Although Shamule had already told him the origin of the Forget-Worry herb and his emotions had calmed down, he remained true to his original intention, purely seeking to be rebuffed.
But after half a month, the love value remained unchanged, firmly stuck at ninety points. Xin Hexue felt there was still some key information missing behind the scenes, something Shamule had intentionally omitted during his narration, content he had not told him. He also didn’t understand what Shamule was still struggling with internally, causing the heartbreak value to silently rise to sixty.
What exactly was it?
It was the latter half of the night again.
Xin Hexue pretended to be sound asleep, his breathing light, and naturally turned over. This distance was short, and he happened to land into Shamule’s embrace.
The temperature on summer nights is lower than during the day, but ultimately, being so close, their body heat would still entangle together.
Outside the window, insects chirps echoed from the jasmine bushes.
Shamule wiped the beads of sweat on Xin Hexue’s forehead with his palm. Silver hair stuck in small, sticky strands against his cheek.
He took the small fan from the bedside and gently stirred cool air. Soon, the furrow in Xin Hexue’s brow smoothed away.
Even leaving the bed as cautiously as possible would produce a creaking sound.
Only after counting to sixty seconds did Xin Hexue open his eyes on the bed.
Now was the time… to catch the ghost.
He intended to see what Shamule actually did during the latter half of the night.
Based on previous reasoning, it could only be returning to his own palace to ingest the Forget-Worry Incense regularly, in order to maintain his sanity.
The moment Xin Hexue stepped out of the Meret Palace gates, a shadowy figure attacked him from the rear side and covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief.
The handkerchief carried a bitter scent of herbs. Xin Hexue felt dizzy, but sensing no great hostility from the person behind him, he called out in his mind: [K.]
K said calmly, [Don’t worry.]
Although the system could not interfere with the small world, if it came to a critical moment, he definitely would not disregard the host’s life.
The relationship between system and host was one where they could rely on each other’s backs and fight side by side.
Assured of his safety, Xin Hexue’s struggling strength gradually faded, and he finally passed out.
……..
There was a bumping and jostling sensation.
When Xin Hexue opened his eyes, his vision was still filled with kaleidoscopic spots of light; white ones bloomed like fireworks, and colored blotches collided up and down.
“Ahem, ahem, ahem……”
His throat felt itchy, as if he had choked on the stifling air from the handkerchief and was only now able to cough freely.
The coughing left his face pale. He subconsciously wanted to hunch over slightly but realized his situation.
He was bound to a massive, towering pillar. Hemp rope was wound around several times, so that his upper chest was entangled and his hands were tightly bound.
He coughed until his eyes filled with physiological tears. Unable to reach out and wipe them away, he could only let them stream down his cheeks.
“This is truly… a face blessed by the Moon God.”
A woman’s voice rang out. Because the temple was vast and empty, it sounded ethereal.
Xin Hexue looked towards the source of the sound…
It was Taibesha.
The princess who was expelled from Assyria and fled to Egypt, now residing in this temple of the goddess Isis, probably holding the position of priestess.
In the very center of the temple was still the enclosed pool.
From the vault of the sky above, an endless waterfall fell, its icy spray hitting the stone brick enclosure and tinkling like jade.
The pool was filled with perpetual cold mist. The stars in the sky were sparse, making one feel desolate.
Taibesha approached him. Her kohl-eye shadow outlined upward curves, her lips suffused with crimson. She moved towards him like a snake, and with her finger, she collected… a tear that had finally slid down his chin.
Xin Hexue frowned. “What do you want?”
“Don’t worry.” Taibesha laughed lightly. “I won’t do anything to you.”
“It’s just that the Red King of Lower Egypt is too ungrateful. He has forgotten who presented the Forget-Worry herb, helping mother and son obtain the throne.”
It seemed that having stayed guarding the temple for too long, Taibesha was extremely bored, with no one to confide in.
So when Xin Hexue focused his gaze on her, Taibesha began to complain.
“I even acted as a spy for Lower Egypt, connecting with the old high priest of Upper Egypt. But in a turn, he no longer even lets me oversee trade with Assyria.”
“I waited and waited in this temple. The letters I sent out were returned; requests to see the Pharaoh were not granted.” Taibesha gritted her teeth. “It was agreed back then: I present the sacred object, and they launch a campaign against Assyria for me. I have waited so long, from his mother’s time until the throne passed to him. These Egyptians, they are truly cunning!”
Xin Hexue watched her quietly, not saying a word.
Taibesha pursed her lips and smiled lightly. “So, I need capital to make him listen to me properly and hear my demands. This is the payment they haven’t given me yet.”
“I had someone inform him that you are in my hands. Surely, before long, he will come rushing like a lost puppy, sniffing for its master’s scent. Hehe, how pitiful.”
Xin Hexue: “…” He felt something was a bit odd.
“If your goal is to campaign against Assyria,” Xin Hexue had a point he couldn’t figure out, “why have Lower Egypt trade the Forget-Worry Incense with Assyria? Wouldn’t that only enhance the Assyrians’ strength?”
Even if Forget-Worry herb wasn’t native to Assyria, if pushed to desperation, Assyria would definitely send troops to attack Lower Egypt to obtain more of the incense. But according to Shamule’s thinking, he would not abuse the Forget-Worry Incense, meaning only a very small proportion of soldiers in Lower Egypt would be enhanced. The situation wouldn’t favor either side.
In any contest between enemy and self, every rustle of grass in the wind must be considered.
“Or,” Xin Hexue asked, “do you want both nations to repeat the great massacre of that time?”
Taibesha was taken aback for a moment, then she laughed. “He didn’t tell you? The Forget-Worry Incense has little effect on foreigners. It only makes Assyrians forget pain and sorrow, immersing them in illusionary happiness. If they don’t ingest it again within a certain period, they experience dizziness and exhaustion, destroying the Assyrian nobility from a spiritual level.”
A few years ago, a plague swept through the Assyrian royal capital.
That’s how the Forget-Worry Incense entered Assyria. It made them forget the sufferings of the mortal world, seemingly revitalizing them. The subsequent drawback of dizziness was regarded as a sequelae of the plague.
The nobility thus sought the Forget-Worry Incense fervently, continuously sending gold, silver, and horses to Lower Egypt in exchange.
“You are not an Egyptian.”
Taibesha stated this obvious conclusion, although the people here firmly believed Xin Hexue was part of the people of the Nile, because he was an envoy sent by the gods, therefore he was Egyptian.
“You are a foreigner,” Taibesha circled the stone pillar he was bound to, making a full round, and commented, “and your health is poor. So, once exposed to the Forget-Worry Incense, it would only make you dizzy.”
The emotion in Xin Hexue’s eyes shifted slightly.
‘No wonder…’
It wasn’t the incense, but previously, when he was in cat form, he was wrapped in a sack full of Forget-Worry herb.
Just smelling the scent of the herb a bit more had caused him to fall unconscious for two days and one night.
He didn’t dare imagine what it would be like if he ingested the Forget-Worry Incense and became addicted…
Just thinking about it, Xin Hexue’s back was already soaked with cold sweat.
Taibesha: “The effect of the Forget-Worry herb is truly startling. Are you afraid? Then how could you agree to form a marriage contract with the Red King? He is a cunning Egyptian. You haven’t even seen them when they lose control, have you?”
“His mother, the first and last time she lost control, killed her lover with a dagger, and nearly strangled poor Prince Tisis to death. Prince Tisis had just learned to walk at that time….”
As Taibesha spoke, the distance between her and Xin Hexue became infinitely close. She tilted her head. “Looking closely, this appearance of yours is also one I would adore…”
“Have you lived too long?!”
A voice, so angry that teeth grated audibly, rang out. The words sounded as though they were squeezed out from the throat.
The speaker came striding in from the entrance corridor at the rear.
Just like kidnappers in later ages, what Taibesha had someone tell Shamule was: Your Ankh is in my hands. If you want him alive, come alone.
Dozens of people emerged like shadows from the dark corners of the temple, blocking Shamule’s path ahead.
These were the death guards left to Taibesha by the previous Pharaoh, to guard the temple, and also to guard her tomb.
Taibesha said decisively, “Disarm him.”
Xin Hexue looked up at the night sky. The moon was bright, and the stars were sparse.
At this time, Shamule had probably not had time to ingest the Forget-Worry Incense before rushing over.
He looked at Shamule.
The violet eyes were already tinged with a frenzied crimson.
……..
The cold gleam of the short sword flashed, cutting throats and drawing blood, which splashed onto the sandy ground!
Corpses lay scattered across the ground.
Even carefully selected death guards, dozens besieging him, were no match for the Red King. Moreover, with the side effects of the Forget-Worry Incense, Shamule was like a berserker with full health and attack power.
And Taibesha was clearly the support or mage type; she was not skilled in close combat. The long sword she picked up was easily knocked away by the sharp short sword!
The long sword spun several times in the air before dropping to the sand.
Taibesha retreated a step and sat down on the stone pavement.
“I said I would attack Assyria, but not now.” Shamule’s red eyes stared at the other party, his face gloomy. “Clearly, you did not take my words seriously.”
It was no exaggeration to say that the current Shamule resembled a monster crawling from the depths of the River Styx.
Taibesha, however, sneered under the blade, as if having succeeded. “I know why you are reluctant to send troops. You are afraid you cannot manage both, afraid that Upper Egypt will take advantage of the opportunity to steal your Ankh, just like you snatched him from the White King’s hands.”
“Of course, what you fear more is war.” Taibesha said. “Who would have thought? The brave, skilled, and cruel Red King would one day fear war.”
Shamule’s expression could no longer be described as merely gloomy. “Shut your mouth.”
Taibesha continued fearlessly, “It seems that once a person has attachments, even a Pharaoh is no exception. You have begun to fear the annihilation of this life, you have begun to fear war depleting your mind, and you have begun to fear losing your reason and turning the blade against your beloved.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Look at you. You are just like your mother in her madness before she died.”
Shamule looked towards the cold pool.
The water’s surface reflected his current fierce appearance. His hand gripping the short sword instantly turned white with force.
His soul seemed to be torn in two halves: one half craving bloodshed, the other constantly retreating.
“Shamule.”
It was a very light voice, yet it seemed to have the power to penetrate, passing through the turbulent emotions to pull back Shamule’s soul.
Shamule no longer looked at the defeated opponent sitting on the ground. Without a word, he cut the ropes binding Xin Hexue. However, he then immediately dropped the short sword and stepped back, putting distance between himself and Xin Hexue.
He stood there, like a lost dog unsure where home was. “You’ve already heard it from her…”
Xin Hexue understood he was referring to the consequences of losing control…the example of the previous Pharaoh was still fresh in memory, not yet faded.
Even a tiger does not eat its cubs, but humans who have lost their reason can even harm their own beloved children.
Xin Hexue did not comfort him. He merely picked up the short sword, stepped forward, and placed it into Shamule’s hand.
The man acted as if he had received a hot potato. Xin Hexue had to clasp his hand around it, then guide his hand to press the blade of the short sword against his own neck.
The skin was so white and thin the blue veins were almost visible.
“What are you doing?!”
Shamule held the blade part tightly, not allowing it to advance another inch . For this, he again fell into the endless agony of his soul and body being torn apart, and cold sweat poured from him like rain.
Finally, the short sword cut into flesh, and Xin Hexue released his hand.
Shamule took several deep breaths, the entire person as if just pulled from water. He threw away the short sword, and blood splattered from his palm.
It was from when he chose to directly wrap his hand around the blade to control it.
It was indeed a fine blade that could cut through iron like mud. The flesh of his palm was cut, but he felt a sense of relief.
“See?” Xin Hexue pointed to the blade on the ground and said softly, “You won’t hurt me.”
Shamule was in an even worse state than before. “What if I hadn’t controlled it?!”
Xin Hexue touched his disheveled hair, his face soft and gentle. “It’s alright. Have you forgotten? I am the messenger of the gods.”
[Shamule Love Value 99]
The gamble had succeeded.
Xin Hexue lowered his eyelashes.
Shamule held him tightly, as if he wanted to rub Xin Hexue into his bones and blood. He lowered his voice and retorted, “I should have tied you firmly to the bed, and fucked you until you were pregnant.”
……
Rahotep had a dream.
In it, he saw the figure of the young man he longed for day and night. Therefore, he could be sure it was a dream.
Because as the planned date for raising troops approached, he had been dreaming of Iah frequently.
In the dreams, sometimes they stood on a high slope, overlooking the entire city of Thebes, happily discussing the future of Upper Egypt. Sometimes they rode together in a chariot to the craftsmen’s village to inspect the results. Sometimes they simply lay together in the same bed…
The sensation against his back was the solid feel of a bed, and Rahotep guessed this was another night of sharing a bed with his zhi qi.
Sure enough, the haze of the dream finally cleared, and the environment revealed itself as if clouds parting.
But Rahotep’s pupils suddenly shrank.
Iah, pure white Iah, a naked Iah…
Was sitting astride his hips.
An intense pain shot through his palm, yet he grasped the Divine Envoy’s waist regardless, pressing down deeply, a thrust penetrating him.
The Divine Envoy arched his neck like a swan offering itself for slaughter, his throat stretching upward, Adam’s apple tight.
His chest thrust forward, gleaming like snow, making the two nipples particularly visible.
From this angle, he couldn’t see Iah’s face.
This thought flashed through Rahotep’s mind.
But the body in the dream moved on its own, uncontrollably.
And just like that, with the divine envoy still impaled, he turned his own hips, completely flipping over.
This thrust must have reached the deepest point, because after the position flipped, the divine envoy lay back on the bed, grabbing a down pillow to muffle a scream.
His pink fingers trembled. After releasing the pillow, the first thing they did was rise to pull Rahotep’s ears, dragging the man to an extremely close distance until they were face to face.
The Divine Envoy looked as if he was freshly pulled from water, naked, his face wet with tears, yet he said expressionlessly, “Shamule.”
Rahotep froze instantly, his mind blank.
“Even if you chisel all the way,” Xin Hexue’s pink lips smiled, “I won’t get pregnant.”
…..
From within the White King’s palace, the sound of jade shattering suddenly rang out!
Palace servants rushed in hurriedly from outside the hall.
Rahotep clutched his chest, finding it difficult to breathe due to extreme agitation.
He leaned over the bedside, his brow furrowed, and the words squeezed out from between his teeth, “Send for Seto.”
A mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips!
The palace servants instantly knelt on the ground.
Rahotep commanded harshly, “Raise troops for Lower Egypt!”
