Chapter 139 “Why is it so hot?”…

Chapter 139 "It's scalding!"...

Tuoba Wuxi was the closest, directly in the path of the arrow. When he spotted the hidden arrow aimed at Tuoba Xiao, he swung his sword without hesitation to block it. But the arrow’s speed was extraordinary—his mind reacted, yet his body lagged behind his reflexes. The tip of his blade barely grazed the arrow’s fletching, and he could only watch helplessly as the arrow slipped through his defense.

In the blink of an eye, it reached Tuoba Xiao’s back.

“My king!” the Imperial Guards shouted in alarm.

Tuoba Xiao had been battle-tested on the battlefield since the age of eleven, surviving countless life-and-death crises. His instincts for danger were razor-sharp—under normal circumstances, he would have sensed it immediately. But seeing Jiang Congyan had consumed his thoughts. Distracted, he failed to detect the hidden arrow in time.

Only when the arrow pierced through the air did his years of honed instincts kick in, making him dodge sideways.

He avoided a fatal hit, but the arrow still tore a deep gash across his arm, blood spurting.

Jiang Congyan stared blankly at what had just unfolded. Though it happened in an instant, to her, it felt like a nightmare in slow motion.

A shaky exhale—

He dodged it… he dodged it…

She broke into a cold sweat, her limbs going weak. She swayed, unable to hold herself up any longer, and collapsed.

Si Zi, standing beside her, noticed the lady’s distress and rushed to catch her—but someone was faster.

With a flick of his spear, Tuoba Xiao intercepted Jiang Congyan’s fall at her waist, yanking her into his arms the next second.

Ignoring the blood still flowing from his arm, he pressed her tightly against his chest, crushing her against him.

Dizzy for a moment, Jiang Congyan blinked and refocused her vision on the man’s strong jawline.

He must have been traveling for days—dark circles shadowed his eyes, stubble roughened his chin, his lips were chapped, and dried blood streaked his face. His armor was splattered with blood; his appearance was a mess. Yet Jiang Congyan couldn’t bring herself to care about appearances or pride. Instead, she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, the cold metal of his armor now warm from his body heat.

“As long as you’re unharmed.”

“As long as you’re unharmed.”

They spoke in unison.

After a brief silence, Jiang Congyan smiled and lifted her face, about to say more—but the man claimed her lips without warning.

She realized she was being held on horseback, facing him, surrounded by people.

This wasn’t the time for romance. Gently pushing him away, she murmured, “This isn’t over yet…”

Tuoba Xiao obediently broke the kiss but didn’t loosen his grip. Instead, he crushed her even tighter against him until it almost hurt.

With a heavy exhale, his heart finally settled. The cold, empty jade of his eyes regained warmth and vitality.

Six days ago, when he led his troops through the Dushikou Pass, he had indeed discovered the ambush. The enemy attacked from both flanks and the rear—by the time he realized, retreat was no longer an option. Pretending to retreat, he lured them deeper, eventually annihilating them.

He should have been triumphant, but then he realized the ambushers weren’t from the Murong Tribe. Instead, they were a coalition of rebels from nearby tribes.

It hit him—the Murong Tribe’s rebellion no longer mattered.

If they could ambush him on the road… what did that mean for the royal court? *For her?*

Perhaps from the very beginning, the Murong Tribe’s rebellion had been a diversion. And Chigan Balie—his own misjudgment might have been due to a traitor in their midst.

He knew she was smart, but the rebellion had come too suddenly, and the royal court’s elite troops had all been sent away. If she hadn’t been prepared, what if... Tuo Baxiao didn’t dare think further. He had no choice but to rush his army back at full speed, pushing day and night.

Sure enough, he encountered an ambush along the way.

His heart sank even deeper.

At that moment, regret, guilt, and terror flooded him. He shouldn’t have left her alone in the royal court.

Rage nearly blinded him, his mind fixated on one thought—she must be unharmed. Otherwise, he’d slaughter every last one of them.

Only by holding her close could he believe she was really safe.

It hit him harder than ever that he couldn’t lose her. Ten years ago, he had lost his mother. Now, he would never allow such a thing to happen again. Otherwise, he didn’t know how far he’d go.

Jiang Congyan could feel him shaking—it wasn’t her imagination. He was truly trembling, his whole body trembling.

“What’s wrong?” she asked with concern.

Tuo Baxiao slowly released her. “I’m fine.”

“From now on, I will never let you face danger like this again,” he vowed, every word a vow.

So that was it—he’d been terrified of losing her.

Jiang Congyan gazed steadily into his eyes and nodded with a smile.

After a moment, Tuo Baxiao helped her down, only letting go when he saw she had regained enough strength to stand. “Wait here for me.”

He ordered A Long to stay behind with elite guards to protect her, then remounted his horse and plunged back into battle, spear raised.

Jiang Congyan wanted to call out to him—his arm was still bleeding—but he was already gone.

Tuo Baxiao moved like a reaper from hell, mowing down rebels without mercy.

At this point, he didn’t need to fight personally, yet he slaughtered more fiercely than anyone. This wasn’t battle—it was pure fury unleashed.

The rebels were already crumbling, growing even more terrified upon hearing Tuo Baxiao had returned. The sight of him charging like a beast sealed their terror. Some died, others surrendered. By the time dawn broke and the red sun rose above the horizon, the chaos had ended.

A Shi Na Wu Jiu was clinging to life by a thread, his chest and waist slashed multiple times, one leg severed. He’d bleed out soon enough.

Meanwhile, Kediyan and his men had failed to escape the encirclement and were captured alive by Zhang Zheng.

“My King, how shall we deal with Kediyan?” Zhang Zheng slammed him down, kicking up dust.

Though the battle was over, Tuo Baxiao still burned with rage. He dismounted, the rising sun stretching his shadow long, engulfing Kediyan.

Kediyan opened his eyes, blinking against the glare at Tuo Baxiao’s half-shadowed face.

“So I’ve lost to you after all. At this point, I’ve nothing left to say. Kill me if you will.”

He knew Tuo Baxiao’s nature—unforgiving of betrayal. And he knew that by targeting the person Tuo Baxiao cherished most, he had sealed his own fate.

To the victor go the spoils.

As a Xianbei warrior, he refused to show cowardice now. It was just a life, after all.

What ate at him was that Tuo Baxiao was young, fierce, and a far greater leader than Tuo Bata. If only he hadn’t married that Han woman—if only he had focused solely on strengthening the Xianbei—none of this would have happened.

Kediyan tilted his head, spotting Jiang Congyan shielded by the crowd. He had a premonition—this Han woman would bring a reckoning to the Xianbei. Because of her, the Xianbei would perish.

Jiang Congyan also noticed Kediyan’s look. Facing death, this ambitious forty-something rebel showed no regret in his eyes, only calmness—fitting for a man like him.

But she wouldn’t pity him for it.

"You will die, of course, but I won't make it painless," Tuo Baxiao said coldly.

Kediyan’s expression changed, but before he could speak, a glint of steel swept past his neck. He felt no pain, only a chill, then saw a geyser of blood erupting upward before realizing what had happened.

The immense pressure from his severed carotid artery sent his blood spraying into the air before scattering back onto his face like a macabre blood-rain.

Tuo Baxiao’s cut was shallow, just enough to open the artery, leaving him to bleed out slowly rather than die instantly.

Bound hand and foot, Kediyan could not move. As blood loss worsened, his face twisted in agony, his eyes rolling back, his throat gurgling wet, choking rasps as his body convulsed instinctively.

No one spoke. The crowd watched in heavy, dreadful silence.

The sight reminded Jiang Congyan of butchering a chicken—a single cut to the neck, letting it bleed out, the creature writhing in futile struggle until its last breath, driven by the primal instinct to survive.

After roughly half an hour, Kediyan finally died.

At last.

Many exhaled in relief. His dying convulsions had been horrifying, especially as his own blood caked his body, obscuring his features entirely.

Tuo Baxiao stood before Kediyan’s corpse, his stare as frozen as carved stone. Finally, he tilted his head back, his eyes finding Jiang Congyan, who stood some distance away, looking worse for wear.

His clothes were soaked with blood, his face splattered with Kediyan’s, the crimson streaks tracing down his cheekbones with each blink. Even the blazing sun couldn’t dispel his ice-cold demeanor.

"My command stands," he said slowly, his tone flat, almost indifferent. "Every rebel who rose with Kediyan is to be executed—along with their families. Not a single one spared."

The crowd went rigid with shock. A glance at him revealed eyes burning red with rage, his murderous aura so thick that no one dared protest.

The rebels numbered no more than thirty or forty thousand, but including their families, the slaughter would claim hundreds of thousands.

All of them? Killed?

Tuoba Wuxi frowned. Lan Zhu, too, disapproved of the king’s decree.

Though none dared speak up, their gazes instinctively turned to Jiang Congyan.

She, of course, disagreed. Stepping forward, she took Tuo Baxiao’s hand—only to find it radiating feverish heat.

"Why are you so hot?"

His face, though smeared with blood, was flushed an alarming shade of red.

He had been standing for over half an hour. The battle rush should have faded by now.

Her first thought: Had he been wounded, and was now feverish from infection?

"Zi Yi, come quickly!" She turned, calling for Zhang Fu.

"I’m fine," Tuo Baxiao murmured, his intense stare meeting hers. Just as he moved to pull her into his arms, his knees buckled slightly.

"Tuo Baxiao!" Jiang Congyan gasped, grabbing his waist to steady him.