Chapter 246: Scarlet Thorn's Self-Persuasion

Chapter 246: Scarlet Thorn's Self-Persuasion

"Young Master!"

Qing Ning hurriedly rose from Qin Xuan's embrace, looking in the direction where Scarlet Thorn had fled, her eyes filled with worry. "She has gone far, and I do not know if she will do anything foolish. You should hurry and find her."

Qin Xuan paid no heed, merely gently stroking the strands of hair at Qing Ning's temple while gazing at her delicate face. "We have just reunited after a long time, and you are already in such a rush to chase me away?"

Qing Ning shook her head and said earnestly, "The lethal method that Wangqing Palace left within my body has already vanished. For the time being, I will not go to any dangerous places, so there is no threat to my life. I will serve by Young Master's side from now on; there is no need to rush."

Her eyes held a sympathy born of shared experience. "Although I do not know her, nor do I know what happened between her and you, Young Master, I can be certain that she definitely has you in her heart."

"Just like earlier on Thunder Prison Peak, when I saw you being intimate with Senior Sister Ziyuan and the others, I subconsciously felt flustered, angry, and worried that you would be taken away by someone else, Young Master."

"This is because she cares about you, Young Master. Otherwise, why would she lose control of her emotions?"

Having gone through that experience herself, she could understand Scarlet Thorn's current inner feelings even better.

Panic, helplessness, and anxiety.

All sorts of emotions, complex and difficult for anyone to bear all at once.

If Young Master did not go now, she feared that Scarlet Thorn might do something foolish.

"You… if I didn't know your personality, I would mistake you for a 'green tea'."

Qin Xuan chuckled and pinched Qing Ning's cheek.

If he hadn't confirmed that Qing Ning was a lovesick fool whose brain was no bigger than a walnut kernel.

Based on those words alone, she would definitely be a 'green tea'!

Qing Ning tilted her head, her clear, large eyes revealing her naivety as she asked, "Young Master, what is a 'green tea'?"

"It is nothing."

Qin Xuan replied, then immediately vanished.

The entire vast ancient prison-suppressing tower was within his Domain. Every move Scarlet Thorn made was under his constant surveillance.

Wanting to escape from his palm?

A fool's dream!

— —

Styx World, outskirts.

Looking at the surrounding world, which seemed to be frozen in ice, Scarlet Thorn hugged herself, her beautiful body trembling slightly.

Having already reached the Saint Realm, she was immune to heat and cold, yet here, she actually felt the cold.

She leaned against a massive ice rock, not continuing forward. Her tears turned into ice crystals as they fell, gradually ceasing to flow.

She gazed at the azure world and muttered to herself, "Could it be that, in your heart, I truly cannot compare to even a single strand of Qing Ning's hair?"

"I left in such grief and indignation; is it not even worth you chasing after me?"

"Are you truly at ease, letting me flee in a fit of rage without worrying about my safety at all?"

"Those words you spoke on the bed, were they all sweet talk, all meaningless, all lies to deceive me?!"

"Qin Xuan, you bastard!"

"You had the ability to chase me and bully me before, so why are you ignoring me now?!"

"You are fickle and do not cherish what you have obtained. I was truly blind to have believed your sweet talk back then!"

Scarlet Thorn collapsed onto the ice, clutching her chest in agony.

Heart-wrenching pain!

It was as if someone had gouged out her heart, sliced it with a dull knife, and kept sprinkling coarse salt into the wound—pain that pierced her very soul!

She clenched her small fists so tightly that she didn't even realize her nails had dug into her flesh.

This extreme pain lasted for an unknown amount of time before Scarlet Thorn's muttering began again:

"Could it be that what I said was too cold and heartless?"

"..."

"Was I too harsh when I spoke of Qing Ning, and did I really anger Qin Xuan? Did I provoke him first?"

"..."

"Could it be that I ran too far, and the landscape has changed so drastically that Qin Xuan cannot find me? Perhaps he is actually looking for me, just unaware of my location?"

Scarlet Thorn, who had initially been endlessly scolding Qin Xuan, was filled with grief and indignation, suffering from inner torment.

Gradually, she began to make excuses for Qin Xuan.

She began to wonder if it was possible that she had truly crossed the line.

Was it possible that she had spoken too harshly?

Her bottom line was constantly being broken.

Her defenses were also increasingly crumbling.

Staying in this bone-chilling snowy region, she felt the piercing cold and, in a daze, came to a realization.

If Qin Xuan really did not come after her, was she truly going to sever all ties with him for the rest of her life?

Could she still sort out her relationship with Qin Xuan, and could she still maintain the same state of mind, whether or not Qin Xuan was around, as she had before?

Once her mindset shifted, it was impossible to stop.

She began to feel afraid—afraid that Qin Xuan was angry.

Afraid that in his rage, Qin Xuan would draw a line between them and no longer wish to have any dealings with her.

It was unknown how much time had passed, but Scarlet Thorn's bottom line had shifted from "never forgive Qin Xuan, sever ties today!" to "as long as Qin Xuan comes to find me, I will give him a way out."

Crack—

A foot stepped on the ice, making a crisp sound.

Qin Xuan approached slowly, looking at Scarlet Thorn, who was leaning against a massive ice rock, and said softly, "Even if you want to sulk, you should pick a place with birds singing and fragrant flowers. Staying here dressed so thinly, aren't you cold?"

Scarlet Thorn turned her head, and upon seeing Qin Xuan, she gritted her teeth in fury. "It is none of your business! Even if I freeze to death here, it has nothing to do with you!"

"Get lost! Get away from me!"

"Aren't you protecting Qing Ning? Go be intimate with your Qing Ning!"

"Go be lovey-dovey with Qing Ning, why did you come to find me?!"

"..."

Every time Scarlet Thorn scolded him, she would pick up a massive ice rock and throw it at Qin Xuan.

After several attempts, the area in front of Qin Xuan was full of holes, battered and ravaged by the ice rocks.

"Women are always saying one thing and meaning another!"

Inside the ancient prison-suppressing tower, not even Scarlet Thorn's thoughts could be hidden from Qin Xuan.

He had deliberately waited until Scarlet Thorn's anger had subsided before appearing.

Who knew it would still result in such a furious scene?

Unexpected, yet within reason.

An O. Henry-style Daughter of Luck?

He was not angry, either. He flashed and disappeared from where he stood. When he reappeared, he was already in front of Scarlet Thorn, pulling her voluptuous waist into his embrace and holding her tightly. With his other hand, he pinched her delicate chin and lifted it slightly, their eyes meeting as he said:

"Don't you think what you said was too excessive?"

"Do you know what kind of disdain I suffered when I entered the Yaochi Sacred Land back then?"

"Do you know who it was that stood in front of me at that moment, when enemies were everywhere and I was abandoned by everyone?"

"It was Qing Ning!"

"If it weren't for her, long ago in the Yaochi Sacred Land, I would have already had the Qin Prince's Mansion clean house! My very Divine Soul would have even been scattered by the Yaochi Sacred Land!"

"Everyone was slandering me for colluding with the great Devil Head Leng Li. Do you know how helpless I was at that time?!"

"Only Qing Ning spoke up for me!!!"

Qin Xuan's words became increasingly agitated, and his voice unconsciously rose by several octaves.

A few strands of overly excited bloodshot veins appeared on his eyeballs.

To demonstrate his agitated heart at this moment.

The words were all lies, ten parts fake, so fake that it was hard to tell truth from fiction.

He was not afraid of Scarlet Thorn going to verify them at all.

Moreover, at this moment, where would Scarlet Thorn have the heart to verify anything?

Feeling the violent trembling of Qin Xuan's body, Scarlet Thorn bit her lip, her voice softening slightly. "I didn't know any of this, and you never told me!"

"If that Qing Ning really did so much for you, I admit I was wrong and spoke a bit too harshly."

"But!"

Scarlet Thorn's tone shifted, revealing a sense of intense jealousy. "You were willing to let Qing Ning plunge a dagger into your chest, and even when I was avenging you, you cold-facedly scolded me and drove me away!"

"Even if what I said was excessive, you could have explained the cause and effect to me."

"Just because you were worried about Qing Ning and afraid she would be angry, you didn't consider my feelings at all and just scolded me recklessly!"

"In fact, in your heart, I am nothing!"

"She, Qing Ning, is the most important!"

Qin Xuan felt the time was right, so he slowly nodded and agreed, "Yes, you are right. You are not important at all, you cannot even compare to a single strand of Qing Ning's hair!"

Scarlet Thorn was just venting the resentment and grievance in her heart.

She wanted, as much as possible, for Qin Xuan to speak and comfort her.

That way, she would feel a bit better.

Who would have thought that her venting would actually be met with Qin Xuan's admission?

"Let me go!"

"After today, we owe each other nothing!"

"Next time we meet, I will definitely kill you!"

Scarlet Thorn was so angry that smoke was coming out of her seven orifices, wishing she could tear Qin Xuan's mouth apart on the spot.

Qin Xuan released Scarlet Thorn, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he said self-deprecatingly, "On what grounds would you kill me?"

Scarlet Thorn gritted her teeth. "You harmed Saint King Leng Li. It is common knowledge that Saint King Leng Li has a life-saving grace toward all of us in Hidden Kill. This alone is enough for me to tear you into ten thousand pieces to avenge Saint King Leng Li!"

"Is that so? Look, what is that?"

Qin Xuan pointed into the distance.

Scarlet Thorn looked back and saw a massive, deep blue ice crystal floating toward them.

Inside that styx purple ice crystal, there was a white-haired woman with her beautiful eyes closed, as if she had fallen into a deep slumber.

Even though she had only seen her once before!

Even though her hair color was different, Scarlet Thorn recognized Leng Li's identity.

Saint King Leng Li was not dead!

She was still alive!

Qin Xuan's mocking voice rang out behind Scarlet Thorn. "I truly do not know how such cold words about tearing me into ten thousand pieces could come out of your thirty-seven-degree mouth!!"