Chapter 334 The Prelude to Su Rao’s Dark Transformation (XXII)

Chapter 334 The Prelude to Su Rao's Dark Transformation (XXII)

"You... kill... me..."

With great effort, he managed to say, his unsteady body losing balance as Su Er tumbled forward.

Just as he was about to tumble down the mountain, a slender, jade-like finger extended and pulled Su Er’s outstretched arm.

Su Er collapsed onto the ground, landing in Yun Ji’s arms.

Cough.

"You killed me, you... you truly aren’t Jì Yuè, who are you?"

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

The dark robes over his heart became darker and more intricate as the blood continued to flow non-stop along the blade of the dagger in his heart.

The blood-stained, powerful hand seized Yun Ji’s wrist, with such force that Yun Ji’s fingers turned white.

Veins on the back of his hand stood out prominently, and one could almost hear Yun Ji’s wrist bones about to snap.

"If I’m not Yun Ji, then who am I?"

Yun Ji muttered this to himself, and his dim, chaotic eyes suddenly sparkled.

His eyes gleamed.

In his eyes, Su Er’s figure gradually came into view, and the moonlit dagger in Su Er’s heart was reflected in them...

The deep red blood continued to seep out from Su Er’s heart, giving Yun Ji a fleeting sense of bloodlust.

But it lasted only a moment.

The pain in his wrist caused the bloodthirsty look in Yun Ji’s eyes to fade, and the glimmer of light in his eyes vanished instantly.

His vision blurred again, making it hard to see clearly, returning to the hazy, chaotic world. Yet, Yun Ji lowered his gaze to Su Er, fixing his gaze on the dagger in Su Er’s heart.

After a moment, he let out a low chuckle:

"Yu Mo, do you remember Han Mo Chen? You once warned him that if he ever hurt your little sister, you would repay him tenfold. But now, the one who is going to hurt her is you, so he has come to collect his due.

She is Han Mo Chen's exception. No one can hurt her. After she is hurt, and even before she is hurt, he will eliminate all who have hurt her or are about to hurt her. Even if you are from the Su family, even if you are my brother, Su Yu Mo, there will be no exception."

Cough.

"You... actually... are... he..."

That always indifferent gaze now showed a kind of horror that had never appeared when he realized Yun Ji was not Yun Ji, and he could not calm down.

"Then... you... must... also... be... a... remnant... of... the... previous... dynasty..."

These words were painfully forced out through clenched teeth.

"Heh... hehe..."

A sudden laugh.

Another difficult phrase:

"Grandfather said that my Su family has declined to this state, and he does not blame our younger sister. Now… now I, Su Yumo, do not blame Ji Yue either. It's just that I am unwilling… unwilling to die this way…"

Spit…

Another mouthful of blood, and Su Er lost all his remaining strength. The large hand that had been tightly holding onto Yun Ji's wrist slowly loosened.

The back of his hand hit the ground, and he was gone.

"Yumo, Rong Xiao is very sorry, but you had to die..."

A watery light appeared in the slender phoenix eyes, and a tear dropped exactly onto his heart.

The slender jade finger pressed onto Su Er's still-open eyes, concealing his unwillingness to close them, his unwillingness to die.

……

Surrounded by mist and fog, enveloping the mountains, the sun shone brightly, and the warm breeze gently brushed against the skin.

In the afternoon, among the mountains, at the summit, the mountain breeze lifted slightly yellowed leaves that fluttered, and the hems of their clothes fluttered with it.

On the peak, Yue Hua stood quietly waiting. Under the cloak that covered him, the body was quietly dead.

The hidden Zhao Duke appeared, walked up to Yun Ji, and after a long while, he sighed:

"Hao'er, actually, he didn't have to die. The men I brought are all loyal soldiers of the Zhao mansion. If you wanted to save him, you only needed to find a substitute, a sleight of hand, and the Emperor wouldn't have known..."

"There are no walls that don't let wind through. No matter how clever the plan or tactic, there will always be a day when it is uncovered, especially since he is the son of the Su family.

He is Su Yumo, and apart from Old Master Su, he is the one most feared by Uncle Royal. What he wanted was still Rao Rao's life, so he had to die."

The clear voice carried an echo of the empty valley, and the white silk veil once again covered his eyes, hiding all the emotions that had arisen in them, now returned to indifference.

"Granduncle, these past days, Yun Ji has come to understand that only imperial power in hand can protect Rao Rao's safety and keep her secure, but now, Yun Ji wants her to be safe and can only follow the Emperor's arrangements, with no other choice..."

"Hao'er, it doesn't have to be this way..."

The Duke of Zhao frowned for a moment.

"The Su family is doomed to die, but the Emperor didn't necessarily have to make you the one to exterminate them. With your intelligence and thoughtfulness, you could have found a way to break this deadlock, but you chose the option most disadvantageous to yourself..."

"I want to send her away."

Yun Ji turned around, looked at the Duke of Zhao, and smiled faintly.

The Prince Yue Hua, a smile that could captivate a city, and another that could enchant a nation, and even the fairy-like scenery around him dimmed in comparison.

"Granduncle, what I feared most was that she would hate me. I never wanted her to hate me. Even in a final parting, I hope it's a joyful farewell between us.

But when all the things I couldn't control were revealed before me, I realized that hatred might be easier to bear than a joyful farewell."

It might have been due to Su Er's death that Yun Ji showed a moment of vulnerability and shared his hidden hopes with the Duke of Zhao.

"My surroundings are no longer safe. I want to send her away, to someone who can protect her. If she hates me, she will actively seek out that person and find other help.

I want to send her away from Yun Lang. I don't want her to return. I want her to remember the Su family's destruction as my doing, not because of her involvement."

"Hao'er, Granduncle will help you send her away."

A hand rested on Yun Ji's shoulder, and the Duke of Zhao patted Yun Ji's shoulder. His old eyes settled on Su Er's body under the Yue Hua cloak, with a glimmer of emotion.

For the sake of the princess of the former dynasty, he had removed a close friend he had known for many years. Such ruthlessness, yet not devoid of genuine emotion, was the mark of a royal child who carried the blood of the Zhao family. With Hao'er around, what worry would there be that the Zhao family couldn't rise to become the foremost aristocratic family in Yunlang?

In his eyes, a rolling, fiery enthusiasm emerged. Just thinking about the future prosperity of the Zhao family made the Duke’s heart burn with excitement.

"Lord, Duke, the Crown Prince and his party are approaching."

A voice came from behind as Yun Ling returned after seeing off Yun Murui, bringing news of the Crown Prince’s location.

The Crown Prince’s group had already reached the mountain hot springs and was now heading toward the bamboo forest.

"Hao'er, do not be complacent. The Crown Prince is not an ordinary person."

With this warning, the Duke turned and left.

He would not let Yun Murui and the others discover his relationship with Yun Ji.

It was not yet time for Hao'er to reclaim his princely status.

"Hao'er understands. Be careful, Lord Duke."

Yun Ji replied in kind, his phoenix eyes behind the silk, watching until his grandfather’s indistinct figure disappeared from the mountain peak. The trust that had just appeared on his face vanished without a trace.

"Where are Xianyi Chishaou? Where have they reached?"

Yun Ji returned to a calmness devoid of any ripple.

Yun Ling responded.

Upon learning that Su Rao was the princess of the former dynasty, Xianyi Chishaou and Mo Ying had quickened their pace. They would arrive in Yunlang within five days.

After this, Yun Ling paused, then added:

"Lord, Miss Su is following the Crown Prince’s group. Huan Niang and Mu Lian are with her. She is safe."

The jade-like fingers within Yuehua’s sleeves trembled uncontrollably, then curled into a fist.

A sorrow emanated from him, the sorrow of those who had parted with hatred. The sorrow of something he had done himself.