I Faked My Death After Choosing the Wrong Protagonist - Chapter 13

Shen Qingzhuo leaned his full weight against Qi Ye. He had expected to feel somewhat awkward being carried for the first time, but he was pleasantly surprised; Qi Ye’s every step was light and steady. Despite their extreme proximity, the youth’s hands remained respectfully still beneath his knees. Shen Qingzhuo rested his arms across the boy’s shoulders, feeling utterly relaxed throughout the journey.

The protagonist is simply too wonderful, Shen Qingzhuo thought. Kind, capable, and meticulously attentive.

Suddenly, a massive vortex of gale-force winds erupted in the forest. Shen Qingzhuo slid off Qi Ye’s back, but before he could assess the situation, the sudden turbulence forcibly separated them.

When the mist finally cleared, Qi Ye was gone, and the surroundings were no longer the path they had been traveling.

Most things within the Secret Realm were illusions, and the environment could be manipulated by the architect of the trial. Shen Qingzhuo had no idea where Qi Ye had been sent, but standing directly before him now was the Secret Realm’s exit.

Shen Qingzhuo immediately turned back, his only thought to find Qi Ye. He could sense the boy; he was somewhere nearby.

Elsewhere, Qi Ye stared at the unfamiliar surroundings, with Shen Qingzhuo nowhere in sight.

A seemingly endless tide of demonic beasts lunged at him. Behind the beasts stood several middle-aged cultivators, their faces twisted in contempt.

“You’ve got guts, kid, trying to steal a person from the Crown Prince. You’re finished.”

Qi Ye had no intention of entertaining them. He turned to leave, his only desire to find Shen Qingzhuo. But the men had no intention of letting him walk away. They were acting on Huangfu Ying’s orders to silence him permanently.

In their eyes, Qi Ye was a pathetic creature. Did he truly think climbing onto Young Master Shen’s coattails would guarantee him a life of luxury? There was no sympathy in their mocking gazes. Of all the people to offend, he had chosen the Crown Prince.

“Still acting tough? Let’s see how long you can keep it up,” one of them jeered. The others erupted into laughter as if they were already looking at a corpse.

The leader signaled, and the beasts surrounded Qi Ye. As if starved for days, they charged at their prey in unison.

In the darkness, Qi Ye’s lowered head was a mask of cold ferocity. His pupils transformed instantly into a bloodthirsty crimson. With a single flick of his hand, the beasts were reduced to ash, and the air became thick with the scent of blood.

The cultivators were paralyzed with terror, their pupils dilating in shock. The leader pointed a trembling finger at him, his legs shaking. “What, what kind of monster are you? Does he not, have no profound energy?!”

Qi Ye slowly withdrew his hand. Upon closer inspection, it no longer looked human; it looked like a clawed monstrosity. He tilted his head, his crimson eyes casting a chilling glance at them before he turned and walked past.

It took a long time for one of the men to recover. He collapsed to the ground, whispering hoarsely, “No. that wasn’t profound energy. He’s, he’s a demon.”

Qi Ye clutched his head like a lost fawn, stumbling blindly through the dark. His face was a contorted mask of agony and restraint. He ran until he reached a place devoid of any living thing and finally stopped, burying himself in the shadows.

He sank to his knees in despair, staring at his hands. I can’t go back to Shen Qingzhuo.

Shen Qingzhuo would surely be like the others and treat him as a monster. He was a monster! The boy huddled on the ground, his silhouette looking small and fragile as he struck himself repeatedly.

His body was still changing. Black protrusions were erupting from his forehead; in a state of collapse, he tried to press them back in, leaving his hands stained with blood.

Meanwhile, the imperial cultivators returned to report the event to Huangfu Ying.

Initially skeptical, Huangfu Ying was forced to reconsider upon seeing the vision in the orb. He dispatched ten more cultivators of the Green Profound rank. When they arrived, they found Qi Ye hiding and harming himself in a manic state. Hearing that he was a demon only fueled their excitement.

In the Nine Provinces, demons were to be eradicated on sight regardless of the nation or city. The Kingdom of Yun had not seen a demon for centuries.

They approached Qi Ye step by step. When they were less than ten feet away, the youth seemed unaware of their presence, offering no response to the outside world. The Green Profound cultivators gathered energy in their palms and struck simultaneously, aiming to capture the monster.

Qi Ye made no move to defend himself. He took the blow directly and remained standing. He didn’t even cry out. Instead, he slowly raised his head, his crimson eyes locking onto theirs.

The cultivators recoiled, intimidated by that single gaze.

They attacked again, but this time, Qi Ye moved. In the dark, they could only see a blurred, monstrous face as he engaged them. Ten Green Profound cultivators several of whom were on the verge of breaking into the Sky Profound realm found they were still no match for him.

The youth was riddled with wounds, but he remained a dark, looming threat. The cultivators were also injured to varying degrees, and the battle reached a stalemate.

While the gap between the Green and Sky Profound realms was vast, a Green Profound cultivator was still considered a top-tier power in the Kingdom of Yun.

The crimson in the boy’s eyes began to recede slightly. He dug his sharp claws into his own flesh, reminding himself over and over that he must not kill. Ever since his body began to change, no matter how much he suffered, he had forced himself not to harm others regardless of how filthy their hearts or actions were. He had tried so hard to hide himself, never showing his true face or letting anyone know of his transformation.

Except for this trip into the Secret Realm with Shen Qingzhuo.

A voice within him called out, warning him to be kind.

“Vile creature!”

Watching the events from afar, Huangfu Ying decided to enter the Secret Realm personally.

In the world of cultivation, the color of one’s profound energy grew paler as they ascended. A surge of brilliant blue Sky Profound energy erupted from Huangfu Ying’s hand, surging toward Qi Ye with lethal force.

Qi Ye didn’t look back but raised his hand to catch the attack. He focused primarily on evading, eventually stumbling out of the Secret Realm and into a deserted hiding spot.

Shen Qingzhuo was searching frantically when he realized Qi Ye’s aura was moving further away. The boy had apparently left the Secret Realm.

Shen Qingzhuo wasn’t angry that Qi Ye hadn’t waited; instead, he was relieved. Leaving is good. He has no profound energy the outside should be safer than the realm.

He needed to find him immediately. Shen Qingzhuo didn’t hesitate and stepped through the exit.

He worried that if the imperial family saw Qi Ye emerge first, they might bully him or refuse him the prize because he lacked cultivation.

Though it was night, the world outside the Secret Realm was suddenly bright and tranquil. A man in opulent formal robes approached him: Huangfu Ying.

The Prince’s usually stern face held a trace of a smile. If his first proposal had been a political move for his family, this time his greeting was based on genuine admiration for Shen Qingzhuo’s skill. He raised a hand and said sincerely, “Congratulations.”

Shen Qingzhuo hesitated, then looked up with a smile.

“Your Highness, I’m afraid you’re mistaken. The first person to walk out of the Secret Realm wasn’t me—it was Qi Ye.”

He met Huangfu Ying’s gaze steadily. After a long silence, the Prince’s sharp brows furrowed.

“Stay away from Qi Ye,” Huangfu Ying warned. “He is not human.”

The Prince’s arm beneath his sleeve shifted; it bore a mark from his brief exchange with Qi Ye, and the blood on it had turned black. He had observed the corpses in the Secret Realm; most had been pierced through the heart by something as thin as a leaf, or even thin air. The few with visible wounds had skin and blood that had turned entirely black.

Shen Qingzhuo was clearly unaware of this.

“Your companion did not emerge from the finish line,” Huangfu Ying continued. “The first to officially clear the realm is still you. I will have the Spirit-Descending Pill and the Lotus Brilliance Vase delivered to the Shen Estate.”

Shen Qingzhuo thought for a moment. “There’s no need for the trouble. Since that’s the case, please just give them to me now. I came specifically for those two items.”

Huangfu Ying remained silent but produced a small pill box and a snow-white jade bottle with lotus patterns, handing them to Shen Qingzhuo. As the Young Master took them, the Prince offered one final warning.

“Beware of Qi Ye.”

Shen Qingzhuo didn’t understand what Qi Ye could have done to warrant such attention. “Thank you,” he said dismissively. “I will be careful.”

He tucked the items into his spatial ring and took his leave. According to the Prince, Qi Ye had indeed left the realm. But where could he go? Shen Qingzhuo’s anxiety grew as he realized Qi Ye’s aura was getting further away.

Qi Ye stumbled along, clutching his changing body as he navigated the crowds of people and cultivators. He wanted nothing more than to find a dark corner to hide. Fortunately, it was night, and no one could see him clearly.

The sky began to pour with rain. The streets emptied as people retreated indoors, leaving only the sounds of insects and the storm. Rainwater lashed against Qi Ye; the winter air was freezing, but he didn’t seem to feel it as he staggered through the thunder and lightning.

This wasn’t the first time he had lost control like this. He knew of a place where he could hide a place so dark even beggars wouldn’t enter.

Inside a dilapidated temple, the rooms were too broken to shield anyone from the rain. The stone statue of the Bodhisattva in the main hall had been toppled by the storm and broken in two; weeds and vines choked the interior.

Qi Ye isolated himself in a corner of the temple, praying for the agony to pass. He hoped that when he opened his eyes in the morning, he would be human again and could go find Shen Qingzhuo.

“Faster! You’re moving like snails are you trying to freeze me to death?”

“How are you holding that umbrella? A drop of rain just hit my hand! If you can’t handle a simple task, I’ll have my father fire you all, and don’t expect a single cent for this month’s wages!”

Outside the temple, Qi Anning arrived with a large entourage. Inside a sealed sedan chair, Anning sat in a pink silk dress and a white fox-fur cloak, clutching two warm water bottles. He peered out of a slightly opened curtain, barking orders at the servants.

He wanted to marry Huangfu Ying and become the Crown Prince Consort. To do that, he needed to build a reputation for “good deeds.” Yesterday, he had donated money to a school in a remote village, and everyone had praised his kindness. Today, despite the storm, he was “braving the rain” at midnight to renovate a broken temple. Surely the Emperor would reward him and the Prince would see him in a new light!

Anning was filled with pride, already imagining himself as the future Empress. Suddenly, the sedan hit a bump, and Anning nearly struck his head against the wood.

“Do you not know how to walk?!” he screamed. “Forget it, don’t even bother carrying me. I’ll walk myself. You’re fired!”

Anning clutched his water bottle and lifted his skirt. He tested the ground with his toe and stepped out of the chair, only to start shivering violently from the cold. He looked utterly ridiculous.

Once inside the temple, Anning gave the stone statue a resentful kick. “You know what to do. Fix this place within two hours. We’re leaving!”

The temple brightened as his servants brought in lanterns. In the light, Anning caught sight of someone in the corner behind the stone statue.

He approached. It was a person in black, their eyes squeezed shut in agony as they clutched their head. Two distinct, bleeding horns were visible between their fingers bleeding with the person’s own blood.

Isn’t that Qi Ye?

Anning was terrified. He let out a piercing scream and ran away. His umbrella-bearer scrambled after him, leaving the rest of the crew in confusion.

A monster! Qi Ye is a monster!

Anning didn’t care about the rain anymore. He was paralyzed with shock and ran quite a distance before he could finally breathe again.

In the rain, Shen Qingzhuo walked toward the temple with an umbrella. The cold wind tossed his hair; his face, usually smiling, was now tight with worry. He had sensed Qi Ye was nearby, but suddenly, the boy’s aura had been cut off, leaving him without a lead.

Where could he be in this rain? Has he found shelter? What did Huangfu Ying do to him?

In the dark, Shen Qingzhuo’s white robes were a beacon. Standing there in the rain, he possessed a mysterious aura that was impossible to ignore.

Seeing him, Qi Anning felt a surge of joy. If that monster comes out, the Young Master can protect me! He began to run toward Shen Qingzhuo, then stopped as a new thought occurred to him.

Qi Ye looked injured; he might not come out on his own. But I can tell the Young Master to go inside!

The Young Master doesn’t know Qi Ye is a monster, does he? Once he sees him, he’ll never talk to him again, he might even kill him to save the people! After all, no normal person has horns. Only a demon has horns.

Anning was giddy with excitement. He waved frantically from a distance. “Young Master Shen!”

Anning ran up to him, his umbrella-bearer struggling to keep pace. His face was a mix of genuine glee and staged bashfulness. “Young Master Shen! I came to renovate this temple and saw Qi Ye inside. He looks injured would you like to go see him?”

Injured?

Shen Qingzhuo’s heart sank. The anxiety he had been harboring for hours finally hit rock bottom.