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Tuli collapsed onto the cold floor as if he had collapsed from exhaustion, panting heavily, his body still trembling slightly, his eyes unfocused and filled with fear.

Yi Huawei looked down at him, his eyes indifferent.

"explain."

Tuli dared not conceal anything any longer, and with a trembling voice, he confessed intermittently, "I...I came to the Central Plains this time...to...to go to Luoyang...to see the Li family..."

"To see the Li family?"

Yi Huawei's eyes flickered slightly: "What is it?"

"It's...it's to see...if there's an opportunity...to form an alliance with the Li family..."

Tuli gasped for breath and said with difficulty, “My uncle Jieli… is powerful and aggressive… I am in a difficult situation on the grasslands… I need outside help… The Li clan occupies Guanzhong and has a strong army… If we can get their support… perhaps… perhaps we can form an alliance with them to fight against Jieli…”

Tuli intermittently revealed his predicament and plans. It was nothing more than a loss in the internal power struggle on the grasslands, an attempt to bring in powerful allies from the Central Plains to find a chance to turn the tide. The Li clan currently seemed to be at its zenith; if they could form an alliance with them, perhaps they could restrain Jieli's power.

After listening, Yi Huawei's face remained expressionless, as if he had expected it, or perhaps it made little difference to him whether Tu Li and the Li Clan were allied.

Looking at the limp and powerless Tuli, he waved his hand: "Take him away!"

"Yes!"

Two guards stepped forward and dragged Tuli out of the cabin.

Yun Shuai's gaze swept lightly over Yun Shuai and his daughter. Yun Shuai's heart tightened, and he instinctively shielded his daughter behind him, his brown eyes filled with vigilance. Lian Rou gripped her father's clothes tightly, her delicate body trembling slightly. Her large brown eyes looked at Yi Huawei pleadingly, but she dared not utter a sound.

Without any warning, Yi Huawei raised his right hand again, pointing his index finger in the air.

A chilling white aura shot out silently and instantly entered Yun Shuai's dantian!
"Well!"

Yun Shuai groaned, feeling an extreme chill instantly invade his body, rapidly spreading to his limbs and bones, as if even his thoughts were being frozen. But unlike the explosive pain of Tu Li, this chill was more like a lurking venomous snake, coiled around the core of his meridians. Although it did not immediately cause excruciating pain, it made him clearly feel a cold constraint on his life, and his internal energy circulation instantly became obscure and stagnant.

Yun Shuai's face paled, his body swayed, and he barely managed to stand. A hint of shock and anger flashed in his eyes, but more so, a sense of powerlessness. He tried to circulate his internal energy, but the chilling aura clung to his dantian like a bone-deep infection.

"This is the power of Xuanbing Qi,"

Yi Huawei said calmly, "It lies dormant in your dantian and requires a specific method to relieve it once a month. Otherwise, the cold energy will erupt, corroding your meridians and severing your pulse. The pain will be ten times worse than what you just experienced, and you will eventually turn into an ice sculpture."

Upon hearing this, Yun Shuai's face drained of color, his lips trembled, but no sound came out. As the Grand Preceptor of the Western Turks, how could he have ever been subjected to such humiliating control? But circumstances were beyond his control, and he couldn't even muster the thought of resistance.

"I can let you go."

Yi Huawei's words made Yun Shuai and Lian Rou both look up abruptly, their eyes flashing with disbelief. Lian Rou, in particular, almost thought she was hallucinating.

But Yi Huawei's next words plunged their newly raised hopes into despair: "But she wants to stay."

His gaze fell on Lian Rou.

"No! No!"

Yun Shuai blurted out, excitedly taking a step forward to completely shield Lian Rou behind him: "If you want to kill or torture me, come at me! Let go of my daughter!"

Lian Rou burst into tears instantly, clutching her father's arm tightly and shaking her head desperately, "Father! No! Rou'er doesn't want to be separated from you!"

Yi Huawei ignored their reactions: "Leave her here as a hostage, and you may leave on your own. Within a month, someone will contact you to tell you how to obtain the antidote, and... your daughter's freedom."

"Remember, her safety rests on your shoulders. If you make any unusual moves or try to find external forces to remove this force... you should know the consequences."

Yun Shuai felt a chill run through him. He understood that the other party was using Lian Rou's life to force him to become a controlled pawn! If he wanted to save his own and his daughter's lives, he had to obey.

The immense humiliation made Yun Shuai grit his teeth, his chest heaving violently. Looking at Yi Huawei's indifferent, almost superhuman gaze, he knew that any bargaining was futile. He turned to look at his tearful, terrified daughter, his heart aching as if it were being torn apart.

"Rou'er..."

"Father...don't abandon Rou'er..." Lian Rou sobbed uncontrollably.

Finally, Yun Shuai took a deep breath and, almost clenching his teeth, squeezed out a sentence from Yi Huawei: "...Fine! I agree! But...but you must guarantee Rou'er's safety! If she suffers any harm, I, Yun Shuai, swear that I will fight you to the death, no matter where you are!"

This threat seemed weak and powerless in the face of an absolute disparity in strength, but it was the last struggle he could make as a father.

Yi Huawei ignored his threat and simply said, "I always keep my word." He then waved his hand and said, "Take him away, prepare a small boat, and let him leave."

Two disciples stepped forward and gestured for Yun Shuai to enter, their faces expressionless. Yun Shuai gave Lian Rou one last, deep look, then stamped his foot, turned away resolutely, and followed the disciples out of the cabin.

“Father——!”

Lian Rou let out a shrill cry and tried to chase after him, but was firmly held down by the female disciple beside her. She could only watch helplessly as her father's figure disappeared outside the door. She collapsed to the ground and wept bitterly.

Yi Huawei glanced at Lian Rou, picked up the hot tea that his disciple had just served him on the table next to him, gently blew away the foam, and was about to drink it.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the cabin door. A disciple of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, with a slightly strange expression, rushed in and knelt on one knee to report:
"Reporting to the Alliance Leader! Something has happened in the lower deck... in the lower deck!"

Yi Huawei paused slightly and looked up.

The disciple swallowed hard and continued, "As instructed, we locked Zhu Jie and Zhu Mei in the same cell. Just now, when we went to check, we discovered...we discovered that Zhu Jie...he...he was bitten to death by Zhu Mei..."

Even the disciples, seasoned by countless battles, couldn't help but show a hint of shock when reporting this. After all, Zhu Mei's martial arts had been sealed, and her hands and feet were bound with special cowhide ropes, yet she could kill in such a brutal way—it was truly chilling.

Everyone in the cabin, including Lian Rou who had just managed to suppress her sobs, was stunned. Shan Meixian frowned slightly, and Song Yuzhi instinctively covered her mouth, a hint of disgust and horror flashing in her eyes.

Upon hearing this, Yi Huawei's face remained completely expressionless as he slowly put down his teacup.

"He got off easy."

This nonchalant attitude sent a chill down the spines of the reporting disciple and everyone else in the cabin. Even though Zhu Jie was utterly wicked, such a gruesome death was still horrifying.

Yi Huawei hesitated for a moment, then ordered, "Bring Zhu Mei up."

"Yes!" The disciple accepted the order and quickly withdrew. A short while later, two female disciples of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, escorting a figure, re-entered the cabin.

When Zhu Mei reappeared before everyone's eyes, almost everyone gasped!
Zhu Mei was still wearing that plain gray prison uniform, but her chest, the corners of her mouth, and even her pale cheeks were splattered with dark red blood, a shocking sight. Although her hands were still tied behind her back, her fingertips were stained with blackish-red grime, marks left by struggle and tearing.

Her once beautiful and charming face was now contorted, carrying a kind of hysterical madness. Her captivating eyes were now empty and lifeless, the pupils slightly dilated, as if she was still immersed in some kind of twisted pleasure. Her lips were slightly parted, revealing pearly teeth stained with blood, and she was still unconsciously chewing something, making a teeth-grinding grinding sound.

Zhu Mei exuded a strong smell of blood and a manic aura. Her steps were unsteady as she walked, pushed forward by the female disciple.

The two female disciples released their grip, and Zhu Mei immediately lost her support, staggered, but did not fall. Instead, she tilted her head and stared at Yi Huawei in the main seat with her empty and crazed eyes.

The resentment and scheming in her eyes were gone, replaced by a chilling chaos and deathly stillness.

Yi Huawei's gaze fell calmly on Zhu Mei. He didn't speak, but slowly raised his right hand and waved it lightly at Zhu Mei.

A gentle, invisible force instantly swept over Zhu Mei's body. The special, incredibly tough cowhide rope binding her hands and feet snapped as if sliced ​​by a sharp blade, falling to the ground. At the same time, a warm and peaceful stream of true energy flowed into Zhu Mei's nearly depleted meridians and injured body.

"Uh……"

Zhu Mei let out an unconscious groan, her previously unsteady body trembling slightly, a strange blush rising on her pale face. A faint focus seemed to return to her empty eyes. Yi Huawei's infusion of true energy stabilized her near-collapse, repairing her physical damage, but it was also like a bucket of ice water, slightly rousing her from her frenzied numbness.

Zhu Mei subconsciously moved her blood-stained wrist, then slowly raised her head. Her eyes, now focused again, finally clearly reflected Yi Huawei's figure.

His eyes were incredibly complex, filled with deep-seated hatred, overwhelming resentment, and a despair that made even hatred seem pale and powerless in the face of absolute power.

"go."

Ignoring the turbulent emotions in her eyes, Yi Huawei raised his hand again and flicked his finger, sending a chill into Zhu Mei's dantian, which had just been slightly repaired!
"what--!"

In stark contrast to the gentle true qi before, the moment the Xuanbing true qi entered her body, Zhu Mei let out an extremely shrill scream, even more violent than the reactions of Tu Li and Yun Shuai!

Just as she regained a sliver of consciousness, she was instantly overwhelmed by the boundless, bone-chilling, soul-cold pain! Zhu Mei felt as if her internal organs, limbs, and even every inch of her mind were being frozen and torn apart! The cold was not only tormenting her body, but also freezing her remaining will! She suddenly curled up, fell to the ground, and rolled and convulsed wildly, her hands digging desperately into the cold floor, her nails breaking and leaving streaks of blood. A hoarse, inhuman roar escaped her throat, and the bloodstains on her body spread as she rolled, making her look even more wretched and miserable.

This sudden, extreme pain turned her brief moment of lucidity into a deeper despair.

Yi Huawei coldly watched her struggle in pain at his feet, not stopping immediately, but letting the Xuanbing energy rage within her body for an even longer time, as if to completely crush all her pride, madness, and thoughts of resistance.

Inside the cabin, only Zhu Mei's heart-wrenching screams and the muffled thuds of her body hitting the floor remained. Lian Rou closed her eyes in terror, trembling all over. Shan Meixian and Song Yuzhi also turned their faces slightly away, unable to bear watching any longer.

Only when Zhu Mei's screams became hoarse and weak, her rolling force gradually decreased, and her eyes began to glaze over, did Yi Huawei have a thought and temporarily suppress the violent Xuanbing energy.

The pain receded like a tide, but the chilling cold that had frozen everything still lingered deep within her dantian. Zhu Mei collapsed onto the floor like a fish pulled from the water, only able to breathe heavily and instinctively, her body soaked in cold sweat and blood, her eyes unfocused.

Yi Huawei looked down at Zhu Mei, who was like a lump of mud, and finally spoke:
"Zhu Mei, I'm giving you two choices."

Zhu Mei's unfocused eyes twitched slightly as she strained to focus, looking up at the figure in the blue robe above.

"First,"

Yi Huawei slowly said, "I will give you a chance to live, and even regain your freedom. I want you to write a letter immediately, or go to Bozhou as Princess Garuda to persuade your father's former subordinates to surrender. Order the people of Bozhou to give up resistance, open the city gates and submit to the Heavenly Alliance. There must be no mistakes, and you must not comply in secret."

This order startled everyone in the cabin. But upon closer reflection, given Zhu Mei's status, if she were to take the city of Bozhou, it might indeed be a more bloodless and efficient way to reduce the losses of the Heavenly Alliance than a direct assault.

Yi Huawei's voice was icy: "After this is done, I can release the Xuanbing energy within you and let you leave on your own. The world is vast, you are free to wander, whether you live or die, it will have nothing to do with you anymore."

"Second, if you are unwilling, or feel that you are unable to do so... then commit suicide here now, and I will grant you a quick death."

"otherwise--"

Yi Huawei's voice suddenly turned cold: "The Xuanbing Force will flare up once a month, each time more severe than the last, until your meridians are completely shattered, your soul is destroyed, and you turn into ice shards in endless pain. At that time, you will regret why you did not end your life today."

Yi Huawei offered a choice, but in reality, there was no choice at all.

There is no third way. To linger on will only bring eternal torment, more terrible than death.

Zhu Mei lay sprawled on the ground, her empty eyes flashing intensely, clearly undergoing an internal struggle.

Survival is an instinct, especially after just escaping such extreme pain, where the fear of death is magnified countless times. The "way out" offered by Yi Huawei, though humiliating and morally reprehensible, is ultimately a glimmer of hope.

Refuse? Commit suicide?
A flicker of extreme fear flashed in Zhu Mei's eyes. How could she be willing to die like this? She hadn't lived enough! As for the excruciating Xuanbing Force that was worse than death... just thinking about Tu Li's miserable state before made her shudder.

She didn't want to die! Even more so, she didn't want to endure that endless suffering!

Various thoughts battled fiercely in her mind: the will to survive, the desire for power, the fear of pain, and the ruthlessness and madness deeply rooted in her bones, all eventually merging into a resolute determination.

Zhu Mei abruptly raised her head, her alluring eyes, which had just regained some of their luster, now burning with an almost manic flame. No longer looking at Yi Huawei, she bit her lower lip tightly and said, word by word:

"I... am willing to go to Bozhou!"

She made no vows of loyalty, nor did she bargain; she simply made her choice. Because she knew that in front of the man before her, any further words would be futile.

Yi Huawei was not surprised by her choice and nodded slightly: "Very good."

He waved his hand and instructed the disciple beside him, "Take her down, clean her up, change her clothes, prepare a boat, and send her to the Bozhou area."

"Yes!"

Two female disciples stepped forward again and escorted Zhu Mei, who, although weak, had inexplicably straightened her spine, out of the cabin.

As Zhu Mei reached the cabin door, she paused slightly but did not turn around. However, a glint of resentment and ambition flashed in her eyes, hidden behind her disheveled hair.

Yi Huawei watched Zhu Mei disappear outside the door, then picked up the cup of tea, which had already cooled slightly, and took a small sip.

Bozhou, the Garuda tribe… this pawn has been placed. Whether it will have an effect, and how much effect it will have, he doesn't care much. If it succeeds, it will certainly save him some trouble; if it fails, he will only lose an insignificant prisoner and a trivial test.

As for the hatred and ambition in Zhu Mei's heart, in his eyes, they were no different from the chirping of ants. (End of this chapter)