Little Pink Starfish

The Princess Is a Shameless Scoundrel

“Hurry, catch the blood,” Yu Xiaoxiao shouted to Gu Xinglang.

Gu Xinglang didn’t stop to ask questions. He quickly took the teacup and caught about half a cup of blood.

“Xiao Wei, get me some gauze!” Yu Xiaoxiao barked again.

Xiao Wei rummaged through the physician’s kit and handed her a roll of white gauze.

Yu Xiaoxiao balled it up and pressed it carefully against Wuhuan’s chest wound.

Gu Xinglang looked at the teacup and said, “His blood turned black.”

Jing Mo, Tian Xingzi, and the old physician all craned their necks to look.

The white porcelain cup made the contrast even more striking. The blood wasn’t exactly black—it was a deep brown, thicker than normal, and it gave off a faint bitter smell, like herbal medicine. Neither the look nor the scent was anything like ordinary blood.

After the wound stopped bleeding, Yu Xiaoxiao removed the now-blood-soaked gauze and handed it to Xiao Wei with care. “Burn it. And be careful. Don’t touch the blood if you’re injured.”

Xiao Wei nodded, found a brazier in the room, lit it, and burned the gauze.

Jing Mo wanted to keep that bloodied cloth—who knew what secrets it held? But he didn’t say a word. Whatever the case, he didn’t want to be someone Yu Xiaoxiao would dislike.

Yu Xiaoxiao took the teacup from Gu Xinglang and gave the blood a swirl. “What a vicious monk.”

Everyone: …

Yeah, no need to say it. They all understood.

Jing Mo waved away the servants, then told the physician, “You too. Leave us.”

The old man didn’t even stop to grab his precious medicine chest before fleeing like a scared chicken.

Gu Xinglang frowned. “Will they inform Mo Wen?”

“Just two or three people,” Jing Mo said with a smile. “Their families are in my hands. Betrayal’s not so easy.”

Tian Xingzi wasn’t listening—he was staring fixedly at Yu Xiaoxiao, feeling an ominous sense of foreboding.

Xiao Wei returned to Yu Xiaoxiao’s side, glanced at the blood in the cup, and asked, “This blood—do we treat it as a poison?”

Yu Xiaoxiao was fired up, full of tactical energy like she was back in a pre-battle military briefing. “We were worried Mo Wen would give us fake medicine, right? Well, I’ll make the poisoned person drink this blood. When Mo Wen comes to save him, I’ll snatch the antidote. Easy!”

Gu Xinglang blinked. “Who are you planning to poison?”

“Wen Fenglin, obviously,” she said like it was obvious. “Mo Wen dotes on him. Who else would I poison?”

“Wen Fenglin?” Tian Xingzi sputtered. “You mean Fenglin the Lesser Master?”

“Yeah,” Yu Xiaoxiao said cheerfully. “Problem?”

The Daoist had no problem—except that he almost toppled off his chair. Poisoning the Lesser Master and then robbing Mo Wen for the antidote? How was this lunatic still alive?

Among everyone present, Xiao Wei was the only one who supported the idea without question. His princess could crush buildings with her bare hands—stealing medicine from Mo Wen wouldn’t be a big deal.

Jing Mo gave Gu Xinglang a look. You’re her husband. Aren’t you going to stop her?

Gu Xinglang was silent for a long time. Then he asked Yu Xiaoxiao, “Do we have to save him?”

Yu Xiaoxiao nodded. “If we can save him, why wouldn’t we?”

“Okay then,” Gu Xinglang said. “Let’s save him.”

Jing Mo smacked a palm to his forehead.

Gu Xinglang turned to him. “Your Highness, what did Mo Wen’s men want from you?”

Jing Mo gritted his teeth. “They invited me to meet Mo Wen at Hugguo Temple tonight.”

Yu Xiaoxiao clapped her hands. “Perfect! Tonight we all go to Hugguo Temple. You distract Mo Wen with small talk, I’ll sneak in and poison Wen Fenglin, Xiao Wei will wait outside to cover us, and Little Gu, you go break Xiao Zhuang out of Dali Temple.”

Xiao Wei was moved. So the princess didn’t forget about Xiao Zhuang!

Gu Xinglang looked at his legs, then nodded.

Tian Xingzi, who hadn’t been assigned a task, breathed a sigh of relief—until Yu Xiaoxiao locked eyes with him again.

She smiled. “Jing Mo, take Tian Xingzi to Mo Wen with you. I heard Mo Wen hates his guts.”

The Daoist nearly dropped to his knees.

Jing Mo smirked. “Excellent. Offering the Daoist might buy me more time with Mo Wen.”

Yu Xiaoxiao nodded. “Exactly what I was thinking. Great minds think alike!”

Xiao Wei looked sympathetically at Tian Xingzi like he was already a corpse.

“You people,” Tian Xingzi growled, leaping up, “you think offering me up to die will help you escape Mo Wen’s grasp?!”

Yu Xiaoxiao raised a brow. “Thinking of jumping out the window again?”

Tian Xingzi: …

“Princess, are you really sure this will work?” Jing Mo asked.

Yu Xiaoxiao shrugged. “Even if I don’t get the antidote on time, it takes a while for medicine to be fully absorbed. Worst case, we create a diversion and pull Mo Wen away again.”

“And then?” Jing Mo asked.

Yu Xiaoxiao glanced at the unconscious Wuhuan, eyes full of murderous intent. “Then, even if I have to cut open Wen Fenglin, I’ll get that antidote!”

Everyone felt a cold chill rush through them. Poor Wen Fenglin. They almost felt sorry for him.

Tian Xingzi trembled. “If you kill Fenglin, Mo Wen will kill you.”

Yu Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes. “Who says I killed him? Where’s the evidence?”

“W-what?” Tian Xingzi’s jaw practically hit the floor.

Yu Xiaoxiao snorted. “No evidence? Then who can blame me? Even cheating needs two people to be caught in the act, let alone murder!”

Tian Xingzi gave up. You can’t defeat a monster, especially not one who’s completely shameless.

Jing Mo rubbed his chin. “Trying to grab the antidote from Mo Wen will be hard. But drawing him away sounds more feasible.”

Gu Xinglang asked, “What kind of distraction would actually work on someone like him? He’s a monk—he must have some discipline.”

Yu Xiaoxiao tilted her head, deep in thought. “Jing Mo, maybe fake an illness? You’re a guest. If you collapse, wouldn’t Mo Wen have to check on you?”

Jing Mo forced a bitter smile. “I doubt he’d care.”

“Then set a fire,” Xiao Wei said flatly. After all, that’s what they’ve been doing all week.

Gu Xinglang’s lips twitched. Another fire? Really?

Yu Xiaoxiao immediately added, “We find out where Mo Wen sleeps. Then Xiao Wei, you torch that room.”

Jing Mo asked, “And that’ll work?”

Yu Xiaoxiao replied confidently, “Trust me. Someone like Mo Wen definitely keeps all his dirty secrets under the bed. It’s settled—we’re burning Hugguo Temple tonight.”