Consort of a Thousand Faces

Yun Ruofeng watched on as Qin Ling carried Wei Mohai, setting the latter’s corpse on the horse carriage. My sworn brother is no longer breathing, and will never come around again.

 

Yun Ruofeng lifted his head and looked at the crescent moon in the night sky. It had always been full for the past state banquets, but its current state lasted for the past three days, nothing less than an inauspicious omen. I am responsible for Wei Mohai's death.

 

Yun Ruofeng's brows remained furrowed, and the melancholy in his eyes couldn’t be suppressed. He didn’t ride a horse or a carriage, and instead chose to drag himself through the silent night. The moonlight cast a long and lonely shadow on the ground, leaving Yun Ruofeng to expressionlessly make his way back to the Prince Yun Residence.

 

The door guards at the Prince Yun Residence were shocked to see Yun Ruofeng in this state. They had never seen Prince Yun like this, and they didn’t dare to ask what had happened. They could only bow deferentially and hastily open the doors of the Prince Yun Residence.

 

Yun Ruofeng silently entered; and despite every guard sensing that something was amiss, nobody was brave enough to speak a single word. They could only watch as Yun Ruofeng disappeared into the distance.

 

Yun Ruofeng walked straight to the main courtyard of the residence and entered his room, reaching under his bed with a flicker in his eyes. What he pulled out was a wooden box from underneath the bed board.

 

The box was medium-sized, and made of rosewood. Opening it up, Yun Ruofeng narrowed his eyes as he stared at the smaller black box within.

 

Eventually, he closed the larger box and returned it to its original position; though the small black box remained in his hands. The corners of his lips slowly raised to form a smile as he gently touched the box, as if he was caressing someone’s face.

 

A moment later, Yun Ruofeng let out a soft chuckle. "Everyone thinks that your body has been thrown into an unmarked mass grave or tossed into the wilderness. No one knows that I had your body secretly cremated, and kept the ashes underneath my bed. Even your dearest imperial younger brother doesn't have an inkling. Ning Rulan, since your soul has returned, why didn't you come to look for me? You plan to get rid of all the people around me, and leave me for the last, don’t you?"

 

Yun Ruofeng laughed louder as his grip on the box tightened, a hint of cruelty making its way into his eyes. "If you hold grievances and hatred in your heart, you can come find me directly. Ning Rulan, why didn't you look for me? When will you come to look for me?"

 

The deranged laughter became more and more pitiful until finally, it subsided, bringing with it a cold glint in Yun Ruofeng’s eyes. "You are so eager to avenge yourself, Ning Rulan. But you should know that everyone has to die. You should have just waited for me at the Helpless Passing Bridge[1]; at that time, you can take out all of your hatred on me. I don’t regret what I owe you in this life, but if I could turn back time..."

 

Yun Ruofeng looked at the black box and started to stroke it gently. "Ning Rulan, I would still kill you. We would’ve been trusted comrades if you were a man - brothers even. However, you were a woman, and too unrestrained. You wanted to have a say in everything, and I couldn’t let you live."

 

That being said, Yun Ruofeng gingerly carried the black box, and headed towards the lake in the residence.

 

15 minutes later, Yun Ruofeng stood upright before the lake. Willows were planted along its shores, with the colour of their leaves having turned from green to yellow with the change of seasons.

 

Yun Ruofeng took out the black box and placed it against his chest before opening it. "Ning Rulan, you were always so dazzling, but even you are just a handful of ashes after being engulfed in flames. I heard that by scattering someone's ashes in the cold lake, their soul will be suppressed by the chilly waters of the lake in winter. Even then, will your soul still return?" Yun Ruofeng whispered softly as he maintained his gentle countenance.

1. It’s a bridge that all souls must cross before they can reincarnate and move on to their next lives.