Chapter 567 - 569: Li Yi’s Dual Identity
Bai Ruozhu applied the drug powder to the Turkic man’s thigh wound. Even though he hadn’t uttered a sound before, now he was screaming in agony. He writhed in pain on the ground, his screams echoing continuously.
Bai Ruozhu carefully packed up the drug powder, her expression suggesting: This stuff can’t be messed with. It’s too potent.
"You martial artists are most afraid of losing your martial arts abilities, aren’t you?" she said lightly. "Consider this your punishment."
The Turkic man was in so much pain he could hardly respond. He merely screamed and writhed on the ground.
Li Yi glared at Bai Ruozhu, saying, "He’s a real man. Can’t you let him die more easily?"
Bai Ruozhu slowly walked back, "What do I care if he’s a real man or not? I only know that he hurt my family and I promised to make him wish he was dead."
"What a ruthless woman." Li Yi laughed, "Jiang Yichun, would you dare to be with such a ruthless and poisonous woman?"
Bai Ruozhu smiled, Li Yi still wanted to undermine her relationship with Jiang Yichun till the very end, sinister.
Jiang Yichun, who had been meditating, slowly opened his eyes and looked at Li Yi, saying, "I find this quite good. It’s exactly what I like."
Li Yi scoffed, "Aren’t you afraid she might poison you to death one day?"
A smirk appeared in the corners of Jiang Yichun’s mouth, "My women are not fragile flowers. It’s none of your business how she treats me. Even if she decides to poison me, I’ll happily accept it."
Xu Huilin burst out laughing, "To die beneath a peony flower, what a romantic way to go!"
Bai Ruozhu laughed as well. The previous somber atmosphere had vanished; even though they were all severely wounded, the situation had become a bit more relaxed due to the unexpected humor.
She glanced at Li Yi and said, "There’s no use in prattling on. I have no idea why my poison won’t work on him, so perhaps you should just finish him off with your sword."
Xu Huilin nodded, "Keeping this man alive would be a serious risk her threat becomes reality." Then he lifted his long sword, aiming to strike Li Yi.
"Wait!" Li Yi shouted, gritting his teeth, "I have an imperial pardon, a death exemption token. Do you know who I am? You can’t kill me!"
Jiang Yichun and Xu Huilin both showed startled expressions, Bai Ruozhu’s immediate thought was, could Li Yi be trying to fool them?
"How could you have an imperial pardon? Even the Prime Minister can’t get one, what makes you so special?" Xu Huilin mocked.
Li Yi hesitated for a moment, then, with a ruthless look in his eyes, dropped a gold card from his sleeve.
Seeing the reactions of Jiang Yichun and Xu Huilin, Bai Ruozhu realized it was indeed an imperial pardon. She couldn’t help but wonder: How could Li Yi have one?
Even if she wasn’t familiar with the happenings in Danliang Country, having read so many ancient stories, she knew how rare these pardons were. If everyone could get one, wouldn’t they be common as dirt?
"Speak, how do you have an imperial pardon?" Jiang Yichun coldly asked. "Where did you steal it from?"
Li Yi burst out laughing, still spitting out blood due to his severe internal injuries, but seemingly uncaring. Then, with a smug tone said, "You wouldn’t have guessed it, would you? You’re all so loyal to the royal family of Danliang country. What if I were the son of the former emperor? Would you still dare to kill me?"
"How is that possible? Aren’t you a Turkic? If you were a prince, why would you serve as a lackey for the Turkic?" Xu Huilin asked.
Bai Ruozhu thought back to when Li Yi confessed his life as an assassin, his face impression then didn’t seem to be false. So, this was inconsistent. If he was indeed a prince of Danliang Country, why did he end up in the Turkic Country? Could he be a double agent?
She thought of double crosses and multiple layers of deceit, but it seemed too unbelievable. It was simply hard to convince anyone.
Of course, Xu Huilin didn’t believe it either. He stared at Li Yi coldly, as if looking at a dead body, and said, "There’s no point in saying more. Today, you will die."
"I am the flesh and blood of your former emperor!" Li Yi shouted, seeing the sword aiming at him again, holding nothing back.
Xu Huilin’s sword halted. Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun were stunned as well.
"When my mother accompanied the Turkic king on his visit to Danliang Country, the former Emperor had his way with her after becoming drunk. After returning to the Turkic Country, she discovered she was pregnant. She managed to hide the truth from the Turkic king and give birth to me," Li Yi said, with a sarcastic smile whenever he mentioned the former Emperor of Danliang Country.
"When I was six, the Turkic king visited Danliang Country again and brought my mother with him. The Former Emperor met her in secret and found out that I was his own flesh and blood. He wanted to convince my mother to bring me to his side and gave her a death exemption token, claiming it would ensure our safety," Li Yi continued.
Bai Ruozhu was increasingly shocked as she listened. Though she didn’t want to believe it, her instincts told her that there was a high chance this was truth.
"Then, why didn’t you and your mother use the token to take refuge under the Former Emperor?"
As this involved the secrets of the former emperor, Jiang Yichun and Xu Huilin remained silent. Bai Ruozhu, however, had no such restrictions and asked directly.
"By the time my mother returned to the Turkic Country, I had been sent away for assassin training. Didn’t I tell you this before?" He glanced at Bai Ruozhu, as if they shared a private joke.
Bai Ruozhu snorted coldly, ignoring his attempt at familiarity.
"It was very difficult for my mother to see me again. Later, when I was sent to Danliang Country as a mole and my mother was on her deathbed, I went back to see her and got this death exemption token," Li Yi said, laughing, "But I was already twenty-two by then. Of what use would recognizing our familial connection be? I probably wouldn’t have survived till now."
"I’ve gotten used to being a Turkic, and at least half the blood in my veins is Turkic. Rather than becoming a shameful outcast, I’d rather be a Turkic prince and strive to become a Turkic king," Li Yi said, his eyes lit up, clearly revealing his intense hunger for power.
"So, you can’t kill me." He quipped, smugly raising his eyebrows.
Jiang Yichun remained silent, and Xu Huilin withdrew his sword, unsure of what to do.
However, Bai Ruozhu coldly scoffed and said, "So what if you’re a prince? Your existence poses a significant threat to the current Emperor. As loyal servants, we must kill you."
"You dare to act even though I have a death exemption token? Have you gone mad!" Li Yi roared furiously.
Bai Ruozhu laughed, "Once you’re dead, who’s going to know about the death exemption token?" Then, she turned towards Xu Huilin, "Li Yi cannot be left alive. Kill him, and silence everyone here."
Xu Huilin came back to his senses; he had a resolute expression in his eyes. Raising his sword, he aimed it at Li Yi again.
"Wait!" It was Jiang Yichun who called out this time.
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