Chapter 921: Not Crying

As Li Fu’s mind raced with various thoughts, the Emperor's phantom spoke again:"What is your name?"

"...Li Fu."

"Fu? Which 'Fu'?"

"The 'Fu' as in 'overthrow'."

Hearing this reply, the dim phantom of the Emperor paused slightly, then a faint smile curved his lips.

He stepped down from the empty throne, walking on air, his imperial robe swirling with majestic power in the candlelight as he slowly approached Li Fu.

"In the ethereal depths, fate has its course... I knew the Emperor's path would one day reappear."

"You cannot bear the Emperor's destiny alone; my soul can bear it for you..."

"But I wonder, after my soul intervenes, how much of yourself will remain?"

The Emperor's phantom grew larger in Li Fu's eyes, and a wave of fear surged through Li Fu's heart. He instinctively wanted to pull away from the phantom, but under the Emperor's oppressive might, his legs felt nailed to the ground, unable to move an inch!

The Emperor's phantom and Li Fu drew closer and closer. The long rows of candles on either side extinguished, moving towards the center. When the phantom and Li Fu completely overlapped, the last few flickering lights vanished abruptly, and the entire hall plunged back into abyssal darkness!

The next moment, a heart-wrenching wail echoed through the hall!

"Ahhhhhh!!!"

Even Li Fu, who was always skilled at enduring pain, couldn't help but roar hysterically. As the Emperor's soul merged with his body, his consciousness felt as if it were being torn in half. Another personality, older and weightier than his own, burrowed into his memories, and intense soul-deep pain flooded his mind!

In a daze, Li Fu felt as if he were suddenly transported to ancient times, enacting new policies in a barren civilization; then he was on a chaotic battlefield, leading troops in bloody combat; sometimes he stood atop border mountains, and with a raising of his hand, Great Walls slowly rose; other times, he found himself in a series of magnificent halls, gazing down upon a world prostrated at his feet...

Over forty years of life poured into Li Fu's mind all at once, like a mighty river flooding a lake, scattering Li Fu's own memories and consciousness. Unbeknownst to him, some of his beliefs and thoughts began to change during this fusion.

"I am... Li Fu... I am not Ying Zheng... I am Li Fu..."

Li Fu's pained voice echoed from the darkness. He was fighting with all his might to preserve his own identity amidst the shock of the soul's intervention.

If he failed, everything about him would be assimilated by that soul, and Li Fu would utterly vanish from the world.

"I am Li Fu... I am Li Fu!! I am not Ying Zheng! I am Li Fu!!"

"I am... I..."

Li Fu's voice grew fainter and fainter. His body curled up in the darkness, like a weary, ancient soul.

Simultaneously, surging imperial power flooded into Li Fu's body. Nourished by the soul, his height visibly increased, his facial features and limbs subtly transformed, and the passage of time washed over his body, profoundly altering his demeanor.

The hall fell into a profound silence.

A Qian, amidst the rubble, slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was a leaden-grey sky, so oppressive it was almost suffocating. She remained still for a moment, slowly recovering, before stiffly turning her head to look around...

"...Brother Li?"

The bewilderment in A Qian's eyes gradually faded. She immediately began searching for Li Fu in the ruins, calling out his name and desperately pushing aside heavy stones with her hands, her small face filled with anxiety.

But she searched every corner of the rubble and found no trace of Li Fu. Her frantic heart sank, and her whole body trembled with urgency.

"Brother Li!!"

A Qian continued to call out, her voice growing hoarse, but she still didn't give up.

Creak— After an unknown period, a low rumble came from behind her.

The heavy doors of the great hall slowly opened, and from the abyssal darkness, a young man dressed in simple linen robes slowly emerged...

He was tall, with sword-sharp dark brows and eyes that curved like a phoenix's. His messy black hair fell to his shoulders, making him look almost like a beggar, yet every movement exuded an indescribable air of majesty.

A Qian turned her head to look, and seeing the man, she suddenly froze.

She looked at the figure, both strange and familiar, and asked uncertainly, "...Brother Li?"

The young man ignored her calls, walking alone through the rubble, moving forward without looking back.

After confirming her suspicions, A Qian no longer hesitated. She immediately ran towards the young man, calling out with a hint of a sob in her voice:

"Brother Li, where did you go? I looked for you for so long and couldn't find you. I was so afraid something happened to you..."

"Brother Li, why are you taller? And you look different too..."

"Brother Li, why aren't you answering me..."

A Qian reached out, intending to grab the young man's clothes as she usually did, but each time, before her hand could touch him, he would subtly shift forward like a ghost, lightly evading her fingertips.

A Qian tried to grab him several times, but seeing the young man show no reaction, not even turning his head, she slowly stopped, bewildered.

She watched the retreating back of the young man, her eyes instantly reddening.

"Brother Li, did I do something wrong?"

"If I did something wrong, please tell me. I promise I'll change... Please don't ignore me, okay?"

"Brother Li..."

Tears of distress streamed from A Qian's eyes. She didn't know what had happened to Li Fu, nor why he was ignoring her. The fear brought by this strangeness and unknown could easily shatter a girl's heart.

She desperately ran forward, trying to embrace the young man's waist, but just as she was about to catch up, her foot slipped, and she fell heavily to the ground, dust and mud splattering all over her.

A Qian cradled her bleeding elbow, her face contorted with pain, and stifled sobs echoed in the wind.

The young man, who had been walking indifferently, slowly stopped.

He stood there for a long time before finally turning to look. Seeing A Qian, bruised and bleeding from her fall, sobbing uncontrollably on the ground, his pupils subtly trembled...

A trace of an unusual emotion welled up in his heart. His indifferent eyes began to regain a hint of feeling, as if a certain personality deep within his soul was beginning to re-emerge and overlap with the current one.

He let out a deep sigh.

The young man remained silent for a moment, then finally took a step back and walked over to A Qian.

A Qian was curled up on the ground, completely tear-stricken. As she saw the young man approach, her sobs finally weakened slightly, and her young eyes were filled with deep fear and worry...

The next moment, the young man's hand gently caressed the top of her head, and a mature, gentle voice resonated in the wind:

"A Qian, don't cry..."

Hearing those four words, A Qian's tightly pressed lips trembled again. She finally let go of all her worries and fears, throwing herself into the young man's embrace and bursting into even louder sobs.