Rebirth of a star general |LK|

160-161

160 – Departure

The body of Liu Buwang had just been brought back, and there hadn't been time to discuss the burial arrangements when someone came to inform Xiao Jungkook: the princess has sent people, and they have found Chai Anxi.

Xiao Jungkook, accompanied by Lin Taehyung, immediately rushed to the Royal Mansion.

When they arrived at the main hall of the Royal Mansion, Mu Hongjin was speaking with her subordinates. Upon seeing Xiao Jungkook and Lin Taehyung, she shook her head slightly and said, "He's not doing well."

As they entered the room, they saw a person lying on a bed. An arrow had pierced the center of his chest, and blood was continuously flowing out. A man who looked like a physician was pressing on the wound. Lin Taehyung asked the man to leave and sat beside the bed, feeling the pulse. He shook his head at Xiao Jungkook and said, "There's no saving him."

He was just a physician, and contending with death was a matter of luck. With injuries like these, there was no way to save him. Lin Taehyung took out a vial from his pocket, poured out a pill, and fed it to Chai Anxi.

Before long, the man on the bed struggled to open his eyes.

Lin Taehyung stood up, "Time is running out. If you have any questions, ask them quickly. We can only hang on by a thread." He patted Xiao Jungkook's shoulder and left.

Chai Anxi, in a daze, lifted his head. When he saw Xiao Jungkook's face, a faint light suddenly appeared in his dim eyes. He gasped for breath, "....Second Young Master?"

Xiao Jungkook stared at him indifferently.

"... Second Young Master," Chai Anxi was somewhat stimulated, but as soon as he spoke, he spat out a mouthful of blood. He asked, "Why are you here?"

"I came to find you." Xiao Jungkook sat down on a chair in front of the bed, his voice calm. "It's been five years. Now I can know what happened during the Battle of Mingshui."

Chai Anxi was stunned and remained silent for a while. In his youth, Xiao Jungkook often saw Chai Anxi. Chai Anxi was the deputy under Xiao Zhongwu and was not the best martial artist, but he was the most honest and loyal, like a black bear, with a physique similar to Shen Han. Occasionally, when Chai Anxi did errands at the mansion, he would see Xiao Jungkook and always greet him with a sincere smile, calling him "Second Young Master."

But the Chai Anxi lying on the bed now was completely different from the one in Xiao Jungkook's memory. Chai Anxi was about the same age as Xiao Zhongwu, and now he was in his prime, but he looked like an old man. His hair had turned white in large patches, and there was a burn mark on his face. His body seemed to have shrunk, either due to dehydration or some other reason, making him look extremely small, almost like an undeveloped child. The gaze he cast towards Xiao Jungkook no longer carried the affection of the past; instead, it was filled with regret, guilt, pain, or perhaps something else.

It was a complex gaze that sent shivers down one's spine.

He forced a bitter smile. "Second Young Master, in fact, you already know, don't you?"

Xiao Jungkook remained silent.

"The General was killed by someone, and that person... includes me."

Xiao Jungkook suddenly raised his head, and the fingers in his sleeve clenched into a fist.

"You also know," Chai Anxi said with difficulty, "The General was always dissatisfied with Xu Xiang's excessive power, but His Majesty has always trusted Xu Xiang. The General reminded His Majesty to be more vigilant against Xu Xiang's ambitions, but Xu Xiang had long harbored deep resentment towards the General."