I Faked My Death After Choosing the Wrong Protagonist - Chapter 29

Shen Qingzhuo stood out of sight from Qi Ye for several hours. Heavy snow had fallen across Yun City the previous night, and a thick layer had accumulated here as well. The snowfall had lightened, with small flakes now drifting slowly through the air.

Shen Qingzhuo was unaware that in those few hours, the great dragon inside had once again left itself battered and bloodied.

His mind was in a mess when he suddenly realized his barrier had been shattered. A tenth-rank demonic beast was charging toward him.

The tenth rank was the absolute peak for beasts this creature had clearly attained a level where it could open its spiritual wisdom and was nearly a full-fledged demon. Demonic beasts that cultivate a “Demon Soul” can take human form, though this one was still a step away. However, a beast that breaks through from the lowest level is vastly different from a born demon; their combat strength is several levels higher.

Shen Qingzhuo had never encountered a tenth-rank beast before. From the moment it tore through his barrier, he knew he was outmatched. Nevertheless, as the beast lunged, he drew his sword and stood his ground.

Drawing a sword meant bloodshed, and Shen Qingzhuo generally avoided it. The beast resembled a giant Roc, but far more towering, with wings of obsidian-gold feathers that looked polished and gleaming.

He fought it for over a dozen rounds. Thanks to the formidable power of his blade, Frost Dao, he showed no signs of defeat yet. However, he knew that if the battle continued, he would lose. He could easily retreat and save himself, but if he left, Qi Ye who was inside would be in mortal danger.

Shen Qingzhuo exhausted his strength to prevent the beast from discovering Qi Ye. Suddenly, the tenth-rank beast stopped and departed as aggressively as it had arrived.

Shen Qingzhuo didn’t know why it left. Demonic beasts lacked human wisdom and lived by preying on their own kind or humans; the higher their rank, the more ferocious they became.

A sense of impending dread washed over him. He rushed back inside, only to find blood everywhere on the walls, the floor, and the quilts. Qi Ye was gone.

Shen Qingzhuo stood frozen, his face pale, still holding his sword with its blood-stained tip. He quickly used an artifact to track them and saw that Huangfu Ying had taken Qi Ye.

And Qi Yannian was with him.

Qi Yannian!

Shen Qingzhuo sheathed his sword, his palms clenching instinctively beneath his long sleeves. He never expected to fall for Qi Yannian’s trap. But no matter how much Qi Yannian claimed to hate Qi Ye, would he really risk his own life just to kill him? Given his character, he wouldn’t do such a thing.

Before leaving the residence Qi Yannian used to trap him, Shen Qingzhuo unleashed his spiritual power and burned the entire courtyard to the ground. This was the first time he had done such a thing. The roaring flames mixed with the thick snow, soon leaving nothing but ash and drifting smoke.

His hands were trembling, but his heart felt nothing but a boundless, icy chill.

He hadn’t traveled far using his Profound energy when he was intercepted by a powerful pressure. Standing before him was an elder with white hair dressed in pale gray robes.

“My grandson, where are you going?”

Shen Qingzhuo was shaken. With his cultivation, he found himself unable to move under the weight of such an intimidating presence.

This person… is the original host’s grandfather?

Before he could think further, he was taken away. Faced with such a disparity in absolute power, Shen Qingzhuo had no room for resistance. For the first time, he felt utterly powerless.

When he was brought back, the banquet venue he had ordered for Qi Ye’s birthday was still being decorated, and the atmosphere was bustling. Shen Qingzhuo was promptly locked away by the Old Master Shen.

“My grandson, you are still too young. Stay here and learn your lesson!”

The door slammed shut, leaving him in darkness. The room was made of an unknown material that Shen Qingzhuo could not break through.

No, it’s too late…

Shen Qingzhuo was frantic. Qi Ye only had him now; he couldn’t let him be harmed again. Thinking of that blood-soaked room, his skin crawled with deep-seated fear. Why had the Old Master suddenly come out of seclusion to lock him up? And where had he gone now?

And Huangfu Ying he truly would kill Qi Ye! Not only that, but the Cold Moon Palace was involved, and rumors said even Principal Li of the Canglan Academy his own master had emerged…

Shen Qingzhuo’s heart turned cold.

Qi Ye had continued to harm himself, and by the time Huangfu Ying entered, the feverish lust had receded. However, he had lost too much blood; the pain left him nearly unconscious. Faced with a prepared Huangfu Ying, he had no strength left to fight back.

“Your Highness, you have caught the demon. Please do not forget what you promised me my life is in your hands!”

Qi Yannian bowed low, pleading with Huangfu Ying. Before the plan began, Huangfu Ying had promised to help him find a way to break the Life-Sharing Contract before eliminating the Demon Seed.

Huangfu Ying stood with solemn, imposing dignity. “Rest assured, Master Qi. My master is the greatest man under heaven; there is nothing he cannot do.”

Few in the world knew that the Master of the Cold Moon Palace a man as free as the wind had once taken Huangfu Ying as a disciple. Huangfu Ying’s skills were learned not just from his royal tutors, but from the occasional guidance of the Palace Master. A single pointer from him was worth three to five years of cultivation.

That tenth-rank Roc beast was also raised by the Palace Master.

The Imperial Water Dungeon

The place was incredibly damp, filled with various torture devices and prisoners who had been mangled beyond recognition.

Huangfu Ying’s voice was cold, carrying the arrogance of a ruler. He gestured to the guards. “Lock him in. Just make sure he doesn’t die.”

“Yes!”

The guards looked at Qi Ye’s dragon form and didn’t know where to start. Every time they were about to touch him, they pulled their hands back in fear at the last second.

“Useless things!” Huangfu Ying cursed impatiently and threw Qi Ye into the cell himself.

The floor was covered in slimy water filled with aquatic insects creatures designed to burrow into the flesh and feast on the marrow of those imprisoned here. To prevent escape, the cage was custom-made, unlike any other.

Huangfu Ying was an expert in torture, as evidenced by the prisoners who had been blinded, had their tongues cut out, or were missing limbs, yet were kept from committing suicide. On this continent, the law of the jungle was the only reality, especially for someone in his position holding the absolute power of the Cloud Kingdom.

Huangfu Ying watched the dying Demon Seed in the water. The water reached over his head, and insects covered his body. Huangfu Ying sneered, turning toward the trembling Qi Yannian. “Master Qi, you said you wanted to destroy your kin for the greater good. How about cutting off one of his tails now?”

He handed a blade to Qi Yannian. Qi Yannian gasped for air, nearly collapsing.

Huangfu Ying’s smile deepened as he pressed closer. “What, Master Qi? Do you still harbor affection for your son and cannot strike?”

Qi Yannian looked at the monster in the water and took the blade with a trembling hand. In Qi Ye’s current form, the tail was his legs. Without legs…

Qi Yannian shook his head quickly. What did it matter if Qi Ye had legs? Once the contract was broken, Qi Ye was going to die anyway! He had no such son!

Qi Yannian’s bloodshot eyes bulged. Sixteen years ago… when that woman was pregnant, did she know this day would come? Was that why she tied his life to Qi Ye’s? She knew all along he was a Demon Seed…

Holding the blade with both hands, Qi Yannian walked toward the water cell. As he drew near, he raised the blade high and brought it down.

However, before the blade could strike Qi Ye, it was knocked from his hand by a force far superior to his own, sending it flying as he was slammed heavily to the ground.

In the cell, the motionless black dragon opened its eyes. His blood-red gaze was full of fury as he slowly shifted back into human form. He was covered in blood, especially his head and hands. As he rose from the water, his clothes were soaked through, and the water in the cell turned into a pool of blood.

As Qi Ye stood, every insect in the water died instantly and floated to the surface. The youth radiated an aura of malice like a demon rising from the Asura Path, wading through the blood-red water step by step.

Qi Yannian, unable to even get up from the floor, was terrified and scrambled to hide behind Huangfu Ying. “You unfilial wretch! One day, I will cut you into a thousand pieces with my own hands!”

Huangfu Ying pulled out his weapon. He excelled at close combat; his natal artifact was a pair of Meteor Hammers he had obtained from an ancient tomb in the Kingdom of Lei. A hundred royal death-knights in black armor stood before him with drawn swords.

“As long as he lives, take him down!” Huangfu Ying commanded.

The knights struck all at once. In the next heartbeat, a mist of blood filled the dungeon. The knights were gone, leaving not even a corpse behind. The massive dungeon was shattered, and countless vicious criminals tore through their cell doors to escape.

Qi Yannian stood up trembling, clearly scared out of his wits. “Your Highness, what do we do now?” His cultivation was only at the mid-level of the Green Profound stage; he was nothing before Qi Ye. The only one with significant power left was Huangfu Ying.

“Shut up,” Huangfu Ying growled in annoyance, rushing toward Qi Ye with his hammers.

He had recently made a breakthrough, and Qi Ye for unknown reasons was clearly at the end of his rope. Huangfu Ying fought with everything he had, yet he was still no match. He was forced to his knees by a demonic power far above his own, coughing up a large amount of blood.

Qi Ye’s eyes were frighteningly red as he continued to approach. He seemed numb to his own endless bleeding; he didn’t dodge or hide, as if he couldn’t feel pain. He took the golden spikes of the Meteor Hammers with his own body, dragging a long trail of blood across the floor.

He hadn’t killed like this in a long time.

Suddenly, Qi Ye remembered Shen Qingzhuo’s words. If I kill all these people, will Shen Qingzhuo be disappointed when he finds out?

Qi Ye looked down at his hands, covered in blood and filth. Suddenly, he desperately wanted Shen Qingzhuo to touch him again.

No…

Qi Ye shook his head in a struggle of terror. Shen Qingzhuo couldn’t stop talking to him, he couldn’t…

He walked toward Qi Yannian and Huangfu Ying with murderous intent. Qi Yannian’s face went through a kaleidoscope of terror until he lost control of his bladder, utterly terrified by his own son.

However, Qi Ye’s sanity returned. As he reached the two men, his face went pale with fright. He turned and fled, trembling.

Long after Qi Ye had run away, Qi Yannian still hadn’t recovered, forgetting even how to stand like a human being. Seeing Huangfu Ying push himself off the ground to pursue him, he crawled over and grabbed the Prince’s foot. “Your Highness, Prince…”

Huangfu Ying kicked him away in disgust. “Get lost!”

Qi Ye was unable to escape. Likely due to the blood loss, he grew dizzier as he ran. His vision blurred, and he collapsed to the ground several times. He kept getting up, running like a headless fly, crashing into trees and walls. He didn’t know if Shen Qingzhuo would still want him, but he only wanted to find him and be by his side.

Shen Qingzhuo can blame me, he can punish me, anything is fine.

The snow grew heavier, large flakes falling until they covered his tracks and the blood on the ground. Suddenly, an even more powerful force struck him.

The Old Master Shen suddenly appeared before him, looking down with disdain at Qi Ye, who lay on the ground like a broken rag doll.