Opposite Ye Zhao and Pei Yunting sat Wei Xiyang, perched in a domineering, wide-stanced sprawl that suggested he had no intention of leaving. For a time, the three of them were plunged into an unspeakable silence.
Ye Zhao looked at the man beside him, who was as laconic as if words were made of gold, and then at the man opposite him, whose eyes were wide as copper bells, glaring at him like a predatory tiger. "Ahem... Old Master Wei, perhaps you should head back and rest?"
Wei Xiyang’s face remained grim, his expression unchanging. His voice was cold as he replied, "Did I not make myself clear, or are you deaf? Someone is trying to harm you. I must stand guard here personally to see who dares approach!"
*Ugh... I get it.*
The old man knew this was a trap set by someone in the shadows targeting Ye Zhao, so he had decided to act as a personal "door god" to protect him.
It was a kind gesture, and Ye Zhao appreciated it, but...
A massive drop of cold sweat slid down Ye Zhao’s temple. Suppressing the urge to twitch his lips, he said tactfully and gently, "But... I’m perfectly safe staying in the tent. There are layers of guards surrounding us, and besides, don't I have Yunting and the others by my side?"
His voice trailed off as Wei Xiyang’s expression grew even more solemn.
The old man’s words struck directly at a sore spot. "What damn use are all those guards! Look at Hu Hante—wasn't he butchered with a single blade right in his own tent? All that height and bulk for nothing."
"And then look at you..." Wei Xiyang’s gaze swept Ye Zhao from head to toe before indifferently drifting away.
Though he said nothing more, the way his eyes rolled back with such intensity that they became a caricature made Ye Zhao feel a sense of naked contempt.
*Stab—* A blade went straight through his heart. Ye Zhao swallowed a mouthful of metaphorical blood and forced a resilient smile. *I’m sorry for being so short, okay?*
But on second thought, Ye Zhao realized that—perhaps by coincidence—he was the only one being targeted by Wei Xiyang’s poisonous tongue. He looked at Pei Yunting and then smiled at Wei Xiyang. "Why don't you say anything about Yunting? Isn't he here too?"
Ye Zhao asked directly, and Wei Xiyang answered even more bluntly.
He flicked his eyes toward Pei Yunting and then lazily withdrew them. "With his martial arts, I don't need to worry about his safety. As for you, just make sure you don't get him killed because of your own incompetence..."
"Pfft—" Ye Zhao clutched his chest. Another blade to the heart. He felt like performing a dramatic scene of spitting blood all over Wei Xiyang’s face.
As the subject of the praise, Pei Yunting showed no reaction. He sat there composed, sipping his tea with an air of serene tranquility.
Ye Zhao stared at Wei Xiyang, who didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with his words. He stared hard.
"What are you looking at me for? Want to spar?"
This old brute’s nerves were exceptionally sensitive at certain times, yet at others, they were so dull one wished to sharpen them with a whetstone to see if they could be made any finer.
Ye Zhao’s eyes welled with "tears" as he chose to yield. "...No!"
"If you want to stay in this tent, then stay. I’m going out for a walk."
Struck into a state of self-imposed isolation, Ye Zhao wanted to be alone.
As he moved to stand up, he was yanked so hard he stumbled, nearly falling over.
Grabbing Ye Zhao’s sleeve, Wei Xiyang roared, "Where do you think you're going! Did you forget what I just said? Stay here, properly."
Ye Zhao said helplessly, "I’m just walking around the camp. I won't run off."
"That won't do either!"
Ye Zhao sat back down and let out a frustrated sigh.
Watching Wei Xiyang, who was now idly and quietly wiping his saber, Ye Zhao suddenly asked, "Old Master Wei, do you miss Lord Tianshu?"
...
His movements froze. Wei Xiyang looked up at Ye Zhao. "Why bring that up all of a sudden?"
Ye Zhao rested his chin in his hands. His face, which directly faced the old man and bore a striking resemblance to *that* person, was full of peace. He asked the question like a curious child.
But in Wei Xiyang’s memory, that face should never have worn such an expression. Most of the time, it was cold, confident, arrogant, and dangerous—even the smiles carried an overwhelming pressure that made resistance impossible.
Noticing Wei Xiyang’s daze, Ye Zhao acted as if he hadn't seen it. He tilted his head slightly and replied, "Because whether it's you or the others who knew Lord Tianshu back then, you are all looking for his shadow in me."
Just like now.
"But in truth, we are two different people. He is Tianshu, and I... I will always be Ye Zhao."
As Ye Zhao finished speaking slowly, Wei Xiyang snapped back, "Nonsense!"
He realized something immediately after speaking, his expression turning slightly flustered. He looked away, but his voice remained exceptionally firm. "I know who you are!"
Ye Zhao’s gaze darkened. "Do you really know?"
His voice betrayed no joy or anger; it was as calm as a spring flowing in the night—unhurried, yet carrying the inherent chill of the darkness. He continued, "The Yulin Guards follow me every day. You are aware of my every word and action, so naturally, you understand what kind of person I am."
The other two remained silent. Ye Zhao smiled, the corners of his beautiful lips curling into a slight arc. The previous innocent beauty was now laced with the mischief of a child’s prank, and his deep pupils took on a dangerous, hypnotic hue. Wei Xiyang, meeting those eyes directly, was utterly stunned.
Then, he heard Ye Zhao speak softly: "You should be glad I am not Tianshu, that I do not possess his abilities. As many people as he could save, he could kill just as many. Tianshu was a god, but I... I intend to be a demon."
*Thump... Thump-thump...*
One beat, two beats...
In the silence, only the sound of a heart thundering in a chest, as if it were about to leap out, remained.
"The difference between a god and a demon is but a single thought. A god who has grown to loathe the world is a far more terrifying existence than any demon." Ye Zhao lazily lowered his hands, stood up, straightened his sleeves, and finally walked out of the tent.
Just like back then.
Wei Xiyang sat in a daze for a long time, unable to recover his senses. The image of that familiar backward glance frozen in his mind made his heart race like a drum.
But in his memory, such a warning look should not have been directed at him...
Wei Xiyang grit his teeth and pursed his lips. His heart was filled with an indescribable emotion—part loss, part resentment. He desperately wanted to rush forward and pick a fight with that person, but before he could even take a step, he knew... he wouldn't be able to throw that punch.
"Hmph!" Wei Xiyang stood up and strode away.
Just as he left the tent, he ran into two children.
The Fourth Prince, Wei Yang, immediately greeted him excitedly upon seeing him. "Duke of the State!"
However, he only received a brief grunt from Wei Xiyang before the man passed him by.
"Eh? Why is the Duke ignoring me?" Wei Yang looked confusedly at the back that was quickly disappearing.
Beside him, Wei Jiaojiao also glanced in the direction her grandfather had vanished, instinctively finding an excuse for him. "My grandfather has urgent business."
"Oh..." Wei Yang, who believed whatever he was told, accepted her words immediately without any hesitation.
Then, Wei Yang marched valiantly into Ye Zhao’s tent. But when he saw the only person inside, his momentum collapsed. "Eh? Ye Zhao isn't here?"
Pei Yunting, who looked like he was about to head out, gave a plain salute. "Correct."
With that, he also turned to go look for Ye Zhao.
"Hey!"
Having come to settle scores with Ye Zhao only to find him gone, Wei Yang looked in the direction Pei Yunting had left, then back at the empty tent. He hesitated on the spot, feeling both angry and dejected, before pulling himself together. He waved his small hand and said, "Come on! Let's go find that liar. This Prince will definitely make him admit he’s a fake Lord Tianshu!"
Wei Jiaojiao, who had been asked by the adults in her family to look after the Fourth Prince, hadn't been familiar with Wei Yang before. But after just a few words, she had been brought along by the chubby little boy to seek revenge on Ye Zhao. Along the way, she had gained a full understanding of the old grudge between the Fourth Prince and Ye Zhao.
Then, the conversation somehow shifted to a rumor that had been spreading widely of late. Wei Yang was absolutely the person in all of Great Wei who least believed that Ye Zhao was the reincarnation of Tianshu!
Wei Yang, who harbored a deep loathing for Ye Zhao, insisted: "Fake, it's all fake. It must be fake. How could Ye Zhao possibly be the legendary Lord Tianshu?"
But Wei Jiaojiao didn't think so. Although she was also somewhat puzzled, that wasn't what the adults in her family had told her. She said, "My grandfather didn't say that. He said he is."
"He's not!" Wei Yang was incredibly certain, speaking with righteous indignation. "The Duke of the State must have been tricked too!"
"My grandfather wouldn't be tricked!" Wei Jiaojiao retorted.
Wei Yang gave a heavy huff. "Just you wait! What this Prince says is definitely right!"
Wei Jiaojiao didn't argue with him, but from her expression, it was clear she still didn't believe Wei Yang.
The two children, neither able to convince the other, continued their search for the culprit who had caused this argument.
Wei Yang made full use of his royal privileges and found the person they were looking for before Pei Yunting did.
"Found you at last!"
At that moment, Ye Zhao was squatting in a small corner between two tents, staring at the sky, lost in thought. In the midst of the seclusion and peace, Wei Yang’s loud shout gave him a start.
Ye Zhao hurriedly looked at the two children who had jumped out from nowhere, patting his chest with lingering fear. "Fourth Highness, do you know that scaring people like that can kill them?"
"Hmph!" Wei Yang puffed out his little belly, hands on his chubby waist, nose pointed to the sky. He ignored the helplessness on Ye Zhao’s face entirely, looking rather smug instead. "It serves you right if you're scared to death! Who told you to do something so guilty?"
Ye Zhao: "Hmm? What guilty thing have I done?"
Wei Yang put on a fierce face, pointing a finger at Ye Zhao. "It’s spread all over the palace and the city! They say you are Lord Tianshu, and you still dare not to admit it?"
*Oh, so it's about this.*
Having long ago realized that this chubby kid was a die-hard Tianshu fan, Ye Zhao sighed. "Fine, I have heard something of this matter."
Wei Yang continued fiercely: "Then do you admit you've been lying to people!"
Ye Zhao tucked his hands into his sleeves, looking perfectly calm. "I never said I was."
...Wei Yang, who had been aggressive just a moment ago, froze. His wide-strained eyes went blank for a second as he stared at Ye Zhao, and the atmosphere became strangely quiet.
"But my grandfather said you are."
The girl’s crisp voice broke the silence. Her two large, watery eyes gazed quietly at Ye Zhao, clear and innocent like two polished glass marbles, pure and beautiful.
Recognizing Wei Jiaojiao, with whom he had once made a joking promise about her being a "little wife," Ye Zhao sighed helplessly. "That’s because your grandfather was mistaken."
"But Grandpa Xie said so too." The little girl was both puzzled and serious, stubborn in her opinion.
"Oh, then your Grandpa Xie was mistaken as well."
Ye Zhao replied simply.
"Everyone says so."
"Then everyone is wrong."
Being brushed off like this, Wei Jiaojiao fell silent, her small brow furrowed as if she were thinking about something.
Seeing this, Wei Yang jumped out, happy and smug. "See! He admitted it! He really isn't Lord Tianshu."
Hearing this, Wei Jiaojiao hesitated briefly. "Are you really not Lord Tianshu?"
Her expression as she looked at Ye Zhao was incredibly serious, her eyes fixed on him as if trying hard to distinguish something.
But the answer was destined to disappoint her. Ye Zhao: "Really not."
"Do you not remember who you are?" Recalling what her grandfather had told her before, Wei Jiaojiao asked.
Ye Zhao let out a small laugh. "I remember. My surname is Ye."
His voice was very calm, not at all dismissive just because he was talking to a child.
After watching Ye Zhao for a while, Wei Jiaojiao finally realized he was being serious. Her expression became hesitant and confused, with a hint of dejection.
She looked at Ye Zhao, and finally, her expression became firm again. She balled her fists and shouted, "My grandfather said you are, so you are!"
"You *are* Tianshu!"
Having said her piece, as if afraid of being refuted by Ye Zhao again, she turned and ran away quickly, the silver bells in her hair ringing with a hurried melody.
Wei Yang was startled to see Wei Jiaojiao run off and quickly chased after her. "Eh?! Wait for me!"
Left behind, Ye Zhao expressed his helplessness to himself. "Are little girls these days all so unreasonable?"
As Wei Yang chased after her, his round back radiated a sense of cocky pride. "I told you he wasn't."
"But it doesn't matter. This Prince is much more impressive than that Ye Zhao!"
"Let's go horse riding and hunting. What do you like?"
"Rabbits? Foxes? I can catch them all. Even a tiger... is no problem! My Second Brother hunted one a few years ago, so I definitely can too!"
...
Ye Zhao, who hadn't intended to eavesdrop, couldn't help but burst out laughing.
*What makes you think that because your second brother can do it, you can too?*
*You haven't even eaten a tiger's gall for courage, yet you're already acting this big?*
*Hahaha, 'Fatty Tiger,' you're something else.*
Ye Zhao was highly amused when a cold voice came from beside him. "Are you so certain you are right?"
In other words: *Are you so convinced you aren't Tianshu? Or is it that you are unwilling, or afraid, to believe it?*
Ye Zhao lightly waved his folding fan, turned his head, and said nonchalantly, "Otherwise, should I believe your nonsense?"
Pei Yunting’s brow furrowed. He wanted to see the expression of the person who had just said those words, but Ye Zhao had already turned away, leaving him unable to glimpse even a hint of his thoughts.
"Were you serious about what you said? If you really are Tianshu, you..."
"Let's go!" Ye Zhao interrupted the unfinished sentence, taking the lead and strolling leisurely back. "We've been out long enough; it's time to go back and stay put."
Pei Yunting frowned, his face grave. After a moment of hesitation, he followed.
***
