Ning Chen looked Kang Chengren over. "You're a member of the Nanyue royal family?"

Kang Chengren answered with a question of his own. "You're Ning Chen?"

Lei An kicked him to the ground. "Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you call my lord prince by his name!"

Kang Chengren glared at him. "Kill me or carve me up, as you please. But don't think you can humiliate me."

Ning Chen found that hilarious.

He couldn't resist a jab. "A beaten general, and it looks like you still don't get where you stand."

Two Ning'an Army soldiers had him pinned on his knees in front of Ning Chen, but Kang Chengren lifted his head proudly and declared without a shred of shame, "Victory and defeat are all in a day's work for a soldier. One battle won or lost doesn't decide who's a hero."

Ning Chen was tickled all over again.

He waved a hand. "So you're saying you're not afraid to die?"

Kang Chengren raised his chin haughtily. "What joy is there in living, and what is there to fear in dying? No man of Nanyue fears death, and any man who fears death is no man of Nanyue!"

Ning Chen's mouth twitched. "You've got a fancy line for everything. What are you doing, cramming for grad school exams?

Still, this prince admires your courage in the face of death. So this prince will give you..."

Kang Chengren looked up expectantly, and Ning Chen coldly finished, "...a quick death!"

Kang Chengren's face froze. He was dumbstruck.

He'd thought Ning Chen was going to give him a chance. Instead, he was getting a quick death.

Ning Chen flicked his hand. "Lei An, drag him out and kill him!"

"Yes!" Lei An bowed to take the order, then waved to his men. "Drag him out."

The Ning'an Army soldiers were about to haul him away when Kang Chengren's head, held so high until now, suddenly dropped. His eyes went red, and he burst out wailing.

He bawled, snot and tears everywhere, until even Ning Chen just stared.

Kang…