Torrential rain poured down. The mountain forest was pitch black, and the dirt road below the slope, churned up by the earth dragon’s turning, was already a muddy mess. Enormous dark clouds pressed overhead, as if weighing on people’s hearts, making already anxious hearts even more frantic.

Pang Xiao rode his swift horse, leading Huzi, four Elite Tiger Guards, and twenty Dragon Soar Army soldiers in a wild rush toward the incident location.

Huzi said anxiously, “My lord, slow down a bit. The Princess will be fine!”

Pang Xiao’s jaw was tightly clenched, his lips pressed into a thin line, his fists gripped so tightly his knuckles stood out distinctly.

“Is the intelligence accurate? Is it really that the Princess was kidnapped into an underground cave and then encountered the earth dragon turning over?”

Huzi swallowed and said through gritted teeth, “That’s what we heard.”

Pang Xiao fiercely threw a punch, truly wishing he could kill himself.

He should never have let Qin Yining take this risk. What treasure? How could any of it be more important than Qin Yining’s life? Not to mention this silver – even if offered to exchange his kingdom for her, he absolutely wouldn’t trade!

If these material possessions caused Qin Yining to lose her life, Pang Xiao truly wished he could apologize with death!

The group spurred their horses forward wildly and soon arrived at the location mentioned in the intelligence.

The rain-soaked road surface had accumulated much water, making it impossible to investigate earlier footprints. At this time outside the underground cave, a group of soldiers wearing Dragon Soar Army silver-white battle robes were digging with iron spades.

Under a large yellow silk umbrella, Li Qitian wore dark blue regular clothing and stood with his hands behind his back, while Grand Eunuch Li Guanwen held an oil-paper umbrella positioned upwind to shield Li Qitian from wind and rain.

The sound of hoofbeats from Pang Xiao’s group drew Li Qitian’s attention, and everyone looked up. Seeing the newcomers were Pang Xiao’s group, Li Qitian’s brow involuntarily furrowed. When he met Pang Xiao’s gaze, his pupils contracted slightly, and he couldn’t help feeling somewhat uneasy and fearful.

He was the emperor – why should he be afraid?

Li Qitian straightened his back again.

Pang Xiao’s group had now arrived nearby.

The dark horse was reined to a stop, letting out a whinny. Pang Xiao dismounted, his rain-soaked robe hem flinging droplets of water.

“Your Majesty.”

Regardless of the mud, Pang Xiao led everyone to kneel and bow.

Li Qitian helped Pang Xiao up with both hands, saying sorrowfully, “I had just arrived when I received intelligence saying that the Qin family member was heading to the capital with people, discovered an underground cave, and went in to investigate just as the earth dragon turned over.”

This explanation…

Was the Princess a mole? Seeing an underground cave and going in to investigate? His Majesty was completely shameless!

Pang Xiao’s expression remained unchanged, but Huzi and the Elite Tiger Guards behind him nearly wanted to throw punches.

Pang Xiao said in a deep voice, “After the earth dragon turned over, relief supplies were delayed in coming. In desperation, many mountain bandits and highway robbers emerged. The Qin family member only arranged four guards and two maidservants for the return journey to the capital. If she encountered these people and was forcibly kidnapped, the consequences would be unthinkable.”

The imposing pressure around Pang Xiao seemed to become tangible, capable of transforming into invisible hands that could grasp someone’s throat.

As emperor, Li Qitian should not have felt fear. But under Pang Xiao’s stern gaze, his back involuntarily straightened even more.

He felt somewhat guilty, but a voice in his heart kept shouting that all under Heaven belongs to the king, all within the realm are the king’s subjects. This entire world belonged to him, all wealth belonged to him, and his subjects’ lives also belonged to him.

Wasn’t there a saying that when the ruler wants a subject to die, the subject cannot refuse to die?

Qin Yining was merely a woman. If he ordered Pang Xiao to die, Pang Xiao wouldn’t dare refuse. Qin Yining, as Pang Xiao’s appendage, mattered even less. Pang Xiao’s feelings for Qin Yining weren’t that deep anyway – when Qin Yining’s family first came to Great Zhou, hadn’t he been ready to kill them, binding and torturing her nearly to death?

Now that she was dead, he could simply get a new one. Pang Xiao could consider this a blessing in disguise.

Thinking this, Li Qitian gained more composure and confidence, and less guilt and embarrassment.

Moreover, he wanted to question Pang Xiao – why had Qin Yining suddenly returned to the capital? Was her illness real or fake? Had she secretly wanted to seize the treasure, which was why she happened to be buried in the underground cave?

Li Qitian’s mind turned countless times, but only moments passed.

At this time, Pang Xiao had already taken Huzi and the four Elite Tiger Guards to find iron spades and begin digging. Those twenty Dragon Soar Army soldiers, seeing Pang Xiao like this, also searched for tools to help.

Li Qitian called out loudly, “Pang Xiao, come here. Let them do this rough work.”

Pang Xiao turned a deaf ear, his hands never stopping their movements.

Li Guanwen saw that Pang Xiao was actually ignoring His Majesty’s words and hurriedly approached with his umbrella, holding the paper umbrella high to shield Pang Xiao from rain. “My lord, His Majesty probably has questions for you. Would you like to rest? Let others do this rough work.”

Pang Xiao stepped on his iron spade, digging it into the earth, not lifting his head as he said, “Please trouble Eunuch to convey this king’s gratitude for His Majesty’s kind intentions. However, saving people is like fighting fire – one more person means one more source of strength. Whatever there is to discuss, let’s wait until this king has rescued everyone.”

Li Guanwen was politely rebuffed and looked at Pang Xiao’s profile with very complex feelings before returning to Li Qitian’s side.

Although Li Qitian hadn’t heard what Pang Xiao said, the fact that Pang Xiao wouldn’t listen to his order to come to his side was clear.

Li Qitian’s face darkened, and he was about to scold when Li Guanwen said, “Your Majesty, the roads are muddy now and the weather damp and cold. Though your dragon body is healthy, it cannot withstand such hardship. Why don’t you return to your carriage to rest and have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself?”

A gust of cold wind swept over, and Li Qitian indeed shivered from cold, his hands becoming icy.

“Very well.” Li Qitian kept a stern face and returned to his carriage first.

From the corner of his eye, Pang Xiao saw Li Qitian leave, but his clenched jaw didn’t relax in the slightest.

Yining, Yining, where are you?

Are you buried here?

If you’re really buried in the underground cave, then wouldn’t that mean…

No, no, no, she won’t die.

She’s still so young – how could she possibly die?

His vigorous digging now was only to prove she wasn’t here!

“My lord!”

Just then, Huzi cried out in panic.

Pang Xiao’s heart jolted as he quickly dropped his spade to look.

He saw that under the feet of the Dragon Soar Army soldiers who had started digging earlier, they had unearthed a severed arm – a pale, blood-soaked arm…

It was a man’s hand, not Qin Yining’s.

But this couldn’t make Pang Xiao relax.

Confirming there were people below, Pang Xiao led everyone in frenzied digging with all their might. Using iron spades, even using their bare hands.

The rain stopped.

Rainwater, sweat mixed with dust and mud on their bodies made them very uncomfortable. Pang Xiao, like the other men, stripped to the waist.

As corpses were neatly arranged to one side, Pang Xiao’s expression grew increasingly grim and desperate, while Li Qitian became increasingly angry.

“These are all Dragon Soar Army soldiers I arranged to search for treasure! How could they all perish here!”

Pang Xiao kept a stern face. “Your Majesty asks me? I want to ask Your Majesty – why did the Dragon Soar Army you arranged kidnap my wife!”