"Bring them here and drag them out to be killed!"

With one order, two soldiers immediately entered the tent from outside, reaching out to grab Shang Ruyi!

For a moment, the atmosphere inside the tent grew tense.

However, the tension was coming from the ministers seated at the table and the woman standing behind Ashina Shali, who, despite being silent, looked at Shang Ruyi with a complex expression. On the contrary, Shang Ruyi, who was being watched with such acute attention, showed no trace of panic, even as her hands were grabbed by soldiers and pinned behind her back; she didn’t struggle at all.

The two soldiers were somewhat perplexed.

Yet, they were simply following orders and immediately began to escort Shang Ruyi out of the tent.

Just as they were about to turn and leave, Ashina Shali’s voice sounded again from behind: "Wait a moment!"

The two soldiers instantly halted and turned Shang Ruyi around.

Only to see Ashina Shali slowly stand up, brush aside the hand of the woman who was trying to support him, and walk slowly around the wide table until he was in front of Shang Ruyi, focusing his one remaining eye, which was blood-red and gleaming due to his satisfied ambition, intently on her.

Like a wolf fixated on its prey trapped beneath its claws.

He suddenly said, "Are you not afraid?"

With her hands pinned behind her, Shang Ruyi was quite uncomfortable, but she still did not struggle and casually shook her head.

Ashina Shali’s thick brows furrowed: "You are not scared that I’ll kill you?"

Shang Ruyi replied, "You haven’t yet killed me, have you?"

"..."

Ashina Shali raised his eyebrows, quickly realizing she referred to him stopping the two soldiers from taking her. With a twisted expression, he then sneered coldly and said, "Then, you think I dare not kill you?"

Shang Ruyi shook her head again.

Ashina Shali’s brows knitted even tighter: "What do you mean?"

Shang Ruyi looked up at him, her gaze calm and smooth, softly replying, "I simply think, a mighty Shali Khan, must surely possess more than just these means to deal with me."

She spoke this slowly, each word separate from the next, but Ashina Shali’s face underwent several changes, and those around showed expressions of disbelief.

Only Ashina Zhuxie slowly turned his head, watching Shang Ruyi with a complex expression.

After a moment, Ashina Shali said, "Are you provoking me?"

Shang Ruyi replied, "You could say so."

"..."

Through gritted teeth, Ashina Shali suddenly sneered, resembling a bloodthirsty wolf baring its teeth at its prey.

Yet, he did not act immediately.

Because Shang Ruyi’s words were indeed a provocation—being a mighty Shali Khan and facing a woman who had blinded him in one eye, simply dragging her out to be killed was inadequate to quell his rage and showed a lack of tactics on his part.

But Shang Ruyi’s last words were to deal with me.

This implied—You, mighty Shali Khan, unable to deal with Yu Wenye or avenge the shot, could only vent your wrath by killing a woman!

This both provoked him and subdued him.

Ashina Shali clenched his teeth, though silent his heavy breathing carried a fiery temperature, blowing onto Shang Ruyi’s face as he bit out, sneering, "You know, provoking me is useless, but if you truly anger me, I have plenty of ways to handle you."

"..."

"After all, the weather is bone-chilling."

"..."

"And my soldiers wouldn’t mind an extra woman warming their beds in their tents."

"...!"

Shang Ruyi’s face suddenly fell.

He referred to—the soldiers!

This was precisely what she feared and worried about the most along the journey. Hence, when Ashina Shali previously said he’d have her dragged out and killed, she wasn’t at all panicked, as from the prior rage, it was clear that killing a woman wouldn’t suffice to appease Ashina Shali’s fury. He must probably torment her well to humiliate Yu Wenye, thus pacifying his hatred.

Upon noticing Shang Ruyi’s change in expression, a cold light flashed in Ashina Shali’s remaining eye.

He laughed, "What’s the matter, scared now?"

Shang Ruyi looked at him, slightly pale, took a deep breath, and said, "Indeed, I am scared."

"..."

"This is precisely what I feared most along this journey." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"..."

"I hadn’t expected Shali Khan would truly intend to do this to me."

"...!"

Upon hearing this, Ashina Shali frowned again.

Though Shang Ruyi admitted she was "scared," he didn’t achieve the victorious, surpassing satisfaction. On the contrary, her fear from the outset implied she anticipated his means of punishment.

Thus, the words spoken by Shang Ruyi from start to finish, essentially boiled down to just four words—

As expected.

This means that the great Shali Khan, his every move, his thoughts and considerations, were entirely anticipated by someone else!

This is not only his incompetence, but an utter disgrace!

Ashina Shali gritted his teeth, breathing heavily, the sound from his throat like a low growl of a beast. He was like a beast driven to the extreme of anger, his blood-red eyes fixated on Shang Ruyi, as if he wished to tear her apart with his own hands!

Gnashing his teeth, he spoke one word at a time, "Do you really want to try the tortures of our Turks?"

"..."

Shang Ruyi kept her face composed, her eyes flickering as she looked at him.

Yet, she did not respond.

And just at that silent moment, immediately, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed outside the tent, following that, the tent door was heavily pushed open, and an urgent, familiar voice sounded—

"Stop!"

"...!"

Upon hearing this voice, Shang Ruyi felt a shiver run down her spine.

She tried her utmost to restrain herself but could not stop her body from trembling, her eyes reddened with hot tears welling up, slowly turning her head, a familiar, long-separated silhouette finally appeared in her line of sight at that moment—

It was Lei Yu!

She was dressed in a Turkic style fur coat, only tied with a belt at the waist, her hair was swept back yet somewhat messy, making it evident that she had rushed over, barely having time to tidy herself.

But even so, it did not affect Shang Ruyi almost bursting into tears upon seeing her—The last time they met was the night Luoyang fell, both had taken sides and were about to become enemies, at that time, she had already realized that it would be hard to meet Lei Yu again, and even if they did, it would not be the same.

Yet unexpectedly, they met at this moment.

Some things, it seems, haven’t changed.

"Lei Yu..."

Shang Ruyi’s lips slightly moved, uttering these two words, and upon seeing her, Lei Yu’s eyes instantly turned red, she almost couldn’t resist rushing forward but still gritted her teeth, suppressing the surging feelings in her chest, she lifted her foot over the threshold, bowed to Ashina Shali, "Khan."

Seeing her, Ashina Shali’s previously fierce expression of gnashing teeth slightly softened.

And the entire atmosphere inside the tent seemed to change as well.

Shang Ruyi kept her head turned, looking steadily at Lei Yu, so she didn’t notice the strange expressions on Ashina Zhuxie and the Turkic woman who had originally stood behind the table, but she clearly felt the change in the surrounding atmosphere.

Thus, she immediately closed her mouth.

And Ashina Shali restored his calm demeanor, narrowing his remaining, blood-red, hostile eye slightly, "Lei Yu, why are you out here?"

"..."

"Don’t you usually never leave your tent?"

"...?"

Shang Ruyi was startled, her eyes widened, looking at Lei Yu.

By this time, Lei Yu had already walked to her side and clearly visibly, compared to past times of their interaction, even the last time they parted, Lei Yu’s brows and eyes had softened a lot, but this softening was not inherently gentle, rather the softness that must concede after being ground down by wind and frost through the years—This almost made one not dare to imagine what she had been through these days.

But even so, facing Ashina Shali, her gaze remained as resolute as ever, carrying an inherent firmness.

She said, "I heard an old friend is here, I came specifically to see them."

"..."

"And I hope the Khan does not harm her."

Upon finishing, she took another step forward, unobtrusively moving around Shang Ruyi to stand in front of her, shielding her from harm.

At this moment, despite knowing she was in peril, that her life could end at any moment, Shang Ruyi’s heart softened.

Her eyes reddened as she looked at the Lei Yu standing in front of her.

But at this time, she did not notice that Ashina Zhuxie and the middle-aged woman standing there were watching them with complex expressions because Ashina Shali’s gaze had grown sharper than before, as if it would pierce through their bodies. He coldly said, "Your old friend is our Western Turks’ enemy!"

"..."

"Have you forgotten who shot and injured the Khan’s eye?"

"..."

"Or is it that you cannot forget your origins?"

"..."

"If this is the case, then you are the enemy of our Western Turks!"

The last few words he spoke were especially weighted, even more dangerous than his tone when facing Shang Ruyi earlier. Upon hearing these words, Shang Ruyi immediately widened her eyes, looking over Lei Yu’s shoulder in shock at the Western Turkic Shali Khan.

Lei Yu’s shoulders also involuntarily trembled.

The atmosphere within the King’s Tent suddenly became tense again, like a taut bowstring, fearing the next moment it would snap, break!