Chapter Forty-Five: Hostage
Li Yuxi carefully scrutinized Chu Bing’s expression, but the young woman before him wore a pleasing smile that instantly dispelled any lingering suspicion in his heart.
She was probably startled by him.
He rose to his feet, towering over Chu Bing. “You’ll rest here for now. Tomorrow, you’ll begin teaching me about formations.”
Chu Bing nodded eagerly, not daring to protest.
Only when Li Yuxi’s figure disappeared did she finally exhale in relief.
The system’s voice chimed in her mind, “Please quickly cultivate Li Haoran into a martial arts master! Otherwise, the host will face a threat of death!”
“Host, you should hurry back to the temple now.”
“Do you think I don’t want to go back? I can’t even figure out where I am, how could I return?” Chu Bing grumbled as she hurriedly moved, her feet never pausing. She opened the door and slipped into the courtyard, cautiously hiding behind the artificial rockery.
After Li Yuxi left, more than half of the servants in the courtyard had gone. Only a few scattered ones remained, standing at either end of the corridor.
She surveyed her surroundings and realized that if she wanted to leave, she would have to pass through that corridor—where the servants would surely notice her!
Chu Bing crouched low, her expression tense.
“Host, please leave here and return to the temple as soon as possible,” the system reminded her again.
Irritated but unable to silence it, Chu Bing kept a stern face, pretending she heard nothing.
“Host, in ten seconds, if you haven’t made any move, you’ll explode on the spot!”
Explode on the spot!
Those four words pressed down on Chu Bing like Mount Tai.
“Ten.”
“Nine.”
An alarm sounded in her mind. Panic crept across her face—the system wasn’t joking!
She darted out, activating her teleportation skill to its maximum. In the blink of an eye, she appeared in the corridor.
A maid stood there with her back to Chu Bing. Chu Bing teleported behind her, pressing a hidden weapon against the maid’s neck.
“Ah!” The maid jumped in fright, screaming.
“Quiet! If you take me out, I’ll let you go unharmed!” Chu Bing anxiously clamped a hand over the maid’s mouth.
But the scream had already summoned the nearby servants.
Within moments, Chu Bing found herself surrounded by servants wielding weapons.
Her face grew pale—this was bad!
---
“Miss?” The servants who had seen Chu Bing return with Li Yuxi exchanged incredulous glances. One bowed and quietly slipped away to inform Li Yuxi.
The guest their master brought back was now holding his maid hostage!
Chu Bing’s face was livid. She had only intended to control a maid and have her lead the way out; she hadn’t expected things to escalate so dramatically. Now, everyone in the courtyard was converging on her!
Her escape was impossible now.
She cursed the system inwardly, “Why did you have to rush me? Now look, I can’t get away!”
The system’s cold voice sounded, “Host, please hurry back to the temple, or you’ll face the punishment of exploding on the spot.”
Chu Bing’s heart raced. She dared not test whether the system’s threat was real or not; she had to find a way to escape this dreadful place quickly!
Her eyes darted around, then she shouted loudly, “Move aside, or I’ll kill her!”
She shoved the maid, who went pale with terror, making Chu Bing appear even more like a villain.
The surrounding servants stepped back a few paces, yet they still blocked every exit to the courtyard.
Chu Bing wanted to show them she meant business, but she couldn’t bring herself to harm the helpless maid in her grasp.
After all, the woman was unarmed and innocent—Chu Bing could not commit senseless slaughter.
During the stalemate, a tall figure strode over, his robes billowing, his presence fierce.
“Chu Bing?” A voice rang out, laced with restrained anger.
Chu Bing’s expression changed—Li Yuxi had returned. Now it was truly impossible to escape!
She gripped her hidden weapon tightly, refusing to retreat.
“Let me out!” She tilted her chin, looking up at Li Yuxi, enunciating every word.
Li Yuxi frowned, anger rising in his chest. He had believed Chu Bing genuinely wanted to cooperate with him; now he saw how naive he’d been.
This woman had been deceiving him all along!
Li Yuxi’s face was expressionless. “Even if you kill her, I won’t let you leave.”
Chu Bing’s eyes widened as he spoke, his tone utterly indifferent. “Just a maid. If she’s gone, another will take her place.”
He cared nothing for a human life.
Chu Bing was shocked—Li Yuxi was truly cold-blooded!
But surely, his servants must be disillusioned with him now?
Perhaps, in the ensuing chaos, she’d have a better chance to escape!
---
Chu Bing scanned the servants’ faces, hopeful, but found that each looked at Li Yuxi with fervor, as if he were their savior.
Were these people mad?
“You can’t escape. There are traps everywhere in this courtyard. I advise you to surrender,” Li Yuxi said in a low voice.
Chu Bing hesitated, but the situation was too far gone to turn back.
She gritted her teeth, her dark eyes blazing with defiance. “I don’t care. Move aside!”
Li Yuxi remained motionless, stepping toward her, as if certain she wouldn’t harm the maid.
Chu Bing’s hand trembled as she gripped the hidden weapon.
She calmly surveyed her surroundings—there was not a single gap. Her escape routes were blocked at every turn.
“System, is there any way for me to get out of here?” Chu Bing pleaded once more for the system’s help.
The system replied coldly, “No.”
Frustration flared in Chu Bing’s heart. “Then I won’t leave!”
If the system hadn’t pushed her so relentlessly, she wouldn’t be in this predicament. Now, forced into a corner, the system abandoned her!
The system’s voice remained emotionless. “Eight.”
“Seven.”
It started counting down again!
Chu Bing’s panic reached its peak. She dared not gamble that the system’s threat wasn’t real.
She clenched her teeth and suddenly shoved the maid hard toward Li Yuxi. Almost every servant instinctively rushed to shield him.
Chu Bing seized the opportunity, spinning around and teleporting rapidly to different spots in the courtyard. The guards chased her, growing exhausted and slow.
She spotted a gap, instantly appearing atop the wall.
Turning slightly, she met the gaze of the tall man, his entire demeanor icy, black eyes devoid of feeling, fixed on her.
Chu Bing’s heart quivered, but she turned away without hesitation.
She had to survive.