Once, I Was a Legend | Chapter 84 | Echoes of Tianshu | Novela.app

“Where did you get this?!” Wei Xiyang stared at the familiar object, visibly shaken. Whether it was the pattern of the soaring eagle on the handkerchief or the faint scent that could be detected from a pace away, both were identical to what he remembered. This belonged to the same person! This was *that* person’s possession! “Hmm? You mean this?” Ye Zhao looked at him, puzzled by the way his pupils constricted in shock. He gave the handkerchief a light shake. Wei Xiyang’s gaze seemed glued to it, moving in sync with the fabric. “A kind soul gave it to me. The scent was quite pleasant, so I kept it.” He spoke with total nonchalance, unaware that his words sent a thousand different thoughts racing through the minds of the others. Jiang Ziqi’s expression turned peculiar on the spot. Wei Xiyang clenched his fists, his brow furrowed so tightly it could have crushed a mosquito. He stared at Ye Zhao with a gaze that was a strange mix of eccentricity, indignation, and... was that a hint of disdain? Ye Zhao wondered if he was seeing things. Disdain? “You little prof—” “The owner of the handkerchief is from Dongling. There is a flower there called the Hundred-Mile Vine; fabric and thread soaked in its sap will carry this fragrance.” Almost simultaneously, Wei Xiyang’s furious roar and Pei Shian’s calm voice rang out. The latter’s words cut the former off. Pei Shian firmly gripped Wei Xiyang’s arm, the meaning in his eyes self-evident. The rest of Wei Xiyang’s unspoken words, along with his temper, were extinguished under that gaze, which was as silent and steady as water. “Hmph!” Whether he was angry with Ye Zhao or frustrated by Pei Shian’s reaction, he let out a sharp, indignant sigh, flicked his sleeves, and stormed off. Before leaving, he threw a harsh remark at Pei Shian: “I’ll see just how long you intend to keep spoiling him!” The others fell into silence, leaving only Ye Zhao looking utterly bewildered. “Has Old Man Wei been eating gunpowder lately?” No one answered his question. Pei Shian looked at him and asked calmly, “Do you like this scent?” Ye Zhao replied, “I do.” ... “Then keep it.” After a two-second pause, Pei Shian’s voice rose again. Having said that, he also departed. Ye Zhao looked at the remaining two. “Aren’t you two leaving?” If he remembered correctly, the palace was hosting a welcoming banquet for the envoys of the two nations tonight. Were they not attending? Pei Yunting looked at him with a cold gaze and did not answer, causing the atmosphere to suddenly stiffen. A second later, Xie Yusong took the initiative to break the silence. He smiled and said, “No. There’s nothing worth attending at today’s palace banquet. We might as well enjoy ourselves here with you.” “Oh...” Hearing this, Ye Zhao didn’t press further, seemingly convinced. In reality, their mission these past few days was to stay by Ye Zhao’s side and keep a close watch on him and Xiao Hongfei to ensure they didn't have too much contact. “Ye Zhao...” As the group sat quietly in the courtyard, with Pei Yunting and Xie Yusong starting a game of chess, Jiang Ziqi was the first to grow restless. He leaned toward Ye Zhao and began whispering in his ear. “What is it?” Ye Zhao asked, seeing Jiang Ziqi’s face twisted as if he were constipated. Seeing the other man hesitate, he added, “If you have something to say, just say it.” Jiang Ziqi stared at Ye Zhao for two seconds before finally blurting out, “Ye Zhao, do you actually... like men?” Though it was a question, his expression and tone carried a sense of certainty. Ye Zhao nearly knocked over his teacup. His eyes went wide as he turned to look at him in disbelief. “What are you talking about?!” The exclamation caused the other two to turn their gazes over. Jiang Ziqi looked left and right, feeling awkward and guilty for a moment. “Ahem... why are you shouting? I didn’t say much.” *You call that ‘not saying much’?!* Ye Zhao stared at Jiang Ziqi with a stunned expression, desperately wanting to pry open the fellow’s skull to see what strange things were packed inside. Having drawn the attention of the other two, Jiang Ziqi felt too embarrassed to say more, but his expression made his thoughts clear. Ye Zhao was speechless. “...I suggest you stop letting your imagination run wild.” Jiang Ziqi shifted his gaze, stubbornly insisting, “What am I imagining? You’re being nonsensical.” Having known this guy for so many years, Ye Zhao felt he understood him well enough. Glancing at the two sitting nearby, he grabbed Jiang Ziqi’s arm and said, “Fine. Since you seem so bored, why don’t you help me find that set of wooden tiles we played with a while ago? I can’t remember where I put them.” “There are four of us, just enough for a table,” Ye Zhao said as he pulled Jiang Ziqi away. “Hey... hey... don’t pull me.” As they walked off together, Jiang Ziqi kept shouting and nagging incessantly: “I told you to tidy up your room when you have time, but you never listen. Now you have to trouble me to help you.” He babbled on, but the moment the bedroom door closed, his voice stopped abruptly. Ye Zhao walked toward a cabinet in the room and began rummaging through things. “We need to be quick, or they’ll get impatient waiting.” Jiang Ziqi sighed and sat down casually by the table, looking not the least bit hurried. “What did you suddenly pull me in here for? Out with it.” Just as Ye Zhao understood Jiang Ziqi, the latter understood Ye Zhao’s every move. The tacit understanding between them had long since deepened. Ye Zhao’s hands didn't stop, and his expression remained peaceful, showing no change. “Is there something wrong with that handkerchief? Or rather... is there something wrong with the person who gave it to me?” Jiang Ziqi thought for a moment and replied, “I don’t know about that. I haven’t seen the person who gave it to you.” Then he added, “However, that is clearly a man’s item. Don’t you think your previous words sounded a bit like... flirting?” Ye Zhao’s hand paused. He slowly turned around and stared silently at Jiang Ziqi for two seconds before blunting out, “Do I really look like such a lecher?” Uh... Feeling embarrassed under the stare, Jiang Ziqi cleared his throat twice. “Ahem... no.” Seeing Ye Zhao turn back without a word, Jiang Ziqi stared at his back for a while. The silence in the room was heavy. For some reason, a sense of tension and unease began to creep into his heart. He couldn't tell if Ye Zhao was in a good or bad mood; it was just too quiet—so quiet that he felt compelled to find a topic of conversation. “Ye Zhao, if you ask me, you should just throw that handkerchief away.” “Oh? Why?” Ye Zhao continued searching the room. Neither his expression nor his movements showed any sign of anxiety; he moved unhurriedly, as if casually playing with the various objects. Jiang Ziqi hesitated for only a moment before speaking plainly: “Look at the Duke of Zhen’s reaction. One look and you can tell the owner isn't anyone good, otherwise he wouldn't dislike it so much. Even the Duke of An didn't look pleased when he saw what was in your hand. They won't harm you. It’s just a handkerchief; if you throw it away, it’s gone. Why bother upsetting them over it?” This wasn't wrong. It was just an inexpensive item; why upset those close to him? It was a simple choice, and Ye Zhao naturally knew how to choose. Yet, for reasons unknown, his final answer was: “If they dislike something, does it mean I cannot do it? Otherwise...” “Otherwise, I am no longer the person they think they know?” Ye Zhao did not turn around, but his movements suddenly halted. Jiang Ziqi was stunned, clearly sensing the strange tone in those words. But before he could figure it out, Ye Zhao turned back with a peaceful expression and a slight smile. “Just joking.” After saying that, he turned his back again. Jiang Ziqi stared blankly at the other’s back, ignoring the earlier strangeness in his heart, and continued, “Also, don't forget that the Dongling diplomatic mission has arrived in Tianshang Capital. It just so happens that the person who gave you the item is also from Dongling. There’s no such thing as such a coincidence. They are most likely after you!” Ye Zhao moved to another spot to continue his search, giving no indication of whether he had taken Jiang Ziqi’s words to heart. Seeing him so focused, Jiang Ziqi didn't mind and kept talking to himself. “I heard that... the foster son of the Great General of Dongling, that War God Xiao Mu, has also come.” “His name is... Xiao... Xiao what was it?” Jiang Ziqi racked his brain. Ye Zhao’s attention was caught by the words ‘foster son.’ He remembered that the strange man who gave him the handkerchief had mentioned a foster father. Could it be... Ye Zhao instantly made the connection and turned to ask, “Xiao what?” Jiang Ziqi was trying to remember as well, but perhaps because his head was stuffed with too much miscellaneous news or he was having a momentary brain fart, he couldn't recall the last two characters. He felt as though the name was just a step away, but he couldn't assemble the correct three characters. The feeling was incredibly frustrating! Jiang Ziqi began to scratch his head in frustration. But he wasn't given much time to figure out the name, as Xie Yusong and the other man, seeing that Ye Zhao and Jiang Ziqi hadn't returned, had come looking for them. Though no one gave Ye Zhao a definitive answer, he felt that there shouldn't be such a coincidence in this world. Then, the strange man whose identity was now roughly clear showed up at his door the very next day, quite openly. Ye Zhao: “...” He looked at the painting spread out on the table, then glanced at the man sitting nearby, calmly sipping tea. Although many thoughts flashed through his mind, his face remained calm and polite as he praised, “This painting... the brushwork is excellent, and the technique is exquisite. It is indeed a rare masterpiece!” It would have been even better if the person in the painting wasn't Lord Tianshu—a man who shared an identical face with him. His polite banter was performed perfectly in both tone and expression, yet no one present took it seriously. Xiao Hongfei leaned back in his chair, glancing at Ye Zhao with a hint of nonchalant amusement in his narrow eyes. “Does Master Ye not have any praise for the person in the painting?” Uh... *As long as I’m not embarrassed, the embarrassment belongs to others!* Ye Zhao ignored the teasing in the remark and said calmly, “Appraising paintings is not my specialty. If General Xiao is looking for someone to admire a painting with, perhaps you should find someone else?” “Pfft—” Xiao Hongfei let out a soft laugh. “At the palace banquet last night, everyone who saw this painting wanted to praise it to the heavens. You look at it and only offer that one sentence? Do you have no thoughts regarding the person in the image?” Uh... In all fairness, the person in the painting was an exceptionally handsome man. Coupled with the artist’s deliberate rendering, the entire piece was extraordinarily beautiful. On a battlefield where blood and war intertwined, under a grey sky and fierce fires, amidst a field of corpses, the figure standing on the high platform looked like a descending deity. Clad in fluttering black robes with dark hair lightly swaying, he was captured in the posture of drawing a bow. The sharpness and brilliance in his eyes, mirrored by the cold glint of the arrowhead, made it seem as if the arrow would burst from the painting and strike one’s heart in the next second. At first sight of the painting, Ye Zhao had inevitably been struck by the legendary figure’s aura, dazing for a moment before regaining his composure. But as for thoughts... Ye Zhao said, “General Xiao is making things difficult for me. Everyone knows how much I resemble Lord Tianshu. Now that you ask for my thoughts...” He chuckled softly and continued, “Should I praise him, or should I be modest and look upon it with indifference? After all, the former carries the suspicion of self-praise, and as for the latter... I am also unwilling to belittle myself.” Indeed, for two people who looked like reflections in a mirror yet were not the same person, it was visually identical but psychologically awkward. Xiao Hongfei had never experienced such a feeling, but that didn't stop him from understanding Ye Zhao’s meaning. He smiled. “You truly are candid.” Ye Zhao agreed and decided to be a bit more candid out of kindness, advising the other man, “General Xiao, I roughly know why you have come. But if I may be blunt, I have been deeply troubled by rumors lately. So, some words are best just heard and not taken to heart.” After Ye Zhao said this, Xiao Hongfei remained silent. His eyelashes flickered slightly, and the expression in his pale eyes was unreadable. His deep voice carried a hint of inquiry. “Oh? Which words?” Ye Zhao didn't look at him. He sighed helplessly in his heart and said slowly, “A few months ago, rumors spread that I was Lord Tianshu’s son. Now... they say I *am* Lord Tianshu himself. Reincarnations, rejuvenation—all sorts of mystical nonsense has come out.” “Do many people believe it?” Ye Zhao nodded. “Many. Countless.” He paused, then added, “Most of them simply hope to see Tianshu return...” Rather than a Ye Zhao who was as ordinary as any other soul among the masses. In the room occupied by only the two of them, Xiao Hongfei didn't realize that the other’s sentence was only half-finished. He said, “Then the people you speak of certainly do not include me.” “Nor do they include the majority of the people in this world,” he added later. “Haha...” Ye Zhao laughed. “That’s true. Among the people of this world, there are ultimately more who hate Tianshu than those who love him.” After Ye Zhao finished, he let out a long sigh of relief, as if fortunate. “Fortunately, I am not him...” His gaze toward the ceiling was half-serious and half-sentimental. To him, being able to transmigrate and be reborn once was already good enough; there was no logic in a second rebirth. How could it be possible... How could he be the Lord Tianshu who appeared in this world thirty years ago... Ye Zhao refused to dwell on that possibility. Xiao Hongfei’s visit to have Ye Zhao appraise the painting lasted barely fifteen minutes. Ye Zhao escorted him to the main gate and bid him a polite farewell. Xiao Hongfei suddenly asked, “The handkerchief I gave Master Ye last time—do you still have it?” Ye Zhao paused and studied the other’s expression. “Since it was a gift from another, I naturally kept it. Does General Xiao wish for its return?” Ye Zhao intended to go back and retrieve it, but the other man had no such intention. He only gave Ye Zhao a deep look. “No need.” Having said that, he turned to leave, but halfway through the motion, he spoke to Ye Zhao again. “Master Ye’s affliction of being unable to stand the scent of osmanthus is truly identical to that of a certain person.” Ye Zhao turned his head to look. Xiao Hongfei was gazing at the blue sky, casually uttering a name. “Tianshu. You two really are... becoming more and more alike.” The low, slow tone drifted past Ye Zhao’s ear as the back of the figure in black martial attire gradually receded. Ye Zhao stood in place for a long time. Or perhaps, it wasn't as long as he imagined, for not much time had passed since he watched the other man disappear. But in that brief moment, what was he thinking? It felt as if he thought of many things, yet also as if he thought of nothing at all, his mind a total blank. Finally, he moved his somewhat stiff fingers and, without a word, turned and went back inside. *** **Glossary** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 百里藤 | Baili Vine | A plant from Dongling whose sap is used to scent fabric. 镇国公 | Duke of Zhen | "Protector of the State"; Wei Xiyang's title. 安国公 | Duke of An | "Pacifier of the State"; Pei Shian's title. 天上京 | Tianshang Capital | The capital city of the Kingdom of Wei. 萧鸿飞 | Xiao Hongfei | Foster son of Xiao Mu and a General from Dongling. 桂花 | Osmanthus | A fragrant flower; Ye Zhao and Tianshu share an aversion to its scent.