Substitute
With a loud bang from the other side, the figures of Yan Ke and Duan Xu disappeared from the mirror in the palace of Yuzhou City.
He Simu’s smirk faded as wisps of wind tightly wrapped around her, causing the room to tremble. The surge of her ghostly aura filled the entire palace, even extending like blades towards the entirety of Yuzhou City, making the whole city quake as if in an earthquake.
Jiang Ai was pressed to the ground by the overwhelming ghostly aura. She struggled to lift her head and said to He Simu, “Your Majesty… Simu! Please calm down!”
With jet-black eyes wide open, He Simu murmured, “Hejia Feng Yi, do you want to die?”
Her tumultuous ghostly aura surged toward Hejia Feng Yi in the palace. Caught off guard, he raised his staff, but suddenly, Ziji, who had been silent all along, stood in front of him.
As the ghostly aura struck Ziji, it dissipated. A power emanated from Ziji, extinguishing He Simu’s aura like water dousing flames, calming the tremors in the entire Yuzhou City. The power surged and then abruptly receded, leaving no trace.
Jiang Ai stared in astonishment, covering her mouth, while He Simu gazed deeply at Ziji, unharmed.
Ziji stood before Hejia Feng Yi, her expression neutral as she said, “He rushed here to inform you immediately. It was his oversight, but he has realized his mistake.”
Hejia Feng Yi cautiously peeked out from behind Ziji, blinking in disbelief. He Simu looked at the large red patches on Hejia Feng Yi’s body due to an allergic reaction, then closed her eyes and turned away.
Jiang Ai glanced at Hejia Feng Yi, then at He Simu. She cleared her throat and cautiously asked, “Simu, is it true that the Ghost King Lamp is your weakness? Are you not concerned that you’ve revealed your weakness to Yan Ke?”
“I cannot let him use Duan Xu to blackmail me again,” He Simu said coldly, rubbing her forehead. “He wouldn’t dare destroy the Ghost King Lamp. Knowing this, in order to defeat me, he will spare Duan Xu.”
This was Duan Xu’s only chance.
Inside the ghostly prison set up by Yan Ke, after hearing He Simu’s words, he angrily smashed the spiritual object in his hand. Turning his head, he saw Duan Xu, who was still tied to the wooden frame, opening his eyes and looking at him with a dark gaze.
“Is she not going to save me?” Duan Xu said, his eyes trembling as if in disbelief.
It seemed he had heard everything just now. Seeing the wounded expression on Duan Xu’s face, a cruel satisfaction rose from the depths of Yan Ke’s heart. He mocked, “I told you before, she has never lacked lovers. What significance do you hold? You’re just a passing fancy. She only used the Ghost King Lamp to save you because she had a trick up her sleeve. If she really wanted to harm you, she would abandon you immediately. You’ve been fooled by her. You’re just a pawn!”
His voice grew louder as he spoke, his emotions escalating, as if he wanted to vent all the humiliation he had suffered from He Simu onto Duan Xu. Seeing the other’s expression growing darker, he felt increasingly elated.
Duan Xu lowered his gaze, then lifted it again, laughing heartily. “Since she wants to abandon me, then I will abandon her too. Destroy this wretched lamp, and she will vanish into thin air. I will be her last lover.”
Yan Ke hesitated upon hearing this statement, his anger diluted in his eyes. He glanced down at the Ghost King Lamp at his waist for a moment before lifting his eyes to look at Duan Xu.
Approaching Duan Xu slowly with his hands behind his back, Yan Ke’s expression inscrutable, he said, “Do you wish to completely possess He Simu in your lifetime, making it impossible for her to leave you?”
“Of course,” Duan Xu replied without hesitation.
Yan Ke narrowed his eyes and said coldly, “You can exchange five senses with He Simu. During this exchange, she will lose all her powers and become like an ordinary person, right?”
Duan Xu clenched his fists, but his eyes widened slightly, as if very surprised. “Are you suggesting…”
“In a few days, there will be a major battle. Follow my instructions and exchange five senses with her at the right moment. After I defeat her and seize her as my captive, making the Ghost King Lamp recognize me as its master, He Simu will have to obey me. I will let her accompany you for the rest of your life. How about that?”
Duan Xu fell silent for a moment. “Then, what will happen to her after I die?”
“After you die, what connection does she have with you?” Yan Ke sneered.
“True,” Duan Xu pondered for a moment, then chuckled softly, looking into Yan Ke’s eyes. “Deal.”
At this moment, chaos reigned in the Duan Mansion in Nandu. Duan Xu disappeared without a trace on his way out of the city towards the military camp, and the Duan family searched day and night for three days without finding him. This news spread to the ears of the soldiers outside the city, and Shi Biao immediately became agitated.
Before coming to Nandu, he had thought that the emperor would cause trouble for them, and now he was even more convinced that Duan Xu’s disappearance was due to the emperor’s secret machinations, perhaps even costing him his life. If not for Chenying desperately holding Shi Biao back, he would have led the brothers from outside the city to storm the palace in Nandu and demand the emperor hand over Duan Xu.
It was truly a case of adding insult to injury. Just when they were talking about reconciliation, Danzhi suddenly rebelled, launching a massive attack. Not only did they reclaim some territory in Fengzhou and Qingzhou, but they also opened a gap in Youzhou, only to be recaptured by the soldiers of Daliang. The emperor then ordered Zhao Chun to be the marshal and return to the front lines with Shi Biao, Chenying, and the soldiers from outside the city.
Zhao Chun came from a family of military commanders and had some military achievements, but he had never been to the northern shore. He was a trusted confidant of the emperor, who wanted to give him a helping hand at this opportunity. Shi Biao didn’t expect so much; he just couldn’t accept this sudden arrival of the new commander. He refused to return to the front lines without Duan Xu, ranting that they fought hard on the front lines, but as soon as they returned, they were betrayed by their own people. He refused to be foolish.
For a while, the atmosphere in Nandu was tense. The emperor shifted the blame to the Duan family, accusing Duan Xu of leaving Nandu without an imperial decree for no reason, showing disrespect to the emperor, and refusing to acknowledge that Duan Xu might have been harmed or killed.
The Duan mansion was in a frenzy, akin to ants on a hot pot. Duan Chengzhang’s health was already poor, and the urgency of the situation exacerbated his condition. He still had to come out and attend to matters despite his illness. Even Duan’s wife, who was devoted to the Buddhist hall, temporarily left the hall, worrying about the affairs at home.
On the fifth day of Duan Xu’s disappearance, which was the most anxious moment, the back door of the Duan mansion was knocked. A cloaked figure with a hood came, claiming to have something to discuss regarding Duan Xu and requested to see Master Duan. The steward immediately led the visitor into the main hall.
When Duan Jingyuan hurried over upon hearing the news, he saw the visitor standing in the hall. The black hood covered his face, and Duan Chengzhang, supported by Madam Wu, approached, trembling as he asked, “Do you know where Xu’er is?”
The visitor remained silent for a moment, then reached out to remove his hood, revealing a handsome and refined face with phoenix-like eyes and thin lips, reminiscent of ink on mountain rocks. He slowly lifted his gaze to the people in the hall, illuminated by the moonlight.
In the astonished eyes of Duan Chengzhang, he shook his head and said, “I do not know.”
Pausing for a moment, he continued, “But perhaps you need someone to impersonate him.”
Duan Jingyuan stared at him in astonishment, his appearance familiar yet unfamiliar. She murmured, “Fang… Xianye.”
Fang Xianye turned to glance at her, nodding slightly, then looked at the pale-faced Duan Chengzhang.
Pointing a trembling finger at him, Duan Chengzhang exclaimed, “You audacious rascal, what are you saying? Impersonate Xu’er… After all these years… Do you think…”
“Duan sir, given the current situation, do you have any other options?” Fang Xianye said calmly.
He was confident he wouldn’t be refused, and indeed he wasn’t.
The next day, news spread from the Duan mansion that Duan Xu had been found.
Duan Xu suddenly fell ill and fainted on his way to the military camp. He was rescued and treated by nearby farmers, and only recently regained consciousness and was sent back home. However, he didn’t have a common illness; he had contracted highly contagious leprosy and could only shut himself away from visitors.
Shi Biao was skeptical but insisted on seeing Duan Xu, even if it was behind closed doors or through a curtain. He wanted to confirm that Duan Xu was still alive. Seeing Shi Biao boldly barging into the Duan mansion, Duan Chengzhang knew that further obstruction would arouse suspicion, so he allowed Shi Biao to visit.
Sitting in the Moon Palace Chamber, Duan Chengzhang was separated by a curtain from the “fake Duan Xu.” He nervously watched as the burly man and Chenying walked in together. The man roughly saluted him and eagerly addressed the person behind the curtain, “Commander Duan!”
“What, did you think I was dead?” The voice behind the curtain sounded remarkably similar to Duan Xu’s, enough to deceive anyone.
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Shi Biao’s long-held anxiety finally eased a bit. He immediately wanted to lift the curtain but was stopped by “Duan Xu.”
“Shi Biao! My illness is contagious. Do you want to catch it and spread it to the soldiers when you return? The Emperor wants you back on the front lines. Why aren’t you going back? Among us, the ones who understand the Feather Formation the best are me, you, and Chenying. Now that we are all in the Southern Capital, and with Danzhi’s fierce counterattack, what do you expect the Guihe Army and Ding Jin to do?”
Shi Biao’s hand, which was about to lift the curtain, dropped. He said somewhat aggrievedly, “I’m worried about General Duan. The Emperor wants to replace the general, and I can’t accept it.”
The person behind the curtain fell silent for a moment, then sighed. “Shi Biao, last time when you were drunk, you made a promise to me. Apart from not drinking anymore, you also said you would listen to me in everything.”
Duan Chengzhang couldn’t help but widen his eyes and turn to look at the figure behind the curtain. His trembling old hands indicated that some strange speculation had occupied his mind.
Shi Biao, upon hearing “Duan Xu” mention this matter, couldn’t help but completely believe that the person behind the curtain was indeed Duan Xu.
The person behind the curtain continued, “Rest assured, I won’t lose my head in the Southern Capital. Now, you should listen to me and return to the front lines, drive the Danzhi people back to their homes. As for who the commanding general is, it’s not the most important thing right now.”
Shi Biao bowed his head. “Since General Duan is safe, I can finally rest assured. I’ll take my brothers back and kill those bastards!”
After exchanging a few more words with “Duan Xu,” Shi Biao took his leave. Chenying had been silent all along. When Shi Biao said he had something to discuss with his third brother and would leave later, Chenying glanced at the bamboo curtain and then at Duan Chengzhang, who was sitting upright.
He seemed hesitant. Before he could speak, he heard the voice behind the bamboo curtain say, “Chenying, just say what’s on your mind.”
The voice was no longer that of “Duan Xu.”
Chenying finally spoke, “Lord Fang.”
“Yes, it’s me.”
Duan Chengzhang stood up directly from his seat, staring at Chenying in shock.
But Chenying just asked, “Where is my third brother?”
“I do not know. He disappeared without a trace, his whereabouts unknown. Do you want to stay in the Southern Capital and wait for him to return?” The person behind the curtain spoke calmly.
Chenying shook his head, standing in the sunlight streaming in from the door in his green robe. “I want to return to the front lines with Shi Biao. My third brother’s wish is to eradicate Danzhi and restore the Central Plains. His wish is my wish. Now that he’s not here, I will uphold his wish.”
In a little over ten days, he would turn fourteen. Over the years, he had become stronger and more robust. Standing there in his green robe, under the sunlight pouring in from the door, he looked like a dependable adult, exuding determination and composure that he didn’t have in front of Duan Xu and He Simu.
He bowed respectfully and said, “Thank you, Lord Fang. Take care.”
Then he turned to Duan Chengzhang and said, “Master, take care of yourself.”
After that, he walked out of the room, his tall figure disappearing at the door of Haoyue Residence.
Fang Xianye leaned against the bed, hearing the sound of Chenying leaving. After a moment, Duan Chengzhang walked over with his cane. He pulled aside the curtain and walked up to Fang Xianye, his face livid with anger, grabbing Fang Xianye’s collar and said, “You… how could you… all these years, you and Xu… cough, cough, cough.”
Duan Chengzhang was interrupted by a violent fit of coughing before he could finish his sentence.
Fang Xianye looked calmly at Duan Chengzhang and pushed his hand away, saying, “You guessed it all correctly. Take it easy before you speak…”
He chuckled sarcastically, looking at Duan Chengzhang’s eyes full of shock and anger, and said, “Should I call you ‘father’?”
Duan Jingyuan, who was eavesdropping outside the window, felt as if she had been struck by lightning, frozen in place.
In the following days, people who wanted to inquire about news gradually came to the Duan Residence, hoping to speak a few words with Duan Xu. Even the Emperor himself came in person, trying to ascertain the truth behind the curtain.
However, Fang Xianye behind the curtain was like a solid barrier, blocking all attempts at investigation, seemingly knowing every detail about Duan Xu’s interactions with everyone in the court, from the Emperor to the soldiers. With a casual mention, he could even recall events from the year Duan Xu entered the court. The people in the court went from being skeptical about Duan Xu’s mysterious disappearance and reappearance to firmly believing in the story.
Meanwhile, in these days, Duan Jingyuan gradually woke up from her shock and confusion, realizing one thing.
Perhaps Fang Xianye and her third brother were not the mortal enemies she had always thought they were. On the contrary, they had been friends for many years and were very close.
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