After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 121

Three arrows brought Rong Fan down. His body fell heavily on the clock tower, making a loud noise. And he emitted a tragic cry of pain.

— He wasn’t dead! Despite the arrows piercing his knees, he hadn’t died. The three arrows fired by the Emperor were controlled well enough to ensure that the Prince of Dajing would not die on the spot.

But the effect of the arrows was still apparent: a lot of blood, a weak, nearly inaudible cry from extreme pain, and those two legs that might never stand again. One of the arrows had pierced Rong Fan’s shoulder and had caused him to fall backward, away from Zhou Xun’s fingertips.

People began to move toward this side. They were all dressed in black, like members of the organization called the “Ziyi Shi,” which was invisible to the public eye. Zhou Xun realized that during his six months of focused study, they had developed to such an extent. Rong Fan was carried away like a dead dog, and someone, without anesthesia, used a very skillful maneuver to pull out the arrows from his body. Even though Rong Fan had lost consciousness, he still let out a hoarse cry of pain—a cry that seemed like it could only come from someone on the brink of death.

Below the clock tower, a young man in dark clothes hurriedly approached. He was slower than the other hidden guards who were already in ambush. Just a moment ago, he and Zhou Xun had been separated by the heavy twilight, staring at each other from afar. One held a bow with an expressionless face, while the other reached out as if to push the devil off.

Zhou Xun watched as Rong Fan was carried down from the clock tower, silent and unmoving. He looked at his own trembling hands.

**”…”** He heard his own voice, **”…”**

Then he realized he hadn’t made any sound. What he had heard earlier were illusions.

He only heard footsteps coming up, one step at a time. Without turning around, he knew who was coming up from below the clock tower and was about to reach him. It was like those three arrows—powerful, unstoppable, unyielding, as if they were to pierce some kind of fate.

And that person saw everything.

He heard the footsteps of that person stop behind him. What would he say? Zhou Xun didn’t know. Just like he didn’t know what to say at that moment.

**”I…”** Zhou Xun finally turned around, **”I just…”**

Endless darkness pressed down on him, with warmth and a comforting fragrance. It was only after a long time that Zhou Xun realized he hadn’t lost consciousness—what he had received was an embrace.

An embrace from the Emperor, from Rong Haoyu.

Before this embrace, Zhou Xun had never known that an embrace could also be described as “brutal.” The person pressed his head down, holding him tightly. Just holding him, without a word. And Zhou Xun, in this embrace, almost felt pain; he felt like he was being crushed, unable to breathe. They were like two travelers on the verge of dying of thirst in the desert, embracing each other in the endless, desolate sea of sand, only able to hold onto each other. Or like two patches of moss on a cold, barren plain, only able to stretch out a bit of their bodies to touch each other.

The feeling was like surviving a catastrophe, but not quite. Zhou Xun remembered a book he had read, which said that there was a blessed tribe in the western oasis. Even during extreme drought, the tribe still had bubbling springs. Later, when the tribe’s shaman could no longer hear the voice of the gods, the gods abandoned the tribe, no longer responding. The other members of the tribe traveled under the stars, while the shaman remained at the tribe, holding onto the spring until death.

He had once thought the Emperor was his spring, but at this moment, he felt the Emperor was the shaman, and he was the spring.

**”I…”** He whispered with difficulty.

**”Don’t speak.”**

That was the Emperor’s voice.

**”I…”** Zhou Xun closed his eyes and whispered, **”You know, sometimes I think about killing. I’m not a good person, and I can’t go back to being sixteen. I’m already who I am now. He was right in front of me, and all I had to do was push him…”**

**”I know.”**

**”I hate him.”**

**”I know.”**

**”I’m not impulsive, nor do I need to justify myself. There are many ways to make this act seem justified. Lao Shen, you, Lu Xiandao. I would tell everyone that he fell by accident—when he was hitting me. I would also bruise my own arms and body to make the marks more convincing…”**

**”I know.”**

**”I can’t go back to the Zhou Xun of sixteen. The Zhou Xun of sixteen wouldn’t think of killing. He was so pure and kind, yet defenseless. Now I have the ability to defend myself, but I am no longer him…”**

**”I know.”**

**”I can’t return to the original state even if I heal the scars. I can’t,”** Zhou Xun trembled in his embrace, **”I want to be stronger, as if nothing ever happened. But just this thing, this small speck of dust, has destroyed my life. And he initially, surprisingly, meant well… I can’t accept it… It’s like fate…”**

Zhou Xun thought that speaking this way was useless, as if he was shirking responsibility.

But he wasn’t that pure, or that beautiful. He wasn’t always helping others, he didn’t just smile back at the world after being hurt, and he didn’t lose all his scars and become the heartless, righteous sixteen-year-old he once was, bathed in sunshine. Once he was changed, he couldn’t go back to the way he was; wasn’t it just like that?

But his thoughts were interrupted.

“Fate is me,” the Emperor said, lifting his gaze. He adjusted Zhou Xun’s chin to face him directly, his eyes burning with fierce fire. “It was me who shot the arrows through him. It was me who made that bastard leave. It wasn’t some damned fate!”

Zhou Xun pressed his lips together and remained silent. The Emperor continued, “Of course, I know that the sixteen-year-old you is gone forever. But what I saw for the first time was not the sixteen-year-old you, but the you of now. The you now is no less than the you of the past—do you think otherwise? I like you not because you’re kind, but because…”

“You are you. You appeared then, and that’s all there is to it.” He spoke through gritted teeth, “I will never allow fate to take you away. I will never allow it to make you feel guilty. Do you understand?”

Zhou Xun’s eyelashes fluttered.

“What’s the big deal about killing such a bastard? He’s worthless!” The Emperor roared, but his anger was not directed at Zhou Xun; it was more like a roar at some part of the sky. “But you going to kill him alone, trying to cover it up—that’s unacceptable! If you want to kill him, then I’ll be the one to shoot the arrows. If you want to stab him, then hand the knife to me… That bastard isn’t worth anything. If there’s bloodshed, let’s share it. If there’s plundering to be done, let’s do it together. If you want to burn a city, I’ll add the firewood! But you can’t do it alone. Do you understand? Not because the bastard doesn’t deserve to die, but because you alone can’t do it! I won’t allow you to go alone!”

“And you can’t escape me either. If I become the Demon King, I’ll drag you out to be the Demon Queen, whether you like it or not. If I become a bandit, you’ll be my captive wife. Don’t think you can escape. Even if you run to the ends of the earth to read books, I’ll drag you back to my home. So understand this— we are meant to walk together, and everyone else is irrelevant!”

“No one can return to their original state. But you must accept who you are now. The you now is also very lovable,” the Emperor said coldly. “What makes you less than anyone else now? If anyone dares to say otherwise, burn down their house, and I’ll hand you the torch!”

Zhou Xun stared at the Emperor. In the twilight, the Emperor’s eyes were so bright, as if reflecting the entire sunlight of the capital. He looked at him and suddenly began to laugh.

It was not like Zhou Xun’s usual laugh. His laugh was always polite and restrained, but at that moment, it was like a silly grin. For a moment, even the usually stern and passionate Emperor was startled. Zhou Xun suddenly hugged his shoulders, laughing uncontrollably. He laughed until he stopped, burying his face in the Emperor’s arm, remaining silent for a long time without saying a word.

There were no tears.

The Emperor then took him home. They sat in the carriage and got out. At the entrance of Zhou Xun’s residence, a member of the Ziyi Shi in black reported, “The Fifth Prince has been sent back to the royal residence, but one of his legs…”

The Emperor’s face immediately darkened with anger. He snorted coldly and said, “Then let it be ruined.”

The Ziyi Shi member was stunned and hesitated, “…Yes, but we don’t know how the Empress Dowager will handle this. If the Empress Dowager finds out, she’ll definitely investigate thoroughly…”

“Let her do whatever she wants,” the Emperor said impatiently.

He then escorted Zhou Xun to his room. Zhou Xun, having laughed so much and buried his face all the way, seemed exhausted and calm, sitting on the bed and staring blankly at his hands. The Emperor watched him for a while, thought for a moment, and sat next to him, saying, “I used to learn archery at the Youth Palace when I was young. I was quite accurate and was praised many times by the coach, who said I had exceptional talent. Later, my family wanted me to use it to get into a good university, so I practiced for a few more years. After coming here, I practiced a few more times with Chu Tiankuo during the hunts. By the way… your arm wasn’t injured, was it?”

The Emperor seemed to suddenly remember something and became anxious. He reached out to check Zhou Xun’s arm, “I remember there was one arrow that seemed a bit off. I’m not sure if it hit you. Roll up your sleeve and let me see…”

Before he could finish his sentence, something soft touched his cheek.

“You…”

Then came a pair of arms.

Zhou Xun wrapped his arms around him, gazing quietly at him. They stared at each other, and after a long while, Zhou Xun cautiously leaned in.

He nuzzled the Emperor’s nose, gently, like a kitten’s friendly touch—a small gesture of confirmation.

For a moment, the entire room seemed to freeze. The Emperor dryly said, “Oh… I haven’t congratulated you on the top spot on the…”

“Hold me.”

“Ah?” The response was indeed the Emperor’s surprise, “Aren’t I already holding you?”

Zhou Xun shook his head.

He tightened his arms, pressing against the Emperor’s heartbeat, and softly said, “Hold me.”

“A bit tighter, even if it hurts.”

“Let me know you’re here.”