When Mo Xi and Jun Shang arrived, a group of imperial guards and cultivators had already surrounded the quiet room, but no one dared approach the chamber.
“Greetings, Jun Shang!”
“Greetings, Lord Xihe!”
Jun Shang stopped in his tracks when he saw the resentful, violent demonic aura surging out of the room and shooting straight into the heavens. The black spiritual currents twisted in the air, sometimes taking the indistinct shape of sharp claws, and sometimes transforming into the phantom image of a wolf’s head with eerie blue eyes.
Jun Shang demanded sharply, “Where is the assassin?!”
The captain of the imperial guards turned pale. Clasping his arms, he said, “This—this subordinate was incompetent. The assassin’s movement technique was extremely good, and he has already escaped… This subordinate has already sent—sent people after him.”
Mo Xi instead asked, “Where is Gu Mang?!”
The captain had not failed to hear the rumors these past few days about the ambiguous relationship between Mo Xi and Gu Mang. Suddenly being interrogated by Mo Xi like this, he broke into a cold sweat, swallowed, and said fearfully, “When we arrived, Gu Mang’s Black Demon aura had already erupted. This subordinate tried several times to rush inside, but—but…”
Jun Shang glanced sideways at him.
The captain looked utterly disheveled. His hair was in disarray, there were scorch marks from smoke and fire on his cheeks, and there was still blood at the corners of his mouth that he had failed to wipe clean.
The reprimand that had reached Jun Shang’s lips ultimately became a sigh.
He raised his head and looked at the room that was already completely enveloped in Black Demon energy.
Beneath the dark, rain-laden sky, the treatment room was shrouded by dancing phantoms of snow wolves, as though the next moment they would bare their jagged fangs and tear everyone into scraps.
The captain of the imperial guards explained to Mo Xi with a miserable expression, “Lord Xihe, the demonic aura inside this room is simply too heavy. An ordinary person can’t enter at all. Right now, we can only form a formation and guard outside. Once Gu Mang comes out in a rampage, then—”
Mo Xi did not wait for him to finish.
He did not want to hear him finish either.
Before anyone had time to react, he went against the powerful demonic aura and charged alone into the quiet room.
Jun Shang was startled.
“Mo Xi!”
“Lord Xihe—!”
Flames surged toward them. The shocked and frightened cries of everyone behind him were thrown to the back of Mo Xi’s mind.
The waves of demonic aura were like sharp blades stabbing into him, but perhaps because there was a ball of fire burning inside his heart, born from Gu Mang, he did not feel that these demonic flames were as impossible to approach as the captain had described.
Or perhaps it was because his Gu Mang-gege was inside.
So even if he had to enter purgatory or plunge into a sea of flames, it would not hurt.
In this world, there was nothing that could hurt more than losing someone.
Mo Xi suddenly slammed the door open.
The huanghuali wood door creaked loudly, and even more frenzied demonic flames surged out from inside. He raised his hand to block the spiritual currents that nearly made it impossible to open his eyes, then looked toward the depths of the room.
Gu Mang was curled up on the treatment bed.
Beside him was a scroll of historical jade slips that had already been shattered into pieces by the eruption of his demonic flames.
His neck was lowered, his head buried deeply.
Mo Xi could only see a lonely figure curled up like a beast. He could not see his face.
“Gu Mang…”
He hurried to his side, but before he could touch his shoulder, a powerful wave of demonic aura suddenly repelled him.
Immediately afterward, he saw Gu Mang raise his head.
Black Demon curse marks had already crawled across that delicate face. His eyes were bloodshot, the blue irises shimmering with a chilling, eerie light.
Gu Mang had already begun to transform.
Although there were still faint traces of consciousness between his brows, the pain was clearly engraved across his face.
Gu Mang seemed to be standing on the boundary between waking and dreaming, facing the person before him in utter confusion.
“You promised me…”
Gu Mang suddenly spoke hoarsely.
He stared at Mo Xi’s face, yet it seemed that he was not speaking to Mo Xi at all.
His nose wrinkled, and an almost crazed light flashed in his eyes.
“You promised me those things, and you never did any of them! Liar!”
Before Mo Xi could react, Gu Mang suddenly raised his hand and tightly seized him by the throat.
“Cough, cough…”
Gu Mang appeared to have completely fallen into his own madness. His blue eyes shifted from side to side as he rose, one hand choking Mo Xi’s neck while he forced his way closer.
“I never asked you to clear my name. The people I killed all these years, the blood I stained myself with—I can bear it all. I had already planned to bear it myself! But what exactly do you take me for?!”
Mo Xi was being choked so tightly that he could barely breathe. He grabbed Gu Mang’s arm with one hand and murmured,
“Gu Mang…”
But what was reflected in Gu Mang’s eyes at this moment was not his little junior brother.
It was Jun Shang beneath the night rain at the Golden Terrace eight years ago.
It was the ruler who had made Mo Xi swear the Heavenly Tribulation Oath before the Golden Hall.
Gu Mang’s head tilted slightly to the side, and every word was ground out from between his teeth.
“The army, brothers, reputation, memories… I have nothing left. I lay low for eight years and became something neither human nor ghost… And what about you?”
“The peace and prosperity you promised me—did you ever let me see it?”
“The fairness you promised everyone—did you ever let me witness it?”
“Everything that could be schemed against has been schemed against by you. Can you let me go?! I’ve had enough! I don’t want to hear any more of your brilliant political schemes. They only make me sick!”
No one was a saint.
How could anyone live without resentment?
All the grievances in Gu Mang’s chest, all the unwillingness that had once been restrained by reason, became overwhelmingly intense under the catalyst of the demonic aura.
Gu Mang slammed Mo Xi against the wall, staring intensely at his face, yet unable to recognize the person before him.
He had already sunk completely into his own pain and madness, his mind a chaotic mess.
Black Demon energy coiled around his battered body, growing increasingly distinct and increasingly powerful as it poured out.
The demonic marks continued spreading from his heart, extending to his arms, his neck… even beneath his eyelids.
“Gu Mang…”
Without hurting him, Mo Xi desperately tried to loosen Gu Mang’s spasming hand.
“Look carefully… it’s… cough, cough… it’s me…!”
What exactly had happened?
The assassin had not killed him, but he had clearly said something to Gu Mang that he should not have said.
Something had shattered Gu Mang’s mental strength and caused him to collapse into this state.
…What exactly… had he… said?!
With a dull bang, Mo Xi grunted as Gu Mang suddenly slammed him against the wall.
The demonic wolf flames floating behind Gu Mang burned even more intensely, its pair of eyes glowing an even brighter blue.
The madness belonging to the beast within those eyes grew stronger and stronger, while the rationality belonging to the human grew weaker and weaker.
The only thing that remained was immense pain, reddening the rims of his eyes.
“Why… couldn’t I keep Lu Zhanxing…”
The question gradually became a mutter filled with torment and self-reproach.
“Why… did I cause Murong Lian… to be… assassinated…”
His voice became increasingly confused and increasingly sorrowful.
“Why…”
He lowered his head almost desperately, his shoulders trembling faintly.
“Why… did I force Mo Xi to take that path… I’m the one who manipulated his life… it was me…”
The cold voice of the black-clothed man seemed to linger beside his ears.
The truth that had been forced upon him was like a knife gouging into his eardrums, piercing down his throat and continuing downward, stirring his heart, liver, spleen, and stomach into bloody, shattered pieces.
Large tears rolled down his face covered in demonic marks.
The demonic flames surrounding him became increasingly fierce because of that despair and pain.
That body which had once been infinitely warm even through wind and rain seemed as though it were about to be torn apart and swallowed whole.
His sense of self was slowly disappearing.
The Black Demon curse marks had even spread to his fingertips.
Gu Mang choked out,
“It was me… I accomplished nothing… I dragged you… all of you… into becoming pieces on a chessboard…”
Zhanxing.
Murong.
Mo Xi…
Gu Mang let out a broken, despairing howl.
“Why did you make him swear the Heavenly Tribulation Oath…!!!”
Mo Xi suddenly froze.
Then his gaze fell upon the shattered historical jade slips.
Suddenly, he understood everything.
Gu Mang’s sobs seemed to be torn from a throat dripping with blood. He whimpered mournfully in his desperate situation, like a dying beast.
“Why did you force him to swear the Heavenly Tribulation Oath… why did you hurt him to this point…”
“I only wanted him to have a better life… I always wanted him to have a better life…”
“I’m the one who hurt him…”
Stubbornly self-righteous.
Thinking himself clever.
Leaving the other person no path to take, refusing to let the other person know any of the truth.
And in the end, this was where it had led.
Gu Mang.
Gu Mang… you were too clever.
Blood seeped through the black collar of Mo Xi’s clothes.
With Gu Mang, whose consciousness was slipping away, pressing him down, they were far too close.
The explosive Black Demon aura was like tens of thousands of sharp spikes piercing into his flesh and bones, torturing him and tearing him into fragments.
Yet Mo Xi endured the excruciating pain.
Against the crushing pressure of the demonic aura, he slowly raised both hands, trembling.
Little by little.
And finally—
He cupped Gu Mang’s face, which had already completely lost its consciousness.
The smell of blood surged up from his throat.
He lowered his head and gazed into Gu Mang’s eyes.
It seemed that he wanted to say something, but the pressure of the demonic aura was simply too overwhelming.
In the end, he said nothing.
He only used his trembling fingertips to gently…
Cover the lotus-flower curse mark on Gu Mang’s neck.
—
“I’ll stay with you.”
“When I’m not here, this sword formation will protect you too.”
“As long as you need me, as long as you’re willing to tell me, as long as you can trust me… just call for me, Senior Brother.”
“I’ll definitely come to your side.”
The promises of the past were like snow scattered by the wind, burned into ashes by the fierce demonic flames.
Every inch around Gu Mang was enveloped by such dangerous demonic aura.
The closer Mo Xi got, the deeper the pain became.
Mo Xi stroked the curse mark at his neck. Where their skin touched, his flesh was directly burned until the skin split and blood flowed, yet he stubbornly refused to let go.
Finally, enduring the agonizing pain, as though trust could cut away all misunderstandings and forgiveness could sever all grievances, a pure soul passed through the Black Demon curse—
He pulled Gu Mang tightly into his arms.
He felt that body trembling faintly.
He felt the demonic aura almost instantly seep into his internal organs.
But so what?
In the end, he had kept his promise.
Just as when he had been young and had promised his Gu Mang-gege before leaving to go to war, no matter how dangerous the road was, he would return to his side.
When he loved someone, it was for a lifetime.
It had nothing to do with bloodline.
Nothing to do with identity.
Nothing to do with time.
He had never deceived Gu Mang about anything.
And this year, at this moment, perhaps Gu Mang could finally believe it—
His promise, spoken from that young and inexperienced day, had been a promise for an entire lifetime.
“Yes, the Heavenly Tribulation Oath.”
Mo Xi spoke hoarsely into his ear.
“Look… Senior Brother, I’ve already become this foolish, so can you stay and keep watching me?”
“I’ll use ten years of my life in exchange for you looking at me again. Don’t let me do anything foolish again, you…”
With a soft cough, blood mixed with foam seeped onto the corner of his lips.
Mo Xi closed his eyes and placed his palm against the back of Gu Mang’s head.
The demon everyone avoided as though he were a plague.
Mo Xi regarded him as a precious treasure and held him in his arms.
“Are you willing?”
Gu Mang’s eyes widened.
He looked at him with a trembling, muddled gaze, his eyes unfocused.
After a brief silence, suddenly, two lotus-flower sword formations burst into ten thousand zhang of radiant light at that very moment.
The sword formations crossed with one another, yet because they refused to hurt each other, they scattered into fluttering wings of firefly-like light, drifting down around the two of them.
After the intense blue light, the Black Demon aura abruptly extinguished.
The demonic markings and curse seals surrounding Gu Mang receded beneath his skin.
Tears streamed down his face.
The moisture seemed to wash away the confusion in his eyes. The haze dispersed, leaving behind clear, lucid lake-blue eyes.
The light gradually returned to Gu Mang’s eyes.
He murmured softly,
“…Mo… Mo Xi?”
Mo Xi had not yet spoken when Gu Mang began to cry.
Almost collapsing completely, he said,
“…I’m sorry. I’m sorry…”
“I… I didn’t mean to hurt you. I didn’t mean to force you… I really… really didn’t know that you… like this… like this…”
He could not continue.
He was already choking so badly that no words could come out.
“That was ten years…”
And how many ten-year periods could a person possibly have in an entire lifetime?
Why were you so stubborn?
Why would you offer up your life for an old friend whom, at the time, you believed had already betrayed you?
Mo Xi held him, stroking his hair and kissing the crown of his head.
He whispered, “Yes. That was ten years.”
He held him so tightly, his voice hoarse.
“So… you have to stay well. Always. Otherwise, I’ll get very angry. And if I get angry… won’t I live even less time?”
Where their long eyelashes overlapped, both were wet with tears.
“To spend more time with me, even if it’s only one more day, Senior Brother, you have to be good.”
Gu Mang was already sobbing uncontrollably.
“Don’t turn into a demon. Don’t blame yourself. Don’t leave me.”
Mo Xi raised his hand, gently rubbing and wiping away the tear marks on his face.
His body was covered in blood as he held him.
He himself had suffered such severe injuries, yet he was still protecting Gu Mang.
He rested his chin against Gu Mang’s forehead, his eye rims wet and red, yet he still smiled faintly as he coaxed him.
“You have to slowly, slowly… spend the rest of your life building a home with me.”
“Will you…?”