In the second year of Rende, under the blazing sun, Kunluo—having been scorched for several months—opened its heavy city gates amidst a protracted standoff. The blood of the South Chu rebels stained the corridors red, and the very air hung heavy with a sticky, coppery stench.
Pei Hengyu stood on the white marble steps, the Holy Emperor Sword in his hand still dripping with blood.
He drew out a brocade handkerchief and gently wiped the blade.
Scarcely three months had passed since the campaign began in early spring, and Pei Hengyu, having ascended the throne less than a year ago, had already conquered Kunluo, the capital of South Chu, and suppressed the rebellion initiated by the usurper Yuwen Su. To say he felt no arrogance would be a lie!
Pei Hengyu’s gaze swept over the serpent-patterned totem on the stone pillar in front of the Hall of King Cheng, baked hot by the scorching sun, and he asked An Ming, the personal guard at his side, "An Ming, do you know of the great treasures of South Chu?"
"South Chu lies in the southwest, rich in gold and jade," replied the nine-foot-tall guard commander An Ming, standing rigidly at attention. "I have heard that the gold and jade artifacts crafted by South Chu artisans are breathtakingly exquisite, and women throughout the realm consider it an honor to possess even one or two."
"Hahaha..." Pei Hengyu laughed heartily, stepping forward. "How superficial can you be?"
Having just destroyed South Chu, the Emperor was in high spirits, his eyes and brows brimming with unrestrained swagger as he continued, "South Chu is indeed wealthy and full of gold, but the most renowned treasure here is not some external possession, rather—"
At this, Pei Hengyu deliberately left a pause, waiting for An Ming to eagerly press him for the answer.
However, the taciturn An Ming completely missed the Emperor's subtle cue, his rigid face devoid of a single trace of urgency.
Instantly, Pei Hengyu lost all enthusiasm. In a fit of petty pique, he swallowed the second half of his sentence.
The two walked one after the other past the Hall of King Cheng. Suddenly, Pei Hengyu, who was in the lead, halted, bent over, and fiercely tore off his helmet. His dark hair spilled loose, and the Emperor, who had just been brimming with vigor, now clutched his head as if fighting for his life.
"Your Majesty?" Sensing something was terribly wrong, An Ming lunged forward to support Pei Hengyu.
A violent pain exploded within Pei Hengyu's mind, as though thousands of ants were gnawing at his skull. He was in too much agony to speak, his entire body soaked in cold sweat, and he nearly tumbled to the ground.
An Ming strode forward, using the tip of his sword to brace himself against the ground while his right hand caught Pei Hengyu's crumbling frame. "Your Majesty?" he cried anxiously. "Is something amiss? Shall this subordinate summon the military physician?"
Pei Hengyu’s lips were bruised and cyan, his teeth clenched tight without a sound escaping. Sweat beads the size of peas rolled down his temples, dripping onto the bluestone bricks where they vanished in an instant.
His fingernails dug into his flesh as he clawed at his head, leaving red gashes amid his hair.
A tidal wave of pain crashed and churned through Pei Hengyu's mind. Memories of two lifetimes intertwined, and his dark, inky hair turned white strand by strand amidst the agony. An inexplicable sorrow clogged his chest with nowhere to vent...
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, what is wrong with you?" An Ming half-supported Pei Hengyu, terrified to his core when he saw his sovereign's cascade of dark hair turn as white as frost within the span of a few breaths.
An Ming swallowed the questions stuck in his throat, turning to summon the Imperial Guards following behind, when suddenly his wrist was gripped tightly by a powerful grasp.
"No, I am fine," Pei Hengyu gritted out. "No need to summon the physician."
"Then—" An Ming dared not disobey, and could only say, "Your Majesty... please... take a moment to rest?"
Pei Hengyu nodded slightly. His crimson eyes gradually regained their clarity, his empty dantian filled once more with true qi, and his hands and feet, cold for months, grew warm again...
*I... have returned!*
Devoid of the exhilaration he had felt upon his second rebirth and return, Pei Hengyu's heart was left with only utter desolation.
As the tearing pain slowly subsided, Pei Hengyu twitched his fingers, belatedly realizing that he was still gripping his guard's wrist.
Pei Hengyu abruptly let go, stumbled half a step back, and leaned against the stone beast by the bridge. An Ming rushed forward once more to steady the Emperor. "Your Majesty?"
An Ming probed tentatively, his eyes fixed on those suddenly whitened, snowy locks, completely at a loss for what to do.
Quietly circulating his inner energy to confirm he had full control over his body once more, Pei Hengyu pushed An Ming away without a trace and said in a deep voice, "I am fine!"
The scorching sun hung high in the sky like a blazing fire. Amidst the fragrance of South Chu's unique camellias, Pei Hengyu's memories grew clear!
Beneath Pei Hengyu's feet was the Golden Water Bridge; behind him stood the Hall of King Cheng, and ahead lay the inner palace of the King of South Chu.
Crossing the Golden Water Bridge and heading east led to Yuehua Palace, where Princess Yuehua—Yuwen Shuangyue—that renowned beauty of the realm, resided.
In his first life, after conquering South Chu and breaching the city of Kunluo, the very first thing Pei Hengyu did was storm the inner palace to seek out this Princess Yuehua.
Initially, Pei Hengyu had only intended to catch a glimpse of the peerless beauty famed throughout the land. Who could have known he would be captivated by her charms? Under her deliberate instigation, over the course of five years, he and Consort Shu in the palace fought until both were left ruined.
Meanwhile, Yuwen Shuangyue seized the opportunity to secretly gather former loyalists, cultivate her own faction, and lure Yuwen Junan into the Imperial Palace to assassinate him upon the dragon throne!
The past was too painful to recall. Gazing at the gleaming palace walls shimmering in the blazing sun, Pei Hengyu's cold face remained entirely devoid of ripples.
He picked up the helmet that had fallen to the ground, tossed it to An Ming, and strode toward Yuehua Palace.
An Ming followed closely behind the Emperor, his eyes glued fixedly to Pei Hengyu's frost-white hair. Recalling common folk tales about early greying and an unnatural lifespan, anxiety filled his heart.
"Wait for me, hey, Human Sovereign, wait for me..."
After walking for a while, a familiar voice drifted faintly from behind. Pei Hengyu recognized it instantly—it was that foolish dragon!
Before returning to the Underworld, the dark-faced Judge had transformed the manifested Silver-Patterned Coiled Dragon into a palm-sized Little White Dragon.
It chattered incessantly. Pei Hengyu glanced sideways at An Ming and, seeing his guard commander show no reaction whatsoever, guessed that aside from himself, no one else could see or hear this little creature.
"The Judge said I should follow you and help you save the common people."
Pei Hengyu gave no reply, and the Little White Dragon continued, "Lord Judge is actually quite decent. He bestowed upon me half his divine power. Ordinary mortals cannot see me, and at a critical moment, I can protect your life!"
Pei Hengyu ignored it. Ahead lay Yuehua Palace; he had to root out Yuwen Junan first and keep him right under his nose.
The dark-faced Judge had said that failing to defeat Yuwen Junan was his destiny; even if they could not be friends, they must not become enemies!
However, right before his rebirth, he had just wiped out South Chu!