The man in black coughed up blood, looked up at Helian Si with eyes full of hatred, and gritted his teeth. If he didn't die today, he would repay him a hundredfold in the future.

"Di Ying, what are you waiting for? Make your move."

Helian Si's voice was chilling. Di Ying's heart skipped a beat. He stepped forward, drew his longsword, and without hesitation severed one of the black-clad men's fingers.

A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the lecture hall, causing everyone's expression to change. Staring at the severed finger of the man in black, a chill ran down their spines.

Looking at Helian Si, who sat in front of the man in black with a carefree and unperturbed demeanor, she swallowed hard, feeling more fear and lingering apprehension than anything else.

They had been classmates with the princess since childhood, and even now, though constrained by their status, they dared not disrespect her.

The fact that the princess was being ostracized was an unspoken agreement, and the princess hadn't said anything, so they assumed she was easy to manipulate. But... but now...

"continue."

Helian Si played with his fingers, his red lips slightly parted, his delicate oval face showing no sign of raising an eyebrow.

"Ah!!!" The man in black let out another shrill scream, and a faint, nauseating stench of blood filled the lecture hall.

Many of the students at the Imperial Academy were from aristocratic families, pampered since childhood. They had never witnessed such a cruel scene before, and each one of them glanced away, unable to bear watching any longer.

Gu Haozhi, the son of the Minister of Justice, had seen many such scenes before, but he still felt somewhat uncomfortable. Looking at the composed Helian Si, Gu Haozhi's heart tightened.

He had loved princesses since childhood, simply because he understood them better than others. But the princess before him was so unfamiliar, so unfamiliar that he dared not approach her.

The man in black had lost two fingers, and his injuries had worsened. The old doctor stood by, watching as Di Ying raised his sword again and again.

The old doctor wiped the sweat from his brow, fearing that his medical skills were inadequate and the man might die, incurring the princess's wrath. Fortunately, the man in black finally couldn't withstand the strain any longer.

"I'll talk, I'll talk..."

Helian Si finally reacted, his delicate eyebrows twitching slightly. He raised his hand to stop Di Ying's movements and looked at the black-clad man who was barely clinging to life.

"I...I am from Xiling. I was sent by Xiling to infiltrate your Northern Yin. The Northern Yin Emperor loves his princess the most..."

So, so my master told me to find an opportunity to kill you. As for the antidote to that poison, only the snow lotus from the snow mountain can cure it. I... I've told you everything I know. Just give me a quick death."

The man in black spoke haltingly, yet every word was clearly audible to everyone present, causing their expressions to change.

This person was actually from Xiling. His Majesty's conquests to unify the world in recent years have been relentless; now, looking around…

Only Xiling and Nanli, along with some small, insignificant states, remain. Considering this, it's plausible that this person is from Xiling.

Helian Si remained silent, his beautiful, almond-shaped eyes fixed expressionlessly on the half-dead man in black on the ground, making it impossible to discern his true intentions.

Whether she believed the man in black or not, the man in black closed his eyes. He was now a cripple and only wanted to die.

"Princess……"

Di Ying looked at Helian Si and softly called out, wondering how to deal with this man now.

"Knock him out, don't let him die, he's still useful."

Her father was preparing to attack Xiling and Nanli, and she suddenly had an idea that might help him achieve his wish of unifying the world as soon as possible.

"You've gone back on your word...!" The man in black looked up in shock, but before he could finish his sentence, Emperor Ying knocked him unconscious with his sword sheath. What nonsense did a spy from an enemy country have to spout?