Chapter 112: Da-Xiao-Jun

The 'little white-haired pup' was draped in an oversized cloak, the crow-black fabric pressing heavily on his shoulders like a small mountain, hindering his movement. Around the cloak’s collar was a ring of silver animal tails, intertwined with his slightly dishevelled silver hair. At a glance, it was hard to tell whether what hung down was his loose hair or an exposed tail. He glared fiercely at Ming Zhuo and shouted, “I didn’t allow anyone to come in—get out!”

Ming Zhuo released the curtain and said, “I haven’t even driven you out yet, and you’re already throwing your weight around. What, you’ve gotten smaller, but your temper has grown?”

This 'little white-haired pup' was none other than Luo Xu, but not the Luo Xu Ming Zhuo was familiar with—this was a young Luo Xu, not yet twenty, only thirteen or fourteen years old. The Little Luo Xu commanded, “Go!”

Ming Zhuo tilted his head slightly, staring at the young Luo Xu for a moment before asking, “You don’t recognise me?”

Just as the young Luo Xu was about to speak, footsteps sounded from the other side. His expression changed abruptly, and he asked Ming Zhuo, “You weren't sent by Yafu? Then who are you‽”

Ming Zhuo didn’t answer because the footsteps were urgent, as if something extremely pressing was happening, and in the blink of an eye, they reached the door. An elderly voice called out from the doorway, “Imperial Lord, it’s time to light the lamps; the hour of Mao has arrived.”(1)

The Little Luo Xu glanced at Ming Zhuo and said, “Yafu, it’s still dark; isn’t it too early to light the lamps?”

The person addressed as 'Yafu' replied, “What difference does an hour make? Sooner or later, they’ll have to be lit.”

The Little Luo Xu insisted, “I am here to pray and offer blessings to the gods. I must wait until dawn before stepping outside this door, or it would be insincere. Yafu, didn’t you teach me that as a ruler, one’s word is as good as gold? Since I made a promise to the gods, I must fulfil it.”

His voice lacked the depth it would later have, but there was already a trace of the composure befitting a ruler. Yet Ming Zhuo, only a few steps away, could see that his hand was tightly gripping the animal tails at his collar, like a small beast surrounded on all sides, trying to appear calm.

Yafu pressed, “Ai, in the past, the Imperial Lord was the most obedient. But now, under the influence of those youngsters, he has grown lazy and is making excuses to avoid me. If I had known this, I wouldn’t have let them get close to the Imperial Lord.”

The Little Luo Xu said, “Muchao and the others were handpicked by my father to accompany me.(2) They have always been respectful and hold you in high regard; they have no ill intentions. What I just told you came from the heart, Yafu, why don’t you believe me?”

Yafu said, “I’ve come to invite the Imperial Lord out of the hall, and the Imperial Lord refuses to obey. Isn’t this the result of their influence? Of course, I believe in the Imperial Lord, which is why I’m even more pained. When the old ruler passed away, he entrusted you to my care. Forgive my boldness, but these past years, with the Heavenly Sea besieged on all sides, I have devoted myself to protecting you. Though we are ruler and subject, our bond is no less than that of a father and son. Now, I’ve only been away from the Heavenly Sea for three months, and you no longer heed my words or speak to me sincerely. How can I not be heartbroken?”

The Little Luo Xu asked, “What would it take for me to be obedient? Do I have to cross this threshold right now?”

Yafu said, “Lighting the lamps was just an excuse. I’ve missed you terribly during my months away. If the Imperial Lord is willing, come out and see me now.”

The Little Luo Xu said, “I told you, I will wait until the dawn breaks.”

Yafu sighed, his voice growing even more aged, “To have taught you to be like this, I have no face left to face the old Imperial Lord. Those boys who have led you astray deserve to be punished!”

Hearing the threat, the young Luo Xu retorted, “They’ve done nothing wrong; what right do you have to punish them?”

Yafu replied, “As your Yafu, if I say they are wrong, then they are wrong. There’s no need to argue. In fact, on my way here, I’ve already had them killed!”

The candles in the hall flickered violently, and the young Luo Xu rose halfway from his seat. His eyes flashed with fury as he finally tore away any pretence, “How dare you‽”

“Their heads are right beside me. If you don’t believe me, I’ll bring them to you, and you’ll see for yourself.” As he spoke, Yafu stood up from the floor, “Imperial Lord insisted on waiting for dawn, and now that it has arrived, I will personally come in to fetch you!”

The door curtain swayed, and the seal engraved upon it instantly shattered. It turned out that their conversation through the curtain had been due to a prohibition spell on the door that prevented Yafu from entering. Using the excuse of lighting the lamps, Yafu had tried to lure the young Luo Xu out. Knowing his ill intentions, the young Luo Xu had refused, aware that the prohibition would expire at dawn. Now that it was dawn, Yafu was brazenly forcing his way in!

The Little Luo Xu released his grip on the collar, and the cloak fell from his shoulders like a collapsing mountain. Beneath it, he was wearing a suit of silver armour, damaged at the waist and shoulders, revealing the severity of his injuries. The cloak had been to conceal these wounds. Kneeling on one knee, he gripped the hilt of his sword, casting one last fierce glance at Ming Zhuo, “Whatever your origins, if you fight alongside me now, you’ll be the most powerful in the Heavenly Sea after me!”

Ming Zhuo couldn’t help but laugh, “Is being the Heavenly Sea’s second-in-command something to boast about?”

Yafu had already entered, followed by a long line of armoured soldiers. The candles in the hall were suddenly extinguished, leaving only the dense sound of military boots on the floor, as numerous as raindrops, impossible to count. From the sound alone, Ming Zhuo could tell the hall was already surrounded, leaving no way out.

Yafu tossed two heads forward and said, “Take a look, Imperial Lord. Are these not your companions?”

The Little Luo Xu lowered his head, his silver hair falling over his face in a gesture of avoidance. Just when the soldiers thought he was about to speak, he drew his sword instead! Ming Zhuo had never seen him wield a blade before and had assumed that in a crisis, he would simply toss a coin. But this time, his sword strike was ferocious.

In an instant, the blade flashed, and blood spurted everywhere.

Luo Xu, drenched in blood from the people he had just struck down, didn’t even glance at his now-filthy silver hair. He kicked aside the corpse in front of him, his expression utterly fierce.

Ming Zhuo was still unsure whether this scene was a fabrication by the Fragrant God, with Luo Xu as the central figure, or if it was a recreation of an actual event from Luo Xu’s life. But regardless of the truth, this 'little white-haired dog' was eerily similar to the real Luo Xu.

In the midst of the chaos, Yafu said, “Strike at the vital point; remember, you still have a soul-binding contract. In the past, your heartache was always due to the influence of the young Crown Prince of Peidu.(3) Before this journey, I made a special visit to a friend in Peidu. We agreed that with just one message from me, he could make that young Crown Prince suffer. Luo Xu, are you feeling the pain now?”

Whether the young Crown Prince was suffering, Ming Zhuo didn’t know, but this 'Great Crown Prince' seemed perfectly fine at the moment. The strange thing was, though he was right there, the young Luo Xu truly did seem to be in pain! Ming Zhuo couldn’t help but wonder if the Fragrant God had actually conjured up a 'young Crown Prince.'

Meanwhile, Luo Xu had just lit a palace lamp. Upon entering the grey mist, he lost all sense of direction and followed the sound of chewing until he arrived at an unfamiliar place. Heavy curtains hung on either side, with shadowy figures whispering behind them.

At the end of the path stood a screen. As Luo Xu rounded the screen, he found himself in a bedchamber, but it had no windows, sealed off on all sides. As he looked around, he suddenly heard a faint sobbing sound. Following the sound, he saw that there was a jewel-encrusted box under the curtain.

Someone was trapped inside the box, whispering weakly, “Mother, it hurts...everything hurts..."

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Foot Notes

1. 卯时 (mǎoshí) is 5-7am.

2. He uses the word 父亲 (fùqīn), which a formal word for father.

3. 储君 (chǔ jūn) is the title used here.