At one in the morning, a massive eagle appeared in the sky above Witter City. It flew silently across the heavens before landing as quietly as it arrived on the deck of the largest ship.
Two figures, clad in dark cloaks, disembarked from the eagle’s back. Su Muqing tucked the creature into her spatial dimension with a flick of her wrist and pointed towards the area emitting light. “Let’s check that place out.”
As they took a step, they noticed heavy guards surrounding the attic. Lu Yuzhi hid behind the massive sails, while Su Muqing gracefully ascended to the attic’s rooftop to survey the situation.
She landed by a window at the back of the attic and quickly slipped into her spatial dimension. The sound of rushing water echoed from within the room. Not long after she concealed herself, the door was pushed open. Su Muqing saw a figure rise from behind a screen and put on clothes.
“Young master, your loyal servant pleads with you, stop this! Return to Tianzhao with me tomorrow!”
“I refuse! I want to go to Dayu, I want to meet the Victorious General! Even the King agreed to let me go, why won’t Father?”
“Prince Ket is also concerned for your safety. The journey is too long, and you, young master, have always lived a life of luxury. If anything were to happen on the road, how would the Prince explain it to the Queen Dowager?”
“Explain what! I’m already seventeen, not a child. They just like to control everything about me. Anyway, I’m already in Witter, and in two months at most, I’ll reach the Kingdom of Dayu.”
“Young master, this ship belongs to the Prince…”
“Ah! I don’t want to hear any more of this! Instead of wasting time, you’d be better off telling me more about General Huo Qiyuan. When I get to Dayu, I’ll definitely have a serious spar with him.”
…(Who would have thought this small world’s inhabitants all spoke Chinese? It seems Chinese is truly destined to become a global mainstream language!)
Su Muqing, listening to their conversation from within her spatial dimension, rejoiced. It truly was a case of opportunity knocking. The ship they’d happened to land on belonged to people from Tianzhao.
Moreover, from their conversation, it seemed they were from a wealthy family! And this young master apparently admired Huo Qiyuan! It looked like they could devise a plan to have them turn back towards Tianzhao. That way, they could travel together.
While they were talking, Su Muqing exited her dimension and quickly flew away. The young man, addressed as ‘young master,’ turned his head towards the window. How had he just smelled a faint fragrance? It seemed like a woman’s scent!
Su Muqing evaded the patrolling guards and then flew to the mast of the ship’s sails. Once settled, she brought Lu Yuzhi, who had been waiting, into her spatial dimension.
“This ship is from Tianzhao, likely docked not long ago. The person in that room seems to be the youngest son of a Tianzhao prince, named Ket. And from what I gathered, they are preparing to send an envoy to Dayu soon. Because Prince Ket refused to bring his youngest son, the young master threw a tantrum and ran away from home. He’s even your little fanboy!” Su Muqing relayed the information she had gathered to the others.
Lu Yuzhi’s brow furrowed upon hearing this. “Prince Ket! He’s a first-rank prince of Tianzhao, of the same mother as their King. Why would they choose this time to send an envoy to Dayu?”
“Why overthink it? Whatever happens to Dayu in the future has nothing to do with you anymore. Once Huaxia City is established, you’ll be the deputy city lord! We’ll expand our territory together and incorporate Dayu into our domain!” Su Muqing felt displeased seeing Lu Yuzhi still worrying about Dayu.
Back then, when his parents had met their demise, the entire prince’s mansion was wiped out. Apart from those who had remained loyal, everyone else had applauded. The old prince had guarded Dayu for decades, only to meet an untimely end.
Those in power had simply spouted a few deceptive words, labeling him a traitor colluding with other nations, and the common people foolishly believed them. They completely forgot his decades of dedication to this country. What was there left to care about for such a country and its people?
“What the young lady says is right!” Leng Feng mumbled softly, keeping his head down.
In truth, they had been harboring resentment for a long time, but as mere guards, they could do nothing. The last time they encountered Huo Qixiao, they had considered tying him up and interrogating him thoroughly about the prince’s mansion. But the young master had refused, saying he was the second master’s son.
In Leng Feng and his companions’ view, for such a significant event as the destruction of the prince’s mansion, no one else from the Huo family could be entirely innocent. Those people had all stirred the same pot of filth; who could possibly remain clean!
Lu Yuzhi understood that logic perfectly well. But that was the territory his father had fought for and defended his entire life. His father’s most frequent advice to him had been to serve the country, to protect every inch of their land. Therefore, even if the common people were ungrateful and the current administration unjust, he still felt a lingering attachment and concern.
Lu Yuzhi let out a wry smile, truly unsure of what to do. “It’s not that easy…”
Seeing his dejected mood, Su Muqing responded earnestly, “Why isn’t it easy? If you truly can’t let go of it, then let’s quickly get the medicine. And then we’ll strive to return early and take Dayu down. At that time, I’ll let you manage it personally, so you can finally rest easy!”
Hearing Su Muqing speak of conquering a nation with the casual tone of someone haggling at a marketplace, everyone found it rather amusing. Yet, they knew she possessed the genuine ability to do so.
“Wait! Is that someone outside? Let’s go see!” After chatting for a while, Su Muqing suddenly raised her hand to silence the others.
Pulling Lu Yuzhi with her, she exited the spatial dimension and returned to the ship’s mast. They looked down at a group of black-clad figures who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. This ship was quite lively today! They had only just arrived, and now another group had appeared.
The group swiftly slit the throats of all the patrolling soldiers on deck, and simultaneously, another wave of people flew in from all directions.
“Assassins… Assassins!” The people on the ship finally became alert, shouting for others. A fierce battle commenced.
In less than five minutes, more than half of the ship’s guards were gone. The disparity in strength was too great!
“Get away…” The young master snatched a sword from one of the men beside him, pushed away the guard protecting him, and leaped into the midst of the black-clad figures.
“Young master, protect the young master…” The attendant, seeing the young master charge out of the protective circle, anxiously rushed after him.
These people’s martial arts skills were slightly better than those of the patrolling guards, but ultimately, a single pair of fists couldn’t fend off four hands. It was evident that the black-clad figures held the advantage in strength, coupled with their numbers. Those defending the ship were quickly losing ground.
“Who exactly are you people? Do you know I am Kebi Na, the Crown Prince of Tianzhao? How dare you attempt assassination!” The young man parried the attacks of the black-clad figures while announcing his identity.
To his surprise, upon hearing his identity, all the black-clad figures converged on him, shouting loudly, “We’re here precisely for your dog’s life! Brothers, the master has ordered a great reward for anyone who kills Kebi Na!”
Su Muqing, observing from above, curled her lips. Announcing his identity like that was worse than just quietly fighting from the start! Originally a fight of one against ten, it had now become nearly one against forty. It was truly embarrassing!
The main combatants were essentially concentrated around the young man, putting him in a very perilous situation. Just as a black-clad attacker’s sword was about to pierce his back, the attendant from the room earlier rushed forward, intending to take the blow for him.
“Hake!” The young man, recognizing his attendant’s intent, cried out in alarm and reached out to pull his attendant back. With his attention focused on saving his attendant, he was naturally unable to withstand the attacks from the others.
At this critical juncture, Su Muqing descended from the sky. With a flick of her sleeve, she unleashed a gust of wind that knocked all the swords and sabers of the black-clad attackers into the sea. Some of the attackers, unable to maintain their balance due to the momentum, were flung outwards, falling in disarray.
The young man and his attendant had their eyes squeezed shut, anticipating the pain, but the expected agony never came. Kebi Na opened his eyes to see a woman in a fitted outfit standing on the ship’s railing in the distance.
Her dark hair was tied up high, and she wore a neat, crisp attire. Her face was unadorned, possessing extraordinary beauty. By her appearance, she seemed to be a beauty from the Central Plains!
Beside the woman stood a man in white, with even his hair being silver-white. The man was tall and imposing, with an exceptionally handsome and unforgettable countenance.
Kebi Na observed the two. Their appearance and martial prowess suggested they were no ordinary mortals. Could they be divine beings?
Seeing that they had helpers and their weapons were knocked away, the black-clad attackers quickly drew curved blades from their waists. A team then rushed forward to engage Lu Yuzhi and Su Muqing, seemingly intending to tie them up. Another team continued their assault on Kebi Na and his group.
However, the black-clad attackers couldn’t even touch the corners of Lu Yuzhi and Su Muqing’s clothes before being forcefully sent flying by an immense power. After repelling those who attacked them, Su Muqing even spared a moment to unleash a gust of wind blades towards the other team, forcing them to retreat a few steps.
When one of the black-clad attackers saw Su Muqing turn, he attempted a sneak attack. To his surprise, the seemingly demure woman casually struck out with a palm. The black-clad attacker, caught off guard, was struck by a sudden lightning bolt. Even the headscarf he wore was blown off, and his hair stood on end.
The man writhed on the deck in agony, frantically pulling at his clothes, even tearing off his mask. His companions then saw that the man’s face was already charred and blistering, frothing at the mouth and emitting smoke. His appearance was terrifying, to say the least.
But it didn’t end there! The black-clad attacker, struck by lightning, let out a painful roar from his throat, and after struggling for a short while, his entire body began to emit smoke. Finally, he burst into flames, reduced to a charred lump of charcoal.
One of the black-clad men signaled, gathering the others. He appeared to be the leader of the group.
He then shouted towards Su Muqing and her companions, his gaze sharp and fixed on the two. “Who are you people? I advise you not to meddle in other people’s affairs!”
“Us? Just passersby who draw their swords when they see injustice! And who are you people?” Su Muqing replied nonchalantly at first, then tilted her chin to question the man.
The man forced an unnatural smile. “We are people who take money and resolve troubles.”
“Oh~ So you’re assassins! I thought you were some kind of trained death warriors!” Su Muqing nodded noncommittally, her expression clearly betraying her disbelief.
Lu Yuzhi had just whispered in her ear that the movements and fighting styles of these people were very similar to the killing weapons specially trained by those in power to eliminate their rivals.
Hearing Su Muqing’s words, the man narrowed his eyes, a glint of ruthlessness flashing within them. “Madam, you jest. We deal in jobs that risk our lives.”
“Who sent you? How much did they pay you?” Kebi Na, upon hearing the black-clad men claim to be assassins, turned red with anger.
He had only arrived in Witter City tonight, and given the good relations between the two countries, it was impossible for the assassins to be hired by people from Wanfeng Kingdom. This left only one possibility: people from Tianzhao.
However, his status in Tianzhao was highly respected, and his personality was amiable. It could be said that the entire nation adored him, their young prince. Even the Empress Dowager had mentioned wanting him to become the King of Tianzhao. Who then would want him dead?
The black-clad men did not answer Kebi Na’s question, nor did they wish to prolong the entanglement. He subtly pulled out a packet of powder from his back, intending to release poisonous smoke and escape in the ensuing chaos.
However, all his actions had been observed by Lu Yuzhi. The moment he threw the powder, Su Muqing sent out a gust of wind. The poisonous powder, with a flourish, was all blown back onto the black-clad men themselves.
The poison acted quickly. All exposed skin instantly erupted with yellow blisters, which soon broke, festering and rotting.
Kebi Na watched as the faces of those people rotted so rapidly, like festering sores, feeling an indescribable disgust.
The leader of the black-clad men, seeing all his men poisoned, quickly took out an antidote, intending to detoxify himself. However, as soon as he took it out, Su Muqing flicked a bolt of lightning, striking his wrist precisely. The man’s right wrist immediately sustained a deep, bone-penetrating wound, and the medicine bottle rolled away.
Su Muqing, ignoring the black-clad man’s furious gaze, asked with feigned innocence, “Since you like poisoning so much, why take the antidote? Such good things should be savored more, shouldn’t they!”
The black-clad man knew they were doomed. He then gestured behind him with his other hand. Lu Yuzhi, sensing something amiss, quickly warned, “They intend to commit suicide!”
Upon hearing Lu Yuzhi’s words, Su Muqing reacted swiftly, unleashing two palm strikes that hit the chins of two of the men with great force. The jaws of the two black-clad men were dislocated, leaving their mouths agape and drooling uncontrollably.
In fact, Su Muqing’s accurate strikes to their chins were entirely due to the television dramas she had watched in her previous life. Assassins in ancient times often hid poison in their teeth.
Therefore, her instinct was to strike their chins. Unfortunately, she only had two hands, and in the end, she managed to intercept only two. All the other black-clad attackers ingested the poison, bleeding from their seven orifices and dying with their faces rotten.
Alas! Why were these people so obedient? They simply died when told to.
The attendant named Hake retrieved a small black pill from the teeth of each of the two intercepted assassins. He then crushed them on a handkerchief, sniffed them lightly, and carefully presented them to Kebi Na. “Reporting to the Crown Prince, based on the scent and the symptoms of bleeding from the seven orifices after consumption, this appears to be love poison.”
“Love poison… How is that possible?” Kebi Na took the white handkerchief presented by Hake, disbelief etched on his face.
Love poison was rarely seen in the entire Tianzhao Kingdom. Apart from the royal palace, he had never heard of it appearing anywhere else.
The royal palace? The King? Did he want to kill himself? How could that be? His uncle had always doted on him. No, he had to return to Tianzhao to investigate everything clearly.
He carefully put away the handkerchief containing the poison and ordered the two dead men to be dragged away and properly guarded. After these matters were handled, Kebi Na walked up to Su Muqing and Lu Yuzhi.
He clasped his fists and bowed deeply. “Kebi Na thanks both of you, my benefactors, for saving my life. This is not a place to talk. If you, my benefactors, do not mind, please come inside for a chat.”
“Young Crown Prince, you invite us into your room so casually. Aren’t you worried we might be bad people?” Su Muqing, looking at the seventeen-year-old Crown Prince before her, couldn’t help but tease him.
Kebi Na scratched his head sheepishly. “My benefactors jest! With your skills, if you wanted to take my life, I doubt few could stop you.”
“Young Crown Prince is too polite, please!” Su Muqing smiled and made a gesture of invitation.
The two followed Kebi Na to the reception room on the second floor. He nodded to Hake, who brewed tea for the three of them and then stood respectfully to the side.
Kebi Na picked up his teacup and took a sip to calm his nerves before asking them, “May I ask where you two benefactors are heading?”
Lu Yuzhi brushed the tea foam with his cup lid, took a shallow sip, and replied, “To be frank, we are planning to travel to Tianzhao for a while.”
“Oh? So you two benefactors are also going to Tianzhao? Where in Tianzhao do you wish to travel? We can travel together!” Kebi Na’s face lit up with unconcealed surprise upon hearing they were going to Tianzhao.
This was truly wonderful! Kebi Na suppressed his inner excitement and lifted his teacup, but his eyes kept drifting towards Su Muqing. Hake, standing by, truly wished he could cover his face. Their young Crown Prince was simply too naive.
After just experiencing an assassination, he hadn’t learned a bit of caution. In a blink of an eye, he was inviting two people he had just met to travel together. Although these two had just saved them, while one should not harbor malicious intent towards others, one should also guard against them, my dear young Crown Prince!
Lu Yuzhi frowned upon seeing his gaze and then looked at Su Muqing. She didn’t seem to be taking the Crown Prince seriously at all. His expression then improved slightly.
Su Muqing didn’t hide their intentions either. “We wish to go to the Valley of Death in Tianzhao to search for an antidote.”
“What? The Valley of Death? You must not go there! My father told me that the Valley of Death is the most terrifying place in the world. No one who enters ever comes out alive.” Kebi Na, upon hearing they intended to go to the Valley of Death, stood up agitatedly, trying to stop them.
Lu Yuzhi raised his teacup, making a gesture as if to toast with tea, and took the first sip. “We have no choice but to go! If it’s not too much trouble, could the young Crown Prince tell us more about the Valley of Death, so we can be better informed?”
“Benefactors are too polite! Actually, I don’t know much. The Valley of Death is located in the westernmost part of Tianzhao, where the temperature remains high year-round. Therefore, nothing grows there, and it is known as the Gate of Hell. Oh, right! Someone once returned alive from the Valley of Death, and I met him! Not only did he return alive, but he also brought back the Flame Fat, which only exists in the Valley of Death! I remember my father telling me that it is the resin that condenses only after the last Flame Tree is burned. It is also the only Flame Fat in the world.” As Kebi Na recalled, he suddenly remembered the person he had seen in his father’s study when he was a child.
That person had not only very short hair but was also emaciated and had wrinkled skin all over. He looked like a dried-up fruit that had suddenly lost its moisture. The first time he saw him, it had truly startled him! Kebi Na remembered that person died not long after, and his father had told him that person was a hero.
The last Flame Tree? The only Flame Fat? Lu Yuzhi and Su Muqing exchanged glances. This was too coincidental! They hadn’t expected the Flame Fat to be in the possession of this “innocent and cute” Crown Prince. It would be much easier this way. A prince’s mansion was surely easier to deal with than the unknown Valley of Death, wasn’t it?
Hearing the young Crown Prince spill his family’s affairs like beans, Hake, standing by, was so anxious he was about to ignite. He couldn’t help but tug at Kebi Na’s clothes and whisper into his ear that he had something to report. Kebi Na looked at his attendant’s actions with confusion, not understanding what he wanted.
Seeing the confusion in the young Crown Prince’s eyes, Hake abruptly changed the subject. “Young Crown Prince, shouldn’t you show some appreciation for the life-saving grace of these two benefactors?”
Kebi Na suddenly slapped his forehead as if realizing something, and cast a slightly complaining glance at Hake. “Right! Why didn’t you remind me sooner? Go quickly and bring those gold and jewels I brought…”
Seeing him about to reveal his wealth again, Hake couldn’t help but loudly stop him. “Crown Prince! It would be better if you went to see and select what to send personally.”
After all, wealth moves the heart! As the saying goes, people die for wealth and birds die for food. They hadn’t intended to rob you, but by so openly declaring how rich you are, isn’t it akin to saying, “I’m so rich! Come and rob me!”
Seeing Kebi Na ponder seriously, exchange greetings with the two benefactors, and then dash off at lightning speed, Hake finally breathed a sigh of relief. This young Crown Prince was truly a cause for concern!
Su Muqing watched the attendant’s expressions shift so calmly and couldn’t help but think that, based on current observations, he seemed loyal. If he were a wicked person, it would be very easy for that Kebi Na to be played like a fiddle.
Hake bowed and retreated from the conference room, then quickly chased after Kebi Na. He feared that if he ran too slowly, the young Crown Prince might move all the valuable items. When he reached the hidden room in the ship, he found that his suspicions were not unfounded.
Several chests were already piled up at the entrance of the hidden room. The young Crown Prince was rummaging through other treasures, his rear end sticking out. He then placed some of the found rare treasures into a large chest next to him.
Hake stepped forward and pressed his chest again. A complete set of glazed tableware, a complete set of glazed beads, a complete set of glazed cups… Seeing Kebi Na still frantically searching, he discarded ordinary gold and silver treasures, specifically choosing the exquisite glazed utensils that were originally intended as tribute to Dayu.
My dear young Crown Prince! You are truly generous! These are tribute items! How can you give them away as gifts?