Chapter 34#

Kill That Emperor (34)#

After Murong Xiu left, Shen Jue pulled his clothes back up. He sat on the edge of the bed for a while, then went to the wardrobe and fished out an outer garment that was barely decent enough to be seen. After putting it on, he walked to the door.

The moment he opened the door, the two men stationed outside turned their heads to look at him.

Shen Jue’s gaze turned cold. “I want to go out. Are you going to stop me?”

The two exchanged a glance, and then the one with a paler face said, “If the young master wishes to take a stroll within the palace grounds, the two of us may follow behind.”

“Whatever.” Shen Jue tossed out the two words indifferently and strode out of the room.

He had been cooped up in this room for over a month. Now that Murong Xiu had finally left, he wanted to take a walk outside.

As he walked, Shen Jue unexpectedly caught sight of Feng Qingbao.

Feng Qingbao had not noticed him. Dressed in a dark ink-colored eunuch’s robe, he was speaking to a palace maid in front of him. After a moment, he reached into his sleeve and pulled out an object, handing it to the maid. The maid’s face immediately flushed red. She quickly took Feng Qingbao’s gift, turned around, and ran off.

After the maid left, Feng Qingbao still stood there, staring blankly in the direction she had gone.

Shen Jue watched this scene from behind a clump of flowers and couldn’t help but smile. It seemed that in this life, Feng Qingbao was doing all right.

Just as Shen Jue was about to turn and leave, Feng Qingbao seemed to sense someone watching him and suddenly looked back. When he saw Shen Jue, he was clearly startled, as if trying to figure out who Shen Jue was.

Shen Jue did not react much to having been spotted by Feng Qingbao. He simply turned and left.

Seeing that Shen Jue was leaving, Feng Qingbao unconsciously took a step in his direction. But as soon as he moved, he got a clear look at the two men following behind Shen Jue.

Those were the trusted confidants of the Sixth Prince, Murong Xiu—men who must not be offended. It was said they were ruthless killers.

Feng Qingbao had no choice but to stop.

After Shen Jue had wandered a bit more, Murong Xiu appeared. He strode toward Shen Jue with large steps. The two men behind Shen Jue immediately stepped away, and by the time Murong Xiu reached Shen Jue, only the two of them remained nearby.

Now that Shen Jue had completely fallen out with Murong Xiu, he didn’t even bother with a greeting, let alone any expression. Murong Xiu seemed to be in a bad mood. His eyes were dark and sinister as he looked at Shen Jue, but after a moment, he broke into a smile.

He grabbed Shen Jue’s hand, his tone gentle. “You must be bored staying here. I’ll take you out for a walk.”

Shen Jue looked at Murong Xiu, sensing that something had happened. “Where to?”

Murong Xiu’s expression remained unchanged. “I’m about to launch a campaign against the Yong Kingdom. But I’m not at ease leaving you alone in the capital, so you’ll come with me.”

Shen Jue hadn’t expected that Murong Xiu, who had just allied with the Yong Kingdom a short while ago, would suddenly turn around and attack. Moreover, although Murong Xiu was smiling now, there was no joy in his eyes. This suggested that he wasn’t attacking of his own free will but was compelled to do so.

Shen Jue couldn’t help but think of Ni Xinyan, who was in the Yong Kingdom.

Ni Xinyan was the kind of man who would risk everything for a chance at survival. He had managed it in previous lifetimes, so perhaps he would manage this time as well.

After Murong Xiu told Shen Jue that they were going to attack the Yong Kingdom, he immediately ordered their belongings to be packed. Within just three days, Murong Xiu set out with Shen Jue toward the border between the two kingdoms. During the journey, Shen Jue was forced to eat and sleep with Murong Xiu. Murong Xiu made no effort to hide his closeness to Shen Jue in front of others. But if anyone so much as glanced at Shen Jue, Murong Xiu would glare at them as if he wanted to tear them apart.

As time went on, the hearts of all the males in the army shattered into countless pieces.

They believed that the Sixth Prince, Murong Xiu, was like the bright moon in the sky. But not only had that bright moon descended to earth, it had also set its sights on an ordinary youth who had no apparent merits and was always scowling at him.

Heartbroken. Absolutely heartbroken.

Murong Xiu didn’t care what others thought. His mind was entirely on Shen Jue. And Shen Jue, the object of his thoughts, was thinking about when he could kill Murong Xiu.

He lay on his back on the soft couch inside the carriage, frowning in irritation. After a moment, he sucked in a sharp breath, reached out angrily, grabbed the hair of the person on top of him, and forcibly pulled the man’s face away from his chest. “Are you done or not?”

Murong Xiu’s lips were red and moist, a watery sheen in his eyes. He slowly licked his lips with a red tongue. “Not done. You promised yesterday: if I slept outside the carriage last night, you’d let me do whatever I wanted.”

Mentioning the previous night only made the anger in Shen Jue’s eyes burn stronger.

Last night, he had already fallen asleep when he was suddenly awakened by the man beside him touching him. Murong Xiu was like a giant dog, suddenly pressing down on him, both hands wreaking havoc. Annoyed beyond measure, Shen Jue tried to kick him off, but they ended up fighting in the carriage. Shen Jue couldn’t win, and was left gasping for breath, most of his clothes removed.

Seeing Murong Xiu smiling and leaning in to kiss him, Shen Jue grew both irritated and furious. Throughout this entire journey, he had barely had a single good night’s sleep. Now, as a mortal, sleep deprivation was making his temper flare. He loathed Murong Xiu even more, but he knew he couldn’t defeat him in a fight, so he had to lower his voice and negotiate.

That was how they had arrived at this situation.

Shen Jue pushed Murong Xiu away and sat up. He pulled his sleeve, which had slipped to his elbow, back onto his shoulder, then lowered his head to arrange his clothes.

Murong Xiu watched Shen Jue lower his eyes to straighten his clothes, finding him both pitiful and adorable. He chuckled softly and leaned in again, plastering himself against Shen Jue. “What’s the point of putting them on now? You’ll have to take them off again soon.”

Shen Jue’s hand, which was fastening his belt, suddenly stopped. He lifted his eyes and stared coldly at Murong Xiu.

Murong Xiu had been smiling, but when he saw that look in Shen Jue’s eyes, the mirth gradually faded.

They stared silently at each other for a while, but in the end, it was Murong Xiu who looked away first. He got up and moved to the other side of the carriage. As soon as he left, Shen Jue continued to fasten his clothes. But the discomfort in his chest was hard to ignore.

Frowning, Shen Jue wanted to rub the area but didn’t want Murong Xiu to see, so he just sat stiff-faced.

That night, the army made camp.

After dinner, Shen Jue went to a nearby stream. He had been uncomfortable all day and had barely managed to endure until now. Just as he was about to take off his clothes, he turned his head and looked at Murong Xiu, who was not far away.

Murong Xiu was watching him calmly, seemingly unaware that he was intruding.

Shen Jue’s expression turned ugly. “I want to bathe.”

“Go ahead, bathe,” Murong Xiu said.

Shen Jue gritted his teeth. Seeing that Murong Xiu wasn’t leaving, he had no choice but to turn around and continue taking off his clothes.

The moon was bright that night. When Murong Xiu saw the slender body illuminated by moonlight, his eyes gradually darkened. And when he saw the young man carefully cupping water to wash the places he had been freely savoring during the day, his breathing grew heavier.

He let out a long, soft sigh. But after a moment, he still walked step by step toward the young man in the stream.

“Let… let go.” The young man’s angry voice reached his ears.

Murong Xiu acted as if he hadn’t heard.

“Murong Xiu!” The young man’s voice carried a note of undeniable shame.

Water splashed everywhere. Moonlight poured like water onto the bodies of the two in the stream.

Shen Jue kicked the other man to the ground and struggled to climb out of the water. But as soon as he stood up, the man grabbed his ankle and dragged him back into the water. Murong Xiu’s long hair spread out in the water, his face appearing even more delicate, like a seductive water sprite.

That water sprite clung to an unwary traveler.

…

That night, Shen Jue fell into a deep, exhausted sleep. Murong Xiu wasn’t much better off. He sat outside the carriage, carefully dabbing medicine on a bruise on his lip—one Shen Jue had given him—while looking into a bronze mirror. He didn’t even dare apply the medicine inside the carriage, afraid that the strong smell would wake the other man.

The male soldiers in the army who were still awake saw Murong Xiu applying medicine and felt their hearts shatter once more.

A beauty applying medicine in front of a mirror—what a pitiful sight! And the culprit was fast asleep, snoring away. How outrageous!

They traveled for over a month before finally reaching the border between the two kingdoms. The city that had once been sacked had become part of Yong territory, and Murong Xiu’s army set up camp in Yongle City, the closest one to that city.

When the local officials heard that Murong Xiu was personally leading the campaign, they had already vacated their own mansion for him to stay in.

After arriving in Yongle City, Murong Xiu became unexpectedly busy. Shen Jue only saw him at night. Eventually, some nights Murong Xiu didn’t even come back, but he still left men to watch over Shen Jue.

One day, Shen Jue was asleep when he heard a strange noise outside the bed curtains. He opened his eyes drowsily, thinking Murong Xiu had returned. But when the bed curtain was lifted, he realized it wasn’t Murong Xiu.

The newcomer wore a golden mask, his gaze heavy as he stared at Shen Jue on the bed.

Shen Jue’s sleep-muddled mind instantly cleared. He stared at the man for a long moment, then sat up in bed. “Ni Xinyan?”

The man didn’t answer the question. Instead, he suddenly reached out and grabbed Shen Jue. He directly sealed Shen Jue’s acupoints, then hoisted him onto his shoulder. Though Shen Jue couldn’t move, he was fully conscious. He was carried out of the room, and the guards who had been watching him were already lying on the ground, their condition unknown.

The man carrying Shen Jue was extremely skilled in martial arts. Even with Shen Jue on his shoulder, he could leap over roofs and walls.

In the end, Shen Jue was taken to a dilapidated temple in the city. The man gently set Shen Jue down on the ground, then undid his acupoints.

Shen Jue moved his body a little before standing up. He looked at the man suspiciously. “Are you Ni Xinyan?”

The man was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly. “Once the city gates open, I’ll take you out.”

Shen Jue hadn’t expected Ni Xinyan to want to take him away. He frowned. If he left, would he still be able to kill Murong Xiu? But staying here didn’t seem to serve any purpose either. Just as Shen Jue was pondering what to do, Ni Xinyan suddenly said, “You don’t want to leave?”

Shen Jue looked at him. “I’m just thinking about whether I should go or not.”

Ni Xinyan’s gaze turned cold. “Is that something that needs consideration?” His eyes fell on Shen Jue’s collar. During the trip over, Shen Jue’s collar had come slightly loose. He could see the dark marks beneath it, and the hand hidden in his sleeve clenched tightly.

Shen Jue didn’t notice Ni Xinyan’s gaze. He turned his face slightly, unwilling to tell Ni Xinyan his concerns.

Seeing that Shen Jue was avoiding the subject, Ni Xinyan grew angry. He had gone to great lengths to sneak into Yongle City, risking his life to do so. But the person he had saved seemed not to care about him at all—maybe even didn’t want to leave.

Ni Xinyan remembered the way Shen Jue had left that day.

Shen Jue hadn’t hesitated at all. He had simply gone with Murong Xiu.

Ni Xinyan suddenly strode over to Shen Jue, grabbing his shoulders. “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for that Murong Xiu? Is it because you think he’s good-looking?”

Hearing this, Shen Jue frowned, not understanding why Ni Xinyan was saying such unreasonable things. “No, I haven’t.”

“Then come with me. I’ll make sure Murong Xiu never sees you again,” Ni Xinyan said.

“No!” Shen Jue retorted directly. If Murong Xiu couldn’t see him, how would he ever kill him?

Ni Xinyan gritted his teeth. Suddenly, he reached out and yanked open Shen Jue’s collar. When he saw the sight beneath the clothes, his pupils constricted. “You don’t want to leave—is it because of this? If you’re craving a man’s attention, then I’ll do it myself.”