The Third Prince showed not the slightest trace of emotion, nor any intention of accepting the offer. He merely let out a faint chuckle and continued walking ahead.
Just the reaction I was waiting for! Mu Xueshi trailed behind, secretly pleased. If he’d actually eaten it, that would’ve been a real loss. If not for currying favor, why would I pretend to yield it to him?
He congratulated himself silently—his goodwill had been expressed, yet nothing of value had been sacrificed. Truly efficient.
As the Third Prince walked, he distinctly heard the sound of biting from behind him. A moment later, Mu Xueshi rushed past, tongue out, face twisted in misery as he pleaded for help. After only a single bite, the fruit had turned unbearably bitter, his tongue numbed as though struck by lightning.
The Third Prince had not expected him to truly eat it. Confusion flickered in his heart. Even without recognizing the fruit, should he not have exercised caution? Was he not afraid it might be poisonous?
An image surfaced in his mind—the earnest look Mu Xueshi had worn when offering the fruit. An unfamiliar feeling stirred within him. He had assumed it was mockery, yet Mu Xueshi had actually eaten it. Had he truly climbed that tree and plucked the Soapberry Horn pod solely for him?
From within his sleeve, the Third Prince retrieved a clearing pellet and handed it over. Mu Xueshi swallowed it immediately. The numb bitterness eased at once, and he thanked the prince repeatedly.
Just as quickly, the prince’s expression returned to cold indifference. His thoughts sealed themselves once more. Mu Xueshi could not possibly be acting out of pure kindness. If he had picked the fruit for him, there must have been another motive.
Before long, the two arrived at Lingzi Lake.
The lake was not large, its shape an irregular polygon. Pale green grinding stones were embedded along the descending inner wall of the shore, scattered unevenly, yet forming a strangely harmonious beauty. Wisps of mist curled over the surface. Five-colored aquatic vines wove through the water, and though there was no wind, the lake rippled and churned, waves flowing steadily toward a single direction.
Mu Xueshi’s eyes widened. Trembling slightly, he crouched by the shore, studying the currents, searching for the source of the flow. After a long while, his confusion only deepened.
He leaned farther out, peering into the water to see whether some hidden mechanism lay beneath. The lake, however, was crystal clear. Aside from vines and stones, there was nothing—no device, no artifice. Everything appeared entirely natural. If so, what force drove those rolling currents?
While he frowned in thought, the Third Prince approached. Mu Xueshi noticed the prince’s reflection in the water and turned to speak—only to see, in that instant, another unfamiliar face reflected there.
He froze.
Glancing around, he found no one nearby. Yet when he looked back again, the figure in the water turned as well. His body jolted, and he nearly fell into the lake.
“Th-this…”
The face in the lake possessed beauty capable of toppling cities, yet it was unmistakably male. Mu Xueshi removed the hairpin binding his long hair; the reflection’s dark locks cascaded freely to its shoulders.
He was utterly stunned.
That flawless, astonishingly handsome face—without a single blemish—was his own.
Was he not supposed to be ugly? Were there not pitted scars and wrinkles across his face?
“This lake,” the Third Prince said evenly, “is a naturally formed sacred water. Whatever it reflects reveals its true appearance. The ink-mud upon your face is therefore filtered away.”
The prince assumed Mu Xueshi was shocked to see the mud vanish in reflection. Yet Mu Xueshi had already forgotten the mud entirely. Only now did he hurriedly touch his face—indeed, it still felt uneven to the touch.
Turning anxiously, he asked, “Your Highness, how does one remove this face mask at once? I’ve had it on for so long—surely it’s time to peel it off?” He cast one last, reluctant glance at the reflection, inwardly marveling. The prince’s palace truly houses treasures beyond compare—even a mere face mask works miracles.
By now accustomed to Mu Xueshi’s strange speech, the Third Prince simply gestured toward the lake with his chin.
The water itself would cleanse him.
Futile Devices Scans 
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