GB Chapter 48

Although Zhuge Qingtian was a newly formed Ghost God, he was quite experienced in life and death struggles as a Nascent Soul cultivator during his lifetime. Now, manipulating the Sha energy was easier for him than it was for the uncultivated God of Welcoming Joy. He quickly broke through the guards of the palace and arrived at the main hall. Judging from his actions of not hesitating to reveal his identity to eliminate Yu Qing, Zhuge Qingtian knew Zhao Jicheng must have recognized him. However, he probably hadn’t concealed the fact that he had no memories at the time.

Zhao Jicheng’s actions this time were extremely covert. Only they knew the usage of the Book of Heaven Without Words. If Zhuge Qingtian hadn’t chosen to face the past in time, and if Qian Ren, who was not good at comforting people, hadn’t unhesitatingly summoned He Huan, who had a special identity, he wouldn’t have suffered such a complete defeat. However, precisely because he hadn’t anticipated such a loophole, after Zhuge Qingtian appeared, besides praying that this elder brother would never remember the past, he had no other solution.

Unfortunately, the current Zhuge Qingtian was no longer the Zhao Huai’an who had always granted his younger brother’s requests.

With a wave of his hand, he sent the Sha energy to push open the main hall’s door. The creaking sound of old wood and the floor rubbing together was just like in the West Liang Imperial Palace of the past. The dancing large red lanterns illuminated the hall with their blood-like light and shadow. Stepping into the blood-red light, Zhuge Qingtian looked up at the youth standing in the center of the hall. It was the face he had seen countless times in the mirror in the past, but now that it was vividly appearing in front of him, it felt somewhat strange.

Even though his memories had only returned not long ago, he had already somewhat forgotten what his younger brother should look like. When their eyes met, all he felt was unfamiliarity. However, perhaps he had never truly understood Zhao Jicheng in the first place.

With such a sigh in his heart, he sensed that Qian Ren was staying outside the door, blocking all escape routes. While admiring that his master was still as meticulous as ever, looking at Zhao Jicheng, who had already launched a sneak attack in front of him, he felt truly disheartened. Even a cold-blooded killer like Qian Ren thought that he couldn’t bring himself to eliminate his own brother, but his younger brother showed no sign of remorse. As soon as they met, he launched a ruthless attack. He was indeed the Zhao Jicheng from his memories, the one who had unhesitatingly drawn his sword against him.

However, this time he would no longer retreat.

Zhao Huanzhi was the legitimate son of the Empress. From birth, he was cultivated as the crown prince. Before the day of his enthronement, his life had been smooth and he had hardly encountered any hardship. However, such an enviable life ended at the most triumphant moment of his life as a prince. He fell from the clouds into hell in a single day. This dramatic rise and fall created the God of Welcoming Joy’s eternally Sha energy, and also formed his unique Ghost Domain—”Spring Breeze Welcoming Joy, Fortune Arriving and Disaster Following.”

Unlike cultivators, Ghost Gods didn’t need ghost tools to kill. Just as the Medium of the God of Mourning was the paper money fluttering everywhere, the God of Welcoming Joy’s means of attack was the warm spring breeze that constantly surrounded him. This wind seemed powerless but was actually called Red Sha. Once it came into contact, one’s luck would be manipulated by the God of Welcoming Joy. No matter how small the probability, accidents could happen continuously. In the past, there were cultivators who didn’t believe in this and tried to break through with cultivation after being hit, but their true Qi suddenly malfunctioned and they were instantly consumed by inner demons and died.

Luck, such an intangible existence, would leave ordinary people defenseless. Unfortunately, Zhuge Qingtian was also a Ghost God. Just as Zhao Jicheng flicked his sleeves and sent out the Red Sha, the blood ink beside him autonomously protected its master. The two Ghost Domains were fighting each other, unwilling to give way, while the two similarly shaped youths looked at each other as if nothing had happened. In the end, Zhuge Qingtian spoke first, saying calmly, “It seems you have received news from the Tai Qing Sect.”

“Why bother to feign humility now that things have come to this? If you hadn’t leaked the secret of the Book of Heaven Without Words to outsiders, how would Fang Suihan have thought that the God of Welcoming Joy was in the Tai Qing Sect?”

Having attacked first but been easily defended by the other party, Zhao Jicheng’s face was a bit unsightly. He hadn’t expected that his magnanimous and sentimental older brother would be so prepared. He was even more annoyed that Zhao Huai’an had become a Ghost God, while he, who had died tragically without achieving his grand ambition, had only become an ordinary vengeful ghost.

Zhao Jicheng believed that the resentment he felt when he died was no less than these Ghost Gods, but the power of a Ghost God he had worked so hard to obtain, Zhao Huai’an had obtained without doing anything. When alive, it was the same; this older brother was only born one year earlier than him. Because of this slight difference, Zhao Huai’an inherited the throne and obtained the Book of Heaven Without Words. As long as Zhao Huai’an existed, Zhao Jicheng would always be the second choice. This world was truly unfair.

Zhao Huai’an had already accepted his younger brother’s inexplicable hatred for him when he died. He never expected Zhao Jicheng to repent. If Zhao Jicheng had felt even a trace of regret for his death, Zhao Huai’an wouldn’t have become a Ghost God. Ghost Gods drew strength from sorrow and resentment, but they were born of love. Just as Fang Suihan deeply loved Xi Shang Jiangshan, and Zhao Huanzhi cherished the people of Xiliang, Zhao Huai’an had also truly loved his only younger brother. However, the God of Welcoming Joy who destroyed all of Zhao Jicheng’s plans was created by him. So, it could be seen as somewhat laughable.

Even with such thoughts, Zhuge Qingtian didn’t know why he couldn’t laugh. He could only look at the person in front of him and ask calmly, “Why did you betray the third Imperial Uncle?”

Zhao Jicheng had long been prepared to face his older brother’s questioning. He was confident that no matter what this person said, he could refute it all. However, what he received was such a sentence. After a moment of being stunned, he sneered in response, “Because the person he wanted to pass the throne to was Zhao Huai’an, not Zhao Jicheng. What feelings are there for an imperial uncle who has even forgotten my existence?”

This answer was within Zhuge Qingtian’s expectations. It was precisely because his guess was correct that he felt even colder. Their Ghost Domains had already decided the victor. The power Zhao Jicheng had hastily obtained was ultimately no match for the Sha energy after he and Zhu Ge Qingtian had merged. Commanding the blood ink to pull the person closer, his voice was surprisingly calm, “Jicheng, you are too ungrateful. Don’t take the kindness of others for granted. Even family members are not obligated to dote on you.”

“How ridiculous. Where are there family members in the royal family? The Grand Empress Dowager didn’t hesitate to kill another biological son to support the Fourth Imperial Uncle’s ascension to the throne. In order to seize the throne, Father even subjected the Grand Emperor to torture. We of the Zhao family are born with such blood flowing through us. You only thought I was harmless and that’s why you didn’t attack.”

Zhao Jicheng became more and more angry after losing in the pure power confrontation. He didn’t want to lose to Zhao Huai’an, not under any circumstance. He wanted to surpass this person at any cost, he wanted to make this older brother jealous to the point of madness. However, neither when he was alive nor after he was dead, he couldn’t do it.

Even so, when he was defeated, he would never allow Zhao Huai’an to continue to look down at him with those pitiful eyes. He knew how to make his older brother feel sad.

A smile filled with resentment appeared on the corner of his lips as he spoke a long-hidden fact, “Older brother, don’t think I don’t know what Father said when he gave you the Book of Heaven Without Words. He said that there were no brothers in the royal family and that when you rise again, you must get rid of me!”

“You did hear that…”

When the Prince of Liang handed the Book of Heaven Without Words to his eldest son, he did indeed say such words. Zhao Huai’an had also personally seen the scarred corpse of his once-respected Grand Emperor. He didn’t know where Zhao Jicheng was hiding at the time, he only remembered that it was at that moment that he finally saw how terrifying power could be. At that moment, Zhao Huai’an told himself to always remember this scene, and that he must never become a cold person like his father.

At the same place and time, Zhao Jicheng had learned that only by being the most ruthless person could one survive until the end. Although they were brothers of the same womb, they were fundamentally different.

“Jicheng, if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been able to leave Chang’an alive.”

The final words Zhuge Qingtian spoke were still so calm, just like the older brother in Zhao Jicheng’s memory who was always without temper. Even if he got angry and flipped the table, he would always offer patient advice. He was simply incredibly stupid. Therefore, although he had lost, he still looked at this person with mockery in his eyes, “That’s why you have come to this end. This world is like this; the one who draws the sword first is the winner.”

Zhao Jicheng was already accustomed to Zhao Huai’an stepping back in front of him. He enjoyed the pitiful scene where the other party would fall silent whenever he spoke, only looking at him helplessly. However, he didn’t know that in those moments, it wasn’t that Zhao Huai’an couldn’t argue back, but that once he seriously argued, it would hurt his younger brother’s self-esteem. So he chose to act as if he didn’t hear it.

Now, Zhuge Qingtian had no intention of stepping back. So, he simply looked down at the ghost he had subdued. His tone was as gentle as if he were coaxing a child, but the words he spoke were ruthless and to the point, “Is that so? Then, why is it that besides Yu Qing, you don’t have a single old subordinate following you?”

No one in a superior position would be proud of not having anyone to rely on. Although Zhao Jicheng’s nature was twisted, he wasn’t mad. He knew how embarrassing his current situation was. Seeing his instantly stiffened expression, Zhuge Qingtian shook his head and just stated the truth plainly, “All the capable people in the Tian Shu Pavilion have already been won over by me. You don’t dare to use my people, so you can only continue to use the old elders. With their years of experience in the cultivation world, how could they live and die with a person as ruthless as you? The Tian Shu Pavilion was left for you by me, and the power of the Ghost God was given to you by the Third Imperial Uncle. Jicheng, what do you have that you can be proud of?”

Zhao Huai’an hadn’t paid attention to anything that was happening in the cultivation world after his death. However, the predictions he made based solely on past information were still very accurate. He immediately made Zhao Jicheng angry, so he said loudly, “Shut up! From childhood, whether it was in essays or horsemanship, the ones Father and the tutors praised were me. You, besides writing and painting, could not do anything. I am more outstanding than you, and more suitable for the royal family. How can a person as softhearted as you become a ruler? You were already eliminated by me a long time ago, stop pretending to be so great!”

In the past, Zhao Jicheng had also said such things to Zhao Huai’an. At that time, his older brother’s expression was very sad. He thought it was because he had lost to him. But now, when Zhuge Qingtian sighed and spoke, “The old teacher who taught me calligraphy and painting was the Grand Tutor of the former emperor, did you know that?”

Zhao Huai’an was the legitimate and eldest son of the Prince of Liang. The Prince of Liang had never ceased his cultivation of him. However, he also knew that as the eldest prince who had been granted a fiefdom, he couldn’t show off too much, so he ordered his eldest son to bide his time and not attract too much attention. On the outside, he only praised his second son, thus protecting the real heir flawlessly.

Zhao Huai’an understood this when he received the Book of Heaven Without Words. He didn’t know if Zhao Jicheng had understood this and then hated him, or if he didn’t want to face reality and was only indulging in the past. Seeing his shocked expression now, it was probably the latter.

Since the image of his pure and innocent older brother had already begun to shatter, Zhuge Qingtian thought about it and didn’t feel the need to maintain it. So, he simply stated another fact, “The Third Imperial Uncle, being the legitimate son, was the most likely to succeed to the throne. He favored painting, so among the younger generation, I was his favorite. Did you know that too?”

Yes, this was the reason Zhao Huai’an first started learning calligraphy and painting. Because that was what the future emperor liked, he needed to remain consistent with the emperor to survive peacefully after Zhao Huanzhi succeeded to the throne. There were many descendants in the Xiliang royal family, but Zhao Huanzhi only remembered Zhao Huai’an. This was related to his intentionally close relationship at the time.

Zhao Huai’an didn’t want anyone to know about the dark reality where he had to go through layers of scheming even when interacting with his elders. He hoped that in his younger brother’s eyes, he was a clean older brother who genuinely liked literature and art. He also hoped that his Third Imperial Uncle, who truly loved him, would believe that his closeness was all genuine. So Zhao Jicheng believed it, but the result was not at all as beautiful as he had imagined.

“Impossible! Are you trying to say that everything was just me being presumptuous?”

The image he had maintained for many years had collapsed in one day. Zhao Jicheng was indeed on the verge of collapse, just as Zhao Huai’an had once feared. Although the reason was completely different from what he had thought, he had no intention of comforting him, and even smiled and stabbed him without hesitation, “Yes, whether it is the Xiliang empire, or the power of the Tian Shu Pavilion, I have never really cared for them. It is not that you beat me; it’s that I saw how badly you wanted them, so I just used those things I didn’t want to coax you. Am I, as your older brother, very good to you?”

In Zhuge Qingtian’s memories, this face of Zhao Huai’an had only smiled. Now, suddenly seeing it become pale with shock, he was still very unaccustomed to it. In his heart, he felt quite emotional. This younger brother of his didn’t even know how to distinguish which of his older brother’s words were lies. Yet, he dared to dream of fighting against He Huan, an old fox who never showed his emotions. He thought the world was too simple.

“Silly younger brother, the reason why I seemed so easy to deal with in your eyes was only because I wanted to be a gentle and kind older brother in front of you. However, I still have to thank you for not turning back. If I were to kill you while you cried and begged for mercy, even if I knew it was only your expediency, I would still feel somewhat sad.”

To win, the first thing you should learn was not how to lose your temper, but how to smile at your enemies. Of all of Father’s teachings, this was the only one that was still very useful. His learning ability had always been strong. At this time, he was also quickly using the Sha energy that Qian Ren had taught him to devour the ghost in front of him bit by bit. The youth watched the horrified expression of the ghost as he was falling into ashes. This Ghost God still maintained a gentle smile, as if a patient older brother was giving him earnest instructions.

“Do you understand now? Enemies will not listen to anything you say, nor will they be affected by your emotional fluctuations. The only ones you can make cry are the ones who love you. Jicheng, I once tried so hard to be your family, but you turned me into an enemy. That is true foolishness.”

“Older brother…”

In the last moment before Zhao Jicheng disappeared, only these two words fell into Zhuge Qingtian’s ears. He didn’t think about what was supposed to follow those words, he just silently watched the blood-red spiritual ashes of a vengeful ghost fall from his fingertips. These ashes would soon disappear. The younger brother Zhao Huai’an had once wanted to rely on was gone just like that.

Jicheng, your older brother has actually lied to you about many things. For example, that he didn’t teach you a lesson because he hated you, but only wanted you to sober up in the last moment. And for example, that he suddenly felt somewhat regretful for not teaching you such a decisive lesson when you were younger…

However, these words, the current me will never tell you again.

He didn’t know if Zhao Jicheng had discerned which of his words were lies at the end, he only sat facing those ashes for a long time until the man’s shadow fell onto the ground, covering the traces of the ashes. Only then did he raise his head calmly. He thought of many words, but what came out of his mouth was, “Master, do you think it will be sunny tomorrow?”

His expression was very calm, Qian Ren couldn’t tell what the youth’s mood was. He only picked up the boy, who seemed to have no strength to stand, and walked out, leaving behind all past events.

“Even if it isn’t, I will take you to a place where the sun shines.”

The author has something to say: Zhuge Qingtian: Everyone get out of the way, let me collect this head!

He Huan: Since he said so, let’s just be peaceful melon-eating spectators.

He Ku: Where’s the melon? Why are you gnawing on me?

He Huan: I just said it casually to fool them. Since I’m free, naturally I have to eat you.

He Ku: You’re still so slow to take action. Tell me, how should I move?

Zhuge Qingtian: Master, it’s bad! Grand Master is AFK in the jungle again!

Qian Ren (instantly blacklisting his teammates): This is why I don’t want to team up with them!