Breaking Army - Chapter 22.2

Right-Attendant’s thoughts happened to align with Xiao Chen’s, though not regarding the unrequited love bit. Rather, Xiao Chen was wondering if Rong Yuan was also one of his many admirers. It wasn’t that the Po Jun Highness was conceited, but he had seen that specific look in the eyes of many juniors. It is human nature to admire the strong, and since there were so many legends surrounding him, many of those stories were naturally captivating.

Xiao Chen had not yet linked Rong Yuan to the “Ghost-Face” child who had followed him hundreds of years ago. Although Ghost-Face had worn a mask, his spiritual energy was purely that of the Celestial Realm. Who would connect that prickly, masked kid to the current Sovereign of the Underworld?

He still believed he had no real past connection with Rong Yuan, and therefore assumed Rong Yuan’s feelings were merely a form of high respect.

This assumption was off by more than ten thousand miles.

With only the two of them left in the hall, Xiao Chen had a stomach full of things to say, but as the words reached his lips, he couldn’t decide on the order. Every sentence wanted to rush out at once, but he only had one mouth. Xiao Chen fell into a temporary silence. Because he was silent and Rong Yuan was unable to speak, the hall suddenly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

While Xiao Chen was still debating which line to use as an icebreaker, Rong Yuan suddenly manifested three large characters: “I am sorry.”

The handwriting was much larger than usual, as if he were terrified others wouldn’t see it clearly, and the brushstrokes were thicker. Xiao Chen wasn’t blind, “…Why are you apologizing?”

“I descended to the mortal realm in my true form, and you are angry,” Rong Yuan took the initiative, listing everything he could think of, “Also, for hiding the matter of the Purple Lotus and secretly following you to the mortal world, I am very sorry.”

Well, you did all the deeds and now you’ve said all the words, what’s left for me? Xiao Chen said helplessly, “Sovereign.”

Rong Yuan wrote: “Just call me Rong Yuan.”

He loved hearing Xiao Chen call him by his name.

Whether Xiao Chen admitted it or not, after their time in the mortal realm, the relationship between them had indeed undergone a subtle change. Specifically, the attitude in his heart toward Rong Yuan had become different. He nodded and followed the suggestion, “Rong Yuan.”

Xiao Chen set the zither aside and finally managed to pull out one sentence, “Did it hurt?”

Hmm? Rong Yuan didn’t react for a moment. Seeing that the handwriting hadn’t moved, Xiao Chen knew the man didn’t understand, “I mean, when Mu Qing was injured.”

Ah. Rong Yuan shook his head and wrote: “It didn’t hurt.”

“Liar. A piercing blow through the heart and bone, who dares say it doesn’t hurt?” Xiao Chen curled his lips. Although it was a smile, the mirth didn’t reach his eyes, “Is even one out of ten sentences you say the truth?”

Rong Yuan could not stand to see Xiao Chen distressed or disappointed, so he hurried to write: “I may have kept things from you, but I do not wish to lie to you.”

“Oh,” Xiao Chen said casually, “Then what about that ‘beloved’ Mu Qing mentioned?”

Rong Yuan: “…”

The older ginger is indeed spicier. He had fallen right into the trap.

Back in the mortal realm, first, Rong Yuan hadn’t expected the journey to end so quickly, and second, the atmosphere at the time made the words flow naturally. He hadn’t expected his Mu Qing identity to collapse so soon, so that statement had become a giant pit.

Seeing his body stiffen, Xiao Chen said knowingly, “It seems it was true. Since you have someone you love that much, yet you married me to save me, it is I who have wronged you both—”

“No.”

“Hmm?” Xiao Chen stopped mid-sentence, looking at the two words appearing before Rong Yuan.

Rong Yuan hadn’t intended to reveal his feelings so soon because, to Xiao Chen, he was just someone he had recently met. He didn’t want Xiao Chen to find it abrupt, but if he stayed silent now, the misunderstanding would be massive. From birth until now, in several hundred years, Rong Yuan had only been moved by one person. Others could speculate as they pleased, but Xiao Chen… he could not let Xiao Chen believe he loved someone else.

Thus, the writing before him changed: “That person is you.”

He saw Xiao Chen’s expression freeze for a split second, his eyes slowly widening.

Rong Yuan’s hand, hidden by his long sleeve, quietly clenched. His palm was slick with sweat. Wearing a mask had its perks, at least Xiao Chen couldn’t see his current gaze. He waited quietly for Xiao Chen’s verdict, or perhaps—

He heard Xiao Chen sigh.

Rong Yuan’s heart tightened instantly.

In the mortal realm, when his avatar’s heart was pierced, he truly hadn’t felt much pain because he was used to it. That bit of pain from mortal iron was negligible. Yet at this moment, he felt the long-lost, tight throb of a heartbeat, coming from a distance, feeling worse than any physical wound.

He understood. It was still too early. He knew. But even if his mind understood clearly, his emotions were harder to control. Rong Yuan took a light breath, desperately suppressing the bitterness, telling himself there was no need to rush.

Xiao Chen sighed, reaching out to pat Rong Yuan’s shoulder. Rong Yuan lowered his gaze, not daring to look at him for a moment, only to hear Xiao Chen say, “This won’t do.”

Rong Yuan swallowed. His throat, which hadn’t made a sound in centuries, felt filled with bitterness. He tried to curl his lips, preparing to give Xiao Chen a beautiful smile when he looked up, but even without a mirror, he knew his smile would look terrible.

Xiao Chen spoke earnestly, “You have only heard of me through hearsay, and you’ve developed an admiration for the ‘me’ in those legends. That cannot be considered true love.”

Rong Yuan: “…”

He slowly raised his head, completely stunned.

“I was only guessing before,” Xiao Chen said seriously, “When I played the zither just now, did you see the reaction of the Underworld officials? That is the normal reaction. Young man, you’ve been a bit too poisoned by the rumors.”

The reason Rong Yuan could remain as steady as a mountain during the music was that he was there during the Battle of Wangfeng Valley. He was the one who brought the zither to Xiao Chen.

Back then, Xiao Chen had set a barrier before the army to block spiritual energy, then took the zither alone to break the enemy formation. He poured his spiritual energy into the music, shattering the enemy’s arrays and scattering them into a mess. Even with the protection of the barrier, many of their own soldiers were physically sickened by the vibrations of the zither. Though the battle was won easily, the participants returned with pale faces, their awe of Xiao Chen increasing tenfold.

The Fox-Demon of the Yao Tribe used to pretentiously pester Xiao Chen to discuss elegance and music. After that battle, the Fox-Demon never mentioned it again and even tucked away his precious flute. No one dared to flaunt an instrument in front of Xiao Chen again, fearing it might spark the Star Lord’s interest in performing a piece.

Rong Yuan had heard that earth-shattering melody with his own ears, so what could he not endure? If anything, hearing it again after so many years made him feel quite nostalgic.

Xiao Chen adopted the tone of an elder, advising patiently, “Simple admiration is fine, but how can you give your whole heart to someone you don’t actually know? The rumors about me are mostly exaggerated. Aside from the fact that I am indeed very good at fighting, the rest shouldn’t be fully believed. Look at me, from our first meeting until now, do I look like some lofty, omnipotent being? In matters of love, you must see your own heart clearly and not just follow the crowd. You are a ruler of a realm, although you aren’t very old, since you sit on the Sovereign’s throne, you must learn to be mature and steady.”

Rong Yuan: “…”

He wasn’t, he didn’t. He saw his own heart clearly, it was practically engraved with the name “Xiao Chen” in large letters, leaving no room for anyone else.

Xiao Chen thought he couldn’t distinguish between admiration and love, yet he had been pondering this for centuries. No matter where the seed of his feelings had first sprouted, by now, the person he loved could only be Xiao Chen.

Ghost-Face had once insisted on leaving the Underworld because he thought the hearts of the world were ultimately chaotic and that the Star Lord of the legends might just be a hypocrite. He had approached Xiao Chen with malicious speculation, only to find that after meeting him, a piercing light cut through his endless abyss of night. From then on, the man named Xiao Chen took root in his soul and could never be moved.

If he were only Ghost-Face, Rong Yuan might have confessed everything, telling Xiao Chen that he didn’t just have fantasies based on rumors, that his deep-rooted feelings weren’t without cause, and that he didn’t love the Xiao Chen in other people’s mouths. The one he loved was the Xiao Chen who showed Ghost-Face what it meant to be “human.”

But he couldn’t say any of that now.

He could only write: “Please believe me, my feelings are not shallow.”

Xiao Chen nodded with a heavy expression, “I know. I don’t doubt your sincerity, you just haven’t recognized your true feelings yet.”

Rong Yuan: “…”

He had truly experienced the meaning of shooting oneself in the foot today.

Actually, this result wasn’t bad. At least Xiao Chen didn’t push him away or show disgust. That was good enough. The fact that Xiao Chen could get so angry about his true form descending to the mortal realm proved that Xiao Chen already felt some closeness toward him. However, this also made him even more afraid to tell Xiao Chen certain things… because those things were even more out of line than descending to the mortal realm.

Rong Yuan slowly calmed his heart. Although expressing his feelings had caused a slight misunderstanding, at least it was out in the open. He didn’t have to hide it anymore. Words floated before him: “Give me some time, I will prove it.”

Xiao Chen didn’t speak, but his gaze was very understanding. He was thinking: Give you some time, and you will figure it out.

Now that he felt he understood why Rong Yuan was so devoted to him, Xiao Chen spoke directly, “I’ll be blunt then, Sov—Rong Yuan, I asked before if you needed any reward, have you thought of it yet?”

Rong Yuan shook his head. Xiao Chen gave him a look of “hopelessness” and said, “Then I’ll keep it in mind. I will definitely return this favor.”

Rong Yuan didn’t refuse. Taking a step back to move forward, he nodded.

Since the favor hadn’t been returned, there was one thing Xiao Chen wouldn’t mention for now: divorce.

Even though Geng Xie kept bringing up “divorce” in their talks, given Xiao Chen’s character, he couldn’t bring himself to say it now. Look at this, the person admires you, you were practically strangers, yet he was willing to use the Soul-Born Purple Lotus to save you and remained selfless afterward. And you? You get cured and immediately want a divorce, running away after using him? Just hearing it made him feel like a scoundrel.

Then… he would wait until Rong Yuan saw his own heart clearly before divorcing. Since Xiao Chen couldn’t return to the Star Realm anyway, and the Underworld energy didn’t bother him, one place was as good as another. If he found a way to help Rong Yuan, he could return the favor that way.

—Provided that everything Rong Yuan said was true.

Now that the matter of his poisoning had revealed a tip of the iceberg, whoever could actively enter this chess game couldn’t possibly be a “white lotus” innocent. Whether Rong Yuan was dragged into this or had planned it from the start remained to be seen.

“Don’t just keep standing there. This is your own territory, what are you doing?” Xiao Chen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Rong Yuan was still standing there like he was being lectured. Rong Yuan didn’t mind, writing: “Apologizing like this shows more sincerity.”

“Don’t do that, please sit.”

With no one else around, Xiao Chen personally poured a cup of tea for Rong Yuan. Rong Yuan obediently sat across from him and picked up the cup. Xiao Chen’s gaze brushed over his jawline, “Speaking of which, was Mu Qing’s face your actual look?”

“Yes, it was how I looked in my youth.”

So it was. Xiao Chen couldn’t help but think that when Rong Yuan finally took off his mask, the title of the number one handsome man in the six realms might just fall on his head, “Didn’t you say before that you couldn’t show your true face?”

Rong Yuan’s drinking didn’t interrupt the words appearing before him, but every time he “spoke,” his lips wouldn’t touch the cup, remaining very polite: “It is the ‘current’ true face that cannot be shown.”

“I see.” Xiao Chen understood. He really was playing with words. The current face couldn’t be shown, but the past one could.

Seeing that the topic had shifted, Rong Yuan brought up serious business: “I just interrogated Hua Wuhen, he is related to your poisoning.”

The Star Lords had discovered the “Yearning” poison, but they didn’t know why it was toxic. Rong Yuan recounted the clues he had searched from Hua Wuhen’s memory. Xiao Chen listened, realizing this also involved the Yao Realm. He mused, “It seems a trip to the Yao Realm is necessary.”

“There is more.” Rong Yuan set down his teacup, the porcelain clinking softly. Characters floated before him: “On our wedding day, I saved some of your poisoned blood. I detected traces of Yellow Springs Water in it.”

Saving Xiao Chen’s poisoned blood secretly wasn’t exactly something to brag about, but since Xiao Chen now thought he was an admirer, many actions could be explained away. It wasn’t unusual for an admirer to do things for Xiao Chen or care for him deeply, right?

As expected, Xiao Chen didn’t take issue with the blood. He gave Rong Yuan a surprised look. Yellow Springs Water could only be obtained by those in the Underworld. If there was Yellow Springs Water in the poison, it confirmed the involvement of someone from the Underworld. Rong Yuan had told him even this, was he not afraid Xiao Chen would suspect him too?

Xiao Chen weighed this in his mind, his face showing an appropriate expression, “Thank you for telling me.”

“When Your Highness suppressed the chaos, you finally ended the days of countless wandering souls. You are a benefactor to the Underworld. If there are indeed Underworld citizens with ill intentions plotting against Your Highness, I will not be partial. I will definitely give Your Highness justice.”

“Since you asked me to call you by your name, you don’t need to keep using honorifics with me,” Xiao Chen said, “Just call me by my name as well.”

Rong Yuan paused. He nodded and raised his hand. While he didn’t need his hands to manifest words with spiritual energy, at this moment, Rong Yuan’s fingertips traced the air, light yet solemn, outlining Xiao Chen’s name stroke by stroke.

“Xiao Chen.”

This was the name carved into his very life.

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