Upon entering, someone instructed them to follow. The sights along the way left Feng Yi awestruck. The courtyard contained a large training ground with many people, including children.
He wondered if they intended for him to practice martial arts. Suddenly, his spirits lifted, feeling that life wasn't so miserable. He was eager to learn skills from them. Despite his young age, his father had always taught him that only by being capable and competent could one avoid being controlled by others.
After being assigned masters, he diligently began his training. Practicing martial arts was not easy; sweat dripped down his body. Some children couldn't endure it and gave up, while others cried from the pain. Only Feng Yi gritted his teeth and persevered.
Day after day, year after year, time flew by, and he was ten years old. One day, an official gathered all the children of his age, numbering around a hundred. He ordered them to kill each other, with only ten to survive.
The children were stunned. Most of them came from simple farming families. After being here for so long and practicing martial arts together, they had developed feelings for one another and could not bring themselves to attack. However, the official warned that if they continued like this, all of them would be cast out.
Someone unknown drew the knife from their waist and pointed it at their companion. Screams erupted, and everyone became ruthless. From beginning to end, they never considered escaping. Because to control them, on the day they entered, they were given a medicine. At a certain time, without the antidote, they would suffer excruciating pain, and after three days, they would bleed from all seven orifices and die.
He ultimately survived. The remaining ten were assigned new masters, and the difficulty of the teachings significantly increased. No one dared to slack off, fearing another ordeal like that. They couldn't bear another such duel, so everyone fought desperately to train better than others, their martial arts improving by leaps and bounds. Five years passed, and someone finally led them down the mountain. At that moment, they breathed a sigh of relief, knowing their lives were safe.
Nearly ten years later, they returned to Prince Li's mansion, serving as guards for Prince Li and his heir. He couldn't recall how many tasks he had performed for them. Some deserved their fate, but others were innocent. He knew this in his heart but could only follow his master's orders.
Two years ago, Prince Li rebelled. After his defeat, they escorted him away, hiding in a deep mountain in Wu Lake.
Because he and several others had grown weary of this life and wished to leave and live in anonymity, they were discovered. They fought their way out and, stumbling, arrived at a small river. Although he knew his time was short, he instinctively cried for help when he encountered people. He never expected that someone could detoxify him.
Although he knew his presence by Wei Wanqing's side would bring her disaster, he couldn't bear to leave. In all these years, he had never been moved by any woman. He wanted to be willful for once.
To his surprise, they had tracked him down. He had no choice but to leave without saying goodbye, quietly luring them to a secluded spot and eliminating them.
Finally, he secretly contacted the authorities and led them back to their hideout. After lying low for a long time, he sprinkled the medicine stolen from Wu Caiwei into their water source. Although many fell ill, Prince Li had skilled physicians who quickly detected the problem and took countermeasures. This confrontation between Feng Yi and them was a near-death experience.
Despite the authorities sending many men, they were no match for Prince Li. After all, every one of Prince Li's men was battle-hardened and had undergone years of training. The government troops suffered heavy losses.
In truth, Feng Yi had never relied on them; he merely wanted to use them to buy time. They thought he was doomed, but unexpectedly, the garrison received the news and, wanting to claim the credit, sent reinforcements. Feng Yi almost lost his life here. Everyone believed he wouldn't survive, but his will to live was so strong. After five days of unconsciousness, he finally woke up.
About a month later, he could slowly get out of bed and walk. The doctor, upon seeing him, shook his head with regret, "He suffered severe internal injuries and was poisoned. His survival is a miracle. He will never fully recover and has only three to five years to live."
Feng Yi's expression didn't change upon hearing this. He thought that if Zhou Shaoqiu were here, she likely wouldn't say that, as her medical skills were far superior to these quacks.
Hearing that she had gone to the capital, Feng Yi, after his condition improved slightly, hired a carriage to take him there. It took him immense effort to find her.
Wu Caiwei was not surprised by his account. In fact, the first time they met, she had guessed he was either an assassin or a secret guard trained by someone else, given his overwhelming killing intent.
However, after so many lives, she had long since learned to let go. People with such a demeanor were not necessarily bad, nor were those with renowned reputations necessarily good. In any case, her martial arts were superior to his, and she was confident in her ability to protect herself. Therefore, she did not hesitate to save his life, and her judgment proved correct. Although the prosecution was as cold as ice, they protected her everywhere.
Knowing that he had specifically sought her out, she readily took him in. The first time she met Qin Wang's heir, she was highly critical. As time passed, seeing that the two were truly in love, she gradually let go of her reservations.
Sometimes, when inspiration struck, Huangfu Yun Kun would even guide him in his martial arts. The more they interacted, the more Feng Yi felt that he and Zhou Shaoqiu were a perfect match. Seemingly ordinary, they were both learned and possessed secrets.
Soon, it was the day the Qin Wang's family was escorted back to the capital. It was actually five days later than originally planned because they encountered numerous attempts to break them out along the way. The Emperor had made preparations. On the surface, only thirty to fifty people escorted them, but a large merchant caravan was hidden not far behind, serving as their reinforcements.
Each time fireworks were lit, they knew there was trouble and hastened their pace to provide support. They fought several skirmishes before finally bringing the people to the capital.
The common people were already waiting along the streets, throwing rotten vegetables and eggs at them. They were very satisfied with their current lives and considered anyone who disrupted their peace their enemy.
Upon hearing this, the Emperor felt a sense of relief, thinking that all his previous hardships had been worthwhile. The fatigue that had weighed him down vanished.
The Emperor specially sent someone to ask Huangfu Yun Kun if he wished to see them. He was immediately refused, stating that he had never met them and had no feelings for them, so it was best not to have any ties.
The Emperor was even more pleased. He had merely been testing him. After all, they were his biological parents. If he had resented him, this person would not have been spared. To his surprise, he showed no inclination to get involved with them at all.
Soon, the Emperor issued a decree: all members of the Qin Wang's mansion, except for Huangfu Yun Kun, were to be executed.