Severe punishment? !

Ren Xuan could almost hear the sound of cold sweat running down his back.

He wailed in his heart and gave in. I was the only one left who couldn't escape.

Ren Xuan felt worried, but he couldn't let Qin Shu think that he and Lu Xiyun were in cahoots.

He quickly lowered his head, putting on an air of righteousness, saying, "Your Highness, I have absolutely no such intention!"

"I was just about to report to you, but I didn't expect you to come here in person!"

He tried to empathize with his boss, to stand up for his boss, and indignantly added fuel to the fire: "I also think that this trend of the Crown Prince must not continue!"

The Prince of Xiang in front of him sneered, his tone cold enough to freeze a snake to death: "You'd better think so."

Ren Xuan nodded rapidly, his expression more sincere than if he were kneeling down to apologize. "Of course, of course! Your Highness is wise, the Crown Prince has acted erratically, and this isn't the first or second time. I believe Your Highness must punish him severely this time and not let him off lightly again—wouldn't that just encourage him to make the same mistake again? I'm willing to assist Your Highness in properly 'disciplining' him."

He almost had the words "loyal" carved on his forehead.

Qin Shu seemed really persuaded by him.

He slowly retracted his murderous aura, tapping the table with his fingertips. His expression was unusually thoughtful, even serious. "Severe punishment, huh? How do you say, severe punishment?"

Ren Xuan's neck, which had been stiffened into a piece, almost broke on the spot.

——Don’t.

Buddy, I'm just talking, do you really take it seriously?

You, a piece of crap, can't even do it yourself, and you expect me to do it?!

How could I punish him? Beat him? Scold him? Tie him up? That's ridiculous! How could I dare to do that?

Ren Xuan was silent for half a second, his mind racing. He was no longer thinking about "how to show loyalty," but rather "how to find the delicate balance between loyalty and saving his life."

Finally, he forced a smile and said with a stiff upper lip: "Severe punishment... I believe that we should convince people with reason and discipline their hearts with justice..."

Qin Shu glanced at him sideways, his eyes showing undisguised disdain.

"Okay."

Qin Shu waved his hand in disdain, as if he was too lazy to listen to his continued nonsense: "...I knew I couldn't count on you."

He walked back to the commander's desk, his tone returning to its cold tone: "Ren Xuan, give the order and return the troops. We'll discuss the rest back in Yunzhong."

···

Lu Xiyun rushed into the Nan Mansion study almost like the wind.

He closed the door as if he was running for his life. With a bang, the door shut the sound of the wind outside behind him and also sealed the impending disaster inside.

In front of the desk, Wen Congren slowly raised his eyes when he heard the voice, and his gaze fell on him indifferently.

Lu Xiyun rubbed his hands together like a child who had done something wrong. He whispered, "...Congren."

Wen Congren lowered his eyebrows and glanced sideways: "Hmm?"

Lu Xiyun tried to downplay the seriousness of the matter: "Qin Shu has come to Southern Xinjiang."

He spoke weaker and weaker, his voice getting smaller and smaller: "I just... bumped into him."

Wen Congren put down the scroll and asked, "Were you caught red-handed by Qin Shu?"

Lu Xiyun nodded with difficulty, feeling a little hopeless.

He looked down at the blood streak on his wrist, almost wanting to cry: "I asked Shi An, and he said that this evil-stained streak will take at least half a month to clean up..."

Wen Congren narrowed his eyes slightly, rubbing his knuckles against his forehead. He said succinctly, "In other words, you slipped out of Yinshu City without reporting or notifying anyone, and went to Southern Xinjiang without authorization, even getting involved with the evil soldiers. And Qin Shu was completely unaware of this entire situation?"

Lu Xiyun shrank her neck, her entire body wilting like a frost-bitten vegetable seedling: "...Yeah."

He raised his eyes and looked at Wen Congren cautiously, his tone pitiful: "Congren...save me."

Wen Congren sighed, lowering his brows and eyes. "This is a forbidden technique from the Southern Palace martial arts school, specifically designed to combat evil. Ren Xuan and I originally thought this method had long been lost."

He paused and said, "But the cultivation and realm that Prince Fang displayed on the battlefield a few days ago were astonishing."

Lu Xiyun was stunned for a moment, then asked hesitantly, "Are you talking about... Blazing Life Sealing Heaven?"

Wen Congren nodded slightly: "Fang Che's cultivation in this forbidden technique is unfathomable. He may even be a rare genius that the Fang family has rarely encountered in a century."

Lu Xiyun quickly continued, "I know Blazing Life Sealing Heaven. I wanted to see that technique before, so Qin Shu traded it with Fang Ci for the National Guardian Book."

Wen Congren's expression suddenly showed a hint of surprise, but he immediately realized, "So—the sword you used to kill the third-rank evil soldier and save Ren Xuan that day was the forbidden technique of the Fang family?"

Lu Xiyun nodded honestly and continued, "However, I only read the first five chapters of the Fang family's self-harm technique, and Qin Shu wouldn't let me read any further."

After he finished speaking, he raised his head and stole a glance at Wen Congren, his voice lowering: "How about I quickly learn the rest?"

Wen Congren raised his eyebrows and said indifferently, "... sharpening your sword before the battle, do you think you have enough time?"

He glanced at Lu Xiyun and changed the subject: "Actually, as long as Fang Che is willing to help, this little bit of evil in you won't be a problem."

Wen Congren noticed a hint of hesitation in the other person's eyes, so he asked, "Don't you want to go find Fang Che?"

Lu Xiyun indeed showed a somewhat conflicted expression. After a moment's silence, he spoke, "Congren, you also said that the evil aura is extremely difficult to control. Once it goes astray, it may backfire. Fang Che and I don't have much of a relationship, let alone Fang Ci. She has always had a prejudice against Yunzhong."

As he spoke, his tone gradually calmed down, and he sounded somewhat calmer. "I took such a risk and went privately to ask the Fang family for help, just to keep it a secret from Qin Shu. For such a dangerous matter, I didn't trust Qin Shu, but trusted an outsider—isn't that putting the cart before the horse?"

Lu Xiyun sighed softly: "If I go to the Fang family, I might as well go to Qin Shu and admit my mistake."

Wen Congren was stunned for a moment and his eyes paused slightly.

Only then did he realize that the question he had just asked was actually based on his preconceived ideas, which put Qin Shu in opposition.

To be fair, to Lu Xiyun, the Fang family in southern Xinjiang were clearly outsiders.

Lu Xiyun is a maverick guy, but he understands the key points better than anyone else.

Wen Congren paused and smiled softly, "Your Highness is right."

He said calmly, "In that case—then let's go and apologize to His Highness."

Lu Xiyun: “……?”

The young man froze. "Not...Cong Ren?"

Lu Xiyun almost jumped up: "Admitting my mistake, isn't that a last resort?! Congren, you are a wise man! How could you - how could you let me surrender right away?!"

Lu Xiyun was filled with indignation: "Shouldn't you say something like 'think it over', 'set up a delaying tactic', 'I'll go check it out for you' or something like that?!"

Wen Congren said expressionlessly: "No."

He spread his hands, his expression calm: "A simple question won't have a different answer just because the person answering it is smart."

He spoke slowly, as if listing the pros and cons of a ledger. "You only have two choices now: the Fang family, or Qin Shu. As you said, if you go to the Fang family, the risks may be uncontrollable. You apologize to His Highness and let Shi An An Wen cleanse you for half a month, and this matter will be over."

Lu Xiyun: "Then I'm done for. I might never be able to leave the clouds again..."

Seeing the young man's aggrieved look, the coldness in Wen Congren's eyes loosened a little.

He finally sighed, like a parent who was annoyed by the noise: "Forget it, Prince, come with me."

···

Inside the military tent, the lights flickered.

Xiao Jingxiu sat behind the desk, his face still covered with his usual sinister coldness, like a snake in human skin: "Mr. Wen has told the prince?"

Wen Congren nodded, but only said lightly: "The Nan Mansion may have second thoughts - are you sure, General?"

Xiao Jingxiu laughed out loud, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.

He chuckled and cursed, "Fuck 'maybe'! Nanfu clearly has a solution, but Fang Ci and Xiao Jingyuan didn't even mention it. They are just harboring two minds!"

Xiao Jingxiu's gaze fell on Lu Xiyun, his eyes grim, his tone deep: "The Nan Mansion's technique, 'Fiery Life Sealing Heaven', is specifically designed to counter the power of evil. The evil stain on you can be cured by Fang Che. Prince, don't go begging these bastards of the Fang family. Get hold of something against them and make them beg for help. This is the safest way."

Lu Xiyun's forehead twitched fiercely: "General Xiao, first of all... Xiao Jingyuan is gone. Secondly, it's human nature to keep relatives distant. You... don't accuse him of anything."

Xiao Jingxiu sneered: "Do you believe Fang Ci's words? She is afraid that I will find out the evidence that Xiao Jingyuan uses evil weapons, so she made up this to fool everyone."

Lu Xiyun was at a loss for words: "Isn't that your brother?"

Xiao Jingxiu’s face darkened instantly: “I have nothing to do with that bastard.”

Lu Xiyun looked back at Wen Congren with a complicated expression: "Congren... don't you think he's messing around?"

Wen Congren shrugged his shoulders and said calmly, "General Xiao is familiar with the people in Southern Xinjiang. He's taking revenge on his own terms, and you can take advantage of him. It won't be a disadvantage."

Lu Xiyun: "..."

Lu Xiyun was completely defeated. He held his forehead and sighed, his tone revealing the frustration of being crushed by reality: "...Forget it, I'd better go back to Qin Shu and admit my mistake."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Jingxiu suddenly spoke, his tone a few degrees lower than before.

Xiao Jingxiu said coldly: "Sir, I advise you to stay."

He slowly raised his eyes, his pupils imprinted in the candlelight, but drenched in coldness: "Do you know how many people you killed during your last evil encounter, Your Highness?"