After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

Upon hearing the sound, both the old lady and Liu Ruyan showed surprise and turned to look at Fang Xiaoran's location.

Seeing them looking over, Fang Xiaoran casually walked towards them, tossing the willow-leaf dart in her hand and catching it steadily. The cold light flowed between her fingers, making her eyebrows and eyes appear even more sharp.

"What, are you surprised to see me?" Fang Xiaoran smiled faintly, her gaze sweeping over Liu Ruyan casually. Her voice sounded calm, yet carried an irresistible authority. She said, "Why did you bring him to the Fang family?"

Liu Ruyan's heart trembled slightly, her fingertips quivered, and then she clenched her fists tightly, but on the surface she wore a light smile, "I don't understand what you mean by that, sister. Although I now have the surname Liu, my grandmother is still my grandmother. Does that mean that even if you don't want to come back, you can't allow me to come back and visit?"

"I don't care about your affairs with the Fang family, but since you tried to pry into my business, don't blame me." The words had barely left his mouth when a cold, icy dart suddenly pressed against Liu Ruyan's slender neck. Startled, Liu Ruyan turned deathly pale and cried out, "You, what do you want to do? Grandmother, Grandmother, save me..."

Upon hearing Fang Xiaoran's voice, the old lady felt nothing but bitterness. So many things had happened recently, especially the Fang family's situation, which was getting worse and worse, while Fang Xiaoran was riding high. This made the old lady unsure how to face her granddaughter.

The old lady opened her mouth but couldn't make a sound. Liu Ruyan's screams lingered in her ears. She didn't know what had happened and couldn't see it. She could only guess. She had seen Fang Xiaoran's martial arts skills with her own eyes. Even Fang Huaihong and Fang Zhengyong were no match for her. How could Liu Ruyan, a weak woman, possibly do anything to her?

The old lady immediately shouted, "Ran'er, let her go! No matter what, she's still your sister...!"

"Is the old lady still thinking of her? It seems I've been meddlesome. She deserves to be bad for the Fang family." Fang Xiaoran chuckled, pushing the dart forward slightly. The tip pierced Liu Ruyan's skin, drawing out scarlet blood. Liu Ruyan gasped in pain, then screamed, her voice sounding exceptionally shrill.

"Ran'er, be forgiving when you can."

"Madam, this is my business, it has nothing to do with you."

After saying that, Fang Xiaoran grabbed Liu Ruyan and walked out with a cold look in her eyes. Liu Ruyan was no match for her and could not move at all. This made Liu Ruyan very scared and panicked. But no matter how she struggled, it was useless and she could only be forcibly taken away.

The old lady, who couldn't see the specifics clearly, was pale and her voice trembled slightly. "Ran'er, wait, I have something to tell you."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xiaoran stopped in her tracks, but did not turn around. She simply said calmly, "Go ahead."

Her voice was unusually cold, devoid of any emotion.

Faced with Fang Xiaoran's indifference and aloofness, the old lady felt a chill in her heart and for a moment did not know how to speak.

Seeing that she remained silent, Fang Xiaoran took a step to leave. The old lady keenly noticed this and immediately said, "The Fang family is still your family. All the past is in the past. If she wants to, she can come back anytime, and we can all catch up..."

After saying this, the old lady, though blind, kept staring at Fang Xiaoran, waiting for her reply.

Fang Xiaoran remained calm, unmoved by the words. She had long seen through the Fang family and would not change her mind because of the old lady's words.

"No need." With those words, Fang Xiaoran left with her entourage, leaving no trace. It wasn't until a cold wind blew that the old lady suddenly realized she was gone. She slowly backed away, groped her way to sit down, and sighed deeply, "Indeed, it's all over..."

"Let me go, Fang Xiaoran! What do you want? This is the Fang family home, and I am the daughter of the Liu family. If I die in your hands, the Liu family will not let you off!" Liu Ruyan was tightly gripped by Fang Xiaoran, and alarm bells were ringing in her mind. Fearing that something unexpected might happen, she could only grit her teeth and threaten.

Unfortunately, these threatening words had no effect whatsoever; when would Fang Xiaoran ever be afraid of such things?

Just then, Chu Qi and Chu San emerged from the shadows and pushed out a person dressed in black robes. "Master, we have subdued this person."

The moment she saw that person, Liu Ruyan's expression changed drastically. "You, how did you know Master would be here..."

At this point, she suddenly covered her lips, wanting to take back what she had just said, but it was too late.

"It seems my guess was right. You have something he needs. The Prince of Duan will flee after his defeat, but he won't abandon you," Fang Xiaoran said calmly, her voice still icy. Liu Ruyan felt a chill run down her spine. She looked at Fang Xiaoran in horror and said sharply, "So the person you're looking for isn't me at all, but Master... you..."

"Come with me." Fang Xiaoran ignored Liu Ruyan, casually tossing her to the third-year student, and then slowly walked to her master's side.

The man was wearing a cloak, his entire face hidden in shadow, so his features were obscured and his expression was unknown.

Just as Fang Xiaoran approached, a cold glint shot out. The man suddenly raised his head, and a short blade coated with venom stabbed at Fang Xiaoran. Fang Xiaoran noticed it immediately and quickly dodged, then used her palm as a blade to strike at the man.

Seeing this, the man flicked his wide sleeves, and a large number of black Gu worms flew out from his sleeves. Fang Xiaoran's eyes sharpened, and a silvery-white light appeared around her. In one night, she devoured the large number of black Gu worms completely.

"This...you, you really are...a descendant of the Yan family!" The cold wind blew the cloak off the man's head, revealing a pale face. He looked at Fang Xiaoran in horror, unable to calm down for a long time.

"Take him away." Fang Xiaoran didn't want to say more and immediately ordered. Chu Wu made his move immediately, but this time, without the Gu worms, he was no match for Chu Wu and could only let him take him down.

Liu Ruyan was completely devastated. She thought her master would have a way to deal with Fang Xiaoran, but she didn't expect him to be subdued in an instant. As for her, there was no way she could escape.

The night wind howled, rustling the leaves and sending chills down one's spine.

Fang Huaihong was practicing his shooting in the courtyard when he felt a cold glint sweep past. He rushed out immediately, only to see Fang Xiaoran's departing figure.

In the past, he would have chased after him without hesitation, but now he has become extremely calm and is no longer as impetuous as before.

More importantly, he felt that catching up would be pointless, firstly because he was no match for Fang Xiaoran.

Fang Xiaoran took the master and apprentice back to the princess's mansion and interrogated them.

Liu Ruyan remained silent and refused to speak. Fang Xiaoran, not wanting to waste time, used the Gu Spirit Secret Technique on her directly, forcing Liu Ruyan to speak even though she was unwilling.

From Liu Ruyan, Fang Xiaoran learned about her past experiences and how she met her master. She also learned that the plague in Rongcheng was caused by her.

That plague killed countless people and nearly destroyed the entire city, all because of Liu Ruyan's hatred for her.

This infuriated Fang Xiaoran. Although she was not a person with excessive sympathy, the lives of the people in the city were so innocent, and Liu Ruyan was far too contemptuous of others' lives.

Awakening from the secret technique, Liu Ruyan's eyes still held a lingering hatred. She sneered, "Don't put on that resentful and regretful look. Those people all died because of you. If it weren't for you, why would I have attacked Rongcheng?"

"I never expected you to hate me so deeply, even to the point of killing so many people. Liu Ruyan, you have only yourself to blame for what you have done. But the people of Rongcheng are innocent. You must pay the price for this."

Fang Xiaoran looked calmly at Liu Ruyan. These words made Liu Ruyan realize the situation was dire. She said in terror, "What do you want to do? Fang Xiaoran, all of this started because of you! Even if you kill me, what good will it do? Those who died can't come back. You want to see me die a horrible death? Even in death, I will curse you. If you hadn't driven me to this point, why would I do this…?"

"I never forced you."

"No? You know my birth, you know my past, those unbearable memories, scars I don't want to talk about. And you, and Master Bai, tried to expose this and tell Grandmother. How could I tolerate that? How could I..."

"You're not even willing to admit your past? That's ridiculous. Also, your maternal grandfather never intended to threaten you. That letter wasn't written by him. You were sincere towards him. He didn't know you were kicked out of the Bai family back then, and he even looked for you afterward."

"You're talking nonsense! You're talking nonsense! Don't try to fool me with these fake stories. You're all liars, all liars!"

Liu Ruyan covered her ears in despair, unwilling to listen to what Fang Xiaoran had to say.

Seeing that she was emotionally broken down but still looked calm and showed no remorse, Fang Xiaoran said indifferently, "If you make a mistake, you have to pay the price."

As she spoke, Fang Xiaoran revealed her silver needles. Liu Ruyan realized something was wrong and asked in a trembling voice, "What... what are you going to do?"

"I'm not going to do anything, I'm just letting you experience the pain that the people of Rongcheng suffered from the plague back then." As soon as she finished speaking, Fang Xiaoran's fingertips twitched slightly, and several silver needles were instantly injected into Liu Ruyan's body.

A series of excruciating pains spread instantly. She looked up at Fang Xiaoran in disbelief, crimson blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. "Aren't you afraid that this plague will spread again?"

"No, this disease is just related to the epidemic, but it will only circulate in your body and will not be transmitted to others."

"Liu Ruyan, no, it should be Fang Xiaoqi, enjoy your remaining time."

"Fang Xiaoran, you're a madman! I hate you, I hate you!!"

Liu Ruyan's voice was completely cut off as the door closed.