Chapter 108: Elegant Bamboo (1)

"Yazhu... That name sounds familiar, doesn't it?" Ye Chengtian muttered to himself.

"I feel like I've heard it somewhere, too," Long Anqi added, lost in thought.

"Ye Lang! Do you really not know who Yazhu is?" Zhao Yarou stared at Ye Lang, her face filled with shock and disbelief.

"I don't. Stop bothering me. Once we break out of here, you’d better give up, or you’re going to get hurt!" Ye Lang shook his head, issuing a direct warning to Zhao Yarou.

His words made his position clear: once they escaped, he had no intention of stopping Zhao Yarou from becoming Empress, nor would he support anyone else who tried. Throughout this exchange, Ye Lang never lowered his weapon, continuing his "Sweeping Thousand Armies" assault.

"Ye Lang, stop right now!" Zhao Yajie bellowed.

"Do you think I’m an idiot? Stop, so your men can chop me into mincemeat?" Ye Lang replied with utter disdain.

"Everyone, stop! Stand back!" At Zhao Yarou's command, the soldiers immediately backed away from Ye Lang, keeping a safe distance—a distance so wide that it betrayed a lingering fear of him.

"What now? I don't have time to play with you people. Can we just get this over with?" Ye Lang urged, though he stood his ground rather than pressing the attack.

While he wasn't sure what Zhao Yarou was planning, if she was willing to grant him a moment of respite, he would be a fool not to use it to recover his internal energy. The recent fighting had been taxing; every shot and every blast of compressed energy drained his reserves, though he had calculated his consumption carefully. Even if he had enough energy to make it outside and rely on alchemy instead, he wouldn't turn down an opportunity to build up his strength and improve his odds.

*Breathe in, breathe out...*

"You actually don't know who Yazhu is? If I were her, I’d pounce on you and bite you! You’ve been together for so long, and you don't even know her name?" Zhao Yarou looked at Ye Lang, her expression complex.

"?? Together for so long? Who? I don't know anyone by that name." Ye Lang looked confused.

"Silly brother, who else could it be? It’s obviously..." Ye Lanyu said with a huff. At this point, it was so glaringly obvious that it hardly needed to be stated. Of the few people who had been with Ye Lang for so long, the one named Yazhu could only be one person.

"Ye Lang! You jerk! You don't even know my name, yet you claim we’re childhood sweethearts and that I’m important to you!" The Seventh Princess’s voice rang out, filled with immense resentment. That’s right—Yazhu, Zhao Yazhu, was the name of the Seventh Princess.

"..." Ye Lang sounded rather meek. "This isn't my fault. You never told me your name..."

This reminded the Seventh Princess that she really hadn't—not once, from the time they were children until now. But she wasn't about to let her anger go; she had to exercise a woman’s prerogative—to be unreasonable!

"Just because I didn't tell you, doesn't mean you couldn't have asked!"

"I forgot... So, your name is Zhao Yazhu. It’s a very pretty name," Ye Lang said, looking a bit dazed.

"Since you think it’s pretty, you will call me by my name from now on," the Seventh Princess said with a smile, her anger dissipating as quickly as it had arrived. Perhaps it was because she had spent enough time with Ye Lang to know his character—that he never meant any harm—or perhaps she simply doted on him too much to stay mad.

Ye Lang smiled. "I think 'Little Seven' sounds better. It’s more intimate."

"Suit yourself. Call me whatever you like, as long as you’re happy!" the Seventh Princess smiled back.

"Hey, you two! Can we get a grip on the situation? We’re in the middle of a crisis, and you’re over there acting all lovey-dovey. Haven't you noticed Yazhu's current situation?" Zhao Yarou couldn't help but interject.

The Seventh Princess was being held captive, her wrists bound by shackles, with a cold, gleaming blade pressed against her throat.

"Let her go," Ye Lang said simply. It wasn't a request or a negotiation; it was a command.

"Let her go? Why would I do that without getting something in return? All the others are dead, and she is the only one left. Do you really think I’m doing this because I’m fond of her?" Zhao Yarou said coldly.

She had killed all the princes and princesses present today—her own siblings who posed a threat to the throne. She had spared only the Seventh Princess, specifically to use as a hostage in case Ye Lang proved to be a variable. She had always felt that Ye Lang wouldn't be captured so easily and that something unexpected would happen. As it turned out, her intuition was correct.

"Either let her go, or kill her," Ye Lang looked at the Seventh Princess and said, perfectly calm.

The entire room went silent. Everyone was stunned.

"Did I mishear you, or did you misspeak? You want me to kill the Seventh Princess?" Zhao Yarou pointed at the princess, doubting her own ears.

Ye Lang was silent for a moment, then said flatly, "You heard me right, and I didn't misspeak. If you don't let her go, then kill her! I know you intend to use her as a hostage to force my hand, but I will not agree to it!"

"Why? Is she really that unimportant to you? Or are you willing to abandon her just to save your own skin?" Zhao Yarou asked coldly. "We are the same, aren't we? We are both cold-blooded enough to sacrifice anything—even those closest to us—to survive."

*Is that true? Ye Lang, are you really that kind of person?*

Many might have asked that question, but the Seventh Princess herself did not. Although she often bickered with Ye Lang and accused him of playing favorites, she never once doubted his feelings for her. She believed that Ye Lang would never sacrifice her for his own survival.

"She is very important to me. If it were merely my life for hers, I would be willing. I would surrender immediately and let you do as you please! But the people you are threatening are not just me—they are my family," Ye Lang said calmly, though that calm seemed to mask a deeper, turbulent intensity.

"Even a child knows that trading one life for a group is a bad deal. So, I refuse!" Ye Lang continued. "But I am warning you: if you harm even a single hair on her head, I will make you pay tenfold. If she dies, I will drag you to the grave with her."

Ye Lang’s voice grew colder with every word, a chill that everyone present could feel, sharp as a blade, pricking at their very skin.

"Even if you become Empress, I will find a way to kill you. You might be able to hide for a moment, but can you hide for a lifetime?"