Chapter 161 I’m Leaving Now~

Chapter 161: I'm Leaving Now~

The hall erupted into chaos.

Xiao Jing let out a roar like a beast's death howl. His bloodshot eyes locked onto Liu Qingci, seething with a madness that wanted to destroy everything.

“Stop him! Protect Lord Liu!”

Shouts and the clang of drawn swords blended together. The imperial guards were well-trained.

By now, Xiao Jing had completely lost his mind, relying solely on instinct and a reckless, desperate ferocity. Brandishing his long blade, he charged forward heedlessly, somehow managing to break through an opening.

Standing among the civil officials, Liu Qingci could see every muscle twitch on Xiao Jing’s face and his own pale reflection in Xiao Jing’s eyes.

The cold, gleaming blade aimed straight for his heart.

His colleagues screamed and scrambled out of the way. Liu Qingci backed up step by step until he slammed into the icy hall pillar.

The guards behind him seemed to hesitate, afraid of injuring a prince, or worried they might hurt Liu Qingci. Their hesitation kept them from stopping the mad charge in time.

The blade tip came closer.

Suddenly, a black-clad figure shot out from behind Xiao Jing.

But by then, Xiao Jing had gone completely mad, his senses at their peak.

Just as Xiao Yan’s fingers were about to grab his wrist, Xiao Jing swung his long saber wildly—a suicidal fighting style.

The blade turned with his body, driven by a desperate desire to die together, a horizontal slash aimed at Xiao Yan's waist.

A fierce light flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes.

If he dodged, the blade would miss, but he'd lose all chance to stop Xiao Jing.

In a split second, he decided. He raised his hand, grabbed the blade barehanded, and shoved it aside.

A gash split open, blood spurting instantly, splattering half of Xiao Jing's face.

Pain shot through him, but Xiao Yan didn't even flinch.

Taking advantage of Xiao Jing's brief stagger as his blade was stopped and he leaned back, Xiao Yan kicked him hard in the chest and stomach.

“Bang!!!”

Xiao Jing was sent flying, his feet leaving the ground like he'd been hit by a giant hammer.

The long saber slipped from his grip and clattered to the floor a few steps away.

He himself, like a broken sandbag, crashed heavily onto the hard golden bricks, rolling several times until he slammed into the base of the distant dais. He curled up, coughing up great mouthfuls of blood.

From Xiao Yan's sudden assault to Xiao Jing's severe injury and fall, the whole thing took less than a blink—breathtakingly fast.

A deathly silence fell over the hall, broken only by Xiao Jing's pained, intermittent groans and the soft drip... drip... of blood from Xiao Yan's palm.

“Seize this unfilial son and bring him before me!”

Everyone stared at Xiao Jing, afraid he would strike again.

Hearing the emperor’s command, the guards stepped forward to drag him to the base of the throne steps.

At the same time, Liu Qingci ran to Xiao Yan the moment Xiao Jing was kicked away.

His eyes turning red, he stared at the ghastly wound on Xiao Yan's palm, the pain in his heart almost overflowing. But he moved quickly and decisively.

Liu Qingci tore a strip of cloth from inside his official robe, folded it into layers, and wrapped it around Xiao Yan’s injured palm, tying it tightly into a secure knot.

Blood soaked the cloth, but the flow slowed noticeably.

He didn't stop. He tore another long strip and wrapped it from the back of Xiao Yan's hand, over the palm wound, down to the fingers, making sure the dressing was secure without pressing on the fingertips.

Only then did he look up at Xiao Yan.

Sweat beaded on his forehead. His amber eyes mirrored the stark red of Xiao Yan's palm.

“Don't worry, I'm fine,” Xiao Yan said hoarsely.

“I was going to spare your life!”

The emperor, now in a fury, pointed at Xiao Jing, who was mad beyond recognition, and barked, “But it seems you want to die. Fine, I'll give you what you want!”

His icy gaze swept over the trembling officials. He enunciated each word: “Drag this unfilial son away and execute him on a set day!”

Xiao Jing, curled on the ground, seemed pushed over the edge by the emperor's 'grant your wish,' or maybe because he knew he had no chance of survival. The last trace of madness in his eyes twisted into a desperate resolve, almost like relief.

An inhuman, eerie laugh escaped his throat.

“I don’t need anyone to grant me anything!”

Then, with a sudden burst of strength, Xiao Jing sprang up and charged the nearest armed guard.

“Thunk!”

The muffled thud of a blade piercing flesh was sickeningly distinct.

The long saber went through his chest, the tip emerging from his back, dripping blood.

Xiao Jing's body stiffened. In his eyes, madness, unwillingness, resentment, and a deeply twisted emotion all faded into dead, hollow emptiness.

Blood, like a burst dam, gushed from his chest and back, staining a wide patch of golden bricks instantly.

Just as the blood droplets, reeking of iron, were about to splash onto Liu Qingci's face, who stood frozen in shock at the sudden suicide...

But a hand was raised even faster.

It was Xiao Yan.

He didn't even look at Xiao Jing's collapsing body. The moment Xiao Jing impaled himself, Xiao Yan's right hand came up, his palm gently covering Liu Qingci's eyes.

His wide black sleeve dropped like an impenetrable curtain, completely blocking Liu Qingci's view.

Liu Qingci's vision was suddenly plunged into a dim, slightly warm darkness.

All the chaos, the screams, the horrifying sight of spraying blood, the terrible sounds of a life ebbing away—all were firmly blocked by that hand and sleeve.

He could feel the dry warmth of Xiao Yan's palm and the familiar, cool scent of grass on his sleeve.

On the throne, the emperor's voice cut off abruptly.

He stared at Xiao Jing, who had impaled himself and was now lifeless, while his own chest heaved violently.

Finally, he sat back heavily onto the dragon throne, waved his hand, and said in a voice steeped in exhaustion:

"Drag him away, bury him... with the rites of a commoner. None of this is to be discussed. Court is adjourned!"

Xiao Yan didn’t expect that Xiao Jing would end up taking his own life.

But for someone as proud as Xiao Jing, this outcome wasn’t entirely surprising.

He would rather throw himself on a sword than kneel in the execution grounds.

The wound on Xiao Yan’s palm was deep. No sooner had he been injured than an imperial physician was summoned to treat him.

They found a side hall, and the physician quickly opened his medicine box.

Xiao Yan felt no pain at the moment, but the wound still needed to be treated.

The moment he was injured, Xiao K had instantly blocked his pain, though openly healing him right there wasn’t possible.

The physician carefully unwrapped the bandage, sighed as he examined the wound, and said, “Fortunately, the bleeding was stopped in time, and the pressure point was pressed accurately. Otherwise, with such a deep wound and damage to the meridians, massive blood loss could have been life-threatening.”

He swiftly applied a thick layer of golden wound powder—its cool, bitter smell—before binding it again with clean, fine cloth. “Your Highness must not let this touch water or exert force in the coming days. The dressing must be changed on schedule.”

Xiao Yan let the physician do his work and only withdrew his hand after the bandage was secured. “Thank you for your help.”

After the physician left, Xiao Yan stood alone by the window of the side hall.

Xiao K’s voice sounded in his mind, much softer than usual.

“Host,” it called, then paused before calling again, “Host…”

Xiao Yan’s brow twitched. “Mm.”

Xiao K’s voice came again, even softer than before: “I’m leaving now~”