The two guards looked at him, their expressions not showing the slightest hint of wariness or fear. Instead, they wore faint, chilling smiles.
“Though you are an honored guest invited by His Majesty to treat his illness, you’ve learned something you shouldn’t have. Even if you were sent by the Young Master into the palace, what can he do once we eliminate you? His Majesty can easily pin a crime on you and claim you were executed. What then?”
As they spoke, their cold grins deepened, resembling grim reapers from hell as they advanced step by step toward him.
“You? So you were sent by His Majesty to kill me?”
Hearing their words, Liu Yufeng instinctively retreated. But behind him was a rockery, leaving him with no escape. Finally snapping back to reality, he stared at them in horror and asked.
“Seems you’re not entirely foolish. Without His Majesty’s orders, how would we dare lay a hand on you? Now, prepare to die.”
Seeing that he had finally grasped the situation, the two exchanged glances and smirked in satisfaction. One of them raised his dagger and ruthlessly thrust it toward Liu Yufeng.
“Wait! If His Majesty kills me like this, isn’t he afraid his illness will have no cure?”
Watching the cold glint of the dagger coming straight for him, Liu Yufeng knew he couldn’t evade it. In panic, he shouted at the man, seizing the moment of hesitation to ask urgently.
“…” His words made the two guards falter slightly.
“I can actually cure His Majesty’s illness. I just never expected he’d turn on me for discovering the strangeness of that incense. If he’s willing to kill the very person who can save him over a mere accident, why did he summon me to the palace in the first place? You can kill me, but think carefully before you do. His Majesty is acting out of anger and excessive caution. But if you truly kill me, when his illness worsens, both of you will suffer the consequences.”
During the guards’ hesitation, Liu Yufeng, though still pale, struggled to his feet and faced them. His words deepened their uncertainty.
“This guy actually has a trick up his sleeve…” Though Wanqing didn’t understand what they meant by the “incense” or why the Emperor would turn on him for discovering its strangeness, she did hear that the Emperor was ill—and it seemed to be a secret, with no one else aware of his search for treatment. Since Liu Yufeng had been brought into the palace by Leng Mingye, the whole situation was intriguing.
If the Emperor trusted Leng Mingye enough to find him a physician, why would he kill Liu Yufeng over some strange incense? Clearly, he was trying to hide something from Leng Mingye.
Watching Liu Yufeng skillfully manipulate the guards, Wanqing murmured softly to herself, her mind racing.
Suddenly recalling the poison in Leng Mingye’s body and Liu Yufeng’s mention of the incense, a chilling possibility struck her—could it be…?
Before she could finish her thought, a muffled groan of pain snapped her back to reality.
Her gaze sharpened just in time to see one of the guards with blood streaming from his eyes, his hair dusted with yellow powder. Though unclear what had just happened, Wanqing immediately realized Liu Yufeng had taken advantage of their distraction to strike—unfortunately, only one had been hit. The man’s eyes were clearly ruined.
Blinded, the guard clutched at the rockery, panting heavily as he growled at his companion.
“You bastard! We were considering sparing you, yet you—! No matter what, kill him! His Majesty’s orders stand. If he truly had the means to cure the Emperor, why wait until now to say so…?”
“You—prepare to die!”
The sudden turn of events shocked the other guard. Glaring at Liu Yufeng, who had collapsed onto a nearby rock in pain after his failed ambush, he raised his dagger and swung it viciously.
“Stop—!”
Seeing Liu Yufeng still struggling to rise as the dagger whistled toward him, Wanqing, unsure of his actual combat skills, glanced at Prince Ning beside her.
With a nod, Prince Ning flicked a jade button from his fingers. It cut through the air with a sharp *snap*, striking the dagger mid-flight. The blade veered off course, embedding itself into the rockery with a metallic *clang* before clattering to the ground, its tip broken.
“…Greetings, Your Highness Prince Ning. May we ask why—?”
The guard whirled around in anger, only to freeze upon seeing Prince Ning and Wanqing approaching. He immediately dropped to his knees in reverence.
“What is happening here?”
Ignoring Liu Yufeng’s relieved expression at their arrival, Prince Ning coldly addressed the kneeling guard and his bleeding companion.
“This man committed a crime in the palace. His Majesty ordered us to take his head, but he ambushed us and poisoned my brother’s eyes, Your Highness…”
Though bewildered by Prince Ning’s sudden appearance, the uninjured guard answered respectfully, his tone laced with grievance.
“Oh? If he’s committed a crime, then deal with him swiftly. All this commotion made Prince Ning and I think something serious was happening. So, His Majesty wants him dead, is that it?”
Wanqing smiled faintly, stepping forward as if everything was clear. She glanced at Liu Yufeng, who was desperately pleading for mercy, yet acted as though she didn’t recognize him before turning back to the guard.
“Y-yes, Your Highness. We were just…”
Uncertain of Wanqing’s identity but aware of her association with Prince Ning, the guard nodded hesitantly, his eyes silently pleading for them to leave the matter be.
“Well then, since I happened to come across this, I’d like to test a new poison I recently concocted. Prince Ning, you won’t stop me from using him as a test subject, will you?”
Her smile sweet, Wanqing pulled a small vial from her sleeve and turned to Prince Ning with playful eyes.
“…Do as you please. If it amuses you.”
Though unsure of her intentions, Prince Ning caught the subtle wink she gave him and indulged her with a nod.
“Perfect. Let’s see how effective this poison is. Here—drink up.”
With Prince Ning’s approval, Wanqing approached Liu Yufeng and extended the vial toward him.
“You—you call me ‘senior brother,’ yet now you—? Ah! It hurts! It burns—!”
Liu Yufeng stared at her in disbelief, heartbroken and betrayed. But before he could finish, Wanqing forced his jaw open, shoved the pill inside, and patted his shoulder before stepping back with a smile.
The moment the pill was swallowed, Liu Yufeng’s face twisted in agony. Clutching his chest, he writhed on the ground, screaming in unbearable pain.
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