Chapter 100: Executing the General at the Noon Gate

The great army returned to the camp, and Murong Yan ascended to her seat in the commander’s tent.

Immortal Venerable Xuanhu was the first to cup his hands and inquire, "Marshal Murong, has Immortal Venerable Jinling returned yet, and has the poison he was afflicted with been neutralized?"

Murong Yan hurriedly returned the salute. "Old Immortal, please rest assured! Since Immortal Venerable Jinling returned to camp, he has promptly taken the Bodhi Soul-Returning Herb. The toxicity has been reduced by seventy or eighty percent, and he is currently resting in his tent!"

Hearing this, Immortal Venerable Xuanhu stroked his beard and nodded, finally setting his mind at ease. Murong Yan arranged a seat for him to the side, and Ye Feng took his place beside him.

She then ordered Lu Youxiong, Mu Shijin, Xiao Ling, Li Yiqing, and Li Xiong to come forward one by one to report on the battle. When it was Mu Shijin’s turn, he brought Hao Meier forward with him.

"Reporting to the Marshal! We attempted to persuade Di Tailei to surrender, but he refused to the very end. With no other choice, General Xiao and I joined forces to slay him. As for this female general, I disguised myself as Di Tailei to trick her into dropping her weapon, which allowed us to capture her!"

Mu Shijin reported truthfully, then shoved Hao Meier and roared, "Kneel!"

However, Hao Meier glared at them with cold defiance, remaining standing.

"Kneel!" the generals in the tent shouted in unison, their expressions so fierce it seemed as if they would devour her alive.

Hao Meier merely scoffed coldly. "Brother Lei is dead, and I have no desire to live on alone. Kill me if you wish; why all this incessant shouting?!"

The generals were even more enraged by her arrogance. "Clang!" They drew their swords, pressing the blades tightly against her throat. Hao Meier simply closed her eyes, appearing entirely prepared to die.

"Hahaha..." Murong Yan let out a hearty laugh, stepped down from her seat, and walked over to Hao Meier. "General Hao, you have been frightened!" She personally untied the ropes binding her.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she was free, Hao Meier lunged forward viciously, wrapping her arms around Murong Yan and biting down hard on her shoulder! The generals panicked and raised their swords, ready to strike.

"Stand down, all of you!" Ye Feng shouted. With lightning speed, he leaped forward, covering ten feet in a single bound. He reached Hao Meier, grabbed her wrist with his left hand, and twisted it behind her back, rendering her immobile and forcing her to release her grip.

"General Hao, please calm your anger. Marshal Murong had no intention of killing General Di; she repeatedly instructed her subordinates to persuade him to surrender. Do not blame her unjustly." Seeing Hao Meier struggle less, he continued, "General Di is dead, and both the Marshal and I are deeply saddened. You have suffered a life of hardship, bullied by the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons since childhood, and now you are being used by them. Do not continue to sacrifice your life for them, doing things that bring pain to those who love you and joy to your enemies!"

He released her wrist, bowed deeply, and said, "I apologize for the offense," before stepping back.

Hao Meier was stunned into silence by these words. After a long moment, she snapped out of her daze and broke into loud sobs. "Brother Lei, you fool! Why did you listen to the words of that Tuoli Leopard and throw away your life for nothing?!"

Seeing her profound grief, the generals could not help but feel a sense of sorrow. Ye Feng, deeply moved, ordered two soldiers, "Take the General away and see that she is well cared for."

***

Watching the lonely and helpless figure of Hao Meier, Murong Yan’s expression darkened, and she grit her teeth so hard they nearly shattered.

"Bring Xiao Ling in!" she commanded, her voice sharp with anger.

Following the call of the messenger, Xiao Ling was dragged in, bound tightly with ropes.

"Kneel!" The soldiers kicked the back of his legs, and with a thud, Xiao Ling fell to the ground.

"Xiao Ling, I ask you: what were my orders when we set out today?" Murong Yan demanded sternly.

"The... the order... was to... persuade the demon general Di Tailei... to surrender!" Xiao Ling stammered, his head hanging in shame.

"And if he refused to surrender?" Murong Yan pressed.

"Bring... bring... bring back his head!" Xiao Ling’s voice was barely a whisper, no louder than a mosquito’s hum.

"And how did you go about this persuasion?" Murong Yan’s voice grew as sharp as a blade.

Xiao Ling was speechless.

"General Xiao, how could you be so cruel! The moment you arrived, you began cursing Di Tailei and Hao Meier for their illicit affair, calling it a shameful act! That was not persuasion; you were clearly goading him into fighting to the death! My poor soldiers—because of your rashness, countless lives were lost! They all had parents, wives, and children waiting for them to return home safely, but now..." Mu Shijin stepped forward, his voice choked with grief until he could no longer speak, tears streaming down his face.

Murong Yan’s face flushed with rage. "Xiao Ling, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"This subordinate deserves death! I am willing to accept my punishment!" Xiao Ling kowtowed repeatedly.

"Take him out and behead him!" Murong Yan waved her hand, turning away in disgust.

The soldiers dragged Xiao Ling toward the gates. The other generals watched, clenching their teeth in frustration. They felt he deserved it, yet having fought and lived alongside him for so long, they could not bear to see him truly meet his end. One by one, they stepped forward to plead for him.

Mu Shijin was the first to speak. "Marshal Murong, before the campaign, you entrusted General Xiao to my care. It is my fault for not keeping him in check, and I should share his guilt. I beg the Marshal to punish me as well; I am willing to share his fate!"

Murong Yan shook her head repeatedly. "General Mu, this is not your fault. Your ability to adapt and capture Hao Meier was a great achievement. You are not at fault, but rather deserving of a great reward!"

Mu Shijin waved his hands. "Marshal, I do not want a reward; I only have one request!"

Murong Yan frowned. "What is your request? If it is within my power, I shall grant it!"

Mu Shijin knelt and kowtowed. "I am willing to trade my merits for his life!"

Murong Yan’s face darkened. "Denied!" As Mu Shijin tried to speak again, she ordered her guards, "Take him out of my sight!"

***

The guards pushed Mu Shijin out of the tent. Seeing this, who else dared to plead for mercy?

Xu Yaozu thought to himself, *With no one left to plead for him, it seems the boy is truly going to lose his head today. No! He’s always been good to me, calling me 'Uncle Xu' every time we meet. I cannot let him die so young!*

With that thought, he let out a loud laugh, instantly breaking the tense atmosphere. "Yan’er! Don't be so angry!" The old man stepped forward, patting his belly and cupping his hands.

"Master, do not think that just because you have been a benefactor to me, you can act as you please in my tent. You cannot save Xiao Ling today!" Murong Yan slammed the table, rebuking him without hesitation. Xu Yaozu shrank his neck in fear and dared not say another word, retreating obediently.

Once back, he remained restless, eyeing the room for someone else to intercede. His gaze fell upon Ye Feng. *You brat, you’re just sitting there doing nothing. You and Xiao Ling are friends; are you going to watch him get beheaded?*

He sidled over to Ye Feng and tugged on his sleeve. To his frustration, Ye Feng remained stiff and motionless. Enraged, Xu Yaozu pinched the back of Ye Feng’s hand hard.

"Ouch!" Ye Feng cried out. Everyone in the tent looked over. Ye Feng quickly smoothed things over: "A mosquito, just a mosquito bite!"

Once everyone turned away, Ye Feng whispered, "Foster father, what are you doing?"

Xu Yaozu hissed, "You little brat, are you playing dumb? Xiao Ling is your friend; are you really going to let him lose his head?"

Ye Feng’s expression darkened. "Foster father, what do you expect me to do? Xiao Ling committed a grave crime and caused the deaths of so many soldiers. In my opinion, beheading is too light a punishment; if it were up to me, I’d have him sliced to pieces!"

The old hero glared at him. "Enough of that nonsense! To err is human. Xiao Ling knows he was wrong; can’t you spare him once? You are his old friend, and Yan’er listens to you most. Only you can save his life by pleading for him!"

Ye Feng shook his head. "Foster father, I cannot save him!" Suddenly, he glanced around to ensure no one was listening and whispered into Xu Yaozu’s ear, "To save Xiao Ling, you must bring Hao Meier to plead for him. Only if she intercedes will your disciple be willing to spare Xiao Ling!"

Xu Yaozu shook his head like a rattle. "Impossible! How could that be? Hao Meier wants to kill Xiao Ling herself; why would she ever plead for him? Are you talking nonsense?"

Ye Feng spread his hands. "Then I have no other way." He sat upright, ignoring Xu Yaozu completely.

Seeing that Ye Feng would not assist, Xu Yaozu pondered his words. The more he thought about it, the more he realized Ye Feng was right. But Hao Meier was furious; how could he convince her? He racked his brain. Looking at the sky, he saw that the time of execution was fast approaching. If he waited any longer, Xiao Ling would truly be dead!

Finally, he steeled himself. *Forget my pride! I’ll beg her if I have to!*

He began to sneak out of the commander’s tent to find Hao Meier and save Xiao Ling.