Chapter 58: Completely Undone Part 3

That was Chancellor Gu!

The benefactor who had finally allowed millions of martial men to stand tall! The man who was willing to bear the infamy of the ages just to win a shred of dignity for grunts like them!

The fury accumulated over years exploded in that single instant. By the time anyone realized what was happening, the eunuch was already lying in a pool of blood.

Once Pei Jingyi understood the sequence of events, he knew exactly how this had to be handled.

As it happened, Zhao Ru, hearing that Pei was a favorite of the Chancellor, had the gall to proactively host a banquet in his honor. The feast was held at the “Drunk Immortal Pavilion,” the most luxurious establishment in Ningzhou, filled with ornate carvings and brilliant lights.

Zhao Ru was a fair-skinned scholar, dressed in a clean, simple robe that gave him an air of lofty purity. When Pei Jingyi entered the room, Zhao Ru was startled. The man was tall and broad-shouldered, blocking out the light from the door. Zhao Ru had to tilt his head back just to look at him.

Zhao Ru forced a smile and cupped his hands. “I have long heard of General Pei’s heroic bearing. Seeing you today, the rumors are well-founded.”

Pei Jingyi didn’t even return the greeting. He sat down at the table with an aggressive, wide-legged stance. As if he were in his own home, he grabbed his chopsticks and began to eat. Between bites, he said, “What’s the point of a man being handsome?”

Zhao Ru’s brow furrowed, clearly repulsed by the man’s vulgarity, but he maintained his polite facade. “Being handsome has its advantages. I heard that Grand Preceptor Dong once wanted to take the General as his son-in-law. It shows that being a man of talent is, after all…”

Pei Jingyi didn’t wait for him to finish. He gave a casual, mocking smile. “I already turned him down. I didn’t want her.”

A flash of contempt flickered in Zhao Ru’s eyes. He couldn’t help but sneer, “The General certainly has high standards.”

“You didn’t actually tell the Grand Preceptor that, did you?”

Pei Jingyi grabbed a goose leg, holding it up to inspect it closely. He said dismissively, “I told him—”

“I’m impotent. If your daughter marries me, she’ll just be a living widow.”

Zhao Ru nearly spat out his wine. His gaze involuntarily drifted toward the man’s lower half. Such a massive build, yet he’s just a silver-tipped spear with no substance?

He forced down his urge to laugh and feigned pity. “The General is now favored by Chancellor Gu and has a brilliant future. There is no need to worry about such romantic trifles.”

This finally brought the conversation to the point.

Pei Jingyi finally looked at him, a half-smile on his face. “Master Zhao, you didn’t invite me here just to talk about this, did you?”

Zhao Ru immediately adopted a sorrowful expression, leaning in and whispering, “The Provincial Army has caused quite a stir this time. Although I wasn’t present during the mutiny, I am the chief official of military and civil affairs here. I can’t escape the blame.”

Pei Jingyi slowly picked up a piece of braised beef with his chopsticks. “As a Commander, you were actually put under house arrest by your subordinates. Being dismissed and barred from service for life would be the lightest punishment.”

Zhao Ru turned pale. He hurriedly pulled a stack of banknotes from his sleeve and pushed them across the table. “I ask the General to speak a few kind words on my behalf before Chancellor Gu.”

Pei Jingyi actually began to count the notes one by one. Once finished, he tucked them into his robe. He fell into a moment of silence before lowering his voice with a serious expression. “I have a way to settle this matter silently.”

“Truly?”

Zhao Ru was delighted, but then suspicion crept in. “But it has grown so large, I fear…”

“His Lordship only needs one thing.”

Pei Jingyi spoke slowly, eyeing him up and down. “And it’s on your person.”

“Wh… what?”

Pei Jingyi suddenly laughed. He picked up the last piece of meat and chewed it slowly under Zhao Ru’s growing terror.

Zhao Ru bolted upright, knocking over his wine cup. He finally understood. He stumbled toward the door. After only three steps, a cold flash of steel appeared.

Warm droplets of blood sprayed across Pei Jingyi’s face. He wiped them away with the back of his hand, placed his blade on the table, and pulled the tablecloth over to wipe the edge.

Zhao Ru’s head rolled onto the crimson carpet. His fading pupils still reflected Pei Jingyi’s silhouette—the towering man was slowly unbuckling his belt.

Pei Jingyi had been riding day and night for over half a month without a moment to breathe, let alone attend to this kind of business. Now that the tension had finally broken, he leaned back in the chair. One hand unfastened his waistband while the other pulled a plain white silk handkerchief from his breast.

It was the handkerchief Gu Huaiyu had “given” him.

The high-quality silk still carried a faint, ethereal fragrance. Pei Jingyi pressed the cloth against his face and inhaled deeply. His Adam’s apple bobbed violently, and his hand movements grew more frantic.

Yet for some reason, the heat that had been building for so long felt like a fishbone stuck in his throat—it just wouldn’t go down.

After a long while, the veins on his neck bulged, and beads of sweat rolled down his tense jaw. The white handkerchief was already crumpled, yet he still kept it pressed tightly over his mouth and nose.

“…Damn him.”

A raspy, low curse escaped through the gaps in his teeth. His chest heaved several times as he closed his eyes in resignation, counting silently.

“Ten.”

“Nine…”