Chapter 102 Frankness

Chapter 102: Laying It All Bare

The sudden turn of events froze the other jailers in place, leaving them too frightened to move. They dropped to their knees, their heads bowed low.

The courtyard was silent.

Snow fell heavily, soon covering Chu Jiubian’s shoulders with a thin layer.

He locked eyes with Qin Xiao, just a few steps away, his hand still trembling as it gripped the weapon's hilt, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

Behind him, the young jailer's body lay on the ground.

A clean, decisive slash across the throat gushed blood, staining the snow and dyeing the soles of Chu Jiubian’s shoes red.

Li Sheng was the one in the palace who had been infested with the Gu worm.

Chu Jiubian had recognized him immediately when he saw his portrait.

His subordinates had discovered that Li Sheng was close with a palace servant from the imperial kitchen—the two often met to talk.

That servant frequently moved throughout various parts of the palace and had connections with many people.

So, at some point, from someone, he had become host to the Gu worm.

While chatting with Li Sheng, the Gu worm had transferred to Li Sheng.

The Gu worm wasn't meant to parasitize initially, but Prince Dingbei, wary of Chu Jiubian possibly discovering it, didn’t hesitate long and commanded the Gu worm to take host.

Because the Gu Master said that once the Gu worm parasitized, even the greatest Gu Master would be unable to detect it.

Indeed, Sutu Anli hadn’t detected it, and the system hadn’t either.

After seeing Li Sheng’s face, Chu Jiubian purchased numerous texts related to Gu arts from the system mall.

But when a Gu Master achieves a certain mastery in refining Gu, they develop their own unique style—each Gu they refine has distinctive traits.

Prince Dingbei’s Gu Master focused on one objective: not to make the Gu worm particularly powerful, but to ensure it stayed undetectable.

And he succeeded.

Chu Jiubian pored over texts and records, even considering surgical means to remove the Gu worm.

But once the Gu worm enters the human body, it secretes a neurotoxin and becomes deeply entangled with the central nervous system in the brain.

So, there was no cure.

Neither Gu arts nor medical skills could save him.

Chu Jiubian was not a true deity; he was not omnipotent.

He stopped obsessing and made peace with it.

Prince Dingbei kept this "hidden pawn," along with the infested civilians in the capital, undoubtedly preparing for a last desperate move.

Even if he couldn’t achieve anything, he still wanted to create difficulties for Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao.

So, like dangling a bone before a dog, Chu Jiubian left him this glimmer of hope.

As for Li Sheng, Chu Jiubian decided to end him personally—and in front of Qin Xiao.

The first kindness he received upon arriving in Great Ning came from this young jailer. Chu Jiubian masochistically severed this connection with his own hands, as if simultaneously cutting off his past, the last traces of kindness and vulnerability in his heart.

And severing the tenuous emotional connection between him and Qin Xiao, built on transactions and lies.

He wanted to lay his true self bare for Qin Xiao to see.

To let him know that he was not a "deity" but more like an "evil spirit."

He now occupied a high office and commanded great authority.

No one could challenge his position anymore, even if he fell from grace.

Among the secret guards, his commands now overrode Qin Xiao’s.

So he instructed them to stay out of it, no matter what happened in the prison.

They obeyed.

Chu Jiubian had as well.

It felt as long as an eternity, yet as brief as two breaths—so short that the blood hadn't even dripped from the blade tip, and the blood on the ground still steamed.

Chu Jiubian felt warmth on his face.

His vision refocused, and he saw the person right in front of him.

Qin Xiao looked deeply into his eyes, his warm hands gently wiping the blood from Chu Jiubian’s face—with such tenderness.

Chu Jiubian stared back expressionlessly, his eyes filled only with scrutiny and a faint, restrained light.

He couldn’t read the emotion in Qin Xiao’s eyes.

Perhaps it was sorrow, perhaps pity, or maybe heartache—but certainly not the "disgust" and "fear" Chu Jiubian was familiar with.

But why?

Had he not been clear enough?

For someone like Qin Xiao, who grew up in a happy family surrounded by love, killing his own father was hardly something a normal person would do.

And he had killed someone right in front of him—

—a former acquaintance he had just been catching up with moments ago.

Wouldn’t Qin Xiao think he was merciless and brutal?

The man’s fingertips were rough, but the touch on his face was gentle, as if afraid of breaking him.

Chu Jiubian’s throat moved; he wanted to ask something but didn’t dare speak.

"Don’t be afraid," Qin Xiao finally said, his voice soft, his gaze as tender as water. "You’re very strong now." Chu Jiubian heard Qin Xiao say, "No one can bully you anymore."

Yes.

He had grown up.

No one could hurt him anymore.

Chu Jiubian slowly blinked.

Qin Xiao wiped his face clean, then wrapped him in a cloak and pulled him into a hug.

Warmth spread through his body.

The knife in Chu Jiubian’s hand fell to the ground with a metallic clang, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

He closed his eyes. There was no need for words or questions.

Qin Xiao had already given him the answers to all his questions.

He would accept him unconditionally.

It was just as he had expected.

But before this, Chu Jiubian had refused to let himself trust Qin Xiao, refused to allow himself too much hope.

His warped personality had finally been straightened out by Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian’s tensed body relaxed, and he leaned quietly against Qin Xiao’s shoulder.

After a few breaths, he straightened up again and gently pushed Qin Xiao back.

Qin Xiao took half a step back, watching as Chu Jiubian turned and squatted, his robes and sleeves soiled with blood and grime from the ground.

Chu Jiubian took off his own cloak and draped it over Li Sheng’s body.

He looked into Li Sheng’s lifeless eyes and said softly, “I will continue to take care of your family.”

“Go now. Go see the great rivers and mountains, see the immortal realms you were so curious about…”

His voice trailed off as he reached out and gently closed the other’s eyes.

After a long moment, he called out for someone.

Several trembling jailers hurried out.

“Take him inside first. Palace attendants will come later to take him away,” Chu Jiubian said.

The jailers hurried to obey.

As Chu Jiubian stood up, a weight settled on his shoulders—Qin Xiao had taken off his own cloak and draped it over him.

Qin Xiao was hardy, and Chu Jiubian didn’t stand on ceremony with him.

Still, he thought, he ought to store some clothes and blankets in his space for emergencies.

Chu Jiubian deliberately let his mind wander to trivial matters.

This wasn’t his first time killing someone, but it felt too personal.

He remembered the other’s wide-open eyes, the warmth and stickiness of blood splattering on his face, the metallic scent of blood filling his nostrils.

The New Year was approaching.

They should add two more dishes to the palace banquet—what should they be?

Chu Jiubian’s thoughts drifted aimlessly, as if that could make him forget everything that had just happened.

Qin Xiao walked through the courtyard gate with him.

But Chu Jiubian eventually paused and looked back.

One jailer was carrying Li Sheng’s body on his back, while another walked beside him, holding the heavy cloak in place.

Only when they had entered the prison and disappeared from sight did Chu Jiubian turn away.

He lifted his foot and stepped forward again.

The two walked along the long palace path, neither mentioning what had just happened, walking in silence.

Qin Xiao glanced sideways at Chu Jiubian.

The young man still had the same face, still cold and distant when he wasn’t smiling, yet Qin Xiao felt something was different.

Chu Jiubian noticed his gaze and turned to look back.

Their eyes met.

And Qin Xiao understood.

He knew what was different—it was the eyes.

A warmth had appeared in Chu Jiubian’s eyes now.

The invisible, intangible barrier that had always stood between them had vanished.

Qin Xiao reached out and took Chu Jiubian’s hand, gently rubbing his smooth wrist, yet it felt as though he were touching old, deep scars.

He had finally, truly reached Chu Jiubian.

Reached the person who had once been covered in wounds.

Chu Jiubian looked down at his own hand, lost in thought.

“I know you’ve been sending silver to his family all along,” Qin Xiao suddenly said.

Chu Jiubian looked up at him.

Qin Xiao gazed in the direction outside the palace. “Ever since you entered court and became the Grand Tutor, you’ve had someone send silver to Li Sheng’s family every month, but you never told him.”

Chu Jiubian also turned to look outside the palace.

He had indeed arranged with one of his sedan chair carriers to deliver a few taels of silver to Li Sheng’s family every month.

Not much—just enough to let them live more comfortably, but not enough to make them suddenly wealthy.

Li Sheng’s family had been nervous and fearful at first, but the carrier told them he had been helped by Li Sheng and wanted to repay him privately without Li Sheng knowing.

So Li Sheng’s family accepted the silver but kept it a secret, never telling Li Sheng about the extra money that appeared each month.

Chu Jiubian had only let a few scattered coins slip through his fingers.

He didn’t even know why he had done it.

Perhaps it was gratitude for the blanket the other had given him when he first arrived.

Or perhaps he was just hypocritical, fond of putting on a show, pretending to be a good person with a conscience.

He used to perform for his fans; now he's performing for himself.

His hand suddenly tensed—it was Qin Xiao who grasped his hand.

"Chu Jiubian," Qin Xiao looked into the eyes of the person beside him, "do not deny your own kindness."

Chu Jiubian paused, withdrew his hand, and walked quickly ahead.

"I don't get it," he said.

Qin Xiao caught up even faster, firmly holding his hand again.

"Then I’ll break it down for you," Qin Xiao said.

Chu Jiubian: "..."

Qin Xiao just chuckled and gripped his hand even tighter.

Their figures walked along the long palace path, shoulders brushing against each other. Thick snow piled atop the vermilion high walls, and a thin layer of silver-white dusted their hair.

On the snowy ground, two sets of footprints stretched forward side by side.