The reason the Twilight Kingdom sent assassins to kill Yi Chuan was to provoke war between the two countries. In recent years, the Ziling Dynasty has been constantly harassed by neighboring small states, and its national strength has clearly declined. If war were to break out now, wouldn't that be playing right into the enemy's trap?
Yi Yang yawned and said with annoyance, "Alright, alright, I don't want to hear any of this. Just go ahead and destroy that little Twilight Kingdom!"
Yi Chuan hesitated, wanting to speak but then stopping himself. He knew that even if he continued to persuade him, he would only get this one answer!
Yi Yang pulled a wooden fan from his clothes, swung it aside, and pushed the door open to leave.
Watching Yi Yang's departing figure, Yi Chuan sighed softly.
No sooner had Yi Yang left than Mo Cong arrived.
"Mo Cong pays his respects to the Fourth Prince!"
"No need for such formalities!"
Mo Cong glanced around and cautiously closed the door.
Chapter 25 The Poison Doctor
Mo Cong whispered something in Yi Chuan's ear.
Yi Chuan nodded and said, "Okay, we'll do it your way!"
Mo Cong smiled. Like father, like son; he was indeed a smart man.
"If Your Highness has no further instructions, I will take my leave now!" Mo Cong bowed and turned to walk towards the door.
"Wait a minute," Yi Chuan called out to Mo Cong.
"What are your orders, Your Highness?" Mo Cong turned around and looked at the Fourth Prince with surprise.
"Go and fetch Lord Qi. I have something to discuss with him!" Yi Chuan said.
Since last night, Yichuan has felt listless.
After Mo Cong left, he unknowingly leaned against the carved rosewood chair and fell asleep.
As Mo Cong passed by Chu Xiyin's room, he noticed the door was open and peeked inside. He saw Chunhua propping her round head up, staring blankly into space. She was probably still preoccupied with the white-robed youth's unpredictable behavior, completely unaware that someone was outside. Luckily, it wasn't the Fourth Prince; otherwise, she would have been in for another scolding.
Mo Cong didn't want to disturb the chubby girl in her adolescence. He glanced at the bed and saw that Chu Xiyin's face was frighteningly pale. Mo Cong lowered his eyes, thinking that if Mo Tong saw her like this, she would be heartbroken. He looked up again with pity at the thin woman on the bed, shook his head, closed the door, and left.
"Your Highness, you wanted to see me?" Qi Yu rushed to the prince's residence, his face as serious as ever.
Yi Chuan had just woken up. He ordered a maid to brew a pot of the finest Longjing tea, offered him a seat, and then spoke, "The reason I summoned you here today is that I have a request to make." He elegantly took a sip of tea and looked at Qi Yu.
"Your Highness, please feel free to give your orders." When Qi Yu became serious, his two eyebrows awkwardly twisted together.
"I wish to meet your father—the Doctor Qi!" Yi Chuan said with a faint smile.
"This..." Qi Yu looked troubled.
Qi Yu's father, Qi Gui, was a famous "poison doctor" in the Ziling Dynasty.
Qi Gui was known as the "Poison Doctor" not only for his superb medical skills but also for his expertise in administering and antidoting various poisons. However, his personality was extremely eccentric. Medical precepts such as "a doctor's benevolence" and "saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda" had no effect on him. In his eyes, whether you were royalty, high-ranking officials, commoners, prostitutes, or troublemakers, if he refused to see you, no amount of money or violence would work.
Legend has it that there was once a wealthy man in Ziling City who, in order to catch a glimpse of Qi Gui's true face, loaded all his property and land deeds into several carriages and lined them in front of the Poison Doctor's house. But Qi Gui's ghost gate suddenly opened, and the wealthy man was overjoyed. Just as he was proudly showing off to everyone, a poisonous creature flew out of the house, and the wealthy man, with an incredulous look on his face, died on the spot.
Despite the chilling rumors, people flocked to see Qi Gui, drawn by his fame. In fact, even those fortunate enough to have seen Qi Gui in person didn't necessarily know his true appearance. Everyone who had seen him described him differently. Some said he was eight feet tall, with white hair and a youthful face, handsome and dashing; others said he was as short as a child, with blue eyes and white lips, and a bizarre appearance; still others said he was an immortal without a physical form… In short, the various legends were all different, and naturally, the story of Qi Gui became increasingly fantastical.
"What? Even I, the King, cannot see him?" Yi Chuan appeared calm and composed, but his heart was in turmoil. If Qi Gui refused to see him, then there was no one left in the world who could change Chu Xiyin's fate. If that were the case, he would have no choice but to take her away from the Ziling Dynasty, find a secluded paradise, and live in anonymity. But if he left, what would happen to the people of Ziling City, who were suffering terribly? For a woman, would he bear the infamy for all eternity? For her, would he rather betray the whole world than betray her alone?
"Your Highness, you have misunderstood me! In fact, my father has been traveling around for many years to research various poisons, and I haven't seen him for a long time." Qi Yu became anxious, and his brows, which had just relaxed, furrowed again.
Yi Chuan took a deep breath, his brows furrowing slightly, his anxiety finally becoming undeniable. Five days—he only had five days. If he couldn't come up with a solution within five days, then Chu Xiyin would have no choice but to… He didn't want to think about it anymore.
"I wonder why Your Highness is asking about my father?" Qi Yu noticed the prince's anxiety and asked with concern.
"To be honest, the Emperor has seen Xiyin and ordered me to present her to him within five days," Yichuan said, lowering his eyes. He had never felt so lost and helpless.
Some say that if a person isn't afraid of death, then nothing in this world can frighten them. But that's not true, because there are two words more terrifying than death: "concern." Yes, concern. If death could solve the problem, he would choose to die without hesitation. But what about his concerns? He couldn't let her die with him. He wanted her to live well.
"Has His Majesty seen Miss Chu? Miss has been staying in the manor the whole time, how could His Majesty have seen her? Besides, hasn't His Majesty already betrothed her to the Prince?" Qi Yu's eyebrows furrowed even more. He already felt guilty towards Chu Xiyin; if it weren't for him, Chu Xiyin wouldn't have been in danger time and time again.
"Do you remember the day I was assassinated, when Chu Xiyin took that poisoned dart for me? That day, a maid from my household secretly took her out of the Prince's mansion. Presumably, that's when they encountered the Emperor. You also know that what the Emperor wants is something even I am powerless to achieve." Yi Chuan's eyes dimmed, instantly losing all their life force.
"Would the prince...?" Qi Yu's voice also became tense.
“Of course not…” Yi Chuan interrupted him without hesitation. “That’s why I need your father’s help.”
"My father?" Qi Yu's deep voice revealed a hint of surprise.
Yi Chuan nodded and said, "I heard that your father is skilled in all sorts of strange and unusual arts. Among them, is there an art called the art of disguise? I think it might be able to save Xi Yin."
In fact, he had only heard of this strange technique, and he wasn't sure if it could save Chu Xiyin.
"That's right, such a technique does exist," Qi Yu replied with absolute certainty. "Could it be that Your Highness intends to..."
Qi Yu had some understanding of this art of disguise. Disguise generally falls into two categories: short-term and long-term. Short-term disguise involves the wearer wearing a specially made human skin mask, temporarily altering their appearance. However, this type of disguise is short-lived and easily detected by those familiar with the person. Long-term disguise, on the other hand, can permanently change a person's appearance and is difficult to detect. The procedure for long-term disguise is extremely complex, and he had never seen his father use it before, so he wasn't entirely sure if it would work.
Yi Chuan could tell from Qi Yu's gaze that he had guessed his thoughts. "However, your father is not in Ziling City, and he is the only one in the entire city who is quite familiar with this technique. Alas..."
"Otherwise..." Qi Yu thought of someone as Yi Chuan sighed. Although mentioning this person might cost him dearly, he couldn't care less at this moment.
What he owed Chu Xiyin, now was the time for him to repay. After all, she had suffered so much because of his selfish desires.
Chapter 26 The Mysterious Man
In fact, throughout the entire Ziling Dynasty, besides Qi Gui's wife Mo Lian'er, his son Qi Yu, and his close friend Mo Yun, there was another mysterious figure unknown to outsiders who had seen Qi Gui's true face. According to Qi Yu, this mysterious person was Qi Gui's only disciple, and at a young age, he had already mastered all of Qi Gui's true teachings.
It's strange, really. Qi Yu is Qi Gui's only son, so why didn't he pass on all his unique medical skills to him, but instead passed them all on to a complete stranger? It just doesn't make sense. However, on the other hand, Qi Yu wasn't interested in his father's medical skills; being a fighter, he had been learning martial arts from Mo Yun since childhood. On the other hand, Qi Gui himself was an eccentric person, so it's understandable that he would do things that ordinary people couldn't comprehend.
Leaving aside the mysterious man for now, Chu Xiyin had unknowingly been asleep for a full day and night. During that time, she had a series of strange dreams. When she awoke, she could only vaguely recall fragmented memories.
In her dream, there seemed to be a woman who looked exactly like her.
The woman rarely smiled, except when she was in front of him.
Him? In her dream, she couldn't see his face clearly, but she vaguely remembered his handsome face, melancholy eyes, and cold, resolute back.
She loves stars, and she said she wants to become a star after she dies.
He asked her why?
She gazed at him silently, smiled, but did not answer his question.
He didn't press her for details, but gently ruffled her hair.
She slowly raised his right hand, gently stroking the black heart-shaped birthmark on the back of his hand. Her full lips drew closer, and she took the birthmark into her mouth. "No matter what lifetimes we spend together, I will never forget it," she said with a bitter smile, her eyes filled with unspeakable emotions.
The coolness of her lips spread across that small patch of his skin...
His heart skipped a beat, and he pulled her into his arms...
The night was endless darkness. A cold smile played in her dark eyes.
In an instant, the night sky was illuminated by a massive burst of light. The firelight reflected in her cold eyes, giving her fair face a touch of sinister allure.
In the firelight, all sorts of heart-wrenching screams sounded like ghosts of the unjustly killed, sending chills down one's spine.
A sinister smile deepened in her eyes. Suddenly, a knife plunged into her heart from behind, blood staining her clothes. Her eyes were filled with astonishment, hatred, and sorrow…
In the firelight, Chu Xiyin saw that face. Though it wasn't very clear, she was certain it was his. His eyes held resentment, confusion, and above all, despair. Coldness filled his lips, and his eyes instantly dimmed. For her, he had betrayed the world, and all she had given him in return was a promise she couldn't keep. Despair, deep despair, despair of falling into an abyss… He closed his eyes and collapsed into the firelight.
Chu Xiyin called his name with all her might, but no sound came out of her throat. She wanted to rush into the flames and be consumed by them together, forever inseparable...
Chu Xiyin felt a throbbing pain in her head. She opened her eyes groggily, the dream she had just had so vividly imprinted in her mind. Perhaps it was a memory from her past life, etched in her heart, impossible to erase.
"You're awake!" Chunhua stared at Chu Xiyin expectantly, her stomach rumbling softly; she hadn't eaten anything all day.
It turns out that a young girl's heart is so sensitive; she can feel lost and dejected for an entire day because of a single heartless word from her beloved.
Despite the pain, Chu Xiyin smiled and said, "You silly girl, haven't you eaten anything?"
Chunhua looked at Chu Xiyin, hesitant to speak.
"Go get something to eat if you're hungry! Don't worry about me!" Chu Xiyin reached out and pinched her chubby cheeks.
"I'm not hungry," Chunhua said softly, her face drooping.
Chu Xiyin noticed her unusual behavior, shook her arm, and gestured for her to sit on the edge of her bed.
"Is something on your mind?"
Chunhua opened her mouth, then hesitated again, as if she wanted to speak. Despite her usually carefree demeanor, this girl could be incredibly perceptive. Ever since she'd seen the man in white, her heart had been completely filled with him. His delicate face and handsome smile constantly appeared in her mind, even making her smile in her dreams. Back then, she naively believed that the boy was in love with her; otherwise, why would he smile at her so tenderly? She could have continued to cling to this girlish fantasy. However, the boy's words today made her realize with a start that his smile didn't belong to her.
"I saw him at the manor today!" After thinking for a long time, Chunhua decided to confide in Chu Xiyin.
"Who?" Chu Xiyin knew very few people in the Ziling Dynasty.
"The white-clad boy who saved you that day!" Chunhua said, pursing her lips.
Chu Xiyin thought for a moment, and although she could barely remember the boy's appearance, she couldn't recall his name at all. She simply gave a faint "oh".
“He forgot about me,” Chunhua said, lowering her eyes.
"You're not going on a hunger strike because of this, are you?" Chu Xiyin teased Chunhua with a smile. In her eyes, Chunhua was just a gluttonous little girl, and she would never give up her delicious food for a man.
Chunhua looked at Chu Xiyin and sighed. "But he remembers you."
"Little girl, why do I feel like you're acting so strange today? He's just a stranger, so what if you remember him? So what if you don't? Besides, my heart belongs only to the Prince." Chu Xiyin knew Chunhua's thoughts, so she held her hand and reassured her.
"You said it yourself, your heart belongs only to the Prince, and you're not allowed to compete with me for that white-robed youth!" Chunhua's audacity is growing.
Chu Xiyin smiled brightly. Her captivating dimples made Chunhua feel slightly dizzy; indeed, she was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.
Chunhua pouted with envy and jealousy, saying, "Xiyin, if I could have your looks, I would be willing to go without food for a month!"
Chu Xiyin chuckled to herself. This girl actually compared her appearance to food!
"Do you really want to have her looks?" Yi Chuan pushed open the door and entered.
"Ah? Your Highness... Your Highness," Chunhua turned around and hurriedly stood up to bow.
"Get up!" Yi Chuan looked at Chun Hua, a complex look flashing in his eyes.