In the corridor of the Hall of Tranquil Mind, Ren Ye, bent over and feeling the crack of a side chamber door, suddenly froze.
His fingers slid through without any resistance.
The strand of hair he'd tied earlier was broken. Someone had entered this room very recently.
Tonight, he'd made preparations in two places: his bedchamber and this hall. It wasn't that he possessed divine foresight; he'd simply done everything within his power to the absolute limit.
He only had one life. Of course, he treasured it (géwài) , exceedingly.
Taking three steps back, Ren Ye gathered his strength and kicked the door open.
BANG!
The doorframe shuddered, raining down dust. The room within was pitch black and utterly silent.
"I know you're in there. Come out," Ren Ye said, standing in the shadows of the corridor. The surrounding palace lanterns flickered erratically around him, casting an (yōu lán sè de) – eerie blue light.
After a brief silence, a creak came from inside. Liu Ling'er's figure appeared in the darkness. "I'm truly curious. How did you discover Er Leng was bewitched?"
"The bloodstains. The bloodstains at the Spring Fragrance Garden were wrong," Ren Ye replied, staring motionlessly at her shadow. "You staged the scene, but too hastily. The young eunuch's blood was spattered, but the blood from Er Leng's 'hidden weapon wound' was too pooled. In a real fight, the blood wouldn't be so neat. And he left this afternoon…"
Liu Ling'er's heart skipped a beat with shock. She stepped forward. "Then how did you know I wasn't here to kill you, but to get into the Hall of Tranquil Mind? And that you'd set a trap here beforehand?!"
Ren Ye estimated the distance between them, his thoughts orderly. "I didn't know what you were planning until after Er Leng left the Palace of Joy. But since you were following a script, I just decided to play along. I'm a (fèiwù) , waste, a useless prince. The only places I ever go are my bedchamber and this hall."
In two sentences, all the confusion in Liu Ling'er's heart was resolved.
"What do you do in the real world?!" she asked, voice thick with frustration. She felt her actions had been flawless; she'd seized the initiative twice in this game, yet she'd still been outmaneuvered by this (fèiwù) , useless Prince.
"I'm not your father. I have no obligation to answer all your questions," Ren Ye said coldly. "Do you want to live? If you do, I have a few questions of my own."
Liu Ling'er pretended to ponder, slowly stepping closer. "What do you want to know?"
"Did you find your teammates? Who are they?" Ren Ye's gaze was somewhat hollow.
Liu Ling'er lowered her head in silence.
"If you won't talk, then you're of no use to me."
"I… I have found teammates," Liu Ling'er said, lifting her head as she took another step. The distance between them was now less than ten paces. "Fine. I want to live. There are two. Their role cards are…"
SWOOSH!!!
Abruptly, a fierce expression crossed Liu Ling'er's face. She flicked her wrist, launching a dark purple steel spike. It shot towards Ren Ye's forehead like a streak of light, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle.
This spike was called the Soul-Shattering Spike, Liu Ling'er's final life-saving tool. It could destroy a person's soul without leaving a visible external wound.
The soul spike flew at his face. Ren Ye instantly closed his eyes and whispered, "Within a hundred paces, wronged souls block my death."
Swish!
Suddenly, a ghostly figure erupted from the ground.
The specter wore a maid's uniform, her face deathly pale, but her cheeks were flushed pink, and a thin, precise ligature mark circled her neck.
The female ghost stuck out a long red tongue, her eyes filled with (yuàndú) , venomous hatred as she lunged towards Liu Ling'er.
Thump!
The soul spike shot forward, embedding itself in the female ghost's forehead in the blink of an eye.
"AHHH!!!"
The wronged spirit let out a blood-curdling shriek before instantly dispersing into nothingness.
Clatter.
The soul spike fell to the ground, its glow instantly fading.
Liu Ling'er stood inside the room, her face stiff, utter despair dawning in her eyes.
"I'm very careful. Hard to kill." Ren Ye shook his head slowly, a powerful Yin energy radiating from him as he stepped into the room. "It seems you aren't planning on living after all."
The Imperial Brush he'd activated in the secret chamber had the ability to replicate mystical spells. So, before the final confrontation tonight, Ren Ye had gone to the Princess Consort's chambers. At the cost of "supplying" her with two hours of his Noble Fate of Heavenly Pardon, he had gained one chance to "steal a technique"…
This was his trump card, though it came with severe side effects and many limitations. He hadn't even unleashed its full power yet, but time was running out…
Liu Ling'er completely broke. Her face pale, she clenched her fists and roared, "This isn't fair! Why is your special ability…?!"
"I was in the open, you were in the shadows. What's unfair about that? My brain just works a little better than yours." Ren Ye raised the Guardian Sword of the Realm. "Since you don't want to talk, I won't ask."
BOOM!
Just as Ren Ye was about to bring the sword down on Liu Ling'er, a tremendous noise erupted from outside the hall.
...
Outside the hall, dawn was about to break, painting the eastern sky with magnificent light.
CRASH!
Er Leng's body slammed into the structure above the main hall, shattering the inscribed plaque and smashing through a wooden beam before crashing to the ground like a corpse.
This was the result of directly taking Xu Laodao's second palm strike. His chest was concave; blood gushed from his mouth and nose…
Countless wood splinters rained down on Er Leng's body. He felt deafened, his vision filled with nothing but red, his body twitching uncontrollably, devoid of the strength to rise again.
Yet, his right hand still feebly scraped across the cold ground, seemingly searching for the famous saber, Inviter of the Moon…
The young eunuchs nearby looked on with pity, but still, none dared step forward to help him, none dared obstruct Xu Laodao and the others.
The world was cold. Some were born as mere pawns. Feeling sympathy was already the greatest kindness they could muster.
Xu Laodao's vacant eyes swept over Er Leng. He stepped onto the high platform and walked straight towards the hall entrance.
The fight tonight at the Hall of Tranquil Mind wasn't due to Er Leng's lack of skill, but rather the utterly bizarre nature of Xu Laodao's methods. Though he was an advisor to the Jing Emperor, he practiced the Southern Frontier art of corpse-raising—insidious and vicious. What Er Leng had been fighting wasn't Xu Laodao's true body, but rather—a powerful corpse he had refined.
The original owner of this "Iron Body" had been a famous general active in the Southern Frontier in life, possessing superb martial skills and immense strength. After being refined by Xu Laodao, his appearance was altered, and he was daily fed the essence and blood of strong men along with special elixirs, resulting in his current combat prowess.
The Iron Body relied on overwhelming force to break all techniques, a body tempered like steel, a living weapon. In close combat, it possessed courage that could hold off ten thousand men, perfectly countering Er Leng's supremely fast blade.
Behind him, the officials and soldiers closely followed Xu Laodao's Iron Body, preparing to enter the hall.
Wu A Si, Commander of the Raptor Guards, cast a (yīnchén) , gloomy glance at the prone Er Leng, curling his lip in a sneer. "Do you understand Commander Zhong's words now? Your master might not even survive this night. You, a mere watchdog, still thought you could block the way?" He drew his waist saber and lightly prodded Er Leng's shoulder with the tip. "I'm talking to you. Why don't you answer? Lift your head and tell me, who is the spineless dog now?!"
Blood trickled from his shoulder. Completely drained, Er Leng couldn't even lift his head, replying with a faint breath, "If I am a watch… watchdog… then in the eyes of the Dog Emperor… you people aren't even dogs… just piss pots to be discarded whenever he wishes."
"Heh?!" Wu A Si grinned viciously, slowly raising his steel sword, aiming it at Er Leng's neck. "I hope you're this eloquent when you answer to the King of Hel—"
BOOM!
Abruptly, the tightly shut hall doors swung open.
Xu Laodao and the officials turned towards the sound. They saw Ren Ye standing inside the hall, his gaze (yīnsēn) , sinister and grim. Behind him followed several palace maids and eunuchs, dragging the unconscious form of Liu Ling'er.
"Who is here to protect their lord?" Ren Ye demanded, holding the Guardian Sword of the Realm just inside the doorway. He pointed at the unconscious Liu Ling'er. "Who is the intruder? Her?!"
The challenging shout echoed from the hall. The officials felt a flash of surprise, but their eyes showed no fear when they looked at Ren Ye.
However, the Xu Laodao Iron Body at the front now had pupils that contracted sharply. It sensed the intense, sinister Yin energy radiating from Ren Ye, making it deeply uncomfortable…
"I'm asking you! Is the intruder her?!" Ren Ye took a step back, his right hand (cūbào) , roughly grabbing Liu Ling'er's hair, shaking her head violently. "Is it her? Huh?!"
Silence. The soldiers and officials outside all looked at Xu Laodao.
"You… you actually know the arts of Yin and Yang," Xu Laodao's body said, its expression returning to vacant, its voice devoid of any emotion.
Inside the hall, Liu Ling'er, her head (zāoshòu zhòngjī) –, having suffered a heavy blow, her face purplish-blue, was held up by Lian'er and the others who had freed themselves. She had completely lost the ability to resist.
Ignoring the question, Ren Ye stepped out of the main hall and turned his gaze to Er Leng, pinned under the broken plaque.
He was bleeding from his mouth and nose, hair disheveled, lying on the ground unable to move or lift his head.
"Y-Your Highness… I killed a Commander… don't know what r-rank… and some soldiers," Er Leng said haltingly upon hearing Ren Ye's voice. "I killed them. Has nothing to do with you, my Prince. Heh… This subordinate… hasn't seen much of the world… I'm willing to go to the capital for trial… (zhènghǎo) –, just, get a look at that damn Dog Emperor…!"
Ren Ye stared at him, motionless, saying nothing.
The cold wind brushed his face. The experiences of the last few years, the two sets of memories from inside and outside the Star Gate, flashed through his mind like slides, gradually merging…
I am Ren Ye. Before entering the Star Gate, I had already served over three years in prison.
Maybe in the eyes of the guards, the inmates, even my family, I seemed (kāilǎng) , cheerful, even a bit (wánshìbùgōng) –, cynical, fond of jokes.
But actually, for these three-plus years, I've been lost, anxious.
I didn't know what I could do, what I should do when I got out. In the prime of my golden youth, I was imprisoned. Sometimes I regretted it, but sometimes I felt those seven bullets should have gone into the heads of those two suspects…
I held a grudge. I thought what I did was right, that I shouldn't have ended up like this. I even (mòmíngqímiào) , inexplicably resented my old unit. But… my old unit did everything they could. They never treated me badly.
The greatest pain in life might be that no one was really wrong, yet I ended up(chéngshòu) –, bearing the worst outcome.
I've been (yāyì) –, suppressed, even angry.
I am Zhu Zigui. I am a (fèiwù) , waste.
Since my father died, I've become a caged bird. For over three years, I've been afraid,忐忑 (tǎntè) –忐忑, apprehensive, never knowing when my uncle the Emperor's blade would fall on my neck.
I had no power to resist, no idea how to break the situation. Besides womanizing and acting even more useless, what else could I really do?
Wang Jingzhong cracked his skull open in the Hall of Preserved Heart. And now, even Er Leng lies here…
Those inside the hall willing to follow me, help me… they must be trembling now too. They're afraid of death. I know.
I am truly, suppressed. But I am even more
...
Outside the Hall of Tranquil Mind, Ren Ye stood like a statue. The merged memories, the long-suppressed negative emotions, finally erupted, converging like a tidal wave, crashing against his mind.
Looking at the fallen Er Leng was like seeing Li Xiaoyang dead overseas.
Only this time, he had to save this person willing to die for him, whether he was a man or a door spirit with an obsession…
Swish!
He turned his head, looking at Xu Laodao, his voice eerily calm. "Was it you who hurt Er Leng?"
Xu Laodao's Iron Body, though a corpse with its three souls and seven spirits long dispersed, now radiated a powerful, pure Yang energy like a refined weapon. "Caged bird, don't think just because you've learned a bit of Yin-Yang arts—"
"Was it you?!" Ren Ye interrupted.
"What if it was?" Xu Laodao's body retorted coldly. "There are too many blades aimed at your life. How many can you dodge? Hand over Liu Ling'er, and this poor Daoist can let you continue being a playboy, a useless prince, until your death."
"If it was you, that's all I need to know." Ren Ye closed his eyes, speaking softly. "I just learned a soul-summoning technique today… I wonder if it can kill you…" In this moment, all the fear, apprehension, and anxiety that had built up over his three days since entering vanished without a trace, replaced by a face like a still lake, a heart like stopped water…
In life, there is no retreating!
Facing,absolute desperation, gamble with your life! Don't ask about the outcome!
Eyes closed, the people before him vanished. Ears listening intently, all he heard was the mournful howl of the wind.
The massive Hall of Tranquil Mind seemed to contain only himself.
Ren Ye spread his arms, not even bothering to look at Xu Laodao again, and softly chanted the incantation: "Within a hundred zhàng [~300 meters], lonely souls and wild ghosts, heed my command! The dark heavens and the earthly prison, obey my will!"
As the Daoist (jué) , mantra was spoken, the sky instantly clouded over. Every palace lantern in the entire Prince Huai estate went out simultaneously.
Wooosh...!
A Yin wind rose. Everyone heard the sound of ghostly whispers swirling around them.
BOOM!
A blurry, female Daoist spectral figure shot into the sky, towering over ten zhàng [~30 meters] high. She sat cross-legged above the Hall of Tranquil Mind, like a deity descending into the world, her eyes fixed on the (yīnyún) , dark clouds.
This scene stunned every official and soldier present.
The Prefect of Qingliang, Chief Administrator Li Yan, and even the Raptor Guard's Wu A Si all stumbled back in terror, fleeing down from the high platform.
Xu Laodao's pupils contracted, his mind reeling. His cheeks wrinkled under the assault of the Yin wind, his eyes staring at Ren Ye in disbelief. "That woman actually taught you the Soul-Gathering Art?!" His Iron Body, while possessing peerless courage in close combat, feared Yin energy and soul-based magic above all else…
Swish!
Without the slightest hesitation, Xu Laodao's body leaped into the air, choosing to flee with extreme decisiveness.
Ren Ye's eyes snapped open. He pressed his palms together. "This disciple is willing to shorten his lifespan to request the Yin Magistrate's Gate to open!!!"
WOOOOOSH...!
A gale whipped through the sky. From beyond the surrounding high walls, from within a hundred-zhàng radius, lonely souls and wild ghosts gathered—men, women, old, young, children, adolescents.
Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh...!
A hundred ghosts moved as dawn was breaking, like fish crossing a river, countless in number. In moments, they sealed off Xu Laodao's escape route mid-air, pressing down on him like a gigantic umbrella of shade.
"AHHHHH!!!"
A scream of agony tore through the air. Xu Laodao's Iron Body was pressed down, entangled by countless lonely souls and wild ghosts, erupting in cries of torment.
THUD!
It crashed heavily onto the ground, shattering the bluestone paving. It rolled and struggled, but the densely packed wronged spirits (fēngkuáng) , madly drained its life force and blood energy.
In mere moments, the Iron Body rapidly withered, collapsing onto the ground like a sheet of paper, its bones utterly shattered…
The Hall of Tranquil Mind fell completely silent. A hundred ghosts drifted, collectively raising their heads to look at the officials.
Ren Ye stood before the great hall, his body ramrod straight, facing the (bǎiguān) , assembled officials. He shouted:
"Will someone please tell me... where are those blades meant to kill me now?!!"