The Villain Slaps The Protagonist’s Halo - Chapter 79

Chapter 79: The Protagonist Must Die

Jun Changyue stiffly took a step forward, lifting his gaze. He knew very well that the chances of salvation were slim.

"It's impossible! It's only been four days; how could it turn out like this?" Jun Changyue looked at the pleading eyes of the soldiers and staggered backward in panic, falling to the ground.

"Prince Jing, can you cure this?" Nie Jia coldly asked.

Jun Changyue never expected the epidemic to escalate so quickly. Even if he had a way to cure it, it was already too late. Within three days, everyone in the infirmary would perish!

Gasping for breath, he hurriedly knelt in front of Nie Jia. Tears, long suppressed, flowed uncontrollably. He cried, "This was not my intention. I truly didn't mean it, Brother. Believe me, if I knew the epidemic would be so severe, even if it cost me my life, I would never have brought the plague into the camp. I really didn't expect it to turn out like this... Brother, you know, even the deaths of cats and dogs would trouble me for a long time, let alone the lives of eight hundred people. It was an unintentional act..."

Jun Changyue was solely focused on self-preservation, completely disregarding the gravity of the situation.

Upon hearing his words, anyone, regardless of who, looked at Jun Changyue in shock and sorrow.

"Did you intentionally create this situation? Is it important?" Nie Jia kicked Jun Changyue away.

Ji Jiarong, unable to contain her anger, grabbed Jun Changyue, questioning sharply, "Did you bring the plague into the camp? Why? These people adore you. You are the younger brother of the king, and they are your subjects. Why would you harm them?"

"I didn't! I didn't do it on purpose!" Jun Changyue pushed Ji Jiarong away in an attempt to escape but received a resounding slap.

She glared at him with intense anger, biting her teeth. "If you weren't the king's brother, I would have killed you!"

No military officers stopped her from confronting him. If it weren't for the king's presence, they would have vented their anger on Prince Jing. He seemed to have lost his mind, bringing the plague from Danyang County into the camp at such a critical moment. It was either madness or treason! They were ready to kill him!

The soldiers, now with bloodshot eyes, realized it was not a natural disaster but a man-made calamity. The deaths they thought were accidental turned out to be intentional acts of Prince Jing. The revelation brought not only hatred but also a sense of betrayal among the seriously ill soldiers.

This was the Prince Jing they had revered so much.

"Did Prince Jing conspire with Zhao Wushang? What benefits did Zhao Wushang promise him to make him willingly sacrifice the lives of his own people?" General Yunhui roared in accusation.

Once accused of treason, Jun Changyue became anxious. He cried, "No! I've never met Zhao Wushang. I just wanted Brother to use the prescription in his hands to heal the right hand of the Left Vanguard. I never thought the epidemic would be so severe. I really didn't mean it."

"Prince Jing seems to have a close relationship with Du Yuxian. To save Du Yuxian's one hand, he is willing to trade the lives of more than eight hundred people." The Left General sneered, then coughed and spat out blood.

"What about Du Yuxian? How do we know if he instigated this?" Ji Jiarong asked.

The personal guard reported, "General, Du Yuxian has long been gone from the camp. His whereabouts are unknown."

General Yunhui's eyes darkened. "It seems he has fled to avoid punishment."

The entire army was furious, unable to accept such absurdity. A prince and a vanguard, both highly respected individuals, had committed such heinous acts for their selfish gains. They had harbored resentment against the king for having such people in their midst.

Nie Jia stood silently on the side, quietly enjoying the sight of Jun Changyue's breakdown. He knew Jun Changyue didn't intend harm; his motives were simple—to obtain the prescription in Nie Jia's possession and have Sikong Han wield his sword again. Jun Changyue hadn't thought about harming others. When he realized the epidemic was beyond his control, fear of death mixed with overwhelming shame and self-blame. The taste must be intoxicating.

"Men! Search for Du Yuxian and bring him back to the city!" Ji Jiarong commanded with determination.

"No need." Nie Jia lightly stopped the bodyguard who was about to go out to carry out orders, walking towards the huge water tank. With a indifferent tone, he said, "By now, Du Yuxian has already passed through the Qingyao Pass on the way to Zhuolu City. We can't catch up, so let it be."

The hearts of the generals tightened, and an ominous premonition instantly set in.

"Bring me a knife." Nie Jia looked at the water's surface and softly instructed.

A Xuanjia immediately handed over a delicate small hunting knife.

The others didn't know what he was going to do, nor did they understand the king's sudden display of a large water tank.

In the calm and curious gazes of the crowd, Nie Jia played with the small hunting knife, creating intricate patterns. The small knife spun around his fair wrist, then suddenly spurted out a bloodline. The wound was cut deep, and the blood gushed out, quickly dyeing the water in the tank red.

"King! What are you doing!" The generals and soldiers were startled, unable to stop him in time.

The Xuanjia were in despair, "Ah ah ah ah ah! Your Majesty!"

However, with the king's attitude clear, no one dared to condemn him. Quietly, one person secretly returned to inform Commander Tong about this major matter, leaving it to the commander to make the decision.

Nie Jia raised his hand to stop their clamor. His face was visibly pale, but he continued to bleed into the water. His body was the carrier of supernatural abilities, and at this point, Nie Jia hadn't expected that, even after keeping Jun Changyue until now, he would still have to resort to such a desperate measure to deal with the trouble of the epidemic.

In the silent moments, the king bled countless times into the water, turning the large tank red. When Nie Jia felt it was enough, his supernatural ability had been completely exhausted. He had no strength left in his body, and his vision blurred, almost unable to see the figures. He staggered backward, and just as the generals were about to rush to support him, a dark figure leaped out from the crowd.

"Changsheng!" Shi Chen, supporting Nie Jia's lower back from behind, lifted him horizontally. He hadn't expected this scene when he just blinked. No wonder the king didn't want him to follow!

Shi Chen regretted it, his brows furrowing. His breathing became heavy and labored.

Nie Jia, weakly leaning against Shi Chen's shoulder, said, "I'm fine, instruct them... one bowl each, and make them drink it."

Shi Chen instructed the Xuanjia with a glance and turned to Ji Jiarong, who had a pale face, saying, "Bring a military doctor."

After giving the order, he quickly carried Nie Jia back to the royal tent. It seemed like his robes were on fire; his steps were disorderly due to anxiety.

"I'm really fine. Just rest for the night, and I'll be fine." Nie Jia spoke almost inaudibly, lying on the bed and watching as Shi Chen earnestly and tenderly bandaged his wounds. He couldn't help but repeat his words.

Shi Chen didn't respond, and his breathing remained heavy. His silent treatment made Nie Jia uneasy.

"Although eight hundred people won't affect our military strength, whether we kill them or let them die, the existence of the plague will shake the military morale. We can't resist Zhao Wushang. I have no other choice." Nie Jia came up with what sounded like a reasonable excuse for himself, pitifully pulling Shi Chen's sleeve.

Shi Chen carefully bandaged his wound, only feeling relieved when he saw no blood seeping through.

With great effort, Nie Jia sat up and tried to climb onto Shi Chen's body, rubbing against his neck, saying, "Are you mad at me? You can't be mad at me."

Shi Chen sighed softly, holding his waist and embracing Nie Jia. As a small young man, he nestled perfectly on Shi Chen's lap.

"How could I bear to be mad at you?" Shi Chen cherished him immensely. Only when he spoke did Nie Jia hear the tremor in his breath. He said, "Did you hurt yourself like this before? I heard about the fierce battle of your Free Army on Clad Star. You rescued everyone who didn't die on the spot. Did you use this method to hurt yourself?"

As Nie Jia heard the latter part, his expression changed. Shocked, he lifted his head from Shi Chen's embrace, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Tell me, Nie Jia, promise me you won't use this method to save people in the future." Shi Chen held his face, affectionate and solemn. His eyes were filled with tiny tears, intense emotions impossible to ignore, as if the person in his eyes was his life.

"Do you... do you remember?" Nie Jia suddenly felt a bit at a loss.

At this moment, Ji Jiarong hurriedly entered with a military doctor. However, Shi Chen just glanced at her indifferently, "Leave."

Ji Jiarong, worried about the king's safety, didn't understand why Commander Tong had her bring the military doctor and then dismissed her. But when she saw the king shedding tears in the arms of Commander Tong, she dared not speak more and hurriedly left with the military doctor.

"You've had memories all along?" Nie Jia held onto Shi Chen's neck, sobbing or laughing.

"Earlier, no. Just now, I stimulated and broke some data for you. Maybe in the next round of reincarnation, I won't remember again. But remember, even in the semantic consciousness assimilated with world data, I love you immensely, always and forever." Shi Chen hugged Nie Jia tightly, sincere and serious, his tone filled with deep pain.

Before the world data, such embraces and warmth could only be retrieved from memories after the integration of world data. His heartache couldn't be clearly conveyed, and he was always worried about his mental state. Fortunately, his Nie Jia had been working hard.

After a moment of sharing their hearts, Nie Jia couldn't hold on any longer but refused to obediently fall asleep.

"If I wake up, will you be gone?" Nie Jia grasped Shi Chen's little finger and asked.

Shi Chen's eyes softened, "At least for this lifetime, I will be with you. Don't worry, sleep obediently, and I'll take care of you if you listen."

Saying that, he covered Nie Jia's eyes with his palm. Nie Jia obediently closed his eyes, and even when Shi Chen removed his hand, he didn't open his eyes again. Shi Chen quietly accompanied him until he heard Nie Jia's breathing steady and elongate before quietly withdrawing his little finger. He reached for a fan nearby and gently fanned Nie Jia.

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