The capital was heavily guarded. After Baili Duyue muttered a spell, he disappeared without a trace. Meanwhile, Sang Feiwan feigned exhaustion, resting and dozing off in a nearby pavilion while secretly keeping an eye out.
Baili Duyue was already a master at the Tian Yan Realm. Stealing a bead should be easy, but he mustn't be discovered, or he'd lose both face and substance.
As the Lord of Cangdu City, coming to the capital to act as a petty thief wouldn’t sound good if it got out. However, Baili Duyue was fixated on this matter and couldn’t be stopped.
While Sang Feiwan was lost in thought, observing his surroundings, a servant carrying a tray of wine suddenly approached from a distance. With a casual glance, Sang Feiwan was stunned on the spot.
It was because the servant's appearance was strikingly similar to Duan Yang's, the protagonist.
Duan Yang had once been beaten and thrown out of the city lord's mansion, left with only half a life and further drugged by Sang Feiwan with all sorts of random medications. For an ordinary person, they wouldn’t just be severely injured; they might even die.
Yet here he was, not only alive but also in the capital.
Could this be the legendary protagonist's luck?
Thinking of this, Sang Feiwan furrowed his brows and quietly drew a dagger from his sleeve, which Baili Duyue had previously given him for protection. The luckier Duan Yang seemed to be, the more powerful the protagonist’s aura felt to him. And the stronger the protagonist's aura, the more he wanted to…
Eliminate the other party…
Sang Feiwan watched as Duan Yang walked away, concealing the sharp blade in his sleeve and discreetly following him. Although he had never killed anyone and didn’t want to, Duan Yang’s existence was like a ticking time bomb, and it was better to get rid of him sooner rather than later.
Duan Yang, who was walking ahead, was completely unaware that he was being followed. He carried the tray and walked through the palace roads, taking several turns, and finally arrived at an external hall garden. However, before he could enter the hall, his lower back suddenly hit something. A sharp pain struck, accompanied by a chilling cold.
Duan Yang's hand trembled, and the tray almost slipped from his grasp.
"Who's there?!"
"Shhh…”
Sang Feiwan smiled and pressed his index finger to his lips, whispering in Duan Yang's ear, "You'd better hold onto your stuff tightly. If your hand shakes, mine will too."
The tip of the dagger stealthily approached, and the piercing pain became increasingly noticeable.
Duan Yang broke out in a cold sweat. He felt the voice sounded somewhat familiar, but for a moment, he couldn't recall who it was. Trembling, he asked, "What... what do you want to do..."
Antagonists shouldn't talk too much. When you want to kill someone, just stab directly. Otherwise, various unexpected situations might arise.
Understanding this principle well, Sang Feiwan directly dragged Duan Yang to a secluded corner, twisted his wrist, and tried to stab him. However, at this moment, the dagger seemed to encounter some resistance and couldn't pierce through.
Sang Feiwan whispered, "Hmm? Are you wearing chainmail?"
Duan Yang was terrified. The tray clattered to the ground, and he couldn’t hear what Sang Feiwan said clearly. Just as Sang Feiwan was about to incapacitate him, a blue light suddenly struck his dagger, and the blade flew far away.
"Who?!"
Sang Feiwan instinctively looked towards the source of the sound. With a creak, the double doors of the hall slowly opened, and a man in a yellow robe walked out. He had a gentle face and an imposing demeanor, surprisingly the young prince Fu Yuhao who had left the banquet earlier.
Seeing this, Sang Feiwan was stunned. His first reaction was that he had been caught in the act of committing a crime. His brain began to work rapidly, thinking about how to explain the scene just now. However, before he could speak, Fu Yuhao reprimanded him with a helpless tone.
"Why can't you change your rash nature? Why did you try to kill him for no reason?"
It sounded... familiar?
Sang Feiwan was filled with doubts upon hearing this. The words he was about to say were swallowed back, thinking, does Fu Yuhao know the original owner of the body? And the relationship seemed quite deep; the information was too revealing.
He wrote erotic stories, not melodramatic ones.
Even if the heavens can automatically complete the plot, it shouldn’t be this absurd.
Fu Yuhao seemed unaware of Sang Feiwan's strange expression. He descended the steps with his hands behind his back, his gaze falling on the terrified Duan Yang on the ground. Then he lightly retracted his gaze and looked at Sang Feiwan, "I had ordered you to conceal your cultivation and infiltrate Baili Duyue's side. I was still worried and had my spies monitor you day and night, assisting you. I didn't expect to see this man being driven out of the mansion..."
Fu Yuhao chuckled, "I found him pitiful, and he's quite clever, so I kept him by my side."
Sang Feiwan remained silent.
He really didn't know what to say.
Listening to Fu Yuhao's words, it seemed he was the mastermind behind the scenes. But he had no grudge against Baili Duyue, so why target him?
After a long silence, Sang Feiwan finally dryly said a word, "...Oh."
He didn’t dare to say more, feeling that saying one more word would reveal his intentions.
Fu Yuhao: "...”
Fu Yuhao seemed to feel that Sang Feiwan's temperament was different from before, as if he had changed. He scrutinized Sang Feiwan for a moment with a puzzled look, but the face was still the same, without any trace of impersonation.
After a moment of silence, Fu Yuhao finally spoke, "Speak inside the hall if you have something to say. There are too many eyes outside."
After saying this, he glanced at Duan Yang and ordered indifferently, "Step back, you don’t need to serve here anymore."
Duan Yang was scared out of his wits. Upon hearing this, he quickly picked up the tray and left. Before leaving, he discreetly glanced at Sang Feiwan and then withdrew his gaze with shock, squeezing his fingertips so hard that he almost pinched the flesh off.
How could it be Sang Feiwan?
How could it be Sang Feiwan?!!
Duan Yang was originally bound by a system, and he had to capture the true feelings of the target character to complete the mission. His first target was Baili Duyue. He was originally confident but didn't expect to encounter Sang Feiwan, a disaster, and fail before he could even start. Not only did he fail to capture Baili Duyue, but he was also almost beaten to death and thrown out of the mansion.
He once lay dying on the street, thinking he was about to die. However, he was unexpectedly saved by a stranger and ended up in the imperial capital of Zhong Zhou, serving by the side of the young prince Fu Yuhao.
Fu Yuhao was the second target assigned by the system to Duan Yang.
To save his life, Duan Yang could only try his best to flatter and serve Fu Yuhao. Just when things were looking up, he was taken under Fu Yuhao's wing. How could he encounter Sang Feiwan again, this disaster?!
Duan Yang suddenly remembered overhearing servants chatting in the kitchen today. They said that Baili Duyue, the lord of Cangdu City, had brought a man of exceptional beauty to the banquet. The two of them had already pledged their love, which was truly a perfect match. He felt a sharp pain in his heart.
Why...
Why could Sang Feiwan be so successful...
He was bound by the system, so he should be the protagonist, so why was he in such a miserable state...
Duan Yang had served by Fu Yuhao's side for a long time, gaining his trust. He also knew a thing or two about Fu Yuhao planting a spy by Baili Duyue's side. He just didn’t expect that Sang Feiwan was that spy, and he was secretly shocked.
If you ask Duan Yang whether he wants to complete the mission, he certainly does.
But if you ask Duan Yang whether he wants to get revenge on Sang Feiwan, he wants it even more!
In the face of deep hatred, everything else is secondary.
After being almost killed by Sang Feiwan, the medicine given to him that night made him lose interest in intimate matters. Now, he even wanted to tear Sang Feiwan apart.
Good...
Very good...
Duan Yang walked down the corridor with a dark expression, and for some reason, he suddenly laughed coldly. Given Baili Duyue's temperament, if he knew Sang Feiwan was deceiving him, he didn't know how he would react.
Sang Feiwan, oh Sang Feiwan, you also have a day...
On the other hand, Sang Feiwan was unaware of Duan Yang's thoughts. Forced by the situation, he could only grit his teeth and follow Fu Yuhao into the somewhat remote palace.
Upon entering the hall, Fu Yuhao saw the fading scent of the auspicious beast incense in the middle, and took out a carved incense box from the side, carefully picking a spoonful of incense into it. "Today's banquet is really boring, so I came out alone. Why are you also outside? And where is Baili Duyue?"
Sang Feiwan knew that Fu Yuhao was probing for information about Baili Duyue, so he deliberately made up a half-true and half-false reason, "He seems unwilling to stay at the banquet for long and left early. I don't know where he went and was looking for him just now."
Fu Yuhao chuckled, "Of course, he naturally wouldn’t want to stay at the banquet for long. Who would want to stay on the territory of the man who killed his father."
It was originally an unintentional remark, but it caused a huge wave in Sang Feiwan's heart.
Killed his father? What does that mean?!
Did Baili Qingdu's death have hidden motives? Was he not killed due to severe injuries, but was instead murdered by Emperor Fu Yujin?
Sang Feiwan unconsciously used her writer's intuition and speculated in her mind:
Emperor Fu Yujin fell in love with Qian Jiangyue. However, Qian Jiangyue was already married at that time. Therefore, Fu Yujin had to kill Baili Qingdu and take his wife for himself?
It made sense.
It was reasonable.
But Sang Feiwan still couldn't understand why Fu Yuhao targeted Baili Duyue. Unfortunately, she couldn't ask, as it would reveal too much.
Fu Yuhao seemed to remember something and casually asked, "Did I instruct you to poison Baili Duyue's drink? Did you do it?"
Sang Feiwan paused at his words, then calmly replied, "I followed your orders, there's no reason not to."
Fu Yuhao asked, "Really?"
Sang Feiwan retorted, "Of course it's true. Don't you trust me?"
He seemed calm and composed, with a mysterious smile in his eyes, as if he was trying to poison someone, no longer showing his previous naivety. Fu Yuhao had initially regarded Sang Feiwan as merely a pawn with some beauty, but seeing his now, he felt a slight ripple in his heart and praised him:
"No wonder Baili Duyue wants to be your dao partner. Who wouldn't be moved by your beauty..."
Fu Yuhao paused, then said mysteriously, "Feiwan, would you do one more thing for me?"
Of course.
Sang Feiwan regretted killing Duan Yang. If he hadn't killed Duan Yang, he wouldn't have met Fu Yuhao and wouldn't be in this awkward situation now, unable to leave.
But in order to deceive him and leave as soon as possible, Sang Feiwan had to force herself to say, "Please instruct me, young master."
Fu Yuhao seemed to have a plan in mind, "After the banquet, Baili Duyue will definitely not stay for another moment. Find a way to make him stay, he must spend the night in the capital."
Sang Feiwan thought it must be no good. He discreetly asked, "Why?"
Fu Yuhao looked up at him, his expression gentle, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, "Don't ask too much. Didn't you say you would do anything for me, even if it meant going through fire and water? Why are you hesitating now?"
Dream on.
Sang Feiwan thought, "Who do you think you are to make me go through fire and water?" He smiled and said, "I just want to know your plans so I can act accordingly."
But Fu Yuhao insisted, "Just don't ask too much..."
His cold fingertips gently touched Sang Feiwan's face, as if rewarding him, and whispered, "Just know that once my grand plan succeeds, you will be the most favored person by my side."
At this point, Sang Feiwan finally understood the situation. The original owner of the body was deceived by Fu Yuhao. Such empty promises of being the "most favored" could only fool a three-year-old. Who would believe that now?
There is no true love in this world, it's all about deceiving each other and seeing who can deceive the other till the end.
Sang Feiwan tried to feign a "touched" expression, "Young master... Young master is really good to me…”
For some reason, Sang Feiwan used to enjoy acting in front of Baili Duyue, finding it somewhat amusing. However, when he acted in front of Fu Yuhao, he felt an indescribable disgust and discomfort.
Fu Yuhao seemed to dislike Sang Feiwan's superficial appearance. Seeing this, he withdrew his hand and took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve, handing it to Sang Feiwan, "I used a Gu poison to seal your cultivation before. It's been about that time. Take one pill every ten days from this bottle, and it will maintain for three months."
Sang Feiwan realized why his spiritual power had been inconsistent; it was sealed by the Gu poison. He was foolish to continue taking them, but he still took the bottle and obediently said, "Thank you, young master."
Fu Yuhao said, "It's getting late, you should leave soon. Don't let Baili Duyue suspect anything."
Sang Feiwan was waiting for this. Hearing this, he immediately turned and left without looking back. Fu Yuhao seemed stunned by his decisive departure, standing still in a daze.
Sang Feiwan almost ran out of the hall, heading straight to the Empress's sleeping quarters. Calculating the time, she had spent almost the duration of a cup of tea inside, wondering if Baili Duyue had come out.
Coincidentally, just as Sang Feiwan arrived at the door of the sleeping quarters, Baili Duyue came out. Subconsciously, he approached and asked, "How are you? Are you hurt?"
It seemed Baili Duyue's complexion was somewhat pale, but it was hard to see clearly in the dark. Seeing Sang Feiwan still there, he hesitated for a moment and put down the hand covering his abdomen, "Didn't I say if I hadn't come out in the time it takes an incense stick to burn, you should return to the banquet? Why are you still here?"
Sang Feiwan responded, "I miscalculated the time. Were you discovered?"
Baili Duyue remained silent, took something from his pocket, and directly threw it into Sang Feiwan's arms. Sang Feiwan instinctively caught it, seeing it was a golden bead the size of a thumb, emitting a dazzling light in the darkness. It was heavy in his hand, containing boundless spiritual power, causing the suppressed power within him to stir.
Did Baili Duyue really steal it?!
Sang Feiwan was surprised, "You..."
Baili Duyue looked at him seriously and whispered, "In a few days, when I return to Cang Du, I will help you refine your channels. When your cultivation rises in the future, you can share the same lifespan as the Lord of the City, not confined to a human lifespan."
He seemed to really want to stay with Sang Feiwan for a long time...
He seemed genuinely afraid that Sang Feiwan would be as fragile as those mortals, easily taken by worldly diseases and disasters...
He feared more that there would be a time he couldn't save Sang Feiwan.
As long as he lived, Sang Feiwan would live too.
Living together, dying together,
It couldn't be better...
Baili Duyue straightforwardly threw the priceless inner pill into Sang Feiwan's arms. He seemed to throw out a bead, but it was more like throwing out his sincere heart.
Sang Feiwan caught it and felt it was burning hot.
"......”
Upon hearing this, Sang Feiwan felt the golden bead in his hand was not only heavy but also burning hot. He paused and suddenly opened his arms slowly towards Baili Duyue. Under the bright moonlight, his expression seemed so gentle that it almost felt unreal in the night. He smiled and said, "Come over..."
He suddenly felt like hugging Baili Duyue.
For no reason.
Without hesitation, Baili Duyue obediently moved into Sang Feiwan's embrace. Sang Feiwan gently stroked Baili Duyue's silver hair with his fingertips and kissed his forehead, whispering, "Aren't you afraid of entrusting the wrong person?"
Confused by the sudden question, Baili Duyue looked at Sang Feiwan, his eyes blank and dazed.
His pale face was clearly visible under the moonlight, and there was even an imperceptible trace of blood at the corner of his lips.
Sang Feiwan knew then that this fool must have been injured when he stole the golden pill earlier...
At that moment, Sang Feiwan felt a bit sorry for Baili Duyue, as if anyone could easily deceive and hurt him. His cold heart softened for a moment, and he kissed Baili Duyue's earlobe gently, inexplicably changing his tone, "I was just joking..."
Just like what Sang Feiwan said in the dungeon that day:
"Those who betray true feelings are unforgivable, and those who betray the City Lord should be put to death..."
He was unforgivable, and he should be put to death...
But perhaps it was the exceptionally bright moonlight tonight that made Sang Feiwan momentarily wish he was a kind person.
No unforgivable sins, no deserving death...
A good person, a kind person...
However, Sang Feiwan's unusual emotions only lasted for a brief moment and quickly returned to normal. He was afraid of staying out too long with Baili Duyue and arousing suspicion. Thus, without further delay, he quietly returned to the banquet while no one was paying attention.
At that time, the Emperor had just gone to the rear hall to change. Many guests were already heavily intoxicated, mumbling nonsense as they leaned on the table. They were all assisted by palace maids to rest in the side hall, likely to stay overnight.
When Sang Feiwan took his seat, he casually glanced at the head of the table and saw that Fu Yuhao had also returned to his seat at some point. With a calm and composed demeanor, he sat upright behind the table, and no one could see through his true intentions.
He's really good at pretending.
Sang Feiwan quickly averted his gaze. He looked at Baili Duyue and whispered, "Once the banquet is over, let's hurry back to Cangdu tonight. It's better not to stay here."
He had long disregarded Fu Yuhao's instructions.
Baili Duyue hesitated, "Why? Don't you like it here?"
Sang Feiwan found an excuse, "The golden bead is missing. The Empress will surely notice when she returns to her chamber tonight. It's better for us to leave early."
Baili Duyue actually had the same idea, not because he was afraid the Empress would discover something but simply because he didn't like staying in Zhong Zhou, "Alright."
However, things didn't go as planned. After a few rounds of wine, as the banquet was about to disperse and everyone was preparing to leave the hall, a scream of terror suddenly came from outside, followed by a panicked palace maid rushing in, "Emperor! Empress! Something terrible has happened! In the side hall... there's a dead body!"
Her words caused an uproar in the hall.
Fu Yuhao immediately stood up from his seat with a serious tone, "What exactly happened? Speak clearly!"
The Empress remained indifferent, only raising her eyes to look at the panicked palace maid, her emotions concealed.
The palace maid was frightened out of her wits and knelt on the ground, stammering, "Just now... just now, Master You Yunxian drank too much Qian Ri Drunken Wine and vomited heavily. I helped him to the guest hall to rest and went to the kitchen to get some sobering soup. But when I returned, I found... I found Master You Yunxian dead..."
Her explanation only made the situation more absurd.
Master You Yunxian was a scattered immortal from the Nine Mountain Immortal Mansion, several hundred years old, and at the Tian Yan realm. He was almost unmatched in the Cloud Realm. How could he die for no reason, and on the Emperor's birthday no less?!
Who would dare to harm him in the Bi Gui Building?!
Fu Yuhao directly reprimanded, "Nonsense! Do you know the consequences of speaking nonsense in front of me?"
The palace maid kowtowed in fear, tears streaming down, "I dare not deceive, if Young Master doesn't believe, just go to the guest hall and see for yourself..."
Fu Yuhao's face turned dark. He immediately informed the Emperor and led everyone to the guest hall. Sang Feiwan and Baili Duyue exchanged puzzled glances, both sensing that something was amiss. They followed the crowd to investigate the truth.
The guest hall was not far, just through two corridors. When everyone hurriedly arrived and took a look, they saw a man covered in blood lying in the middle of the main hall, his face twisted in fear, and his dantian seemed to be broken open, a mess of flesh and blood. It was indeed Master You Yunxian!
The crowd immediately exclaimed in shock.
"Ah! It really is Master You Yunxian!"
"Who would dare to act at the Emperor's birthday?!"
"How audacious!"
Just as the guests were extremely surprised, City Lord of White Bone Si Wujiu suddenly chuckled twice, walked up to examine the body, but his expression suddenly changed. He angrily shouted, "You Yunxian old man's inner pill has been dug out!"
Don't misunderstand.
He wasn't sympathizing with Master You Yunxian.
He wanted to secretly take the inner pill of Master You Yunxian while examining the body. But he found out that someone had already taken it, and he was infuriated.
Sang Feiwan was secretly surprised and subconsciously looked at Baili Duyue, silently asking: Could it be you who took the inner pill?!
Baili Duyue noticed Sang Feiwan's gaze, paused briefly, and then glared back angrily.
He took the inner pill from the Empress's crown, not from Master You Yunxian. What was Sang Feiwan implying?!
Sang Feiwan suddenly felt that his speculation was unlikely and awkwardly withdrew his gaze. Baili Duyue had only recently entered the Tian Yan realm, with an unstable foundation. Even if he was a genius, he could only barely match Master You Yunxian, how could he possibly kill him and take his inner pill?
With a high-level immortal dead, this matter was naturally of great importance and soon alarmed the Emperor. When Fu Yujin rushed to Master You Yunxian's residence surrounded by the palace attendants, his face immediately darkened, and he coldly said, "Such audacity, daring to kill and steal the inner pill within my Zhong Zhou territory, truly arrogant!”
Fu Yuhao bowed and said, "Father, the immediate priority is to quickly find the murderer. This person was able to kill Yu Yunxian, indicating that their strength is not inferior to his. If we delay, more immortals might be harmed."
The Lord of Tianxiang City, Hua Qinyi, was already startled by the body. Upon hearing that the murderer was powerful and likely to strike again, she became irritated and frowned, "It seems we should not stay here long. It's better to leave as soon as possible."
She was muttering to herself, but unexpectedly, what she said was heard by Fu Yuhao, "Lady Hua, I'm afraid I have to trouble you to stay. We can't leave just yet."
Hua Qinyi widened her eyes in surprise. Before she could get angry, a cold voice sounded beside her, "Why?"
She looked over subconsciously and saw Baili Duyue.
Fu Yuhao bowed to Baili Duyue, apologizing, "Please forgive me, Lord Baili. The truth of the matter has not been revealed yet, and everyone is a suspect. Especially with many experts of the Tian Yan realm present, to avoid misunderstandings, it would be best to stay in the imperial capital for now. After I determine the cause of Yu Yunxian's death, we can leave."
Someone spoke up, "If you want to investigate, just investigate the experts of the Tian Yan realm. Those of us in the Dividing Spirit and Combining Dao realm don't need to join in the fun. How could we have killed him and stolen his elixir?"
Hearing this, Sang Feiwan felt more and more that there was a conspiracy behind the incident and it would be best to leave as soon as possible. The golden elixir had been hidden long ago, and he wasn't afraid of Fu Yuhao ordering a search. He was concerned that Fu Yuhao might harm Baili Duyue.
After much thought, Sang Feiwan finally made a decision. He pretended to be scared and hid behind Baili Duyue, whispering with a worried look, "Lord, look how terrifying the corpse is."
Baili Duyue: "?"
Sang Feiwan sighed, "I'm really scared. I'm afraid I'll have nightmares and have trouble sleeping and eating when I return."
Baili Duyue: "??"
Sang Feiwan finally revealed his true intentions, "Let's find a way to return to Cangdu as soon as possible. The sooner, the better."
The moment he finished speaking, he caught a glimpse of a bright yellow figure from the corner of his eye, followed by Fu Yuhao's gentle and concerned voice, "Lord Baili's companion seems to be quite frightened. It's not suitable for him to travel anymore. Why not stay in the palace for the night?"
Sang Feiwan froze in place: "......"
Oh dear.