Chapter 859 Si Gu Jian: Am I Taking the Blame Again?

Deep in the Dingzhou camp prison.

Yan Xiaoyi was stripped of her shirt and tied to a wooden frame. Her body was covered in blood, but she still kept cursing.

"Boss, this kid's bones are too hard. He was so seriously injured and beaten by us for so long. We are all exhausted. The more he scolds, the more energetic he gets."

The prison head gulped down several sips of water: "You didn't know this, but this guy is a ninth-level master. Not to mention these skin injuries, even if all the bones in his body are broken, it won't take a few months to recover."

"Ah? Ninth-grade master, let's treat him like this in case he goes out."

"Hey, look at how cowardly you are, don't worry, the boss has spoken, this kid won't survive tonight."

Although Yan Xiaoyi's energy was destroyed and all the bones in his body were broken, his hearing and eyesight were not compromised. Hearing this, he immediately shouted to the two of them: "Do you want to be promoted and make a fortune?"

"Nonsense, who doesn't want to get promoted and make a fortune? But we are born with such a miserable fate, and we are not that lucky."

"Now you have such an opportunity in front of you. It depends on whether you dare to take a gamble."

The prison head spat disdainfully: "You don't want us to let you go, do you? Stop dreaming, this is the Dingzhou Military Camp. If you have the strength of the ninth grade now, you may still have a chance, but you now Why should a useless person escape?"

Yan Xiaoyi shook his head and said, "Don't worry, I don't want to run away. You just need to help me bring a letter and deliver it to someone."

The jailer was about to refuse, but the cell leader grabbed him, then walked up to Yan Xiaoyi and said with a smile: "Oh? What are the benefits of doing this?"

"As long as you send the letter to this person, she will satisfy you whatever you want, and even grant you a title, so that your descendants will be nobles for generations to come."

"A knighthood?"

The cell boss and the jailer looked at each other, and their hearts skipped a beat.

"You didn't lie to us?"

"I'm about to die, what good will it do me to lie to you?"

After Yan Xiaoyi finished writing the blood letter, the cell leader winked at the jailer and the two walked out of the dungeon.

"Boss, is this kid reliable? If the superiors find out, we will lose our heads."

"Nonsense, this kid is not a good guy at first glance, and he is even knighted. If we don't deliver the letter, he will be wiped out."

"Ah, what should we do?"

"Are you stupid? You must be taking this blood book to claim the reward from the general."

"Boss, you are still smart."

"That's right, the old man eats more salt than you eat rice. Let's learn from it."

After Qin Ming read the blood letter written by Yan Xiaoyi, his hands were shaking involuntarily. There was a name in the letter that he had not expected. Originally, he thought that Yan Xiaoyi was just the crazy woman of the eldest princess who intercepted Qin Hao midway. Unexpectedly, the idea actually involved the prince.

"Who else besides you has seen this blood letter?"

"Report to the general, we will report to you as soon as we get this blood letter."

"Yes, General, that guy still wants to bribe us. We have received so much favor from the General, how could we betray you?"

"Well, well done, go down and receive the reward."

"Thank you, General."

When the two of them exited the camp with great gratitude, Qin Ming winked at the bodyguard, who nodded without any trace. Soon, two muffled sounds were heard outside the camp.

Late at night, Qin Ming came to the dungeon alone. When Yan Xiaoyi heard the footsteps, he sneered without raising his head.

"The general is finally willing to come see me."

Qin Ming suddenly realized that he had been fooled, and said with a dark face: "Did you write that blood letter to me on purpose?"

"General, do you really think that boy will let you go?" Yan Xiaoyi stared at Qin Ming with cold eyes and said every word.

Qin Ming snorted coldly: "As long as you die, there will be no evidence to prove it. What's more, now that the national war is about to break out, Qin is in charge of Dingzhou's 200,000 troops. Even if the lawsuit goes to His Majesty, what can he do to me?"

"Haha~~~" Yan Xiaoyi laughed wildly.

"Hmph, what's so funny."

"Do you know where that boy's strength is now? The ninth level peak! He is only one step away from the Grand Master." Yan Xiaoyi said with a smile: "Do you know what the Grand Grandmaster means to Qingguo?"

"The third Grand Master of the Qing Kingdom will soon dominate the world. Do you think His Majesty will trade your life for the return of the Grand Master?"

Qin Ming's eyes widened, as if he had been struck by lightning. He naturally knew what Grandmaster meant. By then, Emperor Qing would probably not have to take action himself. His great-uncle would also push him out and let Qin Hao do whatever he wanted for the sake of the Qin family's century-old foundation. .

"Grand Master, how easy is it?"

Yan Xiaoyi saw through Qin Ming's pretentiousness at a glance: "It's not easy to become a grandmaster, but don't forget that he is only eighteen years old now and is already at the peak of the ninth rank. Do you dare to bet on such a peerless genius?"

Qin Ming was silent. Yes, at the age of 18, he was at the peak of the ninth rank. What an amazing talent he was. Even the four great masters today had not reached such a state at this age, right?

"A bunch of lunatics, why do you want to provoke him, why do you want to drag me into the water!"

Qin Ming went crazy and beat Yan Xiaoyi with his fists like raindrops. Yan Xiaoyi, who was already scarred, almost fainted from the beating.

Although he was severely beaten, Yan Xiaoyi's eyes were full of excitement. After Qin Ming finished venting, he spit out a mouthful of blood and showed a scary smile.

"General, you won't lose money in this deal. As long as the prince ascends the throne, you will be a loyal minister. Your future achievements may not be less than your great uncle. I think the general would not want to be inferior to others for the rest of his life, right?"

Qin Ming's eyes flashed with hesitation: "How do I know if you are lying to me? What if all this is just the princess's intention and has nothing to do with the prince?"

"General, do you know where the 5,000 black-armored cavalry dispatched by Yan came from?"

"Could it be."

On a dark night with high winds, Yan Xiaoyi changed into the uniform of a messenger, took Qin Ming's token, and left the military camp alone. During the national war, this kind of thing was not uncommon, and the soldiers guarding the camp gate did not care.

The horse galloped all the way, almost shaking Yan Xiaoyi's internal organs, but the consciousness of survival made him suppress the severe pain in his body.

"Qin Hao, one day, I will definitely get this account back from you!"

Just as Yan Xiaoyi turned around and continued to whip his horse, a figure suddenly appeared in his sight.

Yan Xiaoyi looked at him straight as if he had seen a ghost.

It was not until the horse under him let out a painful whine and Yan Xiaoyi was thrown off the horse's back that he came to his senses.

"Why are you here?"

Qin Hao walked up to Yan Xiaoyi with a smile on his face: "You don't really think I will let you go so easily, do you?"

"So, all this is a test?"

"Yes, speaking of which, I have to thank you for verifying a person who must be killed for me."

In fact, when Qin Hao handed Yan Xiaoyi over to Qin Ming, there were only three possible results. One: Yan Xiaoyi died in the Dingzhou dungeon, and the other: Yan Xiaoyi escaped from the heavily guarded Dingzhou military camp. No matter which of these two, it proves that Qin Ming participated in the ambush.

Only if Yan Xiaoyi was handed over to the Inspection Institute alive and still refused to confess Qin Ming after being tortured, could he clear his suspicion.

But it is obvious that Qin Ming made the wrong choice.

"Haha~~~ Qin Ming, that idiot, is always trying to get away with it"

Qin Hao grabbed Yan Xiaoyi's neck and lifted him up: "Is this your last words?"

"Woo woo~~~" Yan Xiaoyi sobbed with all his strength.

"Princess, Xiaoyi failed to live up to your trust. I will repay your kindness in the next life"

Qin Hao's fingers exerted force and crushed Yan Xiaoyi's throat bone. The only ninth-rank archer in the world died quietly.

After leaving Yan Xiaoyi's body behind, Qin Hao suddenly paused, drew out his long sword and cut off his head, and wrapped it with the clothes on the body.

Hanging the round head on the horse's back, Qin Hao climbed on the horse and rode away, leaving only a mutilated body lying quietly on the spot. It was soon spotted by a group of wild wolves and dragged into the darkness where one could not see one's hand in front of one's face.

A few days later, the capital, thousands of miles away, was a completely different scene. Although the national war was imminent, the prosperity of the capital was not affected. The brothels along the Liujing River were brightly lit every night.

That night, Si Lili received a wooden box. Looking at the mark on the wooden box, she couldn't help but feel moved.

But when she opened the wooden box, she was shocked. The wooden box contained a round human head.

What shocked Si Lili even more was that the head was Yan Xiaoyi's.

"The only ninth-grade archer in the world died just like that?"

Si Lili didn't know how to calm down her emotions for a while, so she could only open the letter in the wooden box with trembling hands.

That night, the eldest princess Li Yunrui was suddenly awakened by a burst of hurried footsteps. She frowned and looked outside the screen: "Who?"

"Princess, something bad has happened."

Li Yunrui looked unhappy and shouted: "Why are you so flustered? What's the matter?"

"Princess, please look."

Li Yunrui winked at her personal maid, who quickly took the wooden box and opened it. She was also shocked. If it weren't for the physical fitness of a seventh-grade warrior, she would have almost thrown the wooden box away.

The personal maid suppressed her fear and slowly walked to Li Yunrui, unfolding the wooden box for her to see.

When Li Yunrui saw the face of the head in the wooden box, she was also shocked. Her charming eyes were full of fear and disbelief.

"Yan Xiaoyi, he's dead"

After coming to her senses, Li Yunrui sat up from the bed and paced back and forth beside the bed.

"He is the only ninth-grade archery god in the world, how could he die so easily?"

The maid was holding the wooden box and was about to comfort him, but Li Yunrui knocked it down and pointed at the head rolling on the ground and cursed.

"Waste, I gave you so many soldiers and horses, and you had the two Netherworld monsters to help you, but you couldn't kill him and were killed by others. What's the point of raising you all these years!"

"A bunch of good-for-nothings, damn it, all of them!"

Li Yunrui's veins popped up, and he smashed everything that could be pushed down in the bedroom until he was exhausted and gradually calmed down.

"Who sent this wooden box?"

"Your Highness, no one saw it. It was discovered by the night watchman."

"Waste, good-for-nothing. This is the imperial palace. People can come and go as they please. What are the palace guards for?"

The maid lowered her head and asked cautiously, "Your Highness, should I tell His Majesty about this?"

"Of course I should tell His Majesty. I want to see who is helping that kid in the capital."

Soon, the wooden box appeared in front of Emperor Qing's desk.

"Go and find me Chen Pingping."

When Chen Pingping pushed her wheelchair into the hall, she immediately spotted the human head in the wooden box.

"Commander Yan is dead?"

Emperor Qing snorted coldly: "Shouldn't I ask you about this? The only ninth-grade Archery God in the world died so quietly, and his head was even sent to my palace, and your inspection agency didn't even notice it. arrive?"

Chen Pingping quickly lowered her head and admitted her mistake: "Your Majesty, I do not know about this, but according to a secret report from the front, Commander Yan secretly led 5,000 cavalry out of the camp ten days ago, and has been missing since then."

"Oh? Could it be that he was ambushed by the Northern Qi army?"

"Probably not. If he was really killed in an ambush, his head should be hung in front of the two armies to damage our morale, instead of being sent to the palace."

Emperor Qing nodded: "This matter is indeed strange."

"Your Majesty, please forgive me for speaking frankly. There is Eunuch Hong Sichuan sitting in the palace. This person can send heads to the palace quietly. Is it possible?"

Emperor Qing glanced at Eunuch Hou beside him: "Go and invite Eunuch Hong."

Not long after, Hong Sichi was brought in.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, today I was on duty outside the Queen Mother's palace and indeed encountered a man in black breaking in."

"So, is it true that a great master has sneaked into the palace?"

Hong Sichi shook his head: "I dare not lie. Even if I am not a great master, I am at least someone above the peak of the ninth rank. Otherwise, I would not be able to escape from my hands."

"Well, Mr. Hong, thank you for your hard work. You can go down and rest first."

"Old slave, please retire."

A flash of light flashed in Emperor Qing's eyes: "Is it him?"

"Your Majesty, do you mean Si Gu Jian?" Chen Pingping asked tentatively.

"Other than him, who else dares to break into the palace at night?" Emperor Qing waved his hand after saying: "Your inspection agency must investigate this matter in detail internally. Externally, it is better to call it an accidental death."

"I understand."

Chen Pingping returned to the inspection institute and immediately called Zhu Ge, the head of the first division, and Yan Ruohai, the head of the fourth division, to explain the situation.

Both of them were inexplicably horrified.

"Dean, the Inspection Institute just received a secret letter today. The death of Commander Yan may be related to General Qin Ming of Dingzhou."

Chen Pingping shook her head at the two men: "The national war is imminent. The Northern Qi Dynasty has increased its troops by 100,000 troops and reached the border of Dingzhou. The war is about to break out. If there is a change of generals at this time, who can take Qin Ming's place?"

"Everything should be done with the overall situation in mind, and don't act based on your own whim."

"Well, everything is for Qingguo."

At the same time, Fan Xian had returned to Fan Mansion with the key to the password box and met Wuzhu.

"Uncle Wu Zhu, I got the key. Have you put the wooden box away?"

"Um."

"Oh, it's a pity that I didn't get to see the eldest princess's expression at that time. It must have been wonderful."

Fan Xian sighed with regret. (End of chapter)