Chapter 11#
Kill That Emperor (11)#
With a clang, the brass candlestick hit the floor.
Murong Xiu seemed startled awake by the sound; his earlier relief vanished, replaced by sheer panic. He glanced at the outside of the hall in a fluster. The Regent King must not die. If he died, not only would the Regent’s men kill him, but those prince uncles of his would never tolerate him either.
Seeing no one enter, he stiffly turned his head to look at the Regent King lying on the beauty couch. The Regent was sprawled face down on the couch, the back of his head still bleeding.
“Is he… dead?”
Shen Jue, watching Murong Xiu who was clearly terrified, first helped him put his clothes back on, then supported him to sit on the other side of the couch.
“Your Majesty, don’t be afraid.”
Murong Xiu was frightened by the sudden turn of events tonight, and with the alcohol in him, he was slow to notice any change in Shen Jue. He even instinctively obeyed him. After calming Murong Xiu, Shen Jue went to check if the Regent King was alive. He reached under the Regent’s nose—still breathing.
“Your Majesty, the Regent King is alive.”
Shen Jue said softly.
Murong Xiu sighed in relief, but his relief didn’t last long before his heart rose again.
“Shen Jue, if he wakes up, we…”
The Regent King would not let them off.
Murong Xiu gritted his teeth, not daring to imagine the consequences.
Shen Jue’s expression remained calm. He walked over to Murong Xiu and crouched down. His face was still stained with the Regent’s blood, looking quite terrifying. “It was the Regent King who first offended Your Majesty. This has nothing to do with Your Majesty. The one who struck the blow was your servant. Your Majesty can simply hand me over when the time comes.”
“No.” Murong Xiu immediately retorted. “You were protecting me. I… I only have you by my side now.”
If not for Shen Jue tonight, he would have already been humiliated.
Murong Xiu turned his eyes to the unconscious Regent King, hatred flashing in them. Why did this man have to set his sights on him? He was a perfectly normal man. He was the Son of Heaven, not a plaything for the bed.
“But if Your Majesty doesn’t hand me over, the Regent King won’t let this go.” Shen Jue lowered his eyes. “It’s just that if I’m not here, there may be no one left to protect Your Majesty from now on.”
Hearing this, Murong Xiu couldn’t help clenching his fists, his nails almost digging into his flesh. “Why should I hand you over? The Regent King… he made the first move against me. I was merely defending myself.” Even as he said this, he felt ashamed. He was a grown man, yet he had to constantly worry about his chastity.
Even if he handed Shen Jue over this time, the Regent King wouldn’t let him go.
Thinking this, Murong Xiu suddenly grabbed Shen Jue’s hand. “Shen Jue, is there any way to make the Regent King lose interest in me?”
He was greatly frightened tonight and, in his desperation, clutched at Shen Jue as his lifeline.
Shen Jue glanced at Murong Xiu’s hand gripping his arm tightly. A flicker of amusement passed through his eyes. He raised his head slightly, gazing devoutly at the beauty before him, his voice extremely low. “Your Majesty, of course there is.”
Murong Xiu stared at the Shen Jue before him, momentarily stunned.
Why did he feel as if the person in front of him had changed? It was as if this was no longer Shen Jue, but a demon. The demon was gentle and considerate to him, soothing his restless soul, yet he felt the other was dangerous. It seemed that he had saved him from the abyss only to lead him into another abyss—one from which there was no escape.
Shen Jue paid no attention to Murong Xiu’s momentary daze. He continued, “What the Regent King loves is Your Majesty’s face. If Your Majesty no longer has that face, the Regent King will naturally stop pestering you.”
Murong Xiu’s eyes flickered. “Is… that so?”
Shen Jue said firmly, “Indeed. Has Your Majesty not noticed yet? The Regent King was originally inclined toward the Second Prince, but after seeing Your Majesty, he changed his mind, even disregarding his men’s objections. Your Majesty has never given the Regent King a kind look, yet he still clings to you. What part of Your Majesty do you think the Regent King likes?”
Murong Xiu frowned slightly, finding Shen Jue’s reasoning plausible.
The Regent King had taken a fancy to him only for his looks.
If he lost his looks, the Regent King would stop bothering him.
Yes, as long as he no longer had this face, all would be well. He would no longer have to worry about his chastity.
Murong Xiu’s expression gradually changed. The way he looked at Shen Jue turned frenzied. “You’re right. I’m a man. Why should I care about appearance? Without this face, I can continue to be the Son of Heaven, not a mere plaything.”
He didn’t want to be looked at with that kind of eyes anymore.
“Shen Jue, what should I do? How can I ruin this face?” Murong Xiu asked urgently.
Shen Jue turned his hand over, gripping Murong Xiu’s hand in return, and patted it reassuringly. He said gently, “If Your Majesty trusts your servant, let me do it. But it will hurt a little.”
Murong Xiu laughed. “I’m not afraid of pain. Go ahead. I trust you.”
Looking at Murong Xiu like this, Shen Jue felt like laughing out loud.
How foolish. Yet for this foolish Murong Xiu, he had paid the price for several lifetimes.
What his senior brother called love was utterly meaningless.
Shen Jue stood up and walked over to Murong Xiu’s crown—the imperial headdress. He glanced at it, then pulled out the golden hairpin from the crown. Holding the hairpin in his hand, he curled his lips in satisfaction.
Shen Jue still had some consideration for Murong Xiu’s body, so he used a candle to heat the tip of the hairpin.
When Murong Xiu saw Shen Jue approaching with the golden hairpin, he was momentarily at a loss.
Shen Jue turned his palm upward, revealing the golden hairpin—the one Murong Xiu usually used to fasten his hair.
“Your Majesty, your servant will use this hairpin from the crown to ruin Your Majesty’s face. It is still not too late for Your Majesty to back out now,” he said softly. “But the Regent King will not give up easily.”
Murong Xiu looked at the golden hairpin, his lips trembling slightly. Many emotions flashed through his eyes, but in the end, only one remained. He looked at Shen Jue with determination and stubbornness. “Do it. I want to be the Son of Heaven.”
Hearing this, Shen Jue raised his hand. His hand gently touched Murong Xiu’s face.
He had adored this face for several lifetimes. Now, he would destroy it with his own hands.
“No matter what Your Majesty becomes, your servant will remain loyal to you. In this life, your servant will serve only one master, Your Majesty. If I break this oath, may I be ground to dust and annihilated, body and soul.” Shen Jue said each word clearly, lifting his right hand that held the golden hairpin.
Murong Xiu caught a glimpse of the hairpin from the corner of his eye. His long lashes trembled, and then he slowly closed his eyes.
He trusted Shen Jue. Shen Jue would not deceive him.
Shen Jue pursed his lips in a smile, the corners of his eyes turning red. When his smile faded, his eyes were left only with a murderous intent. He raised his hand and, aiming at Murong Xiu’s face, slashed down heavily. Murong Xiu screamed. Shen Jue pressed forward, firmly holding Murong Xiu down. “Your Majesty, don’t be afraid.”
His voice was so gentle, but if Murong Xiu had opened his eyes at that moment, he would have seen that Shen Jue’s gaze was truly no different from that of a vengeful ghost.
Shen Jue was no longer the immortal he once was.
Now, he was more like a demon wearing human skin.
Shen Jue licked the blood that had splashed onto his lips and continued to carve the second line into Murong Xiu’s face.
Murong Xiu trembled all over from the pain and even began to whisper Shen Jue’s name.
“Your Majesty, your servant is here.” Shen Jue soothed him as he slowly destroyed that beautiful face before him.
Since heaven did not want him to be an immortal, he would become a demon.
Shen Jue now had nothing left but a heart set on revenge.
The pain he had suffered, he would repay tenfold, a hundredfold, a thousandfold.
Murong Xiu cried out in pain, tears mingling with the blood all over his face, a truly miserable sight. Seeing this, Shen Jue threw aside the hairpin and embraced the pitiful beauty with pity, comforting him gently. “Your Majesty, it’s over. It’s passed.”
“It hurts, Shen Jue. It hurts so much.” Murong Xiu couldn’t even open his eyes; they were completely sealed shut with blood.
The pain made him forget his royal self-title.
Shen Jue patted him lightly on the back, his voice drifting as if from far away.
“Your servant will be with Your Majesty, always.”
So please, fall in love with me quickly.
Because I can’t wait to take you to hell.