“Isn’t this the Prince Regent’s hobby?” Mu Hanyao’s eyes emitted a chilling light, completely disregarding his current state. So what if he was naked? What did it matter if others openly admired him? How many experiences hadn’t he been through?
Once, he was a commanding general, leading his subordinates, brothers-in-arms, through life and death. After each victorious battle, they would bathe and frolic together in a lake, meeting each other bare-bodied. What was strange about that?
However, the current Prince Regent had an exceptionally peculiar taste. Unlike other men, when she looked at his body, it was with a gaze filled with meaning. Thinking about his brother, who was forcibly detained in the Prince Regent’s mansion, Mu Hanyao’s coldness towards Feng Autian deepened.
Feng Autian’s brows lightly furrowed, her eyes deep and mysterious. A radiant smile outshone the brilliance of the sun and moon. Her thin lips parted, and without warning, her slender, jade-like fingers pulled off the hair tie that bound Mu Hanyao’s hair. “Consider this your apology for offending me just now.”
The tone was indifferent, fingers hooked around the cotton-like hair tie, apathetic as usual. Hands behind her back, she stood with an erect posture, displaying more of a commanding presence than Mu Hanyao, a general accustomed to years of military training. She exuded a cold and formidable aura, complemented by the inherent arrogance of a ruler who looked down upon the world. Anyone who saw her dared not meet her gaze, experiencing a sense of fear.
On the contrary, Mu Hanyao, who was suddenly ambushed, turned around in anger, locking eyes with her. His ink-like long hair scattered over his chest, mingling with the green strands falling in front. As his robust figure moved, his chest rose and fell rhythmically with the wind.
Marked on his waist and abdomen were scars representing his unparalleled glory. One hand tightly gripped the dagger, while the other rested on his back, exuding a majestic aura without a hint of fear or embarrassment. Instead, his deep, cold eyes were filled with boundless chill.
“Mu Hanyao, with the long night ahead, do you wish to spend it like this with me?” Feng Autian walked past him, taking a seat in the commanding position, looking down from a high vantage point. Her words carried a hint of frivolity, but the generals kneeling nearby sensed a bloody and ferocious killing intent.
Mu Hanyao turned his cold gaze towards Feng Autian, “If the Prince Regent truly desires such pleasure, this humble one naturally dare not defy.”
Jibai was shocked. What was General Mu planning to do? Did he intend to submit to the Prince Regent? No, absolutely not. If that were the case, what hope and expectations would remain for the generals who had been through life and death with him?
Li Su looked up, glanced at Mu Hanyao, and exclaimed, “General, this must not be!” Mu Hanyao, with his resolute demeanor, and black eyes gleaming with cold light, didn’t spare a glance at Li Su. However, he noticed the dagger by his side and the kneeling generals. He could easily guess the situation.
Feng Autian’s actions were not a momentary whim or a genuine interest in him; otherwise, she wouldn’t have subjected him to such humiliation in front of his loyal subordinates.
Reflecting on the moment when his acupoints were released, he refrained from drawing his dagger against Feng Autian. Instead, he remained calm, as if he had foreseen such a move.
Now, he needed to calm down. He couldn’t afford to act on impulse again. He had endured for so many years, almost letting anger cloud his judgment and lead to a grave mistake. However, in his heart, he had developed a different understanding of the rumored ruthless and unkind Prince Regent.
Perhaps, the Prince Regent wasn’t as capricious and tyrannical as the rumors suggested.
“In the eyes of the Prince Regent, I am nothing more than a prisoner. Besides, when a ruler orders a subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die.” Mu Hanyao responded with strength and determination, his gaze filled with unwavering resolve. At this moment, he stood like an unyielding rock.
Feng Autian narrowed her eyes slightly, a cold light shooting out, directly aimed at the unmoving Mu Hanyao before her. “Indeed, I am tired of those delicate and affected men. Now, I prefer fierce lions like you. You suit my taste.”
With these words, the kneeling figures on the ground were instantly drenched in cold sweat, their eyes shifting to Mu Hanyao.
Mu Hanyao, with a cold expression, smirked inwardly. Could it be that he had misjudged the situation?
His cruelty was known to all, so how could he suddenly change his nature? Mu Hanyao wanted to see what the Prince Regent’s true intentions were. Could it be that he intended to harm him? If so, he would not endure it any longer. Life might be disposable, but his pride was not. Mu Hanyao was a man standing tall and firm, how could he submit to another man and become a despised plaything for everyone? If that were the case, the outcome would be simple: either he dies, or I perish.
“The weather tonight is excellent. I wonder if the Prince Regent’s darlings have found their food by now?” Feng Autian hooked her finger around the hair tie, gazing for a while. “Lieutenant Li, isn’t now the perfect opportunity to open the city gates and let the soldiers from Qiguo enter the city?”
Li Su quickly suppressed his excitement and kneeled on the ground. “I plead with the Prince Regent to grant me the punishment of death.”
Now, he had no thoughts of living. If General Mu had also fallen into the clutches of this Prince Regent, how could he stand in the world? Living in ignominy was not as good as dying now; out of sight, out of mind.
Feng Autian sneered inwardly. Li Su had no other requests except for this sentence. It seemed that the military training in the camp had indeed slackened quite a bit over the years. No wonder Qiguo acted so arrogantly. “Mu Hanyao, are these your subordinates? They shout slogans like ‘Feng Country is doomed,’ but they are so timid and cowardly, unable to bear the burden. Such waste, yet they can serve as the vanguard on the battlefield. I’ve truly witnessed the magnificence of the Mu Family Army.”
Mu Hanyao’s eyes darkened. He glanced at the bowing Li Su, scanning the generals kneeling in the tent. There was a time when they swore to live and die together, facing countless dangers side by side. But now… each of them wore a troubled expression. He knelt on one knee. “Prince Regent, the Mu Family Army will never admit defeat.”
“Never admit defeat?” Feng Autian sneered loudly, her laughter piercing through the tent and echoing into the night sky.
Jibai recalled Li Su’s words and glanced at Mu Hanyao. He felt a deep sense of self-reproach, regretting why he had allowed Li Su to speak such nonsense. Now, it was too late to undo what had been said. They had harshly slapped their proud Mu Family Army in the face.
Even Li Su, foolish as he was, understood the sarcasm in the Prince Regent’s words. To be defeated without a fight was unacceptable for the Mu Family Army. Jibai now deeply regretted it. The words had been spoken, and there was no going back.
Feng Autian looked at Mu Hanyao with contempt, recounting Li Su’s words in detail. As the words fell, the surroundings fell into a heavy, silent stillness.
“So much for the mighty Mu Family Army.” This scornful remark, if spoken by someone else, might not have elicited a strong reaction. However, coming from the self-mutilating Prince Regent, it felt like she had instantaneously toppled the towering mountain in their hearts.
Mu Hanyao’s mind shook, lifting his gaze as if witnessing the collapse of the pillar he had taken pride in. The sturdy heart he had cultivated also collapsed with it.
