Chapter 83
Carried in someone's arms, Mu Cai had his eyes closed, with long lashes casting a shadow under his eyes. He looked much thinner than before. His pale cheeks were bathed in the warm yellow glow of the setting sun, giving a tranquil look akin to someone immersed in peaceful sleep.
But Qin Zhongjin knew that couldn't be.
Even if he was unwilling to admit and kept deceiving himself, the blood spreading over Mu Cai's lifeless chest, his unnaturally dropped arm, and the fact that he made no struggle while being held uncomfortably by someone indicated that Mu Cai was likely no longer of this world.
Darkness clouded Qin Zhongjin's vision. He felt as though he'd fallen into an icy pit, his whole body rigid and cold, almost unable to stand. His eyes were red and swollen, glaring at Qin Zhongyi, who held the scroll, he demanded tremblingly, "What did you do to Cai Cai?"
Qin Zhongyi didn't shy away from his younger brother's confrontational gaze. There was an unnaturally fervent gleam in his eyes. In almost exultant tones, he told him, "Of course, I had him killed."
At these words, Qin Zhongjin took a step back. His frame swayed, almost in disbelief as he looked at Qin Zhongyi and then turned his gaze to Mu Cai, peacefully resting in his guard's embrace.
Qin Zhongyi took pleasure in the pain and regret showing in his younger brother's eyes.
Of course, what pleased him more was that both Mu Cai's body and soul were now in his hands. Whenever he thought of this, an intense fervor would light up in Qin Zhongyi's eyes.
Although Qin Zhongjin was rationally aware that Mu Cai had most likely left this world, emotionally he refused to believe it or accept it. His precious Cai Cai, whom he wanted to hold in the palm of his hand!
He had painstakingly arranged for Cai Cai to be exiled under a false accusation to the remote Yong region. For the sake of ensuring his safety, he specially appointed two of his most trusted guards to escort Cai Cai. They hid him in the most secluded yet inhabited mountain of Yong. After completing the mission, these guards didn't stray far: they took turns keeping an eye on Cai Cai and maintaining contact with him to ensure his safety.
Apart from Qin Zhongjin, no one else knew about this specific location for exile, not even his trusted guards. He had tried his best to protect him, so why did Cai Cai still fall victim to Qin Zhongyi's malicious attack?
Moreover, to be treated like this!
Although Qin Zhongjin was worried on his way here, he thought that Qin Zhongyi might have hidden Cai Cai, deepening the misunderstanding between the two and was not too concerned about Cai Cai's safety. But he never imagined that Qin Zhongyi would be insane enough to take Cai Cai's life!
Outside the virtual scenario, Mu Cai sensed the embrace around him tremble.
Even after hundreds of years had passed, and even having lost the memories of his past, Qin Zhongjin still empathized deeply with his former self. Especially seeing Cai Cai lying asleep in someone else's arms, the same Cai Cai who was now in his embrace without memories of his past life. That was the torment he had once experienced.
"My precious Cai Cai," he whispered as tenderly as if sleep talking. Mu Cai felt a warm and soft touch gently fall on his neck, followed by a hot tear landing on his cold skin.
Qin Zhongjin was crying, kissing the spot of snow-white neck exposed in his arms. This cold temperature reminded him every moment that Cai Cai had become a spirit body and because of his mistake, they were now separated by life and death.
Mu Cai squirmed slightly uncomfortably.
But it only caused the arms around him to tighten even more.
Mu Cai sighed in his heart.
He knew that it wasn’t Qin Zhongjin who had killed him, so he didn’t have any reason to pretend to be coy with him. Besides, Mu Cai was naturally gentle in temperament and when he saw Qin Zhongjin in tears, he couldn’t help but want to comfort him.
Mu Cai reached out and gently touched the arm around his waist. Like a comforting child, he patted gently, speaking softly, "That was so many years ago, does it really matter? Besides, this isn’t so bad, at least I'm forever young."
It's not okay at all.
Qin Zhongjin contradicted in his heart.
After becoming a spirit, Cai Cai was attached to a painting. He had seen it in that painting, where there were only three scenes, utterly boring! Furthermore, the painting originally had a prohibition. If he hadn't broken the prohibition at the beginning, Cai Cai would not have been able to come out at all.
In other words, Cai Cai had spent hundreds of years alone in a monotonous and boring place!
Qin Zhongjin couldn't even begin to imagine the pain and frustration Cai Cai must have gone through during those long years, nor did he dare to imagine. But without that painting, Cai Cai would have had a short life and then would have gone through the cycle of reincarnation again, perhaps never seeing him again.
With that thought, Qin Zhongjin hugged the person in his arms tighter.
Feeling the cold and soft soul body in his arms, his heart was filled with a sense of fear, a little bit of relief and the joy of regaining what had been lost. Qin Zhongjin's hand was also covered with a pair of soft hands, which Mu Cai had placed on his hand to comfort him.
Without hesitation, Qin Zhongjin held the hands that were spontaneously extended to him, holding the person in his arms even tighter, as if he wished to embed Cai Cai into his own body.
Seeing that Qin Zhongjin didn't respond, but only held him tighter, Mu Cai thought that his words of comfort might not have had much effect. Indeed, sometimes, comfort can't be achieved with just a few words, otherwise there would not be so many mental illnesses and suicides in the world.
If Qin Zhongjin felt more comforted by holding him, then Mu Cai would just let him do so.
With these thoughts in mind, Mu Cai also reached out and gently held the other's hand, raising his head to continue watching the scene in the virtual world.
"Why?" The eyes of the young emperor, who had already ascended the throne, were filled with a mad flame, almost burning his sanity to ashes. "Cai Cai regarded you as his brother too, why did you do this?! He had no grudge against you!"
"Why?" Qin Zhongyi's voice was light, seemingly echoing Qin Zhongjin's question, but also as if he was asking himself. In his deliberately lowered voice, countless madness was hidden.
After finishing that sentence, he suddenly burst into laughter and walked a few steps to Mu Cai's side. Qin Zhongjin watched as he extended his hand and gently picked up Mu Cai's soft hand, pressing a kiss to it before turning to face him, his eyes poisonously sharp: "Because if I don't do this, he will never belong to me!”
"I’ve done so much for him! But he only has you in his heart! I was the one who saw him first, I was the one who asked father to grant him as my study fellow! But no, father bestowed him to you!"
"When we were studying in the Imperial College, I brought him so many novel gifts, trying to amuse him, but he still clung to you, thought of you, and reserved more lotus cakes for you than me!”
"Then I finally found an opportunity during your estrangement period, I talked to him, comforted him, and took him out. Yet, Cai Cai was still thinking about you! The most frequent things he mentioned to me were why you ignored him and why you were always with that scholar! You have no idea how painful it was for me to hear these words!”
"Now he is dead under my guard's sword, he will not smile, he will not talk, and he will never make me feel pain again. Although Cai Cai was more beautiful when he was alive, I prefer him like this. And, till his death, he thought it was you who sent someone to kill him!”
As Qin Zhongyi said this, he had a crazed look on his face and even laughed hysterically.
Qin Zhongjin didn't say another word. His expression was as cold as ice, and with a swift move, he plunged his sword into Qin Zhongyi's chest.
They were already close, and Qin Zhongjin's martial arts skills were the best among all the princes.
Most importantly, Qin Zhongyi didn't even try to dodge.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, a strange glint flashing in his eyes, and finally showed a twisted smile: "Good, good, our present emperor personally kills a brother, it's bound to add an interesting story to the history books..."
Qin Zhongjin ignored his rant and pulled the long sword out directly.
By the time he made a move, the imperial guards he had brought with him had already surrounded and captured Qin Zhongyi's guards.
Qin Zhongyi's body was bleeding profusely from his chest, empty eyes filling with lifelessness. Finally, he fell straight to the ground, face down.
Qin Zhongjin threw away the sword and walked step by step towards Mu Cai's body, which had already been laid flat on the ground.
He finally stopped when he reached the man in red clothes, who was lying peacefully on the ground. Qin Zhongjin lifted Mu Cai's back and pulled the somewhat stiff body into his embrace. He buried his face in Mu Cai's neck, and all the guards present remained silent, not speaking a word. No one knew what Qin Zhongjin's expression was like, but they could see his trembling shoulders.
In a place hidden from the view of all those behind Qin Zhongjin, Qin Zhongyi's soul stared at the scroll on the ground, his expression twisted in rage.
This is impossible!
He had clearly sought the help of a master, setting this scroll to hold only two souls! By right, there should only be Cai inside, but he couldn't enter!
Who was it? Who got in first and entered this scroll?
What a misjudgement!
Qin Zhongyi looked at the scroll on the ground with great unwillingness, then looked at Qin Zhongjin, who was hugging Mu Cai and crying silently not far away, before leaving in a blaze of fury.
Although he had lingering thoughts, the power of his soul was still relatively weak and not enough to resist the power of reincarnation. He needed to rush to the place he had prearranged as soon as possible. He hadn't revealed anything, Qin Zhongjin knew nothing. Once his power was strong enough, he could return to find Cai.
Qin Zhongjin spent a good while with his face buried in Mu Cai's shoulder before he finally stood up.
When he rose, his expression was calm. Besides the redness of his eyes, no one could tell that he had cried.
Qin Zhongjin calmly ordered his guards to find a coffin from the nearby village. When the coffin was brought, he placed Mu Cai's body and the dropped scroll into it, and buried them in a picturesque location. He left half of the imperial guards to stand guard.
As for himself, he took the remaining half of the imperial guards and returned to Bianjing.
During this process, all the imperial guards found that their Emperor was very calm. Like his usual demeanor as the Emperor, he was dignified and rational. This also made the guards who followed relieved. If the Emperor had travelled with them and something happened, no one could bear this responsibility.
In the winter of the first year of Qingyuan, Emperor Liang Jing decreed a grand funeral for Prince Mu Cai. In the spring of the second year of Qingyuan, Emperor Liang Jing passed away. According to his will, he was buried with Prince Mu Cai in Yong.
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Author's note:
Qin Zhongjin: We shared a quilt in life, and share a grave in death. I have no regrets in death! If I could do something with Cai when we share a quilt or grave, I would be even more satisfied =w=
Mu Cai: ??? Hey, is this the underworld hotline? Someone's harassing me here!
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