The Cruel Tyrant

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However, as soon as Gu Yunzhou's voice fell, a pleasant sounding female voice came from the woods: "Using nine cities to win the love of one's sweetheart."

Princess Hongyun slowly walked out in a red dress, a light veil covering her face. She looked at Su Mu with a pair of beautiful smiling eyes: "Your Highness has good fortune."

"Princess Hongyun?" Su Mu asked in slight surprise. Back then, after Princess Hongyun said that she wanted to leave the imperial capital of Wu Kingdom with the army, Su Mu had not heard news of her since. Only to unexpectedly see her here. Recalling that many years ago, Shi Ran had abandoned Princess Hongyun and returned to Shi Kingdom, Su Mu instantly thought of who had put out a bounty for Shi Ran's head.

Princess Hongyun smiled and said: "Hongyun pays greetings to the Crown Prince."

Su Mu glanced at Shi Ran next to him and then said to Princess Hongyun, "It turns out that it's the Princess who wants to kill him."

Princess Hongyun inclined her head and said: "I bought Shi Ran's life with nine cities half a year ago, but I did not expect Gu Yunzhou to give him to you." Princess Hongyun's eyes were smiling: "It is nine cities after all. This is probably the most rich betrothal gift in the world."

Su Mu blushed a little, and changed the subject with slight embarrassment: "Princess Hongyun, you wouldn't have bought Shi Ran's life with the cities of Wu Kingdom, would you?" Nine cities. Just how much hatred did she have for him.

Princess Hongyun glanced at Shi Ran, her eyes flashing with a cold light: "Of course not, I just gained control of the Jin Kingdom's monarch. If Your Highness hand Shi Ran to me or kill him for me, the nine cities I have under my control will immediately open their city gates to welcome the arrival of Your Highness."

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This temptation was too great, but Su Mu had to refuse. He shook his head and said: "Sorry, I can't give you Shi Ran."

Back then, Shi Ran not only used Princess Hongyun to escape back to the Shi Kingdom, but also took advantage of the natural disasters of the Wu Kingdom to annex a large area of ​​land belonging to the Wu Kingdom, so it was not an exaggeration to say Princess Hongyun hated him down to the bones. Moreover, with Shi Ran's death, the Wu Kingdom would not only have one less strong enemy, the vast fertile lands in the south would all surely be in the bag for the Wu Kingdom. But at that time the Qing Kingdom would definitely not escape the fate of being conquered by the Wu Kingdom, so Shi Ran could not die just yet.

Princess Hongyun was an intelligent person and knew Su Mu's concerns. She also knew that even a high martial arts master like Shi Ran could instantly lose against Su Mu and Gu Yunzhou so even if she had more numbers she was still not their opponent. Tilting her head and looking at the smiling Shi Ran, she said coldly: "It doesn't matter if you can't kill him, I only ask Your Highness if I can teach him a little lesson, after all, he was the one who betrayed me back then."

Su Mu raised his eyebrows with an amused expression on his face and said: "As long as he is not crippled or dead, please feel free to go ahead, Princess." After all, he wanted to use Shi Ran as a bargaining chip and not attract hatred.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Princess Hongyun walked towards Shi Ran with graceful steps and an elegant posture. Her face was covered, revealing only a pair of clear and bright eyes that looked at Shi Ran with slightly complicated emotions and said: "It's been a long time. You have indeed become an excellent monarch, just like you said you would back then."

Shi Ran looked at her with icy eyes and a solemn expression. Princess Hongyun raised her jade-like hands and a black insect the size of a rice grain appeared on her white palm. Princess Hongyun's voice was sweet and gentle: "I have prepared this for you for fifteen years, and now I can finally I give it to you personally."

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Su Mu looked at the black insect and felt goosebumps all over. He asked vigilantly: "What is that?"

Using a dagger to make a small cut on Shi Ran's arm and stuffing the black insect in, Princess Hongyun's movements were gentle and careful, as if she had not cut someone with a dagger and place a strange insect inside the wound, but rather like one who had just trimmed off some branches and leaves of a plant. Her voice was gentle as she answered Su Mu: "A kind of Gu insect that is extremely difficult to cultivate, and I only managed to cultivate one in fifteen years."

The Gu quickly burrowed into Shi Ran's flesh and blood. After some pain at the beginning, he couldn't feel it at all and didn't know where to look for it even if he wanted to. Princess Hongyun looked at Shi Ran with cold eyes and said: "This Gu feeds on flesh and blood. It does not eat much but can make you feel worse than death. If you are willing to give up the position of Shi Kingdom's emepror, I will give you the antidote. Of course commiting suicide can also solve the problem."

Seeing Princess Hongyun walk over with graceful steps, Su Mu felt a slight chill. Princess Hongyun looked at Su Mu and said: "Your Highness has already made friends with our country, so why not kill Shi Ran and get a share of the Shi Kingdom? Your Highness, there will be endless troubles after letting the tiger go back to the mountain."

Su Mu smiled and said, "Much thanks to the Princess for the advice."

Seeing that Su Mu didn't want to talk any more, Princess Hongyun said tactfully: "Then I won't disturb Your Highness."

Seeing the last figure disappearing into the woods, Su Mu asked Shi Ran behind him: "Has Your Majesty finished considering?"

Shi Ran, who hadn't spoken since the appearance of Princess Hongyun, finally spoke: "If you release me, a million deniers of grain and a thousand taels of gold will be delivered to you before the beginning of winter."

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Su Mu turned around to face him and shook his head slowly, saying, "Ten million deniers of grain and one hundred thousand taels of gold. Not even one less grain or one less tael. Ben Gong does not believe that your Shi Kingdom can't even afford this amount."

Shi Ran stared at Su Mu calmly and said: "If Zhen dies then Shi Kingdom will perish. Likewise, the Qing Kingdom will also be destroyed. Five million deniers of grain and ten thousand taels of gold. It can't be any more."

Su Mu half-smiled, and said in a very firm tone: "Ten million deniers of grain and one hundred thousand taels of gold, otherwise Ben Gong will sell you to the brothel."

Shi Ran's face twitched, and he looked fixedly at Su Mu for a while before he gave in, "Give Zhen all the farming technology you gave the Wu Kingdom."

Su Mu nodded and said: "Fine." The Wu Kingdom was too strong, and that was not a good thing for the Qing Kingdom.

After instructing Shi Yan to watch Shi Ran carefully, Su Mu dismissed everyone and stood with Gu Yunzhou beside the picturesque lake. Gu Yunzhou gifted him nine cities worth ten thousand deniers of grain and a hundred thousand taels of gold. Su Mu, who was quite broke right now, really couldn't think of how to thank him. Maybe give him that hundred thousand taels of gold? Although it was a bit painful, it was not good to take too much advantage of others. But, but, but that was a hundred thousand taels of gold after all!

How about he pay the debt with his body instead? Su Mu pondered secretly, and instantly the image of Gu Yunzhou's strong and powerful body appeared in his mind, and a layer of red blush stained his cheeks.

Standing on the shore and looking at the lake, Su Mu, who was calm on the outside but conflicted on the inside, and Gu Yunzhou, who seemed to be like a stone statue, looked very much like a painting from a distance. However, if one was to look at a closer distance, a strangeness could be felt in every part of the picture.

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The two stood together like two trees for more than an hour. Su Mu, who felt a little bored, coughed uncomfortably: "It's getting late, let's go back to have dinner together."

Of course, the focus was not on eating at all. As night fell, and the candlelight swayed, Su Mu clung tightly to the sheets under him, his face flushed and his legs spread open to welcome the fierce and tremble inducing thrusts.

"Gu Yunzhou....." Su Mu's eyes were misted over as he called the other's name, but instead of getting an answer for a response, a harder collision followed.