Rebirth of the Ninth Princess

Almost simultaneously, the four shadow guards appeared and positioning themselves to protect him.

"Heh."

A familiar chuckle broke the tense silence.

Ouyang Qingcheng's heart skipped a beat, and his vigilance heightened immediately.

The voice sounded eerily like his own!

However, when he saw the man who stepped out, he was even more shocked.

The stranger looked so much like him—it was as if they had been cast from the same mold!

"Who are you? Breaking into the imperial palace at night—what is your purpose?" Ouyang Qingcheng studied the man in the blue robe, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity with him.

Cailun was also just as shocked as him and nearly lost his footing.

Two of His Majesty?

The man who had appeared shared the same deep black eyes and long, flowing hair as Ouyang Qingcheng.

His blue robe fluttered lightly, exuding an aura of elegance and detachment.

The hands that were clasped behind his back and his face that was bore a devilish smile, it same very similar with Ouyang Qingcheng before he meet Yuanjiu.

Had Cailun not spent nearly every moment with Ouyang Qingcheng, he might have mistaken this man for the true emperor.

The few differences lay in the stranger's attire, his lack of the silver spatial ring Ouyang Qingcheng always wore, and one critical distinction: no matter his expression, Ouyang Qingcheng always emanated a natural aura of regality.

By contrast, this man, though noble in demeanor, carried a playful air, as if nothing truly mattered to him.

"Me? Of course, I am you. Since your name is Qingcheng, so you can call me Cheng," the man replied.

Ouyang Qingcheng scoffed. "You're so bold to risk your life just to play games with me."

However, his guard remained up; the familiarity this man evoked was unsettling, and he was certain they had never met before.

The stranger called Cheng, lowered his gaze with a look of disappointment. "You don't believe that I'm you?"

Ouyang Qingcheng found Cheng's words nonsensical and his patience waning.

With a wave of his hand, he ordered, "Take him down."

As he spoke, Ouyang Qingcheng moved to stand protectively by the soft couch where Yuanjiu lay, watching as the four shadow guards engaged the enigmatic intruder.

However, the more Ouyang Qingcheng observed, the more alarmed he became.

This person's magical elemental power was identical to his own, and every move and technique mirrored his precisely!

"Ah, I've already told you—I am you. Why won't you believe me?" Cheng said in a leisurely tone while continuing to fend off the four shadow guards. "All of this comes naturally to my mind. Whenever you learn a new skill, the same knowledge appears in my mind. Similarly, when I gain a new ability, that information shows up in yours. Am I right?"

As he spoke, Cheng revealed shocking truths that Ouyang Qingcheng could not deny.

Ouyang Qingcheng clenched his fists, feeling a wave of disbelief washed over him.

It was true—what Cheng said matched his experience.

From the first time he'd felt an inexplicable, heart-pounding sensation, new abilities had occasionally appeared within him without reason.

He'd told no one about this and silently searching for answers but no avail.

Now it seemed that this "condition" was closely tied to the person before him.

Narrowing his eyes dangerously, Ouyang Qingcheng resolved to extract the truth, by force if necessary.

"Stop. Stand down," he commanded.

The shadow guards immediately obeyed the order and vanished into the darkness without question.

Cheng playfully adjusted his pristine robes while looking at Ouyang Qingcheng with a grin of amusement.

"You're not worried I might harm you now that they're gone?"

Ouyang Qingcheng stood with his hands behind his back, his sharp gaze fixed on Cheng. "You hold no hostility toward me. Besides, I am confident that even if I cannot defeat you, I can fight you to a standstill—or, at worst, ensure we perish together."

Cailun who is listening nearby, felt his heart race wildly.

Your Majesty, please, don't joke like that!

Cheng raised his eyebrows, surprised. "Perish together?"

"It's better to shatter as jade than remain intact as clay," Ouyang Qingcheng said calmly. "I will not give you the chance to humiliate me."

His words were both a declaration and a warning.

"And what about her?" Cheng gestured toward Yuanjiu's sleeping form.

Ouyang Qingcheng sneered, stepping between Cheng and Yuanjiu to block his view. His smile carried a cold edge. "Wherever I am, she is."

Cheng arched a brow but said nothing, instead casually choosing a seat for himself.

Ouyang Qingcheng lifted his robes and sat at the edge of Yuanjiu's couch, lowering a soundproof barrier to prevent their conversation from disturbing her slumber.

"Explain," he demanded.

After all, he had never heard of his royal mother giving birth to twins.

Cheng craned his neck, trying to steal another glance at Yuanjiu. "Our daughter is quite beautiful, isn't she?"

A vein throbbed on Ouyang Qingcheng's forehead.

"Shut up and speak properly."

Cheng shrugged. "I don't know exactly how it works, but I am you. And yet, you are not me."

Ouyang Qingcheng frowned. "You're playing word games with me now?"

Cheng chuckled. "If I wanted to play games, I wouldn't pick someone as dull as you."

A wave of frost emanated from Ouyang Qingcheng, prompting Cheng to drop his teasing tone. "Alright, alright. What I mean is, I'm actually a part of you. From the moment I became conscious, I've known that someone in this world is intrinsically connected to my life force. I know everything that happens to you—when you learned to walk, when you spoke your first words, and when—"

"Get to the point."

"Ahem. My point is, that whenever one of us is injured, the other feels it too, though the damage is reduced by half. Six years ago, remember that time your chest pain was particularly severe? That was the worst injury I've ever had. I was—"

"The point!" Ouyang Qingcheng barked, finding Cheng's demeanor thoroughly exasperating.

Cheng glanced at him and sighed, "You're truly boring. Meeting someone who looks exactly like you—shouldn't you at least show a little excitement or curiosity?"