Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT)
Chapter 303: Who brought me here

Chapter 303: Who brought me here

Xiang Yu knelt in the grand hall, his fingers deftly unbuttoning his silk shirt, ready to receive his punishment. As he did so, one of the councillors stepped forward, kowtowing deeply. "Your majesty, this this, the crown prince won’t be able to bear it. Please, have mercy."

Another councillor quickly followed suit, his voice pleading. "Yes, your majesty, please be magnanimous. His Highness is your son, after all."

The Imperial Lord’s gaze was fierce as he stared down at his son. The other councillors, who secretly loathed Xiang Yu and deemed him too weak and foolish to inherit the throne, wore expressions of feigned sadness, though inwardly, they were pleased.

Peng Xiu found herself torn. She wanted to see Xiang Yu beaten half to death, but she also wanted to take Han Xin away from him. She stepped forward, her voice smooth. "Father, brother can’t withstand this punishment. Why not bring his—" Her voice faltered as she met Han Xin’s gaze in the crowd.

Peng Xiu’s brows twitched. If she pleaded for her brother and let Han Xin get beaten, she would suffer a great loss, and her image in Han Xin’s eyes would be ruined. Quickly, she changed her words. "His steward."

The imperial Lord raised his hand, silencing everyone. The electromagnetic whip crackled ominously in the grand hall. Xiang Yu handed his shirt to a nearby palace staff member, his back exposed and ready.

The imperial Lord cracked the whip, and with an eerie buzz, it tore through the air, striking Xiang Yu’s back with brutal force. The impact was so powerful that it forced Xiang Yu forward, the whip tearing at his flesh and leaving an unsightly burn wound. The smell of burning flesh filled the grand hall, causing many to wince and turn away.

Despite the excruciating pain, Xiang Yu kept a cold expression on his face, refusing to make a sound. Those who had thought the imperial Lord would go easy on his son were taken aback by the ruthlessness displayed.

Peng Xiu watched, her emotions a tumultuous mix of satisfaction and frustration. She had wanted to see Xiang Yu suffer but now she couldn’t have Han Xin. The councillors who had pleaded for mercy now looked on in horror, realizing the true extent of the imperial Lord’s resolve.

As the electromagnetic whip fell, Han Xin, hidden in the shadows with his hood covering half his face, stared at Xiang Yu’s figure with a dark expression. Just a few hours ago, he had woken up in the medical bay, lying in the healing capsule. His first instinct was to fight, recalling his last memory. This time, he planned on truly finishing Xiang Yu, but the first person he saw was Doctor Bai, who came in to check on him.

Han Xin was confused. This was not what had happened in his past life. In his past life, after he had passed out, he had woken up in his small room at the staff quarters in the prince’s palace. He was dragged out of bed and led to the grand hall to finish the punishment. So why had things changed so drastically?

Doctor Bai had smiled happily at him, exclaiming, "You are awake! How do you feel?" Doctor Bai looked like he wanted to say something else but held back.

Han Xin had asked, "Who brought me here?" as he lifted his feet out of the healing capsule.

Doctor Bai had replied, "Oh, that. We got a call from one of the staff in the prince’s palace that you were having a fever, so I had people bring you here."

Han Xin rubbed the back of his neck and felt the absence of the tooth marks and swelling that should have been there after Xiang Yu had bitten his gland. A normal healing capsule shouldn’t be able to heal the tooth marks so fast and leave no trace. He didn’t have time to think deeply about it because he recalled that the night when Xiang Yu injected his pheromones into his gland, he felt no pain. He couldn’t fathom how that was possible, considering how excruciatingly painful it had been in the past.

Doctor Bai saw he was lost in thought and didn’t say anything. Han Xin asked, "What day is it?"

When Doctor Bai told him, Han Xin got up in a hurry. He walked towards the door, and Doctor Bai said, "Wait."

Han Xin’s steps paused, and he looked back. "You are shirtless, you can’t go out like that, and you don’t have shoes on," Doctor Bai said, "Let me find you something."

He went to the cupboard where the patients’ clothes were hung and took out a black robe with golden embroideries of a phoenix that hung neatly. "You came in wearing this."

Han Xin’s expression shifted slightly. He could identify this robe even if it was burnt to ashes. It was Xiang Yu’s ceremonial robe so why would it be here and why had he been wearing it? "Sorry, who brought me here again?" he asked.

Doctor Bai looked a little confused. "I sent imperial guards to get you after the called," he repeated.

"And they brought me in wearing this?" Han Xin pressed.

"Yes," Doctor Bai confirmed. Doctor Bai wasn’t naturally a good liar, but he had been trained by Han Zhan to be able to lie convincingly, as he was going to be in the heart of the den of lions.

Anyone else would have believed Doctor Bai, but Han Xin could see right through him. He just didn’t have enough time to argue about this. "Can I have something else to wear instead? Something less conspicuous."

Doctor Bai, who had a husband who had to be inconspicuous, didn’t have a problem finding something suitable. He brought out a hooded cloak and shoes before handing them to Han Xin. Han Xin put them on, and Doctor Bai asked, "What about this?" gesturing to the robe.

Han Xin looked at the cloak and heartlessly said, "Throw it away."

Doctor Bai nodded. "Okay."

Han Xin took three steps towards the door, but as it opened, he suddenly walked back, having changed his mind. He took the robe before walking out. Doctor Bai was so confused, but before he could ask, Han Xin said, "Thank you for taking care of me. I truly appreciate it."