Chapter 1413: War Clouds Gather

if you're afraid"Feng Lingxi shrugged, looked at Dugu City's anxious eyes, and glanced at him with a hint of grievance, "She threatened me with you.""Xier..."Du Gu Cheng frowned, just about to speak,..."Xiao Li, don't be afraid, I'll take you home."

Feng Ling reached out and touched Xiaoli's sweat on her face, looking at her pale face and the eyes struggling with difficulty. He forced a smile and helped her up.

"Your Highness, thirty taels."

Xiao Li looked at the princess, tears streaming down her face, her lips bitten and bleeding. She whispered, "So fast, so ruthless."

Feng Lingxi nodded with tears in her eyes, refusing to let them fall. She reached out and helped Xiaoli tidy up her messy hair. Gritting her teeth, she nodded, "I remember."

Xiao Li managed a pale smile, letting the princess support her as she struggled to stand. She was beaten and bruised, every hit a searing pain that tore through her soul. The King's truly ruthless, wasn't he

"Xiao Li…"

Ye Xi stepped forward, looking at Xiao Li covered in blood. She wanted to reach out and help her, but Xiao Li raised her eyes to look at Ye Xi and said with self-deprecation, "Thank you."

"Xiaoli, I..."

"I'll take you back."

Feng Ling Xi held Xiao Li in one hand, the other clutching a blood-stained sword. She looked up at Dugu Cheng standing in the distance, her eyes falling on the figure in crimson beside him. Suddenly, she felt like laughing.

"Dugu Cheng, do you still remember what I said back then If you betray me, I will never bother you again. Since you have found someone new, I will let you go."

Du Gu Cheng's fist clenched under his sleeve, watching Feng Ling Xi's eyes filled with disappointment and coldness. Veins on his forehead bulged faintly. His goal was achieved, but his heart ached deeply.

But…

Feng Lingxi bit her lip, her eyes cold and warning as she stared at Luo Qin'yi. "Xiao Li is mine. I treat her like a sister, and I wouldn't hurt her even slightly. But you have injured her this badly for this woman. Today, I will remember this."

Dugu City, you were the one who betrayed me first. It was inexplicable and ruthless. And I, for the first time, felt how strange and cold-blooded you were, as if I had never truly known you.

A slender figure, supporting Xiao Li's blood-soaked body, helped her step by step towards their own yard. Every step they took left a trail of blood on the ground, mingled with sweat and tears.

Dugu Cheng just watched Feng Lingxi leave, his eyes moistened, his heart seemed to be pierced by something, achingly painful that he could barely breathe.

"

Pfft…”

"

A mouthful of blood spurted out, Dugu City covered his chest, his face pale and bloodless.

"Master."

Lu Qin'yi wanted to step forward to help Dugu City, but he was refused. Watching her master in pain, she retreated to the side.

"Ye Xi, go and see if there are any messages. Tell me."

Du Gucheng's voice was filled with suppressed pain. Thinking of Xi'er's cold eyes, his heart ached. He beat Xiao Li, it was like hitting Xi'er herself.

Xi'er was right, she treated Xiaoli as her own sister, but she hurt her like this.

Ye Xi glanced at Dugu City, for the first time wondering if she had made a mistake and shouldn't have carried out the king's mission. Now that Xiaoli was hurt so badly by the king, she felt sorry for Xiaoli.

Ye Xi got up, bowed to Dugu City, and then chased after him.

"Master, if you regret this now, I'll go explain to the Princess..."

"Is there still a chance" Dugu City asked, a bitter smile on his face. "The arrow is on the string, I have to let it fly. Since we've come this far, even if it's difficult, this king has no way out."

Luo Qin'yi stepped forward wanting to help, but was still rejected by Dugu Cheng.

"Let this king have some peace and quiet. Go do your work."

Luo Qin'yi bowed to Dugu City and bid farewell before leaving the courtyard.

Feng Lingxi supported the almost unconscious Xiaoli all the way, biting her lip tightly. She walked from the West Courtyard back to her own courtyard. Along the way, servants and maids wanted to step forward but were all rebuked by Feng Lingxi.

Xiao Li gritted her teeth against the pain, beads of cold sweat dripping from her forehead. The blood on the ground, drop by drop, trailed behind her all the way back to Xiao Li's room.

"My Queen, I will not die."

Feng Lingxi bit her lip, her eyes reddened even more, tears falling down, but she never cried out. Her heart was bleeding, today's actions of Dugu Cheng truly left her confused, and made her feel chilled to the bone.

"Silly girl, even if you get hit with ten big boards, you won't die. Don't be afraid."

Xiaoli forced a smile, her steps unsteady. She was really on the verge of collapsing.

Finally back in Xiaoli's room, Feng Lingxi’s maidservant from the courtyard stepped forward to help, and Xiaoli also fainted.

"Go to my room and get the medicine box."

The courtyard was in utter chaos. Maidens rushed in and out, each carrying basins filled with crimson-stained water. When Ye Xi arrived, she immediately grabbed a maid and asked, "How is Xiaoli doing"

Seeing Ye Xi, the maid shook her head and hurried off to do something.

Ye Xi let go of her hand and hurried towards Xiaoli's room. She wanted to go in and take a look, but she was stopped by the person at the door. Looking at the woman in black in front of her, Ye Xi wanted to rush past, but she was stopped again.

"I advise you to stop."

"I'll just take a look at Xiao Li, and I'll leave if she's okay."

Su Yue glanced at the busy figure inside the room, then turned to him, "No need."

“Let me in, and I’ll just take a look…”

"The Yao people, they don't need you, an outsider, to look upon them."

Ye Xi was about to barge in when someone walked out, looking at Ye Xi. "Night Guard," he said, "The Princess said you should leave and are not allowed to enter this courtyard again."

"Your Highness, Ye Xi only wants to know how Xiao Li is doing. Please show mercy, Your Highness."

Yexi knelt on the ground, kowtowing towards the inside of the house, her eyes wet.

Wind Lingxi inside the house was already covered in tears, her face stained with them. After cleaning Xiaoli's gaping wounds, she realized just how horrific it was for someone to be beaten thirty times. The flesh was mangled, torn and bloody, not an exaggeration at all.

Even though Feng Lingxi's movements were the gentlest, when she touched Xiao Li, hearing the pained sounds coming from her mouth, Feng Lingxi's heart felt like it was being twisted by a knife, unable to breathe.

"Ouch..."

Xiao Li's words spilling from her lips while in a coma were all cries of pain. No matter how gently Feng Ling Xi moved, she cried out in pain. Feng Ling Xi stopped several times because of her cries, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I know you're in pain, but I have to clean your wound and apply medicine. Just bear with me, okay"

Feng Lingxi choked back tears, her eyes brimming with them as she trembled and applied medicine to Xiaoli's wounds. Her own tears blurred her vision, causing even the maidservant standing beside her to weep silently, dabbing at their own eyes.

"Your Highness, please, let me see Xiao Li. Let me see her."

Ye Xi was crying outside, the originally clear blue sky was covered with a layer of dark clouds, dimming down. In just a short while, the sky seemed to be about to turn black, dark and oppressive, and the wind picked up.

"Get up, I'll go take a look for you."

Ye Xi heard a soft voice by her ear. She raised her eyes and hurriedly wiped the tears from her face, looking at Wan'er standing before her and nodding. Lingxi and the Third Princess went to the courtyard. Both of them had fox fur cloaks on their shoulders. The dark sky was filled with [a flurry of white goose-feather snowflakes falling onto the flow...