Chapter 72 Unfortunately, life is too short
While asleep, Duke Song suddenly felt a cool sensation on his forehead. He raised his hand to rub it, turned over, and continued snoring.
At this moment, an ink mark appeared on the Duke of Song's forehead. The mark was initially large, but gradually shrank, as if it had seeped into his body.
Just as the last trace of ink disappeared, the Duke of Song opened his eyes. However, the next moment, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and the ink mark on his forehead reappeared.
"What are you?" The Duke of Song's voice was filled with panic. He tried to cry for help, but his hand suddenly grabbed his neck, silencing him.
This was the second time Song Yan had possessed a person, but this time it was not as easy as the last time.
He had just successfully possessed the body when a strange force suddenly surged from within the Duke of Song's body, crushing towards him. If it weren't for the power he received from the ancestor Achan that blocked it, he would probably have already failed to possess the body.
The result of the two forces clashing was that he was unable to completely control the Duke of Song's body, and the Duke of Song remained conscious.
Song Yan and the Duke of Song were vying for control of their bodies. Soon, the Duke of Song was at a disadvantage. The power that had sprung up out of nowhere within him was weakening and was eventually suppressed.
When Song Yan opened his eyes again, he had completely taken control of the body. However, he could sense that the power was keeping the Duke of Song's consciousness clear. In other words, whatever he did with the Duke of Song's body, the other party could see it.
Moreover, controlling this body is constantly consuming the power he obtained from the ancestor Achan. Achan originally told him that it could last for seven days, but based on the current consumption, it would probably be difficult to last for three days.
But it doesn't matter, he can finish what he needs to do in a day.
Song Yan got up and got off the bed. After only a short while, he was already able to imitate the Duke of Song's demeanor and mannerisms perfectly.
He didn't rush to do anything else, but sat down at his desk and slowly began to grind the ink.
After grinding the ink, he picked up his brush, dipped it in the ink, and began to write on the blank folded paper.
It is likely that the Duke of Song wrote the memorial at this time to apologize. Since he had taken over the Duke of Song's body, he naturally had to finish what the other party had not yet done.
After the memorial was written and the ink had dried, Song Yan closed it and raised his voice: "Someone come here."
"Lord Duke," the maidservant waiting outside immediately responded.
"Go and call the housekeeper over."
"Yes." The maidservant accepted the order and hurried off to find the steward.
Before long, the Duke's head steward rushed over: "Your Highness, what are your orders?"
Song Yan threw the memorial in his hand onto the table: "This memorial must be delivered to His Majesty's desk tomorrow morning. No one else can see its contents, understand?"
The steward breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that the Duke had finally written the letter of apology, probably because he was afraid others would laugh at him, which was why he had come to instruct him.
He quickly put away the memorial and nodded in agreement: "Don't worry, Your Highness, this old servant will take care of it right away, and I guarantee His Majesty will see your memorial by tomorrow morning."
"Hmm." Song Yan hummed in satisfaction, then asked, "Where is the young master?"
"The young master is practicing martial arts at the training ground. Is Your Highness going to go over there?"
"I'm not going. Pick a jar of the young master's favorite wine and send it over. I want to have a few more drinks with Xi'er tonight."
The steward immediately smiled and said, "The young master loves strong liquor, just like the late Duke. This old servant will go and fetch a jar of Dragon Blood Liquor right away."
Seeing Song Yan nod in satisfaction, the steward knew that he had hit the nail on the head regarding the Duke's itch.
Perhaps the image left by the previous Duke was too magnificent, so much so that after the birth of the heir, the Duke felt that the heir was just like the previous Duke in every way.
In his opinion, the heir apparent's temperament was more like that of the Duke. The Duke might not remember, but the previous Duke hadn't been particularly fond of drinking either. But what did it matter? The Duke liked to hear these words anyway.
Not long after the steward left, a servant brought a large jar of wine to the study.
After sending the person away, Song Yan got up and walked to the wine jar. He used some strength to lift the wine jar and placed it under the pine tree painting.
After removing the mud seal and taking off the lid, a rich aroma of liquor wafted out, mixed with a hint of blood. Dragon Blood Liquor is certainly not brewed with dragon blood, but animal blood is added during the brewing process, making it a highly nutritious drink for ordinary people.
Under Song Yan's watchful gaze, large patches of ink seeped out again from the pine tree painting, and the black liquid dripped into the wine jar.
Soon, the ink dissolved in the liquor and disappeared without even changing the color of the liquor.
Until the last drop of ink fell, Song Yan found a clean teacup, scooped up a mouthful of wine from it, smelled it first, and then drank it down in one gulp.
"This wine is indeed very strong; I'm sure the young master will like it." These words were spoken to the Duke of Song, who was still unconscious.
He wanted to see with his own eyes how his beloved son would gradually walk down a dead end.
As evening approached, a light rain began to fall outside.
The rain dripped from the eaves, making a soft sound. The pattering of the rain was not noisy; instead, it inexplicably relaxed one's mood.
Song Yan gazed calmly at the rain outside the window.
After a while, the light in the study dimmed, and a maid quietly came in and lit the candles in the study. The steward also sent someone to bring a table of delicious dishes that had just been prepared in the kitchen to the study.
After a row of maids had set out the food, the steward dismissed them and then said to Song Yan, who was sitting in a chair with a calm expression, "Lord Duke, the young master has probably gone to pick up the young master. He will be here soon."
Song Yan gave a faint "hmm".
The Duke of Song has many children, but nominally he only has two legitimate sons. In addition to the heir apparent, he also has a younger son named Song Che, who is only ten years old this year.
Of all the sons of the Duke of Song, only Song Xi possessed the most astonishing talent in cultivation.
He usually treated his illegitimate sons with disdain, but now that something had happened in the manor, even though it was his birthday, he refused to see them. As a result, his illegitimate sons and daughters did not dare to come to the front courtyard to pay their respects, for fear of displeasing him.
Not long after, the sound of a boy's voice came from outside the study, and then Song Xi led a boy who looked similar to him into the study.
Song Xi came without an umbrella, but neither he nor Song Che got wet.
"Father."
Song Xi greeted Song Yan, and Song Che had already run over, looking up and asking, "Dad, is there no roasted lamb leg tonight?"
Song Yan lowered his eyes and, just as Song Guogong usually did, reprimanded him: "No manners."
Song Che pouted. He was used to being scolded all the time. His father only smiled when he saw his older brother.
Song Xi stepped forward, patted her younger brother's head, and then led him to sit down opposite Song Yan.
The family sat together, and only after Song Yan picked up his chopsticks did Song Xi and Song Che begin to eat.
The atmosphere in the study was somewhat somber. Afraid of being scolded again if he spoke, Song Che simply kept quiet and ate his meal with his head down. Neither Song Xi nor Song Yan were talkative people, and neither of them uttered a word.
After eating half of the meal, Song Yan finally pointed to the wine jar next to him and said to Song Xi, "Your favorite Dragon Blood Wine."
Song Xi was stunned for a moment, a hint of emotion flashing in her eyes.
He thought that after what happened with Song Yu, his father would definitely harbor resentment and become somewhat distant from him. Unexpectedly, on his father's birthday, he still remembered his preferences and even prepared the wine that his father often drank.
Song Xi got up and poured a bowl of wine for Song Yan, and then poured one for herself. The aroma of the wine instantly filled the entire study.
Song Che's eyes darted around, and he wanted to taste the wine because of its aroma. Before he could even put his chopsticks into the bowl, Song Yan smacked his hand with one of his chopsticks.
He immediately withdrew his hand, obediently sat back in his chair, and dared not look at his elder brother's wine bowl again.
After offering Song Yan a bowl of wine, Song Yan drank only half of it, but Song Xi drank the rest of the wine in one gulp.
He put down the empty bowl before speaking, "Father, it's all because your son is unfilial and has implicated the Duke's mansion."
Song Yan didn't say anything, but got up and poured Song Xi another bowl of wine, then said, "The matter is over, there's no need to mention it again. Your father is getting old, and the Duke's Mansion will still need you in the future."
After saying that, the two clinked bowls together again, and Song Xi drank another bowl of wine.
For some reason, Song Xi felt that his father was much more peaceful today, and every time he spoke, he was deeply moved.
It turns out that his father had seen all the hardships he had endured in his cultivation over the years and all the efforts he had made for the Duke's mansion.
Father also said that he was most like his grandfather and would surely be able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the Duke of Song's mansion.
After drinking the strong liquor, Song Xi felt feverish and excited. Hearing Song Yan's words, he was even more thrilled. This unexpected event wouldn't defeat him; sooner or later, he would ride the battlefield like his grandfather.
And so, the father and son chatted and drank, and soon, more than half of the jar of dragon's blood liquor ended up in Song Xi's stomach.
Song Che sat to the side listening to his father and brothers talk and drink. He was getting a little impatient, but he still obediently sat to the side.
The wine was finished, and the light rain outside gradually stopped. Song Xi reeked of alcohol, but her eyes remained clear.
Seeing that it was getting late, he got up and said goodbye to Song Yan.
Song Yan did not try to keep them, but only had his servants escort the two brothers away before calling in a maid to clean up the mess.
After the maid in the study had cleaned up the cups and plates and left, Song Yan closed the door and went back to sit down in his chair.
Although Song Xi drank most of the Dragon Blood Wine, Song Yan also drank three full bowls, yet he didn't feel dizzy at all, suggesting that the Duke of Song must have a good capacity for alcohol.
He poured himself a cup of hot tea, then took a military book from the bookshelf and began to read it by candlelight.
This military treatise must be quite old, as it has many annotations. The handwriting is not as formal as that of the Duke of Song, but rather more unrestrained. Song Yan guessed that the characters on it were left by the previous duke.
Although he wrote a story specifically about the former Duke of Song, his understanding of him was limited to what was recorded in the book, and most of it was actually just speculation. He did not know what kind of person the former Duke of Song was.
The annotations in this military treatise are distinctly personal, sometimes serious, and occasionally off-topic, suggesting the author was a wise and witty person.
After reading half of the book, Song Yan closed it. If the previous Duke were still alive, Song Yu's life would likely not have been so tumultuous.
Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in this world.
The deed is done, and this is the outcome. Song Yu has lost everything, and he cannot let Song Yu lose so completely. Someone must pay the price for what they have done.
Song Yan raised his eyes, his pupils already filled with ink.
Now his main body has been split in two, one half is used to control the body of the Duke of Song, and the other half should have been completely integrated into Song Xi's flesh and blood.
Killing a cultivator at the third realm is undoubtedly extremely difficult. He had considered many methods, but none of them could guarantee that he would kill Song Xi.
Even if he borrowed power, he was still far from being a match for a cultivator of the third realm. His only advantage was that he was neither an evil spirit nor a demon. If he wanted to hide, he would not be discovered by the cultivators.
Since Song Xi was unaware of his presence, he had the opportunity to carry out the plan.
The best way to kill Song Xi is to dismantle him from within. Although it won't be as simple as it seems, it's the closest to success.
It was already late at night. After returning to her courtyard, Song Xi had her maid help her wash up and then went back to bed to sleep.
Unaware that the ink he had drunk had seeped into his veins and mixed with his blood while he was fast asleep, he was unaware that the ink had seeped into his blood vessels.
It wasn't until the sudden feeling of suffocation made Song Xi abruptly open her eyes.
However, the feeling of suffocation did not disappear. Song Xi immediately realized that he might have been hit by a spell. He quickly calmed down and circulated his internal energy to examine his body.
However, after circulating the internal energy for one full cycle, there were no abnormalities in the body.
Song Xi continued to circulate his internal energy, and the suffocation was slightly relieved, but his heart was beating faster and faster. He felt his head swelling and heard a sharp buzzing sound in his ears.
The unusual sensation in his body went unnoticed by Song Xi for a moment, and the speed at which his internal energy circulated was also increasing.
With a "bang," it seemed as if something exploded inside his body.
This was like the beginning. Then, several strange noises came from his body, his internal energy circulation suddenly stopped, and excruciating pain filled his entire body.
Only then did Song Xi realize that there was something wrong with his meridians.
Is it a case of qi deviation? A thought flashed through Song Xi's mind, but he didn't have much time to think about it.
The suffocating feeling returned. Without the support of his internal energy, Song Xi's face gradually turned red. He grabbed his neck and tried to get out of bed.
The moment his foot touched the ground, a sharp pain in the sole of his foot made him lose his balance and roll directly to the ground.
Because he disliked having servants to take care of him personally, there were no servants to keep watch in his room when he slept, so no one could notice anything unusual about him.
Song Xi curled up on the ground, his blood vessels beginning to burst. If his meridians were intact, he might have been able to hold on for much longer, but now he didn't have much time left.
He racked his brains trying to figure out who had attacked him, when they had attacked him, and why he hadn't noticed anything unusual.
Was it the Marquis of Zhenbei or the Prince of Xiling? He had already left Xiling, so why would they still try to kill him?
Just then, the door was pushed open from the outside, and a familiar figure walked in.
He's his father.
At this point, he had no time to think about why the Duke of Song would appear in his room at this time.
He looked at the figure with anticipation, hoping his father would call for help, but the person simply walked slowly toward him without making a sound.
Using most of his power to destroy Song Xi's body was no easy task. Song Xi was too powerful, and the backlash from the power within him made Song Yan feel the borrowed power rapidly dissipating.
He could sense that soon he would completely lose control over the Duke of Song.
But it doesn't matter anymore, everything that needed to be done has been done.
Song Yan squatted down next to Song Xi, his voice unusually calm. He said, "Xi'er, after you killed Song Yu, did you ever regret it for a moment?"
Song Xi stared intently at Song Yan, her face turning blue and purple, unable to utter a sound.
At this moment, he finally realized that the person who had tampered with him was his father, the Duke of Song.
Song Xi was filled with despair. He tried to convey his confusion with his eyes: Why?
Didn't Father say that Song Yu wasn't important?
However, his father did not respond to him. He only heard that almost cold voice say, "It seems there is no one. Then you will have to pay for Song Yu's life."
Song Xi's pupils gradually dilated. His father had clearly said that he wouldn't blame him, and that he would hand over the Duke's mansion to him. Why did he do this?
Before Song Xi's consciousness completely faded, he still couldn't accept that he hadn't made a name for himself in the court or fought on the battlefield. He thought he had plenty of time left, but in the end, he died such a pathetic death at home.
Watching helplessly as Song Xi's chest heaved and stopped, blood mixed with black liquid flowed from his seven orifices, Song Yan raised his hand and touched his face. He didn't know when, but tears were streaming down his face.
"It's just the death of a son; it's not worth the Duke of Song being so heartbroken," Song Yan said with a smile, using the Duke of Song's body.
But the tears kept flowing.
Song Yan stood up: "When Song Yu died, was the Duke of Song saddened?"
He paused, then said, "I guessed not, but I'm very sad. The Duke of Song must be very curious about what I am, right?"
Song Yan moved a chair over, took the belt off Song Xi, and untied the belt on the Duke of Song. He then tied the two belts together in a knot.
“I am a Mo Spirit, a Mo Spirit chosen by Song Yu.”
As Song Yan spoke, he was already standing on the chair. He draped his belt over the roof beam and then tied it into several tight knots.
Song Yan put the noose around his neck and chuckled, "The Duke of Song is truly blessed to have such a talented son. It's a pity his talent never caught your eye. His death was truly unworthy..."
Song Yan's voice grew fainter and fainter. After killing Song Xi, his physical body and power were destroyed along with Song Xi.
His consciousness gradually became clouded, and he knew he was about to disappear.
Looking back on my short life, I have met a few people, witnessed many things, and now my only wish has been fulfilled.
Well... it wasn't a wasted life.
I wonder if Song Yu will be happy to learn of the fate of the Duke of Song's mansion? He's a man of principle, so I doubt he'll feel any satisfaction. If he's angry, so be it; he'll be satisfied.
This world is truly wonderful, but it's a pity that life is too short.
With a bang, the chair was kicked over.
Just as the Duke of Song's body was hanging from the roof beam, the consciousness controlling his body completely dissipated, and the Duke of Song regained control of his body. Unfortunately, it was too late.
He was hanging from the roof beam, struggling incessantly, but ultimately he couldn't break free of the rope around his neck.
Gradually, the struggle subsided, and the Duke of Song hung from the roof beam, his body swaying gently, before finally coming to a stop.
At his feet lay the body of his favorite son.
In the middle of the night, Achan suddenly woke up.
She ran barefoot off the bed and rummaged through a box on the dressing table to find the inkstone left behind by Song Yan.
At this point, the inkstone had lost its luster, shattered into countless pieces, and could no longer be glued back together.
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