Chapter 6: The Origin Of This Sinful Love, Was Like A Bone-Chilling Poison.

Fu Yi came on horseback, stepping on the spring grass and skimming through the wind. Then, he stopped in front of Mu Zhiming.

He was two years older than Mu Zhiming. At the age of 16, his facial features still looked very youthful. However, behind his gentle eyes and relaxed brows, hid a calculating mind. This, of course, was due to the fact that the vermilion walls of the Palace can break the most lonely and prideful people in the world.

“Lizhu, I haven’t seen you in a while. I think of you very often, have you been well lately?” Fu Yi’s eyes were curved in a smile as he asked.

Without a single ripple1 forming in Mu Zhiming’s eyes, he covered his left hand with his right hand in a salute: “Greetings, Fifth Prince.”

“Why are you being so formal? When we were little kids, didn’t you use to call me Fu Yi-gege whenever we met in the Palace?” Fu Yi’s words were laced with laughter.

“As a child, I didn’t know the rules and regulations, nor was I aware of the etiquette. I beg the Fifth Prince to forgive my imprudence.” Mu Zhiming replied with indifference.

A trace of confusion flashed in Fu Yi’s eyes, but then he said with a smile: “It’s said that the Duke of Yan is a man of great talent and vast education. It seems that with a tiger as a father, the son cannot be a dog2. The reply you gave to my Imperial Father just now was really impressive.”

“I thank the Fifth Prince for his complimenting words.” Mu Zhiming lowered his eyes and continued: “I heard that the animals hunted by the Princes today must be handed over to the Emperor. If the Fifth Prince keeps chatting with me, the rare animals will be taken away by others. If that were to happen, it would be too embarrassing to face the Emperor.”

Fu Yi smiled and said: “That’s true. So, I’ll take my leave.”

After clasping his fist in a salute, Fu Yi whipped his horse and headed into the woods.

Mu Zhiming waited until Fu Yi’s figure had completely disappeared into the forest before heaving a long sigh. Then, lowering his head, he discovered that his hands had used an extreme amount of force when gripping the reins, slightly injuring the skin until a small amount of blood was drawn. When Mu Zhiming tried to move the closed palm slightly, he felt a throbbing pain.

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It was live evidence that showed how much effort it took to contain the burning anger inside his chest.

At that moment, Mu Zhiming asked himself: ‘Did I really think that I couldn’t hate Fu Yi? How could I not hate him?!’

In his past life, after falling into the deep pond during the Spring Hunt, Mu Zhiming was saved by Fu Yi. Ever since then, Mu Zhiming had been unreservedly and devotedly trying to pay back that favor. By doing so, he began to get closer and closer to Fu Yi, to the point of offering advice many times in order to secure Fu Yi’s position in the Imperial Court.

But then what happened?

Then, Mu Zhiming’s father, Mu Boren, was included in a report. In this report, it was written that Mu Boren and Fu Ji’an, the Sage King3, were secretly plotting a rebellion with the intention of usurping the throne.

At that time, the Emperor was seriously ill in bed, and the Crown Prince was in charge of the country. Furious, the Crown Prince ordered the Ministry of Justice and the Imperial Court to investigate the matter thoroughly.

After that, the evidence presented was as solid and unshakable as a mountain. The peaceful Yan Residence was raided overnight. Mu Boren was put on death row, and three months later, he was beheaded. Three generations of his family were sentenced to exile, while the Sage King Fu Ji’an was forced to drink poisoned wine, and the Noble Consort committed suicide in the Fanyi Palace.

However, did Mu Boren really form a party with the intention of rebelling?

When asked that, Mu Boren only said: “The Sage King is benevolent, accepts advice, and is determined to rule the country properly. Unfortunately, he is not the eldest son.”

If that was the case, then who was the person who got Mu Boren involved in this? Who was the one who falsified the evidence? Who was the person who pushed the Residence of the Duke of Yan into an irrevocable abyss?

Of course it was Fu Yi! There was a time when he had been going in and out of the Duke of Yan’s Residence every day!

The one who said to Mu Zhiming that he loved him, the Yi-gege who wanted to be ‘together with him for the rest of their lives4’!

The same Fifth Prince, who married the daughter of the Commander of the Imperial Army immediately after the rebellion of the Sage King was ‘confirmed’!

Mu Zhiming was injured and traumatized from the manipulation, while his heart had been shattered. It was only when he cried tears of blood, that he was able to understand…

That he was nothing more than a pawn for Fu Yi!

Mu Zhiming was used to bring down the reputation of the Sage King Fu Ji’an in the Imperial Court, who was highly favored by the Emperor himself.

Mu Zhiming hated Fu Yi. But not only that, Mu Zhiming wanted to crush the bones of Fu Yi, eat his flesh and drink his blood, so that Fu Yi could taste the most painful, unpleasant kind of suffering in the whole world.

But Mu Zhiming had more important things to do than to take revenge right now.

Mu Zhiming wanted to cut off the insidious arrows, as well as the poisonous swords of power and conspiracy. He wanted to keep the harmony of the Yan Residence for a hundred years. He wanted his loved ones to be free of worries for the rest of their lives. But most importantly, he wanted plain and simple happiness, which was the most difficult thing to obtain in this world.

—

Mu Zhiming, who took several deep breaths to calm his troubled mind, heard a soft call behind him: “Mu-gege, why are you here in a daze?”

When Mu Zhiming looked up, he saw Fu Ji’an, the Seventh Prince and the son of the Noble Consort. He had ridden his horse to Mu Zhiming’s side and asked in confusion.

Fu Ji’an was only ten years old, and still had his hair twisted into two buns5. Since his body was still small, he wobbled as he rode the horse, as if it was difficult for him to control it.

“What kind of horse are you riding? Aren’t you afraid of falling?” Mu Zhiming and Fu Ji’an have been close since childhood, so he didn’t need to be polite.

“I won’t fall. Besides, I’m taking this opportunity to practice anyway. But why is this royal horse so dumb and slow? Why doesn’t it even gallop?” Fu Ji’an questioned as he rubbed his chin with his index finger, looking like a miniature adult. All of a sudden, Fu Ji’an seemed to realize something. “I know! You haven’t used the horse whip, have you? Here, let me help you.”

Mu Zhiming: “!!!”

Before Mu Zhiming could say anything, Fu Ji’an hit the thigh of the royal horse with his whip. This startled the horse, causing it to raise its hooves and ride at full speed, leading Mu Zhiming into the forest.

Mu Zhiming leaned over in a panic, clutched the reins as tight as he could, and clamped his legs around the horse’s belly.

Fu Ji’an, who was still behind him, waved his hand and shouted: “Go, Mu-gege, go faster!!!”

Mu Zhiming, on the other hand, roared inside: ‘Aaahhhh Fu Ji’an! You rotten brat! If I come back alive, I will rip your head off!!’

—

Since the royal horse was only startled, Mu Zhiming tried to pacify it. He slowly tightened the reins in an attempt to stop it, and when he saw that the speed had slowed down, Mu Zhiming heaved a long sigh of relief. However, before the breath could be fully exhaled, a large wild boar suddenly leapt out of the forest and hit the royal horse. The royal horse was so scared that it neighed and raised the upper half of its body, throwing Mu Zhiming to the ground.

Mu Zhiming was mentally prepared for the fall, so he hurried to protect his head with both hands. As he rolled down the slope covered with withered yellow leaves, he felt as if the sky was spinning. Mu Zhiming wanted to catch something to stop himself from rolling down further, but it was all in vain because he soon fell below the slope, into the deep pond in the mountain stream.

The icy cold water of the pond engulfed Mu Zhiming in an instant, almost immediately freezing his warm blood. Mu Zhiming choked in a panic, but forced himself to calm down. Holding his breath, he fiercely pushed up with his legs, in an attempt to rise to the surface.

At that moment, he suddenly felt a tingling sensation coming from his left calf. Mu Zhiming’s leg had stiffened, almost to the point of losing consciousness.

‘Oh, no!’ Mu Zhiming was shocked to death. ‘A leg cramp!’

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Not long after, the cold water of the pond began to snatch Mu Zhiming’s breath, while the pain of suffocating clouded his mind. Mu Zhiming struggled with all his might, but still he was unable to float to the surface. The desperation and distress caused by being close to death, began to wrap around his neck. As his vision gradually blurred, Mu Zhiming became even more flustered, helpless and afraid.

‘Help! Someone, someone save me!’

At that instant, he heard the sound of someone jumping into the water.

Unable to see the face of the young man coming from afar, who was dressed in a crescent moon white brocade6, Mu Zhiming struggled to keep his eyes open. At that moment, he saw a red agate jade pendant carved with a Phoenix Nirvana7 hanging from his waist.

In his previous life, Mu Zhiming fainted right after falling into the cold water. When he woke up, he was clutching the exact same red jade pendant, which he had ripped from the person who saved his life.

Even in his second life, the origin of this sinful love, like a bone-chilling poison, wrapped around Mu Zhiming’s limbs and bones. It couldn’t be erased, it couldn’t disappear, and it couldn’t be forgotten.

The one who was supposed to save him, had still saved him.

The life debt he owed back then, will still be owed this time around.

—

Once his waist was hugged tightly, the man took Mu Zhiming into his arms and swam up to the surface. As the two men stepped out of the water together, the bright daylight shone down on both men, who had just been through a desperate life-or-death situation.

Mu Zhiming coughed violently as a heachache formed in his brain. Although he knew perfectly well that he would be in a dangerous situation, and had practiced for many days, he still didn’t succeed in saving himself. At least, he didn’t faint this time.

The man carried Mu Zhiming up to the edge of the pond, and then reached out to pat his back with the intention of helping smooth his breath.

”
”
Mu Zhiming was annoyed by this gesture and moved to the side to avoid that hand. However, when Mu Zhiming faced his savior, he was stunned.

Since it wasn’t Fu Yi.

The person who saved Mu Zhiming wasn’t Fu Yi….

It was Gu Heyan.