Chapter Thirty-Five: The Token of Shadows

The Seventh Prince cradled Yu Hualiang in his arms and left, leaving the mess for the Fourth Prince to clean up. The burly man had drunk a great deal, so the poison took effect swiftly. By the time he realized something was wrong, it was already too late. Beating his chest and glaring at the Fourth Prince, he spat, "You... you actually used poison!"

"What are you saying, Brother Heng? This is merely a farewell toast. Indeed, nothing compares to the wine from one's homeland," the Fourth Prince replied with a smile, opening his folding fan.

Realization dawned on the burly man—the poison was in the wine! Enraged, he hurled the wine jug to the floor, and the poison surged through him, causing him to spit blood.

Hearing the commotion, Cao Zhileng rushed back, only to see the burly man in dire straits. Suddenly, he too felt unwell. The Fourth Prince's eyes glinted like a venomous serpent as he watched him.

Cao Zhileng hurried to support the burly man, pressing an acupoint to slow the spread of poison.

But the burly man shoved him away. "Go! Leave me!"

"Brother! Let me take you with me!" Cao Zhileng tried to help him up, while the Fourth Prince watched, fanning himself as if enjoying a spectacle.

He clicked his tongue. "Such brotherly love! Ha! No need to worry—you'll have company on the road to the underworld. In your next life, you can be brothers again."

With a surge of anger, Cao Zhileng drew a concealed dagger from his sleeve and charged at the Fourth Prince, who showed no fear. As expected, Ye Mo burst through the door, flicking the dagger from Cao Zhileng’s hand with his sword.

Ye Mo stood behind the Fourth Prince, sword at the ready. The Fourth Prince smiled smugly. "Excellent. As expected of a master from Fanhe."

The burly man tugged on his brother, dragging Cao Zhileng like a rag doll. The man's only real strength was his brute force; Cao Zhileng steadied him and tried to retreat toward the window.

"Brother..." Cao Zhileng fretted as the burly man spat more blood.

The burly man clung tightly to his brother’s belt, refusing to let go. Cao Zhileng guessed what he intended, his face turning pale with fear. "Brother, I beg you, don’t! If it comes to it, we’ll die here together!"

"Zhileng! There’s no way out... you must leave!" With a roar, the burly man hurled Cao Zhileng out the window. The Fourth Prince frowned at the sight.

There was a splash from the pond outside, and the burly man’s expression eased, though blood dripped to the floor from his mouth. Drawing a dagger from his belt, he grinned savagely at the Fourth Prince. "Ha! I, of humble birth, find it a blessing to have the Fourth Prince accompany me in death!"

"Insolence!" Ye Mo raised his sword, intent on ending the man quickly, but the Fourth Prince closed his fan and blocked him, a look of amusement on his face.

"Let him try..."

Cao Ruoheng could not stand his arrogance. Gathering his remaining strength, he attempted to strike with his blade. Though poisoned, his movements remained forceful and swift. Yet the Fourth Prince deftly parried the attack with a flick of his fan.

The burly man was startled and swung harder, but the Fourth Prince sidestepped and punched his arm, drawing a howl of pain as blood gushed forth.

Only then did the man realize—the Fourth Prince wore a ring that was, in fact, a concealed weapon!

"How does it feel, Cao Ruoheng?" the Fourth Prince flexed his wrist.

"Despicable!" the burly man retorted, spitting blood. His arm was ruined. Though a man of the martial world himself, he had never realized the Fourth Prince’s true skill. Even if he hadn’t been poisoned, he couldn’t have bested him.

He tried once more to attack, but the Fourth Prince snatched Ye Mo's sword and drove it through his heart. Wiping the blood from his hand, he said, "Boring. Ye Mo, let’s go."

Ye Mo followed him out. Suddenly, the Fourth Prince remembered something. "Oh, have someone fish his body out of the lake."

"Yes," Ye Mo replied, giving the order. The Fourth Prince, bored, found a woman to amuse himself with in the room, her screams piercing the night. When he emerged, he was once again splattered in blood.

Ye Mo pretended not to see and reported, "Fourth Prince, there is no body in the pond."

The Fourth Prince paused while changing his clothes, thought for a moment, then said, "Forget it. He’s poisoned anyway; he won’t live long."

After the Fourth Prince left, the aftermath fell to the young servants of Lingxuan Pavilion. The burly man's corpse was buried in the thicket by the pond under the cover of night.

The young servants, already familiar with such grisly tasks, grumbled as they dug. "Why do we always get stuck with these jobs? How many bodies is this now? Look at the size of this one—it’s going to take forever!"

Another servant replied, "Stop complaining. The women killed by the Fourth Prince died even more horribly than this. Once we’re done, let’s go see Spring Lady."

The first servant grinned wickedly, suddenly energized by the prospect. He tried to heave the corpse into the pit, but the other servant stood frozen.

"Hey, don’t slack off!"

He looked up—and his courage failed him. The other servant’s face had gone ashen, and he collapsed into the pit, limp with terror. Standing behind him was a man, soaking wet, eyes glowing green like a demon from the underworld.

Terrified, the servant tried to run, but was swiftly dispatched by Cao Zhileng with a single slash.

Cao Zhileng cradled his brother’s corpse and wept bitterly. His brother had always cherished him most, even though he, Zhileng, was the more gifted of the two, yet he had always been timid.

Thus, he relied heavily on poison—but this time, he could not cure it; at best, he could control its spread.

Rage burned in his eyes as he buried his brother. The wine had come from Yu Hualiang, and both he and the Seventh Prince had drunk it. The antidote must be in the Seventh Prince’s possession.

Once he had stabilized the poison within himself, he set out for the Seventh Prince’s residence.

The Seventh Prince, with Yu Hualiang in tow, first went to Doctor Wang. After the wound was tended, Yu Hualiang had already lapsed into unconsciousness. However, Doctor Wang frowned as he examined the red marks on Yu Hualiang’s neck.

He warned, "Your Highness, Master Yu's condition is not suitable for bedroom activities."

The Seventh Prince sighed. "I know."

Doctor Wang continued, "Such relations between men are very harmful. Once every half month—"

"Enough," the Seventh Prince interrupted. He then asked, "Is there anything that can ease his suffering?"

"Ah... that, I do not know," Doctor Wang replied, embarrassed. He was no connoisseur of such matters.

The Seventh Prince sighed again. Indeed, he had acted too impulsively; Yu Hualiang was truly angry. Guilt gnawed at him as he gazed at Yu Hualiang’s sleeping face.

When Yu Hualiang awoke, he found himself in the Seventh Prince’s arms. Startled, he sprang from the bed, tumbling to the floor.

The Seventh Prince rose, intent on picking him up. To Yu Hualiang, the prince now seemed a madman; he could only retreat, clutching his aching abdomen.

"Ziliang... don’t be afraid," the Seventh Prince said gently.

"Stay away!" Yu Hualiang warned, on guard.

The Seventh Prince, worried, said, "Be careful with your wound. I’ll leave—will that put you at ease?"

Yu Hualiang was genuinely afraid of him. Still backing away, he said, "No! I’ll leave! Just don’t follow me!"

"You can’t—you’re injured—"

"Would it make you happy if I died? How many times must I say it? I am not gay! I do not like you! Ah—" Yu Hualiang’s emotions flared, causing his wound to open and bleed anew. The Seventh Prince, distressed, rushed forward, but Yu Hualiang only retreated further.

"Ziliang... I am fond of you... If you dislike me, why did you paint me?"

For the first time, Yu Hualiang saw tears on the face of this resolute man. Gradually, his vigilance faded. Leaning against the door, he tried to regain his composure. "We both need to calm down, Your Highness. I’m going home."

This time, the Seventh Prince did not stop him. He left the house; outside, the moon was full. His hair was disheveled, his clothes rumpled, and blood seeped from his abdomen. Pale-faced, he could not have appeared well.

Step by step, he made his way back, supporting himself against the wall. The door was unlocked, and just as he entered, someone yanked him inside.

Before he could react, a hand clamped over his mouth and shoved him against the door. Only then did he see—it was Cao Zhileng.

Cao Zhileng looked even more battered than Yu Hualiang, if such a thing were possible. The force of the shove made Yu Hualiang’s kidneys ache; truly, he wondered what misfortune he had brought upon himself now. From the look in Cao Zhileng’s eyes, he was clearly here with ill intent.

When it rains, it pours.

Cao Zhileng drew a dagger and pressed it to Yu Hualiang’s throat, eyes wolfish and fierce. "Hand over the antidote!"

"What antidote?" Yu Hualiang was bewildered by this sudden demand.

Cao Zhileng pressed the blade closer, more menacing. "Give me the antidote!"

"I told you, I have no antidote! Ah—" The agony of his wound increased with his agitation, and Yu Hualiang slid down the door, clutching his abdomen.

Cao Zhileng realized something was wrong, put away his dagger, and crouched by Yu Hualiang, his gaze softening. "What’s wrong?"

"Can’t you see?" Yu Hualiang snapped. "Are you crazy? Drunk? Why on earth would I have your antidote?"

It was the first time Cao Zhileng had met anyone cruder than his own brother. He was stunned, anger burning in his chest, but he remained rational.

The Seventh Prince was cautious by nature; he had only used Yu Hualiang as a pawn, never revealing his plan to poison the two brothers. Moreover, Yu Hualiang was so gravely injured and had been so concerned in his presence, only to be treated coldly upon returning to the prince’s residence. Clearly, he too was a victim.

Realizing this, Cao Zhileng suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Yu Hualiang. He helped him up, eyes reddening.

Yu Hualiang shook off his hand. "Are you insane? If you don’t leave, I’ll call the guards!"

"My brother is dead..."

At those words, the world grew silent. Yu Hualiang was stunned; hadn’t his brother just been drinking with him?

"What... did you say?" Yu Hualiang asked, confused.

"It was the Fourth and Seventh Princes who killed him!" Cao Zhileng shouted.

Yu Hualiang could not believe it. It was just a drink, after all. He knew ancient princes were cunning, but still—how could someone who had just been sharing drinks now be dead?

Fear crept over him as he met the anguish in Cao Zhileng’s eyes. "I’m sorry... I didn’t know your brother... What happened?"

Cao Zhileng led him inside, and the two spoke in the darkness.

"My brother and I are assassins from Fanhe. The Seventh and Fourth Princes brought us here to kill someone!"

Yu Hualiang stared at him in disbelief—this was beyond anything he could have imagined.

"Kill whom?" he asked.

Cao Zhileng replied honestly, "Someone carrying a token with the word ‘Darkness’ on it."