Chapter 98 Small Details, Details in Place

Yue Guanyi had gone completely insane. He held the bloody knife as if he hadn’t just stabbed it into his own flesh. Looking at his lower abdomen and thinking of the child growing inside, his eyes were bloodshot and his voice hoarse with anguish.

He had stabbed deeply, so deep that even the knife handle was buried within. Fresh blood continuously flowed out, staining his pure white, dejected clothes with a large pool of red. Waves of excruciating pain washed over him, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the torment tearing at his heart in this moment.

He pulled out the blood-soaked blade, and instantly, spurting blood splattered Chang’an’s face.

The bloodthirsty blade flashed with an incomparably terrifying cold light.

As Yue Guanyi raised his hand again, preparing to stab himself a second time, Chang’an rushed forward and grabbed the blade with his bare hand.

“Your Highness, you’ve gone mad! This is your child, it’s Qiu Daren’s child! Doctor, quickly call for a doctor!” Chang’an shouted towards the outside.

Yue Guanyi’s eyes were filled with madness. He stared at the crimson bloodstain on his lower abdomen as if the child within was not his own, but a mortal enemy.

“It’s my fault, it’s my fault,” he fell into boundless remorse and pain, one hand tightly gripping his long hair.

“I’ve killed countless people, my hands are stained with blood. I’m heinously evil, I’m not worthy of Qiu Niang at all. I’ve harmed Qiu Niang… I should have just watched Qiu Niang from afar, I shouldn’t have indulged in dark and filthy desires to approach Qiu Niang, much less marry her.” Yue Guanyi’s face was as pale as a ghost, his bloodshot eyes brimming with despair.

This was heaven punishing him.

“I’ve harmed her. If it weren’t for me, Qiu Niang wouldn’t have been tainted by my sins and bad luck. Qiu Niang wouldn’t have passed away so early… I’ve harmed her, I’ve harmed her, I…” Yue Guanyi’s blood-covered hands frantically tore at his hair, his hoarse voice filled with endless painful wails, like the shrill cries of a demon from hell.

“Your Highness, how could this be your fault? What happened to Qiu Daren was something no one could have predicted… Where’s the doctor? Have all the damn doctors died?” Chang’an roared.

The military doctor hurriedly arrived, shocked by the scene before him. Yue Guanyi had been tormenting himself for a long time, barely clinging to life, and now he was pregnant too, his survival uncertain.

Now he had gone mad and viciously stabbed himself in the stomach…

The military doctor immediately stepped forward to cover the wound, trying to minimize blood loss, and instructed an apprentice to bring the medical instruments.

Yue Guanyi’s face grew increasingly weak and pale. Looking at the glaring red before him, he said in despair: “This child has come at the wrong time. Its mother is gone, what’s the use of keeping it? It’s better to die early and follow its mother… Child, your father will come to join you soon, we’ll reunite in the next life—”

As he spoke, he suddenly paused.

Thinking of the sins he had committed in this life, he realized he would be cast into the eighteenth level of hell to suffer torment for lifetimes upon lifetimes. Even if he were fortunate enough to be reborn, he would only be fit to fall into the realm of beasts, to be a cow or horse, a pig or dog. How could he have the right to meet Qiu Niang again, to have children with her?

Their brief encounter in this life had already exhausted the karmic debt of ten lifetimes.

For all eternity, they would never meet again, never to see each other again.

“Haha… hahahaha… hahahahahaha…” Yue Guanyi laughed madly in despair, his despairing voice echoing throughout the entire room. A line of thick, crimson blood tears flowed from the corner of his eye.

Chang’an was terrified, frantically pulling the doctor’s hand: “Doctor, you must save him, you must save him!”

Chang’an anxiously kept watch by Yue Guanyi’s bedside. For a full three hours, he remained unconscious.

Finally, the military doctor wiped away the large beads of sweat on his face: “His Highness is out of danger now, but he urgently needs rest and absolutely cannot be stimulated by anyone… Moreover, he must not have any thoughts of taking his own life again. His Highness’s illness is in his heart; if his heart dies, even the greatest immortal couldn’t save him.”

Chang’an hurriedly asked, “What about the child? Was the child saved?”

The doctor shook his head regretfully: “His Highness’s stab was too vicious, almost piercing through his abdomen. It’s already a miracle that we could save his life. As for the child… alas…”

Although the military doctor had years of experience treating women in the army, he wasn’t very familiar with male doctors’ methods of protecting pregnancies. But he had never seen a father like Yue Guanyi who would deal such a deadly blow to his own child.

He was determined not to let the child live, and even more determined not to let himself live.

She recalled having once glimpsed Qiu Shuzhi from afar, with a temperament as pure as snow, unparalleled throughout history. Such a beautiful woman, with a husband so deeply in love with her, should have been the envy of all if not for that ambush. What a pity.

“The child is gone…” Chang’an collapsed to the ground, despondent. The only child Qiu Daren had left in this world was gone.

For all these years, Qiu Shuzhi had been Yue Guanyi’s only faith to live on. He had almost worshipped Qiu Shuzhi like a deity. With Qiu Shuzhi’s death, Yue Guanyi’s heart had died too.

He had thought that at least he could use the child to tether Yue Guanyi, to give him a thread of hope to live on. Who knew that Yue Guanyi’s love for Qiu Shuzhi was so intense.

He really had no idea what to do now. He didn’t even dare to imagine how he would persuade Yue Guanyi when he woke up.

The news of Qiu Shuzhi’s tragedy hadn’t spread yet. He had only told Yue Shen about it.

The Divine Machine Battalion had suffered heavy losses, with nearly all the cannons destroyed. Without support, the White Staff Army would be powerless when facing the King of Dian. If Yue Guanyi had even the slightest desire for death at this time…

Chang’an clutched his head in distress. Before, it was always Yue Guanyi who made the decisions. Now that the power of decision was in his hands, he realized how difficult it was for Yue Guanyi to stand in this position.

Currently, dealing with the external threat of the King of Dian was of utmost importance, but the Divine Machine Battalion could no longer provide support, and the court couldn’t spare any troops.

Unless—

Chang’an suddenly thought of the jade command.

The jade command that could control countless death soldiers. These death soldiers were an army that Yue Guanyi had spent over a decade secretly training to consolidate his power, never to appear unless absolutely necessary.

With the help of the death soldiers, plus the strength of the White Staff Army, they would have the power to confront the King of Dian.

But this jade command had been given to Qiu Shuzhi by Yue Guanyi as a token of their love. He had entrusted this life-saving item to Qiu Shuzhi.

Unlike regular troops, the death soldiers felt no pain and would not retreat. They would only obey orders. More importantly, the death soldiers only recognized the jade command, not the person. Yue Guanyi’s actions back then were essentially entrusting his entire fortune to Qiu Shuzhi.

But Qiu Shuzhi didn’t know the importance of the jade command and only treated it as an ordinary jade pendant.

Fortunately, Qiu Shuzhi had been truly devoted to Yue Guanyi, and had always kept this love token jade pendant tied at her waist.

He saw that Zhang Xiao had mentioned in his letter that they had found Qiu Shuzhi’s body, with her clothes intact. The jade command should still be on Qiu Shuzhi’s body.

Chang’an looked at the sleeping Yue Guanyi and thought to himself: “Your Highness, I hope you won’t blame me when you wake up.”

He walked out of the room, instructing the accompanying Jinyiwei to keep a constant watch on Yue Guanyi, absolutely preventing him from attempting suicide again. He himself then followed Zhang Xiao to the tent where Qiu Shuzhi’s body was temporarily being kept.

The body, which had been soaked in water and was rotting, was breeding maggots and emitting waves of foul odor even in the cool autumn weather. Maggots were constantly crawling out from under the white cloth covering the body.

Zhang Xiao couldn’t help but frown.

“You may leave,” he said coldly.

Zhang Xiao silently withdrew.

In the eerily quiet tent, a faint chill wind seemed to blow.

Chang’an’s expression remained unchanged. He slowly approached, lifting Qiu Shuzhi’s hand that was exposed outside the white cloth without any hesitation. Waves of putrid smell assaulted him.

“Qiu Daren,” Chang’an’s eyes were filled with sorrow as he recalled their first encounter. She had been riding a horse, vibrant amidst the falling apricot blossoms that everyone was exclaiming over. With delicate apricot blossoms in her hair, she had seemed like a divine consort descending from heaven among the crowd, and he had been just one of many silently watching her.

He had admired her talent, been captivated by her gentleness, and then from a hidden, silent place, watched her marry the person he respected… Now her cold hand was finally in his palm.

“Qiu Shuzhi.” In the absence of others, Chang’an sobbed, kneeling beside her corpse and weeping loudly. Two clear tears fell on her swollen hand.

Finally, after indulging in unrestrained crying, Chang’an wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes. Suppressing the sorrow in his heart, he opened his eyes, swollen like walnuts, and softly whimpered as he gently lifted the white cloth.

He dared not lift it from Qiu Shuzhi’s head, fearing to see her in such a pitiful state. She was a heavenly being, heaven’s favored daughter, with her own pride and dignity. She probably wouldn’t want her decaying corpse to be freely observed.

He didn’t want to offend Qiu Shuzhi.

He only dared to lift from the feet, raising the white cloth to the waist, intending to take the jade command and leave. But the empty space at her waist immediately made Chang’an frown.

The jade command was gone.

How could this be? Qiu Daren had always treasured the love token His Highness had given her.

Chang’an’s expression darkened slightly as he looked again at the intact clothes on the corpse.

Even if she had fallen into rapid river waters, why were the clothes intact while only the jade pendant was missing? The way the jade pendant was tied made it unlikely to be easily washed away by the river. Even if the cord had accidentally broken, there should still be remnants of the cord on the waistband. How could it have completely disappeared?

Could Yue Guanyi have taken it back?

No, that’s not right. He had been by Yue Guanyi’s side for so long and had never seen the jade command with him.

The more Chang’an thought about it, the more suspicious he became. He directly lifted the white cloth, exposing a face so rotten it was unrecognizable. Unlike the usual bloated appearance of drowned corpses, her face had distinct pits and hollows.

“Zhang Xiao,” he called out.

“At your service,” Zhang Xiao said, lifting the tent flap.

“How did you discover Qiu Daren’s body? What was the condition of Qiu Daren’s body when you found it? Tell me again from the beginning, every detail, absolutely nothing can be omitted.” Chang’an said sternly.