Tan Hua - Chapter 112: I Am... a Monster

Chapter 112: I Am… a Monster

The Loulan royal palace had also been set on fire by Xiao Yu’s men, with thick smoke billowing everywhere. Jun Qiyu galloped his horse through the chaos with Song Liqing, heading straight for the dungeon.

The dungeon was empty of guards, so the fire hadn’t yet reached there.

Jun Qiyu helped Song Liqing off the horse. When he touched Song Liqing’s fingers, they were icy cold. His face was pale, and there was no color in his lips.

“Liqing, Xiao Yu deserved to die. Don’t dwell on him anymore. And besides, it wasn’t you who killed him.”

Jun Qiyu knew what was on his mind.

Song Liqing was trying to convince himself of the same thing: Xiao Yu deserved death.

But the sensation of the blade piercing flesh, the sound of blood splattering—it all lingered vividly in Song Liqing’s mind, haunting him.

“Jun Qiyu… have I become a bad person too?”

Jun Qiyu held his uneasy face in his hands, stroking it gently.

“How could you be? If hurting one person makes you a bad person, then I must be the most evil, heinous criminal. If Heaven kept a tally, you’d definitely rank far behind me.”

Song Liqing couldn’t help but smile at his remark.

“You already are.” Song Liqing scoffed.

“Uh…” Jun Qiyu scratched his nose. “Well, I sleep soundly and eat well as a certified villain. What are you afraid of? If we go to Hell, you’ll only be in the first layer. I’ll be in the eighteenth, so far away that we won’t even see each other. You should do more bad things to catch up to me.”

Song Liqing gave him an incredulous look. “Why don’t you do good deeds to redeem yourself?”

“I’d love to, but I think I’m beyond saving.” Jun Qiyu winked at him. “So you’re planning to catch up to me, huh?”

“Stop joking around.” Song Liqing urged him. “Hurry up and find him.”

They ventured into the dungeon together, checking each cell, but they were all empty.

“How strange…” Song Liqing said in confusion. “A dungeon should have some prisoners. Why is it empty? Could Xiao Yu have lied? Maybe Xingxu isn’t here at all.”

Jun Qiyu fiddled with the unlocked chain on one cell door and realized something. He chuckled softly.

“Do you know where Xiao Yu got those people who played officials and courtiers during his coronation?”

“…”

Song Liqing was speechless. Xiao Yu was so obsessed with being emperor that he had even deceived himself.

Turning a corner, Song Liqing spotted a faint white figure in one of the dark cells. He wasn’t sure, but the white robe looked very familiar—it was something Pei Xingxu often wore!

“Brother Xingxu!”

The figure didn’t respond, making Song Liqing anxious.

“Brother Xingxu, is that you… in there?”

Still no answer. Song Liqing noticed the cell was locked.

Hearing Song Liqing’s calls, Jun Qiyu quickly came over and handed him a torch.

“Here, hold this.”

With a swift strike of his blade, Jun Qiyu broke the chain, sparks flying. The lock clattered to the ground.

Jun Qiyu pushed open the creaky door and stepped inside. Song Liqing followed closely, holding up the torch.

In a corner of the cell, a man was crouched, his back to them, his face buried in his arms. They couldn’t tell if it was Pei Xingxu.

“Brother Xingxu, we’ve come to rescue you. Don’t be afraid.” Song Liqing called again.

“No… no, you’ve got the wrong person.”

Hearing the hoarse voice, Song Liqing was finally relieved. Though his voice was strained, it was undeniably Pei Xingxu.

“Brother Xingxu, it’s me, Liqing. Look at me.”

Song Liqing approached and crouched down, noticing Pei Xingxu’s trembling body.

He placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to turn him around.

“Liqing… don’t look at me. I’m not Pei Xingxu. Just go, you’ve got the wrong person…”

Song Liqing didn’t understand why he was so reluctant.

Jun Qiyu, however, knew the fires outside were worsening. They couldn’t delay any longer.

“Pei Xingxu, you are the king of Loulan, yet here you cower in a cell, afraid to face the world!”

Jun Qiyu grabbed his shoulders and forced him to turn around.

Pei Xingxu’s hair was disheveled, covering most of his face. But when Song Liqing caught a glimpse of his face, his mind went completely blank.

What he saw wasn’t the familiar visage of Pei Xingxu—but a face that was no longer whole.

Eyeless sockets, a missing nose, sunken cheeks, and patches of dried blood.

Song Liqing covered his mouth as tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.

“Brother Xingxu…”

He had no words, only shock and heartache.

“I’m not Pei Xingxu, I’m not Pei Xingxu.”

Pei Xingxu buried his face in his knees again, repeating the words.

Jun Qiyu was just as shocked, his brows furrowing deeply.

There was no need to guess; this was undoubtedly Xiao Yu’s doing.

It was because of such cruel torture that Pei Xingxu couldn’t bear to face anyone, especially Song Liqing.

Through a choked voice, Song Liqing said, “Brother Xingxu, let me take you out of here, okay?”

“I already told you I’m not him! Leave, just go… Why did you come back? I’m not Pei Xingxu… I’m… a monster.”

The word monster stabbed Song Liqing’s heart like a knife.

“You’re not.”

Song Liqing placed a hand gently on Pei Xingxu’s back, softly patting him. His trembling body gradually calmed down.

“Brother Xingxu, the person who hurt you is dead. I stabbed him myself. I avenged you. Will you come with me now?”

“You won’t want to see this face of mine. Just remember me as I used to be. Don’t look at me, Liqing. Please, just leave. Forget about me.”

Pei Xingxu’s voice was no longer the clear tone it once was—it sounded as though it had been torn apart.

“How could I ever leave you behind?”

Song Liqing wiped his tears, but they kept falling.

“I’m hideous now, terrifying to look at. You’ll be scared if you see me. Liqing, my blood ailment has relapsed. I don’t have much time left. Just let me quietly die here in this dungeon. I don’t want you to remember me like this, as some inhuman, ghastly creature.”

“I’m not afraid. We can leave, and we’ll figure something out. Brother Xingxu, in my heart, you’ll never change.”

Pei Xingxu stirred slightly and asked, “Really?”

“Really.”

Song Liqing wanted to comfort him, but words felt inadequate. Nothing seemed capable of easing the pain Pei Xingxu was going through.

As Song Liqing reached out to help him up, Pei Xingxu, who had been quiet, suddenly sprang up and grabbed Song Liqing by the neck. In his hand was a sharpened iron hook, pressed against Song Liqing’s throat.

The move was so abrupt that no one expected it—not even Jun Qiyu.