Chapter 136: Futile

She slightly adjusted her position, making the blood-stained leg even more conspicuous.

The feeling of wearing nothing beneath the uniform made her uneasy, but at this moment, none of that mattered.

Even though Ye Lan had previously ordered the Nightfall Guards to hunt her down, that was only because she had tried to escape.

Now, the “wounded” her was the perfect bait—Ye Lan would definitely come in person.

Li Xin held her breath inside the tree hollow, peering through the carefully crafted shooting hole to observe everything outside.

Her fingers lightly caressed the trigger of the gun, feeling the cold touch of the metal.

Sweat trickled down her forehead, but her gaze remained sharp as a blade.

In the distance, the roar of an engine shattered the silence of the Forest.

Mu Xi’s body tensed slightly, but she controlled herself from looking toward the source of the sound.

The noise grew nearer, piercing through the dense barrier of trees.

A black, compact armored vehicle stopped at the edge of the Forest.

The door opened, and Ye Lan’s slender figure appeared in sight.

She wore a fitted black leather suit that accentuated her flawless curves.

Her long hair fluttered gently in the breeze, and her phoenix eyes gleamed with a dangerous light.

Over a dozen fully armed Nightfall Guards surrounded her, clad in purple uniforms, expressionless, their weapons gleaming coldly in their hands.

Ye Lan raised her hand, signaling them to stay put.

The Nightfall Guards responded in unison, then dispersed to keep watch around.

Ye Lan strode alone toward Mu Xi, every step full of grace and confidence, as if the entire Forest was her domain.

Mu Xi heard the footsteps draw closer and immediately bowed her head, burying her face in her arms.

Her body began to tremble, breathing heavily, perfectly playing the role of an injured and terrified fugitive.

She could feel Ye Lan’s gaze land on her, as tangible as if it had substance, making her skin sting.

Li Xin inside the hollow watched the scene, her finger gently resting on the trigger.

She adjusted her breathing, syncing her heartbeat with the rhythm of the Forest.

Ye Lan’s figure drew nearer with each step, making Li Xin’s aim more precise.

Without giving Ye Lan a chance to speak, Li Xin pulled the trigger.

Her eyes held no hesitation at that moment.

The gunshot thundered through the Forest as the bullet pierced Ye Lan’s temple with deadly precision, blood and brain matter splattering in the air.

That once proud face still carried an expression of shock, the phoenix eyes wide open, seemingly unable to believe that her life would end this way.

Ye Lan’s body collapsed backward like a puppet with cut strings, the dark red blood rapidly spreading across her black leather suit.

Li Xin leapt from the tree hollow, moving with the agility of a leopard.

She scooped Mu Xi up, feeling the trembling of the person in her arms, and without a pause, dashed deeper into the Forest.

Mu Xi’s silver-white hair fluttered in the wind, the bloodstains on her purple uniform glaring starkly in the sunlight.

“Success!” Mu Xi whispered softly in Li Xin’s embrace, her voice trembling with excitement.

Ye Lan was dead.

The demon who treated her like a pet, forced her into daily Medicine Baths, and fed her Chun Medicine had finally fallen.

A faint smile curved on Li Xin’s lips, but the next second, her expression twisted abruptly.

A muffled thud sounded from behind, and a tearing, searing pain exploded in Li Xin’s right leg.

Her steps faltered, balance lost, causing Mu Xi to fall from her arms.

Mu Xi landed heavily on the ground, a sharp pain radiating through her back and waist, forcing a muffled groan.

Struggling, she lifted her head to see Li Xin lying on the ground, a black crossbow bolt piercing her right leg, blood dripping along the shaft onto the soil.

Li Xin gritted her teeth and tried to grasp the bolt to pull it out, but the barbs on the arrowhead made every movement agonizing.

Sweat slid down her forehead, soaking her neat black short hair, the pain and unwillingness mingling in her eyes.

Before Mu Xi could crawl over to Li Xin’s side, over a dozen fully armed Nightfall Guards burst out from the surrounding bushes.

Their purple uniforms gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and their weapons all pointed sharply at the two on the ground.

Watching this, a mixture of despair and fury swelled in Mu Xi’s heart.

She shouted recklessly, “Shoot! Shoot! Ye Lan’s already dead—go ahead and finish me off!”

Her voice echoed through the Forest, her eyes flickering with resolute determination.

For her, even if she couldn’t escape with her life, dying alongside Ye Lan would be a kind of release—at least avenging the original owner of this body.

Li Xin struggled to turn her head toward Mu Xi, her eyes full of apology and unwillingness.

She reached out, trying to touch Mu Xi’s face, but the distance was too great.

The encircling Nightfall Guards tightened, their gun barrels like black holes of death, mercilessly watching them.

At the moment despair enveloped the two, a familiar voice shattered the silence of the Forest.

“Who said I’m dead?”

Mu Xi and Li Xin both turned their heads.

Ye Lan, clad in the purple uniform of the Nightfall Guards, stepped slowly out from the shadows of the trees.

Light filtered through the leaves, casting onto her face and making that smile appear all the more sinister.

She walked up to them, looking down from above.

“Killing a mere substitute is worth celebrating so much?”

Those words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Mu Xi and Li Xin.

The earlier joy of victory instantly vanished, replaced by boundless fear and despair.

They had been toyed with by Ye Lan all along; the one who fell was nothing but a meticulously planned trap.

She had long since disguised herself as one of the guards, quietly watching the spectacle.

Mu Xi felt a stabbing pain in her chest, struggling for breath.

Her fingers dug deep into the soil, nails breaking, blood seeping out.

Li Xin glared at Ye Lan, the fury in her eyes nearly burning her opponent alive.

“Kill me!” Mu Xi gritted her teeth, her voice trembling but resolute.

“Since you know everything, just kill me already!”

A flicker of amusement appeared in Ye Lan’s eyes as she slowly crouched down, her slender fingers gripping Mu Xi’s delicate neck.

Mu Xi could feel the warmth and pressure of those fingers, as if they could crush her throat at any moment.

“I originally planned to kill you,” Ye Lan’s voice was soft as a lover’s whisper, sending chills down Mu Xi’s spine, “but my Nightfall Guards have been hunting you for so long, and you’re still alive. That means fate doesn’t want you dead—you have to live.”

Her gaze shifted to Li Xin.

“As for Li Xin…”

She drew a silver gun from her waist, the black muzzle aimed directly at Li Xin’s head.

Mu Xi’s heart nearly stopped, her blood freezing in her veins.

Seemingly enjoying Mu Xi’s reaction, Ye Lan slowly lowered the gun, from Li Xin’s neck, down to her abdomen, and finally resting on her thigh.

“Bang! Bang!”

Two shots echoed through the Forest, startling a flock of birds into flight.

Bullets pierced Li Xin’s legs, blood spurting out and staining the surrounding grass red.

She closed her eyes tightly, teeth clenched, making no sound, but the bulging veins on her forehead and trembling body revealed the agony she endured.

Mu Xi tried to rush forward but was held back by two Nightfall Guards.

She could only watch helplessly as Li Xin writhed in pain.

Ye Lan stood up and ordered the guards beside her, “Carry her away. Both legs must go. Bring her back for amputation immediately to prevent infection.”

Those words pierced Mu Xi’s heart like a sword.

Her expression twisted instantly, tears flowing uncontrollably.

She had dragged Li Xin into this—Li Xin would lose both legs because of her.

The one who took bullets for her, helped her escape, and was willing to betray Ye Lan would become crippled because of her.

Ye Lan bent down, cold fingers stroking Mu Xi’s wet cheeks, wiping away her tears.

“I love this expression on you the most,” Ye Lan said with sickening satisfaction.

“Pain, guilt, despair—such a beautiful combination.”

Mu Xi lifted her head, hatred in her eyes nearly taking physical form.

Ye Lan smiled and suddenly raised her hand, delivering a punch to Mu Xi’s temple.

Darkness swallowed Mu Xi’s consciousness instantly.

She collapsed into the bloodied mud, the last thing she saw was the look of apology and unwillingness in Li Xin’s eyes as she was dragged away.