Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 424 Punishment and Penalty

Xue Sui loosened his grip slightly.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Yan was so fierce and resilient in pain. Covered in blood, he suddenly sprang up, dragging his heavily injured body, and used his last strength to run wildly into the cave...

"Trying to run?" Xue Sui's eyes flashed, and he drew his sword and gave chase.

The man, clutching his wound, staggered, trying to avoid her and hide in the secret passage, desperately navigating the narrow, spiderweb-like cavern...

Xue Sui followed at a leisurely pace.

A dark hole appeared at the corner.

Xiao Yan glanced back, then used his fingers to pry open the cracks in the stone and moved forward, rushing out like a madman.

Xue Sui followed closely behind, passing through the narrow gap, and suddenly the view opened up before him—it was a naturally formed stone chamber. A row of staggered stone steps was carved into the spacious and high entrance, winding down to the exit leading out of the mountain.

A cold wind howled in, and she went out with a smile, sword in hand. She saw a familiar figure standing in the hazy light, his dark cloak fluttering in the wind.

“Li Zhao!” she blurted out.

Li Zhao remained silent, his longbow fully drawn.

"call out!"

The arrow pierced the air and struck Xiao Yan squarely in the shoulder.

He screamed and tumbled down the stone steps.

Li Zhao quickly took an arrow and nocked it.

The second arrow followed immediately, striking Xiao Yan precisely in the knee.

Xiao Yan screamed and collapsed, clutching his wound. His fingers scratched at the ground, his venomous eyes fixed on the ground, his mouth agape as if he wanted to say something...

Xiao Zhao reacted quickly and rushed forward...

With a swift movement, he severed his neck.

Blood splattered on the ground, a glaring red, and Xiao Yan died instantly.

Xiao Zhao, panting, paused for a moment before raising her eyes, scratching her head and asking Xue Sui.

"Girl, was I... too impulsive?"

"Well done." Xue Sui smiled faintly, his face as clear and beautiful as after a snowfall. "This kind of scourge doesn't deserve to leave a last word, and no one wants to know what he wanted to say before he died."

Xiao Zhao's initial panic subsided, and she nodded emphatically: "Yes! You're right, Miss. This kind of scourge should have died long ago..."

Xue Sui kicked aside Xiao Yan's body, squatted down and searched carefully. He saw Li Zhao stride over, his body radiating cold air, his aura even colder than ice and snow.

"Didn't I tell you to stay in the rear and provide support, and not wander off?"

His voice was low and deep, filled with suppressed anger.

Xue Sui paused for a moment, then suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to walk back.

"Oh no. My sword, my heart."

Li Zhao: "..."

Before I could even get angry, the person ran away.

His face darkened further. He strode forward, grabbed her wrist, and gestured to Yuan Cang beside him.

"You lead your men to clear the caves and eliminate the remaining enemy forces. Tell them that Xiao Yan is dead, and those who surrender will not be killed—those who resist to the end will be killed without exception."

"Yes!" Yuan Cang clasped his hands in acceptance of the order.

The soldiers entered the cave in an orderly fashion.

A moment later, Hachi emerged from the cave carrying the body of his father, the chieftain Dorje, and wept bitterly, overcome with grief.

Several soldiers stood around talking, their eyes red-rimmed, their voices choked with sobs, their expressions a mixture of sorrow and anger.

Li Zhao said no more and pulled Xue Sui toward a secluded spot.

He took long strides, and Xue Sui almost had to jog to keep up.

"Your Highness, my knife fell in there." Xue Sui struggled, her wrist aching from his grip, and instinctively kicked him.

Li Zhao didn't turn his head, but his anger was raging. The majesty he had been forged in the battlefield and the rarely felt ferocity emanating from him almost overflowed from his armor...

He didn't let go of her hand until they reached a sheltered rock.

"A knife is more valuable than your life?"

Li Zhao turned around and stared at her, his gaze frighteningly deep.

"Furthermore, who gave you permission to disobey orders and insist on venturing into dangerous territory? If there really is gunpowder in the cave, or if someone desperately lights the fuse, how many lives do you have to command?"

He had never been this angry, not even with a knife to his neck.

Xue Sui stared at him blankly.

The wind and snow tousled his sideburns, his handsome face was as cold and stern as iron, but his eyes burned like fire, like molten lava that could not be suppressed beneath a frozen volcano...

She opened her mouth, but was speechless.

Yes, she knew it was dangerous.

She also knew that Xiao Yan valued his life and wouldn't dare to perish together with her.

She bet she could react faster than Xiao Yan.

It's possible that Qin Feng will be able to provide timely assistance.

Duhachi was familiar with the terrain...

She gambled a lot, and won it all.

But what if?
On the battlefield, amidst conspiracies, is there ever a way to be absolutely certain?
“I’ll be fine,” she finally turned her head away, her voice lowered, sounding a little unsure. “I know what I’m doing.”

"You know?" Li Zhao almost laughed in anger.

He stepped forward, his eyes burning as he approached her.

His height advantage made him extremely intimidating.

"Going alone to provoke a desperate madman, throwing yourself into the wolf's den as bait—Xue Ping'an, tell me, where is your sense of proportion?" he demanded bluntly.

Xue Sui was forced to take a half step back.

"He's crazy, but I'm crazier than him."

As she spoke, her back pressed against the rock.

The leather armor was cold and she shivered. She raised her head and met his icy gaze.

"As for my number, it's right here..."

She paused, then started counting with a smile.

"One, two, three; three, two, one; one, two, three, four, five, six, seven..."

Li Zhao: "..."

Caught off guard!

He was filled with anger, only to be met with such a nonchalant response.

It was like a fist striking cotton; all the reprimands stuck in his throat, neither rising nor falling, leaving him feeling suffocated.

"Xue Ping'an, I didn't know you had such a talent for witty banter?"

"It's not too late to know now." Xue Sui smiled.

He wasn't good at playing dumb, but he was incredibly adept at it in front of Li Zhao.

"If Your Highness is truly enraged, then punish me according to military law..."

She stretched out her hand, closed her eyes, and looked like she was ready to be beaten or scolded at will.

"Go ahead and hit. I'll count: one, two, three; three, two, one; one, two, three, four, five, six, seven..."

Li Zhao's eyes darkened; he was almost driven mad with anger by her.

"Xue Ping'an, you disregard your own life like this, where do you leave me?"

He asked the question very softly.

It was as light as a sigh, yet it struck Xue Sui's heart with a thud.

"If you die, what will become of me?"

She used to be all alone, taking her own life and death upon herself.

Now some people are saying, what should he do if she dies?
It wasn't blame, but... fear.

I'm afraid something might happen to her.

She was speechless for a moment. Looking at the man's tightly pursed lips and taut jawline, her already tense heart felt as if it had been violently struck by something.

A sour, bloated feeling, along with a strange sense of disorientation.

"Fool." Before she could think of what to say, Li Zhao had already grabbed her hand, his palm covering hers firmly, his fingers interlocking tightly. "Your life is not just your own."

Xue Sui's heart skipped a beat.

"Oh." She lowered her eyelashes and responded in a muffled voice. After a pause, she added in a very low voice, as if admitting defeat, "Next time... I'll be more careful."

"Next time?" Li Zhao's tone rose. "You want a next time?"

"...We can't throw the baby out with the bathwater, can we?"

"How dare you!"

"Without Black Eighteen, who are we going to curse?"

She retorted in a low voice.

This elicited a helpless chuckle from Li Zhao.

The wind seemed to have died down in the valley.

The noise faded away, and the world became so quiet that only they remained.

Their breaths, so close yet somewhat disordered.

"Does it hurt?" Li Zhao raised his other hand, his fingertips brushing across her cheek, wiping away the ash and a little blood that had almost turned dark.

"It doesn't hurt." She looked down. "The blood isn't mine."

Li Zhao: "..."

The third time, she left him speechless.

All his emotions could only be expressed in a sigh that came from grinding his back teeth.

"Xue Ping'an, you're really something."

Xue Sui: "Thanks to Your Highness, I am still alive."

That's infuriating enough. Li Zhao glanced at her, took off his cloak and wrapped it around her, carefully tying the straps.

"I hope you freeze to death."

"Are you willing?"

"He's quick-witted."

The cloak, still warm from his body and carrying a faint scent of pine and ink, enveloped Xue Sui completely, the pressure on her hands quite firm. Only after she was fully wrapped up did Li Zhao seem to catch his breath, looking down at her face, which appeared even smaller against the backdrop of the large fur collar.

"Having performed such a great service, what reward do you desire?"

"No need. It was originally something I owed Your Highness."

"You owe me so much..."

Xue Sui looked up, her gaze inadvertently falling on his chin where a stubble of light blue hair had sprouted. She smiled slightly, "I won't go back on my promise to embroider a sachet for Your Highness. It's just that I don't have the materials on hand right now, so I'll make a tassel for now. As for the sachet... we'll talk about it later."

Li Zhao stared at her silently for a long time before slowly squeezing out two words through clenched teeth.

"...You're ruthless."

(End of this chapter)