Chapter 176 - Mourning Bell

Co-TL: Elanor; Edited by: Zaki and Animeart

This Bonus Chapter (3 of 3) is for “[EUNE]One Autumn Song”. Congratulations for being one of the winners of the 10K discord members CG-Event contest. 🙂 Hope you enjoy it :)~~Zaki, Elanor & Animeart

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Lin Shu felt that sooner or later Xiao Lingyang would become a famous monarch due to the urging from Ling Fengxiao.

As for whether Xiao Lingyang would be happy because of this... That remained to be seen.

Lin Shu: “Well... You can restore your body when he ascends the throne.”

“No.” Ling Fengxiao said in his ear, “It is unfair to pretend to be someone else. I don’t want to be such a person.”

This person is too much. Lin Shu planned to just ignore him.

They continued to ride through the night.

Lin Shu really just ignored Ling Fengxiao. After a while, the man took the initiative to talk to him.

“Baby.”

Lin Shu: “Hmm?”

“You’ve been talking a lot recently.”

Lin Shu: “?”

He asked, “What do you mean?”

Ling Fengxiao said, “Haven’t you noticed?”

Lin Shu: “I haven’t noticed.”

Ling Fengxiao said, “You asked me a lot of things in recent days. Such as ‘do you want to restore your male body?’ and ‘do you want to go back to the Royal Capital?’.”

Lin Shu thought for a moment, “En.”

Ling Fengxiao continued, “It seems that there were a lot more.”

Lin Shu pulled the mane of Zhaoye: “It seems so.”

Ling Fengxiao: “Indeed so.”

Lin Shu recalled that he really was talking to Ling Fengxiao far more than he talked with others, and also he talked more to Ling Fengxiao in these few days, much more than what he used to communicate with him a few years ago.

As for the reason, he thought, he had gradually understood that he could have a normal conversation with Ling Fengxiao.

When he talked, Ling Fengxiao would go on with the conversation. If he asked questions, Ling Fengxiao would answer.

Over time, he got used to it. Subconsciously, he felt that it was safe to talk to Ling Fengxiao. He did not worry about him being quiet, and did not worry about whether what he said was appropriate or not.

As he was thinking like this, he heard Ling Fengxiao ask, “Are you still a swordsman of the Heartless Dao?”

Lin Shu unsheathed the Folding Bamboo, pointed it out, and wiped the blade flashing the sword intent.

It was clear, cold and lonely, like the snow on the top of the mountain and the fog in the cold abyss.

The whole person, facing this sword intent, seemed to become a tiny grain of misty dust in the eternal clouds.

Lin Shu said, “Yes.”

Ling fengxiao: “I don’t believe it.”

Lin Shu: “You have to believe it.”

Ling Fengxiao: “Let’s just believe it.”

The gag stopped and they continued to rush towards the south all through the night.

The city gate was closely guarded by soldiers. But the moment the Order of the Phoenix was presented, they were unobstructed.

When they arrived at the Palace, they saw the solemnity of the place. The maidservants walking by the walls were cautious and did not dare go out.

They reached the Emperor’s residence. Before entering the hall, they could smell the strong scent of medicine, mixed with the scent of incense, which were used to neutralize the smell of medicine.

Ling Fengxiao, who was unimpeded all the way, was stopped by the Imperial Guards.

“Your Highness, please stay here a while,” said an Imperial guard in black. “Your Majesty had summoned His Highness the Crown Prince and ordered no one was allowed entrance.”

Ling Fengxiao: “Is my Father awake?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The Imperial Guard, after all, was a subordinate of Ling Fengxiao for many years. He didn’t hide anything: “His Majesty’s pulse was barely present, but a quarter of an hour ago, he suddenly woke up and called his Royal Highness the Crown Prince into the residence.”

“It’s good that he woke up.” Ling Fengxiao relaxed a little: “I will wait here. You continue to guard.”

Imperial Guard: “Yes, Your Highness.”

He stepped back and Ling Fengxiao stood on the side of the hall door.

“My Emperor Father will make proper arrangements, and if he can, he will draw an Imperial edict,” said Ling Fengxiao. “In this way, Xiao Lingyang’s accession to the throne will be much smoother.”

Lin Shu: “What if Xiao Lingyang doesn’t want to...”

Ling Fengxiao: “I will never let him know that I am a man.”

All right.

If Xiao Lingyang knew that he was the only heir, he would have to bite the bullet and sit on the throne no matter how reluctant he was.

But suppose if he knew that his sister was not a sister, but an elder brother, for sure he would try to pass the throne to Xiao Shao. Both of them were unwilling to be the Emperor. This would leave the courtiers and vassals at a loss.

If a lower position is empty, one could write a petition to the Emperor but if the throne itself was empty, the ministers would have nowhere to turn to.

Lin Shu stopped slandering Ling Fengxiao and Xiao Lingyang in his thoughts and turned his attention back to Ling Fengxiao.

Seeing him looking at the temple door, his eyes seemed dismayed.

He noticed Lin Shu’s look, and Ling Fengxiao said faintly, “From childhood till now, I have lived in Phoenix Mountain Villa. Although I only met him a few times, my Father treated me very well.”

Lin Shu: “... Hmn.”

He doesn’t have a father, so he doesn’t know what people with a father would think.

Although Ling Fengxiao and the Emperor have only met a few times, there were still some feelings, which could be regarded as familial relatives.

And it was not a happy thing when a relative was dying.

About a quarter of an hour later, the hall door opened wide, and Xiao Lingyang came out, but he didn’t notice them. He held the pillar beside the hall door and took a few deep breaths.

His face looked rather pale and his steps faltered. Lin Shu felt that he knew he was about to inherit the throne and was a little desperate.

Ling Fengxiao coughed.

Xiao Lingyang looked at the side like a frightened rabbit. When he saw Ling Fengxiao, he lowered his eyes a little unnaturally: “Sister.”

Ling Fengxiao walked over: “Is our Father okay?”

“Father... is okay,” said Xiao Lingyang. “He was very energetic just now. Now he’s a little tired. I think he’s returning back to the heavens...”

Ling Fengxiao gave him a cold look: “Be careful of what you say.”

Xiao Lingyang didn’t speak.

Lin Shu saw that his fingers were scraping the column, which was the action of someone who was very anxious.

Ling Fengxiao obviously noticed, “What’s the matter with you?”

Xiao Lingyang shook his head and ran away as fast as he could.

Lin Shu: “...”

Ling Fengxiao: “It’s time to fight.”

He went into the hall.

The Emperor was laying in bed, his complexion faded and his breathing was heavy.

He forbade anyone to enter a while back. Now that Xiao Lingyang had gone out of the hall, the ban had been lifted, the maids were streaming in, and the Empress was standing behind the screen.

This is probably because of the difference in gender, Lin Shu thought.

Ling Fengxiao dressed in women’s clothing. Although he could have the same appearance as the Empress, but after all, he could only be an overbearing Big Miss, and would not have such a dignified and rich manner.

Xiao Shao could ascend the throne in the Netherworld anytime. The Empress just needed to stand behind the beaded curtain, be a shadow behind the screen, and she would be the ideal image of motherhood

She just stood there, motionless, just watching.

The emperor’s eyes opened. His cloudy eyes looked at Ling Fengxiao, coughed a few times, his voice like a badly pulled bellows: “...... Feng’er?”

Ling Fengxiao approached and knelt at the head of his bed: “Father.”

The Emperor trembled and stretched out his withered hand, as if drawing the outline of Ling Fengxiao.

“You...have grown up.” The emperor said, “Like Ah Jin... When she was young.”

When he said the word “Ah Jin”, the Emperor suddenly stopped and looked around with difficulty. Then his whole expression became confused: “Ah Jin... Where’s Ah Jin?”

‘Jin‘, this word was recently heard by Lin Shu. Just three hours ago, the Phoenix Villa Master called a person, ‘Sister Jin’. According to the context, this ‘Jin’ had to be the Empress.

But when the Emperor murmured “Ah Jin”, the Empress still stood motionlessly, neither moving nor coming forward. The faint fragrance curled and flowed, and the white smoke from the incense flowed past her, lingering around for a while, and then dispersed gently.

Until Ling Fengxiao looked over there and gently said, “Empress Mother?”

The Empress slowly stepped out behind the screen.

The texture of her clothes was like the smoky haze of the western sky, and with her steps, the tassels of the Phoenix crown gently swayed, and her gorgeous clothes trailed the ground, like the clouds in the sunset glow, or the flowing gold at the very end of the Phoenix’s tail feathers.

But one couldn’t see her expressions, as if they were covered in a layer of fog.

The Emperor’s eyes were fixed on her direction, revealing a look akin to madness.

Ling Fengxiao stepped back.

Trembling, the Emperor took the Empress’s hand.

Judging from the look and tone of his voice, he was already very delirious.

The Empress looked down at him, and her look seemed only faint.

Such a situation, in any case, was not a scene that the younger generations should see.

Ling Fengxiao took Lin Shu out of the hall door and gently closed it.

At that moment, he heard a sentence.

“Ah Jin, I ...... am sorry—”

Sorry?

Sorry for what?

The voice came to an abrupt end.

After half an incense stick of time, suddenly the sound of the mourning bell at the back of the palace was heard striking nine times.

Another official exclaimed in sorrow loudly.

“His Majesty is dead ———”

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I would also like to thank “Jas” for the wonderful and cute drawing of Fruit.~Zaki