Chapter 233: Unrest in Death

Tang Xing Youli ground her teeth, saying not a word. Jiang Jiang Mingyu felt no anger; he raised his hand and delivered a slap, the crisp sound echoing through the hall.

"If you do not speak, I will cripple your Wu Gong. Do you think I dare not strike hard?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu threatened.

Tang Xing Youli's expression was firm, without a shred of hesitation; she spoke coldly:

"Jiang Jiang Mingyu, I am the poisoner; it has nothing to do with the others. I wish I could kill you with my own hands; pity your life is hard, my poison plot was exposed before it could succeed. Remember, I will surely become a vengeful ghost, constantly haunting you and demanding your life, until you are utterly destroyed by my hatred!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's face grew dark; he grabbed Tang Xing Youli's chin, forcing her to look him in the eye: "I advise you to quickly confess the mastermind behind this, or I will drag you to the main camp and let you taste the various torture devices!"

Tang Xing Youli bit her lip and remained silent, her eyes revealing stubbornness and venom. She was determined to protect her master, willing to pay with her life rather than reveal a secret.

Seeing her refuse to speak, a cold, sinister light flickered in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes. He waved his hand, and two warriors roughly hoisted Tang Xing Youli up, shoving her toward the torture chamber.

"Just you wait; I will make you know how miserable the consequences of betraying me are!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu's voice came from behind.

Tang Xing Youli stumbled in her steps, but her expression remained resolute; she was already prepared to face death. Even if her body were tortured to ruin, she would grit her teeth and endure, never uttering a single word.

"Jiang Jiang Mingyu, a mere man, what right do you have to trample my dignity!" Tang Xing Youli spat, the spit flying straight at Jiang Jiang Mingyu's face.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu flew into a rage, his face grotesque: "You wretched woman, I will make your life worse than death!"

With that, he roared at the guards: "Throw her into the dungeon; I want her to suffer for her slander!"

Just then, a strange smile suddenly appeared on Tang Xing Youli's face. She lunged forward, throwing her entire body beneath the guards' blades!

A sound of blood gushing was heard; half of a blood-soaked blade protruded from Tang Xing Youli's back, and blood gushed forth.

"Jiang Jiang Mingyu... you beast... you will reap retribution sooner or later..."

Tang Xing Youli murmured softly, her voice fading until she finally collapsed into the pool of blood, motionless.

"This truly makes me die of anger!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu flew into a rage and kicked Tang Xing Youli's body.

Zhang Zhang Jiaqi and the others were shocked by Tang Xing Youli's sudden suicide; no one could have predicted she would choose to atone with her life.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's purpose was not achieved; the identity of the mastermind behind Tang Xing Youli remained a mystery. But at this moment, everyone felt only endless regret; for this stubborn woman who sacrificed her life for revenge, their hearts were filled with mixed emotions.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said angrily: "Come, summon all troops; even if we have to turn the entire Cangzhou upside down, we must find that mastermind! I will surely have him tortured to death by slicing, only then can my rage be appeased!"

Zhu Ge Yu advised: "Master, this is inappropriate; we do not even know the mastermind's appearance. Even if he stood before us, we would not recognize him. The army must march tomorrow; a massive mobilization is probably unwise."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said: "Then what do you suggest? Shall we just wait to die? I am leaving here soon, but everyone's families are still here; I cannot let them be in danger!"

Zhu Ge Yu sighed: "For now, we can only wait and see; only when the assassin reveals their tracks can we have a countermeasure. Please, Master, assign extra guards to protect their safety; this is the safest method."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said unwillingly: "It seems we can only do this. Issue my order: double the guards for everyone! Disciple, you also assign more spies to closely monitor movements in the city. Hang Tang Xing Youli's corpse on the main street; monitor it closely; if there is any suspicion, interrogate immediately to extract a confession; better to kill wrongly than let anyone escape!"

Zhang Zhang Jiaqi said disappointedly: "It seems I must also give up joining the army for the campaign; I simply cannot leave with peace of mind over this matter."

Zhu Ge Yu asked with concern: "Miss Zhang, you will not go out this time? I will assign guards to protect you; you must also be careful yourself."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said: "Zhang Jiaqi, I understand your feelings, but Zhu Ge Yu speaks reason. I will assign more people to protect your safety; you must also stay away from danger."

Zhang Zhang Jiaqi said: "Thank you, Brother Jiang, and Mr. Zhu Ge, for your understanding; I will take care of myself. I only ask that you return safely."

Zhu Ge Yu said: "Rest assured; I will always protect everyone's safety. Master need only focus on the campaign and return in triumph soon."

The next morning, seeing Zhu Ge Yu's arrangements complete, Jiang Jiang Mingyu led eighty thousand troops and Liu Liu Yifei out of Cangzhou.

After walking for one day, Jiang Jiang Mingyu, extremely worried, spoke to Liu Liu Yifei.

"Liu Yifei," Jiang Jiang Mingyu called softly. In the morning sunlight, seeing her beautiful and charming face, a wave of tenderness and concern rose in his heart.

"Hmm?" Liu Liu Yifei responded. In the morning sunlight, seeing his handsome and dashing figure, a wave of sweetness and attachment rose in her heart.

"You must be careful," Jiang Jiang Mingyu said. "This trip to Lanzhou is no joke; that place is a thorn in the eyes of the Other Xi Xia people. If you encounter any danger, return immediately. Business is not important; you are the most important."

"I know," Liu Liu Yifei said. "You must be careful too. This trip to Lanzhou is not for relaxation; that place is the front line of the battlefield. If you encounter any difficulties, find me immediately. Military pay is not important; you are the most important."

The two smiled at each other, understanding each other's hearts. They both knew the other's words were spoken out of concern, not truly agreed with. They both had their own ideals and responsibilities and were unwilling to give them up. They both wanted to do something for the other and did not want to be a burden.

So they said no more; they simply embraced tightly and whispered one sentence in each other's ears: "I love you."

Then, they each mounted their horses, leading their respective troops, and went off in different directions.