When Yan Sikong returned to his bedroom, he was exhausted both physically and mentally. He fell headfirst onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

When he woke up again, it was already dusk. Yan Sikong sat on the bed, looking at the hazy moon outside the window. He was stunned for a long time and for a moment he could not tell whether he was still dreaming.

He wanted to go out for a walk to clear his head. When he walked to the clothes rack, the first thing that caught his eye was the luxurious bear coat, which was given to him by Feng Ye. In order to hunt such a big bear, the Wolf King, who was leading an army of 100,000 at that time, personally waited in the cold mountains for three days.

He stroked the soft and thick fur with his hands. Wearing such a cloak, he did not need to be afraid of the horrible coldest days of winter in Liaoning. Every time he put it on, he felt not only the warmth of the cloak, but also Feng Ye's care for him.

If Feng Ye had always been mean to him, he would have given up long ago. It was this combination of deep love on the one hand and resentment and suspicion on the other, his hot and cold attitude, that made him most confused and helpless. Coupled with the friendship and guilt he once had, he could not hate Feng Ye, but he also could not let it go.

He could clearly see Feng Ye's struggle and pain, but Feng Ye's desire for revenge and ambition for power had expanded beyond his sight, making him blind for a long time, unwilling and afraid to see and confirm, and finally ended up in such an unmanageable situation.

He often missed that boy, the boy who was rebellious but innocent, the boy who had never lost all hope and never fell into despair.

How he wished Feng Ye could stay at that time forever. He liked Feng Ye like that. He would rather block all the storms from Feng Ye than let Feng Ye experience the same dark torture as him and become what he is now.

Was it wrong when he helped Feng Ye tame the wild horse in the spring hunting ground that year? He said that they didn't need to recognize each other, but in his heart he secretly hoped that Feng Ye would come to him. He dragged Feng Ye into his hatred and deceived and used Feng Ye.

But even without him, the decline of the Feng family was as inevitable as its prosperity. He only hated himself for being useless and defeated by the eunuchs' party. He could not protect anyone, Yuan Mao, Yuan Nanyu, Feng Ye, he could not protect anyone!

Yan Sikong waved his hand vigorously and knocked over the clothes hanger.

He stood frozen in place, gasping for breath. He felt as uncomfortable as if he was immersed in water. Every breath he took took all his strength.

He staggered, opened the door, and walked out. The cold wind outside was biting, scratching his skin like a knife, but he felt more awake than the cold, and he needed this kind of cold to wake him up.

No matter how much pain or resentment there is in his heart, it is of no use. After the pain and resentment are over, he still has unfinished business, he still has desires in his heart, and he still has to... live.

He looked up at the cold night sky, his feet rubbing against the ground, not knowing where he was going. He just kept walking. He hoped that the noble moon in the sky, overlooking the world, could point him in a direction at this moment when he was most confused and helpless.

As he walked out of the courtyard unknowingly, two figures walked out from the darkness, stopped in front of him, and said respectfully: "Master Yan, it's so late, where are you going?"

Yan Sikong suddenly woke up and stared at the two of them in a daze. He knew these two men, both of them were elite soldiers under Feng Ye: "Why... are you here?" When he asked, he already had the answer in his heart.

"The two of us are here in the name of the Wolf King to protect Lord Yan. Lord Yan, it's cold tonight. Why are you wearing such thin clothes? Be careful not to get sick. You should go back to your room and rest."

Yan Sikong looked at the two of them coldly: "Are you protecting me, or monitoring me, or putting me under house arrest?"

The two looked at each other and said respectfully, "Your Excellency is too kind. The Wolf King ordered the two of us to accompany you and protect you. Wherever you want to go, we will protect you. But it is late at night now. If you want to go somewhere, why don't you wait until dawn?"

"Watch me..." Yan Sikong murmured.

"My Lord, please go back to your room and rest. Don't get yourself frozen."

Yan Sikong said calmly, "What if I insist on going out?"

"Then I will accompany you, but please put on warm clothes first, Master Yan."

Yan Sikong sneered, turned around and walked into the house.

Feng Ye thought he would run away?

Where could he escape to? Could he find Chen Wu? Even though he was extremely reluctant to see Feng Ye fight for the throne, he would not help Chen Wu to attack Feng Ye.

In Feng Ye's heart, could he be so cold-blooded and heartless?

There was indeed nothing left between them except obsession and entanglement.

——

Yan Sikong sat there all night until dawn. He ate a few mouthfuls of the food brought by Ali, put down his chopsticks, and asked Ali to change his clothes for him.

When Ali picked up the hanger and patted the dust off the bear coat with some heartache, Yan Sikong said, "Don't want that one."

Ali looked at Yan Sikong in confusion.

Yan Sikong emphasized: "Don't wear that one."

Ali didn't understand what was going on, so he just put the cloak away and got another cloak for Yan Sikong. After he put them on, he took Ali out.

The people Feng Ye sent to "protect" him had been replaced by a new group of people who were probably on duty during the day and followed him silently.

Ali tugged at Yan Sikong's sleeve, signaling him to look at the tail following behind him. Yan Sikong shook his head: "Don't pay attention to it."

Yuan Nanyu lived in a mansion not far away. It was early morning, and when he arrived, even the doorman was yawning and most of the servants were still asleep.

The doorman said respectfully, "Hey, Lord Yan, why are you here so early? Our general is still resting."

"Take me to see him. I have something urgent to discuss with him."

"Yes." Everyone around Yuan Nanyu knew that the two were good friends, so they didn't say much and directly led Yan Sikong to Yuan Nanyu's bedroom.

Yan Sikong knocked on the door: "General Que, yes, Yan Sikong."

A response came from inside the house immediately: "Sikong? Just come in."

Yan Sikong motioned Ali to wait outside and went in.

Yuan Nanyu sat on the bed with his back to him, apparently having just gotten up. He yawned, "There's no one else here, right?"

"just me."

Yuan Nanyu then turned around, his hair hanging in disarray, just covering the ink on his forehead. At first glance, Yan Sikong seemed to see himself from a distance.

Yuan Nanyu noticed that Yan Sikong looked strange, and couldn't help but touch the tattoo on his forehead: "Can my hair cover it?"

"able."

Yuan Nanyu smiled and said, "I think I should imitate the chivalrous men and let my hair be more unruly."

"You used to be a chivalrous warrior." Yan Sikong sat next to Yuan Nanyu. "Now, you are a famous general."

Yuan Nanyu's smile gradually disappeared. He said with some worry, "You came to see me so early. There must be something important. Is it something bad?"

Yan Sikong said in a deep voice: "I don't know if this is a bad thing for you."

"What happened?"

Yan Sikong stared at Yuan Nanyu: "You used to roam the world and drift around, why are you willing to serve Fengye and give up your former freedom?"

Yuan Nanyu was stunned for a moment, then replied: "I am in the Jianghu, but my heart is also with the country. When I first entered the capital, I was determined to rob the prison of King Jingyuan. The rise and fall of the country is the responsibility of every man. If you only have skills, but see loyal ministers and good generals being killed by treacherous people, then what kind of hero is that. Later, I rescued Feng Ye. I knew that he would inherit King Jingyuan's mantle, so I decided to follow him, eliminate traitors and evil, and save the country and the people."

"...Then do you know how he is going to eradicate evil and save the country and the people?"

Yuan Nanyu was stunned again: "Why do you ask this? Isn't everything we are doing now for this?"

Yan Sikong said softly: "Yu'er... I know you don't like me calling you that, but I feel much more relieved when I can call you that, so I still called you that... Yesterday, I had an argument with Feng Ye."

"Why?" Yuan Nanyu was a little nervous.

Yan Sikong looked into Yuan Nanyu's eyes and said clearly, "Because he wants to be the emperor."

Yuan Nanyu blinked and said nothing for a while.

Seeing all of Yuan Nanyu's reactions, Yan Sikong shuddered and smiled miserably: "So, you knew that too?"

It turns out that he was the only one who was kept in the dark?

For a man as meticulous and discerning as him, it would be easy for him to see through a person, but he was blinded by a single leaf, and just couldn't see the person closest to him! No, in fact, he had already guessed it a long time ago, but he didn't want to doubt Feng Ye, so he was just deceiving himself.

Yuan Nanyu sighed softly, "Sikong, Feng Ye didn't tell me, but I actually expected it. Throughout history, which man doesn't want to be an emperor? Feng Ye led us through life and death battles, and we have suffered so much. Now he has a large army and can compete with the court. The Chen family has wiped out his entire Feng family. It would be unlike him if he didn't have the intention to usurp the throne and become emperor."

"So, you are also willing to help him become emperor." Yan Sikong said in a low voice.

"Why not?" Yuan Nanyu asked, "In terms of talent, ability, and courage, the vassal kings are all outstanding. The emperor is corrupt and incompetent, the officials are idle, and the vassal kings are too powerful to be eliminated. The Chen Dynasty is about to come to an end."

Yan Sikong said in a deep voice: "Do you know about the chaos of the Eight Kings of Western Jin?"

Yuan Nanyu frowned and remained silent.

"The chaos among the various parties has made the people live in misery and the mountains and rivers are broken. A dozen foreign barbarians who used to be submissive to us have taken advantage of the situation and invaded. They are brutal and barbaric, and have lost their humanity. They wantonly ravage our Han people." Yan Sikong's tone seems calm, but there are undercurrents beneath the surface. "By the Yishui River, the bones of the girls they call 'two-legged sheep' are piled up as high as a small mountain."

Yuan Nanyu clutched the quilt tightly: "We will never let the barbarians set foot in the Central Plains."

"If the world is in chaos, will it still be up to you?" Yan Sikong grabbed Yuan Nanyu's arm, "Why do I insist on supporting Chen Yi to take the throne? Because only if the person sitting on the throne is surnamed Chen, he can stabilize the various princes. But once Feng Ye proclaims himself emperor, they will raise troops to support the king, and the world will be in chaos. How the situation will develop at that time, who can predict it!"

Yuan Nanyu narrowed his eyes and whispered, "As long as it's not Chen Yu, it'll be fine."

"What?"

"Feng Ye is not as impulsive and short-sighted as you think. He will not rashly declare himself emperor before the situation is stabilized. I would not do such a stupid thing if I were him, but..." Yuan Nanyu looked at Yan Sikong deeply, "He will never let Chen Yi ascend the throne. You should understand that."

"Even if it's not Chen Yu, it should be another prince."

"If you really think so, then it's good." Yuan Nanyu pushed Yan Sikong's hand away without leaving a trace. He pursed his lips and said, "For a long time, you have insisted on supporting Chen Yi. If I were Feng Ye, I would find a young boy, wouldn't it be easier to control him?"

Yan Sikong stared at Yuan Nanyu in a daze, his chest full of energy and blood, all blocked in his heart: "Yu'er, are you... also doubting me?"

Yuan Nanyu gritted his teeth and said, "I am not doubting you. I am just reminding you that we are brothers, and Feng Ye and you have been friends for many years. Even if Chen Yi is your student, Feng Ye no longer needs him, and he may even join forces with the imperial court to deal with Feng Ye. You should give up on him!"

"Do you think it will be that simple?" Yan Sikong raised his voice. "Feng Ye is rebelling under the pretext of supporting the King of Chu. If the two of them turn against each other, it will lead to the princes attacking Feng Ye."

"It's only a matter of time. Now we dominate the Central Plains, and we are only a few days away from the capital." Yuan Nanyu said seriously, "Sikong, I think the best way now is to quickly capture the capital and help the young master become emperor first."

"Naive!" Yan Sikong looked at Yuan Nanyu in disbelief. "Why are you fearless of the enemy after winning a few battles? You are facing the royal family that has dominated this land for more than 200 years and is the legitimate ruler of the world. Even with Chen Yi's help, you may not be able to capture the capital. Now Chen Yi is about to turn against you. It is difficult to survive. Why are you so fanciful?"

Yuan Nanyu's expression changed slightly: "We have come all the way from Shu to here, every step has been extremely dangerous, but if we don't do it, how can we know what the outcome will be."

"If you want to do it, you have to do it more steadily." Yan Sikong shook his head. "Feng Ye has always been like a gambler. He was even crazier and impulsive when he was young. He has restrained himself after getting older, but every time he gambles, it is bigger than before. If he loses, I'm afraid he can't bear it. You were not this kind of person originally. How did you become like this?"

"Then what should I do!" Yuan Nanyu's face was full of anger. "I swear to follow Feng Ye until death, and I will trust him and be loyal to him with all my heart. If he decides to become emperor, I will not look back."

Yan Sikong looked at Yuan Nanyu sadly, with unspeakable emotions in his eyes.

Yuan Nanyu took a deep breath and said, "Sikong, I don't want to argue with you. We are brothers, why can't we work together?"

"I want to join hands with you." Yan Sikong said softly, "But I'm afraid. I'm afraid of becoming a sinner for all eternity."

Yuan Nanyu stroked Yan Sikong's face and said, "You and Feng Ye, one is a scholar and the other is a warrior, both are extremely talented. I believe we can both achieve what we want, really."

Yan Sikong shook his head lightly.

Yuan Nanyu sighed again: "Sikong, please let me wash my face, and then I will talk to you properly. I don't want to hurt our brotherly relationship."

Yan Sikong remained silent.

Yuan Nanyu jumped out of bed and walked to the outer room, only to hear the sound of water.

Yan Sikong stood up and looked around, his eyes falling on the cabinet in front of the bed. The cabinet door was half-open, and he could see many identical masks stacked inside.

For some unknown reason, Yan Sikong quickly picked up a mask and stuffed it into his sleeve.

"Forget it, I'm going back first."

Yuan Nanyu turned around and said, "Don't leave yet. At least have a meal with me. We can talk about this. Maybe you have some misunderstandings about Feng Ye."

Yan Sikong shook his head: "The Wolf King told me to think it through, and that's why I came to you because I couldn't figure it out. It seems that now I have to figure it out on my own."

"Thinking of the void..."

"I'm back." Yan Sikong lowered his head and strode away.