Chapter 573

Li Qingluo and Duan Rongshi. Already have.

"He" refers to Duan Rongshi? Actually line: Indeed, even though it had long been anticipated, his mood at this moment was far more complicated than Li Qingluo's. The "he" likely refers to Duan Rongshi (since earlier Li Qingluo looked at him). So it's Duan Rongshi.

Li Qingluo and Duan Rongshi gave the Chu Emperor some water. So the Chu Emperor appears. Also Li Qingluo and Duan Rongshi.

It wasn't explained clearly. No named.

If he dies like that, then it would really be letting him off easy. "He" refers to the Chu Emperor? Probably.

When the Chu Emperor finally awoke again, he opened his eyes and saw Li Qingluo, once again masked, standing by the coffin staring at him. So Chu Emperor, Li Qingluo.

Damn it! No named.

He muttered a curse. "He" the Chu Emperor.

Amidst extreme exhaustion, he slowly closed his eyes again. No named.

Upon opening his eyes again, the Chu Emperor's face bore a trace of bitter regret. Chu Emperor.

"I never thought I'd still be alive..." Chu Emperor (the imperial I).

"I thought that if I could truly die in the Empress Dowager's arms, it wouldn't be a regret." Chu Emperor.

"I actually woke up again." Chu Emperor.

"After all, when will I finally be a person?" Chu Emperor.

"Empress Dowager... I, your subject, still couldn't come to see you, sigh..." Chu Emperor.

He let out a long sigh. Chu Emperor.

He seemed to have resigned himself to fate, and did not fly into a rage at the slightest provocation as he used to. Chu Emperor.

Li Qingluo: "So, you thought you were about to die, that's why you crawled into the former empress's stone coffin, wanting to be buried together with her?"

Chu Emperor: "What the hell is it to you!"

Li Qingluo rolled her eyes hard.

This person is truly infuriating!

"Alright then."

"Just wait here to die slowly."

"In that case, you'll never in this life get to be buried together with Princess Qingyue's remains!"

The Chu Emperor's eyes widened instantly, and he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"What did you say?"

"Say that again?"

"Yue'er's remains, Yue'er's remains were actually recovered by them?"

Li Qingluo, however, stepped back step by step.

Then she turned and strode away.

The Chu Emperor struggled to turn and crawl out of the stone coffin.

He even, in his haste, fell heavily to the ground with a "bang."

The stone coffin was tall, and his arm dislocated with a "crack," but he didn't care.

And his head hit the ground, instantly bloodied, yet he seemed utterly unaware.

"Stop right there—"

"Stop right there!!"

"Who exactly are you?"

"How do you know about Yue'er?"

"Was it those three who told you?"

"Are those three in league with you?"

"What exactly do you intend to do?"

"Come back, come back—"

"I promise you, I'll promise you anything!!"

"I can give you the empire, and also grant you endless wealth."

"I only want Yue'er; return her to me—"

The Chu Emperor wept bitterly.

However, Li Qingluo had completely vanished.

The Chu Emperor, like a child, lay on the ground wailing "wu-wu."

In the tomb chamber lit only by a night pearl, it was now somewhat dim and indistinct.

The stone coffin on the right suddenly emitted a faint sound.

The Chu Emperor startled.

He lifted his head in delight, thinking Li Qingluo had returned.

However, the entrance was empty, with nothing there.

On the contrary, there seemed to be something beside the right stone coffin.

He slowly turned his head to look that way.

Upon seeing a slender shadow, he jumped in fright and fell heavily backward onto the ground.

That shadow was dressed in white.

Long hair hung loose, draping by his side.

In the dim light, he slowly turned his face to look at the Chu Emperor.

The Chu Emperor jumped in shock.

That face was holy and compassionate.

A red mole marked his brow.

Although he had lost his former gentleness, his eyes held endless cold aloofness, yet the Chu Emperor recognized him at a glance.

「Yue'er! 」

「Yue'er, are you? 」

「No…… How could Yue'er be here? 」

He shook his head in disbelief.

But he couldn't bear to even blink.

He even clambered up, staggering as he tried to go over and see what was happening.

「Yue'er——」

「Yue'er! 」

The light in the tomb chamber suddenly flashed.

The night pearl's light was blocked.

In the pitch darkness, the Chu Emperor could see nothing.

He immediately shouted anxiously: "Yue'er, don't go!"

But when light returned, where in the tomb chamber was there any trace of the shadow just seen?

The Chu Emperor grew ever more certain that the apparition just now was the ghost of Zong Zheng Qingyue.

Instantly, he seemed to go mad, shouting and yelling in the tomb chamber.

「Yue'er, come out——」

「Come out, Yue'er! 」

「Brother won't harm you; come out quickly so I can take another look, okay, Yue'er!? 」

Suddenly, a cold laugh rang out from another corner.

The Chu Emperor turned his head and indeed saw a familiar figure.

He ran overjoyedly toward that side——

「Yue'er! 」

「It really is you. 」

「You've finally come back to see brother. 」

「Yue'er, brother misses you……」

That figure slowly lifted its head.

The icy gaze fixed firmly on Zong Zheng Langri.

「You think? 」

「Aren't you afraid that your sister Yue'er will become a vengeful ghost and kill you, you beast, with her own hands? 」

「You still dare to think that! 」

「Zong Zheng Langri, are you truly not afraid? 」

Zong Zheng Langri shook his head excitedly.

「Of course I'm not afraid. 」

「You are my sister, after all. 」

「Even if you really are a ghost, even if you want to kill me with your own hands, I would willingly accept it—so how could I be afraid? 」

「Yue'er, you're so small—you're the child I raised by hand. 」

「Brother just misses you! 」

Speaking, he was now only a step away from 【Zong Zheng Qingyue】.

Just as he, overjoyed, reached out to touch 【Zong Zheng Qingyue】, the shadow suddenly shouted: 「Enough! 」

「Don't use your dirty hands to touch her again. 」

「This voice……」

Zong Zheng Langri abruptly pulled his hand back.

He also finally grew a bit clearer-headed.

But staring fixedly at that familiar face before him, Zong Zheng Langri could not believe it.

「Are you human or ghost? 」

「Or…… you're not Yue'er at all? 」

He certainly isn't Zong Zheng Qingyue.

But rather, it was Duan Rongshi, who had torn off his human‑skin mask to reveal his true face.

Duan Rongshi stepped forward, pressing closer to Zong Zheng Langri step by step.

「Take a closer look—who am I really? 」

He was taller than Zong Zheng Langri by about half a head.

He had an Adam's apple.

Although that face was almost exactly like the one he longed for day and night!

But his eyebrows were thicker and longer.

His eyes lacked the gentle autumn‑water glow.

All that remained was a chill as cold as poisoned steel!

Zong Zheng Langri shook his head, unwilling to believe, retreating step by step.

"No."

"No, no!"

"You're not Yue'er; who on earth are you—"

But he quickly recovered his senses.

His gaze, full of disbelief, turned and examined Duan Rongshi carefully again and again.

Then, exhaling the shock from his heart, he said, "You are Rongshi."

"You are Yue'er's child, Rongshi!"

"You actually look exactly like Yue'er!?"

"Why has no one told me about this?"

"How could I not know… that my nephew and my sister look exactly alike!?"

"B-but aren't you also dead?"

"I heard of your death; didn't you already die on the battlefield fighting the Western Regions? How can you appear before me!?"

Duan Rongshi stepped forward and seized Zongzheng Langri's throat with one hand.

"You were eager for me to die, weren't you?"

"But unfortunately, I've disappointed you, Zong, Zheng, Lang, Ri!"

"If I hadn't feigned death to escape, how could I have come to Great Chu and taken your life in person!"

"You, as an elder brother, are unkind and unjust to your own biological sister, harboring such filthy, sordid thoughts, colluding with Xie Huaiyuan to force your sister onto the dragon bed, causing my mother… mother, in order to save herself, was forced to marry far away to another country! To marry a man more than a decade older than her!"

"You, as an elder brother, unaware of the peril your sister is trapped in, keep saying how much you care for her, yet you know full well her death was mysterious and have never sought justice for her!"

"You, as an elder brother, since your sister has already died and her spirit has been restless for over a decade, you still intend to dig up her corpse from the earth, then travel thousands of miles by carriage to bring it back to your filthy place to be buried together with you!"

"Zongzheng Langri, are you worthy!!"

Duan Rongshi's heart brimmed with fiery anger and resentment; every word seemed like a poisoned sword thrust toward the Chu Emperor.

Zongzheng Langri listened to these accusations, still clutching Duan Rongshi's arm tightly, trying to struggle for breath.

But as he kept listening, his grip gradually loosened.

Then, as if resigned, he closed his eyes.

"You… killed me…"

"Dying is fine…"

"It is you… even… never… cannot…"

However, just as his face turned blue‑purple and swelled, about to suffocate completely, Duan Rongshi's hand suddenly released.

Li Qingluo, standing in the corner and witnessing the scene, silently pulled her foot back.

And she breathed a sigh of relief in secret.

She had thought Ah Shi was on the verge of losing control.

Fortunately, he still retained a sliver of clarity and reason.

The Chu Emperor slumped onto the ground.

He clutched his throat, gasping violently while coughing fiercely.

After a good half‑minute, his breathing steadied again.

"Why didn't you truly kill me—!!"

Zongzheng Langri dragged a dislocated arm, and his other fist hammered heavily onto the ground.

In no time, the fist was smeared with a blur of flesh and blood.

He seemed to feel no pain, only a face full of fury.

Duan Rongshi crouched down, his own face turned toward Zongzheng Langri.

"Wanting to die is easy."

"But I think you, life is worse than death."

Zongzheng Langri could not accept this face speaking such words to him.

He kept stepping backward.

Finally, his back leaned against the stone coffin at the main seat.

"What on earth do you actually want to do?"

"You schemed and came to Great Chu just to torment your uncle?"

"Rongshi, I know you didn't die. Your death reports were all false, right?"

"Now that you're here, kill me with your own hands and avenge your mother."

"It's me who wronged Yue'er, it's me who wronged her!"

"I acknowledge all of these."

"Not even a single word will be denied."

When Zongzheng Langri mentioned Zongzheng Qingyue, tears fell in a steady stream.

Duan Rongshi drew a soft sword from his waist.

He stepped forward again toward Zongzheng Langri.

"Speak."

"Even if I look exactly like my mother, so what!"

"Could it be that you still desire my face!?"