Chapter 81: Life and Death United

Chapter 81: Life and Death United

The sky was overcast with clouds, rain and snow falling incessantly. In such bone-chilling days, every day, messengers of the Red Feathers rode their swift horses eight hundred miles in haste through the city gates, the hooves shattering the ice as if the immortal spirits were on the verge of disintegration.

"Report! Wu Yun leads three hundred thousand elite soldiers attacking from the south, breaking through three passes, Jiu Hua, Xi Feng, and Chang Ling have all fallen!"

"Report! Tian Shui leads one hundred thousand iron cavalry attacking from the north, already crossing the Dragon Gorge Pass!"

"Report! Dong Li leads four hundred thousand troops coming from the east, heading straight for the capital!"

One report after another was presented to the imperial desk, smashing the newly crowned Lu Mang into a daze. When he heard that Dong Li's elite troops were heading straight for the capital, he was so frightened that he fell onto the dragon throne. The once bustling imperial court had turned into a pot of porridge, everyone in peril.

The combined forces of the three kingdoms, totaling eight hundred thousand troops, clearly came prepared. Immortal Spirit was currently suffering from a snow disaster, lacking food and troops, and there were few capable generals left in the court. At most, they could muster less than two hundred thousand troops, how could they resist the attacks from three sides!

The situation was too heavily tilted, Lu Mang was powerless to send troops to resist. He himself had led troops into battle before, how could he not know the risks involved? If it was only against one of them, it would still be fine, but now facing three, Immortal Spirit was bound to lose!

Lu Mang clenched his fist and slammed it heavily on the table, gritting his teeth and spitting out a sentence: "Send envoys to seek peace, no matter what conditions, they must withdraw their troops!"

Unable to fight, they could only seek peace, just as when Immortal Spirit unified the twelve continents, the various countries also bowed their heads humbly.

However, Lu Mang underestimated their hatred and determination to destroy Immortal Spirit. The imperial court sent three envoys to seek peace, but they were beheaded before they even entered the military camp, their severed heads preserved in lime and sent back eight hundred miles in haste in a brocade box.

The three heads were neatly placed on the imperial desk, shocking the imperial court. Now even a three-year-old child knew that Immortal Spirit was about to fall. The once bustling streets were empty, large numbers of refugees packed up their belongings and fled westward, presenting a bleak scene.

"It seems I don't have to bother sending you back to Wu Yun, Zhao Yuzhang's army will soon enter the capital."

Outside, people were in a panic, but the Fengling Prince's Mansion remained as dead silent as ever. Since Lu Mang ascended the throne, he had listed a series of charges to imprison Lu Yan in the mansion, waiting until the spring of the following year to send him back to his fiefdom. If it wasn't for his fear of the half tiger talisman, Lu Yan might have lost his life long ago.

Lu Yan wore mourning clothes, following the rules to mourn the late emperor. Every day, he had to kneel in front of the memorial tablet set up in the mansion and recite scriptures a hundred times, eating vegetarian meals. He rarely dressed so plainly, when he knelt down with his eyes closed, the smoke curled up, his eyebrows taking on a look of compassion that had been through the vicissitudes of life.

Shang Junian walked behind Lu Yan and asked without revealing any emotion, "The late emperor was buried, Lu Mang didn't allow you to attend, aren't you angry at him?"

Lu Yan smiled, "When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out, rules are made for the living to see, it doesn't really matter whether or not you attend. When I die in the future, it will be the same, even if someone grinds my bones to dust, I won't be able to see it."

Shang Junian frowned, "If you don't care about the rules, why do you come here every day to chant scriptures and pray?"

Lu Yan finally opened his eyes, "My father fought all his life, establishing unparalleled achievements. On his deathbed, he was still worried about the lack of successors for the country. It all boils down to the fact that I, as a son, was unfilial. All I can do for him now is this."

Lu Yan was very sad.

This was the result of Shang Junian's genuine observation. When Lu Yan returned from the palace, he locked himself in his room for a day and night without coming out. To others, the country had simply changed its ruler, but to him, he had lost his respected father.

There was no one else in the world who would love him unconditionally like the emperor did.

Lu Yan knelt in front of the spirit tablet and suddenly noticed a shadow falling beside him. Shang Junian actually lifted his robe and slowly knelt on the cushion. Lu Yan was startled and instinctively reached out to stop him, "You are not a minister of Immortal Spirit, you don't have to kneel."

But Shang Junian said, "Prince Fengling, in this world, besides close friends who share their hearts and souls, there are also enemies whom I admire wholeheartedly."

"I was born a minister, yet I have lofty aspirations. In the past, when I assisted the king of Wu Yun, I also yearned to leave my name in history, helping him unify the world. Alas, the monarch was foolish, I trusted the wrong person all my life, thus one mistake led to another..."

"Your father was the only emperor in history to bring the twelve continents under his control. Although I hate him, he is worthier of my respect than most people in this world. I've thought countless times, if I wasn't a man of Wu Yun, but a minister of Immortal Spirit, would the outcome have been different?"

A capable minister not serving a wise monarch, a wise monarch without a strategist, both lead to lifelong regrets. The emperor was extremely wary of Shang Junian, which was also a form of admiration in its own way.

It was not until today, in front of the spirit tablet, that Lu Yan finally learned of the heartache Shang Junian had hidden for many years.

"The past cannot be held onto, the present brings much trouble. This life has already reached its end, thinking about another outcome would only add to the troubles. Perhaps the result would be different in the next life..."

Shang Junian's leg condition was worsening, it was difficult for him to bend down, and he couldn't kneel for long. Seeing this, Lu Yan got up from the cushion and reached out to help him up, "It's time for your acupuncture, the imperial physician should be here soon, I'll take you back to your room first."

After saying that, he bent down slightly and directly picked the man up, walking towards the bedroom. The passing servants were used to it. No matter how many things happened during this period, Lu Yan always found time to pay attention to Shang Junian's condition, as if the other party had become the only person he cared about.

Although the servants all felt that this affection came out of nowhere, after all, before this, one was a high and mighty prince, the other was imprisoned in the prison without seeing the light of day, like two lines that never intersected.

Shang Junian couldn't see through Lu Yan. He let the other party carry him into the room, this intimate action seeping into their lives like a slow poison, becoming a habit.

Shang Junian suddenly asked, "After they invaded Immortal Spirit, have you ever thought about your own fate?"

Lu Yan lowered him onto the bed, also lifting his robe to sit down. After some thought, he said, "Tortured, skinned alive, beheaded and displayed to the public?"

Shang Junian didn't understand why Lu Yan was so calm. His dark eyes stared at the other party, as if trying to see through his heart. Frowning, he asked, "Aren't you afraid of death?!"

Lu Yan turned his head to look out the window at the snow-covered landscape, smiling and saying something Shang Junian didn't understand, "I'm already dead."

The imperial physician came to take Shang Junian's pulse, his tightly furrowed brows never relaxing. He inserted silver needles slowly into Shang Junian's legs to alleviate the pain caused by the cold, but it was like pouring water on a fire.

Lu Yan had something to attend to and left for a while, leaving only the two of them in the room. Shang Junian looked at the imperial physician's pale hair and closed his eyes, his voice hoarse, "I've been feeling pain in my organs recently, and the medicine isn't working."

The imperial physician dared not meet his eyes, "Young master's organs are damaged, the pain may be due to the winter cold entering the lungs. Later, I'll prescribe a tonic formula, it may relieve the pain somewhat."

Shang Junian couldn't hold back a few low coughs, a sweet and fishy taste rising in his throat, which he forcefully suppressed, "Prince Fengling isn't here, tell me the truth, how much time do I have left?"

The air became quiet because of his words.

The imperial physician glanced at the door, seeing that Lu Yan was indeed not there, he then boldly said, "If nourished with heavenly treasures, perhaps until early spring next year."

Shang Junian was taken aback, was it only three months left?

"I'm now barely clinging to life, unable to get out of bed, unable to withstand the wind. Even if I live for ten or a hundred years, I'd still be a cripple. Can you give me some medicine that will make me look like a normal person, even if I can only live for three days?"

The imperial physician sensed his underlying meaning and was secretly shocked, "There is such a medicine, but it may shorten one's lifespan. If you have two months left, after drinking it, you'll only have half left."

Shang Junian's expression was unusually relieved, "Go ahead and prepare it, just don't tell him. Otherwise, I'll be in pain every day, and he'll be bothering you every day, it'll be troublesome for both of us."

The imperial physician responded softly, put away the silver needles, and slowly exited the room with his medicine box on his back, thinking that this was only possible in the Fengling Prince's Mansion. If it was an ordinary family, Shang Junian might not even be able to extend his life for half an hour.

Lu Yan was still unaware of what happened in the backyard. He had just received news that the rebel troops broke through seven passes last night, advancing like a raging fire. They were now stationed less than a hundred miles from Immortal Spirit's imperial city, and it was only a matter of time before they entered.

Eunuch He led a group of dead guards kneeling in the hall, pleading pitifully, "Your Highness, quickly pack your things and leave with this old slave. The emperor ordered this old slave to ensure your safety before he died. Immortal Spirit is clearly unable to hold on. King Nanxun secretly led his elite troops to flee west last night, the imperial court is now just an empty shell!"

He still habitually referred to the late emperor as the Imperial Monarch and Lu Mang as the King of Nanxun. Perhaps in everyone's heart, only the deceased emperor was worthy of that title.

Lu Yan did not display the anticipated panic. He slowly paced before Eunuch He, his gaze sweeping over the bowed faces. These were all citizens of Xianling, who would soon fight to their last breath to protect him, dying on the yellow springs.

"You..."

Lu Yan paused for a long moment before finally uttering,

"You should all disperse."

Eunuch He raised his head in shock, only to see Lu Yan suddenly lifting his robe to kneel before them. He hurriedly tried to stop him, "Your Highness, you mustn't!"

The loyal guards also turned away in unison: "Your Highness, you mustn't!"

Ignoring Eunuch He's attempts to support and prevent him, Lu Yan raised his hand, signaling him to step back. His expression was calm. "Everyone, the change of imperial power is a common occurrence. Xianling has been an emperor for so many years; now it's time for someone else to take the throne. This is the will of heaven, beyond human control."

"The Son of Heaven guards the gates of the nation, and the monarch dies for the state. Although I am not the Son of Heaven, I have the blood of the Lu imperial clan flowing through my veins. It is fitting that I sacrifice myself for the country now. You need not waste your precious lives here."

"There are still some valuables left in the treasury. Each of you can take a thousand taels of silver and go your separate ways. From now on, you are no longer anyone's servants or loyal guards. Live peacefully as commoners."

Eunuch He was overwhelmed with sorrow. "Your Highness!"

Lu Yan held his aged hand. "Eunuch He, you've taken care of me for many years. To call you family wouldn't be far off. Now, there's one more thing I entrust to you..."

After the Imperial Monarch's death, the imperial city entered a state of martial law. Temples and shrines had to toll their bells thirty thousand times to commemorate the national mourning. In the distant, deep sounds of the mourning bells, people scattered and fled for their lives. However, the fall of the nation came faster than imagined.

Before the echoes of the mourning bells had fully dissipated, tens of thousands of iron-clad cavalry stepped into Xianling's territory.

Lu Yan dismissed everyone from the Fengling Palace, still dressed in plain clothes as he knelt before the late emperor's spirit tablet. A sword lay quietly at his right side, its purpose unclear—whether for slaying enemies or himself.

Lu Yan knew that Xianling had already fallen. Even with tightly closed doors, it wasn't hard to imagine the deafening sounds of battle outside. Fortunately, he had already arranged for Eunuch She to take Shang Junnian away, ensuring they wouldn't suffer the same fate as in his previous life.

The first to conquer Xianling would become king. Whoever seized Central China would be the next ruler of the twelve continents.

Wuyun, Dongli, and Tian Shui were allies one moment and enemies the next, fighting each other to the bitter end for that throne. But they shared a common enemy whom they hated with a passion.

"Xianling has fallen, a new monarch shall rise! Whoever captures Prince Fengling Lu Yan alive will be rewarded with a marquis title and ten thousand gold!"

After the rebels entered the city, one part headed for the imperial palace, while the other rushed straight to the Fengling Palace, shouting slogans, their eyes red with bloodlust!

The once luxurious mansion was unrecognizable due to their looting and destruction, but there was no sign of Lu Yan. The leading general led his men to a secluded Buddhist hall. The courtyard was quiet, covered in snow, with a clear trail of footprints leading down the middle path.

"Prince Fengling Lu Yan must be hiding here!"

The general drew his longsword and advanced, but then a tall figure suddenly appeared at the end of the corridor—a young man holding a black-gold sword in his right hand. Despite his pale complexion and frail body, he radiated like a drawn sword, impossible to conceal. He walked through the snow, the blood-red tassel at the end of the sword hilt swaying gently with each step until it finally stopped.

The general narrowed his eyes, feeling strangely familiar with this person but unable to recall where they had met. "Who are you?!"

"Swish—"

Shang Junnian slowly unsheathed his longsword. Its blade was cool like water, shimmering with a cold light that clearly reflected his sharp, dark eyes. His voice was indifferent, devoid of any emotion:

"No need for questions. If you want his life, come and kill us."

The general suddenly laughed coldly. "So you're an accomplice of the traitor. Don't blame me for being ruthless if you're seeking death. Kill him!"

The soldiers behind him instantly surged forward, intent on taking his life. However, Shang Junnian's figure flashed as he deftly plunged into the fray. His sword danced in the air, moving so fast that only afterimages could be seen.

Shang Junnian's face was stern, having forgotten about his own injuries. He swiftly swung his sword, killing enemies. Hot blood splattered on his face, becoming the only warmth in the snowy day. Arrows pierced his body without causing pain, and bodies fell one after another, quickly filling the courtyard.

The general's voice was panicked, not expecting such a frenzied slaughter. "Fire arrows! Quickly, fire arrows!"

The remaining soldiers nocked their bows, aiming at the stubborn figure in the courtyard. Black arrows, dense and carrying strong winds, shot towards him, a true representation of being pierced by a myriad of swords.

"Bang—!"

Just then, a white figure burst out from the tightly shut door, blocking Shang Junnian. With great effort, he swung his sword to cut down the incoming arrows, retreating while defending, pulling Shang Junnian back into the Buddhist hall. The intricately carved door immediately became riddled with holes.

"Weren't I supposed to let you go home?! Why did you come back?!"

Lu Yan gripped Shang Junnian's shoulders and roared, his previously calm demeanor shattered. His eyes were bloodshot and moist, seeing the arrows piercing his body, his hands trembling in confusion about how things had turned out this way.

Shang Junnian spat out a mouthful of blood, his face ashen. The breath that had sustained him finally gave out, and now he couldn't even hold his sword steady. It clattered to the ground. He silently moved his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing, his words weak and indistinct: "I..."

Lu Yan's forehead bulged with veins as he held back tears, leaning close to Shang Junnian's lips. He heard him say, "I have no home..."

Lu Yan closed his eyes, hot tears falling straight onto Shang Junnian's face. "Why save me?"

At Shang Junnian's words, his gaze became unfocused for a moment. Perhaps even he didn't know the answer. After a long pause, he asked, "Lu Yan... why did you save me..."

He said, "I originally hated you..."

Hated him to the point of wanting to tear out his tendons, peel off his skin, devour his flesh and blood, and still not quench his hatred.

A person would go mad after being locked in a dark, windowless cell for ten days. Shang Junnian spent five whole years inside, every moment hoping someone would rescue him. It was the person he hated most who pulled him out of hell.

"I originally wanted to leave... but found nowhere to go... so I came back..."

"Xianling has trapped me for half my life... I didn't expect to die without leaving... cough cough cough..."

The blood in Shang Junnian's mouth kept surging, making it difficult for him to speak. He clutched Lu Yan's collar tightly, seemingly wanting to ask for that answer, but his vision gradually blurred and dimmed. Those sharp, beautiful fox-like eyes gradually lost their luster.

"Huff—"

The two intricately carved wooden doors, under the assault of flying arrows, began to sway precariously. Cold wind and snow seeped through the cracks, snowflakes falling in the Buddhist hall. The statue looked down upon the mess below with compassionate eyes. The incense candles in front of the altar rolled to the ground, igniting the white curtains.

"Boom—!"

Flames soared to the sky, engulfing the entire shrine in roaring fire. Lu Yan held Shang Junnian's corpse as he slowly knelt before the deity statue, allowing the flames to creep up his sleeves. His handsome face, illuminated by the dancing firelight, appeared particularly devout, his eyes red-rimmed as he whispered,

"Buddha, do we have another life ahead of us?"

The deity remained silent. He asked again,

"System, can I return?"

Those outside were unaware of what was happening inside; they frantically tried to extinguish the fire, but the door beams and pillars collapsed one after another, preventing them from getting any closer. In a daze, Lu Yan seemed to hear heart-wrenching cries from outside. He turned back to see several soldiers restraining a young emperor clad in armor, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Zhao Yuzhang. With eyes bulging in rage, he cursed,

"You bastards! Who gave you permission to shoot arrows! I'll kill you! Kill you all!!"

"Get in there and save him!! Hurry!! Shang Junnian!! Come out!!"

He cried out in despair, watching helplessly as the shrine crumbled, unable to even stand steadily.

Two men then appeared at the moon gate. The general respectfully reported to them, "Your Majesty, Prince Fengling Lu Yan has immolated himself within the shrine."

Liu Que Dan furrowed his brows and said indifferently, "To let him die so swiftly, it's too easy for him."

Gongsun Wuyou remained silent upon hearing this. The childishness had faded from his face, revealing a sharp edge of youth. As he lifted his gaze, he saw the distant sky ablaze, devouring the man's white silhouette. In a haze, it seemed as if the man glanced back at him, making him feel an odd sense of familiarity.

It was as if the raging fire transformed into a stormy sky, turning the cold and quiet shrine into a ferry crossing where peach blossoms had fallen. A figure sat astride a horse, looking back at him with a smile, their face obscured, yet those smiling eyes were strikingly beautiful.

A strange sense of familiarity.

Gongsun Wuyou closed his eyes and shook his head, saying, "When someone dies, it's like a lamp being extinguished. Let it be."

He opened his eyes again, only to see a dark shadow suddenly dart into the flames, moving so fast that it was almost impossible to catch sight of it—

Like a...

Heart?