Although the body had been paralyzed for some time, its explosiveness remained remarkable.
The sound of wind roared past his ears as his body plummeted down in an instant.
Jiang Wu’s eyes were filled with desire, and a smile blossomed on his face.
His wrist was suddenly grabbed, followed by the sound of falling rocks. Yin Wuzhi’s hand dug heavily into the cliffside, sliding down more than a zhang (about 3.3 meters) before instinctively grabbing onto a dangling vine.
His fingertips cracked from friction, leaving bloody marks on the cliff.
Jiang Wu hung from the edge of the cliff, held by Yin Wuzhi, swaying slightly like a corpse as the wind blew from below.
“Your Majesty.” Yin Wuzhi called to him, “Your Majesty, there’s a vine below. Grab it, and we’ll climb up together.”
Jiang Wu didn’t want to listen.
He had already realized that the historical Jiang Wu wasn’t truly a tyrant, and everything had been a result of a series of unfortunate events. He might have changed history the moment he arrived, and now the idea of correcting history, forcing Yin Wuzhi to kill him, seemed utterly ridiculous.
Yin Wuzhi wouldn’t kill him.
Because Yin Wuzhi had fallen in love with him.
Look at the nonsense he was spouting—saying that Yao Ji and King Wen of Zhao couldn’t have given birth to him due to his skull shape. He could even say such absurd things.
He didn’t care whether Jiang Wu’s bloodline was pure anymore.
From now on, no matter what he did, Yin Wuzhi would always find a reason to justify it, all because the original person’s background was pitiable.
Just like that day when he wanted to kill King Xiang, he had said something similar.
But the original person was the original person, and he was a broken soul. The broken soul had no name, no origin, and no place to call home.
He didn’t want to occupy the original person’s body and use his background to glorify himself.
What did Yin Wuzhi love about him? Everything Yin Wuzhi saw belonged to the original person—the body, the face, and even the noble status.
The broken soul had nothing but consciousness. No real death, no real disappearance.
“Your Majesty.” Yin Wuzhi’s voice was loud, but even so, when it reached Jiang Wu’s ears through the wind, it became fragmented: “Your Majesty, listen to me.”
The weight of the two people made Yin Wuzhi’s grip uncontrollably slide down. Veins bulged on his forehead as he struggled, saying, “I’ll find a way—there must be a solution that spares you. I swear, I’ll find evidence to prove that you’re not King Wen’s son!! Did you hear me—”
Just moments ago, Jiang Wu had been pleased when he told Yin Wuzhi to dismiss everyone and be alone with him.
But now, here they were, hanging pitifully over a chasm, with a sheer cliff above and an abyss below. If Jiang Wu kept offering no help, there was no way they could climb back up.
“Your Majesty, think of me, think of me.” Yin Wuzhi pleaded. “If something happens to you, I’ll surely be killed!”
As long as Yin Wuzhi didn’t seek death, the Great Empress Dowager wouldn’t kill him.
If he handed over evidence of Yao Ji’s crimes and claimed that Jiang Wu committed suicide out of guilt, not only would he survive, but he would also become a hero of Great Xia.
Jiang Wu knew that Yin Wuzhi could protect himself.
He didn’t respond, letting his gaze drift to his dangling feet.
Then he looked up at Yin Wuzhi. His face had turned red from exertion, veins bulging on his neck, making his expression twisted. Seeing Jiang Wu finally raise his head, Yin Wuzhi’s face took on a look as if he might cry: “Your Majesty, let’s climb up. We can talk about everything once we’re up. Okay?”
Jiang Wu’s gaze fell on the hand gripping his wrist.
Honestly, being held by just one hand like this wasn’t exactly comfortable.
Yin Wuzhi saw through his intention. “No—what are you doing? Don’t you dare!!”
Jiang Wu reached out his other hand to pry open his fingers. Yin Wuzhi’s eyes widened with rage, nearly driven mad: “Jiang Wu!!”
He tightened his grip again and then forcefully flung Jiang Wu upwards. Caught off guard, Jiang Wu’s body was thrown several feet up, and at the same time, Yin Wuzhi’s hand slid further down the vine. He wrapped his arm tightly around Jiang Wu’s waist.
Jiang Wu met his bloodshot eyes and heard him say, “You want to go down.”
He spoke slowly and clearly, “I’ll take you down.”
The cloak billowed as Yin Wuzhi loosened his grip slightly, allowing his palm to glide over the vine as they both descended. Jiang Wu hadn’t realized how long the vine truly was; they kept sliding down, rocks tumbling from above, until finally, at the last inch of the vine, Yin Wuzhi swung them heavily.
Though still quite high, Yin Wuzhi lost his balance as they landed, stepping on a moss-covered boulder and tumbling down with Jiang Wu in his arms.
Yin Wuzhi pressed Jiang Wu’s head into his chest, so his head slammed into muscle instead, leaving him dizzy all the same.
They finally came to a stop.
Yin Wuzhi laid motionless on the ground, his arms spread wide as he loosened his protective grip on Jiang Wu.
For a moment, Jiang Wu laid quietly on top of him.
Until Yin Wuzhi started coughing, at which point Jiang Wu slowly sat up.
Yin Wuzhi propped himself up on one elbow, turning his head slightly to cough a few more times, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Falling from such a height while protecting Jiang Wu had undoubtedly caused internal injuries.
Blood spattered his chest, and he struggled to sit up, raising a hand with bulging veins to gently place it on Jiang Wu’s head. “It’s okay now.”
Jiang Wu looked at the blood at the corner of his mouth.
Yin Wuzhi swallowed the metallic taste in his throat. After a long pause, he spoke again, “Just some internal injuries, nothing serious.”
The light at the bottom of the cliff was not dim; in fact, there was a beautiful lake nearby, with clear water faintly reflecting a blue hue.
On the other side were wild shrubs and towering trees. Though it was early spring, most of the trees still bore the desolate look of winter, save for a few that were lush and grand, their branches covering the sky.
Yin Wuzhi said, “We probably won’t be able to get out today. The temperature is higher at the bottom of the cliff, and the humidity is high. There may be poisonous insects or wild beasts. We should find a place to rest and wait for someone to come for us.”
The temperature was indeed higher than above, but with the lake nearby, the wind blowing through still felt cold.
Jiang Wu didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t expected Yin Wuzhi to come down with him.
If it had only been him, lying still in peace would have sufficed, but with Yin Wuzhi here, he couldn’t do that.
Yin Wuzhi didn’t mention his attempt to jump off the cliff. They sat in silence for a while. After what seemed like enough time, Yin Wuzhi stood up and turned away, saying, “Let me carry you, Your Majesty.”
Jiang Wu didn’t move.
Yin Wuzhi turned back and reached out to help him.
“Don’t,” Jiang Wu said.
Yin Wuzhi crouched in front of him and said, “Let’s find a place to rest.”
“I’m tired.”
“That’s why I’ll take you,” Yin Wuzhi said. “I’ll carry you.”
He reached out again, but Jiang Wu responded, “Go find it yourself.”
“I won’t leave you.”
“You’re already injured.”
“I still won’t leave you.”
“Yin Wuzhi,” Jiang Wu said, “I don’t like you like this.”
“Then what do you like about me?”
Jiang Wu was silent for a moment before saying, “This is where I want to rest.”
“Fine. If you want to live here, we’ll build a house first and get supplies.”
Jiang Wu looked at him, his clear eyes devoid of any emotion. “I don’t need that.”
“If you don’t want a house and prefer a cave, that’s fine too. But first, we have to find one.”
“I want to be alone.”
Yin Wuzhi breathed heavily, though perhaps due to his injuries, his breath was loud. He stared at Jiang Wu for a long time before saying, “If you’re alone, who will take care of you?”
“…,” Jiang Wu stared at him for a while, speechless. “Don’t you understand? I want to rest here forever. I don’t need anyone to take care of me.”
Yin Wuzhi swallowed the metallic taste of blood, his Adam’s apple moving as he tried to speak. His voice remained soft. “I understand this is hard to accept, but Your Majesty, I believe that the late emperor wasn’t a fool. If Yao Ji had carried someone else’s child, he would have known. You must, must be his bloodline. Please, believe me… alright?”
Jiang Wu felt utterly drained.
He laid back down, unwilling to talk to Yin Wuzhi anymore.
Yin Wuzhi could only sit by his side. After a while, he coughed lightly again, covering his mouth as his face paled.
Jiang Wu turned his head to look at him, his eyelashes fluttering in exhaustion. After a long internal struggle, he finally forced himself to sit up.
It took him a while to build up the mental strength to say, “Fine, let’s go find a cave.”
Yin Wuzhi stood up, pausing midway, and Jiang Wu was already stumbling forward unsteadily.
Following behind him, Yin Wuzhi said, “If you get tired, I can carry you.”
“Yin Wuzhi,” Jiang Wu said, “you’re making this difficult for me.”
“I don’t mind…”
“I mean, you jumped down after me,” Jiang Wu said weakly. “And now you’ve gotten yourself hurt. Now I have to go find a cave for your sake… never mind.”
He slumped, his head drooping like a ghost as he trudged forward, step by step.
Yin Wuzhi said nothing more.
Before nightfall, they found a relatively dry cave. It was deep inside, and they couldn’t be sure if any large hibernating beasts were lurking further in.
Jiang Wu didn’t have the energy to explore, and Yin Wuzhi, due to his injuries, was also too weak to check.
So they simply sat in the sheltered part near the entrance.
“It might get cold tonight. I’ll go collect some firewood,” Yin Wuzhi said, but Jiang Wu remained silent.
“Your Majesty, don’t wander off.”
Jiang Wu was already curled up in a corner, eyes closed.
He wasn’t going anywhere.
He had used up all his energy today—more than he had in the past six months. He was so tired he could barely move and only wanted to sleep.
Yin Wuzhi returned with the firewood shortly after. By then, Jiang Wu was already asleep on a stone, wrapped in his cloak.
The cliff was steep, and those coming to search for them wouldn’t be able to get down, possibly having to take a longer route. Yin Wuzhi worried they might be stuck here for a day or two, and with the rain that could fall, the firewood would get wet. So, he went out to gather more wood and even managed to catch a rabbit.
Then he ventured a bit deeper into the cave, finding that it seemed to have been used as a residence at some point. Every ten meters or so, there were carved-out chambers with stone tables, chairs, and beds. Although there were signs that no one had been here for a long time, some areas had recent footprints, indicating someone might have passed through recently.
As he explored further, he discovered a few small hot springs in some of the chambers, which made him even more certain this place had once been inhabited, with the rooms with hot springs likely belonging to someone important.
Due to his injuries, he couldn’t fully explore the cave’s extent, but with lingering doubts, he returned to the entrance.
After some thought, he picked up the sleeping Jiang Wu and carried him into the nearest chamber.
As predicted, the wind picked up that night. Jiang Wu awoke to the sound of whistling wind and the scent of roasting meat. Soon, Yin Wuzhi’s voice reached him: “You’re awake. Have some food.”
Jiang Wu: “.”
Yin Wuzhi approached with a roasted rabbit leg in hand, saying, “There’s no congee here, just this.”
It was as if he was calling Jiang Wu foolish.
Yin Wuzhi added, “But there might be wild eggs around here. I couldn’t find any today, but I’ll search again tomorrow.”
Jiang Wu didn’t want to eat.
It did smell good, but he was feeling too upset, unsure of what to do.
All this time, he had been pushing himself to stay alive just to make Yin Wuzhi kill him, forcing himself to continue in this body. But now, Yin Wuzhi didn’t seem like he would ever harm him. Jiang Wu no longer understood the point of eating, as if wasting food in this way was an extravagance.
“Your Majesty,” Yin Wuzhi said, “please eat something. Once we’re back, everything will be resolved.”
“How?” Jiang Wu asked. “Am I supposed to find a new womb, crawl inside, and be born again?”
“Yao Ji’s crimes do not extend to you.”
“My brothers may have been harmed by my mother.”
Yin Wuzhi pressed his lips together and said, “That was her doing, not yours. No one can shake your status.”
“If she hadn’t given birth to me, how could she act so brazenly? I am her crutch, the root of her misdeeds. Only with my death can this all be resolved. Otherwise, in the future…” He paused, continuing to justify his own death to Yin Wuzhi. “Otherwise, in the future, when people of Great Xia see me, they’ll remember that my mother was such a person. Yin Wuzhi, have you ever considered how that feels for me?”
“Then don’t be emperor. I’ll go with you, hiding our names, living freely for the rest of our lives.”
“…” He said weakly, “This world doesn’t hold much appeal for me.”
“What about me?” Yin Wuzhi asked, “Do I hold no appeal for you either?”
Jiang Wu turned his head to look at him.
He didn’t feel much attachment. He and Yin Wuzhi weren’t from the same world—one wanted to live, the other didn’t. People and ghosts walk different paths.
Jiang Wu wasn’t a greedy person. He didn’t have to possess the things he liked. It was fine if he had them, and fine if he didn’t.
“Maybe,” he said. “Maybe you’re not essential to me either.”
Like osmanthus cake, like egg custard, like the snow on the ground.
Yin Wuzhi stared at him motionlessly. “Not essential means that my presence doesn’t bring you joy, and my absence won’t cause you sorrow, right? Is that what you mean?”
Jiang Wu thought for a moment and said, “Everyone will disappear eventually. You will, and so will I.”
So, there’s no reason to be sad.
But Yin Wuzhi had his own mission while Jiang Wu did not.
“You have no attachment to me. If I had fallen from the cliff today, would you have just watched me fall and die? Can I understand it that way?”
Yes, that was one way to understand it. But if Yin Wuzhi had fallen, Jiang Wu wouldn’t have ignored it.
“Just like those people said, I’m something dispensable, a mere toy to you. You take me when you want, and since I’m worthless, I’ll come whenever you beckon.”
“You don’t have to come,” Jiang Wu suggested.
Large tears rolled down Yin Wuzhi’s face.
Jiang Wu: “.”
Why is he crying again?
Yin Wuzhi lowered his head, his chest heaving, coughing heavily, and fresh blood once again stained his lips.
Jiang Wu glanced at him, worried he might die.
Yin Wuzhi wiped his lips with his sleeve, instantly smearing his lips with bright red. He tore a piece of rabbit meat and brought it to Jiang Wu’s mouth. “Eat something.”
Jiang Wu met his dark eyes, the light in them seemed to have been swallowed by something, leaving only a deep, unfathomable darkness.
By some strange impulse, Jiang Wu opened his mouth and took the piece of meat, though he didn’t particularly like it.
He chewed slowly, swallowed slowly.
A hand gently touched his head, fingers threading through his long hair, the cool fingertips grazing his scalp, sending shivers down his spine.
Blood-stained lips approached him, softly planting a kiss on his cheek.
“Finish eating, then sleep.”
