CHAPTER EIGHT — ONE WHO HAS DONE WHAT HE HAS DONE
What Tang Ke Xin did not know—what even Master Hui Yuan himself had not foreseen—was that the man who had already descended the mountain had, at this very moment, returned.
Nor did Liu Ruyue realise that Tang Ke Xin had seen through her every move. In her mind, her scheme was flawless. As long as Tang Ke Xin drank the tea she had so carefully tampered with, everything would be resolved. One sip, and the troublesome girl would be finished.
"Miss Liu's little seduction powder is rather impressive."
Tang Ke Xin's voice was soft, almost lazy, accompanied by a faint smile that did not reach her eyes. She had chosen her seat deliberately—slightly removed from the others, with no one close enough to overhear. Liu Ruyue now stood directly before her, blocking the view of the hall. Only Dong'er, standing discreetly behind, could hear the words Tang Ke Xin murmured under her breath.
Liu Ruyue's eyes widened.
She knows?
How could she possibly know?
Her shock lasted only a heartbeat before she forced her expression back into calm. Even if Tang Ke Xin suspected her, she had no proof. And without proof, Tang Ke Xin could do nothing.
Still, a tremor of unease rippled through her. She had been meticulous—silent, discreet, flawless. She had even ensured Sir Lin's death left no trace. Not even the Crown Prince had discovered the truth. How could Tang Ke Xin possibly know?
She must be bluffing, Liu Ruyue told herself. Trying to frighten me.
Dong'er, however, heard every word. Her expression darkened, and a cold, murderous glint flashed in her eyes. But she held her tongue.
"Of course," Tang Ke Xin continued lightly, "infatuation powder is even more effective."
Liu Ruyue's composure cracked.
"What did you say?" she whispered sharply, her voice trembling despite her efforts to control it.
Fear flickered in her eyes—raw, instinctive, impossible to hide.
Tang Ke Xin leaned back, her smile serene.
"There is a certain type of ecstasy poison," she said softly, "not quite a Gu, yet similar. The victim feels nothing unusual. Even physicians cannot detect it. But unfortunately for you, I know how to identify it. A few drops of blood mixed with acid will reveal everything."
Her tone was gentle, almost soothing—yet to Liu Ruyue, it struck like thunder.
"You… how do you know?"
Liu Ruyue's voice cracked. Her hands trembled. Her entire body stiffened with terror.
Tang Ke Xin's smile deepened, slow and graceful, like a willow branch swaying over still water.
"How I know is unimportant. What matters," she murmured, "is that I know the consequences."
Liu Ruyue felt her blood run cold. The Tang Ke Xin before her was no longer the fool she had once mocked. She was calm, sharp, and terrifyingly composed—like a demon wearing a gentle smile.
"What do you want?" Liu Ruyue whispered, her voice barely audible.
Tang Ke Xin pushed the teacup toward her.
"Nothing at all. Merely that you drink the tea you so kindly prepared."
Liu Ruyue's breath caught.
Tang Ke Xin knew.
She knew the tea was poisoned.
And yet she wanted her to drink it.
"You think Mu Shaoyi will believe you?" Liu Ruyue hissed, clinging to her last thread of confidence. "Even if you tell him, he will not believe you. He only believes me."
"Yes," Tang Ke Xin replied mildly, "he is infatuated with you. But what if that infatuation were to fade?"
Liu Ruyue's face drained of colour.
Only she and her uncle knew the true nature of the infatuation powder. Without it, Mu Shaoyi's feelings would crumble like dust.
"And," Tang Ke Xin added, her tone light, "there are people who can dispel it."
Liu Ruyue forced a cold smile. "Do you take me for a child? You expect me to believe you know the antidote?"
Tang Ke Xin's lips curved.
"Two measures of musk. Four of Su He incense. And a pinch of ice shards."
The words fell like stones into a silent lake.
Liu Ruyue's face turned ashen. Her eyes widened in horror.
Impossible.
No one knows the antidote except my uncle and me.
"If I dispel his poison," Tang Ke Xin said softly, "Mu Shaoyi will investigate. And you know better than anyone what he will do when he learns the truth."
Liu Ruyue trembled violently. She knew Mu Shaoyi's temperament. If he discovered her schemes, her fate would be worse than death.
"You… what do you want?" she whispered again, her voice breaking.
Tang Ke Xin merely glanced at the teacup.
Dong'er, watching silently, felt awe rise within her. Her mistress was brilliant—terrifyingly brilliant.
Liu Ruyue understood. She had no choice.
She lifted the cup with trembling hands. She knew the poison's effects. She knew the danger. But she also knew she could run back to her room and take the antidote before it fully took hold.
She drank.
"Congratulations again, Miss Tang," she said stiffly. "I suddenly feel unwell. I shall return to my room."
She turned sharply, desperate to flee.
"Young Master Mu."
Tang Ke Xin's calm voice drifted across the hall.
Mu Shaoyi paused, startled.
Young Master Mu?
She had never addressed him so formally before.
Liu Ruyue froze mid‑step, terror gripping her anew. She dared not stop, yet she could not help but turn her head.
"I have something to tell Young Master Mu," Tang Ke Xin said, her tone light, almost casual.
Liu Ruyue's heart pounded. Her palms were slick with sweat. She stared at Tang Ke Xin, dread twisting in her chest.
"What is it?" Mu Shaoyi asked impatiently.
Tang Ke Xin looked at him for a long moment, her lips parting slightly—as though she were about to reveal something devastating.
Liu Ruyue felt her soul leave her body.
Then Tang Ke Xin blinked, tilted her head, and said softly,
"Oh… I've forgotten. My apologies. I've only just recovered from illness. My memory is still rather poor."
Dong'er nearly choked.
Her mistress was doing this on purpose.
And it was glorious.
Liu Ruyue, in her panic, had momentarily forgotten the very reason she had wished to flee. For a fleeting instant, she had even found Tang Ke Xin's feigned innocence almost… endearing. But the illusion shattered the moment she remembered the poison coursing through her veins.
Her heart lurched violently.
She needed to leave—immediately.
Yet when she attempted to take a step, her legs refused to obey. A strange weakness spread through her limbs, cold and swift, like water seeping into cracked stone.
Her breath caught.
Too late.
The poison had already begun its work.
A wave of terror washed over her. She knew the effects all too well—she had crafted the powder herself, after all. Her face drained of colour, her thoughts scattering like frightened birds.
Tang Ke Xin watched her with calm detachment, her gaze cool and steady. A faint, knowing smile touched her lips.
Perfect timing.
The poison had taken hold exactly as she had anticipated.
There was an old saying:
The heavens may forgive the sins they inflict, but never those one inflicts upon oneself.
Liu Ruyue had drugged and murdered the original Tang Ke Xin. Tonight, she had attempted to poison her once more.
Now, at last, she would taste the bitter fruit of her own malice.
Tang Ke Xin's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, a quiet sneer curling in her heart.
Let her suffer the consequences she so eagerly prepared for others.
And so, in the midst of the bustling meditation hall—unseen, unheard, unnoticed by all but two—Liu Ruyue began to crumble beneath the weight of her own wickedness.