Yun Siman arrived at Halarin City and loitered outside the royal palace for several days...
He had initially planned to sneak into the palace to meet Nari Songde, but he feared being discovered. If his escape route were blocked, he would be completely trapped.
With no other option, he claimed to know the whereabouts of Princess Xia Qing and demanded an immediate audience with King Halarin...
Upon hearing this, the guards dared not delay and escorted him directly into the royal palace.
Nari Songde sat on the throne, appearing to be in his sixties, with a head full of white hair and a face full of wrinkles...
Only his hawk-like eyes, resembling wolf eyes in the dark night, exuded an invisible ferocity and killing intent.
Even a top master like Yun Siman felt a sense of trepidation upon seeing him...
It seemed there was a reason why the Suizhi people were invincible and could conquer all.
For a tribe to prosper and remain undefeated for a century, it needed a leader who could command everyone's respect and possessed foresight...
"Your Majesty, this man claims to know Princess Xia Qing's whereabouts, so I brought him here!" a guard reported as he stepped forward.
Nari Songde's expression changed upon hearing this. He looked at Yun Siman coldly and asked, "Where is Xia Qing?"
Yun Siman: "..."
How would I know where she is?
We're having a completely disconnected conversation!
"I wish to know, does the renowned King Halarin keep his word?" Yun Siman raised his head, meeting Nari Songde's gaze. "If I tell you everything, will you send me back to the Central Plains safely?"
Within this Halarin royal palace, there were masters everywhere, and every guard was exceptionally formidable...
Although his movements were agile and his Qinggong was superb, he was no match for thousands of Suizhi masters.
Yun Siman was no war god, nor was he an immortal. How could he possibly escape from here?
Therefore, before any negotiation, Yun Siman had to ensure his own safety and then deal with him slowly...
"Heh, heh heh!"
Nari Songde sneered, then suddenly stood up. "You're just a tiny ant, daring to negotiate terms with me? Are you worthy? If you don't confess obediently, I'll skin you alive and feed you to the dogs!"
Yun Siman: "..."
Yes, this was indeed the Suizhi way.
He had learned about it before; in the Suizhi army, regardless of rank, anyone who made a mistake would have their skin flayed and flesh removed. Their punishments were extremely cruel.
"If King Halarin kills me now, you will likely never find your daughter..." Yun Siman said calmly.
Nari Songde's expression turned grim. He strode forward, grabbed Yun Siman by the collar, and snarled, "You dog, you underestimate my methods too much. Since you're so stubborn, I'll 'wash your teeth' for you..."
With that, Nari Songde roared, "Guards! Take this Central Plains ant away, smash all his teeth, and gouge out his eyeballs!"
Yun Siman: "???"
Wait, why would you gouge out my eyeballs?
If I become blind, how can I lead Nari Songde to find his daughter in the Central Plains?
"Yes..."
Two burly guards responded and strode forward.
Seeing this, Yun Siman's heart leaped, and his mind raced.
Fine, I should have known Nari Songde was so cruel. I shouldn't have come alone for negotiations...
Isn't this like jumping into a fire pit?
"Wait, wait a moment!"
Before the two guards could restrain Yun Siman, he shouted, "If you dare to torture me, I'll show you by dying right now..."
With that, Yun Siman bit down hard in his mouth, a stream of blood flowed out, and he spoke indistinctly, "Once I'm dead, your clue to finding your daughter will be completely severed. If King Halarin doesn't believe me, let's try it!"
Nari Songde, looking terrified: "..."
Are all people from the Central Plains this reckless?
To attempt suicide over a disagreement was truly admirable courage.
In reality, Yun Siman hadn't bitten his tongue but had used a mixture of strawberries and persimmons to create a small ball, about the size of a fingernail...
When hidden in his mouth, a gentle bite would release red juice.
"Let him go!"
Nari Songde pondered for a long time before waving his hand. "I promise not to torture you, but you must obediently tell me Princess Xia Qing's whereabouts. As long as I can find her, you can name any condition..."
Yun Siman's panicked heart finally calmed down slightly upon hearing this.
As long as he didn't die, there was a possibility of negotiation.
The Great Liang was facing internal and external troubles, with enough problems of its own. If the Suizhi people were to invade the Central Plains in full force, the country would inevitably be torn apart...
"I'm hungry. Have your servants roast a leg of lamb for me and bring two pots of mare's milk wine!" Yun Siman said, rubbing his stomach.
After parting ways with Xiao Xinling, he had walked all the way to Halarin City.
He had intended to hunt some wild game along the way to fill his stomach, but he hadn't even seen a rabbit, let alone large animals like wild sheep, wild boars, or deer...
Unfortunately, the closer he got to Halarin City, the fewer wild animals there were; they had all been hunted by the local populace.
Moreover, he had left in such a hurry that he didn't have much money on him, and he had spent it all on the journey.
After entering the city, he didn't even have money to buy a flatbread...
Now, Yun Siman was so hungry his stomach was sticking to his back. The thought of the fragrant roasted lamb leg and delicious mare's milk wine made him salivate uncontrollably.
Nari Songde: "..."
You Central Plains rat, coming here to feast!
However, to find his daughter as soon as possible, a few meals were nothing. After all, there were herds of cattle and sheep on the grasslands; they couldn't possibly eat them all...
"Guards!"
Nari Songde beckoned. "Go roast him a lamb leg, a big one, and prepare some hand-grabbed meat and beef to go with the wine!"
The maidservant twitched her lips upon hearing this and secretly glanced at Yun Siman...
This young man from the Central Plains was quite capable. Not only was he handsome and distinguished, but his courage was also top-notch.
After all, there were very few people in Halarin City who could drink face-to-face with King Halarin.
A moment later, the maidservant brought the roasted lamb leg and other food, and personally poured Yun Siman a cup of mare's milk wine...
Yun Siman, famished, disregarded any semblance of decorum and grabbed the lamb leg, devouring it.
Nari Songde sat opposite him, his face as dark as ink.
Don't people from the Central Plains ever eat beef or lamb?
His eating posture was truly unsightly...
Seeing Yun Siman gnaw through an entire lamb leg and consume more than half a basin of hand-grabbed meat, Nari Songde finally couldn't sit still.
He asked in a deep voice, "Can you tell me now?"