Chapter 59

59 BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH

A nice bath would always feel nice, especially after spending hours inside the pavilion filled with dirt and dust. The pavilion was very dry, and even with the windows open, one would still sweat after spending a lot of time inside the pavilion.

Bai Chen did have a nice bath before he returned to the Jing Pavilion. It was a shame because there was no hot spring in his palace, but bathing in a traditional bath was still good when he was very tired from his day’s activities.

It was not like he was doing a lot of physical activity today. No, he only needed to walk to the Rongyao Imperial Palace to get the keys from the Crown Prince, and the location of the imperial palace wasn’t too far from his humble palace.

Moreover, he enjoyed the moment when he could see the outside world after he transmigrated to this world, and he didn’t feel tired because of it.

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Bai Chen was more tired because of the roller coaster information he got today. Rather than physically, he was mentally exhausted now.

Bringing his feet to the bed and sitting on the edge of the bed, he carefully recalled what had happened to him today. His mental endurance test started when he met the Crown Prince. The older man was his older brother, but the man treated him as if he was the dirtiest person on Earth.

He didn’t know the reason behind the treatment, but then he found the answer when he read a book about the current Emperor’s story. He knew the relationship between him, the Emperor, and the Crown Prince, and now he could understand why the two men had treated him so badly.

Remembering all that only made him dizzy. Even if he wasn’t the real Bai Chen in this world, he still felt uneasy in his heart after learning the truth. It felt like he was the one who had experienced it all in the first place, and he felt a pain in his heart.

He didn’t know why he felt that way, but he ended up sighing because he felt bad for himself and the real Bai Chen in this world.

.....

“Should I tell you that sighing like that can reduce your points too?”

The brown-haired Prince flinched when he heard the question. He was alone inside Jing Pavilion now, and he knew that not just anyone could ask that question when he saw no one in the pavilion.

Turning his gaze to find the figure who had just questioned him, Bai Chen still didn’t find anyone in the room. “It’s you, right, Bai Lang? Where are you?” He asked as he continued glancing around.

“I’m up here. Can’t you see me?”

Another question from Bai Lang, and Bai Chen finally looked up at the ceiling. He widened his blue eyes in surprise when he saw Bai Lang’s small feet looked like they were glued to the ceiling, and its head tilted downwards. It felt like the little wolf was doing a circus or something, but Bai Chen breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the wolf’s figure.

“Can you talk to me normally? I want to ask you a few questions,” Bai Chen had to look up to talk to the little wolf, and it was uncomfortable for his neck.

Fortunately, Bai Lang was willing to cooperate with him as it immediately flew towards the chair before sitting down on the chair. Just like the little wolf who always acted so mighty in front of him, the wolf crossed its short legs before crossing the fat arms in front of its chest.

“I know you have some questions for me, and that’s why I decided to visit you tonight.”

Bai Chen was not surprised by Bai Lang’s statement. Bai Lang was the one who gave him a second chance to live, and the white wolf also knew everything in this new world. Perhaps the wolf also knew that he was disturbed by something tonight.

Staring at the little wolf sitting on the chair in front of him, Bai Chen asked, “First, I’m curious about what you just said to me. Is it true that you’re going to deduct my points when I sigh?”

“...” Bai Lang seemed speechless when it heard the question.

Bai Chen was serious when he said the question, but to Bai Lang’s ears, it sounded like a joke.

“You are ridiculous,” commented the little wolf. “I was just teasing you earlier, but you stupidly believed my words.”

Bai Lang mocked him, but Bai Chen had to admit that sometimes he could be too innocent to the point he would look dumb.

“I thought the real Bai Chen in this world never sighed, and that’s why I was worried if you gave me an OOC warning every time I sighed,” he defended himself.

Bai Chen’s tone sounded normal as he answered Bai Lang’s mockery, and the white wolf chuckled as it replied, “I can see that you are more careful with your life in this world now that you are trying to be the same as the real Bai Chen.”

The Werewolf Prince looked at the little wolf strangely. Of course, it was mandatory for him to act as if he was the real Bai Chen of this world. He no longer had the freedom to be himself when he was in this world, and all he could do was continue to act as the real Bai Chen in this world.

It felt like the real Bai Chen in this world was a mold, and if he wanted to be safe while he lived in this world, then he had to adjust his form so that he could hide within the mold.

“Then, I will move on to my next question,” Bai Chen chose to ignore the tease and brought up a different topic. “I’m sure you know about how I read a book in Wenxue Pavilion today, and I found out the truth about Bai Chen from the book. Bai Chen is only the son of a concubine, and even the Emperor is not happy with his existence in this world. How can I become an Emperor in this empire when I don’t even have the power here?”

The first time he heard about the mission from Bai Lang that asked him to become the Emperor of Dong Lang, he thought that the mission was very cool, and maybe he could complete the mission easily because he was the Prince of the empire.

He was indeed a Prince in the empire, but everyone in the empire hated him because he was just the Emperor’s unwanted son, and he had no backers in the imperial court.

He had no supporters because all the officials in the palace chose to stand behind his half-brother, and that was normal because the man with the title of Crown Prince was the Emperor’s legitimate son. Not only that, but that man was also the Emperor’s first son.

Without a doubt, the Crown Prince was the one who should be the next Emperor of the Dong Lang Empire, and Bai Chen would gain nothing. He also didn’t want to snatch anything from the Crown Prince’s hands as he had no right to do that.

“That’s what you think?” Bai Lang asked back instead of answering Bai Chen’s question, and even the voice that came out of its mouth sounded relaxed. “If you think like that, then what? Do you want to give up?”

Bai Chen was dumbfounded after hearing Bai Lang’s question. Giving up the mission meant he would have to give up on his life as well, and his heart skipped a beat as he thought that he might die if he chose to give up now.

It seemed death was so close to him now, and Bai Chen’s face turned even paler as he imagined how his life would end a second time. He didn’t want to die, but he didn’t want to live in hardship either. Someone would call him a coward, and he was indeed a chicken in this situation.

“You can always leave the mission even if you have agreed to take the mission from me, Bai Chen,” Bai Lang spoke again when the young man gave him no response. “I gave you the freedom to change your mind at any time, but you still remember the consequences if you fail the mission, right? Canceling the mission will give you the same result.”

Failing the main mission would lead to his death, and canceling the mission would do the same for him. Bai Chen knew about that, and that was why he remained silent even after Bai Lang spoke again.

“It won’t be easy for you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it,” Bai Lang suddenly encouraged the young man. “If you cancel the mission now, then it’s like you plant a seed and it just sprouts, then suddenly you step on it to death. Now, tell me your decision.”