Chapter 696

The 57th year of Jingwu.

Wentian City, Huangji Hall.

"Father Emperor, all of this is your fault."

The heroic young man was covered in blood, having fought his way through layers upon layers of death warriors, and he stepped forward slowly over a floor of corpses.

He gazed at the aged emperor half-leaning on the throne and narrowed his eyes.

After the initial shock of speaking, he had not said another word, keeping his eyes lowered the entire time, like a dormant dragon.

Is he feeling disappointed by the rebellious actions of this unfilial son?

He walked step by step, firmly toward that throne which symbolized the highest power of the entire Beiming Divine Continent, toward that gloom which had pressed down upon his head for so long.

"Father Emperor, you are old."

"You are no longer fit to continue sitting in that seat."

You have sat in that seat for too long, so long that you have forgotten to move your backside from it, forgotten that you should hand over the empire to the next person.

All of this is your fault.

Li Long looked at his father, dropped the long saber he had seized from a death warrior during the chaotic battle just now, and drew the long sword hanging at his waist.

Qian Sword.

Only this sword is worthy of the status of the Lord of Northern Gan.

"I must thank Xiao Mei for helping me gain the recognition of the Qian Sword, but even she could not have imagined that the first time I drew this sword would be to commit patricide..."

Thinking of Mei Yongdi, Li Long gripped the Qian Sword even tighter, his resolve firmer than ever.

Father Emperor, you have lost your senses.

You caused Ye Ting and me to be unable to become husband and wife in a legitimate way, and I endured it.

You made me marry a woman from the Zhao family whom I did not know, and I endured that too.

You are the father, I am the son; you have your commands, and I could not disobey, so I endured again and again.

But you...

It would have been enough to ruin me alone, so why could you not spare Xiaojian and Xiaomei?

Why did you have to tear them apart?

Tearing them apart would have been one thing, but why did you have to take her life!!?

Father, you have lost your senses!

Clang—

The Qian Sword left its scabbard, emitting a sword cry like the roar of a dragon.

That sound traveled out from the great hall, all the way up, and finally resounded over the entire Wentian City.

Roar!!!

Hearing this sword cry, the members of the Li clan who had originally intended to save the emperor but were suppressed by Li Yandao finally sighed, understanding that there was no longer any room for maneuver between this pair of Heaven-born father and son today.

Outside Huangji Hall, Wang Xuesong sat quietly with his eyes closed under the gaze of Shi Anqi, and at this moment, he could not help but shake his head and sigh: "Your Majesty, this subject has advised you too many times, but some things you truly did too excessively..."

Ran Yeting stood outside the hall door with her sword drawn, her expression cold and stern, her white clothes also stained with blood.

She would stay by his side forever, no matter how rebellious this matter was.

Footsteps sounded; Ran Yeting's eyes moved, and she raised her sword and said coldly: "Stop where you are! You... what?"

Inside Huangji Hall, the sword Li Long had raised still had not fallen.

He did not regret it, nor was he afraid.

It was just that... there was no longer any need.

"... Why?"

Father Emperor, he...

Had already passed away half an hour ago.

The cause of death was unknown, but Li Long could be certain that the chaotic battle just now had not harmed him.

A natural death?

Could it really be such a coincidence?

Li Long did not know.

Perhaps there was, perhaps there was not.

But no matter what the truth was, and no matter if Father Emperor truly died by his own hand or not, from the moment he walked into Huangji Hall today, the label of regicide and patricide had already fallen upon him.

"... Heh, this is fine too." Li Long did not know if he felt relieved or regretful, and in the end, he said in a low, somewhat drained voice: "It let you off easy."

Creak.

The hall door was pushed open slowly. Li Long looked back, intending to explain to his wife, but he did not expect to see someone who should not have appeared here.

"Xiaojian?" Li Long's eyes widened for a moment, but he quickly adjusted, speaking with feigned indifference: "Are you here to stop me too? You are too late; Father Emperor has already died by my..."

"No."

Jian Xinxin calmly interrupted Li Long's performance, walked to the front of the throne, stared at the departed Father Emperor, and said hoarsely: "Imperial Brother, I have come to bid you farewell."

"... What did you say?"

"Xiaomei is dead; I have no more attachments to this world." Jian Xinxin moved his gaze away from the throne and stared earnestly at Li Long. "After we part today, I will completely seclude myself in the Daoist gate and never ask about worldly affairs again."

A farewell?

!!!

Seeing the aura of death on Jian Xinxin, Li Long suddenly thought of something. He grabbed his shoulders, no longer caring about maintaining his disguise, and said hurriedly: "Wait! You still have me! Xiao Mei may have left, but you must be strong! Do not think about such foolish things!"

Li Long's rare loss of composure did not make Jian Xinxin, who had already made up his mind, change his course.

He slowly and firmly pushed away his brother's hand from his shoulder, bit by bit.

Extra (5): The Day of Reunion

"Imperial Brother, you need not persuade me any further."

"My mind is made up."

"I will not seek death; that would be a betrayal of her sacrifice, but I will no longer live so easily either."

"She died because of my hesitation; I am guilty, and I will go to atone for my sins. Until my Evil is atoned for, I will not die."

Jian Xinxin spoke calmly, yet with ironclad resolve.

Li Long understood that this was a notification, not a discussion.

"Xiaojian..."

"Brother, farewell."

Li Long still had words he wanted to say, but Jian Xinxin no longer had the desire to speak, turning firmly and walking away with quick strides.

"Xiaojian, Jian Xinxin!!!"

He chased out of the hall, shouting toward that thin figure who seemed as if he might collapse at any moment: "Can you and I, brothers, ever meet again in this life?"

Jian Xinxin did not reply, nor did he look back.

The First Emperor had passed away, and the new Emperor was under suspicion of regicide; this should have been the busiest moment, but Li Long did not care about any of that.

He did not pursue further, but instead leaped to the highest point of Huangji Hall, just watching his foolish and stubborn younger brother walk away.

Li Long stood at the highest point of the Imperial Palace, gazing into the distance, watching Jian Xinxin's staggering figure walk away step by step, out of Wentian City, and finally disappear into the distance after the sun had set.

The new Emperor of the Northern Qian Dynasty stood alone like that for an entire night.

He stood from dusk until the sky was filled with stars, letting the cold night rain soak his robes without moving an inch, remaining alone in the darkness the entire time.

Finally, as the sky broke at dawn, he finally made a move.

He looked at the gradually rising morning sun, seemingly having finally understood something, and suddenly laughed out loud.

"Haha, hahahaha!"

The laughter grew louder and louder, echoing throughout the entire Imperial Palace.

"There will be!"

He leaped down from the roof, shaking off the morning dew that had stained his body as he landed, sweeping away his previous dejection, and walked laughing toward Ran Yeting, who had been waiting silently in the corner.

He regained his former firmness, his gaze burning as he muttered to himself: "You and I, brothers, will eventually have a day to meet again."

"I say so."

"No..."

"It is I, the Emperor, who says so!"