Another black-clad man hoisted Wei Shuxuan onto his shoulder and dashed forward at breakneck speed. He was known for his swift footwork, which was why they'd chosen him to carry the captive, hoping to avoid a repeat of the earlier mishap. To ensure his escape, the other two men stayed behind in the dilapidated temple to hold off Xin Zizhao. But they knew it wouldn't be long before he broke through, so the man with Wei Shuxuan put all his might into his run.
Suddenly, Xin Zizhao raised his hand and sent a powerful palm strike upward. A gust of palm wind shot out from his hand, shattering the roof beam. A huge hole appeared in the roof, and broken tiles clattered down, accompanied by two black-clad men who fell from the beam. They used a nearby red pillar to break their fall and landed lightly on the ground.
Seeing only these two men, Xin Zizhao realized they'd used the old trick of luring the tiger away from its den. "Where are you taking Xuan'er? Tell me the location, and I might spare your lives."
With Wei Shuxuan captured and now missing, Xin Zizhao's eyes burned red with anxiety. He glared coldly at the two men in black. "Tell me quickly, or I'll beat you to death."
On Qiuling Mountain, his master had once taught him never to take a life lightly. But in times of necessity, self - defense was a must.
Xuan'er was his life. He didn't want to fight, but they'd left him no choice. So he wouldn't hold back.
The two black - clad men felt Xin Zizhao's aura change completely. He was like a wild beast about to break free from its cage, terrifying. Their survival instincts made them want to run, but if they did, they couldn't explain themselves to their leader, and the consequences would be even worse.
Loyalty to their leader held them in place. They took up their fighting stances, ready to face Xin Zizhao. But Xin Zizhao just gave them a cold glance, as if looking at two dead men.
"Since you're not willing to talk, I have no choice. I know plenty of ways to torture people. You may not know that besides being an emperor, I'm also a doctor."
He didn't want to use his life - saving medical skills for interrogation, but he had no other option. If he had to go to hell, he'd go alone as long as they returned Xuan'er to him.
As Xin Zizhao walked towards them like a terrifying Asura, the two men's legs began to tremble uncontrollably. The overwhelming pressure made their knees weak. It was too late for them to run now.
"Splash!" A basin of water was poured over the sleeping Wei Shuxuan. She slowly woke up. Opening her eyes, she saw a charming young woman in red, holding a long whip and smiling at her.
"Who are you?" Wei Shuxuan was clearly startled by the red - clad woman. She looked around and found herself in a completely unfamiliar place. Only then did she realize she'd been captured. "Where is this? Who are you people?"
"Humph, do you think you have the right to ask who we are?" The red - clad woman was Hong Ying from Sima Tianhai's mansion.
Wei Shuxuan immediately noticed the jade pendant on Hong Ying's waist. Judging from the familiar pattern, this red - clad woman was from Sima Tianhai's group.
"Do you think you can hide your identity? I already know you're from Sima Tianhai's family. Don't think you can get away with this. Xin Zizhao will come to rescue me!"
"You thought you were being so secretive, but we still found out you were investigating us. Our general knew you were coming back to take back power, so he sent his men to lie in wait in Baiyang Town. As soon as you arrived, we'd catch you all."
Wei Shuxuan sneered and spat at Hong Ying. "Bah! Justice may be slow, but it always prevails. Your general has done so many evil deeds. Sooner or later, he'll be punished by heaven. Even if it's not us, someone else will take him down!"
Hearing this, Hong Ying actually laughed. But everyone around knew her temper. When she laughed, it meant she was extremely angry. This girl was in big trouble.
"You're quite a sharp - tongued one," Hong Ying squatted down and pinched Wei Shuxuan's chin. But Wei Shuxuan stared straight back at her. "If it weren't for the general's order to spare your life, I'd have cut out your tongue long ago. But a little fun shouldn't hurt, as long as I don't kill you."
Wei Shuxuan wasn't afraid. She'd heard plenty of such threats when handling criminal cases. But this woman was crazy and might actually do something to her. She smiled. "Come on then. Stop talking nonsense! I'm not afraid of you!"
She trusted Xin Zizhao would come to her rescue. She believed he'd find her.
She gritted her teeth and endured the pain of the whip lashing her skin again and again. Red whip marks blossomed on her fair skin like falling flowers. Her clothes were torn by the whip, and the seeping blood stained her clothes. The guards standing nearby were horrified.
Just then, Bai Yue walked in. "Hong Ying, stop hitting her. If you keep going, you'll kill her, and it'll be hard to explain to the general."
Hearing Bai Yue's voice, Hong Ying stopped and turned around, her eyes red as she glared at Bai Yue. "Mind your own business, Bai Yue. You're just a fence - sitter. What right do you have to tell me what to do?"
"I'm loyal to the emperor of Qiangfeng Kingdom. The emperor sent me here to assist the general. I'm his helper now."
"Humph, you make it sound so good. In fact, you're just the emperor's spy sent to watch our general. That emperor wants a share of the spoils too!"
Hong Ying spat at Bai Yue, but Bai Yue ignored her. "No matter what you say, I'm helping you now. And the emperor knows about this. Once Yulong Kingdom is in our hands, the world will belong to the general."
"Spineless opportunist!" Hong Ying hated people like Bai Yue who always changed sides.
"I'm just being adaptable, not like you describe. Instead of criticizing me, you'd better control your temper. If the general finds out about your impulsiveness, I'd like to see how you'll clean up this mess."
Bai Yue glanced at Wei Shuxuan.