Chapter 102 Just a Pawn 21
The palace's defenses are no match for the imperial city. It was already strange that Xuanwei went to the palace at this critical juncture, and he even told him about it and gave him another half month to prepare...
Ren Yi couldn't help but suspect that Xuan Wei was preparing to send someone to their death again.
The two previous misunderstandings left Ren Yi uncertain, but it wouldn't be right to completely deny it either.
Haoming's rebel army advanced triumphantly largely due to the intelligence provided by Ren Yi. However, much of Ren Yi's information came from Xuanwei, so much so that he sometimes suspected that the other party was deliberately telling him the information.
—It has a bit of that "choosing beauty over power" vibe.
Ren Yi couldn't understand the meaning behind Xuan Wei's sudden words, but it wasn't appropriate to ask directly. Xuan Wei didn't continue the conversation either, and simply held Ren Yi gently without saying another word.
The two remained in that position and slept for one night.
Logically, this should have been a good opportunity for Ren Yi to retrieve the system fragments, but the system still failed to snatch them back.
Xuanwei was motionless with his eyes closed, even his breathing was steady, and he looked like he was asleep. However, the system that was snatching the fragments could prove that Xuanwei was fully conscious and was not asleep at all.
Ren Yi: "..."
He now strongly suspects that Xuanwei reacted so quickly to his actions earlier because he was still conscious.
As for why Ren Yi knew so much, it was because he hadn't slept either.
Being so close to Xuanwei, the remnant soul's emotions surged, with hatred, fear, and killing intent coming in waves. Ren Yiguang struggled to suppress them, let alone sleep.
The two of them were torturing each other by sharing a bed. If they hadn't been in a hallucination, they probably would have died from exhaustion long ago.
*
Although Ren Yi hadn't figured out why Xuanwei had specifically told him to go to the imperial palace, that didn't stop him from sending the information to Haoming.
The two worked together, with Ren Yi responsible for providing intelligence and Hao Ming for making judgments, but reminders were still necessary.
Although Ren Yi felt that Xuan Wei wouldn't lie to him now that he was in charge of the "Yuan Que" identity, he still told Hao Ming to "be careful" in case the palace had actually set up an ambush and Hao Ming's people were surrounded.
For half a month, everything in the court remained normal, except for Xuanwei, who, despite the opposition of his ministers, insisted on going to the Jingshan Palace.
Ren Yi originally thought that Hao Ming would choose to ambush them on the road, but the journey to the palace was peaceful and uneventful, and the first few days were also unusually quiet.
Ren Yi almost thought that Haoming had given up on the operation, but on the fifth day, shouts of killing finally came from outside.
Xuanwei, however, showed no reaction as usual, as if he had expected it.
When the two were together, they dismissed their attendants as usual. Now the palace doors were tightly closed, and the shouts of battle outside were deafening, but the palace was unusually quiet, as if it had been isolated into another space. No one had entered from beginning to end, and there hadn't even been a report through the door.
This extremely abnormal situation made Ren Yi's back tingle with unease.
Xuanwei stared at him for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Are you happy?"
His voice was so low and soft that Ren Yi almost didn't hear him clearly.
But after deciphering the meaning of the words through the blurry lip movements, Ren Yi was like: ? ? ?
So this is really just suicide missions?!
But why so suddenly?
He hesitated and looked at Xuanwei, wondering: Did Xuanwei remember something?
Ren Yi's silence was misinterpreted by Xuan Wei, who suddenly reached out and forcefully pulled Ren Yi into his arms. Before Ren Yi could regain his balance, he felt an arm encircle his neck, neither too tight nor too loose, as if sensing the pulse beating beneath his skin.
Fear took over the remnant soul, causing Ren Yi to tremble a few times, and a layer of fine goosebumps rose on his neck. Seemingly sensing the emotions of the person in his arms, Xuan Wei loosened the pressure in his palm slightly, his thumb stroking twice as if to soothe and warn, before pressing down hard on Ren Yi's chin. Ren Yi was half-forced to lift his head, and a kiss that was anything but gentle was placed on his lips.
Impatient, and with
There was a hint of tyranny in it.
With this kiss, which was more like a nibble, some spicy liquid was transferred into his mouth, and Ren Yi remembered the glass of wine that Xuan Wei had just drunk.
In such a scenario, the only alcohol that comes to mind is poison.
Ren Yi was no exception.
grass!
This isn't just a normal suicide mission! Xuanwei is trying to drag "Mu Qi" down with him!!
Having yet to retrieve the fragments of the system, Ren Yi was naturally unwilling to leave the illusion. He struggled to move away, but the next moment his chin was grabbed and his mouth forced open. As their lips and teeth intertwined, a considerable amount of wine spilled out, trickling down his neck and wetting his clothes, but most of the liquid was still forced down his throat.
Before Xuanwei could even raise his head, Ren Yi was forced to swallow a second mouthful.
Ren Yi: "..."
What deep-seated hatred could this be?!
...
…………
Even after Ren Yi escaped the illusion, he was still in a daze.
Because Xuanwei fed him not poisoned wine, but the antidote.
The two had been eating and drinking together these past few days. Xuanwei had poisoned her at some point, and she probably did intend to commit suicide with him at first, but then she couldn't bear to do it and fed him the antidote bit by bit.
This unexpected development once again moved Ren Yi to the point that the true love between the main characters, the top and the bottom, was so profound that even without memories, they could still create such a heart-wrenching and deeply affectionate romance.
But what does this have to do with him?
He was like a dog that got kicked in the street; he suffered no harm but nothing else, and the system fragments remained where they were.
Ren Yi couldn't help but doubt whether his choice to "pretend to be Yuan Que" was a good idea.
But things have progressed to this point, and he has no choice but to continue pretending. Otherwise, let alone retrieving the system fragments, he himself would probably be fragmented as well.
*
Outside the illusion, Ren Yi, whose soul was sealed, was still unconscious, but Xuanwei and Haoming, whose memories had been restored, both looked extremely grim.
Haoming still remembered the incredulous look on the Seventh Prince's face as he held the new emperor's corpse when he stormed in with his sword.
As the remnant soul's obsession dissipated, the illusion collapsed, and memories gradually returned, it would be strange if Haoming's expression remained pleasant!
The fact that there are no memories in the illusion means that even with such a deep-seated hatred, Xun Que couldn't bear to kill this person.
Haoming gritted his teeth secretly, but when he saw Xuanwei's equally gloomy face, he immediately put away his gloomy expression and his face was full of undisguised schadenfreude, "How was it? How did the poisoned wine taste?"
Haoming did not witness the whole incident, but after seeing that scene, all he could think of was poisoned wine.
Although this was not the case, Xuanwei clearly did not intend to explain it to Haoming.
Moreover, regardless of the circumstances this time, Xun Que had indeed genuinely wanted to kill him twice before. Hao Ming's stab was spot on, hitting Xuan Wei squarely in the heart and even jabbing his lungs a couple more times.
Xuanwei ignored Haoming's actions and instead coldly searched for the next remnant soul that resonated with Xunque's divine soul.
Haoming glanced at it and sneered from the side, "You think changing to a different illusion will make things better?"
“This illusion is repairing Aque’s soul. You and I were both drawn in because of his karma. You forced him to the Execution Platform back then. What do you think your karma was?” He gave a soft “sneer”, seemingly sarcastic. “No matter how many illusions there are, you two will always be mortal enemies.”
Those deliberately ignored facts were brutally torn open before his eyes, catching Xuanwei off guard so much that he showed a somewhat disheveled expression. With a wave of his long sleeve, a powerful burst of immortal energy exploded beside Haoming. The two exchanged several blows in an instant, until a wisp of soul fire drifted leisurely to the unconscious Ren Yi. It turned out that this remnant soul had chosen him on its own initiative.
The two stopped fighting for the time being, but when they saw Ren Yi's unconscious state, they both frowned in unison.
Haoming, unusually, suppressed his mockery and looked at Xuanwei seriously, "When you brought Aque back to the Nine Heavens, he really wasn't..."
Whose reincarnation?
Although he had successfully escaped an illusion, the injuries to Xun Que's soul remained almost unchanged.
This level of spiritual strength is far beyond what ordinary immortals can achieve... No wonder Xun Que was able to have his remnant soul recalled even though he jumped off the Execution Platform back then.
Xuanwei remained silent.
Haoming was still focused on Ren Yi and didn't notice Xuanwei's brief display of abnormality. Seeing that he didn't answer, he assumed that Xuanwei was also unaware. Haoming only pondered for a moment before giving up. It didn't matter whether Xun Que was a reincarnation or whose reincarnation he was; the most urgent task was to heal his soul injury.
With that in mind, he decisively plunged into the already formed illusion.
Xuanwei hesitated for a moment and did not go immediately. Only after Haoming left did he open his palms up little by little.
A phantom slowly coalesced, condensing into a radiant crystal—the immortal soul left behind by the previous emperor.
For some unknown reason, this piece of immortal soul entered the previous illusion along with him. This was also the faint consciousness that Xuanwei had sensed in the previous illusion, a consciousness that did not belong to him.
[Is it really not someone's reincarnation?]
With Haoming's question still ringing in her ears, Xuanwei recalled an earlier conversation with Senior Youyuan.
[Di Li.]
[Didn't I already agree to that?]
Senior Youyuan had made a promise with Emperor Lizun that he would rescue Xunque.
Who exactly was Aque before her reincarnation?
Xuanwei tentatively brought the Immortal Soul close to Xunque's divine soul, and the crystal seemed to be attracted, gradually slipping away from his palm.
Scenes from the illusion flashed before Xuanwei's eyes. Every time he approached Aque, his blurred consciousness revealed an undisguised intimacy and joy, and that night... seemed to be doing everything in its power to obstruct him.
A vague idea slowly took shape, only to be forcibly suppressed by its master. Xuanwei suddenly tightened his grip, holding the crystal tightly.
Regardless of past lives, in this life...
—A Que's present life is simply "Searching for Que"!
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