d… Since the Old Lady wouldn’t listen to her words anyway, it didn't matter to her. She could only hope that Imperial Concubine Ye in the palace and Prince Li would truly take care of all of Rong’er’s...401. Reaping What You Sow

Ye Li can swear that she recently indeed found Lei Zhen霆 and Mo Jing黎 obnoxious for attempting to take advantage of a difficult situation, but she never thought of using such methods against them. Upon entering the guest quarters and seeing the chaos before her, Ye Li felt a throbbing pain in her forehead, "Hurry up and pull Emperor Chu out!" Seeing Mo Jing黎 indeed beaten nearly unconscious by Lei Zhen霆, Ye Li hurriedly said. If this were happening elsewhere, she wouldn't care if Lei Zhen霆 wanted to kill Mo Jing黎, but she couldn’t allow Mo Jing黎 to really die in the Ding王府.

Feng Zhi遙 raised his eyes to the sky and said, "My Lady, how can we possibly hold back Prince Southern Tyranny" Even without a hand, Lei Zhen霆 is still one of the four greatest martial artists in the world. For them to charge forward would be asking for trouble, especially considering it’s for Mo Jing黎. Absolutely impossible.

"Princess Consort Ding, if His Majesty has any mishap at the Ding王府…" The people that Mo Jing黎 brought along were also worried but helpless. Who could blame Prince Southern Tyranny for his formidable martial arts skills What's even worse is that it was Emperor Chu who suddenly attacked him.

Han Ming月 raised her eyebrows and smiled indifferently, "Are you threatening the Ding王府, Sir Prince Southern Tyranny attacking Emperor Chu has nothing to do with us." Seeing how speechless and flustered the man looked, Han Ming月 said calmly, "However… As a guest of honor, we will naturally ensure the safety of Emperor Chu." The man glanced at Mo Jing黎 who had been beaten almost unrecognizable but found himself at a loss for words. If this was called ensuring his safety, he would rather be unsafe.

"Prince Southern Tyranny, after all, Emperor Chu is a king of a nation. Besides… This place is still the Ding王府," Ye Li took a step forward and said unhappily as she frowned at them, "If you two are here to pay respects to His Highness, I welcome you warmly. However, if there's any personal grudge, please leave Fei Hong Pass and resolve it elsewhere." Lei Zhen霆 obviously wouldn't kill Mo Jing黎; killing him now would actually be a great favor for the Ding王府. Upon hearing Ye Li’s words, Lei Zhen霆 snorted coldly and stopped his attack with a stern expression. Unexpectedly, as soon as he stopped, the seemingly beaten-to-a-pulp Mo Jing黎 suddenly revived right where he was and started糾纏上來 (entangling himself again). Lei Zhen霆's face froze, and he kicked Mo Jing黎 away.

"Don't leave… Don’t leave…" Mo Jing黎 moaned and whispered. Everyone present could hear his words clearly and looked at the cyanotic Lei Zhen霆 in dismay. Feng Zhi遙 was stunned for a long time before muttering to himself, "So Emperor Chu’s affection towards Prince Southern Tyranny is so profound; no wonder..."

"Feng San!" Filled with anger that had nowhere else to vent, Lei Zhen霆 glared at Feng Zhi遙 and slapped him. Feng Zhi遙 hurriedly stepped back while Han Ming月 simultaneously struck Lei Zhen霆 from the other side. Feng Zhi遙 barely managed to dodge this slap.

"Prince Southern Tyranny," Ye Li said unhappily in a solemn voice, "This is Fei Hong Pass; I hope Prince Southern Tyranny will bear his dignity." Lei Zhen霆 took a deep breath and knew he couldn’t do anything to Feng Zhi遙 at this moment. However, the way everyone looked at him was unbearable. Throughout his life, even though he had experienced humiliation and failure, never had he felt as humiliated as now. He glared bitterly at Mo Jing黎 who was being restrained by a servant, and said solemnly, "I have urgent matters to attend to in my army; I bid farewell."

Ye Li didn't keep him any longer. As for the peace talks mentioned earlier by Lei Zhen霆, neither side took it seriously. Ye Li nodded and said, "Since that's so, I won’t detain Prince Southern Tyranny further. Cold Er (Cold Hao Yu), please escort Prince Southern Tyranny out." Among those present, only Cold Hao Yu was reliable besides Han Ming月 who didn't have a position in the王府. If she sent Feng Zhi遙 or Han MingChu to escort him, they might provoke Lei Zhen霆 again within three sentences.

Cold Hao Yu nodded and said to Lei Zhen霆, "Prince Southern Tyranny, this way."

Lei Zhen霆 left with a blackened face.

On the other side, Mo Jing黎 was still struggling under his servants' restraint. Ye Li didn’t want to look at the ridiculous scene anymore and merely instructed, "Take His Majesty back to rest." Need I call for a doctor"

The servants beside Mo Jing黎 looked somewhat troubled as they glanced at him; anyone with clear eyes could tell what was going on with Mo Jing黎. "Thank you, Your Highness. No… It's not necessary. We have brought an imperial physician.

Ye Li also did not intervene much, but warned them, "Please be careful with the people in my mansion."

"We understand." The others said. Princess Ding was warning them not to meddle with the maids in this marquis's residence. They had originally brought quite a few maids along when they came here, and these people naturally did not want to get into an unpleasant situation with Princess Ding over some maidservants. This place was still within the territory of Prince Ding’s mansion after all, so they readily agreed.

Seeing Mo Xiaobao’s retainer carry the person back, Feng Zhirao and the others could not help but burst out laughing. Ye Li shook her head helplessly; this time, Mo Xiaobao had inadvertently succeeded in his mischief. What was originally just a prank ended up with such an outcome.

Folding his fan gracefully, Feng Zhirao smiled and said, "I never expected that Emperor Chu would actually be so… one could say it's deep affection between them." Everyone rolled their eyes; anyway, Feng Zhirao insisted on pinning this incident to Lei Zhenting and Mo Jinglei.

"Be careful, Lei Zhenting sent people to assassinate you," Han Mingyi reminded him. It was fine to joke around, but burning yourself in the process wasn’t good.

Feng Zhirao gracefully replied, "Unless he comes personally, what do I have to fear if he doesn't Besides, he won't have time for it within this short period anyway. More importantly, if he really wants to kill me over this matter, wouldn't that prove… my guess is true, and so he wants to cover up the truth by killing me"

As such, on this day, a piece of news spread rapidly throughout Feihong Pass like wildfire and quickly disseminated in all directions.

At first, it was something like: "It’s said that Emperor Chu accidentally offended Prince Zhen’nan, who beat him up."

Then it became: "It’s said that Emperor Chu is secretly infatuated with Prince Zhen'nan and couldn’t help but offend him; as a result, he was severely beaten by the prince."

Later on, it turned into something like this: "It’s said that Emperor Chu had intentions… which led to his beating by Prince Zhen’nan."

Then it evolved further: "It’s said that Emperor Chu and Prince Zhen'nan are in love with each other; they couldn't help but…, after which the prince severely beat him."

The final version was: "It’s said that Emperor Chu was beaten up by Prince Zhen’nan."

"Why"

"What do you think Truly ignorant."

“Ah Could it be...”

"Absolutely!"

The next day, when Mo Jingli woke up, the comments had already flooded both inside and outside of Feihong Pass. Seeing what he did on the previous day made Mo Jingli feel ashamed and angry but helpless.

Early in the morning, Ye Li sat in a pavilion drinking tea. In her snow-white clothes, with her hair loosely tied up without any makeup or adornment, and her clear face unadorned by powder, she looked somewhat melancholy and dejected in the light mist of dawn.

Mo Jingli saw this picturesque scene outside the pavilion but was momentarily distracted. The bruised and battered appearance he had after being beaten yesterday would never be shown under normal circumstances due to his vanity. However, there wasn't enough time for him now; he had no choice but to face everyone with strange looks from the servants in General's Manor as soon as possible.

"Princess Consort, Emperor Chu has arrived," Qin Feng walked into the pavilion and whispered.

Ye Li nodded and said, "Please invite Emperor Chu inside."

Qin Feng turned to invite Mo Jingli in but didn't step back. Instead, he stood not far from Ye Li within the pavilion, his eyes staring directly at Mo Jingli without concealment, filled with warning and vigilance.

Mo Jingli's face darkened slightly; however, it was hard to notice due to the bruises on his face. Ye Li only saw his face contort strangely for a moment, then she lifted her tea cup to her lips, concealing any twitching at the corners of her mouth and a faint smile as she asked in a low voice, "Is Emperor Chu's injury not serious"

"I'm fine!" Mo Jingli gritted his teeth. Although he didn't feel much pain when it happened, recalling yesterday made him remember every detail clearly. Thinking about how he had pounced on an old man like a frustrated lover made his stomach churn, and the breakfast he had eaten that morning seemed ready to come back up. In fact, he had already vomited heavily after waking up in the middle of the night.

Mo Jingli knew for sure that someone had secretly plotted against him, but neither he nor the accompanying imperial physicians could figure out how it happened. Apart from being bitten by Mo Xiaobao, Mo Jingli hadn't approached anyone outside his immediate circle within an arm's length all day long. Even the tea and snacks he drank were strictly inspected beforehand. Therefore, no matter how hard he tried, Mo Jingli couldn’t fathom how he had been tricked.

Ye Li nodded, "As long as you're fine, it’s good. Prince Zhen of Zhennan was too impulsive yesterday afternoon and has already left Feihong Pass." Which means if you want to settle accounts with someone, you should look for Lei Zhengting yourself.

Moo Jingli decided he definitely didn't want to see Lei Zhengting again this year. Not only because of the recurring nausea but also due to the harm caused by Lei Zhengting.

"I came here to find you," Mo Jingli stared at Ye Li and said.

Ye Li nodded, "Your Majesty, if there's something you want to say."

Mo Jingli glanced at Qin Feng beside him and frowned, saying, "You may leave now." Qin Feng ignored him and merely gave him a cold look. Mo Jingli somehow understood the meaning behind Qin Feng’s glance—how could he know that Ye Li wouldn't be hurt if you even pounce on men

Seeing this, veins bulged at Mo Jingli's temples, but seeing no intention from Ye Li to dismiss Qin Feng, he forced himself to calm down and said, "I have something important to discuss with you." Ye Li smiled gently and said, "Your Majesty, please speak freely."

"If you and the Ding王府 submit to Great Chu, I guarantee that Mo Yuchen will still be the hereditary Ding Wang," said Mo Jingli in a tone of entitlement, even with a hint of condescension. However, his supposed domineering demeanor was rendered somewhat ridiculous by his current appearance.

Ye Li gave him an exasperated look and said calmly, "If I am not mistaken, the Chu Emperor should have already reached an agreement with West Temple's Southern King, right"

Mo Jingli sneered coldly without caring. "Can I be bound by an agreement just because Lei Zhenting tricked me Ye Li, as long as you bring Ding王府 to submit to Great Chu, I guarantee that I will not treat you badly."

"How does the Chu Emperor plan to avoid treating this Consort unfairly" Ye Li asked with a raised eyebrow. Is his brain really devoid of any sense at all Does he seriously think that just by saying she would submit to Great Chu, the entire Ding王府 and Mo's army will obediently follow suit

Thinking Ye Li had been swayed, Mo Jingli smiled contentedly with confidence. "I can bestow upon you the title of Empress Consort. Ye Li, you should know that conferring a married woman the title of Empress is unprecedented throughout history, proving my sincerity."

Ye Li lowered her eyes and pondered silently.

Mo Jingli didn't rush; such matters naturally required careful consideration. He was confident that Ye Li would definitely agree to his proposal. Mo Xiuyao was already dead; no matter how capable Ye Li was, she was just a woman without male support, powerless in herself.

After some time, Ye Li said faintly, "This Consort needs time to consider."

"Sure," Mo Jingli nodded. "I'll wait for your answer."

Ye Li nodded and left with Qin Feng.

In the garden, Qin Feng followed Ye Li, puzzled as he asked, "My Lady, are you really considering this" Ye Li nodded and said, "Of course I have to consider it. I'm thinking about... how to deal with Mo Jingli."

"What does My Lady plan to do" Qin Feng inquired curiously.

Ye Li thought for a moment and said faintly, "Throw him out."

Watching Ye Li walk away gracefully, Qin Feng blinked and snapped his fingers. Four kirin appeared before Qin Feng. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did you understand what My Lady said"

"What does My Lady mean"

Qin Feng chuckled and said, "It means exactly what it says—throw out."

Fifteen minutes later, a man in imperial court attire who was severely beaten and unrecognizable was thrown off the city gate of Feihong Pass.

The Phoenix Faraway, who was playing chess on the city gate, shook his head with regret. "Qilin has become more incompetent; he even messed up such a simple task as throwing someone out." If it were him, he would have blocked off the man's acupoints and thrown him down headfirst to ensure that Mo Jingli would never smile again in this life.

Han Mingyue smiled and said, "There are people below."

Below was a large contingent of guards stationed outside the city by Mo Jingli. How could they allow Mo Jingli to be killed Qilin had thrown him down with great precision; even though three Imperial Guards had leaped up to catch Mo Jingli, he still fractured his right hand in the process.

"Ye Li! I won’t let you get away with this!" Outside the city gate, Mo Jingli roared.

“Whoosh.” A chess piece shot straight from the city gate and flew into Mo Jingli’s wide-open mouth. The cautious guards were startled by the Emperor's sudden outburst and did not have time to intercept the attack. Han Mingyue elegantly wiped her hands with a handkerchief, remarking, "Mo Jingli has become increasingly crude since he became emperor."

"Sir Mingyue, excellent skill," praised Phoenix Faraway with a full smile as they exchanged amused glances and watched Mo Jingli curse his way away.

On some mountain road heading west from the Great Chu kingdom, Ling Tiehan and two others rode their horses leisurely. Although Yama Pavilion had suffered heavy losses this time, for Ling Tiehan who already harbored thoughts of retirement, it was not a matter of great importance. If he were still in charge, there would be major problems as to whom to entrust the future of the organization to since the assassin group differs from others and improper personnel selection could lead to serious trouble.

While chatting with his brother and sister-in-law, Ling Tiehan suddenly frowned. Before Cailuoyue and the others could speak, he solemnly said, "Stay back." Even though they did not understand what their elder brother meant, seeing his serious face made them obediently ride to another side.

"Prince Ding, since you’ve come, why don’t you show yourself" Ling Tiehan loudly called out.

Cailuoyue and the Sick Book Scholar, who were watching from a distance, were startled. The news of Prince Ding’s death had already spread across the land on their journey here. But now…

Just as they worried, a figure in white appeared at a small mountain pass on the road. Dressed in snow-white clothes and hair like frost, Mo Xiuyao held the Burn-Annihilate Sword, staring coldly down at Ling Tiehan atop his horse. He did not seem surprised that Ling Tiehan knew he was still alive.

Ling Tiehan sighed helplessly and said, "Prince Ding."

Mo Xiuyao didn’t bother with formalities; a flash of cold light pierced the sky as Burn-Annihilate Sword instantly sheathed, carrying overwhelming killing intent towards Ling Tiehan. Ling Tiehan patted his horse and leaped into the air while unsheathing his sword at the same time. A powerful sword qi headed towards Mo Xiuyao. The collision from the two sword qis sent them both staggering backwards several steps before they could regain their footing, but every tree in the area was snapped by the force.

A sharp crack echoed as Ling Tihan's iron sword snapped in his hand. His sword, while an exceptional one chosen from thousands, was still far inferior to the legendary sword Mo Xiuyao wielded. Hence, it wasn't surprising that it shattered upon contact. Mo Xiuyao had never looked down on others by using divine weapons against them, but this time he seemed not to care at all; even if Ling Tihan were unarmed, he could still sweep him away with the Flamewipe Sword. This made Ling Tihan realize how infuriated Mo Xiuyao was because of his attack on Ye Li.

“Big brother!” Cold Luyue cried out involuntarily and raised her hand to toss her weapon over. She excelled in throwing weapons but wasn't very adept at swords or knives. Therefore, Ling Tihan had prepared top-notch weaponry for his two siblings. The sword she held was far superior to the one he used himself. However, it was futile against Mo Xiuyao’s Flamewipe Sword, and Ling Tihan waved her off.

Mo Xiuyao pointed his sword remotely at Ling Tihan with a cool tone: "This prince has always regarded Pavilion Master Ling as an incredibly rare opponent but never thought of him as someone to be killed. Today's exception will undoubtedly leave me deeply regretful."

Ling Tihan bitterly smiled, saying, "I too have never expected to face Prince Ding in a life-or-death situation. However, there are many things one has no choice but to do in this world." Mo Xiuyao snorted and didn't further engage; his Flamewipe Sword flashed coldly toward Ling Tihan. He had no interest in knowing any justification or the necessity of what others did. To him, anyone who laid a hand on Agni deserved death, with no room for argument.

On the mountain path, two figures quickly engaged in battle. Cold Luyue and Illness Scholar's martial arts were not enough to see more than blurred shadows flitting through the air and suffocating killing intent that spread everywhere. The sword qi occasionally shot out would shred everything it touched into powder. Cold Luyue anxiously grabbed Illness Scholar’s wrist, her eyes focused desperately on the place they could never quite make out clearly. Illness Scholar wasn't doing much better; he had long recovered from his illness, but just now the intense killing intent made him cough uncontrollably.

“Big brother!” Just as both were at their wits' end, Ling Tihan’s voice suddenly fell from the sky. Illness Scholar quickly jumped up to catch Ling Tihan's falling body. Cold Luyue gritted her teeth and drew her sword, charging towards Mo Xiuyao.

“Second sister, stop!” Ling Tihan cried out: "Prince Ding, show some mercy!"

"Bang—" Half of Cold Luyue’s precious sword was left, and Mo Xiuyao flicked the broken tip towards her. Cold Luyue backed up continuously until she fell to the ground with the sharp tip grazing past her face and embedding itself into a tree behind her. She sat on the floor drenched in sweat; she had distinctly felt the chill of the sword’s edge as it brushed by her cheek.

Mo Xiuyao looked down at everyone from above, his gaze cold and merciless like that of an Olympian god: "Overreaching."

Cold Luyue glared fiercely at Mo Xiuyao, shouting, "My big brother didn't kill Prince Ding's wife; this is too much!"

Mo Xiuyao sneered, saying, "He just failed. If Agni were injured by even a hair, I'll cut your entire Hell Pavilion and feed it to dogs!"

Might angered by Mo Jingli’s attitude akin to trampling ants, Cold Luyue forgot her initial fear, retorting with a cold smile: "If my big brother truly wanted to kill Ye Li, do you think she'd still be alive" The Hell Pavilion was made up of killers; Ling Tihan was the world's unparalleled assassin. If he really intended to kill Ye Li, would there have been any chance for her escape Even if it were to avoid offending Prince Ding’s Household, Ling Tihan had indeed shown restraint.

“Luyue.” Ling Tihan frowned and said sternly.

Cold Luyue reluctantly stopped. Ling Tihan slowly stood up; the short pause allowed him to regain his breath despite severe injuries. He still retained enough strength to fight back. Ling Tihan looked at Mo Xiuyao: "Prince Ding, this Pavilion Master has matters I must attend to first. No doubt you have urgent business as well. Once my affairs are concluded, I'll give Prince Ding an explanation. Then we can settle our score another time, how does that sound Besides… isn't your Highness unscathed now If I were to exert myself fully, would you be confident of escaping unharmed"

Mo Xiuyao was silent for a moment before saying: "Very well. Three months later, this prince will come looking for Pavilion Master Ling again."m and looked towards Mo Xiuyao, "What happened Why is he injured so badly"Mo Xiuyao remained aloof, calmly sipping tea, "I didn't hit hard last night; it's his own fault for not wanting to live."The e...