chapter 20

"It hurts !" San Yi whispers in a low voice.

"Bear with it. Otherwise it wouldn't heal." Zemin replies while applying the healing paste on San It's face.

"W..why are you helping me ? Aren't you angry with me ?"

Zemin sighs "I am not."

San Yi sniffs to clear his nose "t ..thank you."

Xingchen clenches his fists from his hidding spot. No, He didn't trust Yang Xi when he said Zemin is being close with fake Yaad. That's why, he bribed the guards and came all the way to inform Zemin about Yang Xi's plan.

But he never expected that ... He takes in a deep breath.

"Upsetting, isn't it ?"

Xingchen's eyes shoots open. He turns around stumbling on his steps.

Zemin pulls out his sword with the sudden sound but frowns seeing Xingchen. "Xingchen ... What ..

Cold sweat breaks on Xingchen's forehead. He didn't look at Zemin. He looks in the dark with a horror stricken face.

Afreen comes out of the darkness with a smile "I never knew we had a secret underground palace , here ! Wowww !"

San Yi gasps in horror "Si .... Simi !"

"Hello brother !" Afreen smiles wickedly.

Zemin grips his sword tightly. "Stand back ! Don't think , I wouldn't attack you because you are a woman!"

Afreen laughs "I don't think that, Zemin. I know you wouldn't attack me because I am a woman !"

Xingchen blinks with a frown.

"What Xingchen ? What are you thinking ? How come I followed you here? Or how I am here instead of solving the fight you created by provoking le gui ?"

"Afreen !" Zemin warns.

Afreen rolls her eyes. She sits on the bed beside San Yi "come on ! You already know, I am not Afreen. Why pretend ? Can me Simi, just like my brother !"

San Yi scoots far away from Simi.

Xingchen grits his teeth "You .. you murdered Le gui ? Didn't you ? There is blood on your clothes!"

Simi looks down at her clothes"opps ! I need to clean it ! But, my dear Xingchen, it's not le gui's blood !"

Chill runs down Xingchen's spine "Wh...whose is it ?"

Simi crosses her legs "there is two possibilities. One of the two prisoners !"

Xingchen clenches his fist "DID YOU HARM YANG XI AND MEIMEI ?"

Simi yawns "I didn't harm them." She looks at Xingchen lazily "I killed them, they are dead !"

"YOUUU ..!" Zemin shouts.

"Hey, in my defence they harmed le gui ! He had to visit the healer instead of accompanying me here. Look , how lonely I am. Facing my three enemies alone !"

Zemin puts his sword on Simi's neck. "you think we are joking here ?"

"Aren't you ? This is a group of jokers !"

Simi points at her brother "A weakling who can't fight."

Then she points at Zemin "A coward who can't kill."

Then she points at Xingchen "An ethical fool who wouldn't fight with a woman."

Simi enjoys the look on three helpless men's face for a while. "Don't worry ! Soon Le gui would join me. I left him a note ! He would be here in no time."

Xingchen grips the poisoned blade behind him more tightly. If what Afreen said is true, then not only Yang xi and Meimei is dead but Le gui is also dead. Because, Yang Xi wouldn't attack le gui without the poison.

He takes in a sharp breath. "Then, you wait for him here. We will leave since, you have no power to stop three of us."

Afreen smirks "oh why don't you try ? Go out , meet your emperor Zixuan."

Xingchen looks at Zemin "let's go !"

Zemin frowns "Le gui has his assassins around Zixuan and Yuzu. The moment we meet them, they will kiol them."

"They wouldn't act without orders !" Xingchen makes San Yi stand up.

"Le gui is there to order them." San Yi whispers. "We are trapped."

"She is lying." Xingchen looks at Afreen in the eyes "she said that Le gui would join her here. But where ? Can you see him ?"

Afreen laughs "Are you still trying to put on an act ?"

Zemin frowns at Xingchen. There is something, he is not catching. Something that only Xingchen knows. But ... "If you aren't lying , show us the bodies !"

Afreen yawns. She is getting bored with this useless conversation. Where is Le Gui ? She has a perfect plan to kill Zixuan and put all the blame on Zemin. Zemin faked his death to get revenge on the emperor Zixuan. Jailor le gui caught him red handed and put him in jail. Prisoner Yang Xi, minister Xingchen was in volved in the murder.

Le gui caught them at right time and saved crown prince Zhan. Prisoner Afreen helped him with inside information as she wanted to pay for her sins. She even risked her life to spy on minister Xingchen.

Then once Le gui claims the throne and she becomes Le gui's empress. She will get rid of Le gui. She will be the mother of entire Zi. Afreen's eyes shines brightly.

Xingchen who was still waiting for Afreen's reply , gets impatient. Enough of this bullshit. He steps forward to walk out of the tunnel.

Afreen eyes shoots up. "Guards catch him. Don't let him go out."

Soon four prison guards surrounds Xingchen. Zemin unsheaths his sword.

Afreen steps back. Silently watching the fight from one corner. Where the hell is le gui ? This much time just to stop bleeding ? She picks up one of the injured guard by the collar. "go and bring Jailor Le gui here. Hurry !'

The guard bows with rest of his strength and runs out.

Afreen concentrates on the fight again. Xingchen doesn't have a sword but Zemin alone is enough to bring them down. These guards are trained to stop the prisoners. They aren't powerful like palace guards.

Afreen was looking around for help when he heard the footsteps. Her eyes lit up. She turns around.

The guard falls on her feet bloodified.

"What the hell ?" She shouts at the guard.

"His .. highness ... His highness .." the guards points at the entrance of the tunnel.

Zixuan walks in with a motionless le gui in his grip. He throws the body in front of Afreen feet. "Game over !"

Zemin stops fighting and pushes the injured guards away "what about the assassins?"

"All dead !" Zixuan looks at Afreen. "You wrote she isn't Afreen. Who is she ?"

Afreen frowns at looks at the dead body of Le gui. She looks up fiercely.

Xingchen looks at Zemin confused. His highness knew ? But wasn't he followed by those assassins all the time ?

"Where is Yuzu ?" Zemin asks with a serious face.

"Meimei , she .... is dead."

"Yang Xi too ?"

Zixuan nods.

Zemin takes in a sharp breath "I asked them to wait."

"You could've told them that you have contacts with his highness !" Xingchen's eyes turns red. "Just wait and trust me, doesn't help."

Zemin frowns at Xingchen "what are you talking about?"

Xingchen looks away "We had no idea .. what you were doing here ? And what we saw .." Xingchen grits his teeth.

Before he had the anxiety of Capturing Le gui and Afreen, so Meimei and Yang Xi death didn't hit him but now...

"We will talk about it later. First let's get out of here." Zixuan looks at Xingchen and Zemin. "Guards .. take Afr... "

"Not so easily , Zixuan." Afreen pulls Yaad from the bed and holds a knife on his neck. "One step , I will kill him."

"He is your brother ! You are Simi , he is your brother San Yi." Zemin tries to grab San Yi but fails.

"I know that." Simi laughs like maniac "But now, he is your beloved consort. Isn't Zemin ?"

Zemin looks at the blood on San It's neck.

Simi grins "In the cell , minister Xingchen was bribing the guards, breaking the rules , digging the mud just to meet you. But you .. you were enjoying your leisure time here with my brother .. eh ?"

Zemin clenches his fists.

"Minister Xingchen, I feel pity for you. First You loved Yang Xi , he betrayed you for.Zemin. then you loved Zemin, Zemin betrayed you for my brother. So sad. Why don't you join my team ? Tell me, don't you wanna take revenge ?"

Zemin stands in front of Xingchen hiding him from Smi "Aren't you tired of your lies , Simi ?"

"Lies ? What lie ? You don't love my brother ? Then catch me... What are you waiting for ?"

Tears rolls down from San yi's face "let me kill me. Just .. save my sister... I .. I will not regret my death."

Zixuan takes a step ahead. "You can't escape like this , Afreen. Let him go. Don't add another murder to your sins. He is your brother."

"Stand there. Not one step ! Let me see, if I can escape or not .."

Zixuan was about take a step ahead but Zemin holds him back. "N..no ."

Simi laughs out loud. "Emotional fools ...ha ha ha ... You two should see your faces .. you are th ..aakk !"

Simi's eyes went wide. The knife fell from her hand. She looks down at her stomach.

Xingchen walks in front of Simi and pulls out the poisoned blade from Simi's stomach.

Simi looks at Xingchen in disbelief.

Xingchen's blue eyes looks straight into Simi's eyes "I once pledged that I would never hit a woman. But I don't consider you a woman. You are not a woman to me."

"I once pledged that I would never hit an unarmed. But you had a knife slicing you own brother's neck. You were armed. "

"I once pledged that I would never backstab but I stabbed your stomach standing by your side. You were blinded by your conceit."

Simi falls on the ground bleeding. Zixuan takes a breath of relief.

San Yi looks at his elder sister taking her last breath with an expression less. He has stopped feeling anything for Simi a long ago. He wanted Simi dead every day. In fact, nobody wanted Simi to die more than him.

A faint smile appears on his lips. Is he being a psycho ? He is maybe.

He looks at his side. Does Zemin really love him ? Will he help him to get his younger sister back ?

Zemin who was feeling a gaze on him , looks at his side. His eyes falls on San Yi.

San Yi smiles. He slowly leans his head on Zemin's chest "I am tired. Can you take me out of here ?"

Zemin looks at San Yi's bleeding neck "hmm .. let's go."

Zixuan also nods. "I need to take Yuzu back. You guys go ahead."

Zemin holds San Yi as San Yi was close to losing his sense from the bleeding before walking out of the scene.

Zixuan runs to take care of Yuzu.

Xingchen stands in the dark tunnel alone with two dead bodies at his feet. He laughs suddenly. It's funny how Simi is dead yet she can hear her mockery ringing in his ears.

"I pity you, Xingchen. Look at you standing here all alone while your husband is taking care of his beloved Consort. His original wife whom he vowed to protect. He didn't take a vow for you. Did he ?"

Xingchen laughs louder to cover Simi's voice. Louder and louder until tears rolls down his eyes. He looks at the bloodified blade in his arms.

What was it, Yang Xi said last time .. this blade has enough poison to kill only one person?

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