After being reborn, I went on a killing spree in the imperial court.

Cen Yin walked past them expressionlessly, as if it had nothing to do with her. Just as Fan Qingli was about to chase after Cen Yin, Xue Xiqiong grabbed him from behind, and the two became entangled in a struggle.

"Don't leave! You're not allowed to leave!"

Fan Qingli impatiently shook her off, "Alright! How did you end up here? What are you doing in a place like this, a woman like you?"

"Of course we're worried about you. Liucheng is so dangerous; we're afraid something might happen to you. Your father is also very worried about you!"

"I never expected to see you here with such a shady woman..."

Xue Xiqiong gritted her teeth and said unwillingly.

"Is Mei'er alone in the manor?"

"Your Highness, you just mentioned Mei'er. What happened to Mei'er?"

"Do you know how to care about her now?"

"Ask her what she did!" Cao Yuan narrowed her eyes, her gaze filled with malice, and pointed fiercely at the instigator beside her.

Fan Qingli froze, rooted to the spot, with a sense of foreboding.

"Qiong'er, what happened? What's wrong with Mei'er? Did you come with Mei'er?" Fan Qingli asked anxiously, his deep eyes fixed on Xue Xiqiong in front of him.

“Qingli…is…” Xue Xiqiong lowered her head slightly, biting her lower lip, seemingly hesitant, her eyes flickering. She licked her slightly dry lips, but still did not speak.

Seeing this, Fan Qingli became even more anxious. He grabbed Xue Xiqiong's slender arm tightly and shook it vigorously, his voice unconsciously rising a few decibels, "Tell me quickly! What's wrong with Mei'er?"

The next moment, Xue Xiqiong's eyes darted around, and she looked up to meet his eyes, saying, "Qingli, we... were robbed on the road! Xuemei was captured by the bandits while trying to save me."

"Bandits? Where did you meet these bandits? Why are you the only one who came back?"

"I...I was so scared! I didn't know anything..."

“I saw Xuemei being captured by a group of bandits. She told me to run away quickly, and I didn’t abandon her.”

"Mountain bandits? A bandit's den?!" Fan Qingli felt his ears ringing, as if countless bees were buzzing in his mind. As a man who had personally participated in bandit suppression operations, he knew all too well what would happen if a woman was kidnapped and taken to a bandit's den!

The thought of Luo Xuemei in that kind of place filled Fan Qingli with intense regret and anger. He glared fiercely at Xue Xiqiong, his voice trembling slightly with emotion, "Xue Xiqiong, why didn't you tell me about something so important sooner! Every day you delayed, she suffered more hardship and torment!"

Faced with Fan Qingli's questioning, she retorted defiantly, "You're not even here! How am I supposed to tell you! I've been here for days, and you've been with other women!"

Xue Xiqiong completely absolved herself of any wrongdoing and didn't feel it was her fault at all.

Xue Xiqiong gripped Fan Qingli's arm tightly, nestled in his embrace, and said softly, "I was so scared when Qingli encountered the bandits! I wanted to find you as soon as possible, but you weren't here!"

Fan Qingli immediately pushed her away, "No! Your Highness, I must borrow troops to find her!"

Hearing this, Fan Qingli was still considered to be a man of principle.

"Qiong'er, where did you encounter the bandits? Didn't you take the official road?"

"It's on the road to Liucheng! Xuemei said she wanted to see you sooner and insisted on taking the back road."

"Qingli, don't worry, Xuemei knows martial arts, she should be fine." It was unclear whether she was comforting Fan Qingli or herself.

Fan Qingli shook her head, "Her skills are nowhere near those of those ruthless bandits!"

"You too, how long have you been here? Why didn't you tell them you were looking for someone?" Fan Qingli pushed Xue Xiqiong away.

"No need to look anymore! Luo Xuemei is already dead!" Cao Yuan said calmly, but her unwavering words struck the hearts of everyone present like a heavy hammer.

Upon hearing this, Fan Qingli and Xue Xiqiong's faces instantly showed extreme shock, and they exclaimed in unison, "What!?"

His voice was filled with disbelief and fear.

Fan Qingli rushed to Cao Yuan, her emotions running high, and grabbed her sleeve tightly, asking anxiously, "Your Highness, how...how could you know about this? There must be a mistake, it's impossible! How could Mei'er be dead?" Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment.

Xue Xiqiong, standing to the side, was also deathly pale, her body trembling slightly as she murmured to herself, "Dead, really dead?"

Xue Xiqiong's look of disappointment and shock quickly turned into a hint of triumph. She's dead! Great, now no one's competing with me for Qingli.

"No! Your Highness, I want to see him alive or dead! I want to see his body!" Fan Qingli cried out hoarsely, clutching the prince's robe tightly, his face streaked with tears, his eyes filled with despair and pleading.

Cao Yuan looked at him coldly and said mercilessly, "Do you think there would be any intact corpse left in that vicious bandit den? Stop daydreaming!"

Upon hearing this, Fan Qingli was struck dumb, kneeling on the ground. He clenched his fists tightly and pounded them against the hard ground again and again, each punch using all his strength, as if this could alleviate the pain in his heart.

"Mei'er! Mei'er... my Mei'er! It's all my fault, I'm the one who hurt you! If it weren't for me, if you hadn't given me the amulet, how could you have gotten into this mess? It's all my fault!" Fan Qingli cried out in despair, calling out her beloved's name repeatedly. Her voice grew more and more mournful, echoing across the desolate wilderness, a sound that broke the hearts of all who heard it.

"Tonight is the seventh day after Luo Xuemei's death. Do you think she will come back for revenge?"

Cao Yuan stared straight at Xue Xiqiong, who looked away guiltily, her eyes darting around.

Late at night.

The candlelight inside Xue Xiqiong's room was extinguished by a gust of cold wind from outside.

Xue Xiqiong trembled and was suddenly awakened, sitting up in bed.

Looking around, it was pitch black and eerily quiet.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew the door open, and the sound of the wind, like a woman's scream, lingered in Xue Xiqiong's ears.

Xue Xiqiong leaned back slightly, mustering her courage, and said, "Who is it! Don't try to scare me!"

She suddenly remembered what Cao Yuan had said earlier that day and thought, "Could it really be that strange? Luo Xuemei was harmed by bandits, not me!"

“Xue Xiqiong…Xue Xiqiong…”

A familiar voice rang in her ears.

"Xue Xiqiong, my body hurts so much! Xue Xiqiong..."

A woman dressed in white with black hair floated in from outside.

"what!"