The Blood Crown - Chapter 270

“How could it be you?!” Feng Ye had not yet recovered from his shock. Looking at Yan Sikong’s weakened state, his heart twisted with pain.

Yan Sikong faintly pulled at the corners of his mouth and mumbled, “I must have disappointed the Wolf King…”

Feng Ye moved closer again, reaching out with a trembling hand, but he did not dare to touch the person before him, afraid that it would be like those countless dreams where, as soon as he moved, he would wake up. His hand remained frozen in the air, and he hoarsely asked, “…Who did this?”

Yan Sikong barely managed to hold his eyelids open. “Que Wang is still in their hands.”

“Why did this happen? Why were you tortured, why are you here, and Que Wang is still in Pingliang?”

“I swapped identities with Que Wang, intending to help him escape, but was thwarted by Shen Hexuan… he ruined the plan.”

“Shen Hexuan.” Feng Ye ground his teeth. “Did he torture you?”

“He’s dead.” Yan Sikong closed his eyes. “I killed him myself.”

Feng Ye lowered his hand and slammed it onto the bed with force, his eyes turning bloodshot. “Is this what you wanted? To escape from me at any cost, and end up like this, half-dead, and then come back?!”

“I didn’t want to come back.” Yan Sikong looked at Feng Ye, his eyes empty of emotion. “I only want to save my brother.”

“You don’t want to come back,” Feng Ye repeated, each word hitting hard. “You want to stay by Chen Mu’s side, you want to help him deal with me.” His chest rose and fell sharply. He had never felt that breathing could be so difficult, but now, with every inhale and exhale, the pain was undeniable.

Yan Sikong tiredly smiled and turned his face away. “Whatever you say… is fine. Between us, not a single word is necessary.”

Feng Ye gripped his chin, forcing him to face him. The heat radiating from his skin made Feng Ye hesitate, but Yan Sikong’s indifferent expression only enraged him, causing blood to surge through his veins. He blurted out, “Are you trying to force me to kill you?”

Feng Ye’s hand was cold, and it felt strangely soothing, Yan Sikong thought. This hand had once given him warmth, but also pushed him into a cold, dark abyss. Now, they touched again, but there could be no soul connection anymore. He softly said, “Then do it.”

Feng Ye’s thin lips twitched, his expression slightly distorted. He couldn’t bear to look at the wounds on Yan Sikong’s body. He couldn’t accept that this pale, haggard, lifeless person was the one from his memories. He even hesitated to touch him, afraid he might break this frail body.

But why, after everything, did this mouth still refuse to show weakness?

Feng Ye dejectedly released his hold but intentionally left his fingers lightly touching Yan Sikong’s cheek. Even if it was just a faint warmth, he wanted to feel it. He sat in silence for a moment before softly saying, “How is Que Wang? Is he safe?”

“For now,” Yan Sikong croaked. “He’s posing as me, but I don’t know when his… disguise will be… exposed… cough… cough…”

Feng Ye’s eyes filled with panic. “You don’t need to say more. Rest now… Listen to me, you’re not allowed to die. You have to bring Que Wang back to me completely.”

Yan Sikong’s consciousness began to fade. He wanted to tell Feng Ye his plans, but he had no strength to move his lips. He simply looked at Feng Ye, quietly, not revealing any thoughts. After all, just looking wasn’t a loss for him.

And then, he let himself slip into a deep sleep.

Feng Ye sat beside him, staring at Yan Sikong for a long time, unmoving.

He had lost so much weight. His cheeks had sunken, his face was so pale, there wasn’t even a trace of color. He must have suffered greatly these past days.

Feng Ye hesitated before reaching out again, gently placing his palm on Yan Sikong’s forehead. Warm, burning.

Feng Ye’s eyes stung with tears, and he lowered his head in exhaustion. He lightly stroked the thin cheek, and a strange thought crossed his mind: if Yan Sikong remained peacefully asleep forever, perhaps it would be for the best. That way, he would never leave.

He sat there by Yan Sikong’s side, staying with him from dawn until dusk.

—

Yan Sikong had not slept so deeply or peacefully in a long time. After enduring so much torture, his body and mind felt as if they had sunk into a soft cloud, unwilling to wake.

But the sounds around him grew clearer, forcing him to open his heavy eyes.

Surrounding him were doctors. He could feel that the mask had been put back on his face.

Someone was cleaning his wounds, while others were using warm water to wash his hair and wipe his body.

Feng Ye sat quietly in the corner of the tent, watching.

“General, you’re awake.” One of the servants said joyfully. “Wolf King, the general is awake.”

Feng Ye abruptly stood up and hurried over. He took the water from the servant, dipped his fingers in it, and gently wiped it on Yan Sikong’s lips.

Once the doctors had finished treating his wounds, they moved to the side to prepare medicine, giving their instructions: “Wolf King, the general should have something to eat and drink first. Half an hour later, he can take the medicine. The general is strong, he will recover.”

“Good. Bring the food over, and you all can leave.”

Yan Sikong had regained a little strength, though his body still felt numb. He tried to sit up, but Feng Ye noticed and gently helped him into an upright position, resting his back against the soft pillow.

The doctors and servants all left.

Yan Sikong opened his mouth: “Water.” His throat was dry and painful, and the sound he made was almost unrecognizable.

Feng Ye removed his mask and brought the cup to his lips. “Drink carefully.”

But Yan Sikong gulped down large mouthfuls of water, drinking too forcefully. He accidentally aggravated his wounds, causing him to groan in pain, choke on the water, and begin coughing violently. His whip marks burned with pain.

Feng Ye frowned, placing the cup aside and scolding, “I told you to drink carefully.”

After finally stopping the coughing, Yan Sikong exhaled deeply, reclining halfway and breathing heavily.

Feng Ye took a bowl of porridge. “Eat.”

Yan Sikong reached out, but Feng Ye avoided his hand. “I’ll feed you.”

“No need.” Yan Sikong didn’t look up. He took the bowl and spoon from Feng Ye’s hand and ate slowly.

Feng Ye pressed his lips together and watched Yan Sikong intently without blinking.

After Yan Sikong finished the porridge, he felt a bit more energized. He met Feng Ye’s gaze and calmly said, “Don’t mention anything else. Now we need to think of a way to rescue Que Wang.”

“Not so easy,” Feng Ye said coldly. “Fengxiang has already been taken by the Chu army, and there’s an ambush on the road to Taiyuan.”

“You’ve already discovered the ambush,” Yan Sikong narrowed his eyes. “You should have expected a trap here. Do you have a plan?”

“Of course.”

“If we rescue Que Wang, how do you plan to break out?”

Feng Ye snorted. “Do you think I would tell you? Who knows if you’re in cahoots with Chen Mu, plotting some feigned weakness.”

Yan Sikong’s face darkened. “That’s true, but if I were scheming, I would never deliver myself right into your hands.”

“What I want is not you, but Que Wang.” Feng Ye said coldly. “All the wrongs you’ve committed in front of me are enough to make me kill you a thousand times over. The only reason you’re still alive here is because I need you to save Que Wang.”

Yan Sikong felt a knot form in his chest, but his face remained impassive. “Since our goal is to save him, no need for more talk. If you don’t trust me, just kill me. If you do trust me, Que Wang still has a chance to make it out alive.”

“Speak.”

“You need to tell me what your plan is, how many soldiers you’ve arranged, and whether reinforcements will arrive in time,” Yan Sikong said. “Que Wang is now pretending to be me. If he can escape on his own, that would be best. But if this drags on, I’m afraid he will be exposed soon. Once he’s exposed, the only way to save him is to exchange him for me.”

Feng Ye’s face darkened. “Do you think this is an inn, where you come and go as you please? Whether it’s Que Wang or you, I won’t let Chen Mu have either.”

“Chen Mu won’t kill me, but he may kill Que Wang. In my heart, nothing matters more than his safety. But I need to ensure that after saving him, you have a way to break out.”

Feng Ye snorted. “Chen Mu will soon be too busy to deal with me.”

“What have you done?”

“I told you, I won’t tell you.” Feng Ye sneered. “Do you think I can’t guess what Chen Mu is planning? Do you think I will let emotions cloud my judgment and risk Taiyuan’s safety? I want to save Que Wang, but I won’t take risks for anyone that would ruin the plan.”

Yan Sikong narrowed his eyes. “Could it be that you came to Fengxiang as bait?”

Feng Ye mocked, “Guess for yourself. Don’t expect me to reveal anything.”

Yan Sikong’s anger flared, but he had no choice. “Fine, if you’re so confident, then I’ll assume that after we rescue Que Wang, you’ll take him and exchange me for him. Chen Mu will surely return the person you want.”

“Don’t even think about it.” Feng Ye suddenly pulled something out and waved it in front of Yan Sikong.

It was the military token that Yan Sikong had taken from Shen Hexuan.

“You said you killed Shen Hexuan,” Feng Ye said. “Seeing this, I somewhat believe you, but it could still be part of your scheme.”

“The soldiers of Fengxiang only listen to me, and the military token is just as essential as I am,” Yan Sikong said calmly. “Feng Ye, I’ve suffered so much here. Do you think I came unprepared? Let me tell you, if I don’t show up in three days, the general of Fengxiang will move his troops. At that time, not only will you lose your chance to rescue Que Wang, but your life will also be in danger.”

“Suffered so much?” Feng Ye’s eyes were filled with fury. “I’ve never truly harmed you, even when I hated you the most. You went to Chen Mu, but came back heavily wounded. What’s so good about Chen Mu? All your suffering is self-inflicted!”

Yan Sikong nodded. “Fine, call it self-inflicted. I’ve already said it, anything between us is redundant. No more talk. Take me to exchange for Que Wang.”

“I will rescue Que Wang, but you, don’t think about going anywhere.” Feng Ye threw the military token at Yan Sikong. “The soldiers of Fengxiang are mine now.”

Yan Sikong said sharply, “If you don’t care about Que Wang’s life, go ahead and do as you please!”

“I care about his life, which is why I won’t listen to your one-sided words.” Feng Ye sneered. “I should thank you and Chen Mu for delivering two thousand soldiers to me. I don’t need to exchange anyone for Que Wang, and Chen Mu certainly won’t dare to kill him.”

“What exactly do you want to do?”

Feng Ye leaned closer to Yan Sikong, his deep eyes hiding thousands of thoughts. “Chen Mu thinks that by taking a few cities and capturing a few of my men, he can defeat me. I want you to watch as I crush him.”

Yan Sikong’s heart pounded in his chest.

“If you don’t come back, I’ll come take you back sooner or later.” Feng Ye stared intensely at Yan Sikong. “I’ll make you realize that no matter how vast this world is, you have nowhere to go but to stay by my side.”

Yan Sikong took a deep breath and stared at him fearlessly. “I won’t give you the soldiers of Fengxiang. If you really want them, bring my head and the military token to the city gates and knock.”

Feng Ye’s brow furrowed. “Where do you get the courage to say no?”

Yan Sikong sneered. “I’m not afraid of death. What can you do to me?”

Feng Ye glared at him viciously. “Fine, you don’t give them to me, but I’ll find a way to take them.”

“Go ahead and send your army to attack the city, but not only will it cause unnecessary casualties, it will also delay the chance to rescue Que Wang.” Yan Sikong said sharply. “You’ll regret it!”

“I don’t need to send an army. Fengxiang is just a small city. Two thousand soldiers are more than enough.”

“Your army…” Yan Sikong suddenly froze. “Where is your army?”

Feng Ye just smiled without answering.

Yan Sikong’s heart skipped a beat, and his mind suddenly cleared. He realized something.

Feng Ye’s army of over 200,000 soldiers, was all stationed in Taiyuan waiting for Chen Mu, the imperial army, and the King of Han’s forces to arrive?

No, why would he leave his army behind, bringing only 30,000 soldiers to the enemy’s front, putting himself in a trap? He was using himself as bait, but what fish was he trying to catch?

Yan Sikong’s voice trembled. “Feng Ye, is your army… in the capital?”