Flashback (2)

"Ren Ye!"

Ren Ye pursed his lips into straight lines and lowered his head, seemingly accepting all the blame the man had placed on him.

Instead of losing his anger, Ren Ye sighed with distress and walked toward the wooden table.

"We'll kill him now; we'll think about what to do with her later. There won't be any more breaks for any of us longer. You have changed a lot ever since you met her, as your friend, I refuse to let such a thing go."

It was true, he had softened his stance tremendously ever since he had come into contact with the royal court. He had murdered nobles in silence but the one goal he had come here for hadn't been executed yet, mainly due to a certain interference.

"Do it now or we may never get the chance again once he finds out! Time is running out."

The man softened his voice at him and watched with stern eyes as Ren Ye crouched down and took out a dark wooden box from under the table. Ren Ye turned his head and glanced toward him, extending the box to him with a pleasant smile.

"Take this."

The man lowered his blue eyes and cast them onto the box, pointing with his finger and speaking to him, "What is this?"

"It is something I have planned for many days now, it is a gift from me," Ren Ye gave him a nod and replied with an unreadable face, "It is something that should only be held by you."

Upon hearing such words, the blue-eyed man accepted the box with a complicated expression before lifting his head to give him a cold glare, "Still, I hope it is something that helps us with our plan. I don't want to see some endearing gift as an apology from you."

"It isn't an apology but rather something else," Ren Ye spoke with a voice laced with mystery, "It is a plan I have foreseen in the upcoming days."

"I have a sense of feeling the next couple of weeks won't be peaceful…"

As he said that, he clenched his fist tightly and continued to maintain the man's stern eyes with indifference.

The man frowned and roughly opened the box; inside of it laid a blue-headed arrow with a sharp tip. It resembled a polished diamond as the steel reflected the light inside the room and the man's face.

"This…"

The man's eyes shrank vaguely before recovering and immediately replaced with growing discontent, "Is this what we will use to kill him?"

"I doubt we would even get to chance to kill him," Ren Ye snorted faintly.

"Don't say such words!" The man suddenly grabbed Ren Ye by his shoulders and pushed him lightly, his eyes were filled with anger.

"If there comes a day I am captured," Ren Ye spoke with a blank expression and placed his hand on his shoulder, "It is your job to kill me."

"You!"

The man jolted in shock and rushed toward him in anger, forcibly gripping his shirt and yelling, "Have you gone mad?"

"My foolishness has truly cursed us both…"

He sighed with gloom and sat himself down onto the chair, glancing at the ceiling above him, and continued to speak with a saddened tone, "Believe it or not, it may become reality."

He sat up and straightened his back, glancing at the arrow in his palm, "I bought the dagger from a foreign merchant and tested it, and it is able to pierce through the hardest surface."

"I don't wish for anyone but you, to end my life."

He gave the man a sincere smile.

The man pursed his lips and clenched his jaw, his eyes grew increasingly blurry before immediately being replaced with complexity, "You knew it was going to happen a long time ago…"

"Of course, isn't it something we assassins should know? Once we stray far off from our goal, only doom awaits us."

"Also, you shall be the one who will end his majesty's life."

"Ren Ye…"

The man mumbled quietly and held the arrow in his palm, looking at him with worry.

"Brother…"

Ren Ye shot him a regretful glance and gradually got up from his seat, tapping the man on his shoulder gently, "I am sorry for everything."

"If there's a past life where we are brothers again, I will never fail you ever again."

-

Ren Ye sat down in a daze yet again, unable to continue to do any activities; his eyes were lost in his thoughts after his best friend had left.

Before long, he was woken up by a sudden intruding thought; he had promised Jing Xue he was going to meet up with her in the royal garden. He immediately got up and turned to leave the cottage under disguise.

He arrived at one of the gates after taking off his disguise, he didn't need a verification card to enter the royal residence; the guards immediately recognized him to be her Majesty's loyal companion.

"Good morning, Duke."

They didn't hesitate as they spoke with an obedient tone, "Her Majesty has been waiting for you."

They intended to guide him to where she was but they were immediately dismissed by him with a wave of his hand, "No need, I know my way around."

They nodded and allowed him to do whatever he liked; after all, he had been a trusted guest of the royal court.

Ren Ye made his way to the garden with precise directions despite the residence being one of the largest lands the King had owned. As he walked past fellow noblemen, they stopped in their path and greeted him with a bow.

Ren Ye didn't bother with them and continued to move forward; detesting them inwardly.

He stepped foot onto the clean grass field as he looked forward with squinted eyes, he seemed to have spotted a feminine figure sitting on the white marbled chair.

He took in a big breath and walked gently to the side. Every step he took, a crisp and sweet voice made its way to his ears; causing his body to be filled with warmth and love.

The charming woman pursed her cherry red lips as her slender fingers swayed along the strings of the harp; singing wholeheartedly as her eyes were filled with amorous emotions.

Ren Ye stopped in his path and took in the sight of the woman with indifferent eyes.

It didn't take long as the woman stopped and curled her lips into a captivating smile, she didn't turn her head and continued to glance forward with eyes filled with longing affection.

"Ren Ye…"

He shook slightly after hearing his name being called and coughed awkwardly, "How'd you know it was me?"

"I recognized your footsteps."

Her long eyelashes flickered; her voice was faint but the corner of her lips could not be hidden.

Hearing her answer, Ren Ye's eyes softened. He went forward and stood next to her, stretched out his hand, and gently touched her ears; pulling them gently.

"Ah! It isn't nice to say strange things. Think about what others would think if they overheard what you have said," Ren Ye said with a playful expression, "Imagine how huge of a scandal it would be!"

She was unprepared for his sudden physical contact, trembled, and turned her beautiful face toward him, "I don't care what they think about us."

Ren Ye was rendered speechless and glanced at her with unconcealed shock, Jing Xue pursed her lips playfully and turned her graceful back against him.

"Humph! Who are they to judge us? As long as we're not harming anyone, it's all fun and games; no one has the right to interfere with our lives."

Ren Ye nodded his head and narrowed his increasingly cold eyes, "Indeed."

Jing Xue didn't notice his expression as she stood up and grabbed his hand, pulling them lightly, and glanced at him with aggrieved eyes, "I saw you dance with Lady Sui last night."

"I don't know why but I felt sick inside my stomach that night."

Ren Ye was indifferent to her emotions as he dismissed them, "It is nothing, I couldn't refuse the dance anyways."

After seeing his indifference, Jing Xue grew increasingly depressed and let go of his hand. She lowered her head and glanced to the side, sulking silently.

Ren Ye was completely oblivious as he continued to ask, "Where is his Majesty?"

"He is away this entire summer…"

She uttered each word silently.

He nodded his head, seemingly sensed her emotions were off and pricked flowers from the garden gradually playing around with the petals. After gathering all of the petals, he threw them gently on top of Jing Xue's head.

"You don't look pretty sulking like that."

Ren Ye gave her a charming smile and extended his hand toward her, "Why don't we talk the stroll around the palace?"

Jing Xue's magnificent eyes grew blurry and accepted his hand, gripping it tightly. She mumbled something under her breath that Ren Ye didn't seem to catch.

"Hmm?" He hummed in confusion.

"Nothing," She turned to grin attractively at him.

As soon as Ren Ye's hand was gripped by her, he immediately felt his body growing intensely cold. His body became stiff as it became harder to breathe, he lifted his hand to see frost covering his fingertips.

"Ren Ye!"

Jing Xue was alerted and turned to glance at him with worry and panic, lowering herself to catch him as he stumbled forward in a struggle. His face became numb as it grew intensely pale and ice started spreading from his face.

"Ren Ye!"

Jing Xue cried out as she touched his face in panic. Ren Ye didn't hear her cries as he felt shivers go down his spine, causing him to shake his head. His body was completely frozen and unable to move.

"Ren Ye!"

A rough hoarse voice called out to him as a middle-aged man appeared out of nowhere and ran out to him, lifting his arms and pulling him from Jing Xue's embrace, "Release."

Immediately, Ren Ye felt a forced slap from the side of his face. He gasped and hurriedly opened his eyes to a completely different scene. He was inside the bathroom of his apartment.

Old Yi lifted his hand again and gave him another smack on the head, Ren Ye winced in pain.

"Immediately gather the energy around you."