Chapter 23#
Down with the Emperor (23)#
Murong Xiu kept Shen Jue under tight watch, barely allowing him to leave his sight. If Shen Jue didn’t appear before him for an extended period, he would send someone to find him. This made the Regent King’s movements somewhat constrained, so he endured until the night of New Year’s Eve, taking advantage of Murong Xiu’s drunkenness to have Liang Rong lure the man out.
Shen Jue had barely stepped out of Murong Xiu’s palace when he was knocked unconscious. When he woke again, he found himself bound to a bed.
A charcoal fire burned in the room. Shen Jue could even hear the crisp “crackling” of the flames clearly. He struggled against his restraints, only to find them tied so tightly that he had no room to move at all.
He wasn’t particularly surprised to be bound. The Regent King was a man who held grudges and never let anyone off easily—especially not Shen Jue, who had killed two of his capable subordinates.
After waking, Shen Jue began to observe his surroundings. Unfortunately, the bed he lay on had heavy curtains that, once drawn, completely blocked the view outside. The wind outside seemed fierce, howling against the windows.
Some time passed before someone pushed the door open and entered.
Shen Jue heard the sounds of the door opening and closing, but almost no footsteps. Whoever had entered was clearly a trained martial artist. He stared at the direction of the bed curtains, waiting for the person to approach. Though he tried to stay calm, he wasn’t entirely at ease. Murong Xiu had drunk a hangover remedy before retiring, but there was no guarantee when he would wake. If the Regent King killed him first, everything he had worked for would be ruined, and he would have to start all over again from scratch.
But to gain Murong Xiu’s genuine heart, he had to gamble.
What Murong Xiu was giving him now was far from enough.
Whoever entered seemed to have plenty of patience. After a long while, Shen Jue finally heard a sound—it seemed someone had turned over a porcelain cup on the table, the cup landing with a clear clink.
Then came the sound of water pouring into the cup.
Unable to see what was happening outside, these noises became especially acute.
Shen Jue listened intently.
The sound of water stopped.
A moment later, Shen Jue saw a faint silhouette appear through the bed curtains.
The figure stood before the bed for a moment before reaching out to part the curtains. Behind them emerged a handsome, resolute face.
It was the Regent King.
Dressed in a dark ink-colored robe, the Regent King held a cup in his hand. A faint smirk curled at the corner of his lips, mocking and contemptuous, as he looked at Shen Jue bound on the bed. In his eyes, Shen Jue, tied up like this, resembled a hedgehog—forced to reveal its soft white belly while still futilely bristling with spines.
He shook his head lightly and, under Shen Jue’s indignant gaze, sat down on the edge of the bed. “I didn’t expect you to care so much about that little eunuch. Liang Rong said you two were… what do they call it? A companionate marriage. Yes, that’s it. Is it true?”
After asking, the Regent King received no answer. He turned to look at Shen Jue, only to find the grimy hedgehog glaring back at him with bared teeth. The Regent King couldn’t help but click his tongue. “Utterly hideous.”
No matter how he looked at it, the other man was simply ugly. He really couldn’t understand what Murong Xiu saw in him.
The Regent King reached out and grabbed Shen Jue’s chin. With just a bit of force, he made Shen Jue feel as if his jawbone might shatter. The pain made him furrow his brows, but he clenched his teeth stubbornly, refusing to make a weak sound.
“Speak. Otherwise, I’ll crush your jaw. Already ugly enough, and once it’s broken, you won’t even be able to show your face to anyone,” the Regent King said, the threat laced with a smile still lingering on his lips.
As if to prove his words, he tightened his grip. Shen Jue, an ordinary man, couldn’t bear the pain—he sucked in a sharp breath, tears nearly springing to his eyes. But still, he refused to speak, only glaring at the Regent King in fury.
The Regent King studied Shen Jue, the smile on his lips fading slightly. “I almost forgot. You’ve survived my hands several times now. Why would you fear a little pain like this?” He withdrew his hand and spoke in a leisurely tone. “How did you kill Dao and Zhan? If you don’t answer me honestly, I’ll start by killing Feng Qingbao. I’ll slice off his flesh piece by piece and feed it to you.”
Hearing this, Shen Jue pressed his lips together before finally speaking. “I poisoned them.”
“What poison?” the Regent King asked.
Shen Jue briefly described the poison’s formula, then added, “I don’t have any on me right now. Don’t hurt Feng Qingbao.”
The Regent King eyed him suspiciously. “I’ve never heard of such a poison. Are you trying to fool me?”
Shen Jue said, “Believe it or not.”
After a moment’s thought, the Regent King stood and walked out. Watching him leave, Shen Jue moved his jaw slightly. He suspected his jawbone might really have been fractured—it hurt terribly.
The Regent King returned not long after. He gave Shen Jue a genial smile. “I’ve already ordered someone to concoct that poison. We’ll test it on you soon. What do you think?”
Shen Jue guessed the Regent King wouldn’t let him off tonight. His only hope now was Murong Xiu—that the emperor would wake up soon and realize he was missing. Successfully brewing the poison would take some time, so Shen Jue was safe for the short term. Thus, he decided to ignore the Regent King and instead turned his head to look beyond the bed.
Unfortunately, a six-panel screen stood before the bed. Otherwise, he might have tried to see the window and wondered whether it was snowing tonight.
He had died on a snowy day in several past lives.
Lately, he had been wondering why it hadn’t snowed yet. By year’s end, even the lake had frozen over, but still no snow fell.
“What are you looking at?” the Regent King asked abruptly.
Shen Jue didn’t look at him and didn’t speak.
Never had the Regent King been so thoroughly ignored—not even Murong Xiu would dare act this way in his presence. Anger flared within him, and he no longer wanted to wait for the poison to be ready before punishing the man. Slowly, he walked to the wall, where a whip hung. The whip was covered in barbs, gleaming coldly in the candlelight like a venomous snake bristling with spikes.
The Regent King smiled gently, admiring the whip in his hand, then gave it a crack through the air. The sound seemed capable of splitting heaven and earth—sharp enough to send chills down anyone’s spine.
Shen Jue stared at the whip, which looked all too familiar. The slight smile on his lips froze.
It was this whip. He had died under it several times before. When he was nearly breathless, he had been thrown into the snow like trash, exhaling his last breath in the blizzard.
The Regent King looked satisfied as he admired his precious whip. He slowly approached Shen Jue. “I didn’t want to use this treasure on you. But I’ve changed my mind. Though you’re ugly, your skin looks decent enough. I was quite pleased with the welts from last time. I hope you’ll satisfy me again this time.”
Hearing this, Shen Jue suddenly smirked. Looking at the Regent King, his eyes filled with sarcasm. “Regent King, besides beating and punishing people, what else can you do? Do you know why His Majesty doesn’t like you?”
The Regent King’s expression gradually chilled. He tightened his grip on the whip but kept his tone mild. “Oh? And why is that?”
“Because His Majesty knows exactly what kind of person you are. Even when you smile, you’re thinking of tearing the person before you to pieces. Even when you look at His Majesty, you fantasize about him bleeding pitifully.” Shen Jue let out a low laugh. “Tell me, how could anyone in this world love someone like you? Even Minister You Congxuan only submits to you because he has no choice.”
“Is that so? I had no idea,” the Regent King said, the smile vanishing completely from his face.
Shen Jue looked up at him, his expression haughty. “Stop deceiving yourself, Your Highness. Just think—who in this world isn’t afraid of you? Who treats you sincerely, without caring about your power?”
“Shut up!” The Regent King, finally pushed to his breaking point, trembled with rage. “You’re nothing but a eunuch, an ant! How dare you presume to judge me? Do you really think Murong Xiu can protect you? Tonight, even if Murong Xiu himself comes, I, Ni Xinyan, will kill you.”
Shen Jue met his gaze, his arrogance unwavering. “Then kill me, Your Highness. As you said, this slave’s life is worthless. But if my death makes His Majesty see you for what you truly are, then it will be worth it.”
The Regent King let out a sharp laugh and suddenly lashed the whip at Shen Jue. The first strike hit his face, carving a bloody wound from brow to jaw. Before Shen Jue could even cry out in pain, the Regent King struck a second time—this one landing three inches below his abdomen.
Even Shen Jue, who was used to pain, turned pale and broke into a sweat. He nearly bit through his own lip from the agony. The pain was excruciating, bone-deep. No matter how many times he endured it, he could never get used to it.
In the depths of his suffering, Shen Jue vaguely saw his master, Patriarch Crimson Flame. The old man looked at him with deep worry, his mouth opening and closing as if urgently trying to say something.
If he had never gone to the Peach Banquet, would he still have to suffer like this?
If he had given in to the Heavenly Emperor’s youngest son…
No. Why should he?
He would never accept his fate. Even if he had to do it a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times over, he would still strike at that son of the Heavenly Emperor. His only regret was that he hadn’t been ruthless enough last time—hadn’t killed him outright.
Shen Jue’s eyes suddenly cleared. Weary, he licked the blood from his lips and spoke in a faint voice. “Is that all Your Highness has? This slave barely felt a thing.”
The Regent King’s face darkened terribly at the sight of the man before him. He had thought that after two lashes, Shen Jue would beg for mercy, but instead, his mouth remained just as stubborn. Enraged past reason, the Regent King hurled the whip to the floor. “I don’t believe this.”
He stepped forward, sat on the edge of the bed, and began tearing at Shen Jue’s belt.
Shen Jue was too weak to resist. He cast a lazy glance at the Regent King, then turned his face away and asked a completely irrelevant question.
“Is it snowing outside?”
The Regent King tossed Shen Jue’s belt to the ground and answered coldly, “Yes.”
Shen Jue suddenly smiled softly. “So I still lost.”
The Regent King paused. He looked at Shen Jue. “What did you say?”
Shen Jue turned his gaze back to him. “And what does Your Highness intend to do now?”
The Regent King sneered. “Don’t you still have something left down there? I wonder what would happen if I cut it off.”
“I’d die, probably,” Shen Jue said, his tone suddenly brightening. His eyes curved like crescent moons. “Your Highness, do you know what His Majesty likes about this slave?”
Half of his face was nearly covered in blood, but that smile made the Regent King pause. He felt as if he’d lost his mind—Shen Jue somehow looked eerily alluring when he smiled. No, not alluring—seductive, like a demon luring people into the abyss.
Such beings didn’t need beautiful faces. A single glance, a single laugh, was enough to ensnare a person’s soul.
“Likes what?” The Regent King knew he shouldn’t ask, but he did anyway.
The amusement in Shen Jue’s eyes deepened. He looked at the Regent King as if at an obedient child. “Come closer, and I’ll tell you.”
The Regent King’s gaze flickered. After a moment, he leaned down, bringing his face close to Shen Jue’s. So near, he could almost smell the blood on the other man’s skin. Shen Jue watched the lowered head and smiled again. He tilted his head, straining to reach the Regent King’s ear. “His Majesty likes this slave…”
He opened his mouth and bit down hard on the Regent King’s ear.
The Regent King cried out in pain as a searing agony shot through his ear. Furious and humiliated, he grabbed Shen Jue by the throat. But Shen Jue clamped down on his ear with all his strength, refusing to let go. Terrified that his ear would be bitten off, the Regent King could only hold still.
Even then, the smile in Shen Jue’s eyes didn’t fade. It only grew stronger. After a moment, he released the bite and instead gently held the ear, whispering in the Regent King’s ear, “His Majesty likes this slave’s ruthlessness. Do you understand now, Your Highness?”
The Regent King frowned at him, momentarily forgetting the pain in his ear. And in the next second, the door burst open.