The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 533 Standing atop the First Peak of Wu Mountain (Part Fourteen)

As Fake Li approached the bottom deck door, he suddenly stopped and raised a hand to halt Mirror Heart Demon, who was following closely behind him.

"You stay here."

The respectful expression on Jingxin Demon's face faltered slightly, and he managed to steady himself in the nick of time, thus avoiding a collision with the fake Li.

He quickly glanced at the fake Li's back, then cupped his hands and said with a fawning smile, "Your Majesty, the cabin is dark. Although his internal strength is restricted, he is still... Your Majesty is concerned with the survival of Jiangnan and my Bad People. It is not advisable for you to be alone in such a dangerous place. It would be better to let this servant attend to you and stay by your side at all times, so that you can look after him and prevent any accidents."

Fake Li turned around with interest, his gaze sweeping over Mirror Heart Demon's lowered face. He twitched his lips, a cold laugh if it could be called a smile.

"A dangerous place?"

He repeated those two words, his tone devoid of emotion, before saying calmly, "What danger is there in exchanging a few intimate words with him?"

As he spoke, he turned his head and glanced sideways at Mirror Heart Demon, his tone becoming even more playful, "Or do you think... he will be hostile to me? Or perhaps, I will do something to him?"

Jingxinmo felt a chill run down his spine, and a fine layer of cold sweat instantly seeped out on his back.

He lowered his head, his mind racing.

Normally, Jingxinmo rarely spoke out of turn in front of the fake Li, and was even more low-key than when serving Li Cunxu.

But the situation is becoming increasingly critical, and he knows about the complex and unspeakable obsession that the fake Li has with Li Xingyun. Moreover, during the escape, the fake Li's emotions were already out of control, and any external influence could lead to unpredictable consequences.

With all of Li Xingyun's major acupoints sealed and his internal energy completely depleted, he was no different from a fish on a chopping board in this cramped hold, facing the emotionally unstable fake Li.

However, after a thousand thoughts swirled in his mind, Mirror Heart Demon could only bow even deeper and lower his voice: "This humble servant only believes that caution is the best policy. For the Bad People, His Majesty's safety is more important than anything else."

Upon hearing this, Fake Li smiled with satisfaction and patted Mirror Heart Demon on the shoulder.

“I know Tianzui Star is loyal.” He squinted, his tone quite pleased. “But some things can only be heard by two people. You stand guard outside the door, and no one is allowed to come in without my permission.”

Since they are allowed to stand guard at the door, they are not completely isolated from the outside world.

Knowing that further persuasion would not only be useless but might also backfire, the Mirror Heart Demon immediately stopped talking and bowed deeply, saying, "This servant obeys."

He stopped as instructed, stood respectfully at the doorway with his hands at his sides, and only then did the fake Li nod in satisfaction, enter the cabin, and close the cabin door behind him.

However, just as the crack in the door was about to disappear completely, the smile on Fake Li's face vanished instantly, replaced by mockery and indifference, with a faint sneer even appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Click."

The soft sound of the latch falling could be heard.

Outside the door, Jing Xinmo's heart sank with that soft sound. His inner strength instantly accelerated, and his blood rushed to his ears, trying his best to catch any faint sound in the cabin.

...

The sky was already overcast, and the faint sunlight seeped in through a vent, making the lower deck even darker.

An oil lamp was lit on the table, its flame small and barely illuminating the area around it, appearing rather weak.

Li Xingyun sat at the table, holding an old book he had found somewhere, slowly turning the pages by the dim candlelight.

He was taken from Yangzhou to Wuchang by Xu Wen, and then he was dragged along and defeated all the way to this place. But judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem to be in prison. Instead, he seems to be spending his time idly in a courtyard where he can listen to the wind and enjoy the rain.

When the fake Li walked in and saw Li Xingyun's appearance, his mockery and sneer intensified.

But he didn't speak. Instead, like a wild beast surveying its territory, he slowly paced around the table and Li Xingyun beside it.

Before and after the fake Li entered the room, Li Xingyun continued to slowly turn the pages of his book, seemingly unaware of anything. Only when the fake Li's footsteps turned to his side would his page-turning motion pause slightly, then resume as usual.

The fake Li finally stopped circling and stood directly opposite Li Xingyun. He squinted, carefully observing Li Xingyun's composed demeanor, then casually pulled over another chair from the table and sat down.

Between the two, there was a swaying shadow of lamplight, the boundary clearly defined.

"How many times? Including the time outside the Yangzhou Imperial Palace, how many times have you seen me?"

Li Xingyun raised his head, closed the book he was using to pass the time, met the gaze of the fake Li, and raised an eyebrow slightly: "What do you mean?"

Fake Li leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees and interlacing his fingers in front of him.

“I’m curious,” he stared into Li Xingyun’s eyes, as if trying to find something there, “why are you always so calm whenever you see me, whenever you see my face?”

Li Xingyun gently placed the book on the table, casually crossed his hands on his knees, and pretended to ponder for a moment before saying, "Then what should I do? Panic? Or should I cry and beg you to let me go?"

Fake Li's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

Li Xingyun's calm, even somewhat matter-of-fact, answer was indeed within his expectations. However, actually hearing it made him feel a strange sense of defeat and...being looked down upon, more so than any intense emotion.

What should you do?

The fake Li seemed to laugh in anger. He repeated himself, then suppressed his rage and gradually quickened his pace, saying, "When you see another 'you' sitting in the place that rightfully belongs to you, commanding your subjects and troops, and even deciding your life and death, shouldn't you be terrified, shouldn't you be astonished, shouldn't you be incredulously questioning what is going on!"

Li Xingyun was taken aback upon hearing this, then seemed to be seriously considering the question, before clapping his hands and revealing an expression that said, "That seems to be the case."

Seeing him like this, the nameless anger in Fake Li's heart suddenly flared up, but he managed to suppress it. He simply leaned back in his chair, raised his hand and rubbed his temples hard, letting out a short, mocking laugh.

"Ah...right, I forgot."

He shook his head, peering at Li Xingyun through his fingers, and sneered, "You are Li Xingyun. Born into the direct line of the Li Tang dynasty, one of the most noble people in the world in name only. How could you understand how much a person has to pay, how much they have to struggle, to grasp even a little bit of what seems to belong to them? How could you understand what it means to be powerless, what it means to crawl for survival! You always stand on high ground, so naturally you think everything in front of you is just a damn matter!"

Li Xingyun listened quietly, and finally nodded slightly: "I have indeed never experienced what you are talking about."

These words, upon hearing them, were like a bucket of cold water poured over him, instantly sobering up the fake Li.

He realized that he had been so easily swayed by the mere presence of Li Xingyun, and he forcefully suppressed the anger that was about to erupt in his chest, turning it into a cold snort. He lowered his hand, straightened his slightly disheveled cuffs, and when he spoke again, his voice had returned to its previous deep tone.

"Of course you haven't experienced it... The first person I saw as far back as I can remember was the Commander-in-Chief. He took me, an orphan, in and raised me among the scoundrels. The first thing I learned from him was that in this world, you can't achieve anything without being ruthless. The Commander-in-Chief never taught me these things directly, but he let me see and let me figure them out myself."

He took me all over the Central Plains, showing me the so-called world of martial arts. I saw honest, hardworking farmers forced by the harsh realities of life to sell their children, ultimately burning down their own houses and hanging themselves from a crooked tree at the village entrance. I also saw hypocritical gentlemen who, for a few copper coins or a bit of power, would unhesitatingly push their closest relatives and friends into the fire, then turn around and shed a few tears over their corpses, claiming they had no choice.

He glanced at Li Xingyun with a cold smile. The latter seemed slightly puzzled, but he didn't care and continued:

"Do you think all the evil people in this world are born completely wicked? I've seen too many people who initially just wanted to survive and protect what they cared about. But in this chaotic world, you either climb up by stepping on others, or you get trampled underfoot. Kindness? Benevolence? Those are things only survivors have the right to talk about."

The commander-in-chief taught me that to avoid being swallowed up by this world, you have to be more ruthless than it. So I learned to put away my useless pity, to scheme, and to be ruthless in achieving my goals. Because I knew that if I showed the slightest weakness, I would be the one to die.

Li Xingyun remained silent for a while before saying, "A chaotic world is like a furnace, and all living beings suffer."

"Bitter? You can even know what bitterness is?"

The fake Li chuckled, narrowed his eyes, and leaned closer to the two of them.
“I’ve known all the secrets of the Bad Guys since I was a child, and I know all the filth and helplessness buried in all corners of the world. Back then, he was the commander-in-chief, the god of everyone. And I… was the young master whom all the Bad Guys tacitly agreed to be. They all thought that I would be the next Bad Guy Commander, and that I would take over everything from him. Even I myself… once thought so.”

At this point, his gaze suddenly focused, fixing intently on Li Xingyun's face.

"Do you know who changed all of this? Who pulled me down from that position and turned me into this wretched state? Who stole the life I was supposed to have!"

Li Xingyun looked at him, her brows furrowed slightly, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something.

But the fake Li didn't give him a chance to speak. He just stood up abruptly, pointed at Li Xingyun from above, and his fingers even trembled slightly with excitement.

"It's you! Everything changed after you appeared! He no longer allows me to call him 'Boss,' and all the thugs no longer regard me as his master and disciple! Although they haven't said it, I know that his disciple, his only successor, can only be you after you appeared! Only you! So, I've never uttered the word 'suffering,' so what right do you have to say it!? What right does someone like you have to complain about suffering!?"

Li Xingyun was taken aback for a moment, then seemed to understand the cause and effect before slowly saying, "I don't care who you were in the past, or what your relationship with Yuan Tiangang was. I only know that some things are destined from the very beginning. Even if I, Li Xingyun, had never existed in this world, do you really think that he..."

"He would never have done this without you!"

The fake Li interrupted him sharply, his eyes slightly red, and then his sneer intensified.

"You have no idea! When Mirror Heart Demon first found you and relayed the message back to him, what was he like? I've been by his side for over a decade, over a decade! I've never seen him so... so uncontrollably excited, so... so full of hope! It was you! You ruined everything for me! My face, my life, my only... the only person I considered my pillar! It's all because of you! Because you appeared!"

Li Xingyun looked at his face, which was contorted with excitement, and sighed softly.

"Do you really think that in Yuan Tiangang's game of chess, you were placed in that position from the moment you were born, or even before? What he needed was never a specific 'Li Xingyun,' but simply a vessel to carry his intentions. Whether it's you or me, it's essentially the same."

"What do you know? You know nothing!"

The fake Li scoffed, "You only feel that your background is adrift, your fate is full of twists and turns, that you're being roasted on the fire, and that you have no choice in the matter. But look at your journey so far: the bloodline of the Li Tang royal family, the teachings that Yang Shuzi imparted without reservation, Lu Linxuan's unreserved trust, and Zhang Zifan, Ma Xisheng... even in Jiangnan, and Shangrao! How much have you gained? Even if you do nothing, just stand there, people will rush to offer you their most precious things! They pave the way for you, they sacrifice for you, and even if you mess things up, there will always be someone to cover for you, saying that you must have had your reasons, that you had no choice!"

He spoke faster and faster, becoming more and more excited, and approached Li Xingyun step by step, his shadow almost completely enveloping the latter.

"But look at yourself now, look at the way you are! What makes you think you can act like you've seen through everything and don't care about anything!"

Before he could finish speaking, seeing that Li Xingyun was about to retort, the fake Li could no longer suppress the anger that had been building up in his chest. He suddenly reached out and grabbed Li Xingyun's hair on his forehead, pulling it upwards with force!
Li Xingyun groaned, his neck bones making a slight cracking sound as the sudden force pulled on them. He instinctively raised his hand to block, but before he could even raise his arm halfway, the fake Li's other hand easily gripped his wrist like an iron clamp and held it down firmly.

The fake Li possessed immense strength, practically dragging Li Xingyun from his chair and pulling him unsteadily towards a blurry bronze mirror in the cabin. The Mirror Heart Demon outside tensed, pressing himself almost against the door, cold sweat pouring down his face. He pushed his inner strength to its limit, listening intently.

Fortunately, the fake Li dragged Li Xingyun to the front and back of the mirror without making any further agitation. He simply grabbed Li Xingyun's hair tightly with one hand, forcing his face towards the mirror, while pointing with the other hand at the two faces in the mirror that were almost indistinguishable from each other in the dim light.

"Look! Take a good look at me!"

Because of the dim light, the reflection in the mirror was somewhat distorted, like a reflection in water.

Two identical faces, with the same eyebrows and eyes, and the same features, yet they present two completely different states at this moment.

One photo shows the face flushed red with anger and agitation, the eyes fierce as if about to devour someone; the other shows the face slightly pale with pain and a feeling of suffocation, the brows furrowed, the eyes also blazing with anger, but clearly much more restrained.

"Who do you think understands you best in this world? Is it your junior sister Lu Linxuan? Or Uncle Yang who raised you? Or perhaps your young wife who hasn't experienced many storms?"

The fake Li's voice was deep and hoarse, carrying a chilling intimacy, as it rang close to Li Xingyun's ear.

"Wrong! It was me!"

His fingers pressed hard against Li Xingyun's image in the mirror, his nails almost piercing the blurry surface. "You have a small, pale blue birthmark below your third rib. When you're nervous or thinking, your right ring finger unconsciously taps things lightly. When you write the character '之', the last stroke always habitually flicks upwards. When you write prescriptions, you like to put licorice root last. Whenever you encounter something incomprehensible, you always yell 'Damn it!'... I know all of these!"
The opening stance of the Longquan Sword Technique emphasizes the flow of Qi through the Lesser Yang meridian, with the sword following the body's movement, prioritizing the concept of "concealment." The Huayang Acupuncture Technique requires three parts force to penetrate the skin and seven parts intention to guide the Qi through the meridians; a slight error can lead to disastrous consequences. The Tiangang Technique's internal energy circulation first passes through the Dantian, then through the extraordinary meridians, circulating throughout the body in a continuous cycle. I know all of these things too!

His speech grew faster and faster, like a rapid drumbeat, frantically pounding the silent cabin and striking Li Xingyun's heart.

"Your joys and sorrows, your habits, the secrets of your martial arts, every inch of your skin, every thought that crosses your mind... I know it all! I know everything! I understand you better than anyone around you!"

His face was slightly distorted by extreme emotion, and his reflection in the mirror swayed as if two struggling souls were trying to break free from the constraints of the bronze mirror.

“If I hadn’t been a refugee orphan since childhood, if you hadn’t been born into the Li Tang royal family… Li Xingyun, tell me, what do you have that makes you better than me? What makes you think you can look at me so calmly? What makes you so indifferent as I wear your mask, endure nearly ten years of torment and suffering, step by step walk up to you, take everything from you, and trample you under my feet!”

A tearing pain shot through his scalp, and his wrists were gripped so tightly they felt like they were about to break. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Li Xingyun's forehead, but he simply stared at the blurry, fake Li face in the mirror and said, slowly and deliberately, with difficulty:
"Have you ever considered that...the things you've exhausted all your resources to obtain...were never what I truly wanted?!"

The fake Li was startled, and the hand gripping Li Xingyun's hair unconsciously loosened its grip a little.

In the mirror, a moment of blankness and bewilderment suddenly appeared on his furious face.

But only for a moment.

He nodded as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, letting out a series of low, suppressed laughs.

“Yes, you don’t want it. You were born this way, of course you don’t want it! So…”

"That's why you disappointed the Commander! That's why you're a piece of... hopeless mud that can never be salvaged!"

After saying this, the fake Li felt a sense of relief. He stared intently at Li Xingyun, hoping to see a trace of anger or shame on the other's face, as if his sore spot had been hit.

However, no.

Li Xingyun was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. Even though he was still being held by the hair by the fake Li and looked disheveled, his laughter carried a hint of understanding and mockery:
"I finally understand why you're so angry. You've been hating the wrong person. You hate that I have things you can't have, but you've never asked why I don't want those things... You said the first thing you learned was to be ruthless, but have you ever considered that when Yuan Tiangang taught you these things, he never intended for you to become like him?"

The fake Li in the mirror had slightly constricted pupils.

"You think I'm the one who stole your life?"

Although Li Xingyun was in a sorry state, he kept shaking his head with a smile. "What really traps you is your obsession with the identity of 'Young Master'. He gave you hope, so you desperately wanted to become him, but you never thought about becoming yourself."

Fake Li was startled again, then suddenly let go of her hand, staggered back half a step, and her reflection in the mirror swayed as well.

"You're talking nonsense! You don't understand at all."

"I know."

Li Xingyun turned around, rubbing her wrist. "I understand why you're so persistent, because I used to be the same. But now I understand—"

True freedom is not about becoming someone, but about not being someone.

The voice of those words didn't carry much weight, but in the cramped hold, they seemed to carry more weight than any vehement rebuttal.

Fake Li opened his mouth, only to find that all his prepared remarks crumbled at that moment, losing all their support.

He seemed somewhat lost and dejected, as if all his strength had been suddenly drained. He staggered and slumped back into the chair behind him.

Seeing his expression, Li Xingyun felt a slight stirring in his heart, thinking that the fake Li had finally listened to some of what he was saying, so he slowly stepped forward, wanting to say something more.

However, as soon as he took a step, the fake Li suddenly raised his head, then stepped forward in an instant, his five fingers forming a claw, and grabbed Li Xingyun's throat tightly, lifting him off the ground!
"You understand? What makes you think you understand! Just because of a few casual words from you, you think you can negate everything I've done?! You think you can turn all my struggles and the humiliation I've endured over the past ten years into a joke?!"

His movements were as fast as lightning, and his eyes were filled with an unprecedented killing intent.

This murderous intent stemmed not only from his hatred for Li Xingyun, but also from his fear.

It was precisely because he understood Li Xingyun's words, because in that instant he saw clearly the pathetic obsession he could no longer ignore, and because he had long realized but never dared to admit that he had been living in such a ridiculous fantasy for the past ten years, that he became so furious.

Li Xingyun was gripped tightly by the throat, making it difficult to breathe and his face flushed red. Looking into the almost crazed eyes of the fake Li, he suddenly remembered that Zhang Zifan had told him that Shangrao and Lu Linxuan were safe for the time being and were waiting for news of him somewhere. His heart softened instantly.

But the words that reached his lips became fragmented struggles: "Kill me... and you... won't become him..."

This sentence seemed to be the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The veins on the fake Li's arm bulged instantly, his eyes blazed with violent energy, and he slowly raised his other free hand, his inner strength gathering wildly.

In an instant, a golden light, almost tangible, began to flicker and pulsate in the fake Li's palm.

"Your Majesty!" The door to the lower deck was suddenly pushed open from the outside by Mirror Heart Demon.

"I said..." The fake Li roared without turning his head, his hand, which was filled with terrifying internal force, hovered in mid-air, and the strong wind made Li Xingyun's hair fly in all directions.

Jingxinmo dared not delay and quickly stepped forward, saying urgently, "Your Majesty, the scouts ahead have reported that the garrison troops at many passes along the river from Jiangzhou to Jinling are showing signs of instability! Especially at the Jiangbiao Jin Pass at Caishiji... there is a fear that they might rebel and turn against the Northern Dynasty! This matter concerns the safety of our army's retreat route, and I dare not fail to report it!"

The fake Li suddenly turned his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the Mirror Heart Demon, and simply repeated, "I said, without my orders, whoever comes will die..."

"Your Majesty..."

Before Jingxinmo could finish speaking, the fake Li raised his hand and waved it at him without hesitation!
A sharp palm wind suddenly arose, tearing through the air and striking Mirror Heart Demon's chest.

This palm strike was unleashed in anger. Although it was not delivered with full force due to the change in target, its immense power was still enough to shatter stone tablets and split rocks!
However, Mirror Heart Demon seemed to have been prepared. The moment the palm wind hit his body, he suddenly slid to the side and at the same time drew a half-circle with both hands in front of him, directly deflecting the force.

However, in reality, Jingxinmo staggered back three steps before barely managing to stand still. Then, a sweet taste rose in his throat, followed by a metallic taste of blood.

He dared not hesitate for a moment, immediately bowing his head deeply, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, and said aggrievedly, "This servant...this servant was reckless and disturbed Your Majesty, I deserve to die! But Your Majesty, the military situation is urgent, I shouldn't have..."

As he spoke, he coughed a few times in a suppressed manner, and his words became increasingly incoherent.

The fake Li slowly withdrew his hand, his chest heaving with intense emotions. He glanced at the inner demon, a hint of annoyance and disgust flashing in his eyes, before turning his gaze back to Li Xingyun.

When Li Xingyun had just forced back the Mirror Heart Demon with his palm, he had taken the opportunity to break free from his grip, took half a step back, leaned against the cabin wall, and breathed slightly as he tidied his disheveled hair and clothes.

His face was still somewhat pale, but his eyes remained fearless, even carrying a hint of pity.

What Fake Li hates most is that kind of look in his eyes.

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, trying to calm the surging blood and killing intent within him. He looked at Li Xingyun for a long time, and finally, he forced a smile, walked over, and whispered in the latter's ear:
“You’re right, Li Xingyun. But this time, it’s my turn. I am the protagonist of this play. You, Yuan Tiangang, Xiao Yan, this Jiangnan, this world… everyone and everything, this time, are just supporting characters to me.”

After saying that, he didn't linger. He turned around and walked towards the cabin door without looking back. Only when he reached the door did he glance at Mirror Heart Demon.

“Tell Yuan Tiangang that I want him to accompany me to perform this play in Jinling… If he wants the whole world to see this play, how can the lead actor be willing to take the stage without a stage?”

The man left abruptly, leaving the kneeling Mirror Heart Demon looking up in astonishment, seemingly in disbelief.

Li Xingyun leaned against the cabin wall, rubbing his wrist, equally astonished.

------

Beneath the walls of Jinling City, camps stretched for miles, their banners fluttering in the wind.

Li Maozhen, dressed in a military robe, sat upright in the main seat, his few strands of white hair at his temples neatly combed. He leisurely watched the tea leaves rising and falling in his cup, gently blowing away the rising steam.

"Let alone the two Lis, if you insist on protecting one of them and interfering in the course of the world, even if there were a hundred Lis, my brother-in-law would still kill them. You may have the strength to move freely among a million soldiers, and I cannot stop you, but if you want the world to accept this grand drama, it is not up to you now."

At the entrance of the tent, a man stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sprawling camps outside and the majestic city walls of the ancient capital of six dynasties in the distance. He simply said:

"If I were willing to rid him of this major threat, what would I say?"

Upon hearing this, Li Maozhen narrowed his phoenix eyes slightly and gently closed the teacup lid with a 'click'.

"As expected of the Bad Leader, what a spirit he has."

(End of this chapter)