“What does ‘Drought Demon’ mean?” Wang Xiaomie asked curiously.
Wen Fengjin and An Xie turned to look at him. Before Wen Fengjin could speak, An Xie, with a carefree smile, explained, “Ah~ that’s a kind of corpse transformation.”
“The corpse remains the same as when alive, but wherever it goes, it brings drought, causing plants to wither.”
“Oh!” So that’s how it is, Wang Xiaomie nodded.
An Xie placed a blue cup filled with wine on a low table. He adjusted his sitting posture, one hand propped on the low table, while the other hand embraced the person in his arms.
The young warrior’s face was handsome, and his lips, tainted with alcohol, formed a curve.
“Madam has been in a deep sleep being nourished by the blood of the Demon Lord for a thousand years and woke up still looking the same as before. Therefore, you’re not very aware of this. In fact, the conditions for a zombie transforming into a Drought Demon are very strict.”
Wang Xiaomie frowned, “Is that so? Then how did you become a ‘Drought Demon’?”
“That’s a very long story, but since we have wine and flowers today, I can tell you about it, Madam.” An Xie lifted his lips, “After the downfall of the Northern Kingdom, the world was in turmoil. Several short-lived small countries were established and later destroyed. The Great An Kingdom also began at that time, engulfed in wars and internal strife… there’s not much to say about it.”
“As the descendant of the Duke Qing, I became a prince’s study companion when I was young and befriended the Third Prince…”
Although the young boy was born into a noble family with achievements, and before entering the palace, the elders reminded him to befriend a certain prince and take a good position in advance, how could the human heart be so easily grasped, especially during the bewildering childhood years?
An Xie’s eyes softened, revealing an expression of reminiscence.
The young and ignorant An Xie believed only what he saw. The methods of the palace women were hard to guard against. and the intrigue within the palace surpassed that of the court.
Although the First Prince was the eldest son, he was not born to the empress. His birth mother was an imperial concubine without much influence, and quietly passed away amid the struggles. The empress raised him by her side, giving the appearance of maternal kindness and filial piety. However, everyone knew that the future occupant of the throne would not be the First Prince. The Second Prince, born to the empress, had the backing of a powerful family, and his ascension was already a foregone conclusion.
What about the Third Prince?
His mother was the Virtuous Imperial Concubine, with a decent background. However, privately, the ministers judged the Third Prince as having a “feminine appearance, narrow-mindedness, and no ability to judge people.”
In simple terms, he looked effeminate, lacked the regal aura of a monarch, and seemed inexperienced. He was weak, gullible, and did not have the credibility to recruit allies.
However, when the seven-year-old An Xie saw the Third Prince, who was five years older, he was instantly captivated by the graceful and delicate appearance. In the absence of more knowledge and experience, one could only judge a person by their appearance.
That brief glance back then became a beautiful memory etched in the young An Xie’s heart.
Unmanliness turned into gentleness, timidity turned into tolerance, and a lack of judgment turned into a soft heart.
“The ministers must be blind,” he thought.
An Xie’s fingers pressed against his own face, and the tip of his pinky rested on his pale lips, smiling without emotion.
Wang Xiaomie, hearing this, was a bit confused. Why did it feel like… An Xie liked the Third Prince?
No, no, no! How could that be possible? It must be my rotten eyes seeing gays everywhere! Wang Xiaomie knocked on his own head and continued listening.
Wen Fengjin, witnessing this scene from the corner of his eye, licked off the moist wine stains on his lips, raising his eyebrows with a wicked smile.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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An Xie was relieved of his duties as the prince’s study companion and sent home for reflection.
However, he maintained contact with the Third Prince in secret, exchanging notes through palace servants to express their longing. Year after year, An Xie immersed himself in the sweet memories, dreaming every night of that enchanting face…
Wang Xiaomie: …The more I listen, the more it sounds like the two were secretly in puppy love! What’s going on!!!
Later, after a few years, significant changes occurred in the palace. The Third Prince often expressed in his letters that he was afraid the Second Prince might kill him once he ascended to the throne.
“So, at thirteen, I went to the border. It was the quickest way to make a name for myself and gain power,” An Xie explained. At that time, his mind was focused on helping the Third Prince ascend to the throne. He gave up the luxurious life of a noble, risking his life several times and almost ending up dead. His actions nearly made the Duke Qing die of anger, as he was the sole heir!
An Xie lowered his eyes, and with a slightly melancholic snort, he said, “At that time, my mind was filled with the person I loved. There was no room for thoughts of family or parents, heh.”
The young military leader matured amidst bloodshed. Beneath his cheerful appearance, his heart had become ruthless and as unyielding as steel. The countless times he had killed enemies and shed blood had already made him different from the past.
Beneath the tough exterior, the soft parts were reserved for the beautiful illusions in his heart.
At nineteen, An Xie became the youngest general, using his military power and the support of the Duke Qing to forcefully place the Third Prince on the throne.
“……”
Indeed… indeed, this is also a BL story!!! If this isn’t true love, laozi will live stream myself eating my keyboard!!!
Wang Xiaomie frowned and twisted Wen Fengjin’s thigh, who was chuckling beside him. Wen Fengjin just raised an eyebrow, leaned closer to Wang Xiaomie’s ear, and with a low, sultry, and slightly drunken voice, he said, “Shixiong, I’m hurt~”
“…” Wang Xiaomie gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, “Don’t blow air into my ear! Do you believe I’ll make you hurt even more?!” He raised his Iron Fist of Justice.
Wen Fengjin chuckled with pleasure, leaned back in a somewhat arrogant posture, drank the remaining wine in his cup, and didn’t go on teasing Wang Xiaomie.
“Indeed, still quite envious…” An Xie also finished his drink, sighing as he spoke.
“You, uh, are also doing well,” Wang Xiaomei glanced at An Xie and the person he held in his arms, “Aren’t you two already together?”
Unexpectedly, An Xie burst into laughter. “Together? Then I wouldn’t have become a ‘Drought Demon.'”
Wang Xiaomie: Huh?
An Xie continued to explain, as if a fairy tale always had the ending of “the prince and princess living happily ever after,” because even storytellers know that intense emotions don’t always lead to happiness.
An Xie was the same way. The ‘Third Prince’ he had always loved was the idealized, gentle, pure and flawless self that he had imagined. All flaws were overlooked by his imagination. But how could the real Third Prince appreciate a child’s affection? What he valued was the Duke Qing standing behind An Xie.
Later on, enjoying the sweetness from An Xie’s efforts, the Third Prince also tried to please An Xie.
The sweet words and hints in the notes that An Xie received were all carefully researched by the Third Prince and his birth mother.
That so-called secret love affair had long been dissected and analyzed countless times.
The Third Prince was five years older than An Xie. When An Xie went to the battlefield at the age of thirteen, the Third Prince, at eighteen, should have been married. However, knowing that they were currently under the suppression of the empress, how could they possibly find a good woman from a powerful family to marry?
So, the Third Prince chose not to marry at all. They found a few clean palace maids to temporarily ‘serve‘ him, claiming it was for An Xie’s sake…
“In fact, the one who was blind was not the ministers but me,” An Xie’s cheerful smile remained as he slowly unraveled the bloody dark fairy tale to the dumbfounded Wang Xiaomie.
When An Xie returned from the border several times and wanted to get close to the Third Prince, the latter always evaded, using shy and embarrassed words to excuse himself. At that time, An Xie’s eyes were blinded by his own fantasies, and he didn’t suspect anything.
Later, just after An Xie pushed the Third Prince onto the throne, the border situation became critical. Despite some suspicious information, An Xie, for the sake of his beloved’s rule, went to the battlefield. Little did he know that shortly after arriving, the newly crowned emperor, the Third Prince, executed the entire clan of the Duke Qing on bogus charges!
Then, he abruptly cut off An Xie’s supplies and rear support, leaving him surrounded by enemies…
Clean, decisive, extremely resolute, as if he had been waiting for this day for a long time, just short of pushing him on the final journey.
“…” Wang Xiaomei also picked up his wine glass and silently took a sip.
Too tragic, my goodness, this is too tragic, isn’t it?
After An Xie’s entire army was wiped out, the newly appointed general quickly stabilized the situation with the large army. They all thought An Xie was dead, but he survived, traveling night and day to return to the imperial city like a devil, ignoring his injuries.
Duke Qing Mansion became ruins due to his ‘love.’ An Xie, expressionless, sniffed the bloody smell rising in his chest and sneaked into the secret passage he had once used to mingle with the Third Prince in the imperial palace.
The secret passage had not been sealed yet. The Third Prince, upon hearing the news of An Xie’s complete defeat, was too busy gathering dancers to celebrate and forgot about this small matter.
So, while the new emperor was celebrating, An Xie twisted the necks of the princes, princesses, and consorts whom the Third Prince had newly appointed (he didn’t even know that the Third Prince had offspring). He did the same to the palace maids and eunuchs.
A clean sweep of killings!
Chaos erupted soon after…
No matter how cautious he was, it was still the imperial palace. When An Xie appeared before the new emperor during the pursuit, he captured the new emperor alive with countless fatal injuries, relying on resentment and hatred.
In fact, An Xie had already died at that time, but his mind was not clear, and he was not aware of it.
Having completed the largest counterattack in history, An Xie, holding the Third Prince who was now scared out of his wits, dragged the pursuers and assassins behind him and rushed to the border without even closing his eyes.
An Xie didn’t mention the difficulties he’d overcome along the way, simply stating that during the journey, the Third Prince attempted to struggle and kill him, but his body had already undergone a transformation, resisting the knife. Instead, An Xie used a stone to shatter both of the Third Prince’s legs!
Gradually, An Xie’s body began to show signs of decay, his eyes turned crimson, his body emitted a foul smell, and he grew long red hair. Even the assassins and pursuing soldiers were terrified and dared not approach him.
Everyone said General An had long died on the battlefield, and now, with resentment soaring to the heavens, he had turned into a demonic entity.
In this way, An Xie brought the Third Prince to the battlefield where his subordinates had died, personally killing the prince and then himself…
“Thinking about it later, it doesn’t seem like death…” An Xie said. “At that time, the resentment and blood in the battlefield created this monster. Later, the new child emperor, fearing my mischief, took the advice of Taoist priests and had me buried on Qishan.”
“They knew how I died. The young emperor, to appease public sentiment, even made plaques for me and my deceased brothers and placed them in the Heroes Shrine,” An Xie said, taking a sip of wine while holding the person in his arms. “I love him, and he loves me too. But when he made a mistake, I corrected him.”
“Even if I had to break his bones, I would still correct his mistakes… As long as he remains the person I love, it doesn’t matter if he can’t move or speak.”
An Xie burst into laughter, then reached over the white cloth, using his scar-covered rough palm to grasp the neck of the person in his arms and leaned in to give a kiss. Wang Xiaomie wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but it seemed like the white cloth was trembling.
But even if the white cloth didn’t tremble, Wang Xiaomie sure as hell would.
He was wrong…
This person was simply too much like Wen Fengjin!
Wang Xiaomie watched An Xie’s hearty laughter and intimate actions with the person under the white cloth. His scalp tingled. It wasn’t that An Xie couldn’t recognize reality; it was that even if he knew the reality, it didn’t matter to him!
He liked the Third Prince from his memories. If the current person didn’t fit his memories, he would mold him into the likeness he preferred.
Kill all your offspring, break your legs, turn you into a disabled zombie who can’t run or speak, and even if you die, he would still indulge in sweet intimacy with you. He wouldn’t even let you commit suicide…
Even in death, there’s no peace. This level of obsession deserves a perfect score!
Wang Xiaomie was already shocked to the point where his jaw was about to drop, while Wen Fengjin nodded in approval. “Well done.”
“Senior, you praise me too much.”
“Hehehe.”
“Hahaha.”
The two men exchanged a smile, clinked their glasses, and continued to enjoy their wine with a smile.
“……”
Wang Xiaomie quietly glanced at the person under the white cloth in An Xie’s arms. He felt like the friend under the white cloth had entered vibration mode…
Then he looked at Wen Fengjin and An Xie, each with a face more handsome than the other and a more hearty smile than the other…
OMG.
What kind of devilish love is this?
Divorce, I must get a divorce!
[Author’s Note: [Mini Theater]
Wang Xiaomie: My mom was right, handsome men are tigers!
Third Prince: Uhh, uhh!
Wang Xiaomie: Divorce, I must get a divorce!
Third Prince: Uhh, uhh!!!
Wen Fengjin: Hehe.
An Xie: Haha.
Well, An Xie isn’t just a bystander. You’ll find out in the next chapter. And, surprisingly, a cute reader even guessed An Xie’s love story! Hahaha]
Oh lwad!! 😭😭😭
But we love a good red flag 🚩 in this house 😬
An Xie’s story is so tragic so I understand how he became so twisted but Wen FengJin’s “well done” shattered my world view 🤣🤣 the psycho gege got a psycho didi
BL tragic love story ! 10/10 ahahahaha