Chapter 16: The Silver Mask

While the entire military barrack is in a heavy atmosphere, with everyone being alert and apprehensive, Yusheng is leisurely sitting in front of a desk, dipping the brush into prepared black ink before calmly writing a letter.

Yusheng carefully writes all the events that had transpired in the military barracks, revealing all the dirty affairs he had found out, even the guess in his mind, when Sun's voice suddenly sounded in their communication mind link.

"My Dear Host, I'll absolutely make sure that your letter will arrive in the Emperor's hands!"

"Alright, I trust you."

"Eh, why aren't you asking how I am able to do that?"

Yusheng just smiles while his hand makes graceful and sharp strokes before he puts down the brush on the desk after the letter is completed.

"I believe in Sun's choice of vessel."

After all, the two of us are putting everything we got to make sure that our goals will be completed.

"Heheh, you sure are skilled in charming people! By the way, why aren't you sending this letter to your brother? Based on the memories I also saw, I can tell that he won't betray you."

Yusheng pauses while rolling the letter in his hand after making sure that the ink had dried up before he lets out a helpless sigh and tightly ties the letter with a thin but hard string.

"That's a foolish question. I completely trust my Imperial Brother, but you have already seen in the memories, how that man is able to convince everyone that he is unambitious and can be absolutely trusted."

"Ahh… yeah, even I would believe that 'man' can be trusted without an ounce of ambition and greed for the throne after learning what he has done in his youth to earn your Father Emperor's absolute trust."

While Sun is speaking in their mind link, Yusheng calls out the people guarding outside, who are one of the trusted hidden guards of his Father Emperor.

"Make sure this letter will only arrive in Father Emperor's hands."

After learning the loyalty to death the hidden guards have, Yusheng is quite sure that he can also allow them to do secretive and important affairs without worrying about it being leaked to anyone or that man.

These people will only faithfully serve and follow the Emperor's orders, they have been trained in that way.

And since Yusheng had been given the authority to command them, these people will also follow his orders without hesitation or question. They are the perfect hidden guards usually seen in movies.

"Hm? Why are you giving them a letter too?"

After the hidden guard had left, Yusheng takes another letter out, which was the one he planned to send to the System who has finally gotten a physical body.

"It's better to be prepared. So, can you tell me who you are in the Capital and how I will send this letter to you?"

"Hm~ Alright, I am…"

Even Yusheng can't help but show an extremely surprised expression after learning which person the System has been able to use in exchange for the person's wish.

At the same time, he wrinkles his eyebrow after noticing how his memories seem to be blurred about that person whom Sun mentioned.

Particularly when that person was extremely important enough that he should have memories of him.

"So, he died?"

"Well, that person is a bit special. He is supposed to die later on and that person knows it too. So when I went to make a deal. He easily accepted it."

Yusheng can't help but raise his eyebrow before standing up from the chair, and begins to walk deeper into the room.

He has been staying in the military prison office rather than the personal place he used to live after arriving in the military barracks for almost a month.

"Can you tell me what wish he desperately wants to be fulfilled to decisively exchange a deal with you?"

"Protect the Su Empire."

"I see… very fitting wish for the identity that person has."

Somehow, Yusheng doesn't feel an ounce of skepticism and is doubtful about the certain wish of the person Sun has made a deal with.

"Protect the Su Empire, huh…"

Yusheng can't help help but murmur those words out while starting to remove the clothes on his body after arriving at the bath place with a huge wooden tub already filled with warm water.

"Since I don't remember him… there is nothing I can do about it."

"Well, isn't it good? Since if you two know each other, he might get suspicious if you don't remember something he deeply knows about you. Although, you had shown a good reason for changing your temperament, but still try to remain cautious."

"... Hm… You have a point there."

Yusheng easily accepts the reason and advice of the System, as for whether he believed it or not, well, he doesn't really care.

Particularly when all of his entire attention was focused upon his reflection in the water after arriving near the wooden tub.

"Well, I'll focus more on my situation. That old man is quite sharp, I don't want to get killed if he learned that I wasn't his beloved disciple. Take proper rest and thoroughly clean up yourself. The smell of blood can easily stir up your uncontrollable bloodthirst."

"Ok, take care of yourself too."

"Will do! Later My Dear Host!"

After making sure that the System wasn't paying attention to his situation, Yusheng slowly removes the final piece of robes on his body, casually dropping it on the ground before raising his right hand to gently trace the silver mask that has covered most of his upper left face.

Soon, Yusheng takes off the silver mask, before letting it go without a single care, causing a slight clattering sound to echo out in the room after it falled down on the ground.

"It's quite unusual, gazing at this face again."

Yusheng shows a complicated expression when his open right eye deeply gazes at the reflected face in the water. Before he finally focuses on the unusual mark on the left side of his face.

It was a pinkish color on a smooth skin, without uneven shape even though it had been burned by a blazing fire.

"Somehow… I don't feel the same emotion I felt before. It had been one of the darkest moments in my life… a rather unforgettable experience."

The repressed anger, the feeling of being betrayed, the hopelessness, doubt and sadness, even the hidden low self-esteem felt like it wasn't as important as before after the memories in the modern world have blended together with the ancient life.

"Well, I still preferred to have forgotten such memories though."

Yusheng slowly traces the pink skin on his face, starting underneath the closed left eye, down to the cheek and slightly towards the nose.

Although it was a burn mark, the only difference was the pink color, which was carefully treated by the effective medicine made by the Imperial Physician in the Palace, so he didn't end up having a completely disfigured and ugly face.

"Everyone says that it was caused by the fire that almost took our life…"

Everyone has always assumed that the only reason why Yusheng's burn scar didn't completely heal to normal is because back then everyone had only been focused on treating the first Imperial Prince's burned body.

"Ah, everyone got it all wrong though… My Imperial Brother had thoroughly protected me with his body. So, how could I have gotten a burn mark on my face? But no one has questioned it. No… they don't dare to think too much about it."

Yusheng smiles while tracing the pink scar one more time before finally opening his closed left eye, which everyone thought had been slightly blinded by the fire.

"And it's all for the sake of hiding these two things…"

In the water reflection, Yusheng gazes upon the red dot in the iris on his left purple pupil, and the white area around the pupils, which has beautiful bamboo trees seemingly drawn in it.

"Now that I am seeing this again, I still find it extremely weird and abnormal to have for an eye."

Yusheng can't help but let out a deep sigh, before waving his hand to disturb the reflection in the water. As an Imperial Prince, to have two of the special marks is more unfortunate than fortunate.

"Even in this world with unique features, special marks and mysterious curses my eye is absolutely abnormal. Instead of appearing in some part of a person's skin. I have two of the special marks in my left eye."

In the entire history of the carrier of miracle, and people with soul marks, it usually appears in a person's skin, and yet, Yusheng had it on another organ, which is the left eye and something he had always thought as unacceptable in the previous life.

"I understand why I had to hide this… but why does it have to be done in this way? How could she consider such a cruel idea to be acceptable?"

Everytime Yusheng remembers that darkest moment of his life, with the burning feeling still lingering, he can't help but question how she could do such a thing when she had already gotten all what a woman could ask for in her situation.

The Emperor's genuine love… Birthing the Future Crown Prince… The Harems being cleaned up for her sake… having a luxurious life, and receiving a dignified and honorable reputation…

All of that has been given to one woman and yet, it wasn't still enough for her.

"Mother Empress… You are quite greedy and selfish…"

Yusheng had never loved and at the same time hated someone in his entire life.

"I was always second in your eyes… and I am also a great fool to have easily accepted it while always keeping quiet."

As the second child and son, Yusheng has been the prepared replacement if something were to happen to his Imperial Brother.

So, if they know that he is a carrier of miracle and also having a soul mark, there is no way that the Royal Officials would accept him to become the Emperor.

After all, how would they be able to send their daughter in the harem if the Emperor has the two greatest taboos that could prevent him from having another person in his life?

"Everyone is selfish… but it is a bit fortunate though, you aren't in this world anymore. I won't have to personally fight against your wish since I won't continue being the good son you had completely trained."

Mother… I really don't wish to fight against you because I still love you...

And yet, I also don't want to always be controlled because it always made me hate and resent you...

It's complicated and confusing… Fortunately I don't have to face such a situation.

Yusheng submerges his body in the water before slowly closing his eyes.

"Rest in peace Mother Empress… at least, one of your sons will become the Emperor as you had always dreamed of."