Chapter Seventeen: Trembling Heart

Human Swine—this was a torture passed down from ancient times, reserved only for those who had committed unforgivable crimes. To be made into a human swine, one’s limbs were severed, eyes, ears, mouth, and nose destroyed, leaving only the sense of touch, before being sealed in a clay jar.

Zhao Liu now was a living embodiment of this punishment. If he hadn’t framed the Xiao family, all seventeen members would not have perished. The uniqueness of this penalty was that the victim did not die immediately, but suffered prolonged torment.

For someone as treacherous as Zhao Liu, Xiao Ye would ensure he endured every agony imaginable.

At that moment, even Situ Mingsheng, who had lived for decades, could not help but tremble as he gazed upon Zhao Liu, reduced to nothing more than a human swine. Especially upon seeing the inscription “Presented by Xiao Ye” on the jar, Situ Mingsheng felt as if he were plunged into icy water.

“How ruthless Xiao Ye is...” he murmured. “Could he truly be a foreign-named prince?” Situ Mingsheng’s face flickered between light and shadow. As the head of one of the Four Great Families, their intelligence network was vast, yet they had gleaned little of substance about Xiao Ye—only that he bore the title of foreign-named prince, a detail shocking in itself.

He only wished for his family to prosper, and dreaded crossing paths with Xiao Ye, who proved even more merciless than he’d imagined. Previously, he had hoped to return the Xiao family’s assets to Xiao Ye, perhaps earning his mercy. But now, seeing Zhao Liu’s horrific state, he knew escape was impossible.

Suddenly, Situ Mingsheng’s hand brushed the jar containing Zhao Liu. Despite his destroyed eyes and mouth, Zhao Liu started convulsing uncontrollably.

A pitiful wail came from his ruined throat, but he could no longer utter a single word.

Witnessing this, not only Situ Mingsheng but all members of the Situ family were filled with terror.

“Take him away!” Situ Mingsheng waved his hand. Everything that had befallen them was due to Zhao Liu.

“Father, what do we do now?” the eldest son, Situ Guan, asked anxiously. He had no desire to die young. Situ Mingsheng was no fool; the Shangguan family had been wiped out for hiring assassins to harm Xiao Ye. If he tried anything against Xiao Ye, he’d meet the same fate. Centuries of family legacy destroyed in a moment—he wouldn’t let that happen to the Situ family. Yet Xiao Ye was impervious to both persuasion and threats; they had no means to deal with him.

“I have a solution!” A voice called from outside the Situ family mansion, instantly drawing all eyes.

“Dongfang Furong, what brings you here?” Situ Mingsheng’s expression changed at the sight of the visitor—a one-eyed old man in plain clothes, the head of the Dongfang family, Dongfang Furong.

“Situ Mingsheng, you call yourself a patriarch, but your courage is pitiful!” Dongfang Furong sneered, glancing disdainfully at the jar as he entered. “A mere human swine has frightened you so.”

“What do you want, Dongfang Furong?” Situ Mingsheng stood abruptly. This was his territory; Dongfang Furong had no right to act up here.

“Don’t get so worked up, old Situ. I’m here to propose an alliance against Xiao Ye. Unless, of course, you don’t want him dead?”

Situ Mingsheng’s face softened at his words. “You make it sound easy, but you know he’s a foreign-named prince. How do you plan to deal with him?”

A faint smile flickered across Dongfang Furong’s gaunt face, his hollow right eye chilling. “Rest assured, I’ve already contacted the Assassin Alliance. Xiao Ye killed their East Asian leader, so the Alliance is mobilizing en masse to take him down.”

“What? The entire Assassin Alliance is moving against him?” Situ Mingsheng’s eyes lit up, shock filling his heart.

“It serves him right. Xiao Ye dared to kill even members of the Assassin Alliance! They’re out to restore their honor, and we can seize this chance to finish him off.”

A smile finally broke across Situ Mingsheng’s face.

“In that case, why come to me? Surely the Assassin Alliance alone is enough to handle Xiao Ye?” As an international organization, the Alliance boasted countless elite assassins. With their full force arrayed against Xiao Ye, even a foreign-named prince could not escape death.

Dongfang Furong’s eyes gleamed with cunning. “I need your help. Xiao Ye is, after all, our Dragon Nation’s foreign-named prince, surrounded by unknown numbers of guards. Even if all the assassins come, victory isn’t guaranteed. To ensure his demise, we need to lure him out—only then can the Alliance strike.”

Situ Mingsheng’s expression turned cold, his voice stiff. “So you want us to be bait, to draw Xiao Ye in?”

“What other choice do we have?” Dongfang Furong sneered. “If we don’t, both our families will perish.”

He knew well that Xiao Ye’s status as a foreign-named prince meant he could wipe out an entire family overnight. To take him down, they must join forces.

Situ Mingsheng smiled, a sharp light flashing in his eyes. “Very well. Let us work together—when the time comes, we’ll lure Xiao Ye out and finish him.”

“Agreed!” The two patriarchs clasped hands tightly. That night, the winds of change swept through, and peace was no more.

...

Elsewhere, having dealt with Zhao Liu, Xiao Ye returned to his residence with the diamond bracelet. All remaining members of the Xiao family had been entrusted to Red Dragon’s care.

“Xue, here’s your diamond bracelet. I’ve retrieved it for you.” Xiao Ye gently placed the bracelet back on Qin Xue’er’s wrist.

In that moment, his heart surged with emotion. After so long, the diamond bracelet was finally returned to its rightful owner.

The sparkling bracelet adorned Qin Xue’er’s fair wrist, making her shine even brighter.

Through the haze, Xiao Ye thought he glimpsed a gentle smile in Qin Xue’er’s eyes.

And that sight made his heart tremble.