The Lord Of Blood Hill

Anger flushes across Lucy’s face. “Nangong Pingyue, you’re humiliating me!”

Nangong Pingyue raises an eyebrow. “If you say that, you’re wronging me. I’ve treated this barbarian with fine wine and exquisite dishes. I even lowered myself to apologize to him. Now I’m presenting my favorite show. Haven’t I done enough? How could this be humiliating to him? As for humiliating you, I wouldn’t dare!”

Then, raising his head, Nangong Pingyue addresses Henwell. “Go ahead! Unlock the chains on both sides yourself, Lord Henwell, and give everyone the best show!”

Henwell toys with the wine cup from earlier. “What if I say no? What will you do? Smash the cup as a signal, summon the executioners, and have me killed right here?”

Nangong Pingyue smiles darkly. “It’s not that complicated. You’re already as good as dead. Those three cups of wine weren’t poisoned individually, but drinking them all together forms a deadly poison. The prince told me to hold back, or you wouldn’t have even made it into this banquet hall!”

”Now I’m giving you a chance, a chance to live and be our dog. Go unlock the cage chains! Then you’ll survive and maybe even become our loyal hound.”

”Don’t see this as humiliation. You have no idea how many people want to serve us as dogs, but we look down on them! For a foreign barbarian like you to get this chance is a blessing from a past life!”

Lucy raises her hand, drawing the soft sword at her waist. Qi surges through the blade, which begins to emit swirling sword energy.

With a light flick, two slashes of sword energy shoot straight at Nangong Pingyue.

But someone blocks them, Nangong He himself.

Though Nangong He stops the sword energy, he staggers back several steps, clearly weaker than Lucy.

Guards nearby move to intervene, but Nangong He stops them. “Do not harm Lucy!”

Lucy glares at Nangong He. “That scoundrel is so arrogant! I told you working with him would bring disaster. Why are you stopping me?”

Nangong He frowns. “Lucy, what are you doing? You’re crazy to draw your sword against Pingyue for some foreign barbarian!”

Lucy’s eyes widen. “You knew about this? This was your plan all along? You deliberately lured Henwell here?”

Nangong He doesn’t answer. Instead, he looks at Henwell. “Qin Yu, or rather, Henwell, you’re a smart man and must understand the situation now. I said before, I appreciate talent. Missing out on you was a regret. Now I invite you again to join us. Then we’ll be on the same boat, and Pingyue won’t trouble you anymore.”

Henwell ignores Nangong He and turns to the stunned Lucy. “Isn’t this a thrilling show?”

Tears stream down Lucy’s face. “Henwell, I’m sorry. I really didn’t know!”

Henwell waves his hand. “That doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is what’s happening now. Don’t you agree?”

Wiping her tears away, Lucy raises her soft sword. “Give me the antidote! Or else…”

Nangong He frowns. “Or else what? You’re going to kill me?”

Tears well up again as Lucy flips the sword’s blade and presses it against her own neck. “Or else, I’ll give Henwell my life!”

Nangong He’s face flushes red. “For a barbarian, you’re willing to go this far? And you say nothing happened between you two!”

Nangong Pingyue sneers. “Your Highness, that kind of broken flower is not worth keeping. After the big plan succeeds, she won’t even be allowed in the palace!”

“Shut up!”

Nangong He slaps Nangong Pingyue hard, sending him sprawling to the ground. “If you insult Lucy again, I’ll break your legs!”

Then Nangong He turns to Lucy. “I believe there’s nothing between you and him. I spoke harshly before. Lucy, come here! I can spare him, but he must submit to me. This barbarian keeps ruining my plans. I haven’t killed him only because of you. Now he must choose. No matter who’s backing him, I won’t tolerate him sabotaging my affairs!”

Lucy’s expression is mournful. She’s not saving Henwell, she’s saving Nangong He.

Whether Henwell lives or dies tonight, Nangong He will surely die afterward.

She knows several other extraordinary heroes like Henwell are watching everything in the capital from the shadows.

Maybe right now, they’re watching this performance unfold from the rooftops.

Just as her mind swirls with confusion, Henwell stands up and pushes aside the soft sword Lucy had pressed to her neck.

“I’ve said it before, he’s no good, not someone you should entrust your life to. Honestly, we’re all baffled. How could you fall for such trash? Is it really the ‘good girl loves bad boy’ cliché? Damn, that law works across the world too?”

Though Nangong He doesn’t fully get the reference, he can tell Henwell is mocking him.

His face turns cold. “Looks like Lord Henwell doesn’t know his place. You’ve only been in our Eastern lands a short time. You’ve never heard that a real man knows when to yield and when to stand firm. Nor have you learned that a wise bird chooses the right tree to rest in.”

With that, Nangong He waves his hand. “Kill him. But don’t let Lucy get hurt.”

Nangong Pingyue flashes a cruel smile. “Brother, don’t worry. I know exactly what to do.”

Henwell raises a hand to stop him. “Wait!”

A look of enjoyment spreads over Nangong Pingyue’s face. “What’s this? Suddenly scared? Realizing it’s not easy being a tough guy? But now that you’re ready to submit, there’s an extra condition, you have to kneel and admit you’re wrong.”

Henwell shrugs. “No matter how I submit or admit fault, it won’t help. You never planned to let me go today. Whether I shattered half your beastly teeth or Nangong He’s jealous face, it’s all destined that I won’t leave alive.”

Nangong Pingyue grins, revealing gold teeth. “You’re right, you must die today. The only difference is how. Since your mouth’s so foul, I’m going to enjoy torturing you. How about letting wolves tear you apart bit by bit? Or scraping you clean piece by piece?”

Henwell replies calmly, “That doesn’t matter. What I want to know is under what pretext you plan to kill me. I’m still an official of this court. Not only can you not kill me without cause, but even Nangong He, a prince, can’t just kill a government official on his own.”

”Everyone knows I came here for the banquet, and everyone knows we have conflicts. If I die here today, no matter how, you won’t escape responsibility. What, are you going to have your father give up more troops to buy your worthless life?”

Nangong Pingyue sneers. “We are royalty. All officials are our servants. Whatever we say is law. You’re just a foreign barbarian. Even if we kill you, what difference will it make?”

”Besides, we have a reason ready. Say you went mad from drinking and assaulted the eldest legitimate daughter of the Minister of Revenue. Then we kill you on the spot. Who will the world believe, the royal nobles or a dead barbarian?”