Zhan Liyue’s breathing grew heavier and heavier. Ye Luosha turned her head to look at her, frowning slightly. “Empress, you…”

“Remove the human-skin mask. Let me see your real face.” Zhan Liyue paid no attention to Ye Luosha; she kept her gaze fixed on the man and spoke in a low, firm voice.

The man stared at Zhan Liyue and said in a deep voice, “Today, I have fallen into your hands. Kill me or flay me — I have nothing to say about it.”

“But if you die, you will never have another chance at revenge. Remove the mask. I promise I will not kill you today.” Zhan Liyue’s voice continued, calm and measured.

“Empress, one must not nurture a tiger and invite disaster.” Ye Luosha reminded her in a low voice.

“I only said I would not kill him today. I never said I would let him leave.” Zhan Liyue said in a firm tone.

“I will give you one more chance. Remove the mask. At the very least, I want to see exactly who tried to kill me today.”

“And you will gain yourself one day’s chance to escape — is that not so?”

The man stared at Zhan Liyue for a moment, then reached up and tore the human-skin mask from his face.

Zhan Liyue fixed her gaze on his face, her fists clenching tight.

This face — how could it resemble him so closely? How was this possible?

Her gaze fell again on that birthmark shaped like a bull’s horn. Had Zhan Liyue not pinched herself hard, she would nearly have lost her footing and collapsed to the ground.

“Empress.” Ye Luosha sensed something was wrong and immediately stepped forward to support her.

“The Empress is injured — someone come quickly and seize the criminal!”

Zhan Liyue drew a deep breath and steadied herself. She asked in a composed voice, “Will you come with me willingly, or do you wish to be dragged back?”

Yanu glanced at Zhan Liyue and said in a low voice, “I can walk on my own.”

He could not make sense of Zhan Liyue’s intentions at all, nor did he wish to look at her any longer.

Zhan Liyue could sense the hatred Yanu held for her. But why was this face so familiar? And why did the birthmark her youngest son bore appear on this man’s neck?

She did not want to miss any opportunity — not even one chance in ten thousand.

“Bring him back to camp. Do not make any mistakes.” Zhan Liyue waved her hand and turned toward the carriage.

Ye Luosha nodded and looked back, glaring at Yanu before waving her hand. “Escort him back!”

Several hundred men surrounded Yanu. Two soldiers approached and bound his hands with specially made chains, then placed him in a separate carriage.

He had no desire to look at Zhan Liyue even once more. But Zhan Liyue had said one thing that was not wrong.

At the very least, he still had one day’s chance. That was better than losing his life here and now. His great vengeance was yet unfinished — he could not die with his eyes closed!

By the time they returned to the military camp, evening had fallen.

Zhan Liyue was urgently determined to understand what was happening. She had Yanu brought directly into the camp and placed inside the largest tent.

When she entered with her attendants, Di Wuya and Di Feimu were seated to either side inside the tent, each holding a book in hand.

Yu Jingfeng spotted Yanu as he entered, startled for a moment, then followed the others inside.

After several months apart, Di Wuya appeared somewhat thinner. His pair of eagle-sharp eyes had grown even more piercing and deep.

He sat there, wholly absorbed in the book in his hands, undisturbed in the slightest even as so many people filed in.

Those eyes of his were like a pool with no visible bottom — at first glance, clear and flawless; look again, and they were murky and impenetrable.

Though he had grown somewhat lean, it did nothing to diminish his incomparably striking appearance.

His dark hair was swept back without a single strand out of place. His forehead was full and broad, his sword-sharp brows keen with spirit, his nose bridge high and straight, his thin lips refined and delicate.

What a pity that such a beautiful man was a cold-blooded, merciless demon who killed without so much as a blink.

Ever since Feng Jiu’er had vanished from his life, no smile had ever appeared on Di Wuya’s face.

Not joy, nor sorrow, nor anger, nor grief — none of it.

In everyone’s eyes, the Crown Prince was as though he wore a mask at all times, his expression fixed in a single form day after day, giving no one any way to read his feelings.

Di Feimu’s condition was much the same. Except in Zhan Liyue’s presence, where the cold aura around him would ease just slightly, at all other times he was exactly alike.

Yu Jingfeng stepped inside, approached Di Wuya, and gave a cupped-fist salute.

“Your Imperial Highness the Crown Prince, he has arrived. It is Yanu.”

At the sound of the name “Yanu,” a different light flickered briefly through Di Wuya’s eyes.

He raised his gaze to look at the man being brought in, yet his face still showed not the faintest ripple.

“Yu Jingfeng, do you know this person?” Zhan Liyue looked at Yu Jingfeng and frowned slightly.

Without needing Yu Jingfeng to answer, Zhan Liyue had already read the answer from the faces of both Di Wuya and Di Feimu.

Yu Jingfeng turned back to look at Zhan Liyue and gave a cupped-fist salute. “In reply to Her Imperial Majesty the Empress — one could say I do.”

With his hands bound and restrained, Yanu was personally escorted inside by Ye Luosha.

“Before His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince, and you still will not kneel!” Ye Luosha gave Yanu a forceful kick.

Yet Yanu kept his gaze fixed on Di Wuya, gritted his teeth, and held his ground.

Just at that moment, Leng Yue pushed Emperor Ji’s wheelchair inside.

Everyone else present withdrew of their own accord.

Zhan Liyue moved to the chair on Di Wuya’s other side and sat down, her gaze barely leaving Yanu.

Leng Yue pushed Emperor Ji to Zhan Liyue’s side.

She released the wheelchair handle and, looking at Di Wuya, gave a respectful curtsy. “Your Imperial Highness the Crown Prince, greetings and blessings.”

Her gaze then shifted to Zhan Liyue, and Leng Yue gave another curtsy. “Your Imperial Majesty the Empress, greetings and blessings.”

“With the Crown Prince and the Empress present, how dare you show such disrespect?” Ye Luosha gave Yanu’s long legs another hard kick.

Not only did Di Wuya and Zhan Liyue pay Leng Yue no attention — even Ye Luosha gave her not a single glance.

Leng Yue seethed inwardly, yet she obediently withdrew to stand behind Emperor Ji and waited in silence.

Yanu winced in pain and furrowed his brow, yet he remained standing tall before them all, refusing to kneel.

Ye Luosha was unaware of what Zhan Liyue knew. Seeing Yanu show such disrespect toward Zhan Liyue and Di Wuya, she grew all the more incensed.

“You had better not choose punishment over a toast — if you are told to kneel, you…”

“Release him.” Zhan Liyue cut off Ye Luosha’s words in a calm tone.

“Empress.” Ye Luosha looked at Zhan Liyue, her brow furrowing slightly.

“It is all right. Release him. With Wuya here, he cannot escape.” Zhan Liyue continued.

Ye Luosha glanced back at Yanu, then stepped forward and unlocked his chains.

Yanu kept his gaze fixed on Di Wuya. The chill in his bearing had reached its absolute limit.

“Do you have something to say?” Zhan Liyue looked at Yanu and asked in a quiet voice.

“I do!” Yanu’s voice was low and heavy, laden with killing intent. “Why did you treat her like that? You did not like her anymore, tired of playing with her — and that gave you the right to have her silenced?”

Yanu’s words left Zhan Liyue and the others utterly bewildered.

Di Wuya, too, kept his gaze fixed on the man standing in the center of the tent, his eyes growing increasingly dark and sunken.

“Yu Jingfeng, who is this man?” After a moment of quiet in the tent, Zhan Liyue asked in a low voice.

“In reply to Her Imperial Majesty the Empress, he is…” Yu Jingfeng pressed his lips together, glanced at Di Wuya, and swallowed back the words that had almost left his mouth.

Ever since Young Miss Jiu’er had vanished, no one dared to speak Jiu’er’s name before His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince.

Even when letters arrived from the Black Gorge, no one dared to read them — they were delivered directly into the Crown Prince’s hands.

At this moment, Yu Jingfeng was genuinely worried that he might say something he ought not to say and incite Di Wuya’s fury.