Chapter Two: Men's Milk

"Your humble subjects pay respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince! Pay respects to Lord Yan!" After being brought forward, the medium-sized man immediately knelt down. The tall and thin man and the burly man followed closely behind, following suit. "Oh? You recognize me?" The bodyguard called Lord Yan asked curiously. His Highness the Crown Prince remained silent. "Your humble subjects are all from the Imperial Manor." The medium-sized man quickly replied, "We've seen Your Highness the Crown Prince's noble countenance and Lord Yan's dignified bearing before, so we recognize you." "From the Imperial Manor?" Lord Yan the bodyguard frowned slightly and asked. "Yes." "Then why are you trying to save that woman?" Lord Yan asked again, "Could it be that she's also from the Imperial Manor?" "Yes." Hearing this answer, not only the Crown Prince but also Lord Yan's face darkened. "As people from the Imperial Manor, how could you knowingly break the law?" Le Piaopiao listened and watched from the side, feeling extremely disheartened. Knowingly breaking the law and getting an even heavier punishment was something everyone on Earth knew. For those who safeguarded imperial power, if they couldn't even manage affairs right under their noses, how could they convince the public? In this way, even if she had a one-in-ten-thousand chance of surviving, it was now completely gone. Although she didn't understand why cultivating immortality was against the law in this world. Before transmigrating, she had been a law-abiding young person. How could she suddenly become a criminal now? "What law did she break?" The burly man shouted in a rough voice, seeming to have a very bad temper. "She cultivated immortality privately without permission." Lord Yan said, "As subjects of the Great Qin, you should know that this is a capital offense and there's no room for leniency. Don't say it's just ordinary people. Even if members of the imperial family violate this law, they'll be treated equally." "We're wronged! That's impossible!" Seizing this opportunity, the medium-sized man cried out. "Are you saying that the officials arrested the wrong person?" The Crown Prince interrupted in a gloomy tone. "I dare not say whether my Ah Hua is a good person or not, but she really can't cultivate immortality." The medium-sized man said. Ah Hua? Were they talking about her? Why did it sound like the name of a cat? What a lousy name! However, the medium-sized man spoke with such certainty that Lord Yan couldn't help but look back at the Crown Prince. Seeing that the Crown Prince still had an expressionless face, he casually pointed at a soldier who seemed to be in charge. That soldier stepped forward and said, "This woman was cultivating immortality without a license. She was reported by others. At that time, several people saw golden light emanating from her body." Lord Yan turned around and asked the medium-sized man, "What do you have to say about this?" "Maybe the people who reported it were mistaken, or maybe they were talking nonsense just for the reward money." The burly man shouted. "Impertinent! Lord Yan hasn't asked you yet. Keep your mouth shut!" The soldier reprimanded. Lord Yan waved his hand and asked the medium-sized man, "You say that others have wronged your... Miss Ah Hua. Do you have any evidence?" "Your humble subject has no evidence to prove that they're lying, but there is evidence to prove that my Ah Hua definitely can't cultivate immortality." The medium-sized man said anxiously, "She's been an idiot since she was a child, with her intelligence not yet developed. She can't even take care of herself. How could she cultivate immortality? Everyone in our village knows about this. My lord, if you don't believe me, you can ask anyone at random." As soon as his words fell, a middle-aged man around forty years old in the crowd shouted loudly, "That's right. I'm from their village, and I can testify. Ah Hua is an idiot. She can't even speak clearly. How could she cultivate immortality?" As he said this, several more people rushed out to testify. Le Piaopiao looked up at the sky speechlessly. She had transmigrated into an idiot named Ah Hua. Whether as a human or a ghost, she was such a failure! "You have witnesses, but the officials also have them!" When the soldier in charge saw this, he immediately retorted, "You're all from the same village. Maybe you're colluding with each other." "Your humble servant can also testify that this woman is of sound mind, and can even be said to be rather shrewd. She just talked to your humble servant a moment ago." The executioner suddenly stepped forward and said loudly. Damn your sharp tongue! I just shouted a couple of times that I was wronged, and that makes me shrewd? Am I supposed to just let you chop me off to be considered a good citizen? Le Piaopiao cursed inwardly while keeping her eyes dull and pretending to be expressionless. At this point, she was completely confused. Who was she exactly? Had she cultivated immortality or not? Was she really an idiot? Who were the three men who were desperately trying to save her? Was this Great Qin the same as the one in history? She had no idea at all and decided to play dumb. Anyway, this body of hers was an idiot, right? Looking at the noisy and agitated crowd for a moment, His Highness the Crown Prince turned around and saw the pale and frail young girl lying on the execution platform. Against the backdrop of the huge execution tools and the guillotine stained with dark red blood, she looked particularly innocent and fragile. Was she an idiot? But when she had looked at him earlier, her eyes were clear and bright, which made him take a second look. The owner of such eyes couldn't possibly be someone with underdeveloped intelligence. It would be more believable to say that her intelligence was overly developed. However, looking at the appearance of those villagers, they didn't seem to be lying... "Didn't I say that my Ah Hua's intelligence hasn't developed yet? Maybe after being scared and frozen like this, it just happened to develop." The burly man argued forcefully. When the soldier in charge heard this, he immediately became furious and put his hand on the hilt of his sword, looking as if he was about to suppress the situation. Lord Yan furrowed his handsome brows and said in a deep voice, "Back off!" His voice wasn't loud, but it made the soldier in charge tremble inexplicably in his heart. Immediately, he lost his anger and bowed and stepped back. "Your Highness, what do you think we should do?" Then, he turned his horse around and asked respectfully. "Let those three people present solid evidence." Amid the snowflakes flying all over the sky, His Highness the Crown Prince's voice still had no trace of human emotion or warmth. "Otherwise, execute her immediately. The laws of the Great Qin cannot be desecrated!" "Yes! Your humble subjects have it! We have evidence!" The medium-sized man jumped up anxiously. "Although your humble subjects are ordinary people, we've also heard people say that cultivating immortality depends on spiritual roots. A single-element spiritual root is the best, a dual-element one is second best, a triple-element one is barely manageable, a quadruple-element one is basically useless, and a five-element one is even worse than the quadruple-element one. As long as one dares to cultivate with it, one will die in a short while! My Ah Hua has a five-element spiritual root, and it's extremely chaotic. A licensed cultivator once examined her. He said that she was even worse off than someone without a spiritual root. At least for those without spiritual roots, the five elements won't clash inside the body, and they can enjoy a long and peaceful life. With her current constitution, the five elements in her body are in conflict with each other. If she eats something that benefits one of the elements and disrupts the original balance, she'll either fall seriously ill or even explode and die. How could she cultivate immortality?" His words caused a stir among the crowd, and everyone started talking and discussing animatedly. What a big piece of gossip! A person with all five-element spiritual roots! It was unheard of. And she was still trying to cultivate immortality? It was a miracle that she had survived until now. Lord Yan was stunned for a moment and instinctively looked at His Highness the Crown Prince again. The latter nodded almost imperceptibly. Lord Yan immediately went up to the execution platform and placed his palm above Le Piaopiao's head as if in a virtual touch. Soon, a halo slid from the top of her head to her feet. It's like an X-ray scan. "Your Highness, this woman indeed has a chaotic five-element spiritual root. She'll surely die if she cultivates immortality." Lord Yan reported. When the soldier in charge heard this, his face immediately turned ashen. When His Highness the Crown Prince's cold and sharp gaze swept over him, he was so frightened that he fell to his knees with a thud. On this cold day, he broke out in a cold sweat on his forehead. "Your humble servant deserves to die! Your humble servant deserves to die!" His forehead banged against the cold ground, and soon it was stained with blood. It seemed that he also had some cultivation level, but he didn't dare to use his spiritual energy to protect himself. "Your humble servant had many witnesses and was negligent and didn't verify. Your humble servant deserves to die ten thousand times. Your Highness, please spare my life!" "I've said that the laws of the Great Qin cannot be desecrated. Those who cultivate without permission will die. There's no need for a trial, and they can be executed on the spot." His Highness the Crown Prince said slowly, but his tone was extremely cold. "But if officials are negligent in their duties, it's also a capital offense. You're a man of the Great Qin and should maintain your pride and take your own life." As he spoke, he urged his horse forward. The snow was falling heavier and heavier. Most of his body was already covered by snow, and his eyelashes were also frozen. If it weren't for the white mist he exhaled, he would be like an ice sculpture. As he rode his horse slowly forward, a fierce and murderous aura formed around him, scaring everyone present into silence. They retreated like a tide, leaving a large empty circle. No one even dared to breathe. The previously noisy surroundings instantly became deathly silent, so quiet that even the falling snow seemed to make a rustling sound. This must be the so-called intimidating aura, Le Piaopiao thought. Anyway, she couldn't feel it. Don't forget, she was an idiot. Looking at the soldier in charge again, he crawled back in fear, his face as pale as a sheet. Then, suddenly, he stood up, staggered a few steps in place, and put his hands on his chest. Right before Le Piaopiao's eyes, she saw his face turn ashen, and the capillaries on his face protruded like tiny branches. In less than a minute, he fell dead in the snow. His whole body was like a withered tree trunk, and his death was particularly terrifying. In the crowd, there were sobs of fear. Several people huddled at the edge of the venue, trembling all over with fear. Obviously, they were the informants and witnesses in this case. "Take those informants and witnesses out and behead them." His Highness the Crown Prince ordered again. Lord Yan quickly stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, according to the laws of the Great Qin, they don't deserve the death penalty." "Then cut off their tongues and drive them out of the territory of the Great Qin." His Highness the Crown Prince waved his hand. "You handle this matter. I'm returning to the palace." "Respectfully seeing Your Highness off." Lord Yan quickly dismounted. His Highness the Crown Prince didn't say anything else and left in a huff. His guards followed closely behind him, leaving only Lord Yan behind. "Lord Yan, what should be done with that girl?" The executioner quickly stepped forward. "Release her." Lord Yan sighed. "The New Year is approaching. There may be informants who want to get the reward money to celebrate the New Year. You must remember to check carefully. Otherwise, either innocent people will die unjustly or people will end up like him." He glanced at the soldier who had died on the ground. He hadn't expected things to end up like this. "Yes, your humble servants will do our best." The executioner said and quickly ran to the execution platform and untied Le Piaopiao. Here, Lord Yan beckoned, and the trio who had come to save her immediately rushed forward joyfully. "Who are you to this girl?" Lord Yan asked. "Oh, Ah Hua was adopted by the three of us." The medium-sized man quickly replied, "Sixteen years ago, the three of us were fleeing famine to Tongchuan. We picked up a nearly frozen baby girl abandoned on the roadside on our way. Seeing how pitiful she was, we took her with us." "Adoptive fathers? All three of you?" Lord Yan was a bit surprised. "Adoptive mothers." The tall and thin man who hadn't spoken before suddenly said and wiped away his tears. "Ah Hua was breastfed by me. I raised her with my own milk." As he said this, he opened his coat, revealing his flat chest. At this, not only Lord Yan but also Le Piaopiao, who had been dragged over, was stunned. The tall and thin man was definitely a man, a real man! Could it be that there really was such a thing as a man's milk in this world? Did this body of hers grow up drinking that liquid? Good heavens!