Repeatedly broken branches

Chapter 12 See you later, little beauty

Ruan Cifeng was filled with anxiety. He was afraid that something might happen to Xia Yunzhi. After all, she was a girl, and he shouldn't have left her waiting there alone.

He searched all afternoon, his clothes soaked with sweat, drying and then getting wet again, over and over again.

If he hadn't asked if they wanted candied hawthorns, Xia Yunzhi wouldn't have disappeared. It was all his fault; he was too careless.

Not to mention Xia Yuyi won't let him off the hook, he himself won't let himself off the hook either.

He had just made a friend, and then he lost him.

He prayed to his mother in heaven that Xia Yunzhi would be safe and sound, as Xia Yunzhi was very important to him.

Zhou Tingxi was preparing to keep his appointment with Ye Wanwan. Before leaving, he felt a slight tremor in his heart, as if something was about to happen. Just as he stepped out the door, he received a letter left for him by that man: "To save the princess, come to Yuyang immediately." It was signed Yu Yanjing.

Yu Yang, wasn't the princess always in the palace? How could she have been kidnapped and taken to Yu Yang? He suppressed his panic and comforted himself, thinking it might just be a prank.

Yu Yanjing is indeed capable of doing such a thing.

The gatekeeper watched him mount his horse and head towards the palace, but for some reason he suddenly pulled hard on the reins, turned around, and rode away.

Damn it, he couldn't help but take it to heart.

That's Yuyang. By the time he gets there, it will probably be dark. Yuyang is so big, where is he supposed to find Xia Yunzhi?

Yu Yanjing is the young emperor of Chaoyang Kingdom. He is cruel and tyrannical. Anyone who offends him will never have a good life. Chaoyang Kingdom has almost no laws. The people are as undisciplined as the king. Yu Yanjing advocates doing whatever he wants. As long as you don't kill people, cross the line, or harm others, you can do whatever you want.

Rumor has it that he was born with a sinister and alluring appearance, with a vermilion mole beneath his peach blossom eyes. He was known for his cruel and ruthless ways. It is said that someone who said his tear mole was an omen of bad luck was severely punished by him with a hundred lashes. The lashes were several times thicker than ordinary ones and made of thorny vines. After a hundred lashes, the person was already separated from his flesh and bones, leaving only a mangled skeleton. But what to do if the person was still alive? He ordered his men to pluck out all of the person's toenails and fingernails, and then densely pierced the nailless flesh with needles. Few people could endure the excruciating pain of having their fingers pierced through their skin. After that, he left the person to fend for themselves in the wilderness.

"Give her something to eat, don't let her starve to death." Yu Yanjing lay on the rattan chair, playing with the jade bracelet in his hand; it was said that he liked bracelets.

The rough man tossed a sesame seed cake to Xiao Mu, but Xiao Mu wasn't hungry and didn't eat it.

Yu Yanjing's gaze fell on her, his eyes filled with darkness. He rose from the rattan chair, knelt on one knee in front of Xiao Mu, and said in his clear, cold voice, "Not eating? Not hungry?"

Xiao Mu shook her head; she had no appetite.

"Eat up, you eat..."

Yu Yanjing frantically picked up the sesame seed cakes from the ground and stuffed them into Xiao Mu's mouth. Crumbs fell all over her clothes. Yu Yanjing's face was ferocious, as terrifying as Satan from hell.

Xiao Mu was terrified and tried to move backward as far as she could, but there was nowhere left to go in the corner. She huddled up in a ball, not daring to look at Yu Yanjing anymore. What a madman! He ran out and went crazy. It's such a waste of his good looks.

Yu Yanjing lowered his eyes, his long, thick eyelashes trembling slightly, a hint of gloom flashing in his eyes. He murmured softly, as if talking to himself, "As expected, no one will like me..."

"Where's Zhou Tingxi! Why isn't Zhou Tingxi here yet!"

“Zhou Tingxi won’t come. He doesn’t care about me at all,” Xiao Mu replied.

Yu Yanjing suddenly burst into laughter as if he were insane, his peach blossom eyes filled with mockery. He leaned down and said to Xiao Mu, "So, why are you still with him? If he doesn't care about you, you should break up. Why did you get engaged to him? If you have a child, won't the child be the one who suffers?"

Xiao Mu said, "I don't want to either. My father insisted that I marry him. He doesn't like me and is so cold to me. I don't want to be with him."

"Then come with me, let's go to Chaoyang Kingdom together, how about it?" Yu Yanjing's dark eyes suddenly sparkled with starlight, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Xiao Mu didn't say anything.

This madman!

"Young master, there's a group of people gathered outside, they don't seem to be Zhou Tingxi's men!" The rough-looking man suddenly rushed in to report.

Before Yu Yanjing could go out to check the situation, a large group of people crowded into the house. The leader was a short, thin young man who said to the group of men in black behind him, "The master said to capture him alive. Don't let Yu Yanjing get away."

After he finished speaking, the men in black rushed forward with knives in hand. Yu Yanjing smiled wickedly, "You think you can take me down?"

Yu Yanjing kicked the black-clad man who had come forward flying, pulled a short knife from his belt, and stabbed it mercilessly into another man's heart. Without hesitation, he pulled the knife out, splattering blood all over his face.

He slashed the rope binding Xiao Mu with his short knife, and the rope snapped instantly. He grabbed Xiao Mu's wrist and shielded her behind him. Soon they broke through the encirclement. He led Xiao Mu out of an alley, with the remaining black-clad men in hot pursuit.

They bumped into Zhou Tingxi, who jumped off the carriage, pulled Xiao Mu from Yu Yanjing's arms, and carefully checked her over to make sure she was not injured. Then, he glared at Yu Yanjing and said in a deep voice, "Emperor Chaoyang, if anything happens to the princess today, I am not afraid to become your enemy, Chaoyang Kingdom."

Yu Yanjing laughed, "I won't lay a hand on a woman. I just want you to hand over the military seal."

Zhou Tingxi said, "I defeated the Snow Region Kingdom, and they voluntarily handed over their military tally. Why should I give it to you?"

"That was originally mine!"

Yu Yanjing's eyes were filled with rage. He glanced at Xiao Mu, who looked at him blankly. The bloodstains on his face were truly horrifying.

Xiao Mu took out a handkerchief, walked up to Yu Yanjing, placed the handkerchief in his palm, and smiled, "Wipe yourself, thank you for saving me."

Yu Yanjing was stunned, as if a flame had flashed through his heart, burning him with heat. He had never, ever seen such a beautiful woman.

He clenched the handkerchief, waved it in his hand, and said to Xiao Mu, "This time, for your sake, I won't cause him any trouble. Little beauty, until we meet again." With that, he turned and left.

Xiao Mu watched his retreating figure disappear little by little into the bustling city.

Zhou Tingxi looked at the sky and said, "We can't go back now. It's not safe to travel at night. Let's find an inn to rest, Princess."

"I'll leave everything to you."

Zhou Tingxi lifted her onto the horse, and he walked along the street, holding the reins.