Chapter 22 A Nighttime Escape? No, It's a Suicide Scheme!
After a huge fight with Yan Linye, Yun Zhan was completely disheartened. He felt that his sincerity had been wasted, and staying here meant nothing more than watching Yan Linye flirt with who-knows-how-many "confidantes" every day, or being treated like an immature child.
"System, I'm quitting this assassination mission!" Yun Zhan announced angrily as he stuffed his meager belongings into a small bundle.
[Host, please calm down. Returning to the palace from your current environment will significantly reduce your chances of survival. According to historical data, the probability of the puppet emperor Chu Yin being poisoned, assassinated, or dying accidentally in the palace is as high as 78.3%.] System Xiao Qi tried to persuade him with data.
"That's still better than being driven crazy by some scumbag here!" Yun Zhan tied his bag tightly. "Besides, who am I? I'm the emperor! The nominal supreme leader of the Great Yin Dynasty! What kind of behavior is it to always stay in the enemy camp? I have to go back to court! To handle matters of state!"
[Host, please be aware that the current court is controlled by the prime minister and several powerful ministers. The original owner was able to successfully 'usurp the throne' precisely because of his incompetence and ease of manipulation. Upon returning to the palace, you will most likely continue to play the role of a puppet without any real power.] The system ruthlessly exposes the truth.
"Then...then I have to go back!" Yun Zhan said stubbornly. "At least the harem...uh, although it may still be those muscle men, it's still my territory! I can do whatever I want! It's better than being here and having to watch other people's faces! I want to go back and live a carefree life! Enjoy my last days as emperor! When I get back, I'll send someone to kill him."
He called it a "strategic shift," but in reality it was just a fit of pique and an attempt to escape.
[...The system detected that the host's emotional decision-making is dominant. We suggest you reconsider.]
"What's there to think about? If I keep thinking about it, my skull will die of anger before it's even turned into a work of art!" Yun Zhan's mind was made up.
Taking advantage of the quiet of the night, he tucked his small bundle into his pocket and, relying on his memory and the route he had learned during his previous wanderings, sneaked out of the Prince of Yan's villa.
The streets of Hejian Prefecture were deserted at night, save for the occasional sound of the night watchman's clapper. A gust of cold wind calmed Yun Zhan's feverish mind slightly, and looking at the unfamiliar, dark surroundings, his heart began to pound.
"System... navigate back to the Imperial Palace in the capital," he muttered.
This system does not provide map navigation services. It is recommended that you use your points to redeem either the 'Beginner's Guide to Wilderness Survival' or the 'Invisibility Charm (Trial Version)'.
"..." Yun Zhan looked at his pitiful points and decisively gave up. Forget it, let's leave first and see how things go! If we could come here, we can go back.
He trudged forward, carefully choosing dark alleyways, afraid of being discovered by the Prince of Yan's men. And what he feared most came to pass.
At a secluded corner, he was suddenly blocked by several dark figures. There were three of them, dressed in ordinary coarse cloth clothes, but their eyes were fierce, and they were holding gleaming daggers.
"Hey kid, where are you headed this late with that bundle?" The leader grinned menacingly as he approached. "Hand over your valuables, and we'll spare your life!"
Yun Zhan was terrified! Holy crap! He'd been robbed?! What kind of luck was that?!
"I...I have no money!" Yun Zhan clutched the bundle tightly to his chest and backed away step by step.
"No money? Look at your delicate skin and decent clothes, you're kidding me!" another robber spat and reached out to snatch the money.
"Help!" Yun Zhan screamed in fright, instinctively throwing the bundle in his hand and turning to run. But he was no match for these thugs; someone grabbed him by the back of his collar, and a cold dagger was held to his neck.
"You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences!" the robber said viciously, tightening his grip.
Yun Zhan closed his eyes in despair, his mind screaming: It's over! I, Yun Zhan, never thought I would die at the hands of Yan Linye, never become a skull artwork, but instead die inexplicably at the hands of a few petty thieves! This is too humiliating!
Just at this critical moment, a sharp sound of air being torn apart came!
"Whoosh!"
"ah!"
The dagger against Yun Zhan's neck fell to the ground with a snap, and the robber screamed in pain, clutching his wrist. Before the other two robbers could react, they were kicked to the ground by a figure as swift as a leopard. The movement was clean and swift, and the three were dealt with in an instant.
Yun opened his eyes, still shaken, and saw Yan Linye standing before him like a god descended from heaven, his face so gloomy it could drip water. Behind him were several steady-looking guards who quickly subdued the wailing robbers on the ground.
“Yan…Yan Linye?” Yun Zhan’s voice was still trembling.
Yan Linye didn't speak, but stepped forward and suddenly pulled Yun Zhan into a tight embrace, so strong it almost crushed him. Yun Zhan could clearly feel the violent heartbeat in his chest, and... the instantaneous tension in his body.
"You..." Yan Linye's voice was terribly hoarse, filled with lingering fear and boundless rage, "Who gave you permission to run around like that?!"
Yun Zhan flinched at his outburst, a mix of lingering fear and resentment at being yelled at. His nose stung, but he stubbornly retorted, "I... I can leave if I want! It's none of your business! I'm nobody to you!"
"It's none of my business!" Yan Linye laughed angrily, released him, grabbed his wrist with a force that left no room for escape, "See if it's any of my business or not!" His gaze swept over the shallow bloodstain on Yun Zhan's neck where a dagger had cut, and his eyes instantly turned terrifying. The coldness emanating from his body silenced the several restrained robbers.
"Take him back and interrogate him thoroughly!" he coldly ordered the guards, then pulled Yun Zhan away without further ado.
Back at the villa, Yan Linye dragged Yun Zhan into the room and closed the door. His usually gentle and refined face was now covered with frost, and his eyes were sharp as he stared at Yun Zhan.
Yun Zhan then noticed that Yan Linye's left sleeve was torn, with blood seeping out. Was it an injury sustained while saving him?
He felt a pang of guilt, but when he thought about everything that had happened before, that awkward feeling came back, and he lowered his head and remained silent.
"Yun Zhan," Yan Linye's voice suppressed his anger, "do you know how dangerous it is outside? If I hadn't discovered you were missing in time and sent people to look for you..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the fear in his voice was obvious.
"The danger is my own business!" Yun Zhan raised her head, looking at him stubbornly. "I am free! You can't restrict me!"
"Freedom?" Yan Linye seemed stung by the word. He took a step forward, closing in on Yun Zhan, his gaze deep and complex, churning with worry, anger, and a hint of... weariness. "In your eyes, is freedom just running out to your death in the dead of night? Is it being able to disregard... other people's feelings without any regard?"
He spoke his last words with some difficulty.
Yun Zhan was speechless at his question, but still stubbornly insisted: "Anyway...anyway, I have no need to stay by your side! Our values are different, and we are not suitable to be together."
Yan Linye looked at his stubborn appearance, his chest heaving violently a few times. Finally, as if he had exhausted all his strength, he closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, all that was left in his eyes was deep exhaustion.
"Okay...very good." He released Yun Zhan's wrist, took a step back, and his voice regained its calmness, but carried a chilling detachment. "You should rest. We can talk about the rest later."
After saying that, he stopped looking at Yun Zhan, turned around and left the room, his back view appearing somewhat lonely.
Yun Zhan looked at the closed door, then at the red marks on his wrist and the small bundle that Yan Linye had casually brought back, and felt a mix of emotions.
Guilt, regret, grievance, and the loneliness of being transported to another world... all these emotions intertwined, making him feel so uncomfortable that he wanted to cry.
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