Rong Qing shook his head repeatedly, his eyes reddening. "You'll be alright. Sweet Fruit will be here soon. With her here, you won't die."

Shi Lan shook her head.

She knew very well that she was being forced to stay alive, and with such injuries, how could she possibly survive?

Rong Qing trembled as he gently wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. He wanted to comfort her, but he couldn't say a word, and his eyes turned bloodshot.

"My mother is in poor health. Please ask the person who impersonated me before... to be more filial to her for me. Later, please find a way to bring her out of the country, and let my parents think that I married far away..."

Rong Qing wiped away her bloodstains again, responded softly, his voice choked with sobs.

Shi Lan moved slightly, grasped his cold hand, and said, "My sister is cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Please keep an eye on her for me and make sure her husband doesn't bully her. Also, my brother is too honest and kind. If he gets into trouble in the future, please help him if you can."

Rong Qing listened quietly, and seeing her eyes gradually become uneasy, he buried his head in her neck and silently shook his shoulders.

A faint dampness spread across his neck. Shi Lan gently stroked his stiff hair and sighed softly, "Don't be sad. My body won't last much longer. Even if it's not this winter, it will be next summer. I'm actually the one who profited by saving your life."

It would be a lie to say she wasn't regretful; she still had so many things left undone, but there was nothing she could do about it.

With her soul feeling ethereal, Shi Lan felt a repulsive force, as if she were about to leave her body.

Rong Qing seemed to sense something, stretched out his arms and hugged Shi Lan tightly, wishing he could pull her into his body.

Shi Lan felt a suction force, and she was trapped inside her body again, unable to move at all.

The black-armored men had been guarding her the whole time. When the leader saw that Shi Lan's eyes were closed and her chest was no longer rising and falling, he knew that she was gone.

Seeing Rong Qing's unprecedented loss of composure, he was also taken aback.

The remaining black-armored men slaughtered the remaining black-clad men before they had time to bring the dying man to Rong Qing.

"Master, what should we do with this man?"

Rong Qing slowly raised his head and looked at it, then said calmly, "Kill him."

The man in black armor obeyed the order, dragged the man by the back of his neck, and prepared to carry out the execution.

The man struggled frantically, pulled off the hat covering his bangs, and looked up, saying, "You can't kill me! I'm Shi Lan's sister! Are you going to kill the sister of your savior?"

Rong Qing stared at her intently for a long time, then a cruel smile appeared on his lips. "Shi Yi, so it was you."

Shi Yi nodded repeatedly, her chest heaving, causing the sharp blade inserted into her abdomen to reflect a cold, snow-white light.

Rong Qing lowered his head, gently stroked Shi Lan's cheek, and smiled after a long while, "Take her away to be executed by dismemberment. Before the final cut, she must not die."

The execution by dismemberment involves 3,600 cuts on the body, each cut drawing blood and tearing flesh apart. Because of the sheer number of cuts, although the black-armored men are skilled and highly proficient in martial arts, only the leader possesses a divine touch and swiftness in wielding the knife.

The leader responded with a muffled sound, then turned around and roughly dragged Shi Yi a good ten feet away.

Some clever and eager learners had already bound the weapons into frames, and the leader took the opportunity to tie Shi Yi's limbs to them.

Soon, a piercing scream rang out. Rong Qing listened with his eyes closed for a while, then said softly and gently, "You're always worried about this person being sad or that person being upset. Have you ever thought about me? Do you know how sad and upset I am?"

A drop of water fell, slowly sliding down Shi Lan's cheek, then another drop, then two drops...

Shi Lan wanted to say she knew, and wanted to wipe away his tears, but she couldn't speak or move.

Rong Qing gently stroked her cheek, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and then held her tightly, remaining motionless.

As dawn broke, the screams gradually subsided.

The leader came to report, carrying a blood-dripping dagger. Only then did Rong Qing release his arm and say calmly, "After cremating the princess, we will return to the country immediately. I should also settle accounts with my good brother one by one."

The chief glanced at Shi Lan, cupped his hands in agreement, and in no time, he had piled up firewood into a mountain.

Rong Qing carefully placed her on it and reluctantly kissed her cold cheek.

As the flames slowly rose, Shi Lan felt the repulsion again. This time, she sprang up quickly, leaving her body and floating in the air.

Rong Qing seemed to sense something. His wooden eyes darted around, then he precisely spotted Shi Lan's location and stared intently at her.

Shi Lan looked reluctant and waved goodbye to him.

Rong Qing seemed to have seen it and hurriedly tried to give chase.

Shi Lan felt a suction force and was instantly drawn into the vortex. (To be continued.)