Volume One, Chapter Four: Refusing the Toast, Accepting the Punishment

Cheng Xi glanced at the man she had taken hostage. Her first impression was that he was even more handsome than that pretty boy, Jiang Weiran.

He possessed an exquisitely cold and severe face, yet his eyes were strangely affectionate, as if he were looking at a beloved pet. The lingering tenderness in his gaze created a fascinating contrast with a face that looked ready to kill at any moment.

"You are the first person to ever dare hold a blade to my throat."

What kind of pretentious, over-the-top line was that? Did he think he was in some romantic drama?

Whether she dared to or not, she had already done it. With a flick of her wrist, she slammed him hard against the wall, the sharp tip of her dagger pressing into his neck. "Do you want to live, or do you want to die?"

Li Zhi’an fell silent for a moment. No one had ever spoken to him like this before. Did this woman want to capture his attention? How interesting.

"If I die, I doubt you’ll survive either." Li Zhi’an swept his gaze over the surrounding Ministry guards.

"Taking someone down with me before I go wouldn't be bad. Besides, you suit my tastes quite well; we could make a pair of star-crossed lovers in the afterlife."

A collective gasp echoed around the room. To dare to tease their Chief! She truly must have a death wish!

"Your subordinates don't seem to have much composure."

Jiang Boyu, the leader of the group, was already looking at Cheng Xi as if she were a corpse. This girl looked like a celestial beauty, so why was she so dim-witted? Or was it possible that their Chief’s reputation in Qinchuan was unknown?

He watched his Chief, who remained motionless, and felt a twinge of confusion. Why hadn't the Chief taken this girl down yet? With the Chief’s abilities, a counter-kill would have been instantaneous. Did she really think a single blade could restrain him?

"What is your relationship with Cheng Zhouxing?" Li Zhi’an asked suddenly.

"The father and daughter who just severed all ties," Cheng Xi replied nonchalantly.

Everyone: "..."

"What is going on? Ministry of Heaven guards... what are you doing here?"

Jiang Weiran was stunned the moment he walked in. He had only gone out to buy some food, and when he looked up to see Cheng Xi holding a blade to Li Zhi’an’s throat, he nearly fainted on the spot.

"Cheng Xi, what are you doing? Lord Li, my apologies. She just arrived from the countryside and doesn't know who you are. Please forgive her rudeness; I apologize on her behalf."

Jiang Weiran dumped the bag of food on the table and hurried over to Cheng Xi, signaling her with his eyes. *Are you trying to get yourself killed? Let go! Do you even know who he is?*

Cheng Xi kept a wooden expression. Was she stupid? The moment she let go, her life would be forfeit. She ignored Jiang Weiran entirely.

Li Zhi’an glanced at Jiang Weiran. "You are..."

"My father is the Duke of Zhen, Jiang Xing."

"Young Master Jiang? What happened to your arm?" Jiang Boyu hadn't immediately recognized this disheveled man as the renowned "Jade Gentleman" of the Golden Capital.

Jiang Weiran: "..."

Could they not mention his arm? Faced with Jiang Weiran’s defeated, dead-fish expression, Jiang Boyu fell silent. The atmosphere was stiflingly awkward; everyone just stared at one another.

Jiang Boyu’s eyes darted around, and he quickly said, "We’re all family here, put the blades away, put them away." He was the first to sheath his weapon, then looked at Cheng Xi. "Miss Cheng, we are simply conducting an investigation. We meant no offense. Why don't we sit down and talk this through?"

"I’d like to, but your Chief said he was going to send me to the afterlife."

Jiang Weiran felt like he was going insane. No one in the entire Golden Capital dared to provoke a madman like Li Zhi’an, and yet here was Cheng Xi holding a knife to his throat!

"Cheng Xi, put the knife down first." Jiang Weiran was a man of pride, yet this was the second time he had been forced to humble himself before her.

Cheng Xi looked at Li Zhi’an. Li Zhi’an’s eyes met hers. Cheng Xi released her grip. Li Zhi’an reached up and touched his neck; his fingertips came away slightly damp.

"Lord Li, please sit." Jiang Weiran watched as Cheng Xi sat down of her own accord; he had no choice but to host this dangerous group.

Li Zhi’an glanced at the stool and didn't sit. Jiang Weiran used his remaining arm to wipe the dust off the seat and offered a pure, sincere smile. Only then did Li Zhi’an sit down.

Jiang Weiran felt utterly exhausted. He was a man who had just lost an arm!

"What business brings you to break into a private residence?" Cheng Xi was tired, sleepy, and weary. She just wanted to get rid of these people as quickly as possible.

Jiang Boyu glanced at his Chief and immediately spoke, "Miss Cheng, a Four-Eyed Demon Fox escaped from the Tower of Heaven. We chased it all the way to Qinchuan and discovered its tracks on this street. Have you seen it, Miss Cheng?"

Cheng Xi shook her head. "What is a Four-Eyed Demon Fox? I’ve never heard of it, nor have I seen it."

Jiang Weiran’s expression flickered. "Is it the Four-Eyed Demon Fox that killed over a hundred people in the Golden Capital last year?"

Jiang Boyu nodded gravely. "That is the one. Young Master Jiang, have you seen it?"

Jiang Weiran shook his head. "I just arrived in Qinchuan as well. I haven't seen it."

*Good thing I haven't,* he thought. *If I had, I’d likely be a soul in the underworld by now.*

With that thought, he asked anxiously, "The Four-Eyed Demon Fox appeared here?"

"We tracked its scent all the way here. It definitely appeared in this vicinity but then vanished, which is why we are searching house by house," Jiang Boyu explained.

Jiang Weiran looked at Cheng Xi. "You must come with me. You can't stay here; it's too dangerous."

Cheng Xi ignored him. He had only lost an arm, so why did it seem like his brain had broken too?

Jiang Weiran fell silent. If he hadn't broken off their engagement, she surely would have come with him.

Jiang Boyu, hearing this, remarked casually, "I recall that Young Master Jiang’s fiancée is from Qinchuan. Are you here to see her?"

Jiang Weiran: *Life is already so difficult; why does everyone keep kicking me while I'm down?*

Cheng Xi smiled. "What a coincidence. I am his former fiancée."

*Former?*

Everyone’s eyes lit up, darting back and forth between the two of them.

Li Zhi’an glanced at Jiang Weiran’s severed arm. "Did you cut it off?"

Cheng Xi smiled. "Yes. If you break an engagement, you have to pay a price. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to swallow this resentment."

Jiang Boyu and his men were stunned by her words. The eldest son of the Duke of Zhen, the heir to the Dukedom—his arm had been lopped off just like that? Wasn't she afraid the Duke of Zhen’s estate would come for her?

*Wait,* they thought, *if his arm is cut off, why is he still fawning over her and buying her food? Didn't they break off the engagement? Is this how one acts after an engagement is broken? What exactly is their relationship?*

Li Zhi’an frowned slightly at the two bizarre individuals and stood up. "Let’s go."

"Yes, my Lord." Jiang Boyu nodded immediately. After walking a few steps, he turned back and said to the two, "If you get any news about the Four-Eyed Demon Fox, you must report it to the Ministry of Heaven."

Cheng Xi blinked. She hadn't expected them to leave just like that. Had she been judging them too harshly? It was just that their Chief didn't seem like a good person.

Cheng Xi let out a long breath and looked at Jiang Weiran. "When are you leaving?"

Jiang Weiran didn't answer. He pushed the food on the table toward her. "Eat."

"If you go back now, your arm might still be reattachable. Are you sure you aren't going back?" Cheng Xi said offhandedly.

"What? A severed arm can be reattached?" Jiang Weiran nearly jumped up.

Li Zhi’an, who had just reached the bottom of the stairs, heard this and paused, then turned around and headed back up.