The Princess’ Shadow Guard – Chapter 52

You, Are You Willing? (Life and Death Choice)

The moment Ming Qin climbed onto the windowsill, she saw Murong Yan being choked by the neck.

Her entire spine went numb, as if struck by lightning. She vaulted through the window, with one hand forcefully flinging the man over at top speed, and with the other hand, she caught Murong Yan, whose breathing was labored.

            

The woman who collapsed in her arms was barely conscious, her body twitching involuntarily, saliva from being force-fed medicine at the corners of her mouth.

“Yanyan! Yanyan!” Ming Qin called out anxiously. Seeing the pills scattered on the floor, she picked up the fallen gourd and sniffed it.

It’s poison.

            

Even if she wasn’t skilled in toxicology or pharmacology, she could understand.

Ming Qin turned the woman she was holding tightly, letting her back rest against her own chest. She pressed on Murong Yan’s stomach with one hand and inserted two fingers into her mouth with the other, pressing down on the root of her tongue.

“Yanyan, be good, spit it out, I’m begging you, spit it out.”

            

Ming Qin coaxed softly in the unconscious woman’s ear, but the movements of her hands were not gentle. Murong Yan retched unconsciously, her brows furrowed tightly in pain.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry Yanyan, you have to spit it out, please.” Her eye sockets felt as if they were about to burn. Ming Qin prayed humbly.

The woman’s saliva dripped down, covering the Shadow Guard’s fingers, falling drop by drop onto the floor.

            

She moved her wrist, inserting her fingers deeper. Ming Qin could feel the uneven muscles in Murong Yan’s throat. She hardened her heart and pressed down heavily. “Yanyan, please, I’m begging you, don’t die, don’t die…”

Tears slid down.

Murong Yan’s stomach began to spasm involuntarily. Her whole body trembled as she half-coughed, half-vomited the crushed pills, followed by a gush of transparent, viscous stomach fluid.

            

Her hands and cuffs became soaked, but Ming Qin didn’t care at all, still murmuring, “Yes, Yanyan is so good, just like that.”

Bending forward, she leaned both their bodies over. The hand pressing on the woman’s abdomen deepened its force, kneading, emptying the contents of her stomach bit by bit.

Ming Qin did not know how much poison Murong Yan had been forced to swallow, nor did she know how much remained in her body. The powerful Shadow Guard just kept praying, choking on her sobs, only hoping that the person in her arms could survive.

            

When a panting and exhausted Song Shuqing finally climbed up to the floor, she saw the room in a complete mess and the sight of her Shimei holding the Commandery Princess and crying in supplication.

Seeing the newcomer, Ming Qin was as helpless as a child. Her vision blurred as she called out, trembling, “Shijie! Shijie, Yanyan she… Yanyan she…”

Song Shuqing, who was skilled in pharmacology, hurriedly knelt down to take Murong Yan’s pulse. Her expression was grave, but her words were comforting, “It’s okay, it’s okay, Qinqin did very well.”

            

She quickly laid the woman on the floor and took out several extremely fine silver needles from her waist pouch to perform acupuncture on Murong Yan.

Ming Qin’s mind was in a panic. She stood to the side at a loss, looking at the person before her whose face was so pale it was turning blue. She felt as if she herself was about to suffocate.

In the corner of her vision, the venomous snake that Yanyan hated was writhing.

            

It’s all him…

Turning sideways, Ming Qin walked towards Murong Xiao.

It’s all because of him… that Yanyan became like this…

            

Ming Qin picked up a two-chi​¹-long candelabra from the floor, dragging it and making a piercing sound.

It’s all him… who made Yanyan suffer, who made Yanyan afraid.

Murong Xiao leaned against the wall. He had just recovered from the pain of being thrown when he saw Ming Qin raising the candelabra high.

            

Bringing the blunt weapon down heavily on the man’s right leg, Ming Qin, expressionless, struck again and again, as if completely oblivious to the shattering of the bones of the person beneath her.

Although the candelabra had no sharp edges, under the Shadow Guard’s astonishing strength, it was able to smash the man’s leg into a bloody pulp.

Blood and bits of flesh splattered onto Ming Qin’s face, yet she remained completely indifferent, feeling as if her vision could only see crimson.

            

『Pa!』

The bronze candelabra broke with a snap. Ming Qin stared blankly at the half-broken candelabra stand, then simply threw the thing in her hand away and, clenching her fist, swung it heavily at the man’s face.

It was as if her mind had carried too much emotion and then a nerve snapped.

            

Other than the heavy feeling of impact from her hands, she could feel nothing.

She just let her fury run rampant, punching again and again, not knowing her own strength.

“Qinqin!”

            

“Qinqin!”

“Ming Qin!”

Only after being slapped hard on the back of her head several times did Ming Qin stop.

            

She looked up at Song Shuqing with empty eyes.

“Don’t kill him. He might have the antidote.” Song Shuqing said calmly, gesturing towards the man who was black and blue, his right leg connected by only a little skin and flesh, yet not making a sound.

Antidote?

            

Ah, the antidote.

Right…

Can’t kill him…

            

“The Commandery Princess’s condition, we need to try the Supreme Medical Court​², or Shimu.” Song Shuqing picked up the unconscious Murong Yan.

It wasn’t that she wouldn’t give Ming Qin the chance to hold her, but Song Shuqing really didn’t want to touch that bloody, beaten person.

“Let’s go.” She turned and hurried downstairs.

            

Ming Qin stared blankly at her Shijie’s back, slowly coming back to her senses.

Then she grabbed the man by the collar and, just like that, dragged him downstairs with her.

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In the semi-underground black prison, apart from the occasional clanging of iron chains dragging on the ground and the squeaking of scurrying rats, there was only the crisp sound of water dripping from the iron-barred window.

            

Three days had passed since Song Shuqing and Ming Qin entered the capital. The two of them, one after the other, arrived at this iron prison.

As the prison guard opened the somewhat rusty door, Murong Xiao, who was leaning against the stone wall, looked up. Several wine cups were placed beside him.

The man’s hair was not tied up in a crown; he looked messy and wretched. His right leg was gone except for the remaining stump, the wound carefully bandaged. His right eye was covered with gauze, and his cheek was purple and highly swollen.

            

But even as a prisoner, his expression was still arrogant.

“Take it.”

Song Shuqing, carrying a wooden box, placed the thing in her hands heavily in front of the man, then leaned lazily against the wall and said impatiently, “We’ve already treated your wounds and given you wine as you said. We’ve brought you everything you wanted. Stop dawdling, where’s the antidote?”

            

Murong Yan, who had been poisoned, remained unconscious even after induced vomiting and acupuncture. No matter the treatment, her condition worsened, her life force gradually fading with time. Only then did Song Shuqing have no choice but to seek out the person locked in the dungeon.

Murong Xiao dragged his body to the wooden box. The corners of his mouth lifted as he opened the thing before him, revealing countless bottles and jars of all sizes inside. He let his fingertips sweep over them, the sound of the bottles clinking was particularly piercing in the small cell.

After a long while, the pale-faced man spoke faintly, “This Lonely One doesn’t have the antidote.”

            

His eyes looked as if he were watching some interesting toy.

“You fucking…?” The usually languid woman stepped forward, raising her foot to kick the disgusting person before her, unable to stop herself from cursing.

“However…”

            

Murong Xiao tilted his head and smiled slightly, his face full of mockery. “This Lonely One does have a prescription that can alleviate the poison Jiejie was afflicted with. It can probably extend Jiejie’s life for about a month or so.”

“Fuck, what damn use is that?” Song Shuqing stepped forward and kicked the man before her to the ground, stepping on his head. The woman now wished she had let Ming Qin beat him to death that night. “Can you fucking say something useful?”

“It is truly that This Lonely One’s ability is limited, and I have not yet developed the antidote.” Murong Xiao lay on the ground, his right leg bleeding slightly, yet he seemed completely unconcerned, revealing a hypocritically innocent expression. “But one more month should be enough for the talented pharmacologists of the Supreme Medical Court to completely cure Jiejie of the poison.”

            

Song Shuqing looked at this man, who clearly had a severe antisocial personality and should be locked up in a mental asylum. Thinking of the still-unconscious Murong Yan, she felt her head throb. She lifted her foot and held out her hand. “…It’s better than nothing. The prescription, give it to me, quickly!”

“This Lonely One can give you the prescription. But… her.” The man slowly got up, patting the dust off his clothes. He pointed at Ming Qin, who was leaning against the doorframe at the entrance, tilted his head, and spoke slowly with a face full of ill intent. “She must make a deal with me.”

Song Shuqing rolled her eyes. She, who was always called a genius negotiator in the Shadow Guard camp, only felt like losing her temper when faced with this lunatic. “So wishy-washy, are you a man or not…”

            

The irritated woman casually pulled a long needle that was being used as a Chaizi​³ from her hair bun. Just as she was about to get rough with this sinister man, Ming Qin, who had been silent all this time, calmly walked forward and sat down directly in front of Murong Xiao.

“Fine.”

Although Ming Qin’s face was haggard, with dark circles under her eyes, her gaze was still bright as she looked at the person before her and spoke. “What deal?”

            

Smiling, as if seeing his prey take the bait, Murong Xiao rolled up his sleeves and thought for a moment. Then he slowly took out a container made of glazed glass from the box. Inside was a bright red pill. “Eat this, and This Lonely One will give you Jiejie’s prescription.”

“What the hell is wrong with you? That broken thing obviously has a problem.” Shaking the sharp weapon in her hand, Song Shuqing straightened up excitedly and shouted, “Qinqin, don’t listen to him!”

“What is this?” Ming Qin did not react to her Shijie’s words, merely accepting the glazed bottle calmly. She shook it gently, and the egg-sized pill inside made a crisp colliding sound.

            

“This Lonely One doesn’t understand why someone as lowly as you can receive Jiejie’s favor. …So, This Lonely One wants you to prove you are worthy.”

Murong Xiao’s eyes were filled with red veins as he spoke slowly, “This poison was personally concocted by This Lonely One. After taking it, within one month, your five senses​⁴ will be lost one by one.”

A sinister smile hung on his lips, his eyes dark and gloomy. “Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin. You will be as if you are alone in the dark night, unable to live and unable to die, abandoned by this world, unable to feel anything.”

            

The man licked his lips, gesturing with some excitement. “Once the one-month limit is up, you will experience a pain more intense than having your tendons pulled and wrist bones broken​⁵, like ten thousand needles piercing your heart. After three days and three nights, you will exhaust your strength and finally die, alone.”

He looked at the mediocre woman before him who carried lowly blood.

He hated it.

            

Why would Jiejie fall for her?

In this world, the person who loved Jiejie the most was clearly himself.

If the person before him agreed to his condition, Jiejie would have to watch her die in front of her. Jiejie would understand that in this world, only he would never leave her.

            

If the person before him refused his condition, it would only prove she was not worthy of Jiejie’s love, and he would go to hell with Jiejie, to accompany each other.

So, choose.

The cold voice was like a demon’s whisper.

            

“You, are you willing?”

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LP: F*ck! If Ming Qin decided to take the trash’s pill then I hope her poison resistance will withstand it!

Re-translated on August 23, 2025

            

Ah f*ck, I forgot how irritating and disgusting this trash is!

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