The Blood Crown - Chapter 269

Yan Sikong’s pupils shrank violently as he watched Shen Hexuan fall off the cliff. He saw the shock, panic, and despair on Shen Hexuan’s face, which soon turned to confusion. In that fleeting moment, perhaps Shen Hexuan was retracing his life, while the various moments from their acquaintance to this point rapidly flashed through Yan Sikong’s mind like a revolving lantern.

Shen Hexuan’s hands futilely grasped at the air as his body plunged straight into the pitch-black abyss.

Yan Sikong stood at the edge of the cliff, watching Shen Hexuan’s figure disappear into the darkness. A surge of emotions overwhelmed him, and he felt a mix of conflicting emotions.

He sank to his knees, deeply bowing, and silently thought, “Brother Shen, perhaps not long from now, I will be in the underworld to apologize to you.”

“Lord Shen!”

The soldiers from afar noticed the change and hurried over, their spears and short swords pointed at Yan Sikong.

Yan Sikong stood up, turned around, and calmly looked at them.

“You… you…” Some of the sharp-eyed soldiers had already recognized Yan Sikong.

Yan Sikong swept his disheveled hair aside and spoke in a deep voice, “I swapped identities with the rebel general, Que Wang, as part of a plan with the Prince.”

The soldiers exchanged confused looks, and General Xu Wang pointed at him and said, “Yan Sikong, your reputation precedes you, full of schemes. Now you’ve killed Lord Shen… what’s going on here?”

“General Xu, you don’t know the whole story. I was ordered by the Prince to disguise myself as Que Wang as a trap for the Fengtian Army. As for Shen Hexuan…” Yan Sikong coldly glanced at the cliff, “He was a spy sent by the court to monitor the Prince, constantly restraining him. The Prince ordered me to find the opportunity to eliminate him and frame Que Wang.”

Xu Wang and the others exchanged glances, unsure of whether to believe Yan Sikong. However, they had witnessed Que Wang transform into Yan Sikong with their own eyes, and although they didn’t know the nature of their relationship, the story that the Prince had set this up seemed reasonable. Yet, Shen Hexuan’s death made them skeptical, especially since they knew Yan Sikong and Shen Hexuan had a strained relationship.

With the commander dead, they were at a loss.

Yan Sikong raised the military token. “From now on, I am the commander. Only the seven of us know of this matter, and it must not be spread.”

Xu Wang’s eyes widened. “I must report to the Prince.”

Yan Sikong spoke coldly, “Xu Wang, listen carefully. I am the Prince’s teacher, and the Prince relies on me. I don’t need to explain further. Even if I killed Shen Hexuan without orders, what of it? Once I defeat Feng Ye, I will explain to the Prince. But we must exchange prisoners with Feng Ye tomorrow. If you delay, I will hold you accountable for it!”

Xu Wang broke out in a cold sweat, unsure of how to decide.

Yan Sikong shook the military token. “The token is here. Does anyone object?”

The soldiers exchanged looks before putting away their weapons. Xu Wang gritted his teeth and reluctantly cupped his hands. “I will follow Lord Yan’s orders.”

Yan Sikong nodded in satisfaction. “Xu Wang, I promote you to the position of general. Issue the orders: Lord Shen has fallen ill, and you will lead the army in his stead. The events that just transpired, including my identity, must remain a secret among the seven of us. No one is to leave the camp. Anyone who disobeys will be executed.”

“Understood.”

“Everyone else, leave. General Xu, I will discuss tomorrow’s plan with you in private.”

“Understood.”

Xu Wang approached Yan Sikong, feeling uneasy, as Shen Hexuan had just been pushed off the cliff from where Xu Wang was standing.

Yan Sikong, who had been forcing himself to stay upright, could no longer maintain his posture. He staggered and sat down, groaning softly in pain. He whispered, “Xu Wang, listen. Tomorrow, you must send me to Feng Ye to exchange for Fengxiang City.”

“What does Lord Yan want to do?” Xu Wang frowned, his heart filled with doubt, especially since he had heard rumors about Yan Sikong’s affair with Feng Ye.

Yan Sikong’s gaze turned cold. “Feng Ye is ungrateful. I don’t just want to trap him here; I want him dead.”

“Lord Yan doesn’t mean… to assassinate him?”

“Feng Ye is skilled in martial arts. How could I be so reckless?” Yan Sikong replied. “What he wants is Que Wang. Once he realizes that I’m not Que Wang, his army will have already withdrawn from Fengxiang, and the rear forces are waiting to surround him. To escape, and to save Que Wang, he won’t kill me.”

“Then… what next?”

“Do you remember what the Prince assigned to us?”

“To trap Feng Ye in Fengxiang, and the main army will launch a surprise attack on Taiyuan.”

“Feng Ye leads thirty thousand soldiers, and he may have reinforcements. We only have twenty thousand troops. How long can we trap him? Three days? Five days? If we exchange Que Wang for Fengxiang, his goal will be achieved, and he will break through with all his might. We will suffer heavy losses to keep him in check.” Yan Sikong continued weaving his story, “But what if he loses Fengxiang and doesn’t get Que Wang back?”

Xu Wang thought for a moment. “I’ve heard that the Wolf King has a high and arrogant spirit. He won’t swallow this defeat.”

“Exactly. So, at this point, if I go to exchange for Que Wang, he will surely agree. In this way, without a single soldier being lost, we can delay him.”

“But Lord Yan, that’s extremely dangerous. The Wolf King, in his rage, how can you be sure you will survive?”

“To serve the Prince, I would risk my life without hesitation,” Yan Sikong sneered coldly. “Once the Prince’s army conquers Taiyuan and divides forces to deal with Feng Ye, the Central Plains will be his to command—those who come will have their lives, those who leave will not.”

Xu Wang nodded and said, “The Prince and Lord Yan truly have a brilliant strategy.”

The two of them continued discussing many details and finalized the arrangements for Yan Sikong’s role in the “enemy camp.”

The reason Yan Sikong had to “surrender” himself to Feng Ye was twofold. First, Yuan Nanyu was bound to be exposed sooner or later, and only by controlling these twenty thousand soldiers could he make both Feng Ye and Chen Mu wary of him. Second, Yan Sikong had some knowledge of medicine from his youth and was able to assess his own condition. The whip wounds on his body had become infected, and there were signs of a fever. Since there were no skilled doctors in the army, if he didn’t turn to Feng Ye, he might truly die.

—

The next morning, the two armies met outside Fengxiang City. They watched as Feng Ye withdrew his forces from Fengxiang, and Xu Wang led his troops to occupy the city, while also delivering the prisoner carts containing Yan Sikong and Yuan Shaoxu to the Feng family army.

Yan Sikong remained slumped inside the cart, his disheveled hair covering his face. Onlookers thought he was still unconscious. He was indeed running a fever, his body sluggish, but he still secretly watched the imposing figure of the Wolf King, who was mounted on a red steed not far away.

Feng Ye.

Fate had its way; they were about to meet again. But this time, there was no stir in his heart. The love and resentment he once felt for Feng Ye had become numb after endless torment between the two.

Yan Sikong still wanted many things—if they were fated, he would chase after them to the end. But the one thing he no longer desired was Feng Ye.

He watched as Feng Ye dismounted and hurried to the prisoner cart. “Que Wang!” Feng Ye’s voice was full of anxiety and concern.

Yan Sikong, through the gaps in his hair and the mask, wearily glanced at Feng Ye.

This face… so familiar, so deeply engraved in his mind. He could count the positions of every mole, sketch the shape of those eyebrows, but when he looked at this handsome face, he only felt indifferent and unfamiliar.

He was finally letting go.

He closed his eyes and said nothing.

“Take the general back to camp!” Feng Ye growled.

The prisoner cart was dragged back to the camp, and Yan Sikong was carefully lifted out. Feng Ye strode ahead, personally leading the way, and took him into a warm, clean tent, where several doctors were already waiting.

“Quick, treat the general!” Feng Ye barked, his voice full of authority. “If anything happens to the general, I won’t spare you!”

The doctors nervously gathered around Yan Sikong, carefully cutting away his clothing. The cloth had already stuck to the wounds, and the sight of blood clots was shocking. After being tortured and imprisoned in a damp dungeon, he hadn’t received proper medical care, and now his injuries were horrifying.

Feng Ye clenched his fists so tightly that they cracked, his eyes filled with murderous intent, and a deadly aura surrounded him. His intense anger made him oblivious to the unusual shape of the person before him.

The doctors cautiously treated his wounds, and Yan Sikong groaned in pain. His mind was feverish and unclear, but the pain in his body kept pulling him back to consciousness.

By the time the doctors finished, Yan Sikong’s sweat had soaked through the bedclothes.

Feng Ye waved everyone away, sat by the bed, and personally dipped a towel in hot water, wringing it out. He looked at the weak and exhausted figure on the bed, sighing heavily. “Que Wang, have you learned your lesson?”

Yan Sikong’s mind kept wandering. He wondered how Feng Ye would react once he discovered his true identity, but no matter how he imagined it, he couldn’t picture it.

Forget it. After all, he was already half-dead. What more could Feng Ye do to him?

Feng Ye reached out and removed the filthy mask, gently wiping away the dirt from Yan Sikong’s face. But after just a few wipes, he froze.

He raised his hand, his gaze lingering on the smooth forehead, where there should have been a faint but permanent tattoo marking.

Feng Ye was shocked and suddenly stood up.

Yan Sikong lowered his eyelids and quietly looked at Feng Ye, without speaking or showing any expression.

“You…” Feng Ye trembled, pointing at the figure on the bed. “Yan Sikong?!”