Chapter 1230: 18.68 First Grey Star - Dark Secret of the Royal Family
Fu Zin said, "Thank God, you are fine."
"A'Zin, I'm back," King Xingyun said.
Only King Xingyun and the Prime Minister remained in the chamber as the others were sent out after collecting their awards, and everyone politely looked away from witnessing their superiors flirt. The king was pulled to sit and rest by the prime minister when the couple had had enough.
Prime Minister Fu Zin asked, "Since the second prince didn't return with you, that means you didn't find him there. What kind of being did you meet?"
"It's a strange being filled with evilness and darkness. He called us mortal. He might be an evil god sealed in the tower of gods. He might have existed longer than us," King Xingyun said.
Fu Zin said, "That tower had existed even before the kingdom had been made. But for some reason, the kingdom chose to build the city near that tower."
"Are you saying that maybe the royal family came for that tower instead of the Ruins of Time?" King Xingyun said.
The prime minister nodded his head and explained. "Compared to the ruins of time, the advantages of the Tower of God are more apparent. It can be said that except for you, the late kings cannot be called good kings. Why do you think your father still chooses your elder brother even though he is ill?
Maybe because only those with evil hearts can continue regaining in this kingdom and that being in the Tower of God is connected to it."
"I..." King Xingyun hesitated with his words, and Fu Zin thought he overdid it with his words just now.
The Prime Minister, Fu Zin, said. "Don't take my words into my heart. I am only giving you some examples."
"No, I think you are right. I do not know if I remember it right. When we were young, do you remember when my father, brother, and I left for somewhere before? The one where he didn't allow you to come with us," King Xingyun said.
After a moment of reflection, Fu Zin remembered that there had been a time when he had wanted to accompany Xingyun somewhere, but the king had told them that he could not come for this particular event. His father had carried him home because he was so eager to follow them, and he had been placed under house arrest for a day.
That day, when they returned, Xingyun was sick with a fever, and the eldest prince had fallen off his horse on the way home, completely losing both of his legs.
The Prime Minister recalled the exchange contract with that being and looked at King Xingyun with a stunned expression.
Fu Zin said, "Do you think the former king had asked you two to make an exchange with that being, and your brother was the one chosen instead of you?"
"I think so too. Maybe I should go see my elder brother tomorrow. Sigh~, I can't believe our kingdom was created thanks to the blessing of an evil god." King Xingyun looked stressed and depressed at this realization. He couldn't believe things ended up this way.
The shadow guards materialized before the Prime Minister, who felt sorry for his king and could only accompany him to his palace to keep an eye on him till he eventually nodded off.
Whooshed!
Fu Zin looked cold as he watched over the evening sky and the distant tower that could be seen even in the palace.
"Protect him with your lives. Kill anyone that approaches him."
"Yes!"
The Prime Minister moved his gaze from the evening sky to the direction where the eldest brother of King Xingyun lives. His face turned even colder at this moment.
"Send me a message to the eldest, his highness. 'I want to ask for an appointment tonight.'"
As he walked slowly toward the royal member who is the oldest, the shadow guards all vanished. Meanwhile, Xingyun's eldest brother was alone in his chamber when he received a message from the shadow guards.
After getting the news from the shadow guard, Xingmo sent the concubines away and waited for the prime minister to arrive at the main palace of the castle, where he was lying down with his eyes closed in a room filled with machines that kept him alive.
Fu Zin's shadow appears in the room where Xingmo lives, and the curtains flutter. Xingmo smiles, anticipating Fu Zin's arrival.
"A'Zin, I'm surprised that Xiao Yun is even allowing you to leave by his side," Xingmo said. Like expected, he isn't able to move his legs, and Fu Zin helped him sit up on the bed.
Fu Zin is unexpectedly respectful towards this person and falls on one knee to meet his gaze.
"Dage, I wanted to ask you about the Tower of God," Fu Zin said while observing Xingmo's face.
As expected, Xingmo turned expressionless as he mentioned that tower. "Did Xiao Yun climb back into that stupid tower?"
"You know about it, Dage?" asked Fu Zin.
Xingmo said, "There's an evil god in that tower. It gave blessings to this kingdom for years. Father is a fanatic of that being. When we were young, he brought Xiao Yun and me into that tower and asked us to kill each other."
"What!?" exclaimed Fu Zin, as he didn't expect to hear this side of the story.
Xingmo sighed. "Children are pure when they are young. The heaviest sin they can accumulate is stealing something at most, but the being in that tower is completely evil. It loves people who kill. Not a simple killing, a murder that could entertain him. Father was an extreme fanatic and wanted to use us to entertain that bastard."
Xingmo's hands, quivering with a mixture of dread and wrath, clasp his blanket as he remembers what happened that day, replaying a nightmare he had always wanted to forget.
Xingmo continues his story. "Gods are whimsical. Even if father is his believer, he would only lean on the side that entertained him the most. I pretended to follow father's plans and held the sword father gave us both. In the end, I killed him, the former king. Haha~"
"But what can I do? Xiao Yun is too young. I promised the male queen to protect him. Maybe because he already knew that father was insane. So I made a wish to that being... to play the role of villain and make Xiao Yun kill me in the end.
This is the exchange contract I made with that devil. That's why father returned to us to the kingdom alive that day, but he is no longer our original father but a puppet created by that being to do the end of his contract. My wish is for him to let go of his influence on our kingdom. In exchange for it, I will fight with Xian Yun and act as a villain to entertain that being."
Xingmo looked at Fu Zin and saw that he had a disbelieving expression on his face. He only smiled when he saw such a thing. "A'Zin, I don't care if you believe me or not. As long as I don't die, this kingdom and the royal family won't be freed from those evil clutches. Fu Zin, you must help Xiao Yun kill me. The rebellion Xingju had started is something I instigated him to do."
"In this life, I chose no one to trust no one. My queen, my concubines, and my ministers are all pawns for this play. I'm only capable of saying this now because I feel that the contract I had with that Evil God had weakened. Before, when I tried to mention it, it would constrict my breathing as if someone were strangling me.
Since it weakened, it means he had chosen Xingju, that foolish son of mine, as his new heir. All I wanted was for Xiao Yun to live the rest of his life happy with you, because I would no longer be there to accompany him until the end. If possible, if Xingju repents, please spare his life. This is the last wish and regret I have in this life," Xingmo said.
The reason Fu Zin felt depressed after learning the truth was that he did not think Xingmo would actually damage him and Xingyun, which is why he came to meet them tonight. Who would have thought that the truth would be much more terrible and horrible than he had anticipated?
"Dage, is there no other way?" Fu Zin asked.
With a smile on his face and a gentle pat on Fu Zin's head, Xingmo expressed his admiration for their relationship, having watched this young man grow up, always following Xingyun like a little guardian angel.
However, after what had happened in the tower, Xingmo no longer chose to have anyone by his side, believing that he could only fulfill his duties as the elder brother and king of this kingdom by himself.
"Mortals had no way to fight the gods, especially an evil one like the one in the tower. Well, unless another god interferes, I can only complete the contract I made," His Highness Xingmo said. "A'Zin promises to tell everything to Xiao Yun only after my death. I don't want him to do anything foolish before the contract is completed."
"I... promise, dage," Fu Zin said as he prepared to leave. He helped him lie down on the bed and covered him with a blanket.
Xingmo said before closing his eyes to sleep, "A'Zin, protect Xiao Yun, and look out for the head of the Noble Faction. Like my father, that clan is also a fanatic of that evil god."
Before leaving, Fu Zin bows to Xingmo; however, what he does not know is that Xingmo remained awake after his departure, and another shadow—his own shadow guard—appears in front of him, loyal to him alone, not to the crown.
"Nameless, observe the movements the Yi Clan will make. Don't get too close. Watch from a distance. If that stupid son of mine appears, report to me immediately," Xingmo commanded.
The shadow didn't respond and instantly left after receiving his master's orders. Even though the master doesn't trust him completely, this shadow guard is extremely loyal to Xingmo. After all, Xingmo is his savior. He is someone who saved this slave and gave him a new life.
Xingmo mumbles, "Soon everything will be over." Then he closes his eyes, planning to sleep.
As for Fu Zin, he started to send people to investigate everyone from the Noble Faction. This includes the Yi and Gu clans.
---
Meanwhile, in Numen Town...
While the children sleep in another room, Ye Jieye and Mo Xuejing share a bed; they have not fallen asleep yet after putting the cubs to sleep. Ye Jieye is using his fire elemental ability to help his wife dry his hair while they lay side by side on the bed. Ye Jieye and the family were now preparing for their next hunt, which would take place in another danger zone—the Aurora Glaciers.
Mo Xuejing said, "A'Ye, next month, are you going to accompany me home to the clan?"
"Yes, I'm afraid they won't let you out once you go back alone," Ye Jieye said.
Mo Xuejing asked, "Can we bring the children? I wanted to introduce my grandfather to them."
Ye Jieye took a while to reply because, from what he had heard about the Mo Clan, the Ancestor of the Clan was the one who had killed the two of them and forced them to live apart for years. When Mo Xuejing saw his husband become silent, he knew that he was afraid the old man would hurt their cubs and make his husband lose his temper.
In the worst-case scenario, the whole Mo Clan will be destroyed by his man.
Mo Xuejing said, "Grandfather had changed. He must have already known about our relationship, but he sent no one else from the clan except Yuhan. It was as if he knew that Yuhan would inform us about our past relationships, which we had forgotten. Can you give him a chance to repent?"
"It is not him I am worried about," Mr. Jieye said.
Mo Xuejing thought for a moment and realized who his husband was talking about. It's about the man who took over his body.
"Is it about that soul in my original body?" he asked.
Ye Jieye nodded his head and pulled his beloved closer to him in an embrace. He said, "That person hates me a lot. I'm afraid you might get frightened by him when you see his reaction when seeing me."
"You know who that man Chaos is?" Mo Xuejing asked in bewilderment and confusion
Ye Jieye answered, "You should know him better. After all, he is you and not you at the same time."