Threat

Face to face, Shang Nianhua suddenly looked up, the curtains of her eyelashes sweeping upward in a flash as her wide eyes fixed upon Han Qingyu. That look lingered for quite a while... Yet she didn't lower her head afterward. Without uttering a single word, she simply turned aside in silence, presenting only her profile to Han Qingyu. Inexplicably, the scene projected an impression akin to *You've hurt me*. "If you mean to say you've never heard of me... I might feel a little awkward, but I won't mind," Han Qingyu remarked with a faint smile. Still keeping her face turned away, Shang Nianhua lightly bit her lower lip, appearing somewhat annoyed. "I've heard of you," she said sulkily. As she spoke, her expression matched her tone, giving off the impression that she had suffered a terrible grievance. Shang Nianhua truly had heard the name Han Qingyu. The Shang clan kept operatives in the City of Iniquity and maintained ties with a number of active members of the Self-Preservation Faction. Consequently, she was broadly familiar with his name and his deeds, and her impression was far from shallow. At this moment, comparing the figure of legend with the young man standing before her... it really had to be him. Shang Nianhua simply never imagined things could be so coincidental, that she would cross paths with that name so abruptly... Talk about terrible luck! "Look at that charm. Tsk, tsk... Too bad it's completely wasted. Sigh." Standing to the side, Wen Jifei muttered quietly to the two beside him, "That one's blind, big sister." He Tangtang nodded. "Exactly. What a waste." At a glance, Shang Nianhua's face and figure appeared to be in her thirties, brimming with allure and feminine charm. She was precisely He Tangtang's favorite type—the very best of the bunch—far more enchanting than that doctor lady from last time. "Just from the charm she showed in those few seconds, honestly, if she acted coquettish with a regular in a nightclub, she could empty a man's wallet on the spot." Liu Shiheng added his appraisal from a seasoned perspective. On the other side, Han Qingyu said calmly, "What a coincidence then." "Yes! What a coincidence! Coincidental to death!" Shang Nianhua snapped out, pausing between every few words. After a couple seconds, she turned her head back, hesitated, and said, "Does Han... does the young officer have a rule against killing women?" "Coincidentally, no," Han Qingyu said. Yet Shang Nianhua kept her eyes fixed on him. "Don't waste your expressions, sister," Wen Jifei chimed in from a short distance away, unable to watch any longer. "It's useless. He means what he says." "Oh." Without displaying any embarrassment, Shang Nianhua adjusted her demeanor, stepped aside, and sat down on a chair. Once seated properly, she said, "Then let's begin the negotiation." "The chair is rather dirty." "It doesn't matter." "Very well. But in truth, I've already stated my terms. That piece of bone your family holds, plus information on the He clan... in exchange for the four of your lives." "My family doesn't have it. The He clan does." Shang Nianhua tilted her face up to look at Han Qingyu. "Truly, I'm not lying to you." "I believe you," Han Qingyu said with a nod. "Mm, thank you. Then—" "Take me to search for it." "..." In all her life, Shang Nianhua had never encountered a man who showed such a total lack of manners before her. Her eyes flashed with resentment. "The Shang clan's foundation isn't here." "No matter. We can go later, or you can have someone bring it over." Between the impressions formed back at the Nepal trial grounds, the Self-Preservation Faction's habitual fence-sitting, and their constant underhanded schemes, Han Qingyu held not the slightest shred of goodwill toward them. Naturally, there was no reason to show mercy. Rather than dwelling on the matter, Shang Nianhua cut straight to the point. "And for now?" "First, tell me the He clan's location to prove your sincerity." Shang Nianhua pondered for a moment. *Sincerity? A good-faith transaction then?* After some thought, she asked, "And after that?" "We take you back to our garrison, of course," Han Qingyu replied. Shang Nianhua ground her teeth. "We have no conflict with Azure." "You do... You joined forces with the He clan and the Yu clan to launch a sneak attack on Azure's supply depot." Shang Nianhua froze. "We didn't—" "You did." Han Qingyu turned his head, gesturing toward the photographs on the table. "You really did." "..." It was utterly exasperating. She couldn't beat him in a fight, couldn't charm him, and despite being a fine young man and a heroic youth, he possessed no principles whatsoever and acted entirely like a rogue. Shang Nianhua cast Han Qingyu a final glance. "You'd better just kill us." With that, she lowered her head and fell silent. Shang Nianhua was gambling—gambling that Han Qingyu wouldn't kill them, because he... surely wouldn't want to forfeit information on the He clan. As long as she held her tongue, she had bargaining power. During that brief moment while she kept her head bowed in silence, near the staircase landing, Que Qingshang seemed finally unable to bear it any longer. She suddenly blurted out, "Who is he, Godmother?! Why are we so scared of him?! Call everyone outside in—I refuse to believe we can't fight our way out!" As she spoke, she activated her device right then and there, charging forward in a posture meant to shield her godmother and cover her retreat. Seeing this, Shen Yixiu and the others nearby didn't even move. Han Qingyu didn't turn around either; he didn't even glance at her. Standing sideways just as he was, he drew his blade with his left hand and swept it down with casual ease. Que Qingshang still carried forward momentum. She tried to dodge once, then twice, only to discover in disbelief that she couldn't evade it at all. As if guided by some uncanny force, she kept hurtling straight toward where the blade was descending... With no other choice, she brought her blade up horizontally to parry the strike. *Boom!* *Bang!* The instant the blades collided, she went flying backward through the air like a kite with a snapped string. A guard who was nearly crushed by her leaped agilely aside. After regaining his footing, he glanced back, then turned around again, quietly letting out a breath of relief. Que Qingshang slammed into the wall, tumbling to the floor amid scattered bricks and dirt. A mouthful of blood surged upward, lodging in her chest. She choked and gasped for breath, unable to utter a single word. Throughout the entire exchange, Han Qingyu had not spared her a single glance. Wen Jifei, however, was standing rather close. After a brief thought, he stepped forward, looking down at the seated Que Qingshang with a smile: "If I'm not mistaken, you seem awfully eager to get your godmother killed... Feigning madness and playing dumb like this is a bit over the top. It's too obvious, you know, little girl?" Que Qingshang looked up at him, a flicker of panic flashing in her eyes. "Did you know about this?" Wen Jifei turned around and looked directly into Shang Nianhua's eyes as she watched with deep concern. Shang Nianhua said nothing, but the look in her eyes before she could look away told Wen Jifei everything: she knew. She knew Que Qingshang was playing dumb and acting reckless, and that she desperately wanted her dead. She had probably known all along, yet despite that, she still pretended not to know and treated her just the same. "Well, there are four of them anyway. Qingzi, it won't hurt to kill one or two," Wen Jifei suggested casually as he straightened up. Playing along with his words, Han Qingyu turned his gaze over. His eyes passed over the guard. The guard looked back at him and said earnestly, "Killing me won't do any good." "Mm." Han Qingyu's gaze skimmed past him and landed on Que Qingshang, who sat on the floor. At the same time, Wen Jifei spoke: "Two people caring for and cherishing each other doesn't mean they'll definitely sacrifice their lives for one another when disaster strikes, because in the face of mortal terror, many emotions shrink into insignificance." "But if someone knows full well that a person close to them desperately wants to bring about their death, yet still pretends not to notice and treats that person kindly... then that person would willingly give up anything for them." Wen Jifei finished speaking. Que Qingshang seemed to freeze on the spot. Shang Nianhua slowly raised her head. The look in her eyes had completely changed, as though she had suddenly lost the ability and the energy to scheme and calculate. In a faint voice, she said, "I'll tell you the He clan's location first." Han Qingyu looked at her, strangely moved. Instead of continuing to press her, he nodded. "Very well."