I'm a villain, not a devil

The cries of the people echoed in the imperial capital; they had suffered a great disaster.

Now, the disaster is finally over, leaving them with ruins, corpses and endless grief.

The survivors gathered together and cried for the emperor who sacrificed himself to save his country and his people. This time, there was no need for the black nematodes that parasitized their bodies. Everyone was more or less sad.

It was in such intense grief and reluctance that the statue of the founding father actually began to move.

Its surface was peeling off, and the stone and steel were gradually turning into flesh and blood in the process of falling.

The people collapsed on the ground, their emotions driven by Covens, crying and praying towards the place where Bai Wujiu disappeared. No one noticed that the statue kneeling on the ground had undergone a strange change.

The body of the evil god retreated, but Bai Youming's brows were still furrowed, and he turned his head away when the statue of the founding father moved unusually.

Something is reviving!

Without any hesitation, Bai Youming flew straight towards the statue of the founding father. As a prince of the empire, he wanted to stop all this.

However, someone stopped him.

He was an old and decayed man, almost skin and bones, but Bai Youming still recognized him at the first sight.

The prince's pupils trembled: "Royal brother..."

The person who came was Bai Wujiu again.

Bai Wujiu grabbed Bai Youming's hand and said, "Youming, this is my rebirth... and it will also be the rebirth of the empire."

The fanaticism on the emperor's brother's face was something Bai Youming had never seen before, but that face also carried countless things that were familiar to him.

Bai Youming clenched his fists and said in a deep voice: "Brother, you have been bewitched by the evil god. The thing that is about to revive will be a disaster for our entire empire!"

After saying that, he was about to break away from Bai Wujiu and stop the statue of the founding father from changing.

However, Bai Wujiu held him tightly.

There was still something about the imaginary face that was so old, and the pleading in his eyes that was so sad.

"I have a command! I have a command! You listen to me... No, you listen to me, listen to what your eldest brother has to say, okay?!"

"Royal brother, a king never does meaningless things. You taught me this—" Bai Youming's eyes were cold. "Has the crown prince Bai Wujiu, who used to look down on the world, now fallen to the point of using ethical feelings to delay the time of his own brother?"

Bai Wujiu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly started shouting again: "Ridiculous! Ridiculous!"

He pointed at Bai Youming with a finger that looked like a dead tree, and shouted tremblingly and bitterly: "How much have I paid for this empire? Do you understand? You don't understand! And you don't understand what is hidden under the entire empire! You are the free and easy prince who does not have to bear any responsibility, but I have to protect the empire, protect you, and protect my own life since I took the throne!"

He rolled up his sleeves all of a sudden, and the exposed arms made Bai Youming's breathing pause.

The withered skin looked like transparent dried snake skin, with branches and fruits tied on it. The sleeves were torn, and the end of the fruits and branches was actually Bai Wujiu's heart.

"Every time, every time..." Bai Wujiu trembled, his eyes were red, "Every time I breathe, this thing will take away a bit of my life. Do you remember when we were playing together as kids and entered the palace laboratory? We accidentally knocked over the jar of biting flies, and we were bitten all over. It almost took our lives, and the excruciating pain made us lie down for several months."

"And the pain I have to endure every time I breathe is ten or a hundred times stronger than that!"

Bai Youming's pupils flickered. How could he not remember that accident? He awakened his supernatural power too late and was weak. It was his brother who blocked most of the bites for him. Otherwise, he would have died more than ten years ago.

Although he was bitten and unconscious, the emperor kept comforting himself: "It's okay, you're alive, don't be afraid, you're alive, the emperor is here."

How could I forget...

Bai Wujiu grabbed his sleeve, tears streaming down his face: "You are the same as when you were young... but look at me, what am I like now? I have been living like this since I ascended the throne!"

His throat was shaking violently: "I finally got the opportunity now, and I finally got rid of all this - can't you help me again? I have a life..."

Bai Youming was trembling. He could easily break free, but he had no strength to do so.

He closed his eyes and finally pulled his arm out forcefully.

When he opened his eyes again, Bai Youming's eyes had become extremely cold.

"Royal brother... should I call you Royal brother now, or should I call you the Skinning Messenger?"

Bai Wujiu stood there in a daze.

Bai Youming pointed at the weeping people and the flying royal mausoleum and said, "It was such a good show... but have you ever thought about it? How many of the foundation of this empire, its people, its soldiers... died?"

"Does it hurt that these territories you conquered have become what they are now?"

"My biological brother, Bai Youming, is not that kind of person—" Bai Youming's eyes became increasingly cold, "Otherwise, I would not have given up the throne to him and would not have assisted him with all my strength. Brother, you disappoint me so much..."

Bai Wujiu stood where he was, watching Bai Youming fly towards the statue of the founding father. He stretched out his hand to grab it, but still caught nothing.

"Disappointed?" He smiled nervously.

Countless voices sounded in my mind.

"Bai Youming is Deep Blue, this is a better body!"

"They all want to harm us, but we are the only ones who truly and sincerely want to do good for ourselves - if we don't do good for ourselves, who can we do good for?"

"You are the one who bears everything, they don't understand at all!"

There were so many voices ringing, but Bai Wujiu suddenly saw that afternoon many years ago.

-

"Royal brother, after this battle is over, my father will pass the throne to you when we return." Bai Youming said drunkenly while drinking.

Bai Wujiu took a sip, looked at his drunken brother, and suddenly asked, "If I let you sit on the throne, would you be willing?"

Bai Youming burped and said dissatisfiedly, "How can you be unhappy to be the emperor? If you were not more suitable than me, I would have taken the throne long ago. My father is too old and often sits in a daze. Tsk, it's boring."

Bai Wujiu laughed, then picked up the wine pot and said leisurely, "How long has it been since we last saw our mother?"

Although he didn't know why his brother suddenly changed the subject, Bai Youming still recalled: "It's been about ten years, right? Mother... Well, I can't say anything about her and father, but why doesn't she want to see our two sons?"

Bai Wujiu nodded: "So I went to see my mother yesterday."

Bai Youming turned over and asked in surprise, "Did the Queen Mother let you see her?"

Bai Wujiu shook his head: "No, I met him secretly, I wanted to say something, ask something——"

As he spoke, his voice became cold again.

"But, that's not our mother anymore."