349 Siblings (1/2)
Chapter 349: Siblings
Translator: TransnEditor: Transn
Even though the Golden Roc Fort's camp outside the capital of the Stone Kingdom seemed peaceful, everyone in it was on high alert. They kept their sabers with them at all times and even left them unsheathed and close by so that it would be easier to strike when the time came.
The attendants who did not know kung fu were even more anxious and most of them went into hiding. They wished that the ground were softer so that they could dig a hole and hide in it. Everyone standing guard at their post was shaking terribly, so much so that it seemed no one would be able to hold a glass of water without spilling its contents out.
Shangguan Fei was seating in his tent. Like the guards, he had drawn his saber, and like the attendants, he was trembling. He was forced to take extraordinary measures as things had gone way south for him and he was in the worst possible situation currently.
He watched his remaining servants warily, secretly suspicious that everyone in the world wanted him dead.
He had given the order to break camp and begin the journey back to Jade City upon his arrival back from the royal palace, but it was not carried out. Most of the people in the camp remained where they were; it was as if the Ninth Young Master was invisible and his words muted.
He came to understand that his failure to become prince consort did not disrupt the Supreme King's plot to kill him and put the blame on the Dragon King. He was well aware that the killers sent to this camp by his father were hiding somewhere nearby and waiting for the prime opportunity to strike.
He was in a state of extreme fear but could still think clearly. He knew that it was pointless to flee, as many eyes were watching him. He was sure that the arrows would come flying towards him even before he could escape from the camp.
Perhaps, the only option available to him could work out.
He had already sent out his killers and was waiting for them to come back with good news.
It was soon late night, the time when killers loved to roam.
The flap of his tent opened, and the figures who stepped in did not belong to those killers he had sent out. Even though they were dressed identically in black and wore masks as well, he could tell them apart at a glance.
There were a total of three of them, and they took up different positions around the young master, silently watching him. Shangguan Fei guessed that there were possibly more of them outside the tent.
His servant crumpled to the floor as he hugged his head. He even began sobbing softly.
Shangguan Fei forced himself to be strong and managed to squeeze out a stiff smile. ”So, you're moving against me now?” he asked.
The masked figures did not reply. Killing one's master was inauspicious, even if the order came from the Supreme King. After a while, one of them spoke, ”Please make a trip with us, Ninth Young Master.”
hangguan Fei wanted to ask them where they were bringing him to but quickly came to understand where they would be going. ”Where else could they bring me? My body has to be found in the city for my death to be blamed on the Dragon King,” he thought.
”I have a solution,” said Shangguan Fei. He felt that he could not maintain his composure for much longer and had to speak his mind as soon as he could. ”You just wish to frame the Dragon King by falsely accusing him of killing someone from the Golden Roc Fort, don't you? There's an even better candidate than me to be the sacrificial lamb—my sister.”
”Why would the Dragon King kill me? He's already become the princess' fiance, hasn't he? However, he has every reason to kill Shangguan Ru. He loves her and even had her soon-to-be husband murdered. Everyone knows that, so—”
He swept his gaze across the faces of the three killers. ”He tried to force himself on her and killed her by accident. Isn't it the perfect story? No one can point out a flaw in it, and the Golden Roc Fort can use it to stop the ceasefire as planned, thereby being able to launch an attack on the Great Snowmountain again,” he suggested.
An eager look was plastered all over his face, making him look like a child who had cleaned up his room on his own accord and who was excitedly telling his parents about his accomplishment. However, the masked figures were not his parents, and they remained unmoved. Shangguan Fei grew a little anxious as he continued, ”There's no benefit to be gained from killing me; once the lord comes to his senses, he'll regret it and come looking for those that killed me. Besides, my mother would never let my murderer off.”
The three masked figures remained silent, but finally, they seemed to be convinced and retreated out of the tent.
Shangguan Fei let out a breath of air heavily. He felt that his legs had become as soft as jelly and he needed to sit down.
Another person came walking into his tent, and Shangguan Fei looked as if he had seen a ghost. He immediately stood up again, as if he had sat on a bed of pins. ”You... what're you doing here?”, he asked.
Shangguan Ru looked at her brother, a mixture of pity, disappointment, anger, doubt and detachment, feelings which she could not explain, churning within her heart. ”You don't even have the courage to kill me yourself, do you?” she questioned.
Shangguan Fei's first reaction was denial, but could not find his tongue just as his mouth was open halfway. The three masked figures were not his executioners and possibly were not even killers. To begin with, it was a ploy by his sister to get him to speak.
He was ashamed and angry at the same time. He stared at his sister for a while before sobbing just like the slave paralyzed on the floor. ”I've no choice, little sister. I've no choice. I'm afraid, too afraid. I don't understand why Father would want to kill me. Forgive me! Besides, it was not my idea to kill you. It was Mother. Yes, her. She requested for you to follow me. She didn't say it explicitly, but...”
Shangguan Ru did not need her brother to explain in detail. After receiving the Dragon King's warning, she understood the entire conspiracy; she sent people to test her brother because she wanted to hear his confession at first hand.
Other than their mother, no one else could force her to come to the Stone Kingdom. In truth, she could not help her brother in any manner in his quest to become the prince consort; her only usefulness was that she could take her brother's place as the sacrificial lamb.
This was the reality of life in the Stone Castle—siblings would kill each other and the sole survivor would take over the mantle of the Supreme King. She had seen through all of it a long time ago, but when this harsh reality was to be applied to her own life, she still could not help but feel a heart-wrenching pain inside.
”Do you think that Father would let you off just by acting in this way?” she asked softly. She felt her own hatred for her brother slowly dissipating; he was the weakling of the fort, and everything he did was nearly never of his own accord.
”I... I don't know,” said Shangguan Fei blankly; he had stopped crying. He never dared to consider this possibility. ”Mother... she would save me.”
”If she had the ability to save you, she would not have risked sending you here in the first place. Don't you get it? She's lost the favor of our father, and she no longer has the right to speak to him.”
Shangguan Fei shook his head violently, unwilling to admit this obvious truth. ”Never, never, Mother would never lose the favor of Father, he likes her so much...”