Concealment
In the Star Palace, Feng Yi wore a light blue robe with wide sleeves, adorned with patterns of ink orchids and embroidered with the twenty-eight constellations on the back, which was the spring attire of the Star Palace. He sat cross-legged behind a small table made of rosewood, tossing copper coins while saying, “Old ancestor, you originally said half a year, but now it’s been more than a year. You see, Youzhou has already been captured, why hasn’t the rebellion in the ghost realm been quelled yet?”
The woman in red sitting in front of his table slowly raised her eyes, surrounded by a ghostly aura. Under her black eyelashes, a pair of entirely black eyes resembled the bottomless night sky.
For the past year, every time Feng Yi saw He Simu, her eyes were completely black. She didn’t suppress the ghostly aura on her body, allowing the eerie and oppressive atmosphere to linger around her. Just getting close to her would make one feel suffocated by this powerful force.
The old ancestor was truly powerful.
Originally, Feng Yi was nervous when he learned that the old ancestor had lost the Ghost King Lamp, thinking that she was going to lose. However, the old ancestor just said to him, “Keep an eye on Duan Shunxi, and I will never lose.” And the current situation was indeed as she said. Both sides were deadlocked, and Yan Ke was gradually losing ground. Yan Ke had clearly obtained the Ghost King Lamp, but for some reason, he couldn’t increase his power and suppress the other ghosts. He could only use the Ghost King Lamp as a banner to incite the indecisive palace lords.
“The Ba Ghost Lord and the Kui Ghost Lord have been restless lately. Be wary of Fengzhou and Shouzhou,” He Simu remarked calmly.
“Is there a new battlefield? The old ancestor is busy dealing with the rebellion in the ghost realm while protecting the human realm. It’s really hard work,” Feng Yi remarked.
He suddenly teased, “So, are you really not going to meet Duan Shunxi?”
In He Simu’s gaze, which was as sharp as a knife, he raised his hands and said, “I’m just asking. I promised to pass on a message for him, so there should be a result. And you asked me to find someone to protect him but then told me not to mention him. It doesn’t make sense at all.”
After a pause, Feng Yi lowered his hand and said seriously, “By the way, the last time I saw him, he didn’t seem to be in good health.”
He Simu’s eyes flickered slightly, and the inscrutable emotions in her pure black eyes remained hidden as she stood up, looked down at Feng Yi, and smiled faintly. “It seems you are still too idle, worrying about such matters.”
With that, she disappeared cleanly without saying another word.
Feng Yi looked at the empty room, sighed deeply with his chin in his hand. He didn’t even have the title of a matchmaker, but he performed his duties diligently in matchmaking affairs. Next time he went to the Southern Capital, he must treat Duan Shunxi well.
The pearl curtain in the room rustled, and Ziji came over with medicine, sitting beside him and saying simply, “It’s time to take your medicine.”
Feng Yi sighed, “Ziji, in this world, there will never be another perfect Ghost King like the old ancestor, right?”
Ziji thought carefully for a moment, then nodded.
Feng Yi’s fingers tapped on the table, his thin and sickly appearance contrasted with his bright eyes, and his entire vitality seemed to hinge on that single glimmer. He seemed to suddenly feel sentimental, wanting to expound at length.
“To use the evil lord without a predestined fate to restrain the evil born of deep desires, to use the short lifespan to restrain the powerful curse of the baleful star. Everything in this world is meticulously designed in advance, intricately linked to ensure smooth operation. Ziji, do you think this is good?”
Ziji’s beautiful face rarely showed any expression. Her deep eyes blinked as she replied, “As you said, the world operates smoothly.”
Feng Yi burst into laughter, suddenly leaning closer to Ziji, looking into her eyes as he spoke slowly, “So, are we all just tools with no chance of choice? You’ve been in the human world for so long, do you still think this way?”
Facing Feng Yi’s scrutiny, Ziji finally lowered her gaze, pushing the medicine towards Feng Yi in a soft voice, “Drink your medicine.”
After looking at her for a moment, Feng Yi returned to his usual carefree demeanour.
“You know that taking medicine is useless for me, so you might as well go back early.”
With that said, he still picked up the bowl of medicine and finished it in one gulp.
Last time, Duan Shunxi returned to the court as one of the generals following General Qin. This time, he was summoned back to the Southern Capital, now sitting as a marshal with heavy troops under his command.
Originally, Shi Biao was reluctant to come back. He was solely focused on the messages and decrees ignored by the old emperor, feeling that once he returned to the Southern Capital, it would be equivalent to losing his head. However, he couldn’t dissuade Duan Shunxi from returning, and thinking of his vow “I will never let General Duan lose his head while mine is still on my neck,” he gritted his teeth and decided to come back with him.
On the way back, Shi Biao was nervous, even Chenying couldn’t bear it and often tried to comfort him with jokes, but Shi Biao would always bring the topic back.
“We’re damn near the Huqi King’s palace, just one final push to capture the capital and wipe out those bastards, but right at this crucial moment, they call us back for a ceasefire. Danzhi wants peace talks? What peace talks? What capabilities do they still have?”
Duan Shunxi smiled but remained silent.
In his opinion, Danzhi’s remaining capabilities were not important. What mattered was what the new emperor of the Southern Capital was plotting.
After experiencing the upheavals of war, the Southern Capital quickly rebuilt after the new emperor ascended the throne, restoring its former lively scene and even adding many new buildings. Amidst the familiar yet unfamiliar Southern Capital, Duan Shunxi received warm greetings and hospitality from the new emperor. After attending various welcoming banquets, receiving rewards for his merits, and participating in secret discussions at court, Duan Shunxi understood what the emperor was plotting.
“The emperor has just ascended the throne at a young age and naturally wants to defeat Danzhi, achieve great feats, and leave his name in history. However, he hopes that the one leading the army to destroy Danzhi is not me.”
Duan Shunxi sat in night robes at Fang Xianye’s residence, leisurely sipping his tea as he spoke.
“My father was aligned with Duke Du’s faction, previously supporting the Crown Prince. Seeing the conflict between the Emperor and the Crown Prince escalate to bloodshed in the palace, he naturally has a thousand and one concerns about me. He wouldn’t want me to capture the capital and add the glory of defeating Danzhi to my achievements. But now, with my recent contributions in the northern regions, he has to treat me with respect on the surface.”
Having not seen each other for over a year, Fang Xianye had become more melancholic. He lowered his gaze, toying with his teacup, his brows furrowed with worries. He looked up at Duan Shunxi and asked, “So, do you still plan to return to the frontline?”
Duan Shunxi smiled, “Of course. Those chariots, battle strategies, and soldiers have been honed with me for years. With someone else leading, the effectiveness would be greatly diminished.”
Then, pointing to the north, he continued, “Does he think those Huqi people up north are sincerely seeking peace? I know them too well; they would fight to the last man, never surrendering easily. This is probably just a temporary tactic.”
“It’s because you’re too independent. Both the late Emperor and the current one can’t trust you.” Watching Duan Shunxi’s relaxed demeanour, Fang Xianye couldn’t help raising his voice, “Your position in the army is irreplaceable. Is that army yours or the Emperor’s? The Southern Capital is in chaos, while you have food, soldiers, and armour on the northern bank, fighting your own battles independently. You don’t need to rely on the court at all. Then how does the court control you?”
Duan Shunxi looked at Fang Xianye somewhat puzzled, not quite understanding why he was so angry, showing a perplexed expression.
Realizing his slip of the tongue, Fang Xianye rubbed his temples and said, “You… you should keep your edge hidden. Don’t reveal it like this.”
Duan Shunxi chuckled, leaning on the table, chin in hand, and said lightly, “There’s a saying that a general with the ability but not under the ruler’s command will win. Do they understand the military situation? Why should I listen to them?”
Fang Xianye only felt a headache, his mind in turmoil.
Duan Shunxi was a reckless lunatic, unstoppable by anyone if he didn’t want to do something. He dealt with gods and Buddhas alike. But not everyone could handle things like him.
Fang Xianye couldn’t.
Duan Shunxi continued, “I have no wife or children, and there’s no one else in the Duan family serving in the court besides me. Once Danzhi is annihilated, as long as I disappear, the Emperor will be rid of a major concern. He’ll probably pretend to mourn me and show favour to the Duan family.”
“Do you still plan to find your demonic wife in the future?”
Hearing Fang Xianye’s question, Duan Shunxi fell silent for a moment before smiling, “Of course, I can’t wait.”
The candle on the table burned quietly, casting dim light in the room. Duan Shunxi tapped his teacup intermittently, then turned to Fang Xianye and changed the subject, “How’s your situation? The Emperor’s attitude towards the Ji Prince’s faction is ambiguous. I don’t think you’ll be implicated, but he won’t promote anyone from the Ji Prince’s faction either.”
The Emperor’s recent appointments and rearrangements in the court are all paving the way for his own faction or loyal officials. It seems that he intends to focus on cultivating these forces in the future.
Fang Xianye fell silent for a moment before speaking softly, “Let’s take it slow.”
Last month, news came from the palace that Eunuch Zhao had suddenly fallen ill and died. While it was reported as an illness, it could very well have been an assassination in the power struggles within the palace. It was said that Zhao had left no last words. Now that Duan Shunxi had returned to the Southern Capital, the Emperor seemed unable to find a way to suppress him, probably unaware of the existence of this secret decree.
So, if he didn’t speak up about this secret decree, it might just disappear from the world.
“Fang Xianye, you seem a bit uneasy today. Is something bothering you?,” Duan Shunxi tapped the table, pulling Fang Xianye back from his thoughts.
He looked at this friend, still as bright-eyed and spirited as he was at fourteen, and suddenly felt a kind of restlessness and disgust. He couldn’t discern if that restlessness and disgust were directed at Duan Shunxi or at himself.
“Duan Shunxi, have you ever thought about what you would do if I betrayed you one day?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Fang Xianye felt some regret, while Duan Shunxi widened his eyes, the smile still lingering on his face. After a moment of silence, Duan Shunxi quickly smiled again, his eyes clear and his brows raised.
“If you betray me, so be it. What I originally wanted from you wasn’t loyalty anyway. People always have to pay the price for what or whom they believe in, don’t they?”
Fang Xianye was taken aback, then fell silent.
Duan Shunxi’s expression turned serious, and he asked, “Fang Xianye, do you need help?”
Fang Xianye shook his head slowly.
Duan Shunxi was about to say something else, but his expression suddenly changed. He bent over, clutching his chest, and blood gushed unexpectedly from his mouth, splattering on the ground and spreading along the cracks in the bricks. He struggled to suppress his coughing, blood still intermittently dripping from the corner of his lips.
Fang Xianye watched in shock as Duan Shunxi, seemingly unfazed, wiped his mouth with his sleeve. He even chuckled, pointing at the pool of blood, and said to Fang Xianye, “Uh-oh, how are you going to explain the sudden appearance of a pool of blood in your room tomorrow?”
Fang Xianye furrowed his brows, grabbing Duan Shunxi’s sleeve firmly. “Duan Shunxi, what’s wrong with you?”
“Just a little illness, occasional bleeding from my internal organs, nothing serious,” Duan Shunxi said casually, patting Fang Xianye’s arm. As he stood up from the chair, he swayed slightly, fortunately, Fang Xianye quickly reached out to support him.
“How are you going to get back? Climbing over the wall?” Fang Xianye asked.
Duan Shunxi nodded as if it were a matter of course.
Fang Xianye looked at the blood on Duan Shunxi’s front and face, sighing softly. “It’s the hour of the Pig. There aren’t many people on the road, and no one is watching my house. You should go through the side gate.”
Duan Shunxi couldn’t help but smile. “Fang Ji, oh Fang Ji, never thought there would come a day when I could walk out of your house through the door.”
From the age of fourteen to twenty-four, their interactions had always taken place in the darkness outside of people’s sight.
Fang Xianye escorted Duan Shunxi out of his residence through the side gate. As his agile figure disappeared into the silent and deserted streets, Fang Xianye remained unmoving, even though he could no longer see him. The north wind howled through the streets and alleys, but he seemed completely unaffected by the cold.
In the end, he still hadn’t told Duan Shunxi about the secret decree.
He didn’t know why he couldn’t bring himself to say it. The reason seemed to be like a monster locked in a pitch-black box, and out of an inexplicable fear, he didn’t dare to examine it too closely.
That pitch-black box called Fang Xianye.
But on the street, there was someone who watched this scene in astonishment, wondering who the masked figure, stained with blood, was that Fang Xianye was seeing off in the night.
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