Huo Jingsha's piercing black eyes glared fiercely at the old Taoist priest. The hidden chilling aura emanating from him was that of a reincarnated Yama, but the old Taoist priest remained fearless and continued to laugh wildly. "It's alright. If you don't believe me, you don't have to take my words seriously. Anyway, you'll definitely come back to me begging for my help in the future."

After saying that, he ignored Huo Jingsha and prepared to leave.

Huo Jingsha grabbed the old man's wrist, determined to get to the bottom of things. "Why are you so sure I would beg you?"

The old man, unusually, put away his smile and narrowed his eyes, saying, "You don't have to come and beg me; that would only reveal your heartless nature. But I have a feeling that for your wife's sake, you will definitely come and beg me, and you will spare no expense."

The old Taoist's seemingly withered and weak hand easily broke free from his grip with just a slight tremor.

Huo Jingsha was slightly stunned. When he came to his senses, the old man had already walked far away. He was filled with questions and wanted to catch up and continue to ask, but in the blink of an eye, the old man disappeared from sight.

Looking back now, I was struck by his words. Could it be that Yao'er really... really is dead?

Thinking of this, Huo Jingsha was burning with anxiety. The distance from the backyard to the front hall felt like tens of thousands of kilometers. But just as he was about to reach the front hall, he dared not approach. He was panting heavily, and his clenched fists made his whole body tremble! He closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and tears welled up again.

His Yao'er... his Yao'er... what if it really is Yao'er? Could it be that he did too many bad things and killed too many people, which is why his family has been implicated?

Shu Yao, please, please don't let it be you, please... please don't let it be you... Huo Jingsha kept repeating this sentence over and over, as if chanting a spell. He took two more steps forward with his weak and powerless legs, but the closer he got, the more fiercely his tears flowed, making it impossible for him to see the road in front of him.

At that very moment, Xu Chang and Yue Ping, who had been chasing after him, stood on either side of him. Seeing the man's face streaked with tears, looking as if he had aged ten years in an instant, they felt a pang of sorrow. Who was this man? He was someone who, for ten years, had always been calm and composed, always unflappable in the face of danger, and ruthless in his methods, showing no mercy to others or himself. Now… he was heartbroken for his wife. Who says men don't easily shed tears? It's just that they haven't reached the point of true sorrow.

The adults' deep affection for their wives is something they only truly understand today.

"My lord, please don't be like this... Madam... she won't be able to leave in peace." Yue Ping was tongue-tied and didn't know how to comfort her. Huo Jingsha, of course, didn't like to hear this, and instead punched Yue Ping hard in the chin. No one is allowed to say that his Yao'er is dead!

Yue Ping dared not dodge and endured it. Xu Chang was startled and, risking being beaten, pulled Yue Ping away, saying, "My lord, I know you don't believe me, but that person was wearing Madam's clothes and a cloak made of sable fur that you've accumulated over the years of hunting. Chunlu and Xia Hong have already identified him, and they say... it is indeed Madam."

As she finished speaking, Huo Jingsha glared fiercely at Xu Chang.

Xu Chang was stunned by his gaze and gasped, but he still forced himself to open his palm, revealing a small "Huo Shi Shu Yao" seal.

The moment Huo Jingsha saw the seal, she froze, her eyes fixed on the small object.

His hands trembled as he carefully tried to pick it up, but his hands shook so badly that he picked it up... then shook it off, picked it up... then shook it off again. It took him two tries to finally succeed. "Shu Yao" trembled in his palm.

Extending his equally trembling right hand, his fingers gently caressed the smooth, delicate texture of the seal. His heart was bleeding, as if someone had taken an axe and brutally cleaved him in two.

His heart was empty, his mind was empty, his soul was empty... The world was a vast expanse of nothingness. He had only a wisp of consciousness left, and that consciousness roared and howled at him, constantly shouting: His Yao'er is not dead! His Yao'er is protected by him, so she will not die!

This time, no one gave him any tranquilizers, yet his body swayed violently, as if the world itself were spinning before his eyes. He clenched his fingers, gripping the seal tightly; its sharp edges dug deep into his flesh, but he seemed oblivious to the pain, continuing to walk forward.

But as soon as he moved, his vision blurred again. The inability to see caused his brain to lose its balance, but Huo Jingsha insisted on holding on. He had to personally confirm whether the person being carried back was Shu Yao. He had to confirm it himself.

Xu Chang and Yue Ping followed closely behind, watching the adult sway from side to side, his steps becoming increasingly unsteady. Until Huo Jingsha felt a large black cloth being draped over his head, and the next moment, he plunged into an abyss…

*** ***

Qi stared at Huo Jingsha on the bed, his eyes practically spitting fire.

It's been said for a long time that the two families are not well-matched, and marrying Huo Jingsha was not a good choice, but that woman Shu Yao is stubborn and insists on pushing herself into a fire pit! Men understand men best. If you have no power or influence, that's fine, but someone like Huo Jingsha, who has immense power and is constantly being offered beautiful women, can he resist temptation for a year or two, but can he resist for three or five years? Especially since women age faster than men, that's an undeniable fact. Making him stay faithful to one woman is harder than climbing to heaven.

But he was different. He and Shu Yao were both assassins, and they seemed like a perfect match!

What kind of Imperial Guard commander, what kind of first-rank official, what kind of inexplicable love affair? He's still heartless and fickle, causing Shu Yao to be heartbroken and grieving. In less than two years, he actually managed to drive Yao'er away. Fine! Commander Huo is quite capable.

Moreover, he didn't understand. In terms of appearance and martial arts, in what way was he inferior to Huo Jingsha? Why, even after he told Shu Yao so much about Huo Jingsha's despicable behavior and betrayal, did she still refuse to give up until she was completely broken?

To be honest, he was somewhat gloating when he received Huo Jingsha's message by carrier pigeon. He could have stayed in the capital, waiting for the right moment to act, and prepared to be by Shu Yao's side when the two of them broke up. But that despicable Huo Jingsha had bribed the leader and sent him to a remote border to carry out a mission. He couldn't disobey the organization's orders, so he had no choice but to leave. And now that he's back, he never expected to see this situation...

This man is a true "scumbag." Yao'er twice risked her life to save him, enduring immense suffering. Regardless of her motives, she ultimately protected him with her own flesh and blood, and even chose to betray her organization to be with him. For a woman, that takes immense courage! Now that Shu Yao has given birth to his child, and he has risen to the rank of a first-grade official, second only to the emperor, he wants to kick Shu Yao aside and has openly brought a concubine home. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have helped him marry Shu Yao, not even for a million dollars!

Good, very good! Commander Huo is indeed hard-hearted, indeed ungrateful, indeed... Qi glared at Huo Jingsha's half-dead face, gritting his teeth in hatred. If he hadn't been still unconscious, he would have pounced on him and beaten him black and blue.