Chapter 247 - 245. Didn't I Say It Before...I Will Kill You.

Third-person POV

"I-I beg you, please stop this, Great General Xu! Yo-you are a very kind master, please don't punish them when they are still hurt." Ming Yu begged Xu Tingfeng while gripping on his coat.

Although Ming Yu was profusely begging Xu Tingfeng to let Ah Xi and the others go, the punishment was still going. Their hands didn't stop whipping Ah Xi and the others' back. Their lips were ghastly pale and beads of cold sweat formed on their forehead but not even a single complaint or yelp came out from their mouths.

Xu Tingfeng turned his eyes to Ming Yu and helped her to stand up, "Why? Why do you beg me?"

Ming Yu looked at Xu Tingfeng with a puzzled expression, she was extremely confused by Xu Tingfeng's question. Does she need a reason to save her beloved and friends? Ming Yu tried hard to think up a reason so that the punishment could stop as soon as possible.

"Be-because Great General Xu is their master…" Ming Yu said with a visible fear in her voice.

After getting his answer, Xu Tingfeng turned his body to face them.

"Do you wish to stop the punishment?!" Xu Tingfeng roared.

"No, Master!" They answered at the top of their voice although most of their energy was drained from the burning pain.

"Do you think you deserve this punishment?!" Xu Tingfeng roared once again.

"Yes, Master!" They bellowed with eyes burning with passion.

"Why do you receive this punishment?!" Xu Tingfeng's deep voice grew louder and more intimidating.

"Because we can't protect Her Majesty Empress, Master!" They clenched their jaw in disappointment at themselves.

"Why you can't protect Her Majesty Empress?!" Xu Tingfeng slammed his Guan Dao.

"Because we are weak, Master!" They answered with a thunderous voice.

Xu Tingfeng gave them a dead look and turned to Ming Yu to look at her shocked expression with tears pooled in her eyes. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to the teary Ming Yu.

"Their most important job is to protect Her Majesty Empress and they failed to do so. They deserve this and as you can see, they are aware that they are at fault for being weak!" Xu Tingfeng gripped the handkerchief.

"B-but Her Majesty Empress is still alive! The enemy is too strong and outnumbered us. They were also badly injured! Can't you please lessen the punishment? Can't you see that they are on the verge of collapsing again? I know that Great General Xu has a very big heart! So please!" Ming Yu glanced back and forth at the pale Ah Xi and Xu Tingfeng.

Xu Tingfeng placed his wide palm on Ming Yu's head and an empty smile appeared on his lips, "So what?"

The color in Ming Yu's face drained as her heart thumped in fear at Xu Tingfeng's hollow smile.

"So what if my daughter is still alive if she is nowhere to be seen? They still failed in protecting her, their one and only job.

Do you know the meaning 'better dead than alive'? What if my daughter is in a bad hand? Do you forget that my daughter has an above-average looks and body?" Xu Tingfeng gently wiped the tears that stained Ming Yu's cheeks.

Ming Yu's lips trembled as she couldn't get any word out of her throat.

"I lost my daughter once, once is more than enough for me. Do you know how much suffering she had to endure while I was desperately looking for my only daughter? Do you know how much I wanted to kill myself from seeing her little frail body had cuts all over her body? At that time, her height hadn't reached my waist." Tears trickled down Xu Tingfeng's eyes when he recalled the inexplicable suffering that Hong er hid under her bright smile knowing that she had found her real family.

Ming Yu now understood why Xu Tingfeng was extremely overprotective towards Hong er. Hong er was his one and only daughter, the first time he lost her not long after she was born made him despise himself.

Things only got worse when he found out what his daughter had gone through meanwhile he was living comfortably in his residence. He hates himself for everything that had happened to Hong er, he blamed himself for everything. He lived half of his life in regret and self-condemnation.

"But thank you for telling me that my daughter is still alive. Or else they have to follow her to heaven." Xu Tingfeng pressed the slightly wet handkerchief onto Ming Yu's palm.

Ming Yu's eyes widened in disbelief as how emotionless Xu Tingfeng's eyes were for a second.

"I am not as kind as my daughter." Xu Tingfeng said with a gentle smile yet his eyes were so cold that it could freeze someone in a glance.

"It seems like this little lady here is tired. Someone bring her back to her room to rest, thank you." Xu Tingfeng politely said to another servant that previously stood beside Ming Yu.

Ming Yu was quickly taken away by the other maid. The smile on Xu Tingfeng's lips disappeared as fast as it came. Xu Tingfeng turned his frosty eyes to the Huayun and raised his hand. The whirling cloud dispersed and went back to the clear weather like how it was half an hour ago.

Seeing their master retracted his magic, they also halted and retreated to the side. Huayun and the others were trying to hold their breath so it wouldn't anger Xu Tingfeng more than this. Their whole body was trembling vigorously, even though they almost reached their limits, they didn't dare to collapse nor rest.

Xu Tingfeng glanced around the group and noticed there was something missing, "Where is Meiyun?"

Huyaun's eyes went wide when her twin sister's name was mentioned. Meiyun hadn't regained her consciousness yet, furthermore, the Di family and Huayun were still grieving at the loss of Meiyun's baby. She kowtowed and with tears filled eyes, she sincerely pleaded.

"Ma-Master, this servant begs you to pardon Meiyun from this punishment. Sh-she suffered enough." Huayun uttered with a trembling voice.

"State your reason." Xu Tingfeng inquired.

Xu Tingfeng truly cared for everyone that he trained and he wouldn't be too heartless when the usually reserved Huayun cried for leniency for Meiyun. The other wounded personnel also crawled forward with their numb knees and kowtowed in unison.

"We are willing to take over Meiyun's punishment. Please be lenient on Meiyun, Master." Ah Xi and Ah Tong pleaded with audible remorse in their voices.

Xu Tingfeng stayed silent as events such as this rarely happens. His heart thumped in anxiety, numerous scenarios passed his mind.

"She…died?" Xu Tingfeng asked with hesitation.

Huayun shook her head, "Not her, but the baby in her w.o.m.b."

Xu Tingfeng's hands flinched but someone that was standing across him stumbled. Qiyi never heard of Meiyun had lost her child, he was only informed that she was coma and currently was taken care in the Di residence.

"How?" Xu Tingfeng questioned.

"She…she was saving Her Majesty Empress when her heart was stabbed. We don't know how she survived that fatal injury. At that time, I looked over and saw that the Bei Zhou's soldiers had confirmed her death. But not long after that, a surge of dark aura shot through the roof and we also lost our consciousness." Ah Xi explained while gritting his teeth.

Hearing 'dark aura' words came out from Ah Xi's mouth, Xu Tingfeng's eyes immediately glinted with killing intent. His figure suddenly disappeared into thin air and was nowhere to be seen. Everyone who was watching the whole scene was utterly shocked.

Then out of nowhere, Xu Tingfeng reappeared right in front of Weisheng with his blazing Guan Dao. Weisheng instinctively summoned his sword in a blink of an eye and blocked Xu Tingfeng's powerful strike. Xu Tingfeng's attack was too fast for him to block completely, he was flung to the side. His right sleeve was burned into ashes, revealing his tattooed arm.

Weisheng's tan skin reddened from the impact of Xu Tingfeng's Guan Dao that was named Inferno because of its blazing hot fire that resembles the fire in hell. Xu Tingfeng slowly turned his head towards Weisheng and glowered at Weisheng with his glowing golden eyes.

"Didn't I say it before…that I will kill you if anything happen to Hong er." Xu Tingfeng growled.