Général volant de Fengcheng

Chapitre 52

Sima Rui glanced at Ji Mo and immediately sensed that this young man was extraordinary. His aura seemed innate, making the surroundings feel heavy and causing Ji Mo to feel breathless.

Sima Rui stared straight at the pale-faced figure beneath the sword and coldly asked, "What exactly do you want?"

"I don't want anything," Ji Mo looked at the person in his arms, then at the anxious look on the man's face, and said with a sly smile, "You must be the current emperor, Sima Rui."

Sima Rui didn't respond, only saying indifferently, "You've kidnapped my Consort Lian, what exactly do you want? What do you desire?"

"You're so straightforward. I don't want anything, I just want you to make her promise that Cyathea City is mine, how about that?"

A sudden thought struck him: the city of Saluo seemed vaguely familiar. Sima Rui looked at the pale-faced, swaying figure with a puzzled expression.

Seeing Sima Rui's puzzled expression, Ji Mo suddenly said, "Don't you want to know what kind of person your beloved concubine is?"

My face turned deathly pale, and blood slowly drained from my body. Suddenly, I screamed, "No!" A heavy blow struck his unsuspecting abdomen. Taking advantage of his pain, I ran forward as fast as I could. I couldn't let him know, I couldn't—that was the only thought in my mind.

I can't imagine his expression when he finds out. I don't even dare to think about it. Every time I do, my heart aches like it's being stabbed by a needle, bit by bit, inch by inch, making me feel like I'm dying.

But the next second, Sima Rui on the other side exclaimed in alarm, "Watch out!"

I turned around and saw Ji Mo, his face contorted with rage, thrusting his sword at me. I had no time to dodge. Just as I resignedly closed my eyes, a tight embrace pulled me into a turn, and the expected pain didn't come. I opened my eyes and saw Sima Rui, his face pale, lips purple, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, yet he still managed a smile and said, "That sword, at least, is repaid." Before he could finish, he coughed up another mouthful of blood and then fainted. I was slightly taken aback. Why did he have to do this? I don't blame him!

His body gradually leaned backward, and behind him was a bottomless abyss. I bent down to try to grab him, but unexpectedly, that scoundrel Ji Mo took advantage of my inattention and slammed his hand hard on my back. Blood gushed from my mouth, and I could only watch helplessly as our bodies tumbled into the cliff.

So be it. If we die together, it would be a beautiful thing in this world. I should be content. With that thought, I closed my eyes peacefully, letting my body fall.

If there is an afterlife, I will not be who I am now. I only wish to be the most ordinary couple in the world, a pair of lovers who envy not even the immortals. I wouldn't need to pretend in front of you, I wouldn't need to be afraid of my own insignificance, and I wouldn't have to just silently watch you from the sidelines.

In the chaos, I floated up and down, as if something in the dark was binding me, making it impossible for me to breathe. I could only feel the sound of water flowing around me and in my ears, as if I were in a closed space, sinking deeper and deeper, like a drowning person, unable to call for help, unable even to open my mouth to shout.

A strange sound flowed through my ears. I felt like I was adrift in mid-air, unable to find any driftwood, no support. It was so painful… But then, the next second, I suddenly felt a hand grab me. That hand kept pulling me upwards, upwards and upwards, until I was pulled from the bottomless darkness and helplessness back to a place where I could see light. I smiled unconsciously; even with my eyes closed, I could still feel the light. I wonder if that place is my final destination?

A loud "smack!"—who, who hit someone? No, who got hit?

Why am I feeling pain? No, could it be? Was I the one who got hit?

A hoarse, unpleasant voice came from beside me: "You brat, wake up now!" Then there was a "smack."

I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up abruptly and yelled, "Damn it, can't a person have some fun?!" Turning my head away, I continued yelling, "Who hit me?!"

Turning around, the scene I saw immediately stunned me, and I couldn't help but gasp. What kind of person was this?! So ugly it was almost unbearable to look at. She seemed completely used to my reaction.

Her face was covered in scars, uneven and rough, as if she had been burned or disfigured by something like sulfuric acid, similar to modern treatments. The scars were now red and extremely gruesome. There was a large black patch at the corner of her right eye, with a black hair growing from it—it was rather disgusting. Her lips were unrecognizable; half of them were gone, revealing her teeth. Her hair was gray and messy, like a clump of weeds, clearly unkempt for years. Her body was deformed; her lower limbs were paralyzed, she limped, and she was hunchbacked. I suppressed my disgust and revulsion, and when I looked up again, I was completely calm.

I looked at my soaking wet state, then at where I was, seemingly beside a cold pond. Suddenly, I vaguely remembered a hand pulling me up. I stared at it, and instinctively asked, "I'm not dead? You saved me?" I thought I was going to die, but there was a lake below. I hadn't died? I quickly checked myself over to make sure I was alright.

Her eyes were cloudy, and she couldn't see anything. She chuckled a few times, her voice extremely unpleasant and grating, and said coldly, "I'm not saving you. This pool is mine, and I won't let you defile it. You're still alive, but your companion might not be. Now that you're awake, get out of here!" Her voice reminded me of the shrill sound of a broken record player.

Companion, thinking about this, I suddenly remembered, right, Sima Rui's was also among those who fell down with me!

What was wrong with Sima Rui when he saw her gloating?

Volume 3, Chapter 102: The Strange and Ugly Woman (Part 2)

His face was deathly pale, tinged with a bluish-black hue, and his breath was weak, as if he would turn into a wisp of smoke and vanish at the slightest touch. He was clearly on the verge of death. Looking at his face, I was astonished; a sword wound looked like a deadly poison. Taking his pulse, I learned that he had been unconscious because of poisoning. That damned Ji Mo, he actually put a deadly poison on the sword!

I hurriedly called out to the old woman who was about to leave us there without a word: "You can save him, right?"

She didn't turn her head, but gave a sinister smile: "The question you should be asking is, do I want to save him?"

"But you've already saved us once. You rescued us from the lake."

She abruptly turned her head, looking at me with icy eyes: "I told you I only pulled you out to avoid polluting the purity of the sacred lake." Then she grinned, her voice hoarse and dry: "I never care about or ask about the people I rescue." She then glanced to the side.

I followed her gaze and gasped again. Countless white skeletons were piled up along the lakeside cliff. Some were still wearing tattered clothes, while others had become nothing more than pairs of eerie white bones. Empty eyes, intact skeletons, some still carrying various weapons. Their postures seemed to proclaim how unwilling and painful their deaths were. To wait for death in one place is indeed an unbearable torment, both physically and mentally. What kind of place was this?

Are we no longer in this world, but in the hell of Asura?

I asked, stunned, "You killed them?"

"A joke?!" She laughed wildly, her hoarse voice echoing throughout the valley, making my ears ring. I painfully covered my ears.

She finally stopped. “How could I, an old woman, let these scoundrels dirty my hands? They died here on their own. Perhaps they starved to death, or died from infected wounds, or died of despair… Perhaps soon you will understand their suffering.” She gave a chilling smile. “This valley has no exit except for me. It’s like a cage. After those people were rescued, they went from feeling fortunate to falling into hell. They’re trapped here, living a life worse than death. Every day I can hear their cries of agony until they die. I advise you not to struggle, just wait here.” There was no emotion on her face. What a cruel old woman!

"Wait!" I hurriedly gathered my breath and chased after her. What a joke! She's gone. We're not really going to sit here waiting to die, waiting for death to arrive. The helplessness of knowing you're going to die but having no way to stop it would drive me mad. Besides, my death wouldn't matter; it wouldn't change anything for the world. But how could he die? He's the emperor; he has an entire country waiting for him.

When I took a breath, I realized the pain in my chest was excruciating; it almost made it hard to breathe. But I couldn't care less at that moment. I shamelessly grabbed her foot and pleaded pitifully, "Please, save him, or he'll really die, please..."

She struggled to break free from my grip and sneered, "Whether he lives or dies is none of my business."

My mind was a jumbled mess, my thoughts a jumbled mess. After a long while, I finally came up with a reason: "He's the emperor! He's a matter of life and death for all the people. He can't die, and if anyone should die, it shouldn't be him..."

She coldly interrupted me: "Which one of those who fell in isn't famous..." She pointed to a magnificently dressed skeleton nearby: "That's the Ninth Prince of Later Qin." Then she pointed to several other skeletons I couldn't even recognize: "That one claims to be the richest man in Jin... that one's a general... that one's the number one swordsman in the martial arts world..." Her face beamed with pleasure, as if the deaths and torments of these skeletons—no, others—brought her immense enjoyment: "Which one of them isn't famous on the continent... But what does it matter to this old woman whether these people live or die? What does it matter to me whether your companion lives or dies? You'd better pray for yourself; your internal injuries are severe, and if you don't treat them in time, you'll soon join him."

This demon! I ignored everything and clung tightly to her feet, my mind filled with only one belief: I couldn't let him die. He was injured because of me, he fell into this strange, demonic abyss because of me, he was about to die because of me... I couldn't give up!

"Let me go, you brat!" Seeing that I wouldn't let go and she couldn't break free no matter what she did, she kicked me with her other foot, one kick after another, without any hesitation, the force was strong and powerful. I bit my lower lip hard in pain, until it turned purple and bled, just to stop myself from groaning. She showed no pity: "He has been poisoned and will not live."

I was kicked until I was dizzy, but I still wouldn't let go. I would rather die than let go!

She wasn't so easy to talk to. She stopped kicking me, but instead slapped my neck. A sharp pain shot through my neck, and it felt like my whole body went numb. My hand was still unconsciously holding onto hers.

She bent down and pried my fingers open one by one, and accidentally ripped my entire sleeve off. I was already dizzy and didn't know what had happened.

"Ah—" She seemed surprised, as if she had seen something. Then, after a moment of contemplation, she suddenly remembered something amusing and burst into laughter: "Are you really going to save him?" she asked me, who had already fainted.

I was in a daze, but I still nodded reflexively.

She said cruelly, "I can only save one of you two. Only one can live and the other can die. If you want to save him, you will die. You'd better think it over."

I groaned unconsciously, "Please, save her, I'll do anything you ask..."

She came over and first gave me some kind of pill, which quickly brought me back to my senses. My head was still spinning, and I struggled to sit up, only to realize that the sleeve on my left arm had been torn off, revealing Feng Fei.

She looked at me coldly and said, "If you want to save him, take this Soul-Severing Pill."

"What medicine did you just give me? And what's this one?" Her raven-like voice was truly—

She laughed hoarsely, as if she'd heard the funniest joke in the world: "That last one was just an ordinary energy-boosting pill. But this one, it's soul-severing. Once taken, the soul will be scattered, and no one in the world can save you; death is certain. But, death isn't necessarily so easy—"

Death isn't necessarily so easy—a few minutes later, I understood what she meant by that.

Volume 3, Chapter 103: The Severed Soul (Part 1)

"It will inflict pain for a full seven days, slowly corroding all the meridians and bones in your body until only a skin remains, the flesh and bones inside turning into a pus-filled sac. But before the seventh day, you still won't die. You will endure the pain of countless bones rotting and countless tendons being eroded. It will make you unable to live and unable to die. By the third day, you will become like someone who is completely paralyzed, unable to exert any strength in your entire body. In other words, by then you won't even have the ability to commit suicide. You can only endure that inhuman pain until death truly arrives. On the seventh day, you will die, even your eyeballs will corrode. At that time, your skin will still be intact, but pus will begin to slowly, slowly flow from your seven orifices. Until you have nothing left."

She stared at me intently, a strange smile playing on her lips. I saw a flicker of excitement in her normally cloudy eyes, an expression of anticipation, a mixture of madness and expectation, as if she were waiting for some kind of game. A chill crept into my heart. She was right. Once you took it, even dying wouldn't be easy; you'd be in excruciating pain for seven days straight.

This reminds me of a movie I watched a long, long time ago. A girl was captured by a perverted piano teacher. He tied her to an operating table, bound her entire body with leather straps, and even gagged her to prevent her from committing suicide. The pervert artistically roasted one of her hands alive over a fire until the flesh was red and cooked. Then he placed her hand between two blocks of ice to heat it further. When it cooled, he removed the ice; because the flesh was already soft, the tearing easily separated the flesh from the ice. Next, he took a sharp shard of glass and, on a clean board, cut it off piece by piece, like eating a Western meal. The girl was in excruciating pain, unable to die or faint, her body trembling with pain, constantly groaning and shedding tears. Yet, the pervert continued to smile and enjoy the process. Again and again. He wouldn't let her die; he would even apply medicine to her severed limbs, preventing her from dying. He was inviting her to an extremely lavish and extravagant hellish banquet. He was the devil.

And now, I too have been invited by the devil to her lavish banquet. And there is no turning back.

Seeing that I remained silent for a long time, she sneered, "Are you scared? Before I change my mind, you can back out. I said I would save one of you, and you can still ask me to save you."

A chill ran down my spine; my clothes, which had long since dried, were now soaked with cold sweat again. I admit, I was afraid. But I would not give in. Neither An Jin nor Xie Weiying had ever given in; they both lived with pride and self-respect. I stood up, straightened my back, and calmly looked at her.

Before she could say anything, I had already taken the foul-smelling black pill from her hand and swallowed it.

She seemed utterly astonished, staring at me in disbelief for a long time. Her already chapped lips trembled slightly, and I could see her eyes beginning to redden. She was angry. Seeing her reaction, I felt a surge of joy. I had finally shattered all her preconceived notions and plans, even if the price I paid was appalling. A bitter smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. I was sure it must have looked terrible. Almost a twitch of my face.

Finally, she sneered, "You think you'll have a chance to commit suicide and end it all? Hmph, I'll tie your hands and feet, gag you, and make you wish you were dead. I advise you not to die soon; I haven't seen you suffer for seven days before dying. The people I've saved, I can kill too!" She threatened me with Sima Rui.

I bit my lower lip hard, trying not to let her see my fear. I took a few deep breaths and looked up at him, his expression calm. "You're overthinking it," I said coldly. "I never thought I'd die so easily. Maybe I'm scared, but I have no regrets, and I wouldn't beg a psychopath."

Her eyes were cold and sinister. She decisively led me to a stone cave; I didn't even see how she got there. She threw me to the ground like trash, produced a rope from somewhere to tie me up, gagged me with a cloth, and tossed me into a corner before leaving without a sound. I was left alone in that cave to die. Suddenly, I understood the scene of Shao Shao being abandoned in the grand palace, hopeless and alone, waiting to die. How helpless, how desperate she must have felt… I never imagined it would be my turn so soon.

"Kill me! Kill me! I don't want you to save me, just kill me. Kill me and give me the antidote! I don't want her to suffer like this... Kill me, why did you save me..." The dazed voice was confused and helpless, like a lost child.

She said coldly, "The rescue has been done. There's no going back."

When Sima Rui recalled how he had finally woken up and thanked her for saving his life, she only coldly replied, "Without any reward or price, the old woman will not save you."

Sima Rui recalled her coldly telling him about the price: "...It will cause her excruciating pain for seven whole days, slowly corroding all her meridians and bones until only a skin remains, the flesh and bones inside turning into a pus-filled sac. But even before the seventh day, she won't die. She will endure the pain of countless bones rotting and countless tendons being eroded. It will make her unable to live and unable to die. By the third day, she will become like someone completely paralyzed, unable to exert any strength in her body. In other words, by then, she won't even have the ability to commit suicide. She can only endure that inhuman suffering until death truly arrives. On the seventh day, she will die, even her eyeballs will corrode. At that time, her skin will still be intact, but pus will begin to slowly, slowly flow from her seven orifices. Until she has nothing left..."

"Her death will save your life. Shouldn't you be happy?" The hoarse voice slowly uttered these incredibly cruel words.

Volume 3, Chapter 104: The Severed Soul (Part 2)

The figure huddled in the corner, eyes tightly shut, brows furrowed deeply, forehead beaded with sweat, face deathly pale, even paler than the white city walls. Her hands and feet were bound, and a gag was stuffed in her mouth. Sima Rui felt a pang of pain in his heart, wondering why tears, something an emperor should never have shed, were streaming down his face. He stared in astonishment at the liquid on her pale cheeks. He had thought that since his mother's death, since he had expressionlessly married one concubine after another, since the day he became emperor, he would never cry again, utterly losing the ability to cry. But today—the tears flowed like a burst dam, uncontrollable and undesirable.

She was indeed cruel enough to deny her even the right to commit suicide. The old woman had said that if she committed suicide, she would no longer save him. Was it because of this that she clung on even knowing she was going to die? Even in her unconscious state, she still groaned in pain unconsciously, but because her mouth was tied, the sounds came out very softly.

Sima Rui stumbled over, picked her up, and held her tightly. Just as the old woman had said, by the sixth day, her bones and flesh had turned into pus. When he held her, her whole body was soft, very soft, like a skin filled with warm water.

He removed the strips of cloth binding her, then gently, with utmost tenderness, pressed his lips to her dry, chapped lips, softly sucking and licking them, as if he wanted to pour out all the tenderness he had ever possessed. To hell with the pus, to hell with living. Sima Rui murmured to the unconscious woman, "Whether you are him or not, no matter who you are, I love you. Xie Weiying, you won, I love you, I love you, I love you..." He admitted it, he had to admit it, he had fallen in love with this enigmatic woman; he loved her. This woman, whom he had driven to such despair, had stayed by his side from beginning to end without uttering a word, never speaking of love yet genuinely caring for him, treating him with unwavering devotion, a woman who was good to him—he loved her. Even if he didn't understand if he was simultaneously in love with two different people, even if half of his heart still belonged to another, even if he didn't know what secrets they shared, even if he didn't know if she was lying to him… he loved her, he had fallen in love with her.

The pupils of the person in his arms dilated with his murmured calls, filled with shock and disbelief. The soft touch on his lips was real, the fresh, warm breath on his cheek was real—this wasn't a dream. Had he really really disregarded everything...?

A sharp pain surged from the depths of his soul, followed by a agonizing roar... His body was straightened by the surging energy, and even Feng Fei emitted a blindingly bright white light that shot straight into the sky.

"What are you doing?!" The old woman, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, suddenly stepped forward and said, "Quickly tie her mouth shut, you know you'll kill her, right?!"

Sima Rui ignored her, and kissed her lips again, fiercely and passionately, filled with emotion. If she died, he would not live on alone. Her nimble tongue gently licked his slightly parted lips, then explored inside to savor the warm, moist fragrance of her lips, her sweetness. He extended his tongue to entwine with her rosy buds.

The most beautiful kiss is one that ties a cherry knot on the tip of the tongue. I can't remember who said that. But that feeling must be the most beautiful happiness in the world—I slowly awoke in a strange tenderness. Shy, sparkling eyes, cheeks flushed with a captivating blush, and lips rosy from his kisses. The pain that had almost driven me to the brink of collapse gradually lessened, replaced by another feeling. My whole body went limp, because I was so tired, so very tired, and I longed to rest. I had endured for too long; I just wanted to rest.

Seeing the person in front of me, whose face was also slightly flushed, I was still in a daze: "Where am I? Are we all dead?"

There was also confusion in his eyes, as if he didn't understand why I was alright. Suddenly, an uncontrollable laugh came from beside me. The laugh was still dry, hoarse, and unpleasant, but somehow, it sounded much more pleasant.

My whole body felt weak, and with my hands and feet bound, I could only cling to Sima Rui in an ambiguous way so he could hold me. This intimacy made me feel a little uncomfortable.

I looked at the old woman with a puzzled expression.

She suddenly gave us a deep look: "Do you know that pill has another name that isn't omitted? Its real name is the Soul-Severing Rebirth Pill."

"Rebirth after the soul is severed?" The tone remained doubtful.

She smiled faintly and suddenly said, "I think you should know my nephew, Murong Han, right?"

Volume 3, Chapter 105: The World (Part 1)

"Murong Han, your nephew?" I asked in surprise.

Sima Rui looked at us with some surprise: "That Murong Han, wasn't he the eldest prince of Yan, who betrayed Yan, defected to the Yuwen tribe, and died while being hunted down?" He had heard about this before. So how come—

The eldest prince of Yan, then, isn't he Danyi's brother?

I looked at her, incredulous, and asked, "So, Sister Danyi is your niece?"

The old woman nodded indifferently, not looking at Sima Rui, but at me, and said, "Murong Han is not dead, he faked his death. Because it concerns the meaning of our Murong family's existence."

"Feng Fei?" I exclaimed.

She nodded solemnly. "Our Murong family has been dedicated to helping Feng Fei find his master for generations. Both the Yan Kingdom and the Mayan religion need leaders, one in the open and one in the shadows, and both choose suitable people from the descendants of the Murong family. In this generation, many years ago, Murong Han was chosen as the Mayan priest to lead the Mayan people. This also meant that his identity was destined to disappear from this world, which is why he betrayed the Yan Kingdom and died on the run."

I nodded, somewhat understanding. History has offered many speculations about why Murong Han betrayed his country, but none are definitive, and he's considered one of the most tragic figures. Because after arriving in the Yuwen tribe, he was envied and driven away. His entire life was spent on the run; it turns out there was this hidden story behind it all.

She stared at me intently and said, "I think Han has already found a master for Feng Fei."