Ya She

Chapter 60 Candle Dragon Eyes

【1】

On the night of the new moon, the sky was clear and moonless, dotted with countless stars.

Standing on the rooftop of a skyscraper, Fusu looked down and could see almost the entire city, its myriad lights gleaming brightly. Even with his resolute will, Fusu couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion at such a beautiful sight.

The earth is right beneath my feet, and it feels as if I could possess the whole world simply by opening my arms.

Of course, this is just imagination.

He has been deprived of the right to possess this world for a very, very long time.

The biting wind whistled past his ears, making Fusu's hair fly wildly and revealing the ugly burn scars around his eyes.

A clear bird song came from above his head, and a small red bird swirled down from the night sky with the help of the night wind, finally landing on Fusu's shoulder.

Fusu withdrew his bewildered gaze and stared intently at the city's night view below, trying to find the one belonging to the Silent Shop among the dense lights.

Actually, even if he were gone, Bi Zhi would still live a good life.

Just like the past two thousand years.

But I'm still so unwilling to accept it...

As time passed, the stars moved slowly across the night sky, the city lights gradually dimmed, and the car lights on the streets became scarce.

Fusu stood in the wind, like a statue, motionless for a long time. Minghong, perched on his shoulder, was restless, either tilting its head to preen its own feathers or habitually tidying Fusu's disheveled hair. However, Fusu's hair wasn't as long as Huhai's, and Minghong's attempts failed several times. But it found new amusement in this, hopping around chasing the strands of hair in the wind, having a great time.

Suddenly, Minghong stopped what he was doing, turned his head and looked sharply into the darkness.

As if sensing something, Fusu turned around following its gaze and saw a man in a trench coat emerge from the darkness.

The man wore tall leather boots, yet walked silently, his trench coat billowing in the wind as if he were riding the wind. His bewitching eyes were fixed on Fusu without any politeness, like a sharpened sword, exuding a chilling aura.

"Lord Lingshi, it's been a long time." Fusu smiled, his aura no less imposing than Zhao Gao's, after all, he was the successor personally groomed by the First Emperor.

Zhao Gao was taken aback upon hearing this, but his tone remained completely emotionless as he spoke: "I haven't heard that title in a long time."

Fusu's hands clenched uncontrollably behind his back. Was this man boasting about becoming the Prime Minister of the Qin Empire after his death? Taking a deep breath, Fusu suppressed his anger, for dwelling on this matter would not help him. He gathered his thoughts and slowly asked, "What brings you to this meeting?"

It was a very strange scene. Fusu was actually facing the very person who killed him, yet he remained calm, as if he were facing a stranger.

A gentleman takes his revenge, even after a thousand years.

Zhao Gao stopped in front of Fusu, handed him the brocade box, and gestured for him to open it.

Fusu took the brocade box without hesitation.

This seemingly unguarded action caused the hawk on his shoulder to flap its wings twice as a warning, but Fusu still opened the box without hesitation.

Inside the brocade box lay two jade balls, each the size of a fist.

The one on the left is black jade, and the one on the right is yellow jade.

"This is..." Fusu frowned in confusion. Zhao Gao wouldn't just show him two ordinary jade balls; these two jade balls must have a special origin.

"Beyond the Northwest Sea, north of the Red River, lies Mount Zhangwei. There dwells a god, with a human face and a snake's body, red in color, with straight, upright eyes. When he is dark, it is gloomy; when he is open, it is bright. He neither eats, sleeps, nor rests, and he is summoned by wind and rain. This is Zhujiuyin, this is Zhulong. These are the eyes of Zhulong." Zhao Gao's voice was completely devoid of intonation, speaking in a rigid, formulaic manner that made the listener extremely uncomfortable.

"Its darkness is darkness, its light is light... The eyes of the Candle Dragon, which bring night when closed and day when open?" Fusu was somewhat surprised. He wasn't an unsophisticated person. On the contrary, his father, the First Emperor, had shown him some ancient artifacts. Furthermore, after his rebirth, he had seen many wondrous antiques at the Silent Shop, so he shouldn't have been so flustered.

But this is the eye of the Zhulong, the legendary Zhulong!
Logically speaking, those eyes shouldn't be so small... and they look quite ordinary.

Fusu couldn't help but start to have doubts, and a hint of confusion appeared on his face.

“Actually, these two sentences don’t only have these two interpretations.” Zhao Gao revealed a profound smile and pointed to the two jade balls. “Ming means vague and hazy, Hui means the end of the moon, the last day of each lunar month. Shi means to see, and Ming means clear.”

"So, what can be seen on the night of the new moon?" Fusu felt that Zhao Gao's explanation was too far-fetched, but casually followed up with another question.

"You can see the past with your left eye and the future with your right eye," Zhao Gao said calmly. "Touch it with your hand, then close your eyes. If you don't believe me, young master, you are welcome to try it."

Fusu looked up at the night sky but couldn't see the moon, realizing it was the night of the new moon. He then looked down at the seemingly ordinary jade ball in the brocade box and said with little interest, "Isn't everyone's future just death? What's so interesting about death?"

"Oh? I didn't expect the eldest son to be such a carefree person. Aren't you curious about how and when you will die?" Zhao Gao's voice sounded particularly sinister, yet it carried a seductive quality.

Fusu's eyes were clear and unwavering. He closed the box, handed it back, and looked directly at Zhao Gao with a meaningful smile, saying, "As someone who has already died once, I don't particularly care about such things."

Zhao Gao's lips curved into a smile, but he didn't take the brocade box offered to him. Instead, he persisted in persuading him, "Actually, you can see not only the final future, but the future of anyone at any time. Young Master, aren't you really curious?"

Fusu's hand holding the brocade box trembled slightly, and his firm resolve wavered for the first time.

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

It's impossible for Zhao Gao to be so kind as to eagerly offer him such a valuable gift.

But now, he has nothing, and it seems there's nothing left for him to fear losing.

Fusu slowly took back the brocade box that had been handed to him, removed his gloves, revealing fingers with lividity already appearing on their tips. Amidst Minghong's anxious chirping, he insisted on opening the box. Unexpectedly, Zhao Gao, standing nearby, casually remarked something else.

"However, if the eldest young master wants to see the future of that high minister, I advise him not to try."

Fusu's hand froze in mid-air. He looked up and asked in a somber tone, "Why?"

Zhao Gao then revealed his stiff, forced smile and pointed at himself, saying, "Not only that high-ranking official, but also I, and your good-for-nothing brother, cannot see the future with our Candle Dragon Eyes."

"Because we are all dead."

"The deceased?" Fusu repeated, frowning.

“That’s right. Actually, death originally represented two words. Death means passing away, and death means fleeing. The Shuowen Jiezi says that death means fleeing. In the idiom ‘mending the fold after the sheep are lost,’ the lost sheep refers to the sheep that has run away, not the dead sheep.” Zhao Gao’s tone was inevitably tinged with a hint of pride and arrogance, which could be heard even in his flat tone. “The dead are those who have passed away, while the deceased are, in fact, those who have escaped the control of death.”

Fusu fell into deep thought. Why could the Book of the Dead summon him? Could it be that he was also a spirit, not a dead spirit? If so, he should also be considered a dead person, and therefore shouldn't be able to see his future with this Candle Dragon Eye? Was Zhao Gao bringing this unusable Candle Dragon Eye just to amuse him?
As if reading Fusu's mind, Zhao Gao raised an eyebrow with a playful tone: "Although we cannot see the future of the dead, we can glimpse the future of the humans who have interacted with them."

Fusu felt uncomfortable because of the word "human," which clearly showed that in Zhao Gao's mind, he was no longer a human being.

Putting that thought aside for the time being, Fusu stared at the yellow jade ball for a long time before finally pressing down his hand, which had been hovering in the air for so long.

The pheasant cried out anxiously again, but after being given a cold glance by Zhao Gao, it fell silent and dared not move.

The moment Fusu's fingers touched the jade ball, it emitted a soft yellow light. A vertical pupil suddenly appeared in the center of the jade ball, like a monster opening its eye.

Fusu slowly closed his eyes.

【2】

On the quiet street, three figures stood silently, the dim streetlights flickering above their heads, making them seem even dimmer.

Tang Yuan looked terrified.

It's unclear whether they were afraid of the doctor who would catch them red-handed, or shocked that their senior brother had made a mistake and allowed the spirit of the Qing Shi Jie to escape.

However, having already been seen by the doctor, Tang Yuan didn't have the courage to run away now. He could only reflexively reach out to grab the blue light spot, but to no avail. The blue light spot only flashed between his fingers for a moment before disappearing without a trace.

Tang Yuan was so anxious he was jumping up and down. Although he didn't think the blue stone tablet was an antique with evil energy, the other party had actually begun to tempt humans to give up their lives. If they let the tiger go back to the mountain this time, it would be hard to say what would happen in the future.

"Huh? What are you catching? Are there still fireflies this time of year?" The doctor's voice was filled with obvious anger.

Tang Yuan knew this older man had a good temper and rarely got angry; it seemed he had really angered him this time. Tang Yuan shrank back, considering whether to run into his senior's arms for protection...

However, as soon as this thought crossed his mind, he noticed that his senior brother's expression was a little off.

Okay, although he's still expressionless like before, you can clearly see his whole body is stiff. Wait, speaking of which, the mistake of letting the blue stone tablet escape just now doesn't seem like something the wise and mighty senior brother Master described would make! So, does senior brother know the doctor? I haven't heard the doctor mention it before!
Just as he was pondering this, the doctor strode over, grabbed Tang Yuan and pulled him behind him, then asked the boss, who was standing there, with extreme suspicion, "Who...who are you? Why did you kidnap my Tang Yuan?"

Tang Yuan wiped his face helplessly behind the doctor's back, made a gesture of apology to his senior brother, and then tugged at the doctor's sleeve and said cutely, "Uncle, don't wrong me, I was just hungry and wanted to come out to buy something to eat!"

"Are you kidding me?" The doctor frowned, his anger rising as he looked down into Tang Yuan's Bambi-like eyes. He couldn't hold out for more than a few seconds before his composure crumbled. He pinched Tang Yuan's cheek and scolded, "Are you hungry but don't want to order takeout? You've used that excuse more than ten times already. Can't you be a little more sincere? Can't you come up with something else?"

"I'm sorry..." Tang Yuan said timidly, wondering how best to explain. But the doctor was too cunning! He actually put a tracking bracelet on him!
The doctor could tell from Tang Yuan's expression that the kid was making up an excuse. He decided to teach the boy a lesson when he got back. As he thought this, he turned his gaze to the young man standing opposite him.

The doctor had vaguely heard about the strange things happening at this intersection in recent days, and he had even personally witnessed the initial car accident. That's why he was so angry when he checked the location map on his phone and found that little Tang Yuan had run here alone. Every day, strange people would stand here in place of the stone tablet and then die. The doctor had clearly already made the young man across the street a suspect.

He scrutinized the man closely. He looked to be around twenty years old. His overcoat was normal, but underneath he wore a strange shirt embroidered with a red dragon pattern. Moreover, his face was hidden in the shadows beyond the reach of the streetlights, and only the lines of his jaw were visible…

The doctor's heart raced as he looked at the person in front of him, because although he had never seen the person before, there was a suffocating sense of familiarity about him.

“Uh…you are…” The doctor subconsciously took a step forward.

The young man didn't say a word, but silently put the small bamboo cage in his hand into his trench coat pocket, and then turned and left.

The doctor stopped awkwardly, because Tang Yuan was gripping his sleeve tightly.

"Hey, uncle, let's go get some late-night snacks! You didn't get to try the spicy crab last time, let's go buy another bowl!" Tang Yuan planned to use the food to get by, since he had already recognized his senior brother as a relative, and his senior brother would come looking for him sooner or later!

Before the doctor could react, the young man had already crossed the roadblock and disappeared into the bustling commercial street.

"You brat, you dare order food after doing something wrong!"

"Uncle, you're the best, Uncle!"

"...let's go."

"Oh yeah!"

【3】

Fusu opened his eyes, his gaze filled with complex emotions.

The finger had already left the Candle Dragon Eye, the light had faded, and the Candle Dragon Eye had turned into an inconspicuous yellow jade ball.

Zhao Gao remained standing beside him, his expression still the same ambiguous smile, as if Fusu's closing and opening of his eyes was only a moment ago.

The pheasant on his shoulder continued to chirp anxiously until Fusu reached out and stroked its back, which calmed it down.

"There's still plenty of time; you can continue watching," Zhao Gao said calmly.

Fusu didn't ask himself what he would have to pay, because he knew that once he opened the brocade box again, the situation was no longer under his control. Whatever Zhao Gao's schemes were, he was powerless to resist.

Who could have made this bait so tempting?

"What exactly do you want?" Fusu stared at Zhao Gao, trying to discern the slightest change in his expression.

Before Zhao Gao could answer, he shook his head and said to himself, "Do you want immortality? No, you have already achieved it." The fact that he is still alive more than two thousand years later is enough to prove this point.

Zhao Gao smiled but remained silent.

Fusu turned to look at the still-brilliant lights of thousands of homes below and said in a deep voice, "You want this world? No, you have it before."

Zhao Gao's eyes narrowed slightly, but he did not refute it. In a sense, he had indeed once possessed this world.

Fusu did not continue speaking; he even felt that Zhao Gao did not know what he wanted.

Zhao Gao seemed to have guessed what Fusu was thinking. He smiled strangely, then turned and disappeared into the darkness without saying a word, leaving silently.

Fusu stared in the direction Zhao Gao had left in silence for a long time. In the end, he could not resist the temptation of seeing the future and lowered his head to look at Zhulong's eyes.

That child was actually Bi Zhi's junior apprentice? It seems Bi Zhi isn't very keen on acknowledging the doctor. He should find someone else to spy on the future...

Fusu placed his hand on it again.

【4】

After much persuasion, Tang Yuan finally managed to get the doctor to go back to his shift. He obediently returned home and paced around the house like a caged beast.

Although he could leave the bracelet at home and pretend he hadn't gone out, he still felt particularly bad about breaking his promise to the doctor so quickly.

Just as Tang Yuan was racking his brains for an excuse, the doorbell suddenly rang.

"Huh? Uncle, did you forget your keys?" Tang Yuan muttered as he opened the door, but was startled by the person standing outside. He then exclaimed happily, "Senior brother! How did you find this place? I was wondering how to find you! You didn't put a tracking bracelet on me, did you?"

Watching his unreliable junior apprentice frantically searching the floor, the boss felt a twitch in his eyelids. Did he even need a GPS tracker? He'd been to the doctor's house before.

"Are the pebbles from Qing Shi Jie here with you?"

"Oh! Yes, yes! Please come in!" Tang Yuan hurriedly invited the boss into the house, changed his shoes, and led him to his own room.

When the shopkeeper saw the assembled bluestone tablet standing in the cramped room, his eyelids twitched even more violently. Just how thick-skinned was the doctor? Didn't he notice such a large object in his house?
"Hehe, the uncle usually doesn't come into my room. He's been busy at the hospital lately, so I haven't noticed." Tang Yuan seemed to know what his boss was worried about and explained considerately, "So don't worry, senior brother, he's just an ordinary person and doesn't know anything."

Ignorance is bliss. The boss remained silent for a moment, speechless.

"Senior brother, what should we do with this blue stone tablet? Oh, right, I have one last piece in my pocket." Tang Yuan took out the stone he had snatched from the young woman possessed by the blue stone tablet, aimed it at the missing part, and intended to piece it back together.

"No rush, I'd like to ask first, when did Master take me in as a junior brother?" The shopkeeper looked Tang Yuan up and down, already convinced of Tang Yuan's identity. Although they had only just met, this young man was indeed the type his master liked.

For example, him back then.

However, the boss's focus was on why the master would place the junior apprentice next to the doctor. Could there be some deeper meaning behind it?
Tang Yuan stopped sticking stones to the bluestone tablet. His back to the shopkeeper, his expression conflicted, he realized he regretted asking his senior brother to reunite with him. If their master couldn't handle it, could his senior brother? He didn't want to get dragged into this mess again. Besides, several months had passed since the incident; it was probably too late to save their master now…

"Hmm...this..." Tang Yuan fiddled with the stone in his hand, carefully considering how to phrase it.

The shopkeeper didn't rush him, patiently waiting for his explanation. "Senior, let's finish assembling the bluestone tablet first!"

"I don't doubt your identity; after all, Master likes clever and quick-witted children."

"The spirit of the blue stone tablet has all escaped! If we don't find it quickly, more innocent people will be possessed by it!"

“I haven’t seen my master for a long time. I am very pleased to hear that he is still alive.”

"But having learned its lesson, it certainly won't go back to that T-junction!"

"Did Master irresponsibly abandon his disciple again? That's so irresponsible. He should have brought you to me personally."

"Senior brother, where do you think we should look for the essence of the blue stone tablet?"

"Or is it that Master is unable to come in person?"

"..."

After a misunderstanding, an awkward silence fell over the room. The boss had realized his apprentice was beating around the bush, that there was more to the story. And his deduction might be close to the truth. Could it be that the person from back then is still alive...? Then his master is truly in danger...

"Confess and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll be punished severely." Tang Yuan weighed the pros and cons and selectively revealed some of what he knew.

The boss listened quietly, but just as he was about to ask more questions, the sound of a key turning suddenly came from the doorway.

Tang Yuan jumped three feet high, pacing anxiously around the house. "Someone has the key! Who else but the doctor? How come they're back so quickly? Wasn't the doctor on duty?!"

The shopkeeper only had time to take out the bamboo cage to collect the pieced-together bluestone tablet before the doctor opened the door.

"Little Tangyuan, I switched shifts with someone else, you should be staying home obediently, right... How come you're here?" The doctor's voice suddenly changed, and his eyes became very wary.

The boss saw the other person's wary gaze, and although he knew it was a normal reaction, his heart still skipped a beat.

That's strange. He clearly has no heartbeat anymore, so why can he still feel pain?

【5】

Fusu opened his eyes again, and it didn't feel like long. Because around him, Minghong was chasing a bluish-green light.

The cyan light spot looks very familiar.

Upon discovering that Fusu had awakened, Minghong immediately abandoned the blue dot of light and excitedly flew back, landing on Fusu's shoulder and affectionately rubbing its head against his neck.

Fusu stroked its back and suddenly missed his troublesome younger brother.

He had no idea where Zhao Gao had imprisoned that kid; he'd been searching for so long without finding him. He hadn't brought it up earlier because he was afraid Zhao Gao would use it against him. But the guy hadn't uttered a single word about Hu Hai before leaving.

Is this teasing him, or a warning against making any rash moves?
Unfortunately, Hu Hai was also considered a dead man, and the Candle Dragon's Eye could not see his future.

As Fusu was deep in thought, the blue light, seeing that Minghong had stopped chasing it and instead approached, asked in a whimsical tone, "Are you tired of this cruel world?"

Fusu looked around, but there was no one else there. Did this spirit of the blue stone tablet, who had escaped from Bi Zhi's grasp, assume he was about to jump off the roof just because he saw him standing there?

Fusu took a step forward and stood on the edge of the rooftop, as if a stronger night wind could blow him off. Minghong, startled, spread its wings and flew off his shoulder, chirping loudly.

"Wait...wait!" The azure light immediately spoke up, stopping Fusu from taking another step forward. It flew to his ear and gently coaxed, "If you don't want this body, how about giving it to me? What unfulfilled wishes do you have? I promise to help you fulfill them!"

Fusu slowly stretched out his hand, his movements not particularly agile, but he accurately caught the blue light between his two fingers, leaving it no way to escape.

"Don't worry, I don't want to die like this. No one can do what I want to accomplish..." Fu Su smiled and looked at Ming Hong, who was eager to try, and handed it over with a smile, "Here, take this and play with it."

【6】

In the cold, late autumn night, the only sound in the quiet courtyard was the rustling of the wind through the leaves, a desolate scene as if one were the only one left in the world.

Although he could no longer feel the cold, Hu Hai still tightened his fox fur cloak, because he felt that his body was frozen solid, even from the inside out.

Look, even his hands and feet won't obey his commands. He clearly wants to go inside and rest, but he's still sitting on the porch, not moving an inch.

Hu Hai had no idea how long he had been imprisoned in this courtyard. The rising and setting of the sun and moon were nothing out of the ordinary for him, and he was oblivious to the changing seasons and the resulting temperature fluctuations.

He had become accustomed to obeying Zhao Gao's arrangements since he was the most favored young prince of the Qin Dynasty. He had even long since lost the courage to resist, which is why he now dares not even take a single step away from here.

Over the long years, Hu Hai had long since learned how to dispel loneliness. Unconsciously, he emptied his mind and began to daydream. Until a bewitching red butterfly appeared in his sight.

Hu Hai immediately snapped out of his daze and stared in astonishment at the crimson butterflies fluttering in the night sky.

What shocked him was not seeing butterflies in late autumn, but that Zhao Gao had imprisoned him in this courtyard and set up a special barrier, preventing him from going out at will, and even preventing any creatures from getting close.

He had never seen such a beautiful butterfly in the courtyard, especially since, under the light of the lanterns under the eaves, the red butterfly seemed to glow with a magnificent fluorescence all over its body, like a flame burning in the night sky, so dreamlike that it was almost like his hallucination.

Hu Hai stared blankly at the fire butterfly. Its crimson color reminded him of Ming Hong, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. He subconsciously reached out, trying to make the fire butterfly land on his hand, but the fire butterfly turned gracefully and flew towards the corridor.

Unwilling to give up, Hu Hai clumsily got up. His legs, stiff from the cold, were difficult to bend, and he staggered a couple of steps before slowly recovering. He noticed that the fire butterfly was still flying inwards, and remembering that Sun Shuo was still there, he suddenly felt something was amiss.

Where was Sun Shuo? Hu Hai only then realized something was wrong. He had stayed out too long tonight, and Sun Shuo hadn't even come to find him and persuade him to go back and rest.

A feeling of both relief and fear washed over him. Heaven knows how ridiculous it was; Sun Shuo was clearly his servant, yet he was the one who had to fear him. Although Sun Shuo had never been disrespectful to him, his chilling gaze and smile always sent shivers down his spine whenever they met.

The little red figure of the fire butterfly suddenly turned a corner at the end of the corridor and disappeared instantly.

Hu Hai had no time to think and stumbled after it. The courtyard where he was imprisoned was actually quite large, and in order to avoid Sun Shuo, he had chosen a secluded spot to brood. Hu Hai walked along the corridor for quite a while, watching the Fire Butterfly's figure intermittently, until he finally saw it dart into the main house, where the lights were still burning.

The main door of the house was slightly ajar, and a person could be vaguely seen kneeling in front of a screen inside the house. Because the person was looking down, their face could not be seen clearly.

Hu Hai peeked through the crack in the door and saw that, apart from the intruder, Sun Shuo was standing motionless in a corner where the light didn't reach, like a real human puppet.

"Since you're back, come in." The man didn't raise his head, but he still sensed Hu Hai's presence.

The moment Hu Hai heard the other person's voice, he froze on the spot.

It turned out to be Zhao Gao.

For a moment, Hu Hai's mind went blank. When he came to his senses, his body had already obeyed Zhao Gao's order before his reason could act, and he automatically pushed open the door and went inside.

Fear gripped his hands, causing them to tremble uncontrollably. Hu Hai imagined countless times how he should face Zhao Gao when they met again. He touched the dagger hidden at his right waist, but even if he plunged the blade into Zhao Gao's chest, he might not be able to kill him.

After all, to some extent, they can no longer be considered normal human beings.

"Prime Minister, what is the meaning of imprisoning me here?" Hu Hai took a deep breath, trying to make his tone sound tough, but it didn't work.

Zhao Gao, who was sitting in front of the screen, raised his head, and Hu Hai involuntarily took a step back when he saw his face. In the dim light, Zhao Gao's bewitching eyes were like those of a demon crawling out of the abyss, and seeing them suddenly made one's heart tremble.

"Just now, I went to see your elder brother." Zhao Gao did not answer Hu Hai's question, but instead casually brought up another topic. "Well, speaking of which, your elder brother didn't ask you a single question. He must have guessed that you are in my hands, right? As expected of the eldest son of the Qin Dynasty, you are really composed."

"What are you going to do to my brother?!" Hu Hai immediately took two steps forward, asking the question with a fierce but weak expression.

The fire butterfly circled the hall once before landing on Zhao Gao's fingertip, affectionately stroking it with its antennae. A glint flashed in Zhao Gao's cold eyes, but he said calmly, "What could I possibly do for the eldest son? I merely gave him a pair of Candle Dragon Eyes. Such a fine gift, you wouldn't have forgotten, would you?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Hai was greatly shaken.

He knew exactly what the Candle Dragon Eyes were!
A pair of jade balls that can see the past and the future!
That's not some kind of treasure! It's an evil object that can instill despair!

It is the culprit behind all the tragedies!

Hu Hai clutched his head in anguish and curled up helplessly on the ground. He hated his own powerlessness, yet there was nothing he could do.

Back then, after obtaining those Candle Dragon Eyes, he was overjoyed and felt that the entire empire was in his hands.

Within the black eyes of the Candle Dragon, he can see the past of others he wants to see and control their weaknesses one by one.

In the yellow eyes of the Candle Dragon, he saw that he would ascend the throne and become the ruler of the world.

Later, he finally sat on the dragon throne, just as he had seen through the eyes of the Candle Dragon.

However, Zhulong's eyes could not reveal all of the future. He did not foresee his elder brother's death as a result, nor did he foresee the Qin Empire being destroyed in his hands within a few years.

Initially, he did not want to inherit the throne and even resisted, but the future shown by Zhulong's eyes came true. However, no matter how hard he tried, the future always appeared before him as Zhulong's eyes predicted, without exception.

Gradually, he gave up trying, figuring that the future would be the same whether he did it or not.

His life was not lived under his own consciousness. He was like a puppet, bound by strings, controlled by so-called "fate," like prey trapped in a spider's web, unable to struggle or escape.

“That…that tempting evil thing…how could you give it to my brother…” Hu Hai said through gritted teeth, raising his head to stare at Zhao Gao, his crimson eyes almost dripping blood.

Zhao Gao picked up the fire butterfly from his fingertips and threw it directly into the oil lamp beside him.

With a sizzle, the flame on the oil lamp shot up more than a foot high, quickly engulfing the fire butterfly.

Hu Hai's breath caught in his throat. How could he forget that the man before him had always regarded all things in the world as straw dogs, killing and discarding them at will?

Zhao Gao didn't think what he had done was anything earth-shattering, and asked in a flat tone, "Since you say it's an evil thing that tempts people, have you been tempted by it?"

Hu Hai lowered his eyes, his silvery-white eyelashes trembling a few times, silently acquiescing.

"Back then, I was very curious whether someone as upright and virtuous as the eldest son could be tempted by the Candle Dragon Eye." Beside the flickering flames, Zhao Gao's smile was also reflected in an ambiguous and eerie light. "Now, the opportunity has finally come."

Hu Hai collapsed to the ground, once again lamenting his own powerlessness.

【7】

Minghong held a blue light in its beak, spitting it out every now and then, only to swallow it whole when its opponent tried to escape, thoroughly enjoying itself. The blue light, played with by Minghong, dimmed, looking as if it was about to truly dissipate into the air.

Fusu sat motionless on the edge of the rooftop, his eyes closed. Minghong was already used to Fusu's behavior; all night long, Fusu kept his eyes open and closed, his expression changing unpredictably.

However, this time, when Fusu opened his eyes again, the expression on his face was indescribably complex.

Minghong immediately lost interest in playing with the blue light spots. Holding the essence of the blue stone tablet in its mouth, it jumped onto Fusu's shoulder, begging to be rubbed against him.

This time, Fusu did not reach out to comfort it, but instead fell into deep thought.

The scene that Fusu saw through the Candle Dragon's Eye this time truly shocked him.

The closer the future is to the future predicted by the Candle Dragon Eyes, the clearer and more complete it becomes. However, if one wants to see a more distant future, the image becomes blurry and fragmented.

The last thing he saw was probably a dark night, like now, or a room with hardly any lights. It was only a brief fragment, but it was enough for Fusu to see clearly what had happened.

He was shocked to see Bi Zhi, holding a sharp blade, expressionlessly plunge it into the doctor's chest.

……

This must be why Zhao Gao showed him the Candle Dragon's Eye.

……

Fusu sighed and looked up at the night sky.

Time flies, and the world changes.

More than two thousand years have passed, yet the stars overhead still twinkle as before. Even the slightest changes are barely noticeable. Fusu quickly determined the time by observing the positions of the constellations.

It's not too late yet. Although he had seen many visions of the future through the Candle Dragon Eye, in reality, only a very short time had passed.

Fusu picked up the Candle Dragon Eye again, but this time, it wasn't the yellow one.

"Is the future truly unchangeable? I don't really believe it..." Fusu's murmurs eventually dissipated in the biting night wind.

【8】

The doctor was furious. That kid Tang Yuan had let a stranger into his house without any suspicion! No matter how eloquent Tang Yuan was, the doctor was determined not to believe him anymore! Tomorrow! Tomorrow he'll be sent to school! Let the teacher discipline him properly!

The doctor lectured Tang Yuan for over an hour, finally getting him to nod and admit his mistake before letting him rest. Just as he was about to wash up and go to bed, the doorbell rang.

Looking at the clock on the wall, it was almost 2 a.m.

Could it be that guy who just left has come back? He left in a hurry before he could even react, and he didn't even have a chance to ask who he was!
The doctor, realizing this was a possibility, didn't even have time to look through the peephole before eagerly opening the door.

There was no one outside the door, but the doorbell was still ringing.

There was only a black jade ball on the ground, sitting there all alone.

The doctor took a step back, his first thought being, "Could this be a bomb?"

But he immediately laughed at himself for overreacting; bombs don't look like that anymore.

That's really strange. Who put that black ball in front of his house?
Speaking of which, that person who came to his house before seemed vaguely familiar, like I'd seen him somewhere before...

The doctor went outside and looked around to make sure the corridor was empty before bending down and picking up the jade ball with a puzzled expression.

The moment the finger touched the black jade ball, it emitted a blinding light. A vertical pupil suddenly appeared in the center of the black jade ball, like a monster opening its eye.

Holy crap! Could it really be a bomb?!

The doctor instinctively closed his eyes.

(End of this chapter)