Only one person sat alone on the cold, hard dragon throne.
The man was wearing a dragon robe, with a large expanse of bright yellow undergarment showing at the front, as if he had just gotten up from his bed. He was very thin, his long hair was simply tied up, and his whole appearance showed a sickly frailness that suggested he might collapse at any moment.
Hearing the occasional cough coming from the dragon throne, Qin Chu suddenly realized that this was indeed a sickly emperor.
However, Qin Chu did not expect that this emperor was unexpectedly young, looking to be only in his early thirties. If he hadn't been so sickly, he wouldn't have been able to have the court officials control the government at such a young age.
Knowing that this person was Noah at heart, if it were just him, Qin Chu would have already climbed the steps and grabbed him to talk. But Qin Rui was with him, so Qin Chu could only kneel down and pay his respects.
"Minister Qin, rise..."
A weak voice came from the dragon throne. Qin Chu's brow twitched, and he felt relieved. Noah was usually unreliable, but his acting was surprisingly good when it mattered.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Qin Chu stood up, but at that moment the person on the dragon throne suddenly became excited and struggled to stand up: "Your Highness, has my prince arrived? Come quickly, let me see him!"
As he spoke, the emperor stumbled forward two steps.
This performance... Noah really went to great lengths to ensure that the crown prince could be appointed legitimately.
Qin Chu turned to look at Qin Rui, only to see that Qin Rui had also stood up. However, he was staring intently at the man on the steps, his eyes deep, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
However, Qin Rui did not refuse; he stood up and walked towards the steps.
At that moment, Qin Chu's heart suddenly skipped a beat for no reason, and he subconsciously grabbed Qin Rui's wrist.
Qin Rui turned to look at him and gave him a reassuring smile.
The young man knew that the palace was not safe, so he mouthed to Qin Chu, "I brought the dagger with me."
Qin Chu then let go.
He didn't know where this momentary worry came from.
Noah has been possessing the emperor's body for quite some time now; the one on the steps is just a mischievous artificial intelligence.
Noah would never harm Qin Rui.
Besides, given Qin Rui's skills, even if Noah disapproved of him and wanted to fight him, he might not be able to defeat him.
Qin Chu stood at the bottom of the steps, watching Qin Rui climb up step by step.
There was nothing to worry about, but for some reason, as Qin Rui climbed the steps one by one, and as the boy who had been with him for more than five years gradually moved away, Qin Chu felt a sudden, inexplicable panic rise in his heart.
He couldn't help but raise his hand and place it on the hilt of his sword.
Qin Rui had already climbed very high up the steps.
Soon, he stood face to face with the ailing emperor.
The emperor had only stood for a short while, but now he had slumped back onto the dragon throne, bent over and panting heavily.
He wearily reached out his hand to Qin Rui: "My son, come here. Your father is dying, but thankfully you are here to inherit the throne..."
Qin Rui stood to the side, looking down at the emperor.
He showed no respect whatsoever, let alone any intimacy. But upon hearing this, he still did as instructed and went over.
By rightfully inheriting the throne, he could save his brother a lot of trouble.
Qin Chu's gaze remained fixed on Qin Rui.
He watched as the young man walked to the dragon throne, about to bow, but suddenly stopped.
The sickly emperor and the increasingly powerful prince seemed to exchange a glance. Qin Chu stood at the bottom of the steps, blocked by Qin Rui, so the atmosphere between the two was not visible.
But he saw a flash of cold light in Qin Rui's hand.
Qin Rui drew his dagger.
Qin Chu was taken aback, and subconsciously drew his sword and started running up the steps.
He didn't know what had happened, but the growing panic in his heart reached its peak.
At this moment, a question popped into Qin Chu's mind: Was the person on the stage really Noah?
Is Noah's acting really that good?
Before Qin Chu could find an answer, Qin Rui's dagger had already stabbed towards the man on the dragon throne. But the man's bony hand was faster, grabbing Qin Rui's neck almost in the blink of an eye.
The moment the man made his move, Qin Chu's sword flew out of his hand, heading straight for the emperor on the dragon throne.
The longsword slashed the man's shoulder, and blood gushed out, staining his bright yellow dragon robe crimson. But the emperor's hands, which should have been weak and feeble, still gripped Qin Rui's neck firmly.
Author's Note:
The boss is out.
The emperor was actually a player; he usually logged off, which is why Noah could sneak into the game.
Qin Rui's background is a fictional story, so the bizarre notion of "I gave birth to myself" doesn't exist.
Chapter 79, Fourth Story (25)
The emperor, his body stained with blood, rose from his dragon throne. Contrary to his previous weak appearance, he grabbed Qin Rui by the neck and lifted him up.
Previously, he was either sitting or hunched over, appearing only thin and frail. But now, standing upright like this, Qin Chu realized that the man in the dragon robe was extremely tall, even taller than Qin Rui.
"It's you..."
The boy, his throat constricted, managed to squeeze out two words. He narrowed his dark eyes and looked at the emperor, his gaze filled with intense vigilance.
The man in the dragon robe was also looking at him. The two men's expressions and gazes were extremely similar, almost identical, making them seem like the same person.
"You remember now?" The emperor casually curled the corners of his lips.
Qin Rui's face instantly darkened, becoming extremely ugly.
"Qin Rui!"
Qin Chu's call and hurried footsteps came from behind. Qin Rui, who was having difficulty breathing, froze. Even though he had remained relatively calm despite being in danger, a struggle and resentment suddenly appeared on his face: "You're not allowed to hurt him! Why? Why can you..."
The man in the dragon robe lowered his eyes and sighed, uttering, "You've lived long enough."
As he spoke, he tightened his fingers, and a very clear sound rang out in the silent hall—the sound of a throat being crushed.
Qin Chu stepped onto the last step, and at the same time, the boy's body fell to the ground with a thud.
My steps stopped.
The high platform was filled with Qin Chu's rapid breathing.
It hammered at a person's heart, again and again.
Looking at Qin Rui, who had collapsed at his feet, Qin Chu was almost bewildered for a moment.
How long has it been since Qin Rui left his side?
Just now outside the hall, this boy, who was almost as tall as him, came over and joked with him.
Just moments before, the boy had blinked his captivating peach blossom eyes and whispered to him, "Don't worry."
Qin Chu and Qin Rui spent five years together.
For five whole years, they spent every day together.
But now, in the blink of an eye, such a vibrant, mischievous boy who often angered Qin Chu has fallen lifelessly to the ground.
At this moment, Qin Chu couldn't help but anticipate that Qin Rui would suddenly scramble up from the ground, make a face at him, and then laugh and say, "Were you scared?", just like he always did when he teased him before.
But Qin Rui didn't.
Qin Chu stared intently at Qin Rui, not paying any attention to anyone else.
As if waking from a dream, he immediately knelt down and lifted Qin Rui's body to lay him flat. All the first aid knowledge he had ever learned flashed through Qin Chu's mind.
While instinctively calling out to Noah, he found the right spot and began performing chest compressions on the person lying on the ground.
Qin Chu silently counted the numbers, but Qin Rui showed no reaction whatsoever.
No heartbeat, no pulse...
Qin Chu had no idea that he should give up.
Until... when he lifted the boy's chin, he touched the broken throat.
The self-deceiving illusion was suddenly shattered.
Qin Chu held onto Qin Rui's shoulders, closed his eyes tightly, and finally revealed a clear trace of pain on his face.
The man who killed Qin Rui, or rather Qin Rui himself, sat on the cold, hard dragon throne, with Qin Chu's long sword stuck in the back of the throne beside his cheek.
He remained silent, made no move, and did not dodge the sword blade that was almost touching his skin; he simply watched Qin Chu quietly.
Watching Qin Chu desperately try to save that body, watching him shrink back and withdraw his fingers, watching him close his eyes to hide the pain welling up inside.
All of this was something he could never have before.
Finally, seemingly unable to hold back any longer, the man opened his mouth, about to habitually utter a familiar name, but at the very moment the syllable left his lips, he forcibly held back.
Qin Rui is him, he is Qin Rui, but not entirely.
However, this slight sound attracted Qin Chu's attention.
He suddenly turned his head to look at the dragon throne, and the next second he had grabbed the man by the collar and dragged him up.
"Are you ever going to stop? You like causing trouble for me so much? Then why don't you come at me?" Qin Chu's voice was hoarse.
Despite all his calculations, he failed to guard against this emperor who was bedridden and whose body was possessed by Noah.
"Do you find this amusing? Why don't you come and kill me!"
Qin Chu's fingers gripped the man's neck just as he had gripped Qin Rui's neck earlier.
But the man didn't struggle or resist, and contrary to his usual behavior, he didn't even provoke her. He just gazed at Qin Chu with longing, raised his hand, and gently touched Qin Chu's reddened eyes with his fingers.
"You feel sorry for me."
"You killed him!"
Qin Chu practically roared these words, his fingers clenching so tightly that a slight cracking sound could be heard coming from his fingertips as his trachea deformed.
"yes."