books44 Chapter 101 The Lantern Romance
Chapter 101 The Lantern Romance
Xia Changfeng cupped Si Wuxie's face in his hands.
The kiss was getting better and better.
Si Wuxie revealed the sharp teeth of a fox and bit through his conquering tongue.
Another slap landed on his face, showing no mercy.
"Who wants to be all lovey-dovey with you here?!"
They don't even consider the occasion.
Stinky brother.
Si Wuxie wiped his mouth with a hint of disgust, but a barely perceptible smile curved his lips.
Xia Changfeng spat out a mouthful of blood, wishing he could strangle him on the spot.
In the distance, the Xie Zhi beast had been subdued, and the Vermilion Bird circled several times in the sky before landing leisurely and preening the feathers under its wings with its sharp beak.
Si Wuxie held his breath and focused his attention. Suddenly, the divine bird raised its head and stared at him with a fierce look in its eyes.
Undisguised hatred and murderous intent rushed straight at him.
Si Wuxie involuntarily took a half step back.
Xia Changfeng stepped forward, suddenly pulled him behind him, and formed a hand seal with one hand.
The fiery blaze vanished in an instant, and the Vermilion Bird transformed into human form.
Si Wuxie peeked out from behind Xia Changfeng to observe.
His eyes suddenly widened, a look of disbelief flashing across them.
He was momentarily dazed.
Standing opposite him was another Xia Changfeng.
What was most shocking was that he was wearing a red outfit.
His clothes were stained with blood.
Faced with this scene, Si Wuxie was unsurprisingly reminded of the night hundreds of years ago when he personally ripped out Xia Changfeng's heart—
The young man lay in a pool of blood, his dark eyes revealing confusion, anger, and resentment.
His clothes were soaked with blood, and he was covered in blood.
Even Si Wuxie's face, hidden in the shadows, was splattered with blood.
For many years afterward, no matter how much he scrubbed and washed, he could not remove the bloodstains from his body.
No matter how many times he says "I have no regrets," the moment he closes his eyes, he still sees that bloody nightmare.
Years later, Si Wuxie sees Xia Changfeng covered in blood again.
It was as if the tragedy he had caused was being replayed before his eyes. How could he not be terrified?
Of course he was afraid; he was terrified.
But he wasn't afraid of retaliation—he didn't care how terrible the price he had to pay.
He was just afraid of reliving the scene of having his heart cut out back then.
He was afraid of the feeling of blood dripping down the back of his hand and onto the ground, and of a living heart beating in his palm.
He was afraid, but he wouldn't admit his mistake.
He knows he is guilty, but he refuses to admit his mistake.
He deserves to die, but he won't admit his mistakes.
This is Si Wuxie.
Xia Changfeng looked at the person standing opposite him who looked exactly like him.
That was him, his alter ego.
The clone's gaze fell on Si Wuxie, and its expression instantly turned ferocious. Just before the clone could teleport away, Xia Changfeng forcibly recalled it.
Si Wuxie stared intently at the figure opposite him that was about to disappear.
He grew dimmer and more transparent, and the firelight shone on him, piercing right through him.
Until it was pitch black there.
Si Wuxie suddenly grabbed Xia Changfeng's wrist and asked, "Where did he go?"
There was a hint of anxiety in his tone.
Xia Changfeng remained silent.
Si Wuxie calmed down and insisted on asking, "What happened? Can you...can you tell me?"
“That was my original body,” Xia Changfeng said, “but now, it has become my clone.”
Si Wuxie gripped his wrist tightly. "If that is your true form, then this body you have now... is this body fake?"
Xia Changfeng turned to the side, stared at him for a long time, and laughed mockingly, "Si Wuxie, do you really think there's anyone in this world who can survive having their heart ripped out?"
Si Wuxie gradually loosened her grip. "Then... how did you survive back then?"
Xia Changfeng revealed the truth to him: "No, you're wrong. The real me died long ago, on that very night..."
His chest was ripped open, his heart removed, and with his last breath, he walked to the lakeside where he and Si Wuxie had released lanterns, and collapsed.
Let your body sink into the icy, bone-chilling lake water.
After his death, his three souls and seven spirits did not immediately return to the underworld, but instead attached themselves to the wick of a lonely lantern floating in the heart of the lake, merging with the weak flame.
He clung to life by sheer willpower.
The flickering candlelight illuminated a thin layer of paper surrounding the lantern, on which his handwritten wishes were still inscribed.
He once naively believed that the fairy brother would always be with him, and he only wished for a peaceful and carefree life.
It's both pitiful and laughable.
The lanterns burned eternally from then on, drifting eastward with the current until they were retrieved and brought ashore by nearby boatmen.
Because of its strange phenomenon that it could not be extinguished by wind or water, the boatman found it quite bizarre and handed it over to the local official.
Local officials then regarded the lanterns as a sign of good fortune and sent them to the capital, thousands of miles away, for the emperor to enjoy.
If Xia Changfeng remembers correctly, the imperial surname of the Central Plains dynasty back then was Li.
The Li family's empire.
Perhaps so; he doesn't remember very clearly.
He never cared about the affairs of ordinary people.
Xia Changfeng was born into the royal family of the Southern Kingdom and understood the principle that "there is no kinship in the royal family since ancient times." He was not interested in royal relatives or the wealth of the imperial family.
He remained inside the lamp wick for over a century, quietly observing the rise and fall of dynasties and taking a detached view of life and death.
But most of the time, he devoted himself to cultivation.
Xia Changfeng eagerly hopes that one day he can use this lantern to rebuild his body.
Until one day, the lantern was bestowed upon the emperor's younger brother and moved from the imperial palace to the prince's residence.
Despite the emperor's great favor, the prince ultimately met a tragic end, framed for treason.
The entire household was executed, but the pregnant princess managed to escape thanks to the machinations of the prince's confidant.
The princess, carrying the imperial lantern, embarked on a perilous journey of escape.
The princess, along with her son and her confidant, fled to a city in the north, where they pretended to be husband and wife and lived a life of anonymity.
That confidant was an honest man and a true gentleman; he had no ill intentions towards the princess.
He was deeply grateful for the prince's kindness and devoted himself to taking care of the princess and their child.
He managed this special "family" quite well, and at one point became the wealthiest family in the city.
No one in the city knew the origins of this family. They lived a peaceful and tranquil life and were respected by others.
Although it cannot compare to the wealth and status of the imperial family, it is free and unrestrained, without having to serve the emperor as if walking on thin ice, worrying day and night.
The princess gave birth to a bright and clever child, who was a renowned "child prodigy" from a young age and was sent to an academy to begin his studies at the age of three.
The princess still wanted the child to pass the imperial examination and enter officialdom.
She placed all her hopes for clearing her name on this son.
This child was born with a heavy responsibility; he could not clear his name and exonerate the innocent without entering officialdom. Fortunately, he was very ambitious, talented, and his potential was limitless.
Even the headmaster of the academy believed that he would become a great talent in the future, and even betrothed his beloved daughter to him...
The story ends abruptly.
As for what happened afterward, Xia Changfeng didn't know much about it.
Because after a long and arduous journey, he finally attained human form.
We should thank the queen who was a Taoist.