work with?"
"Also, Mr. Inoue, I've ordered my men that if I do not return within these two hours, they are to launch an attack here. By then, both Mu Su and I will be dead, and Mr. Inoue will have to fend for himself."
"Well then, you really have calculated this precisely!" Inoue's gaze was filled with malice, while Shangguan Shaoyi maintained a rational coldness on his face. Suddenly, Inoue smiled coldly, an extreme chill in his demeanor. "But don't forget, I hold the biggest trump card."
His gaze turned toward Cheng Mo. "I have already injected some drugs into Consort Shangguan. If she doesn't get to a hospital immediately, she will perish within an hour. So tell me, Young Master, are you willing to show some sincerity for this?"
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