44.2

"I am probably doomed. It's just a pity that I dragged you and that little general down too."

Although Ji Yunhe said so verbally, she knew that Ji Chengyu and Zhu Ling would probably be fine. One could guess just from their behavior that they were not of low status. It did not matter how tyrannical Princess Shunde might be, high ranking men of the Grand Master's house and the military were not people she could kill at will.

Seeing Ji Yunhe like this, Ji Chengyu obviously had nothing more to say. He put down the curtain and left. She heard his calm voice commanding outside, "Gather up some men and horses and follow me."

This Ji Chengyu did not look easy to deal with. Ji Yunhe wondered if she should follow them when the tent curtain was pulled open again. She mumbled under her breath. These court people were really troublesome. But when she looked up, she froze.

The person in front of her had silver hair loosely draping down. His white robe was tainted with campfire soot, making him look a bit rash. And a pair of ice blue eyes stared steadily at her.

The sound of soldiers and horses outside had already faded into the distance, only the crackles of fire burning on wet trees remained. He did not leave yet. Still stubbornly came to find her.

Ji Yunhe looked at him, forcefully suppressed all of her emotions, and said the only thing she could. Because everything else would be a wrong response.

"I knew you would come back, Changyi."

The firelight outside the tent flickered in her eyes. She put on a smile that was seven parts fake. Changyi looked at her calmly.

"Yunhe, I only believe your words, so I came to ask you."

"Ask me what?"

"Everything you did and said since you met me, have they all been a ploy?" Ji Yunhe curbed the smile on her face and her expression turned solemn.

"Who told you that?"

Changyi saw the look on her face and his lips slowly began to turn pale. Even his voice trembled slightly. "You caring for me was fake, your sincerity was fake, everything you've done was to deceive me and make me willingly go serve the human princess?" Ji Yunhe approached him.

"Changyi, tell me, who said this to you."

"Yes or no?" he asked again. Ji Yunhe was silent.

"Yes or no..." asking again, but this time he evaded Ji Yunhe's gaze and looked away. Did not understand, refused to accept, and hurt. Ji Yunhe stared at him.

"Yes." Changyi clenched his fist and his eyes clouded up.

"That day when the human princess whipped you, forced you, and oppressed you inside the dungeon, was that also fake? Just an act?"

"Yes."

The silence in the room lasted for a long time. The more intense the fire burned outside, the colder it felt inside.

Changyi closed his eyes. "Ji Yunhe," he said while trying desperately to control his scattered breathing, "I... thought you were different from other humans."

Ji Yunhe heard his anger, pain and so much resentment that he was forcibly suppressing. Like someone who had presented his most precious possessions, only in exchange for a cold shoulder and abuse.

"Changyi, I am different from the others." She looked at him.

"Others can't make you serve Princess Shunde, but I can."

She wanted to say the one thing that would pierce his heart.

And she did. Changyi finally looked at Ji Yunhe again. Shock, pain, and disbelief. Like an icicle had plunged into his chest, freezing him from head to toe.

He took a step back and staggered. It showed just how uncomfortable these new legs were to him. He reached out and grabbed a wooden frame in order to stabilize himself. Ji Yunhe looked at him coldly.

Go!

She approached Changyi step by step. "You are the key to my freedom."

Go!

She raised her hand and channeled her palm full of spiritual power, as if to trap him. "Don't even think about running." Why won't you go…!

Ji Yunhe's palm inched closer to Changyi, then Zhu Ling's voice suddenly sounded from outside, "The jiaoren is here!"

Ji Yunhe's heart skipped a beat, her face turned ruthless, and her hand thrust forward without holding back. But Changyi just senselessly stood there and stared at her palm, taking it full on. The impact threw him out of the tent with a stifled grunt, and he fell to the ground spitting up a mouthful of blood.

Changyi looked up at Ji Yunhe, blood and mud soiled his clothes and hair. She stood outside the tent looking down at him with her face dark, gloomy and cold. And behind her came dozens of soldiers.

Changyi clenched his teeth, swallowed the blood inside his mouth and waved his hand. Countless icicles emerged from the mud below and shot out with blinding speed. Some men took it through the chest, others had their legs pierced. The forest was instantly filled with wailing and blood.

And among the sea of icicles, only the space before Ji Yunhe was free and clear. He had released all of his strength and ferocity, but he still refused to use them on her.