Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT)
Chapter 144: "You can’t be here. Leave."

Chapter 144: "You can’t be here. Leave."

She continued to vent her fury, kicking Xiang Yu as he took the beating without a sound. When she finally stepped back, her chest heaving and her knuckles bloodied, she expected him to relent. Instead, a malicious chuckle escaped Xiang Yu’s lips as he raised his head. His laughter died abruptly, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, his smile vanishing.

"Go on, keep hitting me," he taunted. "I have already won. The man you did this all for only sees me. I have his heart, and you... you have nothing." His face, smeared with blood, twisted into a cruel grin. "Watch me take him away from you and leave you with nothing."

Peng Xiu’s body stiffened, her mind racing with thoughts of how Han Xin had looked at this counterfeit. She became manic, her voice rising in a scream. "No! How could he fall for you? Who do you think you are?"

Xiang Yu stared into her eyes, his voice cold and mocking. "Come on, you must know who I am. Isn’t it obvious? Who hates you so much that they would go this far? You don’t have that many enemies, do you?"

Peng Xiu refused to accept it. How could it be possible? This person couldn’t be Xiang Yu, right? This was clearly a woman before her. How could such strong sorcery exist in this world? Her thoughts turned to Han Xin, and a sudden, desperate need to see him overwhelmed her. She turned and walked out of the prison in big strides, Xiang Yu’s evil smirk following her.

Unbeknownst to them, Han Zhan had heard the entire conversation. He slipped away, his mind racing as he went to report everything to his cousin.

***

The war room was a cacophony of tension and strategy. Han Xin stood at the head of the table, his eyes scanning the maps and documents spread before him. The generals around him murmured in low tones, their faces etched with concern. The army of Zhen remained unmoved, a silent, ominous presence that seemed to be waiting for something. Not a single word or movement came from their ranks, adding to the unease in the room.

"We have to consider all our options," General Wang said, his voice breaking the silence. "A direct assault might be too risky."

Han Xin nodded, his mind racing. "Agreed. But we can’t afford to wait much longer. We need to understand their strategy."

Just as they finished discussing their plans, Han Zhan entered the room and leaned down to whisper. "I have news for you," he said, in a whisper. "I overheard something in the prison between Princess Xiu and... her." Han Xin signalled for him to wait for the others to leave. When they were left alone, Jun De nodded in a gesture to show that it was safe to speak before closing the doors.

Han Zhan continued to say, "From what I gathered, there is some form of hatred between Princess Xiu and... sister-in-law. It’s more like personal hatred."

Han Xin’s brow furrowed. "Personal hatred? How could their animosity be so intense? Did they know each other before?"

Han Zhan shrugged. "It’s unclear, but sister-in-law’s hatred runs deep. She purposefully replaced Princess Xiu and took the most important person to her. That person happens to be you."

Before Han Zhan could digest this revelation, Jun De burst into the room, breathless. "Princess Xiu is here," he announced.

The room fell silent as Princess Xiu entered. She looked ethereal, her delicate features and graceful demeanour a stark contrast to the Princess Xiu they had travelled with. Her aura was commanding yet fragile, and she seemed visibly shaken. Others couldn’t see it but Han Xin could. He could see through her act.

"Gen-general," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "May we speak... alone?"

Han Xin dismissed Han Zhan and Jun De with a nod, and they filed out, leaving him alone with her. He sat down, his gaze steady. "Your Highness, what do you want to talk about?"

Peng Xiu fidgeted, picking at her nails nervously. "The imposter... that person wasn’t me. I know the only reason you were kind to them was because you thought it was me. But this is the real me."

Han Xin’s expression remained indifferent as he looked at her. The face was the same, but the emotions he felt were different. His heart had beaten for Yu Yu, not her.

Peng Xiu stepped closer, her eyes pleading. "They used my image to get to you, but this is the real me. Ask me anything I wrote in the letters, and you will realise that it’s me you fell in love with." Han Xin clenched his jaw, suppressing his anger. He had never loved Yu Yu because of the letters. He fell in love with her personality in its entirety.

She tried to move closer, but Han Xin held up a hand to stop her. "Your Highness, I don’t feel that way about you. In fact, I never read half of your letters."

Her eyes widened in disbelief but she soon realised that that imposter’s influence was so deep that he couldn’t think right. It didn’t matter. Once she had the imperial interdict from her father, he would be forced to marry her, and one day, he would understand.

"You must still be confused by their charm. I am sure in the near future, you will come to understand that you and I belong together," she said with a sinister smile.

She turned and walked out. While walking out the door she bumped into Yi Nuo in the hallway. "Get out of the way, you idiot," Peng Xiu snapped. Yi Nuo stared at the familiar face, but the aura was completely different. This wasn’t the same princess she interacted with.

Han Xin sat alone in the war room, the dim light casting long shadows across the maps and documents strewn about the table. He held a jade pendant in his hand, its cool surface grounding him as he lost himself in thought. He couldn’t leave now to see Yu Yu. Han Zhan had to be his eyes and ears. His heart ached with the longing to be by her side, to protect her from Peng Xiu’s cruelty.

Han Zhan’s words echoed in his mind, recounting how Peng Xiu had beaten her. The thought of her suffering made his blood boil. He couldn’t let Peng Xiu harm Yu Yu any longer. He was willing to risk everything to free her and take her out of the city before Peng Xiu could kill her. His resolve hardened as he stared out at the Zhen army that had remained unmoved the entire day. "Yu Yu, what is your plan exactly?" he whispered to the empty room.

***

The next day, Xiang Yu lay in the prison cell, glancing at the window as the morning sun seeped through the bars. The sound of rustling caught his attention, and he smiled slightly as a pair of keys fell onto the straw. Xiang Wei must have kidnapped an off-duty guard and copied his keys before having someone toss them down. He grinned, amused by his little brother’s ingenuity.

Using his leg, he pulled the keys closer, managing to hook one on his foot. He leaned down, straining to grab them. Just as he was about to unlock his cuffs, the sound of the doors opening made him freeze. He clenched his fist, hiding the keys, and listened as the guards left. This was what Peng Xiu did when she came last night. She had all the guards leave so she could beat him to a pulp. But this time, he was going to free himself and teach that bitch a lesson.

To his surprise, it wasn’t Peng Xiu who entered but Han Xin. His heart sank at the sight. Han Xin wasn’t supposed to be here. Xiang Yu’s face turned serious. "I don’t want to see you," he said, his voice firm.

Han Xin froze, understanding that Yu Yu was trying to protect him. But he couldn’t leave her like this. Seeing her face swollen, with a black eye and bruises, made his heart clench. This was the person he loved, and he couldn’t accept seeing her in such a state.

He unlocked the prison door, his other arm still in a sling, and rushed over, suppressing the rage he felt towards Peng Xiu. With a trembling hand, he gently touched Yu Yu’s cheek. "I am here. I will take you out of here," he whispered.

Xiang Yu whispered back, "You can’t be here. Leave."

But Han Xin shook his head in refusal. "I am not leaving without you."

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