The Blood Crown - Chapter 249

Feng Ye looked at the tears in Yan Sikong’s eyes, and his anger surged. The dagger in his hand almost collided with Yan Sikong’s face. “Stop pretending to be so innocent and pitiful. It’s because I’ve softened toward you time and again that you’ve become so fearless. You say someone is framing you, but where did this dagger come from? Speak!”

“I don’t know.” Yan Sikong calmly wiped away his tears, his gaze growing colder. “I pawned it years ago. Why it’s here now, I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? The dagger you pawned in Guangning twenty years ago has now appeared here, thousands of miles away in Taiyuan? Apart from you carrying it, what other possibility is there? Every word you say is a lie, full of holes. What do you expect me to believe in you?!”

Yan Sikong looked at Yuan Shaoxu.

Yuan Shaoxu’s gaze subtly shifted away.

“Don’t you remember, Que Wang? This matter with the dagger, only you knew about it,” Yan Sikong stared at Yuan Shaoxu, gritting his teeth. “And that day you rashly entered my study, it wasn’t just to remind me about my father’s death anniversary, was it?”

Even if Chen Mu and Shen Hexuan were secretly scheming behind the scenes, Yuan Shaoxu’s involvement was certainly inseparable. Only Yuan Shaoxu knew the significance of this dagger, and only he could have been in his study, secretly reading military documents.

Yuan Shaoxu pretended to show a sorrowful expression. “Nanyu, do you suspect that Big Brother is framing you? We are brothers from the same mother, why would I want to harm you? It’s just that for the past twenty years, it seems I’m the only one who still remembers our brotherly bond. You… you’ve long been completely corrupted by power.”

Yan Sikong glared at Yuan Shaoxu, his heart filled with murderous intent. For the first time, he truly hated this man. What pained him most was how such a despicable and vile person had the same face as the one he had once respected more than anyone else in this life!

“Are you still trying to frame others? Even your own brother?” Feng Ye sneered. “Of course, this is what you do best. You’re ruthless to outsiders, and equally merciless to those close to you. What is it that you wouldn’t do? I never expected that you would betray me for Chen Mu, for Chen Mu!”

“I did not betray you.” Yan Sikong fixed his gaze on Feng Ye’s eyes, speaking each word slowly. “Feng Ye, listen to me clearly, if I, Yan Sikong, ever betray you, may I be sliced into a thousand pieces and never have peace!”

“I really want to peel you open!” Feng Ye roared. “I want to rip open your chest and see if it’s empty inside!”

“Go ahead and rip it open!” Yan Sikong seemingly went mad, tearing at his own clothes, his voice hoarse. “I’m tired of explaining myself to you, tired of your suspicion and humiliation, tired of being entangled with you. The greatest regret of my life is knowing you!”

Feng Ye’s pupils contracted sharply, and he suddenly drew out the dagger. The blade glistened with silver-white light, as cold as his eyes. In a flash, he made his move.

Yuan Nanyu’s face turned pale with shock. “No—” He rushed at Feng Ye.

Yan Sikong had anticipated this. He might be able to dodge, but he deliberately stopped himself from reacting. Instead, he closed his eyes.

He only wanted to know, he wanted to know what Feng Ye would do to him, even if the cost was death.

A cold gleam brushed past Yan Sikong’s scalp, and his hairpin was severed.

His long, black hair cascaded down his shoulders like a dark cloud, blocking out all the light in the world. Though the night would always pass and the dawn would come, Yan Sikong wondered if he would ever see the light again, fearing he would be left forever in the darkness—by the very person he had once loved most.

Several strands of broken hair fell to the ground silently, like a broken heart.

Yuan Nanyu seized Feng Ye’s dagger, shouting in agitation, “Feng Ye, the matter isn’t clear yet, you can’t act recklessly!”

“This dagger was a token I gave to Sikong years ago,” Feng Ye said, his voice trembling uncontrollably. His eyes were bloodshot as if soaked in blood. “And now you’ve used it as proof of his collusion with Chen Mu.” He shouted the last words, “No matter how I treated you, no matter what I gave you, will I never get even a single genuine heart from you?!”

Yan Sikong’s eyes blurred with tears, but he held them back. He was sharp-tongued and eloquent, never losing an argument, but all the moments in his life where he couldn’t explain himself were due to Feng Ye’s accusations. Only this person could force him into this situation, could hurt him this deeply, and still believe himself to be deeply affectionate. His voice was hoarse as he said, “Feng Ye, I’m really tired. I’ve said it before, I, Yan Sikong, have wronged many people in my life, but never you. The things I couldn’t do for myself, I could do for you. Whether you believe it or not, I don’t care anymore. In your eyes, I’m already beyond redemption. You say you’ve given all your affection to me. Fine, I’ve done the same. I’ve given all my affection to you as well.”

Yan Sikong had given up.

Feng Ye reached out and grabbed Yan Sikong’s hair, forcing him to look up at him. With a cold smile, he said, “Affection? Yes, there’s no need to talk about affection between us anymore. When I was young, I was blinded by you, making foolish mistakes, losing my dignity. Since we reunited, I’ve doubted every word you’ve said, every sentence. I will never give you another chance to use me.”

Yan Sikong laughed bitterly.

He had been entangled by the word “affection,” which had truly made him “make foolish mistakes and lose his dignity.” Between him and Feng Ye, who owed whom, who had betrayed whom? The past was like a knot of three thousand troubles, twisted together in a deadlock, unable to be untangled. Only one stroke of the knife could sever it, once and for all.

Once he gave up, it was truly over.

Feng Ye looked at Yan Sikong’s pale face, as if his soul had left him. He felt that in the next moment, Yan Sikong would vanish like mist, so he instinctively tightened his grip, holding him firmly.

Yuan Nanyu stepped forward, separating the two of them. His face was also weary and dazed as he said hoarsely, “I will personally send someone to retrieve the iron staff. Before that…”

“Lock this traitor in the dungeon. No one is allowed to visit or speak to him without my orders.” Feng Ye said coldly.

“Feng Ye!” Yuan Nanyu tried to say something, but Feng Ye glared at him: “Are you going to disobey?”

Yuan Nanyu froze. Feng Ye had never looked at him with such a terrifying gaze before. He took a deep breath and said, “Feng Ye, the iron staff is still not accounted for. Can we keep him here in the mansion, awaiting judgment?”

Feng Ye grabbed the collar of Yuan Nanyu’s robe and ground his teeth. “What did I warn you about back then? He is the best at manipulating people. Even you have been deceived by him, haven’t you? Have you forgotten who caused your exile to the Northwest? Who tore you away from your family, until you forgot who you even were?”

Yuan Nanyu furrowed his brow. “This has nothing to do with that. This matter…”

“Yu’er.” Yan Sikong smiled faintly, “There’s no need to beg for mercy for your second brother. Actually, whether I’m imprisoned or not, what difference does it make? Wouldn’t it be more satisfying to just kill me with one stroke?”

“Don’t say that!” Yuan Nanyu shouted.

“Besides, he’s right. I do deceive people, I do manipulate hearts. You shouldn’t believe me.”

“Guards, take him away!” Feng Ye yelled harshly.

Yuan Shaoxu slowly retreated to the side, glaring at Yan Sikong, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly.

The guards rushed in to seize Yan Sikong, but he pushed them away with one hand, straightened his clothes, and calmly looked at Feng Ye. “Don’t make things difficult for Ah Li. If you touch a single hair on him, I’ll die in the dungeon.”

Feng Ye glared at him savagely. “You’re not worthy of making demands of me.”

“Then go ahead and try.” Yan Sikong turned, not sparing Feng Ye another glance, and walked out into the frigid winds of late December. His long hair fluttered violently, and his slender figure quickly blended into the night…

Feng Ye staggered a few steps, took the dagger from Yuan Nanyu’s hand, gripping it tightly, and closed his eyes in relief.

Yuan Nanyu glanced at Yuan Shaoxu, his eyes deep.

—

Feng Ye locked him in the dungeon for the most dangerous criminals. As per his instructions, all the nearby cells were emptied, and the guards only appeared to deliver food. At all other times, the dungeon was deserted.

The cell had likely been vacant for a long time, as there was no unpleasant smell, and it wasn’t dirty. The blanket was thin, and there was no charcoal fire. He wrapped himself tightly in the blanket and lay on the bed, unable to close his eyes from the cold.

In truth, no matter where he was, he was destined not to sleep. Whether his eyes were open or closed, all he could see was Feng Ye’s hostile gaze. He often wondered why the person he had given the most to, the one he had compromised and cared for the most, had turned into his enemy.

In the past, he always thought he owed Feng Ye something. Feng Ye was a son of heaven, never lowering his head. So, Yan Sikong endured, taking step after step back. If one step backward didn’t widen the horizon, then he would retreat several more. For others, he would always push forward, never retreating. But Feng Ye was different. He endured, he gave way, and he exhausted himself to assist Feng Ye, all so he could see Feng Ye’s name spread far and wide, his accomplishments echoing through the ages.

Why did it come to this?

This question, he feared, he would never have an answer to.

So, he would think about what he could understand.

How had Chen Mu and Yuan Shaoxu set the trap for him? Was it Chen Mu who sought out Yuan Shaoxu, or did Yuan Shaoxu go to find Chen Mu?

Both were possible.

Yuan Shaoxu resented his own lack of success, so he wanted to eliminate him.

And Chen Mu surely had spies in Taiyuan. In warfare, if there were no spies in the enemy camp, it would be better to just go home. But how much could those spies have overheard?

In any case, Chen Mu and Yuan Shaoxu had teamed up to send someone all the way to Liaodong to find this dagger. Yuan Shaoxu had entered his study under the pretext of a sacrifice to Yuan Mao, spying on some military documents, and then made Iron Staff perform this play in front of Yuan Nanyu. If it had been only Yuan Shaoxu, Feng Ye would have surely doubted it, but Yuan Nanyu would never lie.

Perhaps, just perhaps, when Iron Staff first contacted him, and he sent Ah Li to investigate this person, it had already been a trap.

Now, with everything in place, it seemed like an airtight plan. He couldn’t refute it at the moment.

Such meticulous planning, such control over human nature, the years of preparation and scheming, this wasn’t something Chen Mu or Yuan Shaoxu could come up with. The only person who could pull this off was Shen Hexuan.

Thinking of Shen Hexuan, Yan Sikong gave a cold smile.

He and Shen Hexuan had played this back-and-forth game—one tricking the other, each laying traps from across vast mountains and rivers, playing a game of illusion, both bloody and ethereal.

Perhaps this game had just started, or perhaps it was halfway through, or maybe it was nearing the end. He no longer could fathom Feng Ye’s heart, and so he didn’t know if he would ever walk out of this dungeon, or when he would be able to.

In this game, Shen Hexuan had delivered a crushing blow, truly striking at his weak spot. It was a vicious move, and now, he was powerless to fight back.

He was so tired. He was so tired that he didn’t even want to move a finger. He couldn’t feel sadness, humiliation, anger, hatred—he couldn’t feel anything. He only felt exhausted, not wanting to think anymore, not wanting to scheme anymore, not wanting to carry the hopeless expectation for Feng Ye, but only able to watch as the two of them grew farther apart.

Feng Ye had spoken those words: “情至义尽 (emotion and loyalty exhausted).”

Good. Finally, they had reached the point where their emotions and loyalty had run out.