Chapter 29: Can a Mad Tyrant Be Forced? [29]

Chapter 29: Can a Crazy Tyrant Be Forced Too? "29"

"Fine, I'll trust you this once."

The moment Mu Jin finished speaking, he could feel the little snake coiled around his wrist tighten its grip.

He lowered his gaze and saw disbelief in the snake's eyes. He chuckled, pleased with himself.

Then he pressed the snake's head back down, not giving it any chance to object, and said casually:

"Let's go then. Take me back to the palace."

Su Gantang glanced at Mu Jin with a hint of surprise, then smiled softly and walked up to him, scooping him up from the wheelchair:

"Then, Your Majesty, I apologize for the offense."

Zhao Ruoqian also stood up. The moment she turned around to face away from Mu Jin, she hid all emotion in her eyes.

Aside from her red-rimmed eyes and the tear stains that hadn't dried yet, you could barely tell she'd just been crying.

Before leaving, Mu Jin looked at the courtyard where he'd stayed for a while and suddenly spoke:

"Burn it all down."

Mu Siyang burned his courtyard, so he should return the favor before leaving.

Su Gantang drawled: "Very well, Your Majesty, as you wish."

As the two escorted him away, Mu Jin's thoughts were elsewhere.

Ying Huaifeng hadn't come to see him recently, but they'd at least kept in touch. In the past few days, though, even that little bit of contact had stopped.

Ying Huaifeng had either run into trouble or gotten himself into a bind.

Mu Jin believed that with the male lead's abilities, he'd definitely be able to resolve those troubles. And if that failed, he still had the protagonist's halo.

648 had told him the protagonist's halo was incredibly powerful. As long as one had it, no matter how bad things got, the protagonist would always come out on top.

But what if something went wrong?

Hadn't he come to this world because Ying Huaifeng's death caused it to collapse?

What if it happened again?

The faint unease in Mu Jin's chest hit its peak the moment Su Gantang appeared with Zhao Ruoqian.

Whether it was because he now saw Ying Huaifeng as a friend or because of his mission, he absolutely couldn't let anything happen to Ying Huaifeng.

It was just that he'd been trapped here before, unable to do anything. But clearly, these two showing up gave him a chance to act.

Since there were things Ying Huaifeng couldn't handle alone, he'd lend a hand.

The two escorted Mu Jin back to the palace.

Mu Siyang watched the courtyard that had imprisoned Mu Jin burn to the ground. He knew without a doubt this was Yun Fuyue's doing.

He was so furious he ground his teeth. Blood-stained sword in hand, he slaughtered every guard who'd been watching the courtyard.

The entire Prince Regent's mansion was heavy with a suffocating atmosphere, mixed with the lingering stench of blood that wouldn't fade.

Mu Siyang's eyes were blood-red. He never imagined that even with Yun Fuyue's Lifebound Gu in hand, Yun Fuyue would still dare to take Mu Jin from him!

Earlier, Yun Fuyue had tried to steal the Lifebound Gu or sent wave after wave of assassins to kill him.

Mu Siyang hadn't paid any of it any mind. To him, it was just Yun Fuyue's last-ditch struggle.

He held Yun Fuyue's true weakness in his hands. If he wanted, he could end Yun Fuyue's life at any moment!

The only reason Mu Siyang was keeping Yun Fuyue alive now—besides wanting to absorb his power—was to find that secret Miaojiang art.

Yun Fuyue and Mu Siyang had been at odds for far too long.

The moment Mu Siyang got the Lifebound Gu, he couldn't wait to see his old nemesis become his puppet, kneeling and begging for mercy.

But clearly, Yun Fuyue was itching to die!

Mu Siyang's gaze was terrifyingly dark, with a hint of madness gleaming in it.

He'd already done most of what needed doing by now. Since Yun Fuyue was so eager to die, he'd grant him that wish!

Meanwhile, the second Mu Jin got back to the palace, he saw Yun Fuyue.

Zhao Ruoqian froze, instinctively moving to block Mu Jin.

Yun Fuyue glanced at her move and just laughed, unconcerned:

"You've worked hard bringing His Majesty back, my lady. But His Majesty and I still have important things to discuss. You should go rest first, my lady."

Zhao Ruoqian met Yun Fuyue's gentle but warning gaze and pressed her lips together.

Seeing that she was unmoved, Yun Fuyue spoke again calmly: "Rest assured, my lady. I would never harm His Majesty."

"If you didn't trust me, my lady, you wouldn't have come to me for help after His Majesty disappeared, would you?"

Zhao Ruoqian's heart tightened at those words. She remembered the things she'd done to Mu Jin before, and remembered her purpose. Her body trembled uncontrollably.

She wanted to go home.

Only if Mu Jin died could she go home.

She'd already come this far. There was no turning back now.

She couldn't retreat, and she couldn't afford to.

Zhao Ruoqian turned back to glance at Mu Jin. Meeting those bright, gently smiling eyes that looked at her warmly, her heart still unavoidably faltered for a moment.

"I'm feeling a bit unwell. National Preceptor, please have a good talk with His Majesty. I'll go rest first."

Zhao Ruoqian made up a random excuse and left in a fluster, though her retreating figure carried a hint of fleeing in disgrace.

Mu Jin calmly watched Zhao Ruoqian's departing figure, assuming she was merely afraid of Yun Fuyue. He couldn't help but snort with a laugh:

"The National Preceptor certainly carries quite the imposing presence."

Yun Fuyue curled his lips into a smile: "Your Majesty flatters me."

"But now that Your Majesty has been rescued, there's no telling what Mu Siyang might do next. For Your Majesty's safety, please remain in the palace for the next couple of days and refrain from moving about carelessly..."

Mu Jin didn't want to listen to Yun Fuyue's pleasantries. He directly raised a hand to interrupt, saying lazily:

"Imperial Advisor, why don't you just tell me your plan for dealing with Mu Siyang?"

"If you can get rid of Mu Siyang, I'm happy to play along, but I need to know exactly what you're planning."

Yun Fuyue's eyes flickered briefly before he spoke:

"Lately, the Prince Regent's been getting bolder and bolder, showing less and less respect for you and me, Your Majesty."

"Just let me stay here, Your Majesty. With how he is now, he'll definitely storm the palace claiming he's here to rescue you."

Yun Fuyue smiled faintly: "When that happens, all you have to do is sit on your throne and watch me take care of this traitor for you."

He paused, stepped back, and gave Mu Jin a respectful bow,

"But when the time comes, you'll still need to issue the order yourself on how to deal with the Prince Regent."

Mu Jin gave Yun Fuyue an unreadable look.

Yun Fuyue spoke with absolute certainty—he'd clearly already set the trap for Mu Siyang and was just waiting for him to walk right into it.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Then I'll be waiting for this show."

Yun Fuyue said evenly, "I won't let you down, Your Majesty."

And sure enough, Yun Fuyue didn't let Mu Jin down.

The very day Mu Jin returned to the palace, Yun Fuyue spread the word.

Mu Siyang had been about to head to the Imperial Advisor's residence to find Yun Fuyue, but that's when he learned Yun Fuyue had brought Mu Jin straight back to the palace.

The palace wasn't like the Imperial Advisor's residence. Sure, anyone with eyes could see Mu Jin was basically useless.

But he was still the Emperor—the only one who could sit on that throne. No matter how bold Mu Siyang was, he couldn't just barge into the palace and snatch him back.

But there was no way he was giving up!

Just as Mu Siyang's fury was reaching its peak, the strategist who'd helped him find Yun Fuyue's Lifebound Gu came to him with another scheme...

Mu Jin had been in the palace for three days now, and still no word from Ying Huaifeng. The snake coiled around his wrist had also calmed down quite a bit.

Yun Fuyue had moved into the palace outright, using Mu Jin's safety as an excuse to eat, move, and even rest alongside him—sleeping on a daybed not far from Mu Jin.

It wasn't that Yun Fuyue didn't want to make a move, but this critical moment couldn't afford any chaos, so he had to suppress his urges.

Mu Jin was clearly aware of that too, and with the snake keeping watch, he let Yun Fuyue sleep on the daybed.

"Your Majesty! Something's gone wrong!"

Mu Jin was rubbing the ears of the cat in his arms when the sudden shout startled it awake, making him frown.

Zhou Fuhai knelt on the ground, panicking: "Your Majesty! The Prince Regent—he's rebelled!"

Mu Jin was remarkably calm: "Oh? I thought he'd last longer than this. Guess it's only been a few days."

"Seems the Imperial Advisor really whetted the Prince Regent's appetite this time."

Zhou Fuhai had been flustered at first, but seeing how calm Mu Jin was, the panic in his chest eased considerably. He asked cautiously:

"Then, Your Majesty, what do we do now..."

Before he could finish, Su Gantang arrived and cut him off with a bright smile:

"Oh my, Eunuch Zhou, you're here too. With all that chaos outside, why are you still kneeling around?"

"Careful, or those rebels might chop your head off~"

She then turned to Mu Jin and gestured invitingly: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Advisor asks for you."

Mu Jin gave a slight nod and handed the cat to Zhou Fuhai:

"Take good care of it."

Zhou Fuhai was confused, but in the end, he sighed and took the cat away.

Su Gantang wheeled Mu Jin into the great hall. Taking in the crowd packed inside and out, Mu Jin couldn't help but remark:

"Quite the lively scene. Is there some celebration I missed?"

At the sound of his voice, everyone's eyes turned to him at once.

Mu Siyang's eyes flickered, and he strode quickly over to Mu Jin, a small box clutched in his hand.

A sword was pressed to Yun Fuyue's neck, yet he remained as calm and composed as ever.

"Your Majesty, your servant came late to your rescue. Please forgive me."

Mu Siyang said in a deep voice, "But I've already captured the rebel Yun Fuyue. No need to worry, Your Majesty."

Mu Jin's expression stayed flat, and he didn't respond.

When Yun Fuyue heard that, it was like he'd just heard a joke, and he burst out laughing:

"Hahaha... The Prince Regent really does have a silver tongue for twisting the truth."

Yun Fuyue clicked his tongue lightly, meeting those cold eyes with the same lazy ease:

"Why are you looking at me like that? Take a look at your own setup today, Prince Regent. Who the real rebel is... I don't think I need to spell it out."

Mu Siyang stared at Yun Fuyue, his gaze growing colder by the second, laced with murderous intent.

He'd originally planned to keep Yun Fuyue alive just to humiliate him... If he hadn't taken Mu Jin away from him, he might have let him live.

But clearly, that was no longer an option.

Mu Siyang gripped the white jade box in his hand and sneered coldly,

"Yun Fuyue, you've got a sharp tongue, alright. But it doesn't matter—let's see how long you can keep running it!"