NOVEL NEXT Chapter 331: The Whispering
"Huh… Papa bug… look, Mama bug finally doubts if you are a masochist."
Amidst being enchanted and tortured to give up, Shao Cheng inwardly sighs before deciding to ignore Ren Yuan and Purple who could still misbehave in such a situation.
After slowly standing up, Shao Cheng, wrapped by the dark mist with the eerie soul orbs sticking on his body, looks ahead with his dim sapphire eyes.
Even the voices that continue to plague him all these days, completely trying to break his will and taking away his reason seemed to ease a tiny bit.
It was the voices of the people he once cared for, the people who he had failed and ignored in the previous life, and the countless lives he had taken away.
The voices were filled with various emotions and all jumbled up together that Shao Cheng's mind began to become slightly confused. Even if his will is strong and firm, it doesn't change the fact that the black mist knows what can affect him.
Nonetheless, Shao Cheng had always known that he was back again and could start fixing all the errors, mistakes, and blunders he had already once failed.
"... Let's start."
Shao Cheng chose to label the sudden question of Ren Yuan as his usual antics that don't need to be seriously answered and has taken a step forward. Which causes the bloodstained water in the pool to shake while the dark mist around his body chaotically moves around, vaguely showing his slender figure inside it.
One step at a time, Shao Cheng felt heavy pressure pressing over his body, the countless resentment and hatred of the sacrificed soul began to become restless, even the confusing whispering in his ears turned harsh and violent.
At the same time, confusing him even more when using the previous life memories.
"Brother Cheng, Little Ya is scared… My dad doesn't love me, my stepmother wants me dead, even my sister and brother don't like me… no one cares about me… Brother Cheng, you are all I have left… you won't leave me, right?"
"Brother Cheng, the Royal family is cold and ruthless… Brother Cheng, please help me… I don't want to die… Ah, I'm not asking to become the Emperor, I just want to survive… please, Brother Cheng…"
After stopping at the edge of the chaotic pool, Shao Cheng couldn't help but smile ironically when he once again listened to the words that had easily pulled him into a life filled with hardship and difficulty.
However, he also understood that it was all the consequences of his actions even if he was being foolishly used in the end.
I was just stupid… blinded by the people I cared for… so such a miserable ending was also caused by myself…
It was already a long time ago, one could say, there are only remnants regarding the betrayal of the previous life. After all, the people who can touch Shao Cheng's heart are something that he wouldn't easily forget and ignore completely.
Because he is a person that cared too much if he accepted someone in his life.
He is a person that lives for others.
A person that could sacrifice and give more than what others could give back, it was such a self-sacrificing act to the point of foolishness just as Ren Yuan mentioned when he was dying.
And yet, when Shao Cheng remembers about the promise he has accepted in the moment of death, ironically, it seems that he would become more foolish in this life.
Ren Yuan, following you is going to be harder and burdensome than I thought…
Who made me fall for you in this life?
"Male, age 28, birth date, March 20…"
Once again reaching out, Shao Cheng began the sacrifice, and Ren Yuan, who had been seriously watching the movement of the young man, swiftly picked up the person that matched the details.
And without hesitation, Ren Yuan threw it to the young man and accurately let the unconscious person fall just at the edge of the chaotic pool.
As for the unconscious person never showing reaction and unable to wake up despite the rough handling, it was the last kindness that they could give them. They will let the sacrificed people remain ignorant in their situation, never knowing and feeling the moment of their death.
It's completely unfair? A hypocrite's kindness?
Everyone knows that this is how the world works.
Shao Cheng dim sapphire eyes flicker to Ren Yuan figure for a split second, before swiftly removing any emotions on his face, causing the sudden loud screaming in his ears to become futile.
So with an emotionless machine state, Shao Cheng left hand pulled the first sacrifice up while in his right hand, one of the soul orbs that match the details seemed to have been pulled upon it.
The dark mist has also been swept backward, but still sticking stubbornly, however, it finally shows Shao Cheng's complete figure, which was almost beyond recognition to his usual neat and clean appearance.
The pure snow-white robes had ripped in various parts and the bloodstained color had almost stained all the white color.
The long black hair that was tied up in a ponytail was untied, the thick silky hair was spread around the slender body, while some were sticking to the extremely pale face and slender neck.
And yet, the most noticeable of all is the usually cold sapphire eyes that no longer contain any emotion, even the attractive face has scratched upon it, injuring such a beautiful appearance.
There is also the pale lip having dried blood at the corner, showing the line where the blood has flowed down.
Such disorder and injured appearance caused Ren Yuan's eyes to darken dangerously with his hands fisted violently, that the vein bulged upon it, even his chest undulated fast from trying hard to suppress the terrifying emotions that wanted to erupt.
"I offered… the first sacrifice…"
Soon, an emotionless voice rang out, and everyone watched as the eery orb in the young man's right hand turned into a dagger form, before it was swiftly and ruthlessly plunged into the unconscious person's heart.
And when the dagger was heartlessly twisted and pulled away, a disgusting squelching sound echoed out loud in the large hall.
While the blood spurted and splattered in the young man's body, and yet, he didn't show any reaction and continued the sacrifice without stopping, seemingly only knowing to complete the entire process as the dying body was thrown behind him, causing a loud splash in the bloodied pool.
There is also the fact that everyone has become nothing with only the sacrifice remaining reflected in the young man's emotionless sapphire eyes.
Even Ren Yuan's existence seemed to have become unimportant, and yet, no matter how uncomfortable the man felt inside, no matter how complicated it was after witnessing the young man act of taking a person's life, he continued to accurately throw the next person needed for the sacrifice.
However, the guilt he hasn't forgotten in the past once again appeared.
After all, Ren Yuan was the entire reason why the young man had spilled the blood of others for the first time during the time that they were being hunted down by the people that wanted his life.
I am the reason Little Cheng has taken a person's life.
It also seemed that a door had been opened completely wide, unable to close it anymore when that day occurred.
Ren Yuan understands that he has awakened a side of the young man that should have remained tightly shut. Even he wasn't ignorant at the fact that countless people died by this young man's hands.
And even more, people would die in the future because of it.
However, no matter how much blood will be spilled, Ren Yuan has already decided to accept this side of the young man. Because it was also his responsibility to take upon.
Although there is also a sort of relief in Ren Yuan's heart for turning the young man bad.
Because, in the end, he was never a good person, if the young man has remained 'good' all the time, there is a fact that they might have never been so close as they are now. He wasn't a person that long for the light.
Ren Yuan might not look like it, but he understands the fact that he is quite a bloodthirsty person.
He is born with strong bloodlust, he is just good at controlling and suppressing it.
So having a bad friend that would continue to kill is such a fitting condition for him.
So in the large hall, only two people were able to quietly watch the entire process of the sacrifice without a wave of emotions in their hearts.
While Jiayi has already long been silent while trying hard to open her eyes wide to watch the entire situation. Because no matter what memories she has been given, it didn't change the fact that this is the first time in her life to witness such a bloody scene.
Even Lin Renshu, who has been mostly living in the dark, secretly hiding what kind of a person he really is, felt something. So when he saw the heartless reaction of Ren Yuan and the young man's emotionless state, he could only inwardly sigh deeply.
These two people are really perfect with each other…
Suddenly, Lin Renshu couldn't help but think that if these two monsters get together in the future, what kind of mayhem would they create? Somehow, he could already imagine the entire Chang Empire in great chaos.
"Little Cheng… Our Little Cheng, Why? Don't you love us? Don't you even care about us for a little bit?"
"Third Brother! Why are you doing this to us? We are your family, right? Why are you so nice to them instead of us?"
"Grandfather, Father, Mothers, Older Brothers, Older Sisters, even our younger sister…. Third Brother, all of them are gone… are you happy now!?"
Amidst the sacrifice, Shao Cheng the heavy pressure continues to grow stronger, powerful enough to cause his stabbing to slow down. Even the confusing whispering had leveled up, showing vague familiar figures in the corner of his eyes.
Then Shao Cheng felt the familiar burning in his throat when he was poisoned to death, which is enough to disrupt his emotionless state before it was followed with the familiar words that had pierced and twisted his heart in the past.
"This Emperor has always loathed the way you always look toward us. We are the Emperor and aren't another person, nor a substitute to whoever you have been seeing through me."
"Although we are grateful for all the help you have done with us, however, we are the Emperor, we are competent and don't need any help in handling our Empire. We also don't need another person to have more power than us."
"Ah, your majesty, you are always so kind and gentle. There is no need to be so gentle toward this traitor."
Suddenly, Shao Cheng stood frozen with his hand holding the dagger form, remaining still in the second person in the last sacrifice heart.
"B-Brother Cheng… We… no, I was wrong…. B-Brother Cheng… Please save me!"
"R-right Big Brother Cheng, I am wrong! It's my fault! Please save Little Ya, Big Brother!"
And it was not because of the sudden occurrence when he was betrayed, but because of the familiar voice that could always take his attention away, especially when it was filled with complicated emotions.
"Shao Cheng… you're so bad… even when you're dead… you are still giving me all this trouble and difficulty…"
"... why… I believed that I could forget it… really… since, you know, you're dead and all… and in the afterlife probably annoying everyone around you... but why can't I stop loving you? Shao Cheng… Cheng… Little Cheng… Damn it… I really love you…sobs…come and take responsibility, you irritating beautiful man..."
It was the day he learned about the man's feelings for him.