I put out his fire

Rhodes rushed to Mars' house almost non-stop.

When the door was pushed open, the strong smell of medicinal herbs overflowed from the crack of the door like a mud flow, the broken hair on Rhodes forehead was blown by the wind, and the hands in black gloves hung in mid-air, hesitating for a moment before pushing the door And enter.

There are dense white candles in the room, and when the door is opened, the candle saplings ripple past.The slaves walked softly with medicine bowls in their hands, and regretful expressions appeared on their faces when they saw Rhodes.

"Where's your master?" Rhodes asked in a low voice.

The hand of the slave holding the bowl froze, and he said solemnly: "The master's condition is very bad. The doctor said that it's time to buy him a coffin for cremation and the coins in his mouth."

The corners of Rhodes' eyes twitched faintly.

The slave pointed to the back room and said, "He is waiting for you on the couch, and he said he wants to tell you something."

Rhodes nodded and walked sideways into the bedroom.His footsteps became heavier and heavier, and finally stopped in front of the bed.The bitter smell of medicine came from the bed curtain.

Under the messy and damp thin quilt, a flat bag bulged, and above it was a pale face that was too thin to be human.

This is Mars on his deathbed.He was terminally ill with sunken cheeks and sun-dried lips.His breathing was feeble, his chest barely heaving.Curled up in the quilt, he was as thin as a mummy that had been drained of flesh and blood.

Rhodes' breathing paused for a moment.

Mars opened his eyelids a thin slit, and a light, dark green light shone through the slits.When he saw Rhodes close in front of him, his pupils flickered like a meteor, and then fell into a long-term daze.

After a moment his dry lips moved, "Sit beside me, my child..."

Rhodes sat on the edge of the bed silently.Mars fumbled under the pillow for a while with his skinny hands, and squeezed out a piece of neatly folded parchment.

"I made a will, and after my death, all the houses and houses will be donated to you..." The corners of his lips, which were dry and chapped due to serious illness, pulled and smiled.

Rhodes looked at him fixedly, and did not take the will, "I don't want you to leave, Mars." He said heavily.

Mars smiled in relief, his blue eyes slightly bent, "I am very happy now, I will die under the watchful eyes of a pair of black eyes, all the illnesses and sufferings I have suffered will be washed away by the river Styx, and the family property that I have maintained for life will soon be surnamed. Do Fahn..."

Rhodes paused, and said softly: "But I can't publicly engrave this surname at the foot of the house."

Mars frowned with sweat, "The grievances of the previous generation have nothing to do with you...that's a crime you shouldn't bear."

Rhodes glanced at his frail eyebrows, and the deep black eyelashes gradually sank, "You don't need to comfort me anymore, Mars. My family was destroyed by Caligula, and the only surviving Thales is not so much his. A personal guard, rather, he is a forbidden scorpion in his hands. And I am the orphan of this tragic family..."

Mars shuddered, his dark green eyes revealing a hint of suppressed pain.The faint candlelight shone in from the scattered temple hair, his face was blurred by the messy light and shadow.

"What else do you know?" His tone was tense.

Rhodes replied calmly: "I also know that he has a sister."

Mars shuddered.He pursed his lips tightly, his chin and cheeks trembled, as if they were filled with secrets that were about to flow out.

Rhodes picked up the handkerchief beside the bed and wiped the cold sweat on his forehead, "I am Domitius' personal guard, and he has sent someone to investigate my identity and family background."

His fingers holding the handkerchief trembled slightly, but then he was restrained by his natural calmness: "That means I will know everything sooner or later."

Mars examined his expression and gradually became dazed.He stared at Rhodes with a complicated expression for a long time, and finally, as if resigned, he covered his eyes with the back of his hand, and his wrinkled sleeves covered his too skinny face.

"It seems... that when I was dying, I wanted to tell you the secret I kept hidden all my life..." His dull voice came from under the fabric, not very smooth, like slowly soaking oil.

Rhodes moved his hand covering his eyes.Those deep black eyes just pierced into Mars's feeble vision.

"You can choose not to say it," Rhodes said.

"No... No one is more suitable than me to tell you this..." Mars swayed like a heavily wounded person, trying to prop up his body, "Especially your young adult who can't control his emotions." the master of..."

The image of Nero floated in front of Rhodes' eyes, and his face darkened a little.

Mars leaned against the head of the bed, breathing weakly, and suddenly held Rhode's hand.

"Listen... Thales is not your father..." His dry lips rubbed against each other, "...he is actually your uncle."

This sentence drifted outside the ear, rather it was more like an auditory hallucination.Rhodes was confused at first, but when he realized the meaning of this sentence, his vision suddenly swayed.At this moment, because of the excessive shock, he seemed to be out of his body, and he felt numb like ice from his fingertips to the back of his head.

He was silent for a long time, so long that he seemed to be regaining the ability to speak.

"...Why did he lie to me?" He asked in a low voice.

"To protect his sister...that is, your mother..." Mars breathed hard.He looked at Rhode's weak face, and moved his skinny hand up his arm, finally resting on his shoulder stiffened by horror, which had some comforting meaning.

"I never wanted to tell you, but now I have to say..." Mars's seriously ill face showed worry, "She was supposed to be a chaste maiden all her life..."

Rhodes' thoughts seemed to be traveling thousands of miles, and he stumbled to think of Nero's oracle.

It turned out that he was the "son of the virgin" who would give Nero everything and lose everything.

At the moment when he figured it out, Rhode's heart palpitated like an electric shock, and all the scenes in front of him shook like foam on the water.He tightly pursed his lips that had lost a lot of blood, and now he was not so much shocked as he suddenly realized.

Mars was declining at a rapid rate; it seemed that what little vitality he had left was spent desperately on speaking the secret that he had kept for a lifetime.

The sweat on his face gathered more and more, his face gradually turned from pale to purple, and his whole body was twitching slightly.

He reached out and tremblingly touched Rhodes' hair, "Can I take a strand of black hair..." he begged weakly.

Rhode's expression was still calm, but a cool sweat had already oozed from his forehead.He took out a small knife from the bed cabinet, grabbed a strand of hair on the sideburns, and cut off half of it with a bang.

Mars was about to die, and Rhode's black hair and black pupils were blurred in his misty vision.

Rhodes spread his sweaty palms and stuffed the locks of hair into his hands.

Mars pressed the lock of hair close to his cheek, rubbing it reluctantly for a few times.When he touched the black hair, the slightly piercing pain made his eyes turn red all of a sudden.He couldn't help sobbing, but slowly raised the corners of his chapped lips contradictoryly, and raised a smile that could be called healing.

"Thank you... Rhodes..." Mars said warmly, "He has never been so close to me..."

As soon as the words fell, he swallowed his breath completely.

Slaves scrubbed the body of their dead master and anointed him with embalming spices.They wiped the coffin that had been prepared before, and placed flowers and incense inside; the slave girl put makeup on Mars, put a coin in his mouth, and removed the gold jewelry that was wrapped between his fingers.By law, gold cannot be used as a funeral object.

Rhodes didn't walk out of the eaves of the house until the encoffining was over.

It was night now, and a round of dazzling bright moon was nailed into the night like a steel nail.The black shadow of the eaves was like a veil, covering his forehead and eyes; while his red lips and resolute chin were just exposed to the cold white moonlight.

A house slave came out from the corner and covered him with thick animal skins.Rhodes has become his new owner.

Rhodes stood where he was, with no expression on his face.The cold wind blows towards his face, slowly seeps in through the gaps in the fabric, clings to his skin like frost, squeezes into his pores, and freezes to his heart bit by bit.

A heavy sense of fate struck from all directions.This ominous premonition is too strong, almost destroying Rhodes.

The moonlight paints everything in Rome like white paint, and the autumn wind has the unique clear wood smell of trees.

At this moment, Rhodes bathed in the bright and soft moonlight of the world, while deeply feeling that fate is a sinister and vicious thing.

"It's time for you to rest." The servant reminded kindly, "There will be a funeral tomorrow."

Rhodes withdrew his gaze, "Will there be many guests at the funeral?"

"That's not true." The house slave shook his head and said, "Master was not sociable and had few friends during his lifetime."

Rhodes nodded.He thought silently for a while, and said to his servant: "Go and send a message to Lord Domitius, telling him that I have inherited all the family property, and I must stay here to guard the spirit of Mars out of obligation."

The house slave asked, "How long are you going to stay here?"

"According to the funeral rules, one month." Rhodes said in a muffled voice.

……

Mars' funeral was not extravagant.

In the early morning of the next day, the slaves splashed water and plant ash in the courtyard, and cleaned the crab-shell-colored bluestone slabs. Several female slaves were clattering on the spinning loom, weaving the coffin for the funeral.The funeral directors in black mourning smeared their faces with white oil and sat on the stone steps, crying loudly.

The gate was actually more deserted than expected.

Less than ten people who came to the funeral were all knights or commanders of the same level as Mars.They spread the grease they brought on the coffin, and cleaned the dust on the columns with brooms made of yew branches and leaves, and some of the female relatives who followed politely shed tears and howled a few times.

Rhodes walked over the clean bluestone slab, took a handful of hazelnuts from the slave, and sprinkled them on the oiled coffin lid.

This peaceful scene happened to be captured by Menxi who came to express his condolences.

He saw a face resembling a rival in love, his feet slipped involuntarily, and he stumbled when he tripped over the threshold.

Rhodes noticed the movement and glanced at the door.

Munch was as stiff as if a layer of cement had been poured all over his body.His ears were buzzing like the wind, and his face was flushed red with fright, his face was so red that the redness would almost burst his skin at once.

It is not in accordance with the custom of a funeral for a noble person to come to the funeral of a knight.Rhodes patted off the hazelnut residue left on his hands, and walked towards him step by step.

His black hair and black eyes were like a curse that had been sealed for a long time but had been revived, directly hitting the depths of Menxi's soul.

Meng Xi's face was horrified, and his face was quite distorted.He was in a daze, constantly reminding himself of the fact that Thales had been crucified, like a believer who was crazily chanting the holy name of the god when he was in danger.

Rhodes quickly walked up to him and said flatly, "As a distinguished guest, you can ring the bell to summon us..."

When Meng Xi heard him speak, his hair stood on his head, and he felt confused as if time went backwards.For a moment he thought he was in hell.

"You...you..." Mengxi twitched her lips, her eyebrows fluttered up and down on her face like broken threads.

Rhodes raised his eyes slightly, and there was a sense of scrutiny in his calm eyes.

"You... who are you..." Menxi asked inarticulately, "What's your last name..."

Rhodes became vigilant, "I am Domitius' personal guard." He answered this question evasively.

"Oh...damn..." Menxi said confusedly, his lips that were purple due to old age trembled, "Another bodyguard...damn..."

Rhodes turned serious as if he was facing an enemy.He looked at the terrified Menxi, those eyes, which could be called beautiful, with clear black and white, released a swaying glimmer of light at this moment.

Menxi's scalp was numb from the familiar black eyes staring at him.

He backed away again and again, with cold sweat constantly breaking out on his forehead, looking a little nervous.His trembling eyes glanced at Rhodes twice, and then he jumped into the carriage as if he had seen a ghost.

Rhodes looked at the carriage going away, his lips were tightly closed, and his expression was a little alert.

……

When Munch returned home in a carriage, his hands and feet shook uncontrollably like a person suffering from geriatric diseases.

He got out of the carriage with a grim face, stumbled to the edge of the patio, and washed his face twice with well water with fallen leaves.

At this moment, Anthony emerged from the darkness under the eaves like a slimy eel.

He saunters over to his brother in his custom-made, feminine, curled robe.

"You're about to mess up your five senses, my brother," he said grimly.

Munch, who was washing his face, caught a glimpse of him through his fingers, and the anger that had been suppressed for a long time burst out.

"Damn it, stay away from me!" he cursed angrily, "You bastard!"

Anthony was forced to take a step back by his posture, and said angrily, "You can't scold me like that!"

Mengxi wiped the water from his face carelessly with his sleeve, as if bewitched, cursing and buzzing like a buzzer:

"You bastards! You use a nondescript face to seduce others, and when others are confused, you put on a dismissive and noble face! You are the bedbugs and poisonous scorpions in the dry river, and the sewers The maggots in it! I curse that your faces will be cut into mud, your limbs will be dismantled alive, and your corpses will be chopped up and mixed with feces and urine to flow into the sewer..."

Cursing and cursing, he was about to sob, and a whistle-like sharp sound came out of his throat that was constricting quickly.

Anthony got serious, walked over slowly with his overlong robe, and put his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Who messed with you? My brother." He asked with concern, "You have never been so devoid of aristocratic etiquette as you are now. This is really unprecedented."

Munch was still gasping for breath, wet blond hair pressed tightly against his flushed forehead.His face was so flushed that it almost swallowed the locks of dull blond hair.

The silver-haired slave at the side brought towels and olive oil, and wiped and oiled his face intimately.His eyeballs turned around cleverly, and he got into the owner's arms like a kitten, looking very cute.

Anthony let out a thin sound from his nostrils.

Munch put his arms around his slave and slowly returned to normal.

"I met the person mentioned by the virgin Julia today..." he said viciously, "it's Nero's personal guard..."

Anthony thought about it for a while before he could remember it with difficulty.He blinked and asked doubtfully, "Does he really look like Thales?"

"Like! And it's very similar! Same black hair and black eyes, same annoying cold face, even the same height... It's almost as similar as wearing Thales' skin!"

Menxi was still in shock, "When he walked towards me, I thought it was the ghost of Thales, who was coming to seek revenge on me..."

Anthony sneered and said, "Caligula and Nero, uncle and nephew, really have surprisingly similar tastes."

Munch patted the slave on the back.His silver-haired slave understood, kissed his sideburns, and left wisely.

He lowered his voice and said, "I followed Julia's reminder and sent someone to check the child's whereabouts again..."

Anthony raised his eyebrows, "Is it still nothing?"

"It's different this time." Menche narrowed his eyes. "Although there are still few clues, at least I know that he hid in the army after Thales died."

"So it's in the army?!" Anthony was surprised, "Why are there no clues until now?"

Meng Xi squeezed his eyes into a slit, and a sinister light shone from them, "Because the person who hindered me from finding the truth is dead..."

Anthony puzzled: "Who is it?"

"Mars." Munch said grimly.

Anthony took a breath, stared and said, "He's been your subordinate for more than ten years..."

Menche stood up slowly and tore off the yew branches and leaves worn for the funeral from the skirt.The Romans believed that the leaves of this plant could ward off evil spirits during unclean funerals.

"I really didn't expect...he who has always been loyal to me would tamper with this matter." Men Xi threw the branches and leaves on the ground and crushed them vigorously with the soles of his shoes, "If it wasn't because he was seriously ill and retired, I would have been so far. They will still be kept in the dark!"

Anthony paced back and forth, "Risking the risk of being fed to lions to protect that child...why would he do that?"

"He must have been seduced by Thales too." Menci's face was darkened, "He and Thales used to be comrades-in-arms, and they lived in the same tent..."

Anthony sneered: "Now that he is dying of illness, the child who was favored by him may come to his funeral..."

"Of course!" Munch stared, "If it wasn't for this, I wouldn't condescend to attend the funeral of a lowly knight!"

Thinking about it, he trembled again, and Thales' handsome face kept appearing in front of his eyes, like a gangrene.When he thought of Thales, he felt uncomfortable, as if there were worms crawling in his blood vessels.

He took a few deep breaths, his face pale, "I can assure you, that personal guard must be Thales' nephew..."

"Oh!" Anthony shook his head, "Just because he looks like Thales? This reason is even more absurd than Parsipaai wearing a cow's hide and mating with a bull!"

"It's not absurd, the child's biological mother is Thales' twin sister." Menxi said firmly, "In order to cover up his sister's crimes, Thales has always described his nephew as his own son to deceive others. "

Anthony pondered and said, "Maybe it's just a coincidence..."

Suddenly Munch became manic and shouted, "My God! I swear! I swear on my soul!"

Anthony was taken aback by his amplified voice.

The blue veins on Menxi's forehead protruded, and he almost gritted his teeth and said:

"I hate Thales! Even if he is crucified, it is not enough to relieve hatred! I hate him for having a love that I can't match, I hate him for avoiding my beloved Caligula like garbage, I hate him for being handsome and responsible, I hate him. I hate him for living a willful and unrestrained life! He is a thorn nailed into my soul, and I curse him with all my soul and flesh and blood! No matter what trough I experience in life and how desperate I am, I can hold on Survive the hatred for him! The meaning of my life is to hate him, and if I don’t hate Thales, I’m a walking dead..."

Anthony sighed: "You have driven yourself mad, my poor brother!"

Menci recalled Rhodes' face and said angrily: "When that young man approached me, my blood was rolling, just like the feeling that Thales brought me! This is what I have lived on for more than ten years. Your hatred told me, absolutely not wrong! You know, some things are exuded from the flesh and blood, and can never be removed."

Anthony smiled, "Well, if what you think is right, then that personal guard is the evil seed secretly born by the virgin Diane. Oh! Maybe even he himself doesn't know the life experience of this satirical god..."

Menxi trembled all over, sweating profusely as if waking up from a nightmare, and walked towards the door in a panic.He was in a daze, his legs and arms were swinging uncoordinatedly, like a broken machine.

Anthony quickly grabbed his arm, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to the Senate to reveal the identity of that bodyguard!" Menhi said quickly.

"You really lost your mind! Brother." Anthony frowned, "Dianne was in charge of you back then. Because of her violation of the precepts, you even lost the position of the high priest. Now bring this matter up to settle the old score, Do you still want to be punished a second time?!"

"Of course I won't be that stupid! What I want to expose is his identity as the son of Thales." Menxi said sternly, "The son of the kingslayer, oh...just with this life experience used to conceal people's ears, it is already Enough to make him criticize everyone!"

"Okay..." Anthony raised his eyebrows, "But are you sure you won't mistake someone?"

"I can't see it wrong." There was an abnormal and excited light in Munch's eyes, "I am the person who hates Thales the most in this world. Because of this, I can perceive it better than anyone else. he."

Anthony's mouth twitched a few times.

The author has something to say:

Not much to say, thank you for your grace of not killing!I'm ashamed, please forgive me~~~

In addition, I would like to thank all the readers who threw mine and left messages during the update period. I am touched. It is your wonderful hands that have cured my lazy cancer!

No matter how many people still read it, I will finish this article well.The original intention of my writing is to express my feelings.