Chapter 14

Xiao Changyuan did not disturb Yun Pianpian.
He rose, opened the door, and followed the direction of the sound, moving like a ghost through the night.
The darkness was thick, and his vision was pitch black.
Xiao Changyuan lit a firestarter, illuminating the shadowy corner.
There, a pile of baskets and discarded wood and tarps lay stacked.
He stepped forward.
Suddenly, a faint, unusual sound came from behind him.
A surge of killing intent flashed in Xiao Changyuan's eyes. He spun around, his fingers flicking, and a small, dry twig shot from his hand.
The twig pierced straight through a plump rat.
The rat died instantly, pinned firmly to the ground by the twig.
Xiao Changyuan's expression was unreadable as he stared at the rat for a moment before tossing its body into the trash.
He turned back and carefully examined the pile of wood and tarps.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
His gaze icy, Xiao Changyuan turned his head and looked at the medicine pot sitting on the stove in the courtyard.
For convenience in brewing medicine, they had left the stove and medicine pot outside instead of storing them in the kitchen.
In this rural area, weasels were rampant, often sneaking into the kitchen at night to steal food. So, every night before bed, they made sure to lock the kitchen door and close the windows to keep the weasels out.
There was no well in the courtyard. If someone wanted to harm him, the medicine jar placed in the yard would be the perfect choice.
Xiao Changyuan extinguished the fire starter, glanced around, and stepped into the house.
A long while later, two heads emerged from the grass outside the courtyard.
It was Chen Fashan and Zhou Qiren.
Chen Fashan’s face was deathly pale; his already pallid skin, under the moonlight, looked as if it had lost all color, like that of a corpse.
Zhou Qiren’s complexion was even paler, as white as paper.
Seeing that Xiao Changyuan had not come out for a long time, Zhou Qiren was about to stand up.
But Chen Fashan suddenly grabbed his wrist.
Zhou Qiren looked down.
Chen Fashan shook his head at him, his expression dark and dripping with intensity.
Zhou Qiren immediately understood that they could not go out just yet.
Because Xiao Changyuan could emerge at any moment to kill them.
Chen Fashan and Zhou Qiren hid in the grass, enduring the entire night.
It was only when the roosters began to crow and the sky gradually revealed the first light of dawn that the villagers lit their lamps and started to rise one after another.
Seizing the commotion, Chen Fashan and Zhou Qiren dared to stand up and hurriedly returned home.
The two closed the door behind them, their hearts pounding wildly.
Chen Fashan had originally intended to use Yun Pianpian’s hand to kill Xiao Changyuan, but after waiting at home for several days, he had not received any news of Xiao Changyuan’s death. Chen Fashan suspected that something unexpected had occurred, so he decided to take matters into his own hands and ensure Xiao Changyuan’s demise.
Chen Fashan’s martial arts were only sufficient for self-defense, and Zhou Qiren had no martial skills at all.
They could not confront Xiao Changyuan head, on.
The only plan now was to continue poisoning Xiao Changyuan.
During the day, there were too many eyes and ears. If the villagers saw them entering and leaving Xiao Changyuan’s courtyard, it would surely arouse his suspicion.
To be safe, they could only sneak into Xiao Changyuan’s home under the cover of darkness and secretly poison the medicine jar.
Xiao Changyuan’s injuries had not yet healed, and Yun Pianpian brewed medicine for him every day.
Zhou Qiren’s poison was extremely potent; even the smallest amount could send Xiao Changyuan to the underworld, beyond the reach of any remedy.
This was their perfect opportunity to strike.
But Chen Fashan had never expected Xiao Changyuan’s vigilance to be so sharp.
The moment they climbed over the fence into the courtyard, Xiao Changyuan heard their movements.
Chen Fashan had trained in martial arts, so his hearing was exceptional. Combined with his extreme tension, he detected Xiao Changyuan’s movement the instant he rose. Chen Fashan quickly pulled Zhou Qiren back outside the courtyard.
They hid in the grass behind the yard, where firewood and tarps were piled.
If Xiao Changyuan had taken one more step forward, he would have seen them.
It was the rat that saved their lives.
Chen Fashan heard the rat’s death cry, as if hearing his own demise.
He felt that he and Zhou Qiren were like two rats hiding in the sewers, forever unable to see the light.
Seeing Chen Fashan’s deathly pale face, Zhou Qiren hurriedly poured him a cup of tea.
“Your Majesty, please have some tea.”
Chen Fashan’s expression was dark, a fine layer of sweat beading on his pale forehead. He took a few shallow breaths, lifted the teacup to his lips, and said with a sinister glare in his eyes, “We’ve already drawn Xiao Changyuan’s attention tonight. We cannot go again.”
Zhou Qiren bowed his head and replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Chen Fashan drained the tea in one gulp.
Gnashing his teeth, he said, “One day, I will make sure Xiao Changyuan dies by my hand.”

Xie Yu’s home.
Mu Bai rose before dawn to light the fire and prepare the meal. He placed the finished dishes on the table, waiting for Xie Yu to wake up.
After washing up, Xie Yu sat on the stool and ate with Mu Bai.
Mu Bai pushed Xie Yu’s favorite dish closer to him. “Your Highness, when I went out to fetch water today, I saw Doctor Zhou and Zhou Shan sneaking back from outside Xiao Changyuan’s courtyard. They seemed rather flustered.”
Xie Yu paused and looked up at Mu Bai.
“Doctor Zhou and Zhou Shan?”
Mu Bai pressed his thin lips together and nodded.
“Yes.”
Upon hearing this, Xie Yu suddenly curved his peach blossom eyes into a smile.
“How interesting.”
Mu Bai asked, “Your Highness, do you think they might also know Xiao Changyuan’s true identity?”
Xie Yu glanced at Mu Bai. “Did they notice you?”
Mu Bai shook his head. “I saw they looked flustered, so I didn’t reveal myself.”
Xie Yu curled his lips. “Well done.”
Mu Bai hesitated. “Your Highness, should we inform Xiao Changyuan about this?”
Xie Yu replied, “Why tell him? Don’t forget, he’s our enemy. I’d be delighted if they fought each other.”
Mu Bai asked, “Your Highness, you mean.”
Xie Yu curved his lips into a clever, sly smile.
“Watch the fire from the opposite bank and reap the benefits.”