Zhao Mian followed Wei Zhenfeng out of the bedchamber. The two first went to the side hall to wake Zhou Huairang.

Zhou Huairang was still half-asleep and obediently did everything the Crown Prince told him to do. It was only after the three of them left the main hall that he realized they seemed to be in an uncontrollable situation.

“Young Prince,” Zhou Huairang mouthed without a sound, “Who are they?”

Wei Zhenfeng couldn’t read his lips, so he looked at Zhao Mian. Zhao Mian accurately said what was on Zhou Huairang’s mind. “He’s asking who they are.”

“I can’t be certain, but it’s easy to guess,” Wei Zhenfeng said. “To find this place, you first have to know those two verses. So far, there are only two groups who know: our people and the Imperial City Division. If you eliminate the wrong answer, you’re left with the right one. As for why they’re here now…”

“Because they didn’t have the ‘key’ before,” Zhao Mian said. “Even if they knew the location of the treasure, they couldn’t do anything.”

Zhao Mian guessed there were two reasons why Gu Ruzhang told the Imperial City Division the location of the underground palace but hid the “key” in the Mount Nangong of Dongling. First, after Western Xia was occupied by Beiyuan, Dongling was a relatively safe place and not easily infiltrated by Beiyuan. Second, Gu Ruzhang might have wanted to use Dongling’s power to make Western Xia’s spark last longer.

With the fall of Western Xia, Dongling, sandwiched between the two great northern and southern nations, would be in an even more difficult position than when the four countries stood together. Dongling needed a force to share this pressure.

Therefore, Lu Wang had a motive to help the Imperial City Division. The Imperial City Division’s sudden visit to the underground palace in the desert might have been the work of the Dongling Empress Dowager.

Wei Zhenfeng let out a light laugh. “The people of the Imperial City Division should really thank us. If we hadn’t found Wan Huameng’s hot spring, they would have to stare blankly at the bronze door forever.”

“How many of them are there?” Zhao Mian asked.

“Around ten, but the number isn’t important; what’s important is…” Wei Zhenfeng paused slightly, “who has come.”

The other side had over ten people; they only had three. In this vast underground palace, a great play was about to unfold.

In the past, when he encountered similar situations, Wei Zhenfeng would only feel excited and thrilled, eager to start the game. Today, however, whether it was exciting or not was secondary. He just wanted to get Zhao Mian to a safe place first.

Zhou Huairang wanted to mouth something again, but Wei Zhenfeng suddenly made a silencing gesture and pointed behind a door. Zhao Mian understood and grabbed Zhou Huairang’s hand, taking him to hide by the door.

As soon as they were hidden, two torch projections appeared on the ground. Someone was coming.

The three held their breath. The torchlight got closer and closer. A pair of hands pushed open the palace door right in front of them. Zhou Huairang’s heart instantly leaped into his throat.

After the door opened, the two didn’t move immediately, as if they were observing the situation inside. After a while, they walked in one after the other. The first person led the way, and the second watched his back to prevent a surprise attack from behind.

When the first person came in, Wei Zhenfeng did nothing. He lurked in the darkness, motionless, as if he had completely blended into the night. It wasn’t until the second man stepped through the palace door that he made his move.

A hand covered the man’s mouth and nose. Before the man’s pupils could even dilate, a cold blade had already quietly sliced across his throat. The man’s torch fell to the ground. His companion heard the sound and just as he turned around, Wei Zhenfeng’s blade precisely found his throat.

Blood splattered onto Wei Zhenfeng, leaving a trail of mottled blood on his face, making the young man in the cold underground palace look more bloodthirsty and eerie.

Having silently dealt with two people, Wei Zhenfeng didn’t have time to wipe away the blood. He decisively said, “Okay, here’s the plan. I’ll take you two out of here first, and then…”

“Don’t be foolish,” Zhao Mian vetoed with a single sentence. He squatted down, enduring his disgust to roughly check the belongings of the two corpses. “These people are splitting up. That gives us a chance to ambush them and deal with them one by one.”

Wei Zhenfeng’s heart stirred. “Do you already have a plan?”

“What is the first place these people will go to in the underground palace?” Zhao Mian asked.

“If they’re here for the treasure, they’ll definitely go to the storerooms?” Zhou Huairang said.

Wei Zhenfeng was thoughtful. “Are you saying… the kitchen?”

Zhao Mian opened the water bags on the two corpses. They were empty, with not a single drop of water left. “Exactly.”

This group of people arrived at the underground palace shortly after them and likely also experienced that huge sandstorm. For a group of people who had traveled through the vast desert and gone through so much trouble to reach the underground palace, water and food were more tempting than treasure.

Just like when Wei Zhenfeng first arrived, even lying on his bed, and his mind was still on eating.

The kitchen not only held a large amount of grains and flour but also a deep well, the most precious resource in the desert.

Wei Zhenfeng looked at the calm and unhurried Crown Prince and realized he seemed to have misunderstood something.

Zhao Mian would never become a weakness he needed to worry about or a reason for him to retreat. On the contrary, Zhao Mian would only make his beloved adventures more enchanting and interesting.

The familiar excitement returned to his body. Wei Zhenfeng’s eyes lit up with an eager anticipation. “So, what should we do next, Your Highness?”

“Go to the kitchen,” Zhao Mian said.

The kitchen was located deep in the underground palace and wasn’t easy for newcomers to find.  But Zhou Huairang, having made several meals there, knew the way well. Wei Zhenfeng and Zhao Mian took him with them to the kitchen.”

At that moment, two people in the kitchen were gulping water from the well. One of them, having drunk enough, kicked the other. ” “Enough, stop drinking. Quickly call everyone over, have some water before searching.”

The other person didn’t dare to be slow. “Yes!”

Zhao Mian and Wei Zhenfeng exchanged a look and immediately acted. The former drew his bow and released an arrow, and the latter’s hand moved with a flash of a blade. They took out two more. The three quickly hid the bodies. Zhao Mian found a good spot to ambush, where anyone who approached the well would be within his range. Wei Zhenfeng took Zhou Huairang and continued to lurk in the shadows.

It was clear that these people were acting in pairs. If they couldn’t be killed at the same time, the remaining person would surely make a commotion to summon their companions. To successfully ambush them, he and Wei Zhenfeng had to strike as synchronously as possible.

Before long, the fifth unlucky person arrived. It was a teenage boy. The boy saw the well and excitedly shouted, “Water! There’s water here! Brother Chen, come quickly!”

Hearing his shout, the man in his group rushed over but sensed something was wrong the moment he entered the kitchen. “An ambush! Get out of the way!”

The boy’s reaction was also quick. He leaped and hid behind a sack filled with flour.

Zhao Mian had to hold back his arrow to avoid revealing his position. The man, on the other hand, was not easy to fool. He looked around, and his eyes quickly locked onto Zhao Mian’s hiding spot. “Come out.”

Wei Zhenfeng swore under his breath.

Bad luck. We ran into a master so quickly.

The man held a long knife and approached Zhao Mian’s hiding spot step by step. Seeing that the Crown Prince was about to be discovered, Zhou Huairang was both anxious and frozen. His mind was only filled with three words: What to do?

What to do, what to do, what to do?

That man looks very powerful. Can His Highness beat him?

He absolutely could not stand by and watch His Highness be in danger, but he knew no martial arts. The only thing he could do was distract the enemy and create an opportunity for His Highness to strike.

Zhou Huairang made up his mind and was about to rush out when a hand suddenly pressed on his shoulder. Then, the Young Prince’s figure flashed past him, fast enough to only leave him with a sentence: “Act when the time is right, as His Highness instructed.”

The moment Wei Zhenfeng appeared, the man’s blade was instantly pointed at him. After seeing Wei Zhenfeng’s face, the man’s expression changed. “You!”

The man’s forehead veins bulged, and his cheeks were tense, showing how much hatred he held.

Wei Zhenfeng, however, raised an eyebrow and smiled. “So it’s another old acquaintance. How have you been, Sir Chen?”

The man’s name was Chen Bin, one of the top experts in the Imperial City Division, and his martial arts were superior to Huo Kangcheng’s.

Chen Bin and the others’ hatred for Wei Zhenfeng, besides the hatred of a fallen country, was the humiliation of being repeatedly toyed with and tormented by him. The moment Chen Bin saw that deep, eerie smile in the young man’s eyes, his composure dropped by two points. He gritted his teeth and said, “I thought it was some stray dog hiding in the shadows, but it’s just the Wei dog.”

Wei Zhenfeng, who had no arrogance at the moment, remained calm despite the insult. “Commander Chen, are you thirsty? Why don’t you have some water before we catch up?”

Chen Bin glanced at the well, his expression becoming more and more furious. He wished he could slice the young man in front of him into a thousand pieces. “You put poison in the water!”

Their group had been caught in a sandstorm on the way. After so much hardship, they finally reached this place. They had run out of food two days ago, and their last flask of water had been consumed yesterday. Many of their comrades were on the verge of collapse, holding on only with the belief that they would find water in the underground palace. If they found out that the water they had finally found was poisoned…

Wei Zhenfeng looked innocent. “Commander Chen, you misunderstand me. How could I bear to put poison in something as precious as water in the desert?”

Chen Bin would never believe him. He raised his blade and charged. “Wei Zhenfeng, even if I die of thirst, I will take you with me!”

The boy hiding behind the sack also rushed out recklessly. “Brother Chen, I’ll help you!”

“Are you sure you don’t want to drink some water first?” Wei Zhenfeng laughed. “You both look quite thirsty.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the two rushed toward Wei Zhenfeng, one after the other. The smile on Wei Zhenfeng’s face disappeared completely. He stomped his feet and leaped into the air, stepping on Chen Bin’s blade to vault over his head and land behind him.

The enraged Chen Bin turned and pursued him recklessly. Because of this turn, his back was left completely exposed to Zhao Mian’s view.

This was the opportunity Wei Zhenfeng had created for him.

Zhao Mian didn’t dare to waste a second. Just as he was about to draw his bow, he suddenly felt something and his eyes suddenly went wide.

A cold, sharp weapon was pressed against his waist. A low, hoarse male voice sounded from behind him. “Having fun, Lord Xiao?”

Against multiple enemies, a short dagger was not ideal. Wei Zhenfeng found an opportunity to snatch the sword the boy was using.

With a sweep of the long sword, the piles of sacks were ripped open. Flour poured out like sand and was then picked up by the blades, soaring into the air. Soon, the kitchen was filled with a cloud of flour dust, making it look like a misty fog.

Wei Zhenfeng fought two men at once and was still able to hold his own, even subtly gaining the upper hand. That was until he saw two figures emerge from Zhao Mian’s hiding place. One was Zhao Mian, and the other was…

Wei Zhenfeng’s heart suddenly sank, and his movements briefly froze. Chen Bin seized this opening, and his sharp blade sliced across his arm, leaving a palm-sized wound, deep enough to see the bone. 

Blood immediately gushed from the wound, soaking the young man’s clothes along with his sweat.

More and more Imperial City Division members heard the commotion and rushed over. Excluding the four they had already dealt with, there were eight more. These people surrounded Wei Zhenfeng, their faces filled with the same look of utter hatred.

“It’s the Wei dog!”

“Wei Zhenfeng, you have nowhere to run now!”

“Kill the Wei dog og and sacrifice him to Western Xia !”

At that moment, someone shouted, “There’s water here!”

With that, half the people, like starving ghosts, rushed toward the well. Chen Bin and the boy tried to stop them, shouting, “Don’t drink it! The water is poisoned!”

Some of the more rational ones stopped, but others, who couldn’t be stopped, yelled that they’d rather be poisoned than die of thirst. Chen Bin had no other choice but to restrain his own comrades first.

“Did the Wei dog poison it?”

“Kill him! We can drink his blood and walk back!”

Just as the scene descended into chaos, the man who was holding Zhao Mian finally spoke. “Silence.”

Everyone fell silent, their eyes on the man. Without a doubt, this man was their leader.

The man’s blade was at Zhao Mian’s throat, but his eyes were fixed on Wei Zhenfeng. “We haven’t met in two years, but the Young Prince has grown up quite a bit. Let me see, you must be eighteen now?”

“Lord Xiao, allow me to introduce you,” Wei Zhenfeng said, blood streaming down one arm. The hand of his uninjured arm was covered in sweat, but a smile still played on his lips. “This is Grand Tutor Gu’s nephew, Gu Shaodeng.”

Zhao Mian looked at Wei Zhenfeng’s arm, and was shocked for a moment. He then suddenly turned to Chen Bin, giving him a cold, scathing glare.

Gu Shaodeng sighed softly. “Only eighteen, huh.”

Gu Shaodeng looked to be under forty. His features bore some resemblance to Gu Ruzhang’s, but he lacked Gu Ruzhang’s gentle elegance. He only had the deep and steady gravity of one who has experienced much hardship. He was the only person present who didn’t show his hatred and anger toward Wei Zhenfeng. His words were almost polite. “As for whether the well water is poisoned, the Young Prince can try it himself and find out.”

The young man heard this and quickly ran to the well, scooping up a ladle of water and trying to pour it into Wei Zhenfeng’s mouth. “Thank you for the trouble. I can drink it myself,” Wei Zhenfeng said.

He then took the ladle and drank it all in one go.

Seeing Wei Zhenfeng drink so freely, everyone rushed to the well to drink, but Gu Shaodeng commanded, “Wait a little longer.”

With the amount of blood he was losing, the color on Wei Zhenfeng’s face was also fading. “Waiting is boring. Why don’t you make a deal with me, Sir Gu?”

Chen Bin’s internal alarm bells went off. “Sir, the Wei dog is as treacherous and cunning as they come. Don’t listen to him. We must not fall for his tricks!”

“It’s fine,” Gu Shaodeng said. “What kind of deal does the Young Prince want to make with me?”

Wei Zhenfeng looked at Zhao Mian, and found Zhao Mian had been staring at his wound He immediately covered the wound with his other hand. “One person for one person, how about it?”

Gu Shaodeng thought about it. “Continue.”

“You release Lord Xiao, and this prince will give you a great gift,” Wei Zhenfeng said.

As Gu Shaodeng and Wei Zhenfeng spoke, anxious emotions spread through the crowd who hadn’t had water for two days. Except for a few, everyone’s eyes were red with thirst, constantly swallowing their saliva.

“Is the great gift the Young Prince is talking about Huo Kangcheng?” Gu Shaodeng asked.

Wei Zhenfeng said with a scornful laugh. “Who is Huo Kangcheng? He’s not worthy of being exchanged for Lord Xiao.”

“Then what is the Young Prince’s great gift?”

“Your uncle, Grand Tutor Gu Ruzhang.”

A crack finally appeared in Gu Shaodeng’s usually composed face. The others were also stunned. The young boy’s eyes turned red the moment he heard Gu Ruzhang’s name. “Is Grand Tutor Gu really in your hands?”

Chen Bin was the first to react. “The Wei dog is clearly stalling and bluffing! Sir, you must not be fooled by him!”

Gu Shaodeng glanced at Zhao Mian. “Is Lord Xiao so important to you, Young Prince?”

“Lord Xiao is beautiful,” Wei Zhenfeng said with a smile. “This prince likes him.”

Zhao Mian quietly clenched his fist in his sleeve.

Wei Zhenfeng… barking nonsense again. Can’t even find a good reason; could he only like him because he’s beautiful?

“Although I’ve only met the Young Prince a few times, I know the prince is not one who’s swayed by beauty,” Gu Shaodeng said slowly. “This Lord Xiao is probably not just a simple Nanjing envoy.”

“Why, didn’t Empress Dowager Lu tell you my true identity?” Zhao Mian said calmly.

“Why would Lord Xiao mention the Empress Dowager of Dongling at this moment?” Gu Shaodeng said lightly.

Zhao Mian knew his attempt to trick information out of him had been seen through. He was unworthy of being Gu Ruzhang’s nephew.

“Just tell me if you agree to this deal,” Wei Zhenfeng said. “You release Lord Xiao and take me back to the Fuxue Tower in Shengjing, and naturally you will see your uncle.”

Gu Shaodeng knew Wei Zhenfeng was harboring malicious intentions and wolfish ambitions, but the bait he threw out was too tempting. Even a rational person like Gu Shaodeng couldn’t help but be tempted.

That was the unparalleled Grand Tutor Gu, the pillar of the country. Without the Grand Tutor, how could the Imperial City Division exist today?

Gu Shaodeng fell into deep thought.

“And one more thing,” Wei Zhenfeng said, pointing to the well. “This prince really didn’t poison the water. Are you sure you don’t want to drink?”

One man couldn’t take it anymore and was the first to rush to the well and drink like a madman. With the first one, came the second, and the third… In the blink of an eye, the well was surrounded by people. Even Chen Bin, who was in charge of watching Wei Zhenfeng, was distracted, constantly looking at the well.

Gu Shaodeng didn’t stop them. If Wei Zhenfeng had really poisoned the water, he wouldn’t still be here negotiating with them.

Could Wei Zhenfeng’s words be trusted?

All the past lessons had taught them that not a single word from the Wei dog could be trusted. Behind every step Wei Zhenfeng took was a bottomless trap.

But this might be the only chance they had to rescue Grand Tutor Gu.

As Gu Shaodeng weighed his options, his ears caught a movement that shouldn’t have been there. His expression changed slightly, and he said sharply, “Who’s there?”

The people busy drinking hadn’t reacted to what their leader was saying. Wei Zhenfeng suddenly made his move. He grabbed Chen Bin’s arm and twisted it with force. With a loud snap, Chen Bin’s blade was snatched away by Wei Zhenfeng. The pained scream startled everyone awake.

Unfortunately, they were too thirsty and woke up too late.

After taking Chen Bin’s blade, Wei Zhenfeng took the initiative and held him hostage, holding the blade to Chen Bin’s throat.

“You took too long to think. I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to exchange Grand Tutor Gu for Lord Xiao. I want to exchange him for Commander Chen,” Wei Zhenfeng said. “What does Sir Gu think?”

Having once again fallen into the Wei dog’s trap, Chen Bin was utterly humiliated. His eyes turned red. “Sir! Don’t worry about me! I am willing to die for the great cause of restoring our country!”

Wei Zhenfeng’s lips were pale, but he managed a smile. “Huo Kangcheng is already crazy, and Sir Gu doesn’t have many usable people left under you ah.”

His composed mask was about to be completely shattered. Gu Shaodeng said in a low voice, “You’re injured. Even if I give you the person, do you think you can escape?”

Wei Zhenfeng laughed: “How would I know without trying.”

“Sir!” Chen Bin roared. “Don’t listen to him!”

Gu Shaodeng carefully observed Wei Zhenfeng’s wound. It was deep, and he had lost too much blood. If he didn’t get treatment in time, he would soon faint from blood loss and wouldn’t be able to run very far. Gu Shaodeng had so many people. There was no way Wei Zhenfeng could escape from him.

And now Chen Bin was in Wei Zhenfeng’s hands; his life could be lost at any moment.

Wei Zhenfeng was right. The Imperial City Division had already lost one Huo Kangcheng. They couldn’t afford to lose Chen Bin.

Gu Shaodeng made his decision. “Alright.”

“Sir!” Chen Bin roared.

“Have Lord Xiao come here first,” Wei Zhenfeng said.

Gu Shaodeng pressed his lips together and lowered the sword from Zhao Mian’s shoulder. Zhao Mian walked toward Wei Zhenfeng. He walked steadily, the noble demeanor he couldn’t be bothered to affect in front of Wei Zhenfeng was now brought out to its fullest. He walked unhurriedly, step by step, back to Wei Zhenfeng’s side.

Too much blood loss made Zhao Mian’s figure appear as a double image in Wei Zhenfeng’s vision. He struggled to maintain his composed demeanor. “Let’s go.”

Watching the two get closer and closer to the door, the youth also grew anxious; he shouted to Gu Shaodeng: “Master!”

Gu Shaodeng gripped his sword hilt, ready to pursue them at any moment. “It’s fine. They can’t escape.”

Wei Zhenfeng and Zhao Mian retreated out of the kitchen. Wei Zhenfeng suddenly kicked Chen Bin from behind, sending him stumbling back.

The moment Chen Bin was returned, Gu Shaodeng’s eyes darkened. “Attack!”

Just as the Imperial City Division members rushed toward them, in the nick of time, a lit arrow was placed in Zhao Mian’s hand. “Your Highness!”

It was Zhou Huairang.

Zhao Mian skillfully drew his bow and aimed the arrow at the piles of flour. He then gently released his fingers. At the same time, Zhou Huairang, who was hiding behind the door, used all his might to kick the large door shut.

The fire from the arrow touched the flour dust in the air and instantly combusted. The heat generated created waves of heat. The last thing Chen Bin saw was a huge burst of light, so bright it almost pierced his eyes. He instinctively closed them.

Boom.

The three of them outside the kitchen were all thrown to the ground by the heat wave, let alone the people inside. Zhao Mian’s body ached as if two Wei Zhenfengs had been pressing on him all night. His ears rang, and it took him a while to get up and look around for people. “Wei Zhenfeng? Xiao Rang…!”

Zhou Huairang’s weak voice came from not far away. “Your Highness, I’m here. I’m fine… cough, cough.”

Wei Zhenfengh with difficulty raised a hand from another spot. “Me too.”

Zhao Mian hesitated for a moment between them. Seeing that Zhou Huairang was trying to get up on his own, he quickly went to Wei Zhenfeng’s side and helped him to a sitting position. Wei Zhenfeng was indeed mostly fine. The most serious injury was a small scrape on his face from scraping against the ground. The next most serious was the wound on his arm, which was still bleeding.

Zhou Huairang walked over, covered in dust. Seeing how much blood Wei Zhenfeng had lost, he almost cried. “Heavens ah, how is the Young Prince injured like this!”

“It’s nothing,” Wei Zhenfeng said nonchalantly. “If I weren’t seriously injured, how could Gu Shaodeng be so confident that we couldn’t escape?”

Zhao Mian looked at Wei Zhenfeng’s blood-soaked clothes, his heart tightening. He tore off a strip of his own shirt and wrapped it around Wei Zhenfeng’s arm, loop after loop.

Wei Zhenfeng felt that the bandaging was enough and tried to pull his hand back, but Zhao Mian held onto it, not letting him withdraw. Sensing his intention, he even lifted his eyes to glare at him.

At times like these, the Crown Prince was also a normal person who couldn’t escape the fate of being covered in dust. But seeing the young man’s pale face with several dusty smudges and his hair mostly messy, with strands falling in front of his eyes that he had to constantly brush away, Wei Zhenfeng couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s just
superficial wound.”

“Shut up,” Zhao Mian cut in rudely. “You can die, but your hand can’t be injured.”

Wei Zhenfeng: …?

What is this logic?

Zhao Mian tore another strip of cloth from Zhou Huairang’s clothes and continued to bandage his arm. As he wrapped, his movements gradually slowed down.

Wei Zhenfeng noticed his unsualness and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zhao Mian was silent for a while, then suddenly said to Zhou Huairang, “Cover your ears.”

Zhou Huairang was completely confused, but since the Crown Prince had ordered it, he had to obey.

Wei Zhenfeng watched Zhao Mian use the cloth strip to tie a tight knot on his arm; his Adam’s apple moved slightly: “Zhao Mian, you…”

“You’re the only person who has ever hugged me since I grew up,” the Crown Prince raised his eyes proudly, referring to himself with a royal title. “If this hand is ruined, no one will hug this one in the future.”