Chapter 28

Chapter 28

"Leave two alive; kill the rest."

Pei Jing turned and gave the order. His tone was calm, without a hint of hesitation.

The courtyard was deathly silent.

As the man's command fell, lifeless bodies thudded to the ground one by one.

A spray of blood splattered in front of Yu Qizhi, and she froze, instinctively pushing herself back with her arms on the ground.

Pei Jing's eyes were dark and cold as he looked down at her retreating figure.

"Bitch."

He spoke coldly.

Seeing her pale face and the crimson blood spatters on her cheek, Pei Jing laughed without a shred of pity:

"I've been too good to you."

Yu Qizhi ignored the words of the man before her.

Her gaze urgently scanned the lifeless bodies lying nearby.

There was no sign of Feng Qingling. She let out a slight sigh of relief.

"What are you looking for?"

It wasn't until Pei Jing's icy voice came from above her that Yu Qizhi slowly came to her senses.

"Is this what you're looking for?" The man's lips curled in malice.

Yu Qizhi looked up.

In Pei Jing's long fingers, there was now a document. It contained the familiar content she knew well.

It was the divorce agreement she had forced Pei Jing to sign.

In the next instant, with a few "rip" sounds, Pei Jing tore the divorce agreement into shreds right in front of her.

The pieces scattered like snowflakes, falling onto Yu Qizhi's face and then drifting to the ground.

Yu Qizhi stood frozen, staring blankly.

"Commander."

One of Pei Jing's subordinates hesitantly approached, whispering a few words into his ear.

Yu Qizhi's lifeless reaction failed to stir any interest in Pei Jing. After all, now that she was in his grasp, there was no escaping.

Pei Jing gave her a cold glance before striding toward the study.

The subordinate also departed promptly.

Yu Qizhi was left standing there, amidst the scattered corpses in the courtyard and the two Xuanwu Men survivors who were being closely guarded by Pei Jing's men.

Before her eyes lay the torn shreds of the divorce papers, while her damp, thin garments clung tightly to her skin, sending chills through her body.

Everything had happened so quickly.

The courtyard reeked of blood. Yu Qizhi, her expression dazed and slightly disoriented, stood there with her soaked clothes barely covering her, water dripping from her hair.

Suddenly, she remembered something and stumbled to her feet, following toward the study.

As Yu Qizhi passed by, Pei Jing's men averted their gazes, none daring to look at her for long.

...

Pei Jing sauntered into the study of the side courtyard, exuding an air of dominance as if he owned the place.

Feng Qingling's lower abdomen was bleeding, and he held his hand over the wound, his lips pale. Though severely injured, his gaze remained clear when looking at Pei Jing.

"I have already given you the list, Commander... it seems you are not one to keep your promises."

Pei Jing stared intently at the man's weakened face, scrutinizing him from his brows to his lips, as if trying to bore a hole through him.

After a moment, he suddenly laughed.

"Feng Qingling," Pei Jing called out his real name, mocking him, "Do you really think you have any right to negotiate with me?"

"Besides, Young Master, you can't even protect yourself now. Apart from giving me the list, do you have any better options?" Pei Jing sneered, pulling at the corner of his lip.

His expression was filled with disdain.

Feng Qingling, however, merely looked at Pei Jing expressionlessly for a moment before pausing:

"Ao Ying doesn't like you; you shouldn't force her." Feng Qingling's tone was flat.

Pei Jing's nearly nonexistent smile vanished, and his eyes darkened swiftly.

Both the mention of "Ao Ying" and the content of Feng Qingling's words were grating to Pei Jing's ears.

Even though Feng Qingling was now in his hands, he was still a thorn in his side.

"Young Master, have I not told you not to fall into my hands?"

Pei Jing's expression turned grim as he lifted his foot and pressed heavily onto Feng Qingling's wounded abdomen.

"I don't need your interference in our marital affairs."

Feng Qingling was forced to swallow his unspoken words. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and he tightly pressed his lips together without uttering a sound of pain.

"Brother Ling!"

The moment Yu Qizhi stepped into the study of the side courtyard, this was the scene she saw.

The blood from Feng Qingling's wound had soaked into the floor, and the veins on his forehead throbbed with pain.

She hurried forward but was firmly held back by Pei Jing.

Yu Qizhi slowly blinked her eyes, looking at Pei Jing in front of her with shock and uncertainty.

Pei Jing seemed to completely ignore Feng Qingling's presence in the study.

"Look at you, why did you make yourself so miserable?" Pei Jing's strong arm clasped her shoulder, maintaining an intimate posture.

His voice was low and slow, yet it sent chills down one's spine.

He used his other hand to wipe away the bloodstains on Yu Qizhi's face.

"Crown Prince..." Tears fell from Yu Qizhi's eyes as she shook her head and pleaded urgently, "He's in excruciating pain."

"Oh."

"I thought he was someone else." Pei Jing curled his lips with patience.

His gaze turned to Feng Qingling, who was losing consciousness from the pain—

"A useless person who needs your protection."

"He is too weak." Pei Jing's voice was icy cold.

Yu Qizhi, unable to break free from his grip on her shoulders, couldn't help but look at the unconscious Feng Qingling with genuine concern.

Pei Jing's expression gradually darkened.

"Yu Qizhi, treating me as his substitute is an insult," he gently patted her face, "do you understand?"

"Do you regret it?"

Looking at Yu Qizhi's moist eyes, Pei Jing barely suppressed his irritation and anger.

He thought that if Yu Qizhi regretted, and begged him, he would reluctantly give her another chance.

"Enough..." Using some strength, Yu Qizhi finally broke free from his hold, "Pei Jing, enough."

"I don't regret it," Yu Qizhi's voice was very low, and she looked straight at him, unwavering, "Why should I regret it?"

"People like you are born high and mighty, enjoying the support of everyone, having the best teachers and resources since childhood."

"Brother Ling has come this far all by himself, which is already quite remarkable. Could you do the same?"

Silence filled the room for a moment.

Then Yu Qizhi heard a few low chuckles from the man.

"Very touching."

Pei Jing's anger surged, his face expressionless: "Too bad, Brother Ling seems to have fainted from the pain."

"He can't hear you." Pei Jing coldly raised an eyebrow.

Without waiting for Yu Qizhi to say anything, Pei Jing signaled his subordinates to take Feng Qingling away.

Yu Qizhi could only watch helplessly as the unconscious Feng Qingling was carried out of her sight.

Pei Jing's expression was icy cold. He scrutinized Yu Qizhi's eyes, as if trying to see through her thoughts.

"He is no longer useful to me. Perhaps, we should kill him." After a while, Pei Jing spoke in a deep, cold voice.

Yu Qizhi was stunned by his words.

Unconsciously, she recalled the scene where Pei Jing ordered others to be executed.

She felt as if she could already smell the heavy scent of blood, whether it was from Pei Jing or her imagination.

Without further words, Yu Qizhi understood Pei Jing's intention.

Her knees weakened.

By the time she realized it, she had instinctively knelt down.

Unable to do anything else, she could only plead as the man wished.

Kneeling beside Pei Jing, she clung to his long legs and looked up, begging:

"Crown Prince, please..."

"Please what?" Pei Jing finally softened his expression and asked indifferently.

"Please forgive me..." Yu Qizhi's eyelashes were wet with tears, "Please spare Feng Qingling."

Pei Jing responded with a cold laugh.

"You really know how to bend and stretch."

Pei Jing mercilessly brushed away the fingers that were clutching his leg.

Pei Jing's cold gaze traveled from Yu Qizhi's flat abdomen upward, sweeping past her pale and slender neck, and finally landed on her rosy lips.

"A pity. I find things touched by other men to be filthy." Pei Jing enunciated each word clearly.