Chapter 9: The Fourth Prince

Yan Ling'er was scolded, yet she still shook her head, refusing to step forward. "I... I'm scared."

Seeing that Yan Ling'er refused to move, Yan Lingtong glanced at Yan Lingsi, only to see her head bowed, her frail body trembling slightly.

A flash of contempt crossed Yan Lingtong's eyes; she hated this cowering look of hers the most.

Yan Lingtong looked around. The four maids were hiding far away, Yan Ling'er was full of terror, shaking her head while backing away, and Yan Lingsi was trembling all over with her head down.

And that fool, Yan Lingmeng, was lying leisurely on a recliner, her moist eyes slightly narrowed, a faint smile playing on her lips, as if she were mocking her.

Suddenly, a surge of malice welled up in Yan Lingtong's heart. She strode toward An Ran, wanting to slap that damn smile off her face. "I don't believe I can't deal with you today!"

An Ran watched Yan Lingtong approaching in a rage and flicked a small pebble from her hand, striking her directly on the Chengshan acupoint in her leg.

Just as Yan Lingtong reached An Ran, she felt a sharp pain in both legs and fell to her knees with a thud.

An Ran looked down at Yan Lingtong, who was kneeling before her, the smile in her eyes deepening. "What are you playing at? It looks like fun."

"You!" Yan Lingtong was furious. She tried to push herself up with her hands, but found her legs hurting so severely that she couldn't muster any strength. Frustrated and desperate, she roared at Yan Ling'er, "What are you still standing there for? Get over here and help me up!"

"I..." Yan Ling'er glanced at An Ran in terror, then at Yan Lingtong kneeling on the ground, and shuffled over step by step. "Eldest Sister, things are too strange today. Why don't we leave first?"

As Yan Ling'er spoke, she tried to pull Yan Lingtong away. The moment she touched her, she felt a sharp pain in her own legs and also collapsed to her knees.

Suddenly, Yan Ling'er began to shriek in terror, "Ah, don't kill me, don't kill me!"

"Slap!" Yan Lingtong swung a palm, and the world went quiet.

Yan Ling'er covered her face, looking at Yan Lingtong in disbelief. Yan Lingtong, however, didn't even glance at her, holding her noble head high as she stared at An Ran.

"I am the most noble noblewoman in the Great An Kingdom, second only to the princess, and in the future..." Yan Lingtong paused, her eyes burning with a fierce light, "I will be the most noble woman in the entire Great An Kingdom!"

"I want to see what kind of demons and monsters in this world dare to come near me!"

An Ran watched the woman kneeling before her, whose spine remained straight. She twirled the small pebble in her hand, her gaze sweeping over several acupoints on the woman's body. She truly wanted to see how long this woman's pride could sustain her.

Destroying a person's pride and striking the enemy at their very core had always been her favorite thing to do.

But which acupoint should she start with?

Yan Lingtong did not know what An Ran was thinking. After she finished speaking, she felt the pain in her legs lighten, which made her even more arrogant. She turned her head and said to Yan Lingsi, "You, come here!"

Yan Lingsi's face turned pale instantly, her frail body trembling. After a long while, she finally raised her head. "Eldest Sister, I have an idea that will ensure the Fourth Prince will never marry this fool."

An Ran had just selected an acupoint and was about to flick the pebble when she suddenly heard Yan Lingsi say this. She was stunned. The Fourth Prince—who was that?

The Fourth Prince wanted to marry her? How come she didn't know about this?

Without waiting for Yan Lingtong's response, Yan Lingsi said hurriedly, "The Fourth Prince would never marry someone who is impure. We just need to spread the word that this fool was defiled by someone in the dilapidated temple."