"Help!" The howling wind was almost upon him, and the official had no way to escape. He covered his head with his arms, and his heart-wrenching screams pierced through the clouds and echoed through the sky.
With a flick of his fingers from beneath Dongfang Heng's sleeve, a burst of internal force struck the young man. The man was sent flying five or six meters away, crashing heavily to the ground. He coughed up a mouthful of blood with a 'pfft', his body limp, unable to get up again.
Before the officials could even rejoice, more passersby opened their eyes, slowly stood up, their eyes flashing with a cold, icy light. Like emotionless machines, they moved mechanically, mercilessly attacking the running civil and military officials and servants of the Holy King's Palace.
In an instant, the peaceful area in front of the Holy Prince's mansion turned into chaos. Ministers, their faces filled with horror, scattered in all directions, shouting as they ran: "Prince An, help! Help!"
Behind them, expressionless passersby relentlessly pursued them, delivering a fatal blow to anyone they caught. They resembled zombies from Resident Evil, beating and smashing anyone they encountered.
The difference is that zombies don't need anyone to command them; they instinctively scratch and bite when they encounter people, killing all lives. These zombies, on the other hand, are controlled by Qin Ruoyan because they are poisoned. They do whatever Qin Ruoyan tells them to do; they are Qin Ruoyan's killing tools.
"Hahaha." Looking at the chaotic scene of people running around, Qin Ruoyan laughed triumphantly: "Prince An, are you satisfied with the gift I gave you?"
"Does Princess Qin think that these lowly minions can defeat me?" Dongfang Heng's gaze was icy, and his fingers under his sleeves moved rapidly, shooting out powerful internal energy that struck the assailants one after another. They were sent flying and crashed heavily onto the hard ground, severely injured. They crawled and fell, crawled and fell again, their eyes still fierce, but they no longer had the strength to stand up and fight.
Qin Ruoyan smiled coldly, unconvinced: "Dongfang Heng, I know you are highly skilled in martial arts and are not afraid of dozens or hundreds of small fry. However, I control all the unconscious people in Qingyan, and their numbers are quite considerable."
"Having been poisoned by my special concoction, they have all become incredibly strong. Hundreds upon hundreds of civilians and assassins attacked together. Prince An can handle it with ease, but the officials of Qingyan cannot withstand it. How many people can Prince An save by himself? Ten, twenty, or a hundred? The number of conscious people in Qingyan's capital far exceeds that. Even with Prince An's extraordinary abilities, it is impossible for him to protect them all safely..."
Dongfang Heng raised his eyes and looked into the void: "In the end, Princess Qin just wants me to pay for Qin Junhao's life."
"You killed my elder brother, the Crown Prince, shouldn't you pay with your life?" Qin Ruoyan's voice was sharp and unyielding.
"Dongfang Heng, for the sake of our past acquaintance, I will give you a few hours to consider. If you have thought it through before nightfall and voluntarily surrender your life, I will spare these Qingyan people. If you continue to be stubborn, I will order them to raze the capital of Qingyan to the ground."
Qin Ruoyan forced him to choose between his own life and the people of Qingyan. Over the years, he has suffered many schemes and coercions, both openly and secretly. To this day, he is still alive, and no one's schemes have succeeded.
Dongfang Heng looked up and saw that the azure sky had been covered with patches of gray clouds, which blocked the bright sunshine. The clouds pressed down lower and lower, dark and gloomy, as if brewing a great storm.
A gust of cold wind blew by, and the officials shivered, tightening their slightly disheveled clothes. Almost all the people in the capital had been poisoned, and even the imperial guards were almost all affected. There were very few guards who were conscious and capable of resisting. Qin Ruoyan controlled so many people and was fully capable of and had the strength to flatten the capital.
The Minister's eyes flickered, and he softly advised, "Prince An, it would be best to clear up the misunderstanding between you, Crown Prince Qin, and Princess Qin..."
“Yes, Prince An, this concerns the lives of tens of thousands of people in Qingyan, we cannot be careless!” The minister’s eyes darted around as he echoed.
"A small misunderstanding has caused a huge problem, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of people. It's a human tragedy..." The newly appointed scholar, along with the minister and vice minister, stood aside. After witnessing Qin Ruoyan's abilities, they were terrified and had long lost the will to resist. The trouble was caused by Dongfang Heng, so naturally he should be the one to clean it up. How could they and the people of Qingyan be killed because of his mistake...
Dongfang Heng's gaze, sharp as an arrow, pierced the passionate and righteous officials: "You are Qingyan officials, yet you believe the words of the Southern Frontier Princess and not your own country's Prince?"
His icy gaze pierced their hearts through their eyes, instantly chilling them to the bone. The three men shivered, hastily lowering their heads, unable to meet his eyes. Their hearts pounded, and they stammered, "No...no...we...we just wanted to resolve the misunderstanding between Prince An and the Southern Frontier..."
To clear up the misunderstanding? It's more like selling out your master for personal gain, just to save your own life!
Shen Lixue sneered. A considerable number of Qingyan's civil officials were incompetent. They were always making a fuss and only knew how to find fault with others. When danger came, they were afraid of death and were of no use whatsoever.
The people on the road were all unconscious and posed no threat. It was only because Dongfang Heng, the Azure Flame War God, was there that they dared to challenge Qin Ruoyan.
Now, seeing Qin Ruoyan manipulate unconscious civilians into killing people, they felt the danger to themselves. Without asking any questions or even understanding the truth, they forced Dongfang Heng to apologize to Qin Ruoyan. If Dongfang Heng were not of noble status and highly skilled in martial arts, and if they were not wary of him, they would definitely have joined forces to push Dongfang Heng out to Qin Ruoyan in order to avoid their death penalty.
"Since you all trust the Southern Border Princess so much, then go and serve in the Southern Border. I, Qingyan, don't need corrupt officials who betray their own people."
Dongfang Heng's lips were slightly pursed, his gaze sharp as a knife, startling the three men so much that they shivered uncontrollably and knelt on the ground with a thud: "Your Highness, spare us, spare us... We were confused for a moment..."
In their haste, they forgot that Dongfang Heng was a member of the Qingyan royal family, highly valued by the emperor. The pride inherent in royalty wouldn't allow him to be coerced. They actually dared to force him to his death! They deserve to die!
Dongfang Heng's face remained cold and unmoved: "Guards, deliver the three lords to the Southern Border Princess." He would handle the matter of Qin Junhao and Qin Ruoyan properly, without endangering the people of Qingyan. These three were cowardly and overestimating themselves. If he didn't teach them a lesson, they wouldn't recognize their own status.
"Your Highness, spare us, spare us... This humble official will never dare to do it again..." The three cried and shouted, struggling desperately, but they could not break free from the guards' strong grip. They could only let themselves be dragged away from the Holy Prince's Mansion, leaving three long marks on the lightly dusty ground.
"Prince An's iron-fisted methods in punishing the cowardly Qingyan officials are brilliant, truly brilliant!" Qin Ruoyan's charming laughter was tinged with boundless sarcasm: she loved watching enemies kill each other, especially the standoff between Dongfang Heng and the officials. The death of a powerful figure meant one less threat to her Southern Frontier.
“Foolish and ignorant officials who cannot distinguish right from wrong and cannot tell black from white are just parasites in the court. What use are they?” Dongfang Heng’s eyelids drooped slightly, and his tone was cold and arrogant.
The officials beside him all lowered their heads. The people in the city were under control. At this critical moment of life and death, they needed a martial artist to quell the incident. Prince An was exceptionally capable and had never been defeated in several battles. He should be able to defeat Qin Ruoyan this time as well. Fortunately, they assessed the situation and chose to remain silent. Otherwise, they would have been removed from the court like the three ungrateful people.
Of course, Dongfang Heng was only the Prince of An and did not have the power to dismiss ministers. However, once today's matter was settled, he would report it to the emperor, and those three would still be punished. They had betrayed the country for personal gain, and dismissal would be the least of their worries.
The Qingyan officials remained silent, all united in their stance, and no one dared to provoke Dongfang Heng anymore. Qin Ruoyan, having lost interest in the spectacle, pursed her lips and cleared her throat: "Prince An, the sun is already setting. I don't want to waste any more time. Make a decision quickly, and we need to settle this matter as soon as possible."
Shen Lixue looked up at the sky. Night would fall in no more than half an hour, and their time was indeed running out.
She walked slowly to Dongfang Heng and deliberately lowered her voice: "Heng, Qin Ruoyan's voice sounded like it was coming from all directions, but after careful listening, I can tell that it came from the east. I can't pinpoint the exact location anymore. However, transmitting sound over a wide area requires a lot of internal energy. Her internal energy isn't particularly deep, so for her voice to be so clear, she must be within fifty meters."
Qin Ruoyan can control these Qingyan people. Once night falls, she can issue a single order and turn the entire Qingyan into a living hell. Only by capturing or killing her can this catastrophe be averted.
She's clever; she concealed her exact location when transmitting her voice, so it won't be easy to find her anytime soon.
Dongfang Heng gently grasped Shen Lixue's fair hand: "It's alright. Qin Junhao died so tragically. Qin Ruoyan will definitely take my life to avenge him. Then, I will be able to see her."
Shen Lixue's heart tightened, her clear, watery eyes shimmering: "Are you really going to see Qin Ruoyan?"
Dongfang Heng's sharp gaze swept across the buildings within fifty meters to the east: "Only by seeing her can I capture her!" He wildly waved his moves in the air, but couldn't harm her in the slightest.
"Qin Ruoyan knows you are highly skilled in martial arts and will definitely be fully prepared. If you go alone, I'm afraid..." Shen Lixue knew that seeing Qin Ruoyan was the only way to solve the problem, and she also knew that Dongfang Heng was highly skilled in martial arts and that others could not easily hurt him, but she still couldn't help but worry.
Dongfang Heng's gaze darkened, and a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: "Don't worry, I'll be fine!"
Turning to look at the void, he said coldly, "Princess Qin, I am the one who caused this trouble, and I will take full responsibility. Please spare the people of Qingyan."
"Ha!" Qin Ruoyan laughed mockingly: "Prince An, you have finally had a change of heart and are willing to admit your mistakes. Don't worry, I always keep my word. As long as you pay for your brother the Crown Prince's life, I will immediately release these Qingyan people."
"Please remember your words, Princess Qin." A sharp dagger suddenly appeared in Dongfang Heng's white jade palm, and he forcefully stabbed it into his chest. Blood instantly seeped out, staining a large area of his white clothes red.
"Heng!" Shen Lixue exclaimed, reaching out to support Dongfang Heng's slowly falling body. Looking at his tightly closed eyes, her beautiful eyes were filled with shock. How could this be?
The ministers were also stunned. They never expected that Dongfang Heng would commit suicide so easily, without uttering a single unnecessary word, leaving them shocked.
"Physician! Physician! Quickly save Prince An!" Shen Lixue's panicked cries pulled the ministers back from their shock, and they all rushed to the two of them, pretending to follow Shen Lixue's lead and shouting, "Save him... quickly save him..."