The Blood Crown - Chapter 255

“Calm down.” She Zhun said urgently, “Maybe Feng Ye is playing a trick. The intelligence I have gathered so far is just superficial. What if this is a trap to lure you back? He can’t possibly gamble with three cities.”

“Yes, he might be tricking me, but he’s still using Yu’er to threaten me.” Yan Sikong gritted his teeth. “Doesn’t he think that Yu’er was his childhood sweetheart? Doesn’t he think I am heartless and ungrateful, incapable of love? How could he let his ‘Sikong’ take risks? Why does he think I would return for Yu’er? What does he mean by this?!”

She Zhun’s face darkened like a storm was approaching. “Maybe, deep down, he knows who the real Yan Sikong is, but he just doesn’t want to admit it.”

These words pierced Yan Sikong’s heart like an arrow. Hadn’t he always wondered how much Feng Ye hated him, to the point where he wouldn’t even acknowledge his true identity? He chuckled bitterly. “Perhaps. Maybe he just hopes the ‘Sikong’ in his heart is not me.”

“There’s another possibility.” She Zhun stared intently at Yan Sikong. “In addition to Yuan Nanyu, Feng Ye also sent someone else.”

Yan Sikong narrowed his eyes, already guessing the answer. “…Yuan Shaoxu?”

“Exactly.” She Zhun said, “In this way, whether you are Sikong or Nanyu, one of these two Yuan brothers is someone you care about.”

“Yuan Shaoxu, hehe.” Yan Sikong scoffed coldly. “I don’t believe he doesn’t see that there’s no brotherly bond between me and Yuan Shaoxu.”

“Whether he sees it or not doesn’t matter. What matters is you cannot fall for his trap.” She Zhun gripped Yan Sikong’s shoulder tightly. “The reason I didn’t tell you is because the intelligence is vague and hard to verify. How can you let him have his way?”

“Leaving Feng Ye’s trickery aside, I’m worried about Yuan Shaoxu following Yu’er.” Yan Sikong’s eyes darkened. “He secretly communicates with Chen Mu to frame me. Who knows what else he can do?”

She Zhun spoke with disdain. “Yuan Shaoxu is shameless to the extreme. You were once brothers, and for the sake of avenging his father, you’ve sacrificed half your life. Not only is he ungrateful, but he’s also jealous and malicious, allying with the enemy to frame you. He deserves nothing but death!”

“Right now, I just want to know how deep his ties with Chen Mu go.”

“Do you think he would betray Feng Ye?”

Yan Sikong shook his head. “I don’t think so. Yu’er is his real brother. Following Feng Ye is the best way for him to rise to power. He knows that betraying his master is looked down upon, so his cooperation with Chen Mu is probably just to eliminate me.”

“He must have revealed your true identity to Chen Mu in order to explain the dagger incident, but what about Yuan Nanyu’s true identity? Could Chen Mu already know?”

Yan Sikong shook his head, speaking with certainty. “Yu’er is Yuan Shaoxu’s greatest reliance. He wouldn’t betray him for Feng Ye.”

“Maybe not now, but what about in the future? Yuan Shaoxu is a despicable and treacherous man. For his own benefit, he could do anything.”

“Exactly, that’s what I’m most worried about. Yuan Shaoxu’s presence with Yu’er on this campaign might be Feng Ye’s idea, but it could also be Yuan Shaoxu’s own request. Yu’er is the commander, but he’s his brother. If Yuan Shaoxu isn’t controlled, he might try to step in. If he’s too suppressed, Yuan Shaoxu’s petty nature could cause trouble for Yu’er.”

She Zhun’s expression turned cold. “So, in the end, you want to go back, don’t you? You’re worried about Yuan Nanyu on one side, and Yuan Shaoxu on the other, but what you can’t let go of is still Feng Ye. Yan Sikong, have you gone mad?”

Yan Sikong sighed lightly. “She Zhun…”

“If you want to go back…” She Zhun’s tone was sharp. “Then whatever Feng Ye does to you, it’s your own doing!”

“That’s why I won’t go back.”

“What…”

Yan Sikong said calmly, “Don’t worry, I won’t go back to find Feng Ye.”

“Going to find Yuan Nanyu isn’t the same? I’ve gone through so much to make you…”

“I won’t go to find Yu’er either.”

She Zhun was stunned. Even though Yan Sikong said this, his tone made it clear that he was far from ready to let go.

Yan Sikong gazed at the dusk that was swallowing the rolling mountains into darkness. No matter how grand and mighty a force in this world, there is an inevitable fate it cannot resist. The sun rises and sets, seasons change, rivers always flow to the sea, flowers bloom and fall, torrential rain eventually stops, and raging fires eventually die out. Everything in the world is arranged in its own way.

He wanted to resist the suffering he had endured but didn’t know what to fight against, just like the sun and moon cannot be reversed, and the seasons cannot be disturbed. If such is the way of the heavens, how can insignificant creatures like humans defy it?

He had been fleeing toward a direction that bewildered him, but deep down, he knew his heart was still trapped in the same place.

“Sikong…” She Zhun, seeing his silence, grew even more anxious.

“She Zhun.” Yan Sikong looked at She Zhun, his eyes clear and wise, as if he had just returned to his senses after all these days. “You said you wanted to take me back to Jiangnan, but once we’re there, what will we do?”

“I… I’ve earned enough silver to last us a lifetime. We can retire to the countryside, or travel the mountains and waters. Whatever you want to do, you can do…” She Zhun’s voice grew weaker as he spoke. Perhaps he suddenly realized the person in front of him was Yan Sikong, the youngest double-degree scholar in a hundred years, who possessed the strategic talent to guide and command armies.

Such a Yan Sikong, though caught by a “love” issue, should still not be underestimated.

Yan Sikong calmly said, “Sailing across the seas, living as a carefree hermit… I have thought about such a life, but it often passed in a flash, like eating gourmet meals for so long that you begin to crave simple congee and pickles. All the scholars in this world, who doesn’t want to become an official, not for the sake of fame, for their family, or for glory, but for ambition? Otherwise, aside from becoming officials, what other way is there for scholars? Those who cannot become officials or make a mark in the political arena, full of resentment for their unrecognized talents, often write about traveling the world or retiring to the countryside, but it’s mostly just sourness.” He gazed at She Zhun, “These days, I’ve been confused, not knowing which direction to go. I’ve studied all my life, and my ambitions are unfulfilled. How can I live the life of an old man while still young?”

She Zhun’s gaze dimmed, “Actually, I already guessed, your ambition is no less than that of Feng Ye or Chen Mu, how could you be content to live in obscurity?”

“I do have ambition, but unlike them, I know what I can and cannot do. I am a strategist, I cannot be a commander, nor can I be an emperor. Feng Ye is not cut out to be an emperor, yet he fights for the throne. Chen Mu is not suited to lead troops, yet he insists on commanding armies. These two will inevitably destroy each other.” Yan Sikong clenched his fists secretly. “As for me, I still have unfinished business. I have not yet cleared Yuan Mao’s injustice, I have not personally sent Xie Zhongren to hell, I have not settled things with Shen Hexuan, and I have not seen the revival of Dasheng under good governance. She Zhun, I’m too deeply entangled, I can’t let go.”

The words “can’t let go” were full of helplessness, and She Zhun felt a pang of bitterness as he heard it. He took a deep breath, “Yes, this is the real you.”

Yan Sikong apologized, “She Zhun, I’m sorry. I, Yan Sikong, can die on the battlefield or in the scheming court, but I can’t die peacefully in old age. That’s not my fate. Whether my name is tarnished or my reputation is left in history as infamous, I can’t be without a name.”

She Zhun nodded as if acknowledging this, “You’ve never changed. It’s fine. If Feng Ye truly changes you, then you wouldn’t be you.”

“Feng Ye… Feng Ye and I are nothing more than an accident,” Yan Sikong said lightly.

“So what are your plans?”

Yan Sikong took a deep breath, his gaze drifting southward. “I’m going to find Chen Mu.”

She Zhun froze, unable to speak for a long time.

Yan Sikong revealed a cold, mysterious smile.

“To find Chen Mu, Feng Ye will probably…”

“Will he hate me even more?” Yan Sikong chuckled lightly. “What does that matter? Whether it’s true or false, he dares to use Yu’er to threaten me, I won’t let him succeed. If he really only gave Yu’er 30,000 troops, then even if I help, the odds are too great for us to win. Instead, I’ll go to Chen Mu’s camp. I’ll make Shen Hexuan and Chen Mu pay the price. I’ll also let Feng Ye know that no one can control me, Yan Sikong!”

She Zhun felt a chill down his spine. He realized that the familiar Yan Sikong from before had truly returned. He said, “What are you going to do? Are you planning to sabotage Chen Mu’s army?”

“I don’t know yet, but I know I want power, and a ruler who is easy to control. I used to think many steps ahead, but later realized some things I could calculate correctly, and others I couldn’t. The ones I calculated correctly, maybe in the tenth step, I’ll lose everything. The ones I couldn’t calculate, maybe in the end, I’ll turn the tables and win. One doesn’t know the outcome until the very last moment. Why should we draw boundaries and limit ourselves? I have no home, no burdens, and now I don’t care about anything. I want to play this game according to my own rules and turn it into the way I want. If I lose, then I’ll die.”

She Zhun said solemnly, “Sikong, you will get what you want.”

Yan Sikong smiled faintly. “Why do you say that?”

“I have a feeling.”

“Let’s hope so. Whether I get it or not, what difference does it make? You can’t take anything with you when you die.”

She Zhun’s expression grew a bit melancholic. “Since you’ve made up your mind, I can only help you.”

Yan Sikong felt guilty. “She Zhun, you don’t need to accompany me on this dangerous path anymore.”

“What I’m doing isn’t really the right thing to do,” She Zhun chuckled bitterly. “As long as you pay me enough silver, that’s fine.”

Yan Sikong furrowed his brows and said softly, “I know you’re helping me, not for the silver. You never lacked for it… In the past, when we were depending on each other, if it weren’t for you, I would have died countless times. She Zhun, I don’t know how to repay you.”

“You’ve saved me too, and avenged me. Between us, there’s no need to talk about repayment.” She Zhun smiled bitterly. “But… but I thought, we had no family left in this world. We truly relied on each other. I should be happy that your brother is still alive, but…”

“You’re also my brother,” Yan Sikong said seriously. “She Zhun, you and Yu’er are brothers for whom I would lay down my life.”

She Zhun was stunned for a moment before revealing a playful smile. “You listened to me say such mushy things, yet you didn’t scold me. I’m embarrassed myself. Sikong, I’m really happy for you that your brother is still alive. All those years you spent on revenge, hiding your feelings with coldness, but I still knew you’re a person who values relationships. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be such a fool to help you. But…” His tone suddenly grew serious, “You absolutely must not have any more entanglement with Feng Ye, or you will truly be betraying me.”

Yan Sikong’s heart tightened. He feigned indifference. “Don’t worry, I’m done with him. When he finds out I’d rather go to find Chen Mu than go back to him, he and I will be… enemies.”

She Zhun couldn’t be completely at ease, but as long as Yan Sikong didn’t go back to Feng Ye, it wasn’t the worst choice. He knew that, aside from Feng Ye, Yan Sikong would never care about anyone else. Especially Chen Mu, the cold Yan Sikong was the most powerful Yan Sikong. With his own strength, he could shake the heavens.

“So when do you plan to find Chen Mu?”

“I can’t go find Chen Mu. I want him to come find me. To be precise, I want him to come and take me.”

“…Take you?”

“Didn’t Chen Mu use a scheme to sow discord between me and Feng Ye? Then I’ll do as he wishes and betray Feng Ye. But after all, we’ve been teacher and student for many years. He understands my nature. He knows that even if I leave Feng Ye, I will still hate him. I won’t help him. If I go to find him myself, he’ll be suspicious.”

“What are you planning to do?”

As they spoke, the two of them had already returned to the forest, looking at Ah Li waiting for them not far away. Yan Sikong said, “She Zhun, you can hide in the city and come and go without a trace, but Ah Li can’t. This time I’m leaving the mountains, I need to leave without any attachments. I hope you’ll send Ah Li away. Then I’ll intentionally expose my whereabouts to lure Chen Mu’s troops to capture me.”

She Zhun looked at Ah Li. “I can, but I’m afraid he won’t want to leave.”

“He’ll have to leave, whether he wants to or not.”

When Ah Li saw them return, a look of relief washed over his face, and the joy he could not hide made him jump up, running to their side.

“I brought you food. You must be starving.” Yan Sikong took off his bag, “It’s still warm, eat it while it’s hot.”