The Princess Cannot Escape: The Cunning Prince Is Not to Be Messed With

Chapter 244 This man is mine

"How can we forget the hatred of our clan's extermination? The emperor of the previous dynasty wanted to obtain the secret formula for our clan's immortality, so he married our clan's holy maiden into the palace. However, due to our special constitution, only we ourselves can remain youthful and immortal. After the emperor discovered this, he began to abuse our holy maiden. When the clan elders found out, they jointly wrote a memorial to the emperor, but unexpectedly, this led to their deaths."

The history Mingyue recounted was completely different from what Yin Quan had seen in historical records. It was clearly their Yi tribe that was exterminated for attempting to assassinate the emperor. Mingyue turned and tore down the mural on the wall, revealing a hexagonal star reflected on the stone wall.

Mingyue continued, "Later, Qiongji and the others activated the forbidden technique. They sold their souls to protect the immortality of our Holy Maiden lineage. From then on, the Holy Maiden had no choice but to hide her identity and come to this desolate land to eke out a living. She established the Qionghai Gang. Until my sister and I were born, something strange happened in the clan. Wherever I went, it would bring disaster to the island. Before I was even eighteen, they demanded that I be executed. It was Qiongji who risked his life to save me, but from then on, he could only live in hell."

Yin Quan recalled the old woman's words and looked at Xiahou Ying with some doubt. Xiahou Ying gently shook his head, signaling her not to interrupt. Yin Quan had no choice but to swallow her doubts. Before Ming Yue could finish speaking, Xiahou Ying coldly interrupted her, "I have no interest in your clan's secrets. I just need you to do one thing for me at the Qionghai Banquet in three days."

Mingyue hesitated for a moment, "What is it?"

"Hold a banquet in the plum grove and summon all the leaders of the three gangs and six academies."

Mingyue gritted her teeth and said, "Are you trying to wipe out the Qionghai Gang?"

Xiahou Ying remained unmoved, like a ruthless god of death.

“You are a rabble that should have been eradicated long ago. It is a blessing that you have been spared until today.”

Mingyue was a little annoyed, but she still gritted her teeth and agreed. The three of them briefly discussed the details. Yin Quan wandered around the room out of boredom. When she glanced at the portrait on the stone wall, it suddenly looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen it before.

It wasn't until Xiahou Ying returned to her side that she snapped out of her daze. "What were you looking at so intently?"

Yin Quan shook her head. "I feel like that painting on the wall looks familiar, but I can't remember where I've seen it before."

Xiahou Ying patted her head. "You're still injured, go back and rest. Once things are done in three days, we'll leave immediately."

Gu Lounan pouted, looking unwilling. "If you two run off together, leaving me all alone, I'd rather stay on this island and be favored by the island lord."

Xiahou Ying raised an eyebrow. "If this is the Grand Preceptor's wish, I will certainly petition the Emperor to grant it."

Gu Lounan hurriedly shook his head, "I was just saying that, Your Highness, you don't need to take it seriously, you don't need to take it seriously..."

Watching the two of them joking around, Yin Quan couldn't help but chuckle, but for some reason, she had a bad feeling.

Three days later, the plum grove, covered in a thin layer of snow, had a unique charm. Mingyue had always loved red, so bright red lanterns were hung throughout the plum grove, creating a festive atmosphere reminiscent of the Lunar New Year. The Qionghai Gang, which had dominated the coast for many years and had no fewer than ten thousand members, were gathered together, making for a lively scene.

Yin Quan appeared at the table as Mingyue's maid, her emerald green dress clashing in stark contrast to the bright red setting. Mingyue reclined on the white tiger-skin couch, drinking cup after cup of wine, her eyes already showing a dazed look.

Gu Lounan knelt at her feet, his hands resting on the long zither. His fiery red mink cloak made him appear even more otherworldly. The flowing notes danced on his fingertips like flames burning in winter, captivating all who looked away.

People passing by bowed to Mingyue from time to time. Among them was a woman with a colorful brocade headband and eyes like copper bells. Her heroic figure made Yin Quan turn his head. She knelt down to Mingyue with great pride and said loudly, "Greetings, Island Lord. It has been three years since I last saw you. You are still as elegant as ever. Even your attendants are extraordinary."

The woman made no attempt to hide her admiration for Gu Lounan.

Gu Lounan seemed to notice something different about the woman as well. He glanced up at her, his beautiful eyes instantly becoming alluring. The woman froze on the spot, and Gu Lounan couldn't help but laugh. The woman's cheeks suddenly flushed red, making her look like a ripe apple, exceptionally tempting.

Mingyue smiled meaningfully, "What, has Lord Qin Shang taken a fancy to me as his attendant? I'll reward you after the banquet."

Qin Shang hurriedly waved his hands, "No, no, no... How could I dare to ask the islander for people!"

Gu Lounan looked at Mingyue with a reproachful expression, "Island Lord is so biased, how could you be so willing to part with someone like that!"

Mingyue handed over an empty wine glass, which Yin Quan quickly filled. "Now that almost everyone is here, let's begin the highlight I've prepared for everyone this year."

Mingyue clapped her hands twice, and the music played by Gu Lounan suddenly changed, pouring out a piece called "High Mountains and Flowing Water." Everyone present couldn't help but put down their wine cups.

The plum blossoms in the forest moved swiftly without wind, their petals fluttering and dancing in the air. The gentle fragrance of the plum blossoms was invigorating, and Yin Quan let out a comfortable breath. A melodious flute tune drifted from the sky, and everyone looked in the direction of the sound. Above the plum grove, Xiahou Ying, dressed in white, stood like a celestial being descended to earth, perched on a plum branch. The jade flute and white robes reflected in the plum blossoms, creating a beautiful landscape painting, as if the goddess Luo had descended to earth.

Even Yin Quan almost dropped the wine pot in her hand. Ming Yue narrowed her eyes slightly and tightened her grip on the wine cup. It would be a lie to say that she didn't want this man, but she also knew all too well that she couldn't afford such a man.

Looking at all the women in the room who were eyeing Xiahou Ying, Yin Quan felt like she was drooling. She wanted to grab a broom and chase them all out.

The sound of the zither and jade flute was captivating, and as the music ended, Xiahou Ying descended from the plum blossom. The flute lay horizontally at his waist, his face still bearing the haughty indifference of a prince. Suddenly, someone in the arena exclaimed, "This is...this is Prince Duan?" A sudden uproar erupted, with whispers filling the air.

Mingyue shouted, "Shut up! He's no longer the Prince of Duan; he's just someone I have to serve."

Qin Shang interjected, "Is Prince Duan only coming to our Qionghai Gang because he couldn't make it in the court? But it makes sense; it's better for him to come to our Qionghai Gang and live a carefree life with our island lord than to be a puppet prince." These words caused an uproar, with some even clamoring to raze the court to the ground.

Several burly men downed their drinks and boomed, "Island Lord, after the Spring Festival, we are willing to lead our troops to pacify the imperial court. Then, we beg you to give us the Emperor's concubines, hahaha..."

Everyone joined in, and Xiahou Ying laughed along, his clear laughter immediately attracting everyone's attention.

"What are you laughing at? What's wrong with you?"

Xiahou Ying glanced at him sideways, completely disregarding him, "Since when did it become your place as lackeys to speak about the Qionghai Gang?"

When Xiahou Ying said these words, Yin Quan almost clapped and cheered. Such a handsome man was hers! Thinking of this, she even gave Ming Yue a provocative look. Suddenly, her knee hurt, and she staggered. Looking at Ming Yue's smug expression, Yin Quan whispered.

"It's no use being unconvinced. You're not destined for this in your life!" Mingyue's voice reached Yin Quan's ears. "Even if you are blessed, it depends on whether you have the life to enjoy it."

Yin Quan turned around, only to find that Ming Yue hadn't even moved her lips. Could this be the legendary ventriloquism? Transmitting sounds across a distance?

Just as Yin Quan was about to force Ming Yue to speak again, a scream suddenly rang out from the arena. Yin Quan looked up and saw the three men who had just been arguing with Xiahou Ying now lying in pools of blood, their hands severed, groaning in agony. Xiahou Ying's actions immediately enraged the crowd, and they all stood up, drawing their weapons, intending to teach Xiahou Ying a lesson. However, as soon as they tried to circulate their internal energy, they found that they had no strength left in their bodies.

Qin Shang looked at Ming Yue and said, "Island Master, something terrible has happened! This...this wine is poisoned!"

Yin Quan could finally throw away the wine pot in triumph. "Hmph, were you the one staring at our Prince the whole time? I'll make you remember this man today!" Yin Quan walked out of the room, patted the face of one of the plump middle-aged women, and then wiped her hands on her skirt with a look of disgust.

"Hey, Auntie, don't you usually control your oil intake? With oil this much, do you not need to buy oil for cooking anymore?" Hearing Yin Quan's strange words, Xiahou Ying's face showed a hint of doting. Although he didn't know what she meant, the phrase "this man is mine" inexplicably touched his softest heartstrings.

Gu Lounan also came running over, carrying his zither. "Little Quan Quan, this is all thanks to me, okay? If it weren't for my Demonic Sound Zither, how could they have lost all their skills!"

Qin Shang sneered, "You dare to rebel? Do you really think you can get out of this island? We have 30,000 soldiers around this island. If you surrender now, I might even grant you a proper burial."

Yin Quan curled her lip, somewhat helplessly saying, "I seriously doubt how you became a leader with your IQ. Please use your limited intelligence to think about it: if there were really only the three of us, would we still be so calm and collected? By now, your so-called 30,000 soldiers around the island would probably have been thrown into the sea to feed the fish!"

Xiahou Ying affectionately patted her head and smiled approvingly. Qin Shang was furious. "Impossible. For hundreds of years, the Qionghai Gang has been hiding their whereabouts with a single formation. How could they let outsiders like you find them so easily?"

Yin Quan pointed at Mingyue, "Since it's a secret on your island, then we should ask your island lord about it."

Only then did everyone turn their attention to Mingyue. "Island Lord? Could it be... Island Lord, you have already been recruited by the imperial court?"

Gu Lounan shook his finger, "To be precise, it wasn't that you were recruited by the imperial court, but rather that you abandoned your Qionghai Gang."

Gu Lounan's words immediately ignited everyone's anger: "Island Lord, you dare to violate the ancestral precepts passed down from thousands of years ago, aren't you afraid of retribution?"

Mingyue smiled bitterly, "Ancestral precepts? Haven't I been harmed enough by ancestral precepts in my life? But don't worry, I will be with you whether you live or die. Since I was born as your island lord, I will take responsibility for you even in death."

Qin Shang looked grief-stricken. "Island Master, why are you doing this? We all know that the suffering you have endured over the years is beyond what ordinary people can imagine. But the Qionghai Gang cannot be destroyed. Even if we fight to the last drop of strength, we will never surrender."