The palace maids and eunuchs felt dizzy and disoriented. They were frantically searching for Feng Yun Diao, but the culprit was fast asleep behind a banana leaf! Heavens! This joke was too much! If Feng Yun Diao had slept for another hour, their buttocks would have been torn to shreds.
The crowd stared longingly at His Majesty and the little sable, tears streaming down their faces. Now that the little sable had been found, their lives should be safe, right? Some wept with joy because they wouldn't be beaten to death; others wept bitterly, feeling wronged. They had almost been killed by this little sable—how could they not feel aggrieved?
The cracking sounds of the cane continued. The screams of agony never ceased.
The eunuch in dark green robes mustered his courage and asked, "Your Majesty, the Phoenix Cloud Sable has been found. Can we exempt it from punishment?"
“I meant within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Besides, you didn’t find the little sable, so what reason do you have to escape punishment?” An Honghan turned around and faced the eunuch.
He never took back what he said. In his dictionary, 'fairness in reward and punishment' was paramount. Since these eunuchs had exceeded the time limit and failed to find Little Sable, he had no reason to spare their lives.
These hands were stained with too much blood, so An Honghan didn't care if they got a little more. No matter how much he washed, he couldn't wash away this deep sin.
Xi Xizhi's eyes darted among the crowd. Just a moment ago, this group of people were excited and elated, but how come they suddenly looked so sad?
What did that eunuch mean? Did she have something to do with their punishment?
Xi Xizhi patted An Honghan's thumb with her paw, her bright eyes seeming to ask: What exactly happened?
"You're good at playing innocent, but do you even know why they were punished?" An Honghan pinched its little paw, his icy words sending a chill down Xi Xizhi's spine.
Xi Xizhi honestly shook her fluffy head, indicating that she didn't know.
An Honghan dropped a bombshell, revealing the truth: "Because you suddenly disappeared this morning, they all have to die."
An Honghan was used to killing, so he didn't find it inappropriate to say it so casually.
Conversely, Xi Xizhi was a cultivator, and had heard her master speak extensively of cause and effect, and retribution. There were at least a hundred palace maids and eunuchs present. If they all died because of Xi Xizhi, how heavy would the blood debt she carried be?
"Chirp chirp..." What does her disappearance have to do with these eunuchs and palace maids? Why are they being blamed?
Xi Xizhi believed in the concept of "one person does the work, one person takes the responsibility," and proudly raised her chest. Her charming and innocent expression made people want to hug her.
"You want to take all the blame?" An Honghan raised an eyebrow slightly, glancing sideways at Xi Xizhi. His eyes were filled with icy coldness, like a biting wind in the dead of winter.
Xi Xizhi hesitated for a moment because she was not a great person and did not have the spirit of self-sacrifice and altruism.
But the thought that the palace maids and eunuchs were all innocent made Xi Xizhi take another step forward. If she were to cause the deaths of such a large group of people, she would be sent straight to the eighteenth level of the underworld.
"Chirp chirp..." Yes.
He mustered his courage and squeezed those two words out from between his teeth. Saying them meant he was going against An Honghan's wishes.
“Very well…” An Honghan’s voice turned even colder. “For a bunch of slaves, you actually dare to oppose me. Don’t forget, you are just a pet I keep. It’s easier for me to crush you than to crush an ant.”
There's no need to repeat this fact; every single hair on her body reminds Xi Xizhi that she is a pet ferret.
“I spared the life of one eunuch yesterday, and today… there is absolutely no possibility of sparing him a second time.” An Honghan pressed down on the little sable in his arms, using considerable force. “Keep hitting him! No one is allowed to stop unless I say so.”
The screams of agony echoed in their ears, and the palace maids and eunuchs, seeing their hopes dashed, all wept uncontrollably.
Xi Xizhi's anger flared up as well. The hand on her back pressed down hard, making her back ache. She scratched at An Honghan's large hand in a fit of rage, but unfortunately, her strength was no threat at all. Apart from leaving a red mark on the back of his hand, she didn't even draw a drop of blood.
But such a move was enough to enrage An Honghan.
"Quite the backbone, daring to raise your claws at me." An Honghan's large hand gradually moved to Xi Xizhi's neck.
Xi Xizhi saw through his intention and dodged to the side with her round body. But the side was suspended in the air, and she lost her balance and unexpectedly tumbled to the ground.
The silvery-white fur was covered with a layer of dust. Xi Xizhi seemed to have fallen and hurt herself, whimpering as she rolled on the ground before shakily getting to her feet.
Was An Honghan trying to break her neck just now?
His arms were suddenly empty. By the time An Honghan realized what was happening, the little sable had already fallen from his arms. There wasn't even time to reach out and catch it.
The little ferret whimpered and complained of pain, rubbing its forelegs.
An Honghan's first thought was that the little ferret must have been hurt, especially its front leg. How could such a tiny white ball of fur withstand such a fall? He only wanted to scare the little ferret; who knew it would react so strongly? If he really wanted to break its neck, he could have done it in an instant; why would he slowly move towards its neck?
An Honghan took two steps forward, wanting to pick it up again.
Xi Xizhi thought the other party had failed in their attack and wanted to attack her again, so she stumbled backward and fell several times.
Seeing that the little sable was afraid of him, and also worried that its restless movements might injure its bones, An Honghan stopped and said to the little sable, "I mean no harm. You stay where you are!"
Which villain doesn't claim to have no ill intentions? Xi Xizhi didn't believe it. Just as she turned her head, she saw the eunuch being beaten in the crowd. Lin En's voice was the loudest, a scream like a pig being slaughtered.
If these people really died, Xi Xizhi's sins would be immense. She had to stop it no matter what. After resting for a moment, enduring the pain in her forelegs, Xi Xizhi slowly made her way towards the crowd.
An Honghan's face was more than just gloomy. Just as he was about to grab the little ferret, it tripped and fell, letting out a painful howl.
This was the first time An Honghan had felt so defeated...
He had never felt so helpless, not even when leading armies into battle or conquering empires. Yet, he was utterly at a loss when it came to this little sable.
"Stop! I'll spare them. But if you dare take another step, I'll immediately order the guards to chop off their heads!"
This threat was clearly effective. Xi Xizhi actually stopped in her tracks; in fact, her forelimbs ached so much that she couldn't take another step.
An Honghan rushed over, picked up the little ferret, and reached his fingers towards its injured foreleg. The moment he touched it, the little ferret shrieked in pain…
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