The moment Mu Xueshi heard the words “Third Prince,” it was as if he had been injected with a stimulant. All lingering resentment vanished instantly. He hurried over to Su Ruhan’s side and asked eagerly,
“Has the Third Prince forgiven me?”
Su Ruhan had long noticed that Mu Xueshi seemed unusually fond of getting close to people. Whether it was simple human nature or deliberate behavior, he could not tell. Taking two quiet steps back, he replied in a clear voice,
“The Third Prince only instructed that Young Master Xue learn martial arts for self-defense. Nothing more was said.”
Mu Xueshi nodded as if enlightenment had suddenly struck him—though in truth he understood nothing at all. He could not fathom why the Third Prince had suddenly decided he should learn martial arts.
Could it be because the Third Prince knew he would be sentenced in a dozen days and did not wish him to die, yet could not show favoritism? So he planned to let him escape the execution grounds?
At once Mu Xueshi imagined the face of a prison-break hero. The thought felt incredibly cool. Excitement surged through him; he began kicking and flailing his arms wildly in the air.
Standing nearby, Su Ruhan could only watch with cold sweat trickling down his back.
Mu Xueshi had long thought the sword at Su Ruhan’s waist must be a treasured blade. In fact, it seemed even more elegant than the sword carried by the Third Prince.
Being straightforward by nature, he immediately asked Su Ruhan to teach him swordplay—and even requested to borrow the treasured sword for a moment.
But the instant Mu Xueshi pointed at the weapon, a sharp glint flashed across Su Ruhan’s eyes.
The sudden chill frightened Mu Xueshi so badly that he shivered.
Seeing how dearly Su Ruhan cherished the sword, Mu Xueshi immediately abandoned the idea of learning swordplay. Even if Su Ruhan offered it to him now, he would not dare touch it.
Gradually, Su Ruhan’s expression softened.
Noticing that the terrifying look had faded from his face, Mu Xueshi cautiously asked,
“Can we begin now… Master?”
Su Ruhan bowed slightly.
“Please address me by my name, Young Master Xue. I would not dare accept the title of ‘Master.’”
Hearing this, Mu Xueshi finally relaxed.
Yet when Su Ruhan gave no instructions or movement, Mu Xueshi’s impatience got the better of him. He began circling around him, chattering endlessly about what he wanted to learn.
Lightness skills.
The “Mighty Divine Palm.”
Pressure-point techniques.
He rambled excitedly about them all, talking to himself so enthusiastically that he hardly noticed anything else—until he suddenly realized that Su Ruhan had vanished.
“Let him amuse himself.”
A faint smile curved the Third Prince’s lips.
At that moment, Su Ruhan had already slipped into the Third Prince’s sleeping palace to report Mu Xueshi’s situation.
The Third Prince reclined sideways upon a soft couch, his posture relaxed.
Su Ruhan rarely saw him this idle. Yet habits formed over many years ensured he never took the initiative to question his lord.
The Third Prince set down the blue-and-white porcelain teacup in his hand and said slowly,
“Ning Yue is dead.”
Su Ruhan’s expression shifted slightly.
“I was unaware.”
The Third Prince let out a cold laugh, his tone faintly mocking.
“So now that you are no longer my personal guard, you no longer bother investigating the Mu manor murder case I care so much about?”
“If the investigation continues,” Su Ruhan said quietly, “many others may be implicated.”
The Third Prince raised an eyebrow.
“How much do you know about the case?”
“Nothing at all.”
“Oh?”
The Third Prince nodded with a half-smile.
“You know the person I hate most is the one who killed the Grand Tutor. That man dared to sever my path.”
Su Ruhan bowed.
“Yes. When the Third Prince eventually discovers the culprit, they will certainly be punished with utmost severity.”
After that, the Third Prince fell silent.
Seeing his lord close his eyes as though resting, Su Ruhan prepared to withdraw quietly.
But when he reached the doorway, the Third Prince suddenly spoke.
“Remember—teach Mu Xueshi martial arts well.”
“This case… only he can uncover the truth.”
“Unless, of course, he is not truly Mu Xueshi.”
Su Ruhan halted mid-step. With his back still turned, he said,
“Does Your Highness not doubt my abilities? My martial arts have already been reduced by more than half.”
The Third Prince spoke slowly, eyes still closed.
“For self-defense, that is more than sufficient.”
“The murderer’s martial arts must be inferior to yours.”
Futile Devices Scans 
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