Mu Xuehuang swallowed, though she had a thousand things to say.
But when the words reached her lips, they were like waterlogged cotton, impossible to force out-
She wanted to tell Ning Yuanzhou that this had not been her idea, but Luo Qingwan's Umbrella Sword was pressed against her throat.
The icy edge had already drawn a line of blood. With just a little more pressure, it would likely pierce her neck.
"Order them to stand down!"
Luo Qingwan screamed, her voice trembling, yet a mad light burned in her eyes.
Her other hand clamped tightly around Mu Xuehuang's wrist. "Now! Make your men lower their weapons and let Juzi Ning go! Otherwise, I'll kill you right now!"
As she spoke, she pressed the Umbrella Sword a fraction deeper.
Blood immediately trickled down Mu Xuehuang's neck.
Mu Xuehuang sucked in a breath at the pain and hastily shouted, "Stand down! All of you, stand down!"
"Ning Yuanzhou hasn't taken me hostage! We were having a perfectly good discussion. Who gave you permission to take up arms?!"
But the imperial guards in the mountain hollow stood as though rooted to the ground, their spears still aimed in unison at Ning Yuanzhou inside their encirclement.
The soldiers in the front rank even edged half a step forward, the sharp clinking of their armor especially grating in the deathly silence.
The deputy commander of the imperial guards stood at the head of the formation, his face cold as he called back, "Your Majesty, Flowing Sand is full of desperate rebels. What rebel has any business discussing matters with Your Majesty at such close quarters? They clearly harbor evil intentions!"
He paused, then added with greater emphasis, "They haven't struck yet only because they haven't found an opening! We struck first precisely to ensure