There was a type of person who, when present, was ignored as if he didn’t exist. However, when he was about to leave, he would be accused of ruining the vibe. Therefore, he could only awkwardly observe the people he hated in the ring.
Shangguan Hong was that kind of person.
He had not only failed the Dragon King, but also received little appreciation from the Golden Roc Fort. When all was said and done, he finally realized that he had been used by the teacher Zhang Ji, the Dragon King, Shangguan Jianyi, Shangguan Yun, and so many others. He was a disposable tool, no one was even grateful for what he had done.
In his 20s, Shangguan Hong had lost all his ambition. Fighting for something was hard. It seemed that the less he did, the safer he would be.
He lay in the shabby tent, reminiscing about the mellow wine he used to drink. His tongue was bland, reminding him that he could not even afford a shot of swill now. Ever since coming back to the Dragon King after his betrayal, he was no longer welcome among the Dragon army. He was treated like a pig, fed only tasteless rations.
He hated everyone. In a world of lies, why was he the only one who had tried and failed?
To keep himself from going mad, Shangguan Hong dug deep into his memories, trying to find something delightful to savor. Suddenly, a wind blew away the fog, and Lady Meng appeared in front of all the other women.
“That ruthless woman.” Shangguan Hong raised his lips and recalled her in detail both with resentment and passion.
In his fantasy world, it was different. Though the world was still full of lies, conquest, and betrayal, he was not a complete loser. He had something he could take pride in here: He used to own the proud and powerful woman. That was the only golden time in his life.
However, thinking more clearly, Shangguan Hong recalled that it hadn’t been much fun. Lady Meng had treated him like a toy. Even in bed, she dominated. He could only accept and try hard to suppress his cravings, lest he provoked her.
Shangguan Hong did not want this. He was like an obsessed sculptor, putting the final touch on his work, his memory. In that world, he dominated. The proud and beautiful Lady Meng begged and praised him in the humblest way with the most jubilant attitude.
It was so fake that even he found it too much.
Just when he was about to revise for the second time, his half-brother lifted the curtain and broke in.
“What are you doing?” Shangguan Fei froze, looking suspiciously at Shangguan Hong in bed. It was the middle of the day.
“I’m, I’m not, I was tired… and sleeping.” Shangguan Hong stumbled. He was never good at solving a crisis. Right now, he could only fiddle with the quilt. Then, he suddenly realized that this was his place. “What are you doing here? Why didn’t you knock?”
“Hmph.” Shangguan Fei was not a kid. He had led a brief but rakish life in the Jade City. He knew clearly what he had seen. Though he bore a great amount of disdain, he was much calmer. He spoke casually. “The Dragon King wants you to do something with me.”
“Like what?” Shangguan Hong got up from the bed. He was fully dressed. It did not seem that he had been sleeping.
“Just come with me.”
Here came the real world in all its cruelty. Shangguan Hong was resentful. Once upon a time, he and Shangguan Fei had been equal in the Dragon King’s eyes. Now he could only follow Shangguan Fei’s orders obediently.
Shangguan Fei brought two horses, and they rode into the city. The Dragon King had never set a boundary to stay within. If they had to stay in the camp, it was because they dared not to leave the Dragon King’s protection.
As they approached the city gate, Shangguan Hong could not help suggesting, “There’re a lot of people in the city. It’s not safe there.”
“What’s a good place to stay safe if we want to benefit the Dragon King?”
Shangguan Hong fell silent. Though most areas in the An Kingdom were protected by the Dragon army, but there were always weak points. Golden Roc killers were good at finding those.
“Shangguan Fei isn’t afraid, I shouldn’t be either.” Shangguan Hong comforted himself, but soon he remembered that he was not as good as his brother at Kung Fu. He might not be able to run as fast as him if they were in danger.
In a nervous state of mind, Shangguan Hong stayed closely behind Shangguan Fei.
The capital of the An Kingdom was a mess.
A large number of refugees had settled in and the city was packed with people. The siblings could only get off their horses and walk slowly forward in the crowd.
Shangguan Fei casually fastened the reins onto a parking stone in front of a house and dove into the crowd.
Shangguan Hong followed him. He did not want to be left behind. “The horses will be stolen in a short while.” He was thinking. “Such a shame. We should have traded them for money.” Then suddenly, he realized that it wasn’t him, Shangguan Fei was trying to ditch someone else.
He was growing more and more nervous.
After five turns and seven blocks, Shangguan Fei slowed down to a normal speed.
Shangguan Hong was panting, as he finally caught up to his brother. “Have we lost him?”
“Who knows?”
“Where on earth are we going?”
“We’re close.”
Shangguan Fei was even colder than usual. Feeling guilty about the daydream involving his mother, Shangguan Hong did not argue.
After another hour, they had walked deep into the southeast of the capital. It was far away from the docks and refugees, thus less crowded. The small alley they were in was nearly empty.
Judging from the facades on both sides, residents here were either rich or powerful.
Shangguan Fei seemed to be familiar with this place. He suddenly pushed open a side door and walked into the house. There was no one else in the alley.
It was a garden, but gardeners and guards were nowhere to be seen.
With Shangguan Fei leading the way, they arrived in front of a room. Again, he pushed the door open as if everything had been arranged.
There was wine and platters of food on the table. They were still steaming and looked delicious.
Shangguan Hong began to drool. No great memory was greater than the taste of wine.
Shangguan Fei seemed to ignore the food and muttered, “What’s holding him up?”
“Who? Let’s eat while we wait.”
Shangguan Hong sat down on his own. Just as he was about to raise his glass, the door opened.
Few people in the world could stop Shangguan Hong from sipping his wine. However, the very person who could had come in.
“Third Brother, how come you came on your own?” Shangguan Fei was surprised. He usually met with the killers in the Stone Castle. He had only met with Shangguan Yun in the very beginning.
Shangguan Yun had come in person, deep into the center of the Dragon army territory. Moreover, he was not in disguise. He showed his real face and was not even wearing a cloak.
Shangguan Hong rose awkwardly, unsure how to greet him.
In terms of their family line, he was the Third Brother. However, Shangguan Yun did not consider him a brother. The Third Young Master liked to win people over, but had never tried with Shangguan Hong. To send an unimportant message, he had left Shangguan Hong with the Dragon King in the Hui Kingdom.
Moreover, he feared Shangguan Yun. Most people could only see the charming and amiable side of Shangguan Yun; he felt great cruelty.
“I didn’t have much to do in the camp, so I decided to take a walk.” Shangguan Yun smiled affectionately, ignoring Shangguan Hong.
“It’s a shame that I didn’t bring good news.” Shangguan Fei looked upset.
“A pair of liars,” thought Shangguan Hong resentfully, “as if you two were actually good brothers. You wouldn’t hesitate to you turn against each other.” But that was just in his mind; he still looked as obedient as a servant. He wondered,“What does the Dragon King want Shangguan Fei to do? How will I be helpful in this case?”
“That’s alright; you just make sure he’s alive. He’ll talk when the war is over.”
Shangguan Hong did not know who “he” was or why he was important. Once again, he felt the familiar feeling that he was the unnecessary one in the room, but he did not dare to interrupt or move.
“The Dragon King saw through me and wanted me to send you a message,” Shangguan Fei said calmly, without shame for the failed task.
“Really? He must have been putting up with it, what does he want to tell me?” Shangguan Yun seemed more indifferent.
“He has a new kind of weapon and wants to try it on the Golden Roc Fort’s navy warship. He wants you to send all the warships out of the strait in time for it.”
Shangguan Hong was confused. He failed to see what the plot was.
“I can try.” Unexpectedly, Shangguan Yun agreed. “What kind of new weapon is worth sending you out?”
“I’m not sure, probably something that uses fire.”
Well, I hope it works out and Shangguan Jianyi can sober up.”
Then, Shangguan Yun left, without touching the wine or food on the table.
Shangguan Hong felt increasingly surprised. “Why is Shangguan Yun agreeing to the Dragon King’s plan? How can the Dragon King be sure that he will agree? More importantly, what use am I in this whole thing?”
“Is it over?” asked Shangguan Hong. As soon as the Third Young Master left, he felt relieved.
“Yes, we’ll leave after we eat.”
“Did you invite me just to have a meal?”
“I want you to be my witness. When we return to the barracks, report the entire conversation to the Dragon King.”
“That seems typical of the Dragon King.” Shangguan Hong felt greatly relieved and tore down a drumstick. He raised his glass and drank it up. “Gee, this is some good wine. My brother, what should I tell the Dragon King? I want to do something for the Stone Castle.”
“The truth. I’m afraid you aren’t capable enough to fool him.”
Shangguan Hong only wanted the wine and food. He ignored the sarcasm and mumbled, mouth full of food. “Why aren’t you eating? You won’t have such dishes in the barracks.”
“I don’t have the appetite.”
If he had been smarter, Shangguan Hong would have guessed that there was something wrong with the food. However, he had given up on his life. He thought no one would set eyes on a hopeless man like him.
In the middle of the meal, he passed out. In the seeming state of being tipsy, he did not worry and kept on eating and drinking in his dream.
The banquet never seemed to end. His stomach was like a bottomless pit that could never be filled. When he finally woke up, the hunger suddenly went away. Instead, he felt a sharp pain in his loins and there came the muffled voice of Shangguan Fei.
“Your Majesty, I’ve found a eunuch for you, since the Queen needs servants.”