General, you should rest now; the lady is even more ruthless.

Shen Luo was in a daze, feeling hot and cold all over, sometimes hearing loud laughter and sometimes hearing deafening booms.

Then it seemed like something was stuffed into his mouth, and his confused mind gradually calmed down.

Why hasn't he woken up yet?

"Reporting to the Imperial Preceptor, the prisoner's high fever persists, and the medicine has not yet taken effect."

The other person's voice was tinged with impatience: "Then wake him up."

"Yes."

Shen Luo was awakened by a basin of ice-cold water. It took a while for her senses to return to her body.

He ignored the pain radiating from all over his body and looked around the dark cell.

"General Shen, this is a room that my advisor specially reserved for you. Are you satisfied?"

Shen Luo smiled, grabbed the chain and stood up, his long hair falling down to cover his face.

His disdainful voice reached everyone's ears: "Thank you, Grand Preceptor, not bad."

The Imperial Advisor was not annoyed by his attitude. He was just an ignorant child. He did not believe that a mortal body could withstand the torture in the prison.

"Men, break his legs first."

He didn't like seeing prisoners standing there talking to him.

At his command, someone immediately brought over two thick sticks and struck Shen Luo on the knees with them.

"ah.."

The intense pain caused Shen Luo to let out a low growl. His legs twisted into a strange shape, unable to support his body, and he knelt directly on the ground.

He gritted his teeth, his body being pulled forward by the iron chains but not completely falling to the ground; even though he was trying to control himself, his body was still trembling.

The Grand Preceptor was very pleased with this, and he finally took pity on him and knelt down to talk to him.

"Shen Luo, the invincible general who protects the country, today your undefeated record will be rewritten, but it doesn't matter, because you can't hear it anymore."

He turned around, and a corner of his robe brushed against the blood flowing from Shen Luo.

The Imperial Advisor, seeing his white robe instantly stained with blood, clicked his tongue in displeasure.

"What an annoying fly, coming to disgust me at a time like this."

He reached out his hand, and someone nearby, understanding his intention, handed him a piece of iron that was already red-hot.

"Sizzle—" The branding iron was pressed onto the person's body, and the skin quickly ulcerated. Blood mixed with the blood and flowed onto the iron, making a sizzling sound.

"How wonderful!"

The branding iron was put back. The Imperial Advisor looked at Shen Luo, who remained silent this time, and asked with great confusion:

"Such a wonderful moment, aren't you going to say something?"

Shen Luo raised his head, his lips bleeding from the pain of biting them.

"Of course I'll tell you." He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. "You ugly thing, listen to me, your mother is dead, and your ancestral graves have been dug up!"

Simple bad breath, ultimate enjoyment.

He understood the fifteenth.

"you!"

The Imperial Advisor never expected this guy to be the most stubborn of all, so he drew the guard's sword and was about to cut him down.

"Grand Preceptor!" Qi Ji's voice preceded his voice, "Spare his life!"

The Imperial Advisor turned his head with a displeased expression, just as Qi Ji was running over, panting heavily.

"Grand Preceptor, here is a secret edict that His Majesty just delivered, which I am handing to you personally."

The Imperial Advisor frowned, a bad feeling creeping into his heart.

However, he still threw down his sword and bowed very respectfully:

"Your Majesty, I receive the decree! Long live the Emperor!"

He took the imperial edict from Qi Ji's hand, glanced at it twice, and then snorted.

"General Qi, you really don't want Shen Luo to die, could you be... a spy?"

The imperial edict clearly states:

"After capturing Shen Luo, we will first interrogate him and try to persuade him to surrender. If that fails, we will take him back to the capital and imprison him in a dungeon. No one is allowed to kill him."

Shen Luo was arrested in the morning, and the imperial edict arrived that night. He couldn't think of any other possibility besides it being a letter from Qi Jibao.

Qi Ji narrowed his eyes: "Grand Preceptor, please be careful with your words. Although the affairs of the military camp are now handled by the Grand Preceptor, I am still the rightful commander of the Expansion Army."

He had already heard about the series of events that had recently occurred in the court. The Third Prince had been smeared, and as a result, even he, his cousin, was no longer trusted by the old emperor. No wonder the imperial advisor was sent to take over the army.

Although the Imperial Advisor appeared impartial on the surface, they knew in their hearts that he was actually from the lineage of the First Prince, and that his purpose in coming here was probably to take over the border army.

Therefore, whatever the Imperial Advisor wanted to do, he would try to trip him up; the more he wanted to kill Shen Luo, the more he would try to stop him.

"Since the Grand Preceptor harbors dissatisfaction with this general, and since I have no official duties to attend to at the moment, I might as well return to the capital."

All told, Qi Ji hadn't been back to the capital for two years. He was constantly being crushed by Shen Luo on the battlefield, unable to eat or sleep properly. This was a good opportunity for him to get rid of the blame.

"General Qi, please do as you please." The Imperial Advisor was more than happy for him to leave, rather than get in his way here.

Moreover, the Emperor only said not to let Shen Luo die, but he didn't say not to let him be crippled.

"Guards, break Shen Luo's hands."

......

Whether it was because Shen Luo was finally captured, or because the Nanyue army fled in panic, the officials of Beiming were able to sleep soundly tonight, a rare treat.

They also knew in their hearts that without Shen Luo, Nanyue would soon return to its previous state of disarray.

There will never be another Shen Luo in Nanyue, nor will there be a second chance for life.

Therefore, no one noticed that several figures were sliding down the ropes at the bottom of the rarely visited cliff.

“Eighteen, we will split into two groups. I will go north and you will go south. After finding our master, we will return here to meet up and then go together.”

Seventeen skillfully used hand gestures to direct the two men's actions.

Eighteen nodded, took out a roll of white gauze from his pocket and tossed it over: "If conditions permit, give Master a simple bandage first."

"Ah."

......

In the prison, Shen Luo's limbs were all broken, and he was limp and hung by iron chains. His once fair skin was burned with hot irons, slashed with swords, and whipped, leaving no good spot on his body.

He was in so much pain he could barely breathe, but the more pain he was in, the clearer his mind became.

It's not hard to deduce from the conversation between the Imperial Preceptor and Qi Ji that some internal conflict seems to have arisen within the Northern Ming court.

After his unpleasant encounter with the Imperial Advisor, Qi Ji resigned from his post as Grand General and returned to the capital.

Shen Luo analyzed it this way.

Since his arrival, the Imperial Advisor has visited the prison every now and then, as if he were afraid that he would disappear into thin air.

Every time he came, he would torture him, but he never ordered him to be killed.

Shen Luo raised her head with difficulty.

The cell was pitch black, without even a window, so he couldn't tell whether it was night or day.

"Hey!"

Just then, a bowl containing half a bowl of rice was thrown in front of him, and the jailer's impatient voice rang out, "Eat."

Shen Luo stared at the stinky bowl of rice for a long time, then slowly turned her head and looked away.

This is the ninth meal the jailer has thrown to him since he came in.

If he can hold on for just one more meal, it will be the third night.

Mission accomplished.

He closed his eyes, his breathing so light it was almost inaudible.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

When Shen Luo woke up again, he heard rustling footsteps.

Within a few breaths, footsteps approached him.

He didn't open his eyes, but felt a trembling hand holding a cloth, wrapping it around his body again and again.

"Eighteen." Shen Luo's throat was burned, and her voice was extremely hoarse. "Who gave you permission to come?"

Eighteen gritted her teeth, still unable to hide her sobbing: "Master, you don't need to say anything. I will go back and accept my punishment after this is over. But you have to go back and watch me be punished."

Seventeen glanced at it once and couldn't help but run to the prison gate, wiping away tears while keeping an eye on the surroundings.

"Eighteen, hurry up, let's get out of here first."

Eighteen took out a short knife and tried to cut the iron ring. Because he was shaking so badly, it took him several tries to cut it off.

"Seventeen, carry your master on your back and let's go."

"Leave? Let's see where you think you're going!"

Suddenly, firelight illuminated the dark cell, and hundreds of guards filed in.

The Imperial Advisor, dressed in a black robe, slowly walked out from the center.

"I knew it, you guys wouldn't just give up like that."

Eighteen's eyes were already bloodshot: "It was you who hurt my master!"

He stepped forward with his knife, leaving only a blur in his wake: "Give me your life!"

The Imperial Advisor also possessed some martial arts skills, but in the eyes of such masters, he was completely inadequate and couldn't even withstand two moves.

He could only retreat while ordering, "Go! Arrest them!"

At Seventeen's whistle, a thousand soldiers who had been lying in ambush nearby immediately appeared, and the small prison was instantly filled with the glint of swords.

The Imperial Advisor realized the situation was not good; the enemy had more people than he had imagined, and his few hundred guards clearly couldn't hold them off.

His gaze turned ruthless: "Pass on my message: immediately mobilize 20,000 men to the prison. These prisoners who came to break in are all experts from Nanyue. Make sure to annihilate them all! Leave no one alive!"

Seventeen and Eighteen were bloodthirsty, as if all the anger that had been building up in their chests for the past few days was being released at this moment. The two moved through the crowd, taking down enemies one by one with a single slash, without any hesitation.

The Imperial Advisor stood at the back of the crowd, his face hidden in shadow.

"Imperial Preceptor!" a general reported, "The army of Nanyue is attacking again!"

"What's the panic!" the Imperial Advisor scolded. "With so many people here, let's gather together and fight them."

"Grand Preceptor, how should we deploy our troops?"

"Even if they come now, they certainly won't send their entire army. You should mobilize 200,000 men to fight them, leave no one alive, kill them all!"

"Yes!"

Not long after the person in front left, another general came running.

"Grand Preceptor," he said, his face bearing fresh cuts from a knife, blood still flowing from them.

"While we were engaged in battle with the main force of Nanyue and the city's defenses were weak, a group of Nanyue troops suddenly appeared out of nowhere and broke through the first line of defense into the city!"

The Imperial Advisor's eyes turned cold: "What did you say?"

But then he snorted coldly, "It's alright, no matter how many of them come, they'll just be walking into a trap and won't come back!"

Faced with overwhelming numbers, no matter how much they struggle, they are nothing more than clowns.

"Mobilize 50,000 troops to quickly suppress the rebellion!"

"Yes!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Eleven charged ahead, fighting and observing at the same time. When he saw the enemy's main force charging towards him, a smile finally appeared on his face.

He shouted in the direction of Fifteen: "We succeeded! The main force has been drawn here!"

Fifteen rolled away to dodge the swinging cleaver and thrust out a sword from the side.

"Great!" He moved his aching arm and wiped the blood splattered on his face. "Fourteen and Twelve can get into the city safely!"

......

When the enemy's main force left the city and headed straight south, Fourteen knew that Eleven and his men had succeeded. However, the enemy's numbers were greater than they had imagined, and Eleven and Fifteen probably wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

Once the army had gone far away, the Fourteenth Prince immediately gave the order for all ten thousand men to emerge from the woods and city walls.

"Set off fireworks to signal, hurry up! Charge!"

......

During the conversation, the 20,000 soldiers from the Northern Ming side arrived at the prison, and with their numerical superiority, they immediately gained a clear advantage.

Seventeen fought while gritting his teeth and retreating:

"Eighteen, we can't fight anymore! You take the master and leave immediately. I'll cover our retreat!"

Eighteen knew that the situation was already very bad, and he did not expect that the Grand Preceptor would actually be willing to send 20,000 people to guard this small dungeon.

"it is good."

Several people blocked his way, and Shiba carefully lifted Shen Luo onto his back. "Let's break out of here!"

Shen Luo has now lost all his martial arts skills and can only let them carry him.

He frowned deeply: "Eighteen, you can still leave now, don't worry about me."

With a single stroke, he severed the neck of an enemy in front of him.

"What are you saying, Master? I told you, as long as I'm here, no one can hurt you!"

In the midst of the battle, corpses littered the ground, and blood flowed like a river.

Eighteen and Shen Luo were surrounded, with Seventeen and the remaining few dozen people protecting them. They fought their way forward and finally saw the prison entrance.

Hope shone in Seventeen's eyes: "We're almost there!"

He instructed Eighteen: "Once you're outside, use your lightness skill to leave. Don't worry about me; I have my own way to escape!"

However, the enemy did not give them that opportunity.

As soon as the gate opened, thousands of archers came into view, densely packed together, surrounding the area from all sides.

"Want to leave? Shen Luo, you're underestimating Beiming."

The Imperial Advisor had not expected that almost the entire army of Nanyue would be mobilized to save Shen Luo.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't surprised. He thought the other side would at least be pragmatic, given the huge disparity in numbers; there was absolutely no need to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of lives for Shen Luo.

But the other party did just that. Although there was some planning involved, it couldn't change the overall situation at all.

Seeing so many fully drawn bows, Seventeen and Eighteen's expressions changed.

The silver arrows gleamed in the leaping firelight, thousands of points of light flashing, cold and terrifying.

"Seventeen," Eighteen slowly placed Shen Luo on the ground and took off his armor to cover him.

He said, "The arrows are poisoned; the master must not touch them."

Seventeen nodded, and the two stood on either side of Shen Luo, straightening their backs and looking at the enemy.

The Imperial Advisor gave the order: "Release the arrows!"

Thousands of points of light leaped high into the air together, then fell with lightning speed—

After thousands of rustling sounds, the ground was riddled with arrows, leaving not a single spot to land.

The densest rain of arrows was on a small hill, a small hill that had been piled up by people.

Seventeen, eighteen, and the remaining guards bowed, their backs to the sky, arrows piercing their backs.

In the small open space they protected, stood Shen Luo, clad in armor.