Chapter 1293 You and I are truly brothers

"Your Highness!"

"His Royal Highness King Qin!"

Hearing Yuwen Cheng's vicious and almost insane words, everyone around Yuwen Ye was shocked. Even Shen Wuzheng frowned and looked at Yuwen Ye.

The next moment, Yuwen Ye actually drew a sword from his waist!

"don't want--!"

Shang Ruyi gasped in shock. Ignoring the sword at her neck, she tried desperately to reach out and stop Yuwen Ye. But as soon as she moved, Yuwen Cheng grabbed her firmly and pressed the sword against her throat.

"Feng Chen, Feng Chen no, no!"

Shang Ruyi shook her head vigorously and kept shouting, but at this moment, Yuwen Cheng did not give her a chance to speak again. He covered her mouth tightly with one hand, gritted his teeth, and said to Yuwen Ye with a distorted face: "Second brother, do it."

"..."

"I don't do it for any other reason than to avenge my elder brother."

"..."

“After all, you were my brother, yet you murdered him. It is only right and proper for me, as your brother, to avenge him.”

"..."

Yuwen Ye didn't look at him, but lowered his eyelids, his long eyelashes covering his cold and bright eyes, making it impossible to tell his current emotions. He seemed to be carefully looking at the sharp sword in his hand, and said slowly, "Then, you can use this as a merit to ask your father for credit."

"..."

"The Crown Prince is dead, and the King of Qin is crippled. You will naturally obtain the throne you desire."

"..."

"Or rather, I might not even make it through the night, right?"

Yuwen Cheng squinted his eyes and said, "It's good that you know."

Before Yuwen Ye could say anything more, he immediately added, "Of course, you can also disobey me, after all—" As he spoke, he looked down at Shang Ruyi, whose mouth he had covered, whose eyes were red and whose whole body was trembling, and sneered, "Brothers are like limbs, wives are like clothes."

Just as he was saying these words, Shen Wuzheng suddenly raised his head: "Your Highness Prince Qi, what exactly do you want?"

"What?"

Hearing his sudden question, Yuwen Cheng seemed taken aback for a moment, but then, as if struck on a sore spot, he frowned and revealed a sinister expression. Shen Wuzheng continued to stare intently into his eyes: "Do you want the Prince of Qin to cut off his own arm as you wish? Or do you want the Prince of Qin to disregard the life and death of the Princess as you wish?"

"..."

What exactly is it that you desire?

"..."

What exactly do you want?

"...!"

Yuwen Cheng's heart sank, and for a moment, his eyes became panicked.

At this moment, Shang Ruyi finally understood the meaning behind Shen Wuzheng's words, or rather, the thoughts behind Yuwen Cheng's words—he wanted to see Yuwen Ye fail, but he also wanted to see Yuwen Ye do whatever it took to succeed; he wanted to obtain the highest power, but he also wanted to see these people fight for power to the point of being unrecognizable, insane, and displaying the most despicable and ugly appearance.

He wanted to possess, yet he also wanted to destroy!

His eyes flickered incessantly in the flashing firelight, but his gaze was as frantic as the branches of trees swaying in the wind, as if countless ghostly figures were weaving and intertwining, so chaotic and inexplicable.

Shen Wuzheng said, "Your Highness Prince Qi, you want too much. Who can give it to you?"

"..."

"Even if the King of Qin gives you one thing, he can't give you another."

"..."

"No one in this world can give you that."

"Shut up!"

Just as Shen Wuzheng was speaking each word as if it were a series of heavy blows to his chest, Yuwen Cheng suddenly roared out with a deafening roar. His eyes were bloodshot, like a ferocious beast driven to the brink of despair. He no longer cared what the people in front of him were saying or doing. His desire to destroy everything was like a roaring wave that swallowed him up in an instant.

The feeling of suffocation and anger made him lose all reason; only blood could fill the void in his heart.

He raised his short sword high, pointing it at Shang Ruyi's chest, and roared angrily, "Shut up! Yuwen Ye, I want you to cut off your own hand right now, immediately!"

Seeing his eyes turn red and his whole being resemble a ferocious beast that has lost its mind, Yuwen Ye frowned.

He slowly raised his hand, the gleaming sword aimed at his arm.

At that moment, Shang Ruyi's eyes suddenly flashed with intense anger. She was about to break free from Yuwen Cheng's iron grip and crash into the tip of his sword when, at that critical moment, a cold light flashed through the air like lightning and suddenly pierced through Yuwen Cheng's raised wrist.

"Snap!"

There was a crisp sound, the sound of bones breaking!

Immediately, Yuwen Cheng's eyes widened, his eyeballs bulging as if they were about to fall out of their sockets, and then he let out a deafening, piercing scream: "Ah—"

Then, Shang Ruyi opened her eyes wide and watched as a severed hand holding a short sword fell from her sight.

Blood splattered instantly, once again staining her body red like rain.

Yuwen Cheng finally released his grip on her arms, and Shang Ruyi almost instinctively took a step forward, turning her head quickly at the same time. She saw him curled up on the ground, one hand holding the other—no, it was no longer a hand, but a severed wrist gushing blood, screaming and howling, even rolling on the ground in pain.

This, this is—

Shang Ruyi stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the tragic scene. Yuwen Cheng, pale-faced and covered in sweat, suddenly raised his head. His gaze was like that of a demon emerging from hell, as if his eyes could tear pieces of flesh from her body. He raised his severed wrist and roared as he lunged at her once again.

At that perilous moment, a gust of wind swept in from behind.

As Shang Ruyi stepped back, a hand suddenly grabbed her arm and forcefully pulled her into a warm and firm embrace. At the same time, Yuwen Ye swung his right fist out, striking Yuwen Cheng hard in the throat before Yuwen Cheng's hand could touch them.

With a loud "bang," his roar seemed to be cut off by a knife, and at the same time, he flew several meters away and crashed heavily to the ground!

At the same time, Shang Ruyi was finally protected by that familiar arm in her panic and regained her balance.

When I looked up, I met a pair of eyes that were cold yet full of concern.

"you--"

It was Yuwen Ye, and only he, who could rush up in such a short time and protect her in that instant.

However, he seemed to have lost his usual composure. In the flickering firelight, Shang Ruyi could clearly see the cold sweat on his forehead, his unsteady gaze, and even—his chest was heaving violently, trembling incessantly with the beating heart inside.

"you--"

He spoke again, but his deep voice was so hoarse it sounded unlike his own. Yet, the moment Shang Ruyi met his gaze, she miraculously calmed down and spoke instead, saying calmly, "I'm fine."

"..."

Yuwen Ye finally took a deep breath.

Then, the two of them looked ahead at the same time.

Blood was everywhere on the ground, from the severed hand at their feet all the way to Yuwen Cheng, who lay motionless and panting, his strength drained by the excruciating pain.

Yuwen Ye protected Shang Ruyi, and together with Shen Wuzheng and the others who rushed up behind him, they stepped forward step by step until they reached his side and saw his broken, yet still sinister, gaze.

He stared intently at Yuwen Ye, his eyes still filled with malice.

"you--"

Yuwen Ye spoke again, but this time, his voice was not as hoarse as before, but there was a hint of hesitation and sobbing as he said in a deep voice, "You and I were originally brothers."

Yuwen Cheng looked at him.

That punch had almost shattered his throat, and now he was even having difficulty breathing. Blood couldn't flow out; instead, it flowed back into his trachea. Every time he tried to open his mouth, he was choked and coughed violently. But the more he coughed, the more turbulent the blood flowed, making it impossible for him to breathe. With his last bit of strength, he glared fiercely at Yuwen Ye and said weakly, "I... don't want my brother."

"..."

"The imperial family has no brothers..."

"...!"

These words made Yuwen Ye's brow furrow.

He closed his eyes, then turned his head and said coldly, "You're right."

"..."

"You and I are truly brothers."

"...!"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Cheng's eyes widened in surprise.

After a long while, he seemed to finally understand the meaning of those words. Suddenly, he grinned and laughed. As soon as he opened his mouth, blood gushed out like a spring, staining his entire face red. Only his eyes, full of malice, never lost their light, yet they seemed even more terrifying than the crimson blood.

"Haha, hahahaha..."

His laughter faded sadly into the pitch-black night.

Yuwen Ye did not leave immediately. Instead, as the laughter gradually faded behind him, he looked up and around. Almost like him, Shang Ruyi, Shen Wuzheng, and the others also looked around. However, the torches in the hands of the elite soldiers could only illuminate the small area in front of them. The surrounding pines and cypresses were tall and dense, almost forming several impenetrable walls, so they could not see much more.

However, Shan Tong'er reacted faster than them all, immediately running out of the crowd and standing at the edge of the light, looking around with bright eyes and a hint of anticipation.

He shouted into the darkness, "Brother Hua!"

"..."

His response was only a dark silence.

The kind boy refused to give up and called out again, "Brother Hua! Brother Hua!"

Shang Ruyi finally came to her senses. She looked up at Yuwen Ye, who was also quietly gazing at the dark night ahead.

Finally, amidst the thick, almost impenetrable darkness, a glint of cold light appeared. As their gaze focused on it, a slender figure gradually emerged from the darkness.

It was Hanako Ei!