Captured by the Emperor After a Successful Faked Death - Chapter 16

“Every time I encounter Cuckoo Blood, I am exceptionally unlucky…”

Xie Chengyun lacked stability in his lower stance, but his strength was immense. He was capable of shooting a marquis from a hundred miles away, and his swordsmanship was a rare match in this era.

He did not pull his punch. Within a few breaths, Wuhanda’s face began to swell.

Wuhanda reached up to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. He possessed a beauty that was distinctly exotic: deep blue eyes like the ocean, long wavy hair resembling sea kelp, a high-bridged nose, and profound features. His entire being radiated male pheromones. Wuhanda was not angered by the slap.

He reached out and tucked a lock of Xie Chengyun’s long hair behind his ear, smiling as he spoke, “You are so beautiful; you should wear an earring. How about I give you one?”

Just as he spoke, the door was suddenly pushed open.

The posture between Xie Chengyun and Wuhanda at that moment was extremely suggestive, like lovers flirting under the flowers.

Gu Minsheng was stunned by the sight and immediately rushed forward to push Wuhanda away.

Drawing his long saber, he roared, “Wuhanda, you animal!”

Wuhanda did not defend himself, instead revealing a meaningful smile. Xie Chengyun held Gu Minsheng back and said with an expressionless face, “I didn’t I tell you to go to the palace? Why are you here?”

Gu Minsheng, too preoccupied to settle scores with Wuhanda, bowed and said, “Eunuch Li said Your Majesty had left the palace and told me I could find you here, so I came.”

Xie Chengyun supported his head, while Wuhanda, ever the one to stir up trouble, took two steps forward. “So this is your little Emperor? Not even twenty and already lingering in pleasure houses? A-Yun, why not return to the grasslands with me? We can be as we were before riding horses, shooting arrows. Isn’t it better to leave this golden cage and be free?”

Xie Chengyun did not answer his question. He raised his head to look at Wuhanda and said, “I haven’t asked why you appeared here. Are you not afraid that I will bind you and trade you for horses and cities?”

Wuhanda pressed suggestively against Xie Chengyun’s face; there was a familiar fragrance on him.

“My life was saved by you. If you want it, it is yours.”

Gu Minsheng leveled his saber between the two, teeth gritted, “Talk is fine, but keep your hands to yourself.”

“I barely find the Marquis of Dingyuan worthy of notice; what are you supposed to be?”

“You!”

Just as Gu Minsheng reached for his blade again, Xie Chengyun stepped forward and buried his face in Wuhanda’s chest, though it was unclear what he was doing.

Wuhanda was pleasantly surprised, rubbing against Xie Chengyun’s hair as he said, “Good A-Yun, I knew you were on my side.”

Before he could finish his sentence, Xie Chengyun’s icy hand clamped around his throat. “Why is there the scent of Wujin Powder on you? Wuhanda, you are the future Khan of the grasslands. What is your motive for entering the capital alone?”

Almost simultaneously, Gu Minsheng’s long saber was unsheathed, its cold light flashing as it rested against Wuhanda’s shoulder.

Wuhanda finally dropped his frivolous demeanor, looking at Xie Chengyun with a resigned expression. “It has been six years. I missed you, and I wanted to come see you.”

“Do not use those messy things you learned from storybooks on me. Wuhanda, do not lie to me. You know my methods. Since I could wash the city of Jinyang in blood, I can naturally wash the City of Nevernight in blood.”

Wuhanda raised his hands, aggrieved. “Fine, fine, I will say it. I will tell you everything. We are old acquaintances who grew up together, at least; can we not sit and talk properly? A-Yun, you are the Khatun I have chosen. Anything you wish to know, I will tell you.”

Xie Chengyun’s hand remained like a pair of pliers around his throat, his face cold as frost.

“A-Yun, from childhood until now, when have I ever lied to you?”

At this point, Xie Chengyun finally lowered his hand, though Gu Minsheng’s blade remained leveled at his shoulder.

Wuhanda, completely unbothered, sat back down on the round stool and poured himself a cup of wine. “Do you know of Cuckoo Blood?”

“Of course.”

“Then do you know that Wujin Powder no, it should be called ‘Immortal Pill’ now spread from Cuckoo Blood?”

“Wuhanda, you should know I do not like listening to nonsense.”

“Do not be so impatient. I was just about to get to the point.”

But the moment he finished speaking, a loud crash came from outside.

A troop of Black Cavalry surrounded the Zhaixing Pavilion, terrifying the commoners into fleeing everywhere. With a powerful twist of his hand, Wuhanda snatched the long saber from Gu Minsheng’s grasp.

Xie Chengyun picked up a dagger from the floor, intending to throw it at Wuhanda, but it was too late.

Wuhanda pressed the blade against Gu Minsheng, disdainfully saying, “I said it before: what are you, to think you are worthy of holding a sword against me?” He looked at Xie Chengyun. “A-Yun, you should have known I find this brat displeasing. If you don’t want him to lose his life, put down what is in your hand.”

Xie Chengyun knew the moment had passed and tossed the dagger aside. “You said you wouldn’t lie to me.”

“Of course I didn’t lie. Everything I said is the truth.”

Seeing Xie Chengyun’s unpleasant expression, Wuhanda leaned close to him while pressing down on Gu Minsheng, speaking intimately. “This matter concerns the future of the grasslands; I cannot tell you. Of course, if you are willing to worship the Moon God and enter the bridal chamber with me, then it wouldn’t matter if I told you.”

Fearing Xie Chengyun would ruin his health with anger, Wuhanda added, “Wujin Powder is no longer something that can be banned just because one wants to. Cuckoo Blood has already permeated the upper beams. Even with all the talents of Xie Chengyun, you cannot withstand insects gnawing from within. The upper beams of Shangliang are already on the verge of collapse; why not go with the flow? The grasslands will not treat you unfairly.”

Wuhanda was extremely close to Xie Chengyun. Suddenly, Xie Chengyun smiled.

Amidst the red curtains and warm fragrance, the beauty looked like a rainbow, and Wuhanda lost his focus.

In a flash, Xie Chengyun pulled a short blade from his boot. Wuhanda was forced to release Gu Minsheng and retreat repeatedly.

The window was not far away. Before leaving, Wuhanda could not resist taking one last advantage, stroking Xie Chengyun’s face. “A-Yun, stay in the capital and do not leave. Listen to me; I would never harm you.”

The next moment, Xie Chengyun plunged the short blade into Wuhanda’s abdomen.

Fresh blood stained his clothes, flowing everywhere.

Wuhanda did not care. “The next time we meet, I will put the earrings belonging to the Khatun on you.” After saying this, he turned over the window and jumped.

Below, there happened to be a black steed. With a whistle, the horse carried Wuhanda away.

The city guards could not stop them; these cavalrymen were elites of the grasslands.

Watching them retreat, Xie Chengyun helped Gu Minsheng up. “How are you? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Gu Minsheng said as he rose. “I have seen blood and slaughter on the battlefield; what does this count for?”

Xie Chengyun stood up and began to walk outside. “Did Eunuch Li say why His Majesty came to Zhaixing Pavilion?”

“No. Eunuch Li only said that after His Majesty read a secret report, he left the palace.”

Hearing this, Xie Chengyun frowned and looked at the red-curtained bed, as if something had caught his attention.

He turned back, pulled up the bedding, and knocked on the bed board.

It produced a hollow echo. Xie Chengyun stood up, and Gu Minsheng, with tacit understanding, stepped forward to lift the board.

Xie Chengyun felt around for something and pressed a protrusion he discovered.

With a clanging sound, a secret passage appeared before their eyes.

The question of why Zhu Yunyin and Wuhanda had suddenly appeared here was now answered.

Xie Chengyun, clutching his short blade, entered first. A moment later, Gu Minsheng followed with an oil lamp, not forgetting to restore the bed to its original state before they left.

The light was dim, unable to illuminate the long, winding path ahead.

Gu Minsheng walked ahead in long strides. Knowing his body was not what it used to be, Xie Chengyun followed steadily behind with his blade ready.

As they went deeper, the space grew wider.

A massive, nameless stone statue stood in the center, surrounded by red candles, long incense, and the sound of colorful bells.

Even though the statue had no mouth, Xie Chengyun inexplicably felt as though the deity were smiling at him.

Footsteps could be heard from inside. Gu Minsheng hurriedly blew out the oil lamp and protected Xie Chengyun as they hid in the shadows.

He only heard the newcomer say, “Did the Cult Master not say we would discuss how to escape the capital together today?”

“The Cult Master is currently guarding the Saintess; how could he concern himself with us small fry? Ever since the sacrifice at Chu Jiang, the Saintess has been anxious and fearful, constantly saying she wants to kill that tyrant, Zhu Yunyin.”

The man nudged his companion with his elbow. “Isn’t it strange? That little Emperor only just took over the government from the hands of the Prime Minister Xie; why does the Saintess say he is a tyrant?”

“Hush! The Saintess naturally has her reasons; how are we to speculate?”

From the moment Xie Chengyun heard that Yu Lianlian wanted to kill Zhu Yunyin, the killing intent in his eyes could not be contained.

In Zhaixing Pavilion, Zhu Yunyin stood alone in the room, just like Xie Chengyun back then knowing there was a problem but unable to find where it lay.

With the Black Cavalry’s escape causing chaos, the atmosphere within Zhaixing Pavilion was one of panic.

A guard climbed in through the window, cupping his fists. “Your Majesty, news just came from the palace: Captain Gu came looking for you earlier, saying Prime Minister Xie was in a great rage and demands to see you.”

Zhu Yunyin had been pacing here for half an hour. Thinking of Xie Chengyun waiting for him, he took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands and asked, “Did he say what the Prime Minister wanted to see me for?”

“Eunuch Li did not say, but a secret agent from the Prime Minister’s residence reported that the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works came to visit. During the visit, Prime Minister Xie smashed a bowl; he seemed quite angry.”

“The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Su Yingxi.”

Hearing this, Zhu Yunyin understood why Xie Chengyun was so eager to see him. A truly fine “Su Yingxi.”

Zhu Yunyin threw the handkerchief to the floor and boarded the carriage back to the Prime Minister’s residence.

But upon arriving, he was told Xie Chengyun was not there.

Zhu Yunyin’s eyelid kept twitching, his heart ill at ease.

He walked into the residence, preparing to wait for Xie Chengyun there.

Inside the secret tunnel, besides the two men talking, there were all sorts of beasts.

It was unknown how long these beasts had been locked there; the air was permeated with the foul stench of excrement.

Xie Chengyun covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve. As he looked at these livestock, a thought flashed through his mind.

A cultist dressed in a black robe offered a stick of incense to the nameless deity. Before he could even insert it, the incense snapped. This happened several times in a row, and even the cultist began to feel fearful.

“Do you think the sickness on these beasts will spread to us?”

The older one knocked him on the head. “Don’t spout nonsense. The Cult Master gave us talisman water; nothing will happen.”

Within a moment, more and more people arrived.

The first thing they did upon arrival was to light incense and worship the deity, muttering words under their breath, though it was unclear what they were praying for.

A girl in green robes, clearly of high status, stood by while someone else fawned over her. “Hall Master Zhuang, when shall we release these beasts?”

Hall Master Zhuang arched her willow-like eyebrows. “What is the rush? These beasts cannot be kept in the capital. With Han Cizhi here, they would be cured before they could even become a threat. Once the Saintess recovers, we shall leave the capital and dump the beasts in Gongzhou.”

Gongzhou. Hearing the name, Xie Chengyun’s mind immediately recalled the contents of “The First Emperor Through the Ages.”

So that plague, which had caused such heavy casualties and indirectly led to the destruction of the nation, was indeed the work of Cuckoo Blood.

A centipede dies, but never falls stiff. He had suspected it, but he did not believe his own people could stoop to this level. Thinking about it now, it was truly laughable.

Wind blew without a source, and the colorful bells chimed.

The oil lamp in Gu Minsheng’s hand suddenly flared up. Gu Minsheng was startled and hurriedly tried to blow it out.

However, no matter what he did, he could not extinguish it; the tiny flame was extremely stubborn.

The pitch-black tunnel was suddenly lit by a single point of light, making them extremely conspicuous.

Hall Master Zhuang shouted sharply, “Who is there!”

Xie Chengyun grabbed the oil lamp from Gu Minsheng’s hand and threw it onto the ground. The glass shattered, and the day truly was unlucky.