His brown рuрils соntrаcted sharрlу. Feng Ming's еxprеssiоn turnеd sеriоus аs he pushеd Yin Gezhi aside, turning his head awау. "What is thе First Prinсе tаlking аbout? I dоn't undеrstаnd."
Тhе Prinсe of Filial Рiеty's Мansion was аs desolаte as thе Wu Кingdоm's Еnvоу's Мansion. Арart frоm Guаn Zhi, nо onе evеr visitеd his courtуаrd. Yin Gezhi hаd no patiеnce for bеаting аround thе bush and said direсtlу, "Еarliеr, I wаs wоndеring hоw Guаn Qingyuе, lоckеd up in рrison and bеing torturеd, соuld havе рullеd оff such a feаt—vanishing into thin air and esсaping. But sеeing yоu now, it аll mаkes sеnse."
Feng Ming gasped in shock, staring at him in disbelief. He grabbed Yin Gezhi's collar and yanked him closer. "You've seen Qingyue?"
Shaking off his grip, Yin Gezhi sneered, "You won't answer my question, yet you expect me to answer yours?"
Feng Ming gritted his teeth, his face tense with conflict. After a long hesitation, he finally relented, "It was my doing alone. It has nothing to do with the Marquis of State Pacification's Mansion."
Turning to sit at the stone table in the courtyard, Yin Gezhi straightened his sleeves. "Explain everything from the beginning. What happened?"
"Why should I tell you?" Feng Ming was reluctant, his thick, straight eyebrows furrowing.
However, Yin Gezhi calmly said, "I've seen Guan Qingyue."
In the next moment, Feng Ming obediently sat down beside him. Grudgingly, he confessed, "General Guan was killed in prison, and the Guan family faced execution. I couldn't save her entire family, but I could save her alone. So, I carefully planned everything, waiting until the days before the execution. Using my connections in the prison, I swapped Guan Qingyue out."
At the time, Guan Qingyue was unwilling to leave and refused to let someone else die in her place. It was only after her family threatened her with the matter of revenge that she was knocked unconscious and carried out.
Because of this, he didn't dare tell her that he was the one behind her rescue. That lady already hated him enough—adding another crime to the list was something he wouldn't admit to.
"Afterward, she left the Wu Kingdom. I don't know where she went, and I don't know where she is now." Speaking of this, Feng Ming felt a pang of sadness. She had written letters to many people, taking them with her, but she hadn't thought to write him one—not even to scold him. For three years, there had been no news from her. She hadn't treated him like her fiancé at all!
Hearing the last sentence, Yin Gezhi inexplicably felt a bit better. He stood up, straightened his collar, and turned to walk back into the room.
"Hey, hey!" Feng Ming reached out to stop him. "I've told you everything. Shouldn't you tell me where she is?"
Turning to look at him calmly, Yin Gezhi asked blankly, "Why should I tell you?"
"You just said..." Feng Ming cut himself off, gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and threw a punch at him!
This cunning man had only said he'd seen Guan Qingyue—he never promised to tell him her whereabouts after he confessed!
Bastard!
Yin Gezhi smirked, deftly dodging the punch, and flew into the room, bolting the door behind him.
When Guan Zhi returned after tidying up the mansion, he saw Feng Ming, eyes dark and menacing, holding a torch and preparing to light a pile of firewood stacked in front of the main room's entrance.
"General Feng!" Guan Zhi's voice cracked with fright as he rushed over to stop him. "What are you doing?"
Holding the torch, Feng Ming said with a dark expression, "That bastard is hiding inside and won't come out. I'm going to burn his house down!"Guan Zhi: "..."
Torn between laughter and tears, he struggled to pry Feng Ming's arm away but couldn't budge it. In the end, he simply wrapped both arms around it, trembling as he said, "General, this is an attempt on the prince's life!"
"I don't care!" Feng Ming roared. "If he still won't tell me, I'll burn down his entire estate along with him!"
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Guan Zhi felt a deep bitterness in his heart. If it were any other noble causing trouble, it would be manageable—reason could be used. But with this General Feng, reason was utterly useless! When he acted on impulse, he was truly capable of burning down a prince's estate!
"Let's talk this out properly!" Guan Zhi pleaded with a mournful expression. "What is it you want to know?"
At the thought of that person, Feng Ming's throat tightened, and his eyes grew slightly moist. His mouth opened and closed, but in the end, he seemed to deflate. He threw the torch aside, shook off Guan Zhi, and turned to leave.
Forget it. If Yin Gezhi refused to speak, burning this place down would be pointless. Rather than asking, he might as well search for answers himself.
"General!" An attendant waiting anxiously outside the gate hurried forward as soon as he emerged. "News just came—the Helan residence is in chaos. Lord Helan has packed his belongings and fled alone."
Though the emperor hadn't taken it seriously, Helan Changde wasn't foolish. After being publicly accused by the First Prince of accepting bribes from Yi Guoru to betray the nation, he seized the chance to flee as far as he could while he still had the opportunity!
Feng Ming's face darkened. He immediately mounted his horse and galloped away, cursing as he rode. "That coward! Good thing I reacted quickly and sent people to guard the Helan residence. Otherwise, he might have truly escaped!"
Helan Changde had lived quite comfortably these past few years. After returning to Lidu to serve as a Censor, he enjoyed ample perks and had little to worry about, growing as plump as a ball! Truly, the good die young, while the wicked live long!
He wouldn't let him go without stripping a layer of skin off him!
On one side, the pursuit was dusty and hurried; on the other, the escape was frantic and panicked. Helan Changde had thought he would be safe once he left the city. He had fled as soon as he received the news—surely no one could react faster than him? Though packing had taken some time, and some annoying women had whined and tried to stop him, if he could leave the city under cover of night, his life would surely be secure.
However, he hadn't expected that, just a mile outside the city gates, the carriage would suddenly jolt violently. The entire compartment tilted to the side and crashed heavily to the ground! The frightened horses bolted, and the people inside screamed in agony. By the time those behind finally severed the reins, he was already covered in blood.
Trembling, Helan Changde crawled out of the carriage and was about to wipe the blood from his face with his sleeve when he suddenly noticed two pairs of boots standing before him.
His heart tightened as he looked up. He saw a face that was completely unfamiliar, covered in a thick beard.
"Your Excellency is a Censor, after all. Why are you fleeing like a thief in the middle of the night?" Feng Yue looked at him, wanting to give him a sinister smile. Yet, at the sight of his face, she couldn't even muster a smile. The hatred in her eyes surged like a thousand-foot waterfall, threatening to wash the man before her into nothingness!
This damned traitor!
Frightened by her gaze, Helan Changde nearly scrambled back into the carriage. Frowning, he blustered with false bravado, "Who are you?"Slowly crouching down, Feng Yue held the dagger and looked at him, her voice icy cold: "I am your nightmare. From now on, you'd better run fast, or if I catch you, it'll be like this!"
As her words fell, the dagger in her hand plunged fiercely into Helan Changde's ankle!
"Ah—" A heart-wrenching cry of pain echoed through the entire outskirts of the city, sending chills down one's spine.
Feng Ming, who had been chasing aimlessly, brightened up at the sound and immediately ran toward it.
The sharp dagger pierced through flesh and bone, accurately striking the soft spot below the ankle bone. The sound of the tendon snapping transmitted through the dagger to Feng Yue's palm, reddening her eyes.
"Does it hurt?" she asked softly. "Are you scared?"
Like seeing a ghost, Helan Changde howled in agony as he scrambled backward. With his foot crippled, moving was difficult. Gritting his teeth, a sinister glint flashed in his eyes as he watched the bearded figure approach. He quickly reached for the hidden weapon in his sleeve and, taking advantage of her unpreparedness, flung it at her!
After all, he was a martial artist. Even if years of comfort had dulled his skills, his foundation remained. In the heat of the moment, he hadn't reacted, but now he knew to fight back.
Narrowly dodging the hidden weapon, Feng Yue curled her lips and sneered at him, "Quite strong in the hands, aren't you?"
Luo Hao stepped forward beside her, seized his arms, and forcefully dislocated them!
"No—ah—" Rolling on the ground in agony! Helan Changde twisted and struggled like a fat, thieving rat, a sight that chilled the soul.
"If you don't run, I'm coming over." Clutching the dagger, Feng Yue walked step by step toward him. "Heaven's justice cycles, and the heavens spare no one, Lord Helan!"
"You... I have no grudge against you. What are you doing this for?" Trembling in fear, tears streaming from the pain, Helan Changde supported one leg and both hands, struggling to crawl with his other good leg, trying to get away from them, his expression terrified as if he had seen the Black and White Impermanence.
Only then did Feng Yue smile, slowly pursuing him as she spoke word by word, "No grudge? Lord Helan truly has a short memory. You betrayed the Wei Kingdom's anti-Wu army, causing Guan Canghai to be falsely accused of treason. With me, does that still count as no grudge?"
Gasping sharply, Helan Changde widened his eyes, the whites showing, and shrieked in a high-pitched voice, "You're from the Guan family?"
Feng Yue really wanted to scare him further, but just then, the sound of hoofbeats echoed from not far away.
Someone coming to rescue him?
Her expression sharpened. Feng Yue gave Luo Hao a look, and the latter immediately drew his long sword, placing it against Helan Changde's neck, then turned to look east.
Several horses hurriedly approached. Upon seeing the overturned carriage on the ground, the leader breathed a sigh of relief and muttered, "You ran fast enough!"
Hearing this voice, the hairs on Feng Yue's back stood on end.
Feng Ming dismounted from his horse. His dark green robe was stylish and elegant, its hem fluttering as he walked, blending with the night. Only the bronze belt around his waist faintly glimmered in the darkness.
He swept past her like a gust of wind, not even glancing at her. First, he looked at the half-dead Helan Changde, then raised his head to see which hero had come to the rescue.
"Deputy General Luo?!" Upon seeing this face, Feng Ming was shocked. "You've returned to Lidu?"
Luo Hao forced a dry laugh and nodded, his gaze somewhat evasive.
Straightening his back slightly, Feng Ming seemed to sense something and slowly turned to look behind him.The moonlight was bright and clear, and beneath it was a person dressed in men's clothing. By the time he spoke, he had already run fifty paces away!
"Guan Qingyue, you stop right there!" With a roar, Feng Ming's eyes flushed red. He took off in pursuit!
Feng Yue was in a panic, running while pinching his nose and shouting, "You've got the wrong person!"
"Bullshit!" Feng Ming angrily retorted, "In all of Lidu, only you would run this fast when you see me. Do you think I'm stupid? Stand still!"
In the past, when he chased her, he might not have caught up, but now—whether his skills had improved too much or something else—in no time at all, he actually managed to grab her shoulder!
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