"But I won't give up," Yan Xiuling said, each word distinct. He had no concept of love, nor did he understand Situ Jingyan's feelings. He only knew that he would not give up on this world. Even though he now admitted that he had lost to Situ Jingyan in this war, it didn't mean he would abandon the world.
Linwei's current strength is inferior to Tianmo's, but that doesn't mean it will always be so. He's only twenty years old; he has plenty of time, plenty of time to contend for the world.
“Okay. I’ll wait for you.” Situ Jingyan looked steadily at Yan Xiuling. His eyes held a sense of certainty and domineering presence, as well as the appreciation between friends.
The army in Linwei was now fully organized. Yan Xiuling rode away without looking back, his black armor slowly turning into a tiny black dot.
Situ Jingyan led Shen Qianmo into the city. The people cheered. They had thought it was the end of the world, but unexpectedly, the war was resolved peacefully without a fight.
For ordinary people, there is no winner or loser, only the desire to avoid war and live a peaceful life.
"Great! I thought I was going to die this time!"
"Long live peace! Long live peace!"
"Luckily, the Emperor returned in time, otherwise we would have been doomed!"
"Oh, if only there were no more wars in the future! I really hate these days of living in fear!"
As Situ Jingyan and Shen Qianmo returned to the palace, they overheard much of the people's discussion. A complex emotion flashed in Shen Qianmo's dark eyes, and Situ Jingyan noticed it as well, his own dark eyes flickering slightly.
Unifying the world is meant to end war and allow people to live in peace and prosperity. But if unifying the world results in a devastating war that leaves people homeless, wouldn't that be too high a price to pay?
"What happened when you sent me a message saying Jinghao was being held hostage?!" Situ Jingyan asked, raising an eyebrow as soon as he entered the palace. He had sent Qingzhu and Hongxing to protect Situ Jinghao; how could someone else have taken him hostage?
Haoyue cupped her hands and said, "It's Hongxing. As for why, we don't know yet. It was Qinglian who saved the Sixth Prince. Now the Sixth Prince has been settled in the palace, and Hongxing has been captured by Qingzhu. She's in the torture chamber now."
"Hongxing?!" Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow. Wasn't Hongxing the woman who replaced Hongju?! Wasn't she Hongju's cousin? Why was she holding Situ Jinghao hostage?
"Take me there." A hint of surprise flashed across Situ Jingyan's dark eyes. Hongxing was someone he had personally nurtured; she had no reason to betray him. Moreover, Hongxing hadn't done anything after taking Situ Jinghao hostage; there must be some reason behind it.
Haoyue naturally understood that there must be a reason. So she simply imprisoned Hongxing. Hearing Situ Jingyan's words, she led Situ Jingyan and Shen Qianmo to the torture chamber. Hongxing was sitting quietly inside the torture chamber, her pale face showing no fear or hesitation.
Volume 4, Chapter 8: The Finale
The torture chamber. A place specifically for carrying out punishments. The entire room was shrouded in dim light; coming in from outside, one almost felt disoriented by the darkness.
In the dim light, Hongxing's face was deathly pale, devoid of any color, clearly indicating she had just been subjected to severe torture. Hongxing had taken Situ Jinghao hostage, so she was naturally subjected to torture. Despite the torture, Hongxing showed no sign of pain.
Shen Qianmo carefully examined Hongxing. She had a delicate, oval face and features somewhat similar to Hongju's, only with a more resolute air.
"Master." Hongxing's eyes, which had been calm and unwavering, flickered slightly when she saw Situ Jingyan. They held a long-held reverence, along with a hint of doubt and resentment.
Situ Jingyan glanced at Hongxing, his dark eyes remaining expressionless. He flicked his red robe and sat down in the chair opposite Hongxing, a cold smile playing on his lips. He asked, "Speak. Why?"
The questioning was simple. But everyone knew exactly what they were asking: Why was Situ Jinghao taken hostage? What was their purpose?
“Hongxing did not betray her master.” Seeing the cold smile on Situ Jingyan’s face, Hongxing fell off the chair, knelt in front of Situ Jingyan, and said tremblingly.
Shen Qianmo hadn't noticed before, but now that Hongxing was kneeling down, she saw that Hongxing's pale yellow clothes were soaked in blood, especially her back, which was almost entirely covered in blood.
She was well aware of the severity of the tortures in the torture chamber. She just hadn't expected them to be so ruthless before she even knew the reason for their actions.
“Those who do wrong should be punished. Once the reason is known, there will naturally be other punishments.” Haoyue said, seeing a hint of reluctance in Shen Qianmo’s eyes.
Shen Qianmo remained silent. She knew this very well. As the Palace Master of the Demon Palace, her methods were no weaker than this. It was just that since falling in love with Situ Jingyan, she felt her heart had softened. Because of love, all the feigned strength and indifference had gradually disappeared.
"I know you didn't betray me. I'm just asking why you did it." The words had barely left his lips when Situ Jingyan's cold voice rang out.
If he hadn't known that Hongxing hadn't betrayed him, he would have killed her long ago. Why would he allow her to make any excuses?! Daring to hold Situ Jinghao hostage, didn't she know that Situ Jinghao was someone he cared about?! What he couldn't tolerate most was anyone daring to touch someone he cared about.
Hearing Situ Jingyan's words, Hongxing seemed to suddenly gain courage, raising her eyes and saying, "Hongxing and my sister have been deeply indebted to Master and have always wanted to repay him. But, but my sister has done so much for Master, how can Master bear to let her die like this without knowing why?!"
Shen Qianmo's eyes darkened. It really was about Hongju's death. She had long noticed something amiss with Hongxing's attitude towards Situ Jinghao. However, Hongxing had hidden it well, so although she intuitively felt something was wrong, she hadn't been able to find any clues.
Situ Jingyan's eyes also darkened slightly. It was all about Hongju. He blamed himself for his oversight. Although Hongju and Hongxing were cousins, Hongju had always taken care of Hongxing; in Hongxing's heart, Hongju was probably closer than a biological sister. He had found Hongxing's unusual calmness upon hearing of Hongju's death somewhat strange, but he was too busy to pay much attention at the time. He hadn't realized that Hongxing had actually kept it in mind all along.
"So?" Situ Jingyan was surprised, but his words remained calm, carrying a sense of pressure as he asked.
"Why can he live so comfortably after my sister gave her life for him! I want to tell him everything! I want to tell him that it was my sister who saved him! I want him to remember my sister for the rest of his life! But Qingzhu is always by his side, and I have no chance to tell him, so I had no choice but to take him away from the palace." Hongju's eyes were filled with a mixture of resentment and regret.
Her sister. So kind. So good to her. And she loved Situ Jinghao so much, even giving her life for him. But what about Situ Jinghao?! He knew nothing. He comfortably enjoyed everything his sister had sacrificed her life for, never even thinking of her!
"You told Jinghao?!" Situ Jingyan's eyes narrowed dangerously. If Situ Jinghao knew all this, what a blow it would be to him! That damned Hongxing, doesn't she understand Hongju's good intentions?!
Hearing Situ Jingyan's words, Hongxing was not afraid, but she snorted coldly in resentment, "No! If Qinglian hadn't suddenly appeared, I would have said it! Situ Jinghao really got off easy! I'm sorry, sister!"
Upon hearing Hongxing's words, Situ Jingyan's deep gaze slowly softened. Situ Jinghao was someone he cared about, and he wouldn't allow anyone to hurt him. Otherwise, he would definitely make that person pay the price. Even if it was his subordinate, it wouldn't matter.
"If it weren't for Qinglian, you would have truly let your sister down." Shen Qianmo, who had been watching from the side, suddenly spoke coldly, her dark eyes filled with a hint of icy indifference.
Hongxing looked up at Shen Qianmo, her eyes filled with confusion, and asked, "What does Madam mean?!"
"You really don't understand your sister's thoughts at all?!" Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow, walked up to Hongxing, and stared at her intently.
Hongxing paused slightly, looking into Shen Qianmo's dark eyes, a sudden panic rising in her heart. Her sister's thoughts?! She only knew that her sister had died for Situ Jinghao, yet Situ Jinghao lived on without a care in the world, unaware of all the sacrifices her sister had made for him!
"If you were to die today to save your sister, would you prefer your sister to know about it and suffer every day because of your kindness, or would you prefer her to know nothing at all?!" Shen Qianmo softened her tone when she saw Hongxing slightly stunned.
Hongxing's eyes widened instantly upon hearing Shen Qianmo's words. She already knew the answer in her heart. If she died to save her sister, she naturally hoped her sister could live well and not know that she had sacrificed her life to save her, because she didn't want to see her loved one unhappy because of her. So, her sister must have had the same thought when she saved Situ Jinghao, right?
Didn't I almost ruin my sister's good intentions?! No wonder my master and sister both said she acted rashly and without thinking. If Qinglian hadn't rescued Situ Jinghao in time, my sister's painstaking efforts would have been in vain! I've let my sister down, and I've let my master down too!
Thinking of this, a deep sense of guilt welled up in Hongxing's eyes. She had taken her mistress's most beloved younger brother hostage, the man her sister loved most. It was all because of her recklessness that she almost caused a terrible tragedy.
She reached out and struck herself with her own hand; Hongxing wanted to atone for her sins with her death.
Seeing Hongxing's actions, Shen Qianmo waved her white silk ribbon, her face instantly turning icy cold. She said coldly, "Just for such a trivial matter, you're going to commit suicide?! Is this the way the Four Protectors of the Blood Demon Pavilion are?! How can you face your sister and your master like this?!"
The resounding words made Hongxing even more ashamed. She couldn't help but lower her head.