Chapter 74: Do You Intend to Watch Me Die?
Li Qinghe clearly noticed Jun Mo’s fleeting, ambiguous glances.
She could roughly guess what was going through his mind. Was it not simply that he intended to make her life miserable because of her previous schemes?
Having reached this point, did he think she still cared?
He could torture her however he wished. The bottom line was, given his current condition, he didn’t dare take her life immediately.
Knowing this alone gave Li Qinghe a profound sense of relief.
It was as if a fishbone were stuck in Jun Moâs throatâhe could neither swallow it nor spit it out. It could only remain lodged there, causing him endless discomfort and pain.
Li Xuanyue naturally observed the silent contest between the two.
With the Second Prince of the Snake Clan keeping Li Qinghe in check, her sister likely wouldn’t be able to stir up any trouble for the time being.
“Princess, the Prince Consort has sent someone over,” Yin Xin whispered, tugging gently on Li Xuanyueâs sleeve to alert her.
Li Xuanyue looked up and saw Hua Shanâs trusted aide, Xiao Ce, standing not far away with Xiao Han, heads bowed in conversation.
She lowered her gaze. Had her uncle arrived?
“Go tell him I will be there shortly,” she said in a low voice.
Empress Lin had not yet departed. Li Xuanyue could not simply leave a guest at the Phoenix Clan’s entrance and walk away; doing so would embarrass the Phoenix Sovereign, Li Feng.
The best course of action was to see the guest off first, then make her way to Hua Shanâs palace.
Hua Shan, as the Prince Consort of the Phoenix Clan, naturally understood this. However, when he heard the message Xiao Ce brought back, he still felt a vague sense of displeasure.
“That woman really is troublesome,” Hua Shan muttered, dissatisfaction flashing in his eyes.
“But never mind,” he waved his large hand, speaking slowly and languidly. “She suffered such a huge loss this timeâeven her son was entrapped by Li Qinghe. Itâs understandable that sheâs being a bit fussy.”
As a subordinate, Xiao Ce naturally did not chime in. He knew exactly where he stood.
Hua Shan wasn’t displeased by his silence; on the contrary, he felt Xiao Ce understood him better and better.
He lay sideways on a chaise longue, his dark gold phoenix robes half-open, exuding an indescribable allure and charm.
“Sang-Sang, you probably haven’t seen Yue’er yet, have you?”
Hua Shanâs beautiful phoenix eyes suddenly turned toward the man sitting across from himâa man whose hands were bound.
“Iâm telling you, Yue’er is incredibly beautiful now. When you see her later, you will definitely like her.”
Hua Sang, seated to the side, just looked at him with a cold, frozen expression.
“What is the point of this?” he asked, his tone distant.
He didn’t want any further entanglement with this man. Why wouldn’t Hua Shan just let him go?
The smile on Hua Shanâs face abruptly stiffened. “Are you still holding a grudge over what happened back then?”
Hua Sang remained silent, which was as good as an admission.
In the gap of their conversation, all the maids and guards in Xihe Hall were dismissed under Xiao Ceâs command.
Now, only Hua Shan and Hua Sang remained in the vast Xihe Hall.
“Didn’t you say you would never disturb me again?” Hua Sang spoke up suddenly when Hua Shan didn’t respond. “You sought me out this time solely to detoxify Yue’er?”
His tone carried an unspeakable sorrow and grief.
“Am I just a shadow to you? Destined to always sacrifice for you?”
Why?
Hadn’t he sacrificed enough for him back then? Why did he have to come back and hurt him again and again?
Hua Shan lowered his eyes. “I know the events of the past hurt you deeply.”
He spoke each word deliberately. “But Yue’er is ultimately your child too. Do you really have the heart to watch her die?”
“Hmph!”
Hua Sang let out a cold snort and turned his head away. Yet, he couldn’t stop the tears from welling up in his eyes and streaming down his face.
“Hua Shan, I don’t owe you anything anymore.”
These were the most heartbreaking and sorrowful words Hua Sang could say. His choked sobs rose and fell quietly within the hall.
A look of deep pain flashed through Hua Shanâs eyes.
“I know!” he said calmly. “But Yue’er needs you to save her now.”
“You must help me!”
“Consider it my final plea to you, alright?”
Who could have imagined that the usually high-and-mighty Hua Shan would lower his head so humbly to beg Hua Sang?
It was as surprising as someone who ate delicacies every day suddenly switching to plain vegetables.
However, Hua Sang did not soften his heart because of the plea.
“I told you, I do not agree,” he said with a hardened attitude.
He had sacrificed most of his life for Hua Shan. He did not want to lose his life sacrificing for him again.
“You!”
Hua Shan hadn’t expected his attitude to be so resolute. He ground his teeth in anger. He took a deep breath, trying his best not to look so furious, before speaking slowly again.
“Then what will it take for you to agree?”
Hua Shan was determined to cure Li Xuanyue; nothing could shake his resolve. She was the daughter he had raised from childhood. She was his emotional anchor, and he could not watch her die helplessly.
“How about I yield the position of Phoenix Prince Consort to you?” Hua Shan asked in a negotiating tone.
Hua Sang looked at Hua Shan with a weary gaze. “You know that isn’t what I want!”
If he had truly wanted the position of Prince Consort, he would have taken it the moment Li Feng gave birth to Li Xuanyue. Why would he need Hua Shan to offer it to him now?
Hua Shanâs eyes grew complex. He knew very well what Hua Sang wanted. But given his current situation, he could not give him that happiness.
Hua Sang knew this too. Otherwise, why would Hua Shan have chosen to sacrifice him again and again for his own happiness back then?
“Then do you truly have the heart to watch her die?”
Who else could the ‘her’ in Hua Shan’s mouth be but Li Xuanyue?
Pain flashed through his dark eyes. He didn’t believe it. Hua Sang had always been soft-hearted. He didn’t believe Hua Sang could be cruel to that extent. After all, Li Xuanyue was his child too.
He couldn’t possibly sit back and do nothing.
“Otherwise?” Hua Sang shrugged, looking indifferent. “Do you intend to watch me die with your eyes open?”
Hua Sangâs question stunned Hua Shan.
Indeed, the Red Crown was no ordinary thing. It was the supreme treasure of the Crane Clan, the very symbol and source of life for an adult Crane.
Once damaged, not only would one’s cultivation regress, but their life would also end.
Hua Shan couldn’t have failed to consider this.
Or perhaps he had considered it, but between Li Xuanyue and Hua Sang, he had chosen Li Xuanyue and abandoned Hua Sang. Otherwise, knowing the danger, he wouldn’t have forcibly brought him here.
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