Chapter 129 – Not Parting

Chapter 129 - Not Parting

The scene from her dream resurfaced in Pei Yuanxi's mind, causing her to instinctively clutch the man beside her tightly. Gongye Chu seemed to sense what she was thinking and held her hand even more firmly.

Her heart, which had been hanging on the edge, finally found solace. If there was indeed such a calamity, at least they would face it together. Poor Chong'er... it was already difficult to take care of everything, and now it seemed impossible to have it all. The only comfort was that he had grown up.

"A Chu, if..."

The large hand of the man brought her immense security as he said, "There is no 'if'."

Their intertwined hands stung Cheng Yu's eyes, making his cold gaze turn into one of intense hatred. "At a time like this, Lord Gongye and Lady Gongye still find time for affection. It truly is enviable."

"I thought Prince Cheng had already descended to the underworld. I was even lamenting how a once noble gentleman had become a wandering spirit. Yet, here you are, Prince Cheng, still as dashing as ever in this eerie place. It brings me great relief to see you."

Cheng Yu sneered. Dashing as ever?

Gongye Chu was mocking him for his current wretched state, like a ghost. His gaze fell upon the woman, who, after marriage, had become even more composed and serene, with a beauty that was tranquil and picturesque.

"You are incomparable, Lord Gongye, to have such good fortune, even in the underworld with a beauty by your side." He looked at them with a mocking smile, glancing pointedly at the oil barrels. "It's just a pity that Lady Gongye's youthful years will be cut short due to a hasty choice in a husband."

Once this oil ignites, it will produce an immense explosion within an incredibly short span of time. No matter how formidable one's martial arts skills might be or how swiftly they can run, there would be no escape.

Faced with the worst-case scenario looming before her, Pei Yuanxi paradoxically found a sense of resolution settling within her. Unlike the emptiness she had felt at the end of her previous life, this time around, she had something – someone – to return to, to lean on.

If they could perish alongside Cheng Yu, eliminating this threat to Zhong'er, their joint death would seem like a decent conclusion to their tale.

"Prince Cheng's calculations are impeccable, and his courage to embark on this journey alone is truly admirable," Pei Yuanxi remarked. "Back then, Prince Cheng was renowned as one with a reputation comparable to the Four Pillars of Heaven. Now, to rest beneath the Tongtian Terrace, it seems like a fitting end for him. If the ancestors of the Cheng lineage were aware, they would undoubtedly be immensely gratified."

Cheng Yu's expression was a mix of emotions. "It truly is an excellent destination, accompanied by a beauty like you."

Gongye Chu said coldly, "Your servants, your Cheng family's hidden spies, have been removed quite thoroughly. But Prince Cheng, you seem to have forgotten that Liu Wei is pursuing people who, unless they can ascend to the heavens or delve into the earth like your Cousin Cheng, their escape will be in vain."

Cheng Yu's expression shifted slightly. "Does Lord Gongye think I would care about those people's lives and deaths?"

He did.

If he didn't, he wouldn't have gone through the trouble of sending Aunt He and her daughter away. If he had no compassion, he wouldn't have allowed that family guarding the secret passage to leave.

Pei Yuanxi knew that, at heart, Cheng Yu wasn't truly a ruthless person. A noble son bred amidst luxury might never want to associate himself with outlaws. If he were one to use any means necessary to achieve his goals, regardless of whether he succeeded or not, many events wouldn't have unfolded as they had today.

She seemed to understand the reason behind Gongye Chu's words, and a bitter feeling filled her heart.

Gongye Chu snorted coldly. "Since Prince Cheng doesn't care about their lives, there's nothing more for me to say. Presumably, as former servants of the Cheng family, they would be willing to continue serving their master in the afterlife."

"Ah, no wonder Lord Gongye insisted on bringing Madam along into such a perilous place," Cheng Yu sneered, his tone both unpleasant and ambiguous.

Pei Yuanxi replied, "If you can't laugh properly, Prince Cheng, then don't bother. Your smile is truly unappealing. I chose to accompany him willingly, even if it meant descending into the underworld together."

Cheng Yu's smile vanished, replaced by a cold, dark gaze. "You volunteered for this?"

"Certainly." She offered a light smile, turning to the man beside her. "He didn't force me with a knife, did he? Do I look like someone who was coerced?"

"Why?" Cheng Yu asked. Gongye Chu was brutal and cold-blooded; how could she have volunteered? Shouldn't she have been lured by his power and wealth?

"There's no 'why.' No amount of gold could buy my willingness."

"You're lying! All women are status-conscious. If he weren't the powerful Commander-in-Chief, if he weren't Gongye Chu, would you still be willing?"

She laughed again. "Your hypothetical scenarios don't exist. In reality, he is Gongye Chu, and I am his wife. If you ask if I'd still be willing if he were not Gongye Chu, then of course not, because I love Gongye Chu, not someone else."

Cheng Yu's gaze turned sinister. She actually said she liked him.

Was this woman telling the truth?

Suddenly, his pupils constricted. Why bother dwelling on her relationship with Gongye Chu at a time like this? He had planned for so long; how could he let a woman disrupt his composure?

"Very well, since you two have mutual feelings, I'll make it happen today."

"Prince Cheng, what you're facilitating isn't just us but also those who have dedicated their lives to your family. Liu Ze is outside; if anything happens to us, they won't be able to escape either," Gongye Chu replied.

Cheng Yu burst into laughter. "Lord Gongye, how amusing. Do you really think I care about those people's lives? Or are you just a coward who fears death?"

"There's justice for every crime. It was I who ordered the execution of your entire Cheng family. Why involve these innocent bystanders?"

"Innocent?" Cheng Yu was beyond enraged. "You still know the meaning of 'innocent'? Which one of my Cheng family members wasn't innocent? And what about the concubines, princes, and princesses in Tai Ling Palace? Are they not innocent? For you, Gongye Chu, to use that word is the ultimate irony!"

"Prince Cheng, there's no need to be so agitated. I'm proposing a trade - the lives of the innocent for the lives of the innocent. If you believe those who served your family deserve to die, then I have nothing more to say."

Cheng Yu bared his teeth in a mocking smile. "I never expected the esteemed General Gongye to be such an eloquent speaker. Back then, when you walked the halls of Tai Ling Palace, countless palace maids were smitten with you. It seems they didn't die unjustly after all. Each one of them was blind."

"Has the Prince Cheng been in this dark place for too long that his mind has become addled? Today, we only discuss life and death, so why bring up past events?"

"Well spoken, about life and death. If you truly wish to spare them, it's not impossible." Cheng Yu's eyes were filled with hatred, his rugged face twisted in a menacing sneer. "If you end it here and now, perhaps I might consider letting them go."

"Sir, why bother with his nonsense? We are not cowards who fear death," someone named Liu Wei called out.

Indeed, they were not afraid of death, nor was Pei Yuanxi.

Gongye Chu held her hand even tighter. She was willing to die alongside him, but he couldn't bear to lose her. He gently shook his head, his gaze holding a deep emotion that only she could understand.

"Don't believe his lies. If you really die, he will surely go back on his word," she said. "If you dare to die, I'll follow right after you. In any case, don't think you can leave me behind."

Cheng Yu's eyes darkened, disbelief etched on his face. "You would truly rather die with him than live without him?"

"Of course, do you think I'm joking?" She spoke calmly and at ease, not at all like someone determined to meet her end. "It's not the first time anyway, the more you do it, the easier it becomes."

Cheng Yu didn't understand her words and still couldn't believe she was willing to die with Gongye Chu. "I am a strange man. If you insist on dying together, I refuse to fulfill your wish. My enemy is Gongye Chu, not you all. If I were to drag you along to my grave, what would make me different from a ruthless person like Gongye Chu?"

"Is Prince Cheng being sincere?" Gongye Chu asked. "If you let them go, I promise they will no longer pursue your family members, the Chengs."

Cheng Yu looked at Pei Yuanxi and asked, "Second Miss Pei, can I trust you?"

The way he addressed her with this title sounded peculiar.

A sourness welled up in Pei Yuanxi's nose, "I'm not leaving."

Gongye Chu released his grip on her hand.

She eagerly reached out to grab hold of his sleeve, "What if I fall in love with another man in the future? Wouldn't it be pitiful for your grave to be overgrown with tall grass by then?"

"If..."

"There are no 'ifs,'" tears already shimmering in her eyes, "Didn't you just say there were no ifs? Although there are many paths in life, there is only one path to death. But no matter how many paths there are, without you by my side, where am I to go alone?"

"We can't leave Chong'er behind."

Tears trickled down her cheeks as she choked back sobs, "He'll grow up and have his own path to follow; we can't accompany him forever. Before, I left you behind, but this time, I want to stay by your side..."

"Alright." He pretended to embrace her but instead struck the back of her neck with a palm.

Cheng Yu shook his head desperately. "How could it be? How could she possibly…?"

"Prince Cheng, my wife has always kept her promises. She would never put those people in a difficult situation," Gongye Chu assured, handing her over to Liu Wei. "Take Madam away. Hurry and don't look back."

"Your Excellency!" The Liu Weis knelt in unison.

"This is an order!" Gongye Chu sternly declared. "From now on, protect Madam and follow the Emperor's instructions."

Cheng Yu sneered. "I didn't expect Lord Gongye to be such a romantic. I thought your loyalty to the young emperor was just an act, but it seems you genuinely treat him as your own son."

The Liu Weis still refused to leave, so Gongye Chu drew his sword.

"If you don't go, I'll have no choice but to act," he warned, not pointing the blade at them but at himself.

With their master forcing their hand and the order being absolute, the Liu Weis had no choice but to escort Pei Yuanxi away. They supported her, moving swiftly without pause.

Liu Ze saw them emerge but noticed that their lord was nowhere to be seen.

"What did you say? Our lord is still inside alone?" He was horrified and immediately instructed others to tend to Pei Yuanxi while rushing down the secret passage himself.

At that moment, a deafening explosion echoed from the direction of the Tongtian Terrace, shattering the serenity of the underground palace.

The cacophony jolted Pei Yuanxi awake. She blinked in confusion as the rumbling seemed to reverberate through her very soul, a heavy, oppressive pain that stole her breath.

"Gongye Chu!"

She ran, weeping like a madwoman.

Dark plumes of smoke billowed into the sky, causing panic among the citizens who rushed to spread the news. Many hurried towards the source of the smoke, their hearts filled with dread and curiosity.

She could see nothing, hear nothing.

Past and present intertwined before her eyes. The aloof and awkward man, the ruthless king as described by the world. He would blush bashfully when expressing his affection, and remain loyal to her even in death.

Only when one experiences separation can they truly grasp the agony of loss.

Her heart was being torn apart piece by piece, yet she was oblivious to the pain. In her previous life, she had been the one to leave first, leaving him behind. But in this life, he had gone before her, leaving her alone.

She couldn't fathom the emotions A Chu must have felt, living on after her death. The torment that the one left behind endures was unfathomable. The mere thought of carrying on without him was excruciating, like a thousand needles piercing her heart.

Flames shot up into the sky, while thick smoke obscured the surroundings.

"Gongye Chu!" She called out his name loudly, and with each utterance, her heart ached even more.

The Tongtian Terrace was guarded by soldiers, so naturally, no one would stop her.

She burst in and was caught by a pale, ashen-faced young man.

"Mother, Mother, you're unharmed... What about Father? Is he safe too?" The young lad's handsome face was smudged with soot, his brilliant golden dragon robe stained with dirt, and his hands mangled with blood and filth.

Her expression was filled with heartbreaking despair, leaving no room for Shangxing's confusion.

"My father... He's inside?"

"Chong'er..."

The mother and son clung to each other tightly, their grief overwhelming as they gazed at the flames.

"Duke Commander!"

"Sir!"

Liu Wei and the soldiers persisted in their search, desperately hoping to discover something amidst the ashes, flames, and smoke. Such a powerful explosion would have reduced not only flesh and blood to rubble but also solid walls of bronze and iron.

Pei Yuanxi slowly rose to her feet and walked towards the blazing light.

"Mama!" Shangxing clung to her, weeping bitterly.

She looked around blankly, her expression lost.

"Mama, you can't go!" The boy cried pitifully. "You can't leave me alone... Papa's already gone. What will I do if you leave too?"

He had come for his mother, never expecting to lose his father. Was it his destiny to grow up with neither parent by his side, forced to rely on just one?

"I...," she began, trying to recall her intention. "I want to look for..."

What was there to find?

Chunks of flesh and bone?

Her heart began to ache again, the thought of never having that person in her life again made it seem as if the dense smoke blanketing the sky would never dissipate.

"Your father wasn't one for sweet words. Despite being such an intimidating figure, I found him to be the biggest fool in the world, even more so than I was back then..."

"Mother..."

"I left you both behind before. I thought I could return. I never imagined how excruciating it would be for the ones left behind. I should taste this pain... so I can understand its depth..." She murmured, leaning on her son's hand as they approached the ashes.

In the midst of the ashes were bricks, metal scraps, and melted gold and silver. Amidst these remnants lay charred human bones. She found a burnt piece of cloth and stood there, choked with sorrow for a long while.

"You can cry so bitterly over a piece of cloth, what would you do if I were really gone?" A familiar voice seemed to come from behind her.

She dared not turn around, fearing it might just be her imagination. Then she heard her son joyfully call out to his father, and she slowly turned, her body stiff with anticipation.

Amidst the billowing smoke, a man stood tall and resolute, covered in dust. He exuded an indescribable odor. Though he appeared utterly disheveled, she felt as if he had descended from heaven like a deity.

"Gongye Chu!"

You're not dead.

To Gongye Chu's left was his son, insistently holding onto him, while on his right was his wife, who had rushed into his embrace. "With a wife and child who need me, how could I dare to depart this world?"

Shangxing wept even more profusely, yet through his tears, joy shone bright. "Father, Mother, it's wonderful that you're both safe. Our family will never be separated again."

"Yes, never again," Gongye Chu affirmed.