Chapter 102: Chapter 102
He glanced sideways at Hua Ren, golden eyes narrowing just a fraction. Though it annoyed him, he somewhat felt that it wasn’t entirely Hua Ren’s fault. The Emperor had once been a presence carved into his life, into his heart. Forgetting him, severing those ties, wouldn’t come so easily. He knew that.
Yet, knowing did nothing to ease the twinge of jealousy that coiled low in his gut.
Still, he had promised Hua Ren he would answer whatever he wished to know. He only wished that Hua Ren had asked about him first.
Sheng Fei exhaled, the memories rising like smoke from a long-dead fire. “Do you remember that old tradition? The one where the princes of the Kingdom are sent into the wilderness to harden themselves, to learn survival and discipline away from the palace walls?”
“Duànliàn Zhī Lǐ?” Hua Ren said softly, giving the custom its proper name. It meant the Rite of Hardening. All the princes of the Celestial Kingdom were expected to go through it once they reach the age of 9.
Sheng Fei nodded. “I was supposed to go alone. Minxiu wasn’t of age yet. But he insisted on going.” For a fleeting moment, a fond smile curved his lips as he remembered their antics in the past.
“We used to be inseparable back then. Born from different mothers but we were so close that you wouldn’t even know. Father actually wanted Minxiu out of the palace for a while, so he agreed. Said it wouldn’t hurt him to learn something. I thought so too. Truth is...” He gave a short, rueful chuckle. “I was glad for the company. I didn’t really want to be alone in the wilderness. I had heard a lot of stories from my uncles about the trials there, and I won’t lie—” his golden eyes softened with memory, “—majority of them kept me up at night.”
Hua Ren’s lips tugged upward in a small smile, the faintest glimmer of mischief breaking through his usually composed expression. So the infamous rebel had once been a scaredy-cat.
Sheng Fei caught the look and huffed lightly, before continuing. “We were crossing the mountain pass. The road was narrow, the cliffs sheer. Minxiu and I started arguing about something in the carriage. I can’t even remember what. But it escalated. We started to fight.”
“The guards had warned us to be still before we entered the pass. But we were boys, hot-headed and careless. The warning flew straight out of our minds the second we started raising our voices at each other.”
He paused, his throat tightening. The steady rhythm of the horses’ hooves was the only sound for a moment.
“Then it happened. The rocks broke loose from above and it was chaos. Horses screaming, men shouting, Minxiu crying, it all happened so fast. Before we knew it, the carriage tipped,” Sheng Fei’s voice cracked faintly, and he forced the words out. “and Minxiu was thrown over the edge.”
The wind whistled through the trees, cold and sharp. Hua Ren sucked in a quiet breath, pale eyes flicking toward Sheng Fei. He could imagine just how scared they must have been. Especially the Emperor who was thrown over the edge. He must have thought that that was the end for him.
“The rockslide killed everyone,” Sheng Fei went on, his voice low. “All the guards and every horse were crushed under the rocks. I survived, but my right leg was broken. I had to claw my way through the stones with my bare hands.”
His words hung between them like the taste of ash.
Hua Ren’s breath caught, and for a moment he could almost see it—blood on the stones, men and horses alike crushed to silence beneath the mountain’s wrath, the echo of screaming horses cut short by falling rock. And Sheng Fei, young and broken, crawling through the wreckage with nothing but pain and determination.
It must have been horrible. To wake up and find that you were the only survivor. To think that your only brother was gone.
A tightness rose in Hua Ren’s chest. Without thinking, he nudged his horse closer until it rode shoulder to shoulder with Sheng Fei’s. His pale eyes slid down to Sheng Fei’s hand gripping the reins, knuckles strained white.
For one unguarded heartbeat, Hua Ren’s own fingers twitched in response. He felt a sudden impulse to reach out, to take Sheng Fei’s hand in his and comfort him. But he reined himself in sharply, keeping his hands firm on his own reins.
“It took me a while to get my bearings straight,” Sheng Fei continued, his voice now steady. “but I did. Father wouldn’t be expecting us for a month. No one was coming to look for us. I couldn’t afford to be weak in that situation, so I curbed my fear and did what I had to do. What I was trained to do.”
Hua Ren listened intently, his chest tightening with each word.
“I went into the forest. First I fixed my leg, just as I’d been taught, and made myself walking sticks. Then I began to search for Minxiu while feeding on fruits and small birds, fighting to keep myself from being eaten by wild animals. It was quite rough. I searched for two full weeks before I came upon some tracks. I guessed they were his and followed them.”
“After some days, I found Minxiu. He was wandering into a dark cave at the foot of the mountain. From the outside, it looked like a bear’s den. I got scared and shouted his name, tried to warn him not to go in, but he didn’t seem to hear me. So I went after him.” His voice dipped, growing heavy. “By the time I entered the cave, it was too late. I saw something going down his throat. Something dark. Like a shadow. Or smoke.”
Hua Ren’s hands clenched unconsciously, his gaze sharp. “Lu Gui.” He said, thinking back to the thing that took control of the Emperor’s body that night.
“Yes.” Sheng Fei’s tone was flat. “He collapsed in front of me. I thought he was dead. I dragged him out, praying that I wasn’t too late and thankfully, he lived.” His eyes narrowed. “Only... Minxiu was never the same after that day.”
Hua Ren’s throat tightened. If the Emperor got possessed at such a young age, it only meant that the person he fell in love with was not the Emperor per se, but Lu Gui. He frowned, shuddering at the thought.
“What happened after?” He asked. “How did you leave that place? Did the Emperor’s men come to save you?”
For a long moment, Sheng Fei said nothing. He looked up at the sky instead, where clouds were gathering in thick, bruised shades of gray.
He recalled what happened when Minxiu woke up. The pain, the blood, and how things were never the same again.
Then, slowly, he cut Hua Ren a side glance, the corner of his lips curling faintly. “Well,” he said, his voice lighter than before, “that will just have to be a story for another day.”
He lifted a hand from the reins and pointed at the sky. “It will rain soon. We need to find shelter.”
Hua Ren followed his gaze, looking at the dark clouds. He gave a small, sharp nod. “Good. The rain will cover our tracks.”
“Let’s just hope that they’re not already waiting for us in Frost Forest Village.” Sheng Fei replied, his tone dry.
Hua Ren smirked, the tension breaking at last. “Even if they are, I’m sure we can take care of them.” His pale eyes glinted, sly with challenge. “Unless you’re too scared. Don’t worry, though. I’ll be happy to protect you.”
Without waiting for Sheng Fei’s reply, he clicked his tongue, urging his horse forward. The animal responded instantly, swiftly speeding down the dirt road.
Sheng Fei shook his head. Then, with a soft laugh, he spurred his own horse after him.