Chapter 309 Madman

Before seeing the owner of the fire, Qi Yuxuan considered many possibilities.

Ren Shun, who left and then returned, and a passerby who happened to be passing by—this place is so close to the border, it's not certain that the Qi army, which came looking for him, would find this place.

Of course, there was also the worst-case scenario: the soldiers and officers of Yue.

She slowed her breathing, trying to blend herself into the darkness, and even calmed her heartbeat as much as possible.

But she never expected that the person holding the torch was actually Xuan Yuanze.

He actually came to find her in person.

The mountain temple was dilapidated, and he stood alone at the entrance. Behind him, the army was silent and moved in unison, as if the thousands of soldiers had become one.

Xuanyuan Ze, clad in armor, sat atop a tall horse. Beneath the helmet symbolizing his command, his handsome face resembled that of a frail scholar.

He quietly held up the torch, watching the little girl in the temple trying her best to shrink herself into a small ball.

"Xiao Ye, why are you running?"

His voice echoed through the silent forest, reaching Qi Yuxuan's ears with a chilling, ghostly quality.

"Didn't you say you liked me? Why did you leave without saying goodbye?"

“If you just tell me, I will agree to your request. Even if you don’t want to stay in Yue, it doesn’t matter. I can go to Qi with you.”

"Or do you like this kid?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a fine horse immediately stepped out from the ranks behind him and walked to Xuan Yuanze's side with a "clattering" sound. Only then did Qi Yuxuan realize that the horse was dragging out a person whose life or death was unknown.

The figure on the ground looked so familiar with the gray-black clothes; she recognized him at a glance—it was Ren Shun.

She pursed her lips tightly, her gaze fixed on Xuan Yuanze.

Holding a torch, Xuanyuan Ze pulled on the reins and took two steps forward, almost riding his horse directly into the temple.

He stopped at the only entrance to the mountain temple, tall and imposing, his gaze towards Ren Shun as if he were looking at a dead man:

"He's right here. Tell me you like him, and I'll grant your wish immediately, okay?"

Qi Yuxuan's heart felt as if it had sunk into an ice cellar. She struggled to call out, "Brother Aze..."

In response, Xuanyuan Ze dismounted, casually tossing his torch onto the open ground outside the temple, and strode into the mountain temple.

He was tall and slender, and his armor made him seem indestructible. Just by getting close, Qi Yuxuan couldn't help but hold her breath, fearing that he would ignore her completely and stab her to death with his sword.

"Xiao Ye..."

He walked up to Qi Yuxuan, slowly squatted down, creating a clinking sound of cold gold.

"You've forgotten that after you turned twelve, you never called me 'Brother Aze' anymore. Instead, you called me 'Brother Aze' with a distant yet polite tone... So you remember the 'Do not do what you should not do, do not desire what you should not desire' that I taught you when you were thirteen, but you've forgotten how to call me, haven't you?"

Qi Yuxuan suddenly opened her eyes wide, looking at the man in front of her in horror.

She tried to shrink back, but found that there was a solid wall behind her, leaving her nowhere to retreat.

Qi Yuxuan opened her mouth slightly: "You, you knew all along that I didn't have amnesia?!"

But he still played along and acted with her for a whole day, saying those things to coax her and make her believe him.

Xuan Yuanze raised his hand, his cool fingertips gently touching the little girl's soft but slightly dirty cheek. He stroked it almost greedily before answering her:

"It's alright, Xiao Ye."

His tone was like a tender whisper between lovers:

"Even if you choose someone else, it doesn't matter. Whether it's Xie Tingzhou from your past life or Ren Shun from this life, whoever you choose, I will kill them..."

Qi Yuxuan's pupils contracted slightly: "Xuanyuanze, have you gone mad?"

"You weren't like this before, do you even know what you're saying?"

Xuan Yuanze's fingers slid from her cheek to her chin, gently pinching her jawline and lifting her face:

"Crazy? How can I start over if I'm not crazy? Why do you think I was able to be reborn?"

“In my past life, after you died, I slaughtered the entire Qi and Yue kingdoms and used the blood of millions of people to fill the Rebirth Array in the hope of reviving you… But I was wrong, I was so wrong. Even though I had a second chance, I still managed to let you escape.”

"I thought I could just pretend to be the Ren Ze you used to know best, but I didn't expect you to drift further and further away from me. Even when you're right next to me, you still want to run away."

What is it about the State of Qi that fascinates you so much?

"Is it your eldest daughter-in-law and her adoptive mother? Or one of your girlfriends? Or perhaps... Prince Qi Jun of Qi?"

"If I were to capture them all to keep you company, would you stay and keep me company?"

Qi Yuxuan looked at him in disbelief, her eyes filled with disappointment.

Xuanyuan Ze has truly gone mad, becoming a complete lunatic. He doesn't actually like himself; he only wants to possess and own him because he has never had him before.

He is now the undisputed emperor of Yue, revered by all, and the overlord who rules the country.

Whether in his past life or this life, gold, silver, wealth, fame, and status were all within his grasp, except for Qi Yuxuan.

She couldn't marry him in her past life, and she ran away from him in this life. This became Xuan Yuanze's knot in his heart and the source of all his stubbornness.

She abruptly turned her head, avoiding the disgusting hand.

His voice was filled with undisguised disgust: "Xuanyuanze, you disgust me."

“The former Brother Aze was a gentleman who used to help the poor with his wit and stop lawsuits with his humor. Now you have become a stubborn madman who treats human life as worthless.”

Xuan Yuanze reached out and grabbed her chin, which she had pulled away from, holding it firmly in his hand. His tone was dismissive: "So what?!"

“Look, if you go another thirty li to the east, you will be able to return to the State of Qi.”

Before you saw me, were you looking forward to it?

"It's a pity that I let you run all the way here before coming to catch you and take you back, just to see you gain hope and then lose it... How fun it would be! Did you think that by escaping from me you could return to the State of Qi?"

"Ren Shun can't protect you, and Qi can't protect you either. If you go back, you will only hasten the end of Yue's iron cavalry crushing Qi's mountains and rivers."

Qi Yuxuan looked up at him, her gaze reproachful:

"Xuanyuanze, have you ever thought that you are now the pillar of the Yue Kingdom for so many people? You should be shouldering the responsibility for the people, but you only care about satisfying your own desires and abandoning them. You are not qualified to be this king at all!"

Xuanyuan Ze chuckled: "I'm not worthy? Fine, when you come back with me, I'll support you in ascending the throne as emperor, how about that? Little Ye, whatever you want, I'll grant it to you."

"Xiao Ye, do you want to be the emperor of Yue?"

They're getting crazier and crazier.

Qi Yuxuan felt utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. No matter how much she said, it was like talking to a brick wall; this person seemed beyond saving.

She remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking:

"When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, one should benefit all under heaven. This is what you taught me before. Do you remember what you promised when you first said this to me?"