Chapter 2: Chapter Two Why Wouldn’t One Eat the Meat Delivered to Their Mouth…

Chapter 2: Why Refuse a Tempting Offer Delivered Right to Your Lips...

The back hill was indeed deserted. Wei San's nerves, strained all day, finally relaxed, but the suppressed aphrodisiac poison fiercely rebounded, causing his hands and feet to tremble as he undressed.

Struggling to strip completely, Wei San was already so weak he could barely stand.

Mustering his last shred of rationality, he slipped into the water. The chilly night pond stimulated his burning body, making him shiver instinctively.

The Spring Banquet poison was too potent, and after delaying for a whole day, it was now at its most violent. Wei San had intended to handle it himself, but at the critical moment, he realized it was just wishful thinking.

He grasped himself but couldn't summon any strength, barely managing to lean against the rocks by the pond, panting. Burning with fever, he drifted in and out of consciousness, losing all sense of time.

The assassin camp was exceptionally quiet at night. Though lights were lit, not a soul was in sight.

Wei Zheng, dressed in black with a mask, was covered from head to toe, leaving only his eyes exposed.

He strolled casually into the assassin camp's territory. Dozens of gazes from the shadows fell upon him, slightly retracting when they spotted Wei Liu's token hanging at his waist, yet still following him closely.

"Yo! Isn't this Sixth Brother? Shouldn't you be on duty? What brings you back?" Wei Jiu leaned against the dormitory doorframe, holding a bowl, grinning cheekily at him.

"Sixth Brother hasn't eaten yet, right? Freshly cooked simple noodles, care for a bite?"

Wei Zheng remained silent, his gaze directly sizing up this lively assassin.

He thought, is this the kind of riff-raff he's raising under his command? It seems Duan Lin needs to tighten discipline.

He ignored Wei Jiu outright, but Wei Jiu only clung tighter.

"Hey, Sixth Brother, why the cold shoulder? I was kindly offering you noodles, and you're showing me displeasure."

He slung an arm over Wei Zheng's shoulder, smiling one second and revealing his true intent the next.

He dropped the noodle bowl, and the eating chopsticks became lethal weapons in his hands, thrusting swiftly and precisely toward Wei Zheng's carotid artery.

The bowl shattered on the ground, splattering soup and noodles everywhere, like a signal. Assassins hidden in the shadows swarmed in, their curved blades reflecting cold, murderous glints.

The upheaval happened too quickly, but Wei Zheng wasn't surprised at all. He didn't even dodge, standing there calm and composed.

Just as Wei Jiu's chopsticks were a finger's breadth from piercing his throat, a piece of rubble shot from the shadows, snapping the chopsticks in two with a thud.

The door to the Shadow Guard Commander Duan Lin's quarters was kicked open in fury. Excessive force made the wooden door creak twice before collapsing with a crash.

"You brats have gone too far! Open your damn eyes and see who this is!"

The assassins halted their movements, visibly confused.

Duan Lin shot them a frustrated glare, then hurried to Wei Zheng, dropping to his knees with a loud thud.

"This subordinate deserves death. Please punish us, Master."

The assassins stopped, clearly bewildered and panicked.

Wei Jiu, as the ringleader, was dumbfounded. Who would have thought the esteemed Virtuous Prince would be so idle as to disguise himself as an assassin to test his subordinates? It was utterly absurd!

Knowing they'd messed up badly, the assassins dropped to their knees en masse. Meanwhile, the shadow guards from next door, hearing the commotion and thinking assassins had invaded, rushed over only to find their commander and the assassins kneeling, so they confusedly knelt as well.

Wei Zheng removed his mask but kept the disguise intact. He waved his hand, signaling the assassins and shadow guards to rise.

The assassins stood like quails, holding their breath awaiting their master's judgment.

"A minor punishment as a major lesson. Each of you reports to the discipline hall for five lashes later."

Failing to recognize their master and attempting murder, five lashes was already merciful. The assassins thanked him for the leniency and accepted their punishment, then scattered faster than anyone could blink.

The shadow guards, fearing getting caught up, also fled.

The vast assassin camp was empty again in an instant, as if nothing had happened.

Duan Lin stepped forward to stand by his side. "Master, you came in disguise specially. Is there something you need?"

Wei Zheng didn't answer. Though the Virtuous Prince's mansion was ostensibly his domain, countless spies had been planted in the shadows, monitoring his every move. If he acted even slightly out of character from his foolish and simple-minded persona, the lurking predators would pounce and devour him alive.

He walked toward the camp's exit, and Duan Lin followed with understanding.

The two walked in silence until they reached the secluded back hill, where Wei Zheng finally asked, "Duan Lin, what's the current situation in the capital?"

Duan Lin replied, "Zhang Xing is dead. The Crown Prince is furious and has sent many to investigate the mastermind. As for Fifth Brother..."

He chuckled disdainfully, "Fifth Brother is busy throwing stones at someone in a well, not realizing those stones are about to hit his own feet."

"Oh?" Wei Zheng grew interested. "What do you mean?"

"That kid Wei San somehow got hold of a shadow guard token from Fifth Brother's ranks. After killing Zhang Xing, he hid the token under the bed, and the Dali Temple investigation found it."

His eyes filled with admiration when mentioning Wei San, clearly pleased with this stroke of genius.

"Now the Chief of Dali Temple dares not offend either side, holding that token like a hot potato. But there are no walls without ears; though he hasn't publicized it, the Crown Prince already knows."

Wei Zheng pondered briefly and smiled. "Whether Fifth Brother ordered Zhang Xing's killing or not, he can't wash himself clean even if he jumps into the Yellow River."

There will be no shortage of a good show of dogs biting dogs to watch in the future; it's just a matter of how long his Crown Prince brother can hold back.

Having achieved his purpose, Wei Zheng dismissed Duan Lin and strolled alone along the mountain path.

It was quiet and deserted, with occasional night breezes rustling the leaves, making the moonlight on the ground swayed and danced.

Wei Zheng, who wore a mask every day, rarely relaxed like this and kept walking uphill.

The forest path seemed endless. After walking for who knows how long, the view suddenly opened up. Drawing closer, he saw it was a pond.

The night wind carried faint wisps of moisture, and the shimmering water surface shattered the moonlight falling on it, resembling a brilliant Milky Way.

Wei Zheng was in high spirits and was about to step closer when he suddenly heard a soft, sticky moan, like a spoiled kitten begging for affection.

There was someone in the pond.

Frowning, Wei Zheng hid in the forest shadows, his right hand already gripping the hilt of the soft sword concealed in his belt.

Killing intent flashed in his eyes as he prepared to strike while the other was unaware, but he was suddenly stunned by the scene before him.

Amidst the starry reflection on the water, a beauty who seemed too ethereal for this world opened eyes glistening with moisture, an expression caught between pleasure and torment, even their fair skin flushed with arousal.

Were they... pleasuring themselves?

Wei Zheng's eyes darkened slightly as he drew his soft sword and stepped forward.

Wei San, driven mad by the aphrodisiac, was acting on pure instinct, desperately seeking release yet failing no matter how hard he tried. Frustration brought him to the point of tears.

His eyes were glazed and half-open, his throat emitting desperate, stifled moans, like a trapped animal at the end of its rope.

Tormented by the aphrodisiac, the assassin didn't notice the person standing on the shore. Unable to find relief, his fever came in increasingly intense waves, even warming the lake water around him with his body heat.

The lake could no longer cool him down, so the cold, smooth stone beneath him became his only lifeline. He pressed his entire body against it, wishing he could become one with it.

It was then that Wei Zheng knelt down, using the hilt of his soft sword to lift Wei San’s chin. The assassin’s instincts made Wei San jerk away, but Wei Zheng, who detested defiance, discarded the sword and instead grabbed his chin with his hand.

Forced to lift his head, Wei San’s stunningly beautiful face was fully exposed to Wei Zheng’s gaze.

Wei Zheng had seen countless beauties in his time, but none as stunningly lovely and docile as the one before him, exactly his type.

If such a beauty were part of the royal residence, he would surely have remembered. The only explanation for someone appearing in the secluded mountains behind the assassin camp at this hour was that this beauty was one of his assassins or shadow guards.

Assassins and shadow guards never revealed their faces; even without a mask, they would inevitably wear a human skin mask.

Thinking of the human skin mask, he reached out and felt Wei San’s neck but found nothing unusual.

This face was genuine, and Wei Zheng felt a flicker of leniency toward Wei San.

The beauty before him was clearly under the influence of a potent aphrodisiac. Wei Zheng, uncharacteristically kind, considered whether he should notify Duan Lin to find a maid to help him relieve the poison. Just as he was about to withdraw, the beauty suddenly grasped his wrist, rubbing his cheek against Wei Zheng’s palm again and again, letting out satisfied sighs.

Fully consumed by desire, the beauty was like an alluring spirit from the wild forests, impossible to look away from.

Acting almost without thinking, Wei Zheng did not push him away. Instead, he followed the motion, gently stroking the skin that felt like the finest silk with his palm.

Before long, the coolness of Wei Zheng’s palm was no longer enough to satisfy Wei San. Instinctively craving more, he clung to Wei Zheng’s arm, gradually curling into his arms, wrapping his arms around Wei Zheng’s waist and pressing close.

With such a beauty throwing himself into his arms, full of dependence, Wei Zheng was neither an inexperienced youth ignorant of desire nor a saint who could resist temptation.

Why would he refuse a meal served to him on a platter?

“You brought this upon yourself,” he murmured.

He reached into the water, clasped Wei San’s waist, and lifted him out.

Dripping wet, the beauty was just as he had imagined—skin as smooth as jade, a slender waist, and long legs. The only flaw was the multitude of scars, large and small, covering his body.

The most gruesome was a knife wound that sliced horizontally across his abdomen.

Though long healed, the scar still hinted at the life-threatening danger it once represented.

Wei Zheng stared at the scar, finding it unbearably unsightly.

As the aphrodisiac continued to rage without relief, Wei San’s feverish body began to convulse uncontrollably.

Wei Zheng quickly grabbed a clean outer robe from the bathing tray, wrapped it around the man in his arms, and carried him away.

Meanwhile, Wei Liu, wearing the human skin mask of the Virtuous Prince, lay on the prince’s bed, extremely restless.

His eyes vacant, he sank into deep thought.

It was almost the hour of Hai—why hadn’t his master returned yet?