Unruly Phoenix Xiaoyao

When Ning Xiaoyao noticed the Northern Hu men on the ground were all starting to budge, she realised that she’d underestimated the constitutions of this gang of people. The Northern Hu could really take a beating! 

“Release us,” the real Northern Hu expert ordered. Since Ning Xiaoyao had shrunk her head back, he could only look at Shadowgale.  Shadowgale sneered coldly, “Do you really think that you guys can escape?” 

“Then, do you want this woman to die?” The Northern Hu expert twisted the knife in his hand, causing the wound on Xie Duoying’s neck to bleed again.  The pain caused Fifth Lady Xie to regain consciousness.  “Do you want your woman to die?” he repeated once more. Ning Xiaoyao looked up and wrapped her arms around Shadowgale’s waist. His teeth were gritted, and his jaw was clenched tightly.  

Xie Duoying opened her eyes, only to realise she was being held hostage by one of the Northern Hu men. Fifth Young Miss let out a surprised yelp, but shut her mouth when she noticed that Shadowgale was standing opposite her. In an instant, she understood that the men were using her to threaten Shadowgale.  

“Release us.” the Northern Hu expert growled. Shadowgale remained quiet. The expert could tell from Shadowgale’s expression that he had no plans to let them go.  

“Looks like your man has no plans to save you,” the expert looked down at Xie Duoying and snorted. Xie Duoying felt a surge of disgust when this stranger’s breath fanned across her ear, but she kept her mouth clamped shut and refused to say a word. Although she didn’t know why she wasn’t dead, she couldn’t bear to see Shadowgale hurt, so Fifth Young Miss wasn’t about to cause trouble for him.  

The Northern Hu man didn’t want to waste anymore of his breath. One was fiercely loyal to his superior, and the other was willing to die for her lover; what else could he say? The knife in his hand pressed further into Xie Duoying’s neck. He addressed Shadowgale, “Don’t regret this.” 

“Regret your sister!” Ning Xiaoyao jumped up from behind Shadowgale, and smashed her fist into the man’s brain like a cannon. With that blow, she knocked him to the ground, and without caring if he’d lost consciousness or not, she sat on top of him and pummelled him with her fists. This punk isn’t even evolved and he wants to threaten others? 

While Xie Duoying was in a state of shock, someone yanked her up, and in a second, Fifth Young Miss was in the embrace of the only person who could make her feel at ease.  Shadowgale rapidly backed away with Xie Duoying in his arms. 

As for His Majesty…from the way Ning Xiaoyao was waving her fists violently, Head Commander felt weak and helpless. What’s the point of having the Dragon Guards when His Majesty is so savage? 

Xie Duoying buried her face in Shadowgale’s chest. After a few moments, a large patch of Shadowgale’s shirt was drenched. Fifth Young Miss didn’t speak, but was sobbing in despair in his embrace.  Ning Xiaoyao had beaten the Northern Hu expert into a pulp. Even though he was as motionless as a corpse, she was still ill at ease, and broke the bones in his forearms. She didn’t feel guilty for doing so, because you couldn’t die from a few broken bones.  

After two hours, Xie Duoying had cried herself out and fallen asleep in Shadowgale’s arms. Ning Xiaoyao beat up all the Northern Hu men again before sitting on the ground in a daze. It was then that Shadowrain hurried to the scene with a group of Dragon Guards. “Let’s go back to the palace.” Ning Xiaoyao stood from the ground, dusting off her bum. 

“Let Second Young Master deal with them!” Shadowrain ordered the Dragon Guards to tie up all the Northern Hu men and carry them off. He noticed Shadowgale cradling Xie Duoying and opened his mouth to speak, before stopping. This woman is definitely the reason why his big bro was caught by the Northern Hu! 

Ning Xiaoyao tiptoed and tugged Shadowrain's shoulder. "Third Rain, I've heard that an elder bro's wife should be treated like a mother." 

“What?” Shadowrain exclaimed. He didn’t understand what His Majesty was trying to say. Ning Xiaoyao deliberately made some noises at the people behind her.  

Shadowrain: … Those two are official now?! 

“You gotta have some respect,” Ning Xiaoyao patted Shadowrain’s shoulder. Shadowrain struggled to hold back before finally blurting out, “My mum died a long time ago.” 

Ning Xiaoyao: …If you really want Fifth Young Miss to be your mum, you have to ask her if she’s fine with it! 

“What about those in the nunnery?” Shadowrain suddenly asked after following Ning Xiaoyao for a while.  

“Continue with their religious practice. What else can they do?” Shadowrain felt that His Majesty really had a big heart. So many Northern Hu men came out of the small nunnery, but he wasn’t worried at all! 

“I rounded them up. The Northern Hu men came from their nunnery, they have to account to the royal court.” 

“Go ahead and interrogate, just don’t let Second Young Master do it. He’s too savage, I’m afraid he’ll scare the nuns.” Shadowrain asked out of curiosity, “Your Majesty, what did Second Young Master do?” 

Ning Xiaoyao pulled a face. “He has a nasty mouth.” Shadowrain didn’t respond. Second Young Master Pei really did have an offensive mouth. 

Later on in the evening, the offensive mouth Second Young Master Pei sat before Ning Xiaoyao.  “And that’s what happened.” Ning Xiaoyao explained everything to Pei Yan. Pei Yan sat in silence for a while. His Majesty bragged about how he beat people up with a brick and how he was handsome enough to pierce through the Heavens. After ignoring all that garbage, the only useful piece of information was that the nunnery in the capital suburbs was hiding a bunch of Northern Hu men. 

“Second Young Master, are you going to interrogate them through the night now that they’ve been captured?” Ning Xiaoyao questioned Pei Yan.

“Your Majesty, where’s Supreme Commander Lou now?” 

“I don’t know, he’s still on the road.” 

“This subject humbly asks His Majesty to write a letter to Supreme Commander and urge him to return to Anyuan no matter what.” Pei Yan stood up.  

“Ah?” 

“The Northern Hu men in the nunnery knew about Fifth Young MIss.” Pei Yan walked in front of Ning Xiaoyao and continued lowly, “This means that Xie Wenyuan had already colluded with the Northern Hu a long time ago.” 

“You think so too?” Ning Xiaoyao began to feel anxious.  

“Your Majesty, please write the letter now,” Pei Yan urged Ning Xiaoyao.  

“Okay.” Ning Xiaoyao nodded. The letter she’d written to Supreme Commander was still on her study table.  

“Your Majesty, if it’s possible, please ask Shadowgale or one of the commanders to send the letter.” Pei Yan requested.  

“Really?” 

“Let Shadowgale and the rest take a look at Black Frost City.”  Ning Xiaoyao’s eyes lit up. “Can I go too?” 

Pei Yan smiled. “So are the ministers of the royal court supposed to go to Black Frost City to look for Your Majesty if the rebel forces cause trouble again?” 

Ning Xiaoyao made a face.  

“Xie Wenyuan left a back door open for himself before he sent out troops.” After dealing this blow to Ning Xiaoyao, Pei Yan said softly, “He has connections with Xiang Nong, and it looks like he has connections with Modou too. But it’s not scary if these are two separate escape routes he has.” 

For some reason, Ning Xiaoyao felt anxious. “Then what’s considered scary?” 

“What’s scary is if there is only one escape route.” Pei Yan’s eyes were afire, and he didn’t look gentle at all. “One escape route?” Ning Xiaoyao was confused. “If all three of them join forces.” Pei Yan knocked gently on the table in front of Ning Xiaoyao. 

Ning Xiaoyao was dumbfounded. A gang fight? 

“I hope this isn’t the case.” Pei Yan stepped backwards and bowed to Ning Xiaoyao. “This subject will head to the Hall of Punishment to interrogate the Northern Hu men.” 

“The most ordinary-looking one is the chief, and the one with the beard is the second-in-command.” Ning Xiaoyao muttered. Pei Yan nodded, and turned to leave the palace room.  Ning Xiaoyao hugged her head. God, please don’t let it be a gang fight! 

Outside the palace room, Shadowgale was walking towards the courtyard, while Pei Yan was walking out of the courtyard; the two of them passed by each other. Pei Yan stopped in his tracks and spoke discreetly to Shadowgale’s back, “Has Fifth Young Miss been taken care of?” 

Shadowgale nodded.  “If I were you, I’d just let her change her surname. With a wife from the Xie Clan, even if you’re in the favour of His Majesty, I’m afraid in the future the ministers of the royal court would have some words to say.” 

“Enough!” Ning Xiaoyao yelled from the front of the room. “He hasn’t even thought through it himself, can’t you give him some time?” 

Pei Yan patted Shadowgale’s shoulder and walked past him. Ning Xiaoyao gestured at Shadowgale. “Windy, let’s go to the study.” When they entered the study, Ning Xiaoyao hugged Big Boss Black, who was helping her to look over her letter. After finishing her letter, she passed them to Shadowgale. “Take a look at this for me, Windy. Have I clearly addressed everything?” 

Shadowgale looked at the letter. Ning Xiaoyao’s handwriting was still as atrocious as ever, but he was used to it. After looking through the letter, he said, “Your Majesty has made it very clear.” 

Ning Xiaoyao picked up the brush and added another sentence. I miss you a lot. Do you miss me too?  Looking at this, Shadowgale somehow felt like something was off.  

“I’d like Shadowthunder to make the trip. What do you think?” She asked as she stuffed the letter into an envelope. “Whatever pleases you, Your Majesty.” 

Clasping her hands together, Ning Xiaoyao prayed, “Please don’t let them collude, please don’t let Black Frost City be conquered. Please, please, please ahhhhhh~” 

Shadowgale: … 

Carrying Ning Xiaoyao’s letter, Shadowthunder left the capital and headed north to look for Lou Zigui. In the Hall of Punishment, the Northern Hu burly fellows had been walloped several times, but Pei Yan still wasn’t able to get anything out of them.  

“I think they really don’t know anything,” Pei Yan reported upon returning to Ning Xiaoyao. Ning Xiaoyao hadn’t slept the whole night. 

Ning Xiaoyao frowned.  “Xie Wenyuan’s at large now, while Your Majesty’s every action can be seen. This isn’t good for you, Your Majesty.” 

“I really feel like an idiot,” Ning Xiaoyao sighed, “When the Grand Preceptor had troops, I couldn’t kill him. Now that he no longer has any troops, he still has the upper hand. Please, Second Young Master, tell me what’s the point of me scheming so hard?” 

“The last time,” Pei Yan said.  

“What?” 

“This is Xie Wenyuan’s last trick.” Pei Yan grinned. Immediately, he appeared much warmer. “After this, Xie Wenyuan won’t have anywhere to run.”

Ning Xiaoyao dug her fingers into her palms and sulked, “But can we pass this hurdle? If the Northern Hu and the rebel troops combine forces, won’t we just be thrashed on every front?” 

“If they join hands, they must succeed on first try. Although this subject doesn’t know how the Northern Hu men intend to enter the Central Plains, or how the rebel forces are going to enter the capital and its surrounding areas, but…” 

“Wait, the capital and its surrounding areas again?” “When I say ‘succeed on first try’, I mean killing Your Majesty on first try,” Pei Yan looked at Ning Xiaoyao. He had no trouble stating what others fear to say. 

Ning Xiaoyao felt like dying. She really let down the people living in the capital and its surrounding areas! 

“Arrange for some troops to enter the capital environs, Your Majesty,” Pei Yan said quietly, “It doesn’t matter what happens behind the scenes. Your Majesty, you have to ensure that the capital and its surrounding areas don’t end up in the enemies’ hands.”