She Rebuilt Her Fallen Country With Storage Space-Chapter 216: Answer Me Before Dawn

Xiang Ying didn’t expect to encounter Jie Chen here.

So when she landed, her mind momentarily wandered from nervousness, nearly causing her to lose her balance.

Before she could make a split, Jie Chen reached out a hand and steadied her firmly.

Their brief contact ended as he quickly withdrew his hand.

Xiang Ying paused, then gave a slight cough: "Thank you..."

Jie Chen cast her a cold glance without a word, then abruptly turned his attention to the Master.

Looking at Xiang Ying’s attire, could it be that she was mistaken for Princess Xining and captured?

The thought that Xiang Ying might have been detained here all these days crossed his mind.

Jie Chen knew that she wouldn’t be maltreated, but a nameless rage still rose from the depths of his heart to his cold, dark eyes.

"Sever the tendons of his limbs," Jie Chen commanded icily, "and drag him outside. Don’t let a single bandit escape."

Acid Scholar snapped back to reality: "Yes!"

Jie Chen’s men had already surrounded the outside.

Xiang Ying was looking for a chance to flee when Jie Chen suddenly turned to her.

"Over there is a cellar, are you aware of it?"

Xiang Ying hesitated: "I had no idea..."

Jie Chen spoke evenly, his eyes without the slightest ripple.

"There are many weapons in the cellar that were plundered. If you want them, take them; if not, I’ll send someone else to deal with them."

"Of course, I want them!" Xiang Ying was immediately intrigued, "Where is it?"

Jie Chen restrained a smile from his lips, then turned to Skinny Monkey: "Keep an eye on things here."

He walked ahead, signaling Xiang Ying to follow.

They passed through buildings illuminated by layers of firelight, and by soldier after soldier.

Seeing Xiang Ying, they stared as if seeing a ghost, their eyes wide with disbelief.

How could the female prisoner who had escaped appear here?

Jie Chen indeed led Xiang Ying to a hidden cellar.

She jumped down nimbly, her tassel colliding with her head and clinking crisply.

Xiang Ying looked around – it was truly a storey upon storey of cold weapons.

Alone with Jie Chen, she hid nothing of her abilities, reaching out her hands to touch each one, tucking them all away into her space.

As she took delight in hoarding her plunder, Jie Chen remained leaning by the doorway.

He stood arms folded against the wall, his slightly drooped, cold eyes reflecting the intermittent light of the torches, casting a faint gloom.

Watching Xiang Ying busy herself, he suddenly asked, "What about the children?"

Xiang Ying, without turning, was inspecting a long blade.

She lightly flicked the edge of the blade with her finger, producing a clear sound.

How could these mere ragtag bandits have seized such fine weapons?

As Xiang Ying placed them into her space, she said, "They’re with Tao Xue."

Jie Chen’s tone was distant: "Don’t you know the closer to the Capital, the more dangerous it is? You’re comfortable leaving them alone?"

Xiang Ying replied confidently: "I came to hoard supplies, and I can’t bring them with me. Moreover, as long as they don’t go around saying I am Xiang Ying, who would know we are escaped prisoners?"

Jie Chen took a deep breath: "Did you come alone?"

Xiang Ying hummed an affirmative, paused to think, and then added, "Fengyi is with me too."

Not hearing Lu Feiyi’s name, Jie Chen couldn’t help but curl his lips, a trace of faint pleasure crossing the depths of his eyes.

"What do you plan to do next?"

Hearing this, Xiang Ying turned to look at him in silence: "You’re not planning to capture me and take me back, are you?"

Jie Chen’s expression was frosty: "Originally, I wanted to help you leave, and now I certainly won’t force you to come back with me."

Xiang Ying revealed a somewhat relieved smile.

She had already ransacked this place and was preparing to leave.

"Let’s hurry back. I don’t know where Princess Xining has gone. I am entrusted to find her, lest she meets her demise."

One becomes awkward indeed, pretending to be very busy.

Xiang Ying hastened her steps, but as she passed by Jie Chen, she noticed him subtly shifting his position, blocking her way.

"Jie Chen?" Xiang Ying raised her eyebrows slightly.

Jie Chen realized that whenever she approached, his heart would uncontrollably start pounding fiercely.

He should be watching her leave; letting her be free was the best option.

But his body was more honest in making a choice for him.

He blocked Xiang Ying’s path, his eyes swirling with complex emotions.

"I still want to know why you’re leaving."

Xiang Ying paused, falling silent.

Without hearing her answer, Jie Chen pressed: "Is it because you’re afraid I’ll ask you to marry me, afraid that refusing me would anger me, so you just left altogether, right?"

With a slight frown, Xiang Ying lifted her phoenix eyes: "I didn’t think that way."

Jie Chen’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his eyes almost brimming with liquid.

"It’s good that you didn’t think so, because I had no such intentions."

He turned his back, forcing himself not to gaze into Xiang Ying’s eyes, to avoid committing any uncontrollable act that might offend her.

Jie Chen heaved a long sigh: "I will not marry you. I merely want to thank you, and I hope you remember your words, that once you leave the Exile Team, you are you, and I am me."

Xiang Ying silently watched his retreating figure.

Jie Chen glanced sideways slightly: "Come back with me, follow my Exile Team. Not as a female prisoner, but I’ll appoint you as a Military Supervisor to manage my people."

"Once everything is settled and we return to the Capital, I’ll take you into the Imperial Palace. As for the treasures in the Emperor’s private storehouse, anything you see and wish to take, you’re free to."

Xiang Ying’s phoenix eyes widened in astonishment.

Jie Chen couldn’t be crazy, could he? To actually take her to plunder his miserly Father’s possessions?

"You... you really want to help me? But the Nanyue Emperor’s private storehouse might eventually become yours as well."

"It doesn’t matter," Jie Chen answered indifferently, "The Emperor has been unjust to me; his possessions have nothing to do with me."

Xiang Ying was clearly hesitant.

If that was the case, wouldn’t it make things even easier for her?

She had already planned to plunder, but now with Jie Chen taking her into the palace, it would be even more legitimate.

Seeing her tempted, Jie Chen said: "Take your time to think about it, but I want your answer before dawn."

Having said that, he left the cellar first.

When Xiang Ying followed, the two returned to the front courtyard of the village.

Dozens of bandits, some dead and some injured, had all been bound by Jie Chen’s men.

They now knelt on the ground en masse, drooping their heads.

Acid Scholar approached with a bow: "These bandits have confessed their crimes, a total of forty-six cases of robbery and murder. However, we’ve searched the entire village and haven’t found their treasure vault. Presumably, these scoundrels have hidden it well. No matter how we lash them, they remain silent."

The severely beaten Master, barely clinging to life, lay on the ground, wailing.

"I’ve already told you, the place where you just captured me is the treasury. It’s this woman who has stolen all our things!" He wanted to point at Xiang Ying, but his tendons had been cut, so he could only glare furiously.

Jie Chen, without a change in expression, shifted to block Xiang Ying from view.

He instructed Acid Scholar: "If the items can’t be found, let it be. Count the number of people here, then summon the official’s men to take over." frёewebηovel.cѳm

Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind them.

"Mr. Wang!"

Xiang Ying turned her head, as Pei Qinglin, supporting a limping Princess Xining, hurried over.