I am the villain in the book

East side of the execution ground, behind a half-closed wooden window.

Wei Changtian was not mistaken, Li Wutong was indeed in this house.

Moreover, Ning Yongnian was sitting on a wooden chair not far behind her, his eyelids slightly closed, his expression unusually calm.

Outside the house was deathly silence, the atmosphere inside was even more desperate and eerie to the extreme.

The death sentence proclaimed by the supervisor in the distance was only a few sentences away. If things continued like this, Li Qi would be beheaded in no more than a hundred breaths.

Although Li Wutong could not move or speak, her face was facing the execution ground.

She could clearly see everything that was happening on the execution ground... if she hadn't closed her eyes.

This kind of “escape” was a very normal reaction.

No matter how desperate, regretful, unwilling, or painful Li Wutong felt at this moment, she couldn't bear to watch Li Qi die in front of her.

Tears had long since dried, leaving only numbness.

If one word were to be used to describe this mood, it would definitely be “heart as dead ashes”.

Truly, heart as dead ashes...

“Whoosh!”

The snow that had not yet been cleared on the window lattice had not melted, and snowflakes began to fall again from the sky.

The white snow was beaten by the cold wind on Li Wutong's face, turning into tears after melting.

But she couldn't feel the cold anymore.

She lost her “benevolent” Empress Dowager, lost her identity as a “person”, lost her home and country, and was about to lose her own biological father...

Everything she cared about had left her. If there was anything that had not been completely lost, it should only be Wei Changtian.

No.

Perhaps even Wei Changtian, she had already lost...

“A woman as foolish as you is truly not worthy of Wei Changtian making such a big fuss.”

In a daze, a sentence flashed through her mind.

Li Wutong's body trembled involuntarily, and her breathing became rapid for a moment.

She seemed to be in extreme pain, so painful that she didn't want to continue living for even a second.

However, at this moment, a voice suddenly rang in her ear.

“Princess.”

“Tell me, do you think Wei Changtian might be hiding in the crowd right now?”

The person speaking was undoubtedly Ning Yongnian.

He had come to Li Wutong's side at some point, silently looking at the execution ground not far away.

As for his question just now, it was more like he was asking himself than asking Li Wutong.

When the great change occurred in the capital, Ning Yongnian guessed that Wei Changtian might come to Huailing.

After all, intelligence from Shu Prefecture indicated that the latter was no longer in Shuzhou City. Then, his destination could only be one of two possibilities: Huailing and the capital.

Therefore, Ning Yongnian initially wanted to spare Li Qi and Li Wutong's lives, so that they could be used as bargaining chips for possible negotiations later.

However, before Wei Changtian could show himself, he was already about to leave Huailing.

The situation in Da Ning could not be delayed. Ning Yongnian certainly could not continue to wait here and had to return as soon as possible.

But before leaving, he still wanted to try one last time.

“Princess, Wei Changtian left Shu Prefecture a few days ago, and his whereabouts are unknown since then.”

“Do you think it's possible that he actually came to Huailing?”

It was as if he was asking, and also as if he was talking to himself.

Ning Yongnian turned his head and glanced at Li Wutong, whose eyelashes were trembling slightly. After a pause, he continued:

“If he came to Huailing, then would he be hiding in the crowd right now, thinking of rescuing your father?”

“He has many tricks up his sleeve. If he really wants to save him, he may not have no chance.”

“Hmm... of course, doing so wouldn't do him any good.”

“But who can say for sure about this kind of thing?”

“...”

In less than ten sentences, Ning Yongnian used all sorts of “contradictory” expressions.

First, he guessed that Wei Changtian would come to save people, then he said he wouldn't, and finally he said, “Who can say for sure?”

But even so, Li Wutong still vaguely guessed what he wanted to do.

And Ning Yongnian's last few words also confirmed her guess.

“The hour has arrived! Execute the prisoner!”

The snowflakes outside the window grew larger, scattering the supervisor's last sentence.

Ning Yongnian smiled and pointed to Li Qi, who was kneeling in the snow in the distance, and slowly said:

“Princess, look, your father is about to die.”

“If Wei Changtian really came, then it would be too late if he didn't take action.”

“But that won't do... Why don't you persuade him?”

“As long as you can persuade Wei Changtian to come out, I can guarantee that your father will not die.”

“One person for one person, this is your last chance.”

“Think carefully, but don't think for too long...”

“...”

Along with the fall of the last sentence, Li Wutong's Lianquan acupoint was unlocked by Ning Yongnian.

And her tightly closed eyes suddenly widened at this moment.

Without a doubt, Ning Yongnian must have already laid a dragnet around the execution ground, waiting for Wei Changtian to show himself.

But Wei Changtian might not be in Huailing at all, or he might be there, but not planning to save Li Qi.

Therefore, Ning Yongnian wanted to use her to lure Wei Changtian to appear...

Li Wutong didn't know what the latter would do if she really “begged” Wei Changtian.

Perhaps Wei Changtian no longer cared about her at all, and therefore remained unmoved.

Or perhaps Wei Changtian would really risk his life for her...

Obviously, Ning Yongnian was betting on such a probability, betting that Wei Changtian was not only in Huailing, but also “unforgettable” of this woman, Li Wutong.

For him, it didn't matter even if he lost the bet, because he didn't pay any price at all.

But for Li Wutong, the two sides of such a gamble were the lives of Li Qi and Wei Changtian.

It even included the entire Da Feng.

After all, if Ning Yongnian really let Li Qi go, then Da Feng would also escape the fate of national subjugation.

Therefore...

Trembling, she looked at the figure in the center of the execution ground who was trying his best to straighten up, and her mouth slowly opened.

Li Wutong had no time to think about whether Ning Yongnian would fulfill his promise.

She just didn't want her father to die in front of her.

Was there anything wrong with that?

In the distance, the executioner had dragged his saber to Li Qi's back, slowly wiping the snowflakes that had fallen on the blade with his sleeve.

Tens of thousands of people knelt down slowly in patches, their foreheads pressed tightly to the ground, using this method of “not seeing” to express their last and most simple respect for Li Qi.

At this moment, the entire vegetable market, no, it should be said that the entire city of Huailing became extremely silent, with only the heavy snow, which had stopped for a day, falling again.

The snow fell silently, it was tragic, and it was desolate.

“...”

The ghost-headed saber reflected a dark light, obliquely raised high in the air.

But behind the half-closed wooden window, Ning Yongnian's figure was no longer visible.

When Li Wutong still hadn't uttered even a single word, he knew that the former would no longer speak.

If that was the case, then so be it...

Shaking his head, he glanced at Li Wutong's back, Ning Yongnian turned around and was about to leave.

However, at this moment, an extremely clear roar suddenly entered his ears.

Not only Ning Yongnian.

Including Li Wutong, who was in extreme pain but still gritted her teeth.

Including countless people kneeling on the ground, covered in white snow.

Including the executioner who was about to swing his saber and the thousands of elite soldiers around the execution ground.

In the vast snow, everyone heard a sentence at this moment—

“Grandpa! Do it!!!”