Shocking! The actress was dragged to the regent's bedchamber every night.

Even lying in bed covered with a blanket, Su Wuli still felt empty.

He stuck his fingers out from under the covers and touched the pillow next to him.

But she still pulled her fingers back and tucked them back under the covers.

She turned over, facing the wardrobe.

After hesitating for a moment, Su Wuli threw off the covers and got out of bed.

Walked to the wardrobe and opened the door.

The clothes inside were folded into several piles.

Her top and pants, and Yu Chen's clothes.

Su Wuli pulled the T-shirt out of the closet, the collar still seemingly carrying that cold aura.

She hugged the T-shirt to her chest and buried her face in the fabric.

My anxious heart seemed to calm down a bit.

Su Wuli then turned around, walked back to the bedside, lifted the covers, and lay down.

Hold the T-shirt close to your chest.

Her chin rested on the edge of her collar.

His hand unconsciously gripped the hem of his T-shirt.

She curled up into a ball, clutching the black T-shirt to her chest.

He sniffed, his nose brushing against the fabric of his T-shirt, and slowly closed his eyes.

Su Wuli listened to her own breathing and heartbeat.

His fingers slowly rubbed against the hem of the T-shirt, which still smelled of laundry detergent, mixed with the man's faint scent.

As I smelled that scent, my breathing gradually became lighter.

She buried her face in her T-shirt and curled up her legs.

…………

The envoy from Beiyuan stood outside the Nanhuai camp, holding a scroll in his hands.

The cover bears the emblem of the Northern Plains Royal Court.

Shadow Falcon walked out of the camp gate, stood in front of him, glanced at him, and said nothing.

The messenger stepped forward and handed over the document.

"This is my king's sincerity. He cedes three cities south of the river and will pay tribute every year, only asking to redeem the Third Prince."

Shadow Falcon took the document, turned around, and walked into the camp.

Yu Chen sat in the main tent.

Shadow Falcon placed the document on the low table and stepped back.

Yu Chen did not open it, but instead picked up the document from the table.

I glanced at the cover and put it down again.

"I have no shortage of land," he said quietly, "and no shortage of money."

He paused, his fingers resting on the edge of the document, his eyes turning ruthless. "His life is mine to take."

Upon receiving the order, Shadow Falcon bent down, picked up the document, and turned to leave.

He walked out of the camp gate and handed the document back to the messenger.

The messenger's hand trembled, and the document nearly fell to the ground.

"Our prince said he's determined to take the Third Prince's life."

Shadow Falcon's voice conveyed meaning as if it were that of an emotionless robot.

As soon as he finished speaking, the envoy looked surprised and wanted to say something.

However, the Shadow Falcon had already turned and left.

Night fell.

One by one, the campfires in the camp were lit.

Qi Zexun was tied to a wooden stake with his hands tied behind his back.

His knees hit the ground.

After kneeling for a long time, the snow beneath my knees had melted into mud.

The muddy water seeped into the fabric, chilling to the bone.

His hair was loose, hanging down to the side of his face and covering half of it.

Yu Chen sat in front of him, leaning back in his chair.

He wasn't holding anything; his hand was resting on the handrail.

He simply looked at Qi Zexun without saying a word.

The candlelight flickered in his eyes, devoid of emotion, anger, or anything at all.

Or perhaps something much deeper is hidden beneath this.

Qi Zexun raised his head.

There was blood on his face.

It dries on the cheekbones, forming a thin, dark red flake.

"Regent," Qi Zexun couldn't help but speak first, his voice hoarse, "You will let me go back, and the Northern Plains will retreat a hundred miles, and all five cities south of the river will be yours."

As he spoke, a slight twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Is this condition sufficient?"

Yu Chen remained silent.

Qi Zexun waited a few seconds, then twitched the corner of his mouth again.

"If three cities aren't enough, then five; if five cities aren't enough, then seven. How many cities do you want? I can give them to you."

His voice still carried a hint of amusement, as if he was open to discussion.

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Chen finally stood up.

The chair leg was pulled out of the snow with a dull thud.

He walked up to Qi Zexun, squatted down, and looked him in the eye.

Qi Zexun looked into his eyes and leaned forward half an inch. "How about it? These conditions are more than enough."

Yu Chen ignored him and instead reached out to grasp Qi Zexun's right hand.

That was the hand that touched her.

Yu Chen's eyes narrowed, and he grasped the index finger.

Qi Zexun looked at his hand and held his fingers.

She neither moved nor spoke, but in her heart she was also guessing what Yu Chen wanted.

However, before he could figure it out, Yu Chen suddenly started to pry open his fingers.

Start with your index finger and slowly bend it backward.

The joints cracked, a sound that was particularly clear in the quiet tent.

It's like breaking off a dry twig.

One after another.

Qi Zexun's forehead immediately broke out in a sweat.

He bit his lip and swallowed the muffled groan, his throat tightening as he swallowed.

Yu Chen released his grip.

He then stood up, took a step back, and looked down at Qi Zexun's sweat-covered face.

He said calmly, "Chop him up and feed him to the dogs."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Zexun's eyes widened instantly, and his pupils contracted.

His mouth opened, his voice urgent, "You...you didn't keep your word—"

Before he could finish speaking, Shadow Falcon stepped forward from the side, his sword already drawn.

Qi Zexun looked at the hand holding the knife in Shadow Falcon's hand.

Then he watched as the blade pressed against his wrist.

"Regent!" Qi Zexun's voice changed instantly, as if something had been torn apart.

"You killed me, and Kitahara won't let you get away with it. You think winning this battle is the end of it? You—"

The Shadow Falcon's blade fell without hesitation.

The blade cut into the gap in the wrist joint.

The sound of flesh tearing open is short, while the sound of bones breaking is crisp.

Qi Zexun's voice trailed off.

He looked down at his empty right hand and watched helplessly as blood gushed from the wound.

It was sprayed on the snow and spread out in a large area.

His mouth was still open, and a few broken breaths escaped from his throat.

Immediately afterwards, a wail rang out.

Qi Zexun's body lurched forward, his shoulder hitting the ground, his face buried in the snow.

The snow was soaked in his blood, turning into dark red mud.

Ying bent down and picked up the hand from the ground without any expression.

His movements were slow, so slow that Qi Zexun could see his fingers pinching the flesh of his severed wrist.

Shadow Falcon straightened up and took a step back.

Just then, the curtain was lifted.

Feng Xi walked in from outside.

He was holding a rope, with the other end of the rope tied around a dog's neck.

The dog's tongue lolled out, its nose twitching as it sniffed its way from the edge of the tent flap.

It smelled blood and suddenly opened its mouth.

Saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth.

Qi Zexun stared at the dog, his pupils suddenly contracting.

He tried to pull his body back, but his hands were tied to the stake, so he couldn't.

Shadow Falcon held the severed hand up in front of the dog.

The dog pounced on it without any hesitation.

His teeth gripped the broken wrist, and bone fragments fell out from between them.

White, mixed with blood.

Qi Zexun clearly heard the sound of bones being chewed.

Click, click...

He could even feel the presence of that index finger at the point of injury.

You could also feel the index finger being rubbed by the dog's teeth and rolled up by its tongue in its mouth.

He didn't know what emotion it was, but tears welled up in his eyes.

"No...don't..." Qi Zexun's voice came from his throat.

hoarse.

He turned his head to look at Yu Chen.

Yu Chen sat in the chair, his hands on the armrests, looking down at him.

His eyes were devoid of emotion, and his face was as cold as a stone.

It's as if it's been drenched in the blood of countless people and shaped into its current form.

At this moment, Yu Chen looked at him as if he were looking at a dog, like the dog that was gnawing on his fingers.

Qi Zexun suddenly understood.

Why is the regent of Nanhuai said to be the King of Hell?

He didn't believe it before, but now he does.