How To Survive as a Villain

The altar of the Temple of Heaven was located on the ninety-nine step halfway up the mountain, the sunset was like the blood of the sun. This solemn altar was particularly awe-inspiring.

Besides the steps, looking splendid in jade and gold, was the temple. It was filled with incense smoke, quiet and solemn.

Yan HeQing frowned: “Is it here?”

“This is the place where the ancestors are worshipped and where the relics are stored in the Northern Kingdom. You can wait for me here for a bit, I’ll go.” Xiao YuAn looked at Yan HeQing’s face and said carefully.

After all, the memorial plate of the late Emperor was still in there.

Yan HeQing nodded his head.

Xiao YuAn brushed the ash off his body, fixed up his clothes, got up and walked into the temple.

The place of worship was heavily guarded by soldiers. Although the guards were surprised by Xiao YuAn’s sudden appearance, they didn’t dare to stop him. Xiao YuAn walked into the Hall smoothly and unhurried.

Inside the main hall were placed the memorial plates of the ancestors, all of which were decorated delicately and engraved with golden characters. The incense was burning in the Hall, and there were fruit plates with pork heads. Xiao YuAn thought for a while, and bowed down.

In the original book, on the third day after Yan HeQing’s attack on the Northern Kingdom, he burned this place to ashes.

The memorial plates of the ancestors, including the one of the late Emperor, were heavily smashed and then discarded at the gate of the city; trampled by thousands of people like it was garbage.

Xiao YuAn raised his head and looked at the solemnity in front of him. Thinking that now Yan HeQing was waiting for him outside, at this time, he felt like it was a dream.

After sighing with emotion, Xiao YuAn remembered the purpose of this trip and started to look around.

Yan HeQing waited patiently outside the temple, and after a quarter of an hour, Xiao YuAn’s figure appeared before his eyes.

Xiao YuAn went in empty handed, and when he came out, he carried a sword in his hands. He walked towards Yan HeQing and handed it to him: “Here, this is yours.”

Yan HeQing’s eyes were round and surprised. He took the sword and rubbed the sheath carefully.

On the hilt of the sword was carved a golden dragon, the body of the sword was thin, sharp and had a faint cold light surrounding it. Blowing away his hair, Yan HeQing lowered his eyes. After a while, he choked: “This is…”

“Yes.” Xiao YuAn replied.

This sword was once belonging to the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom, the father of Yan HeQing. After the Southern Yan Kingdom was destroyed by the late Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, Yan HeQing’s father used this sword to commit suicide within the city wall, weeping with blood and mourning.

However, the late Emperor of the Northern Kingdom took it as a war trophy and used it as his sword. Eventually, it became the only relic that wasn’t buried after his death. Instead, it was placed at the temple for the future generations to worship. This was the reason why Yan HeQing hated this place so much.

Yan HeQing calmed down and raised his head to look up at Xiao YuAn: “What does this mean?”

Xiao YuAn said with a smile: “It’s yours, take good care of it.”

It belongs to Yan HeQing anyways, sooner or later he would’ve obtained it.

Yan HeQing stared closely at Xiao YuAn, his eyes were moving and had a light of complicated feelings; after a while, he murmured: “Thank you.”

Xiao YuAn shrugged: “It belongs to you, I was just returning it to its original owner.”

Yan HeQing glanced at him again, then turned his back to the temple. He put his sword on the ground with both hands, lifted the hem, and knelt down without hesitation.

Facing his destroyed homeland, underneath the mountains and rivers, and above the blue sky.

Xiao YuAn turned around, unwilling to see it, fearing that Yan HeQing would raise his head. His eyes were full of resentment against this country, and his anger would eventually develop into a sharp edge that would cut his own neck.

After a while, Xiao YuAn suddenly heard Yan HeQing calling him, he turned around and saw that Yan HeQing had already stood up. He was holding the sword and there was no resentment and sadness in his eyes anymore, they were bright and calm as the water. Then, he said: “Let’s go back?”

Xiao YuAn replied with a smile: “Yes, let’s go back.”

It was said that it’s easier to walk up the mountain than to walk down, but for Xiao YuAn, it was extremely difficult to walk up the mountain already; and now, he just wanted to roll down like a ball.

Seeing the bright moon in the starred sky, the mountain path wasn’t clear enough, and every step had to be taken carefully, which required a lot of time. Xiao YuAn was holding onto his inconvenient long clothes and mocked himself: “I don’t want to keep going, I want to just lie here and wait for someone to collect my corpse.”

Yan HeQing pointed to a clean and flat stone on the side of the road: “Sit down and rest for a while.”

Xiao YuAn sat down on the stone and rubbed his ankles while smiling: “Don’t you get anxious if I walk so slowly.”

Without Xiao YuAn holding him back, Yan HeQing would’ve returned to the Imperial City in about an hour.

Yan HeQing looked at him quietly, and replied with a light tone: “You also gave up traveling in the Imperial carriage because of me.”

Xiao YuAn didn’t expect Yan HeQing to notice this. He was stunned for a little bit, and didn’t know how to answer.

The two of them were silent for a while. Around them the mountain was quiet. Xiao YuAn coughed lightly trying to break the silence when Yan HeQing suddenly narrowed his eyes and rushed to his person: “Be careful, behind you!”

Xiao YuAn suddenly turned his head and saw a green snake with red spots on his head!

Yan HeQing hit the seven inch green snake with a tiny stone and then strangled it in front of Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn, was too frightened to stand and yet he took a few steps back, fell to the ground, and rolled down the stairs.

After a while, Xiao YuAn was lying on the ground with his arms folded, staring at the stars in the sky.

A handsome face appeared looking down on him, blocking the sky.

Xiao YuAn asked: “Are you here to collect my corpse?”

Yan HeQing said: “…No.”

Xiao YuAn waved his hand and asked him to move his head away: “Then let me count the stars, I just found a constellation.”

Yan HeQing kindly reached out his hand to Xiao YuAn, who estimated that he had injured himself: “Can you stand up?”

Xiao YuAn took Yan HeQing’s hand and started to stand up, but he felt extreme pain in his ankle. Xiao YuAn frowned: “It hurts, I don’t know if it’s twisted or dislocated.”

It was indeed very slippery.

Xiao YuAn covered himself in fallen leaves, he wasn’t angry or sad. Instead, he joked to Yan HeQing: “Anyway, you can just leave me here, after all we’re already outside the Imperial City. With your skills, escaping should be easy.”

Yan HeQing stared at his mischievously smiling eyes, stood up without flinching and walked without turning back, hurrying away.

Xiao YuAn was stupefied.

Hey!! I was just joking!! You can’t really go away!!

“Yan…” Xiao YuAn came to himself and wanted to call out for him, but found that Yan HeQing’s figure had disappeared into the vast night.

You’re too heartless!

On behalf of the socialist core values, I strongly condemn your unfriendly behavior!!

All of a sudden, he was abandoned just like that on a remote path. Even if he says to himself that it’s impossible for him to not feel wronged, Xiao YuAn sighed and felt sad. He laid on his back and continued to count stars, completely abandoned: “Dubhe, Merak, Phecda1…”

While counting on Phecda, Xiao YuAn’s ears suddenly heard the sound of a wooden stick being cut.

Xiao YuAn was so frightened that he abruptly sat up and saw Yan HeQing, which he didn’t know at that moment had come back. He was cutting some branches with his sword, Xiao YuAn didn’t know why he was doing that.

Wow, this splendid sword was being used to cut wooden sticks. Can’t you hear its cry?

No, I’m wrong, that’s not the point at all.

Xiao YuAn said: “You, you didn’t leave.”

Yan HeQing didn’t understand why Xiao YuAn thought so unjustly of him, he was simply too lazy to take care of others. He cut two wooden sticks, tore off a piece of his clothing, wrapped Xiao YuAn’s injured ankle, and then squatted down to carry Xiao YuAn up on his back.

Footnotes:

Footnotes

Dubhe is the second most brilliant star in the Ursa Major constellation, also known as the Great Bear. Merak forms part of the same constellation and is the fifth star. Phecda, phekda or phad is the sixth star from the same constellation.