Ling Ying moved forward in complete silence, his shadow-like steps carrying him until he stood directly before Ye Chen.
His head was slightly bowed, eyes glinting with a strange light...one not of fear, but of absolute submission.
Then, before anyone could react, he suddenly dropped to one knee.
The sound of his knee hitting the ground was crisp, cutting through the tense air.
Ling Ying greets the Master!"
The respectful declaration struck Xiao Xun'er harder than any attack could.
Just moments ago, she had been certain Ling Ying would crush Ye Chen without hesitation.
In fact, she had been waiting for it, an almost mocking smile already tugging at the corners of her lips.
That smile froze.
Her expression shattered into shock....then disbelief...then something dangerously close to horror.
Uncle Ying… knelt?
To him?
Why?
Her mind blanked, thoughts colliding in confusion.
For as long as she could remember, Ling Ying had been her silent guardian, the unshakable blade in the shadows. He knelt to no one. And now… this?
Even Ye Chen raised a brow at the display.
The Puppet Pill worked better than he imagined. The once-calm assassin now radiated loyalty so fierce it bordered on fanaticism.
Ye Chen could feel it...if he asked Ling Ying to throw away his life right now, he would do it without a second's hesitation.
"Uncle Ying, what are you doing?"
Xiao Xun'er's voice finally broke through the shock.
Her pretty face was tense, her voice sharp as she stared at Ling Ying kneeling like a devout follower.
"Why are you kneeling to that bastard? Kill him! He's nothing compared to you!"
She thought Ling Ying had been intimidated by Ye Chen's earlier display of power. She didn't realize there was something far more sinister at play.
But no matter how she shouted, Ling Ying stayed still....kneeling as if rooted to the ground, head bowed until Ye Chen spoke.
Ye Chen didn't rush. He simply smiled faintly, enjoying the rare sight of Xiao Xun'er's composure cracking.
"Uncle Ying, answer me!"
"Get up! Don't kneel to him!"
Her voice trembled now, each command more desperate than the last.
She could feel her last lifeline slipping from her grasp. Without Ling Ying, she was exposed.
Ye Chen's eyes glimmered with amusement before he finally said,
"Stand."
"Yes, Master!"
The words came instantly.....without hesitation, without thought. Ling Ying rose to his feet like an obedient hound.
"Uncle Ying… why are you listening to him?"
Her tone turned sharp again, but her heart sank. Something deep inside whispered that she already knew the answer.
"Kill him! That's an order!"
This time, a flash of killing intent flickered in Ling Ying's eyes....cold, sharp, lethal. Xiao Xun'er stiffened.
But he didn't move. Instead, he turned his gaze on her and said in a voice colder than steel:
"Miss, if you dare insult the Master again, do not blame me for being ruthless."
Her mind went blank.
She stared at him as though looking at a stranger.
The Ling Ying she knew would sooner die than speak to her this way.
For years, he had been her unseen shield, her silent shadow. Never had his eyes looked at her with such chilling detachment.
"Uncle Ying… have you betrayed the Gu Clan?"
It was the only explanation she could find.
Ling Ying's expression didn't waver. His tone was respectful, yet disturbingly fervent:
"I am loyal only to my Master. My lady… the Master is unparalleled. Why not join me and submit to him?"
Xiao Xun'er's breath caught. That unnatural glow in Ling Ying's eyes told her everything....this wasn't loyalty born of choice.
She turned on Ye Chen, voice like ice:
"What did you do to him?"
Ye Chen's smirk deepened.
"A little trick. Don't waste your breath trying to wake him....his loyalty is mine now. If I told him to kill the eldest daughter of the Gu Clan, he would do it without blinking."
His tone was calm, but the weight of his words pressed against her chest.
"You…" Her voice shook, eyes burning with rage. "You despicable villain! Release him! Aren't you afraid the Gu Clan will hunt you to the ends of the continent?"
Ye Chen's gaze hardened. He didn't answer her directly. Instead, he turned to Ling Ying and said,
Slap her."
"Yes, Master."
Ling Ying's figure blurred.
"Uncle Ying, don't—!"
Snap!
The sound echoed like a whip-crack.
A red handprint bloomed on Xiao Xun'er's flawless cheek, her head snapping to the side. For a heartbeat, she stood frozen.
Slowly, she turned back, her eyes burning with shock, anger, and something far more fragile...betrayal.
This was the second time she had been struck today. For someone of her status, her pride, this humiliation was unbearable.
"You offended the Master. This is your punishment," Ling Ying said coldly.
Her chest rose and fell as she forced herself to face Ye Chen again.
Her voice was low, controlled, but there was steel beneath it.
"Ye Chen… what do you want for you to let us go?"
Ye Chen's smile widened, but his eyes were merciless.
"It seems you still don't understand your situation."
His hand lifted slightly, his tone light yet sharp as a blade:
Regardless of status… keep slapping her."
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