Silence reigned in the courtyard as the Shadow Guard knelt on the ground. Xu Donglin knelt in the crowd, while Chu Xifeng knelt in front of the group as their leader.
Originally, Long Feiye would've arrived by nightfall at the earliest, but he'd saved an entire day's worth of time and arrived early.
His body was covered in dust and his face was weary. Stubble had grown out of his beard, but none of this could hide his towering rage.
He never showed his emotions on his face, but this time, his anger was written all over his face, and he did not hold back.
He stared fixedly at the closed doors in silence.
His heart was in a state of panic, but he still held onto a sliver of hope. He hoped that the person had already been found and was waiting for him in the room.
After parting ways at Celestial Mountain, he'd spent day and night hoping to see her again and hug her tightly.
Nobody knew how unaccustomed he was to days without her by his side.
He'd already abandoned her once, so he was afraid!
Moreover, she was in great danger this time. Now that her identity had been exposed, how many people in the East Qin camp wanted her life? How many people in the Western Qin camp wanted to use her as a puppet?
Even now, he was unable to determine which side had kidnapped her.
"Chu Xifeng, you better have found her already," Long Fei Ye finally spoke up, his voice as cold as the icy waters of a snowy mountain, piercing straight into one's heart and bones.
Chu Xifeng's heart was filled with resentment and indignation, but all his anger was extinguished by fear and reverence as soon as he saw his master. Even his heart was trembling. "To... to reply Your Highness, this subordinate... this subordinate still hasn't found esteemed wangfei."
With his last hopes dashed, Long Fei Ye's dark eyes were filled with rage. He walked step by step towards Chu Xifeng until he was right in front of him.
Long Fei Ye's shoes almost touched Chu Xifeng's fingers, but he subconsciously withdrew his hand. Even he didn't know what he was afraid of.
"You were the one who told her that your lordship long knew of her identity?" Long Fei Ye's voice was very calm, devoid of any emotion.
Chu Xifeng understood his master all too well. The calmer he was, the angrier he was.
He had read Xu Donglin's letter to His Highness Duke of Qin. Xu Donglin had clearly explained the entire situation and accused him of acting on his own initiative, going against his superiors, and placing esteemed wangfei under house arrest.
"Yes." He admitted honestly. Just as he was about to raise his head, the Duke of Qin suddenly kicked him hard on the chin, sending him flying backward.
With a bang, Chu Xifeng's body slammed open the door and he was flung inside.
All the Shadow Guards were even more terrified and lowered their heads even more. Even Xu Donglin hid the purple muslin robe and didn't dare to make a sound. Xu Donglin had mentioned everything in his letter, except for this purple robe.
No one dared to look back, but stepped aside to make a path. Long Fei Ye walked step by step into the room before stopping in front of Chu Xifeng again.
Chu Xifeng was sprawled on the ground, blood dripping from his mouth. Still, he climbed to his feet and respectfully knelt in front of Long Fei Ye.
But he'd hardly knelt when Long Fei Ye kicked him in the chin again, sending him flying!
"Who told you that your lordship knew of her identity long ago?"
Chu Xifeng crashed into the tea table behind him and landed heavily on the ground amidst the broken tea set. Fresh blood poured from his mouth without end.
Long Fei Ye's icy eyes were frighteningly cold. He didn't say a word, making him seem like the most emotionless and cruel deity in the world. He stared coldly at the heavily injured Chu Xifeng, who grit his teeth and tried to crawl to his feet again.
But this time, Long Fei Ye didn't give him a chance. He simply grabbed Chu Xifeng by the throat and lifted him into the air.
He glared angrily at Chu Xifeng's eyes, but Chu Xifeng only hung his head, afraid to meet his gaze.
Long Fei Ye finally spoke up. "Answer your lordship!"
He was about to tighten his grip when Xu Donglin and the rest of the Shadow Guard rushed in to plead for leniency. "Master, please show mercy and give Commander Chu a chance to atone for his crimes with meritorious service!"
With just a single request, everyone began to kowtow loudly with their heads banging against the ground.
But Long Fei Ye turned a deaf ear to their pleas and didn't stop. He had painstakingly concealed the truth for so long, even going as far as to lie to Han Yunxi.
But Chu Xifeng had ruined everything with a single sentence of his own accord!
He couldn't imagine how Han Yunxi had listened to Chu Xifeng's words after Gu Beiyue met with misfortune. It'd be strange if she didn't suspect him of using her!
He could bear the hatred of everyone in the world, but he could not bear her hatred.
Seeing that Chu Xifeng was about to be strangled to death, Xu Donglin couldn't help but rush over and grab his master's hand.
"Your Highness, esteemed wangfei's gone missing. We're all in the wrong! If you want to kill Commander Chu, why don't you kill us as well? "
Long Fei Ye suddenly laughed out loud. "Are you threatening your lordship?"
"This subordinate doesn't dare!" Xu Donglin was frightened to death.
"Fine. Wait until your lordship kills him, then I'll take care of you all!" Long Fei Ye said coldly.
Hearing this, Chu Xifeng couldn't help but raise his head to meet Long Fei Ye's icy gaze. Long Fei Ye tossed him aside and demanded, "What, now you know you're going to admit your wrongs?"
He'd been here for so long and kicked Chu Xifeng so many times, but the man hadn't admitted a single "wrong" or begged for mercy.
This was simply adding oil to the fire! Seeking death!
"Your Highness, if you want to kill me or scrape me, do as you please. This subordinate has no complaints. Please don't make things difficult for the other brothers, they're innocent!" Chu Xifeng said stubbornly.
"You won't admit your wrongs even if you die?" Long Fei Ye demanded.
"This subordinate didn't handle matters well and didn't keep an eye on the remnants of Western Qin. This subordinate deserves ten thousand deaths for his crimes!" Chu Xifeng admitted in a low voice.
Long Feiye was so angry that he unsheathed his sword!
Finally, Chu Xifeng raised his head and declared, "That woman is my East Qin's enemy. She's not my master, much less your wangfei!"
His Highness wanted him to admit his wrongs for "defying his superiors and placing the wangfei under house arrest." He refused to admit it, even if he died!
"Very good! Very good! Chu Xifeng, who told you that Han Yunxi was definitely a descendant of Western Qin's imperial clan? We didn't even find out where the rumors came from, so why do you believe them? "Long Fei Ye asked.
Chu Xifeng gaped. He'd been blinded by hatred and confused by Gu Beiyue's death. Why didn't he consider the truth of the rumors?
Since when did you have the right to make decisions for your lordship? Depose the imperial concubine for your lordship? And since when did you find out that your lordship had long known about Han Yunxi's origins? Where did you get the guts to act on your own? "Long Fei Ye was furious." Chu Xifeng, why don't you be the Duke of Qin? "
Chu Xifeng gave a start before realizing where he'd gone wrong! No matter what happened, he really had no right to act on his own.
This was a taboo for subordinates! And a taboo for the Shadow Guard as well!
The Shadow Guard had very clear rules: anyone who disobeyed orders and acted on their own was to be killed without mercy!
"Your Highness, this subordinate …" Chu Xifeng's attitude finally softened.
Unfortunately, Long Fei Ye's eyes only grew colder. He closed his sword and used the scabbard to stab Chu Xifeng's dantian. His speed and strength were both swift and ruthless, leaving Chu Xifeng no chance to beg for mercy.
Chu Xifeng's martial arts, which he'd cultivated over the past decade, were all ruined. Chu Xifeng spat out a mouthful of blood as he stared blankly at the master he'd served since childhood.
Even now, he couldn't tell whether his master had destroyed his martial arts to save his life or to make him suffer a fate worse than death.
Without his martial arts, he'd never be able to return to the Shadow Guard's ranks in this lifetime!
Chu Xifeng wanted to see clearly and ask for clarification, but his vision quickly grew blurry and dim.
In the end, he couldn't take the heavy injuries and fainted.
Long Fei Ye didn't spare him a glance. Cold, he said, "Someone come, send him back to Celestial Mountain. Pass down orders, no matter if it's the Shadow Guard, the army, or the Tang Clan, anyone who acts on their own and disobeys in public will be killed without mercy! "
Everyone grew taut. Xu Donglin silently rejoiced. According to the Shadow Guard's rules, Chu Xifeng would've died without a doubt. Although His Highness had destroyed Chu Xifeng's martial arts, at least … at least he hadn't killed him. Instead, he'd sent him back to his training grounds.
"From today onwards, Xu Donglin will assume the position of commander of the Shadow Guard," Long Fei Ye said.
Xu Donglin gave a start. Seeing his master's questioning gaze, he quickly stepped forward to express his thanks.
"Xu Donglin, your lordship will give you three days to find the kidnappers. Otherwise, you'll have to bear the consequences. Also, send orders to the Tang Clan to find out who spread the rumors and slandered Wangfei!" Long Fei Ye added.
Did this count as his last shred of calm and reason?
Actually, this was forced out of him. He knew that he'd lost his mind the moment Han Yunxi disappeared.
He'd rushed here like a madman, so he had no choice but to calm down.
If he didn't, Han Yunxi would be in even more danger. His situation wouldn't be any better either! Chu Xifeng's hatred was already so deep, to say nothing of the Baili Army and Tang Clan.
Of course he understood Chu Xifeng's hatred for Western Qin. He also knew that countless of his subordinates held an irreconcilable grudge against the Western Qin imperial clan. He'd not only hidden the truth from Han Yunxi, but everyone by his side as well, including Tang Li!
Since there was no way to reconcile or forgive each other, it was better to never know.
He'd long arranged everything, but never expected someone to know Han Yunxi's origins so thoroughly. They even knew about the phoenix birthmark he didn't know about, and had even announced it to the public!
Just who was this person?
And who was the dark-robed assassin who'd tried to assassinate Gu Beiyue?
Actually, he really did want to use Gu Beiyue, so he'd concealed his identity as a member of the East Qin imperial clan. But there was no way he'd try to assassinate Gu Beiyue. They'd long reached a consensus on Han Yunxi's origins.
When he used the Lustbite energy on Celestial Mountain, he realized that Gu Beiyue had eyes and ears on the mountain as well. Moreover, Gu Beiyue knew that the Lustbite energy was the East Qin imperial clan's most precious treasure.
Gu Beiyue had threatened him that if he didn't release Han Yunxi, he would use the power of Medical City to destroy the South Central Military Governor's Manor.
At that time, he realized that Gu Beiyue knew about Han Yunxi's origins.
He confessed that he'd known about Han Yunxi's origins for a long time and asked Gu Beiyue why he'd hidden it even though he knew about Han Yunxi's origins. What were his intentions?
Gu Beiyue didn't answer his question, but rather angrily accused him of using a woman's feelings, saying it wasn't the conduct of a man.
He explained everything, but found that Gu Beiyue was the same as him. They both hoped that Han Yunxi would never know about the hatred and responsibility she carried and would always be herself.
How could he, the East Qin Crown Prince, believe in the words of a descendant of the Shadow Clan? How could it be easy for a descendant of the Shadow Clan to reach a consensus with the East Qin Crown Prince?
But as men, as men who loved Han Yunxi, they understood each other's difficulties.
Because they understood, they firmly believed!
"Why aren't you going to find her?" Long Fei Ye asked.
Xu Donglin didn't dare leave. He took several deep breaths before taking out the purple muslin robe hidden on his belt. "Your highness ….."
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
