Mu Xueshi assumed Eunuch Tai’an was afraid and leaned closer with a grin.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell the Third Prince,” he whispered conspiratorially. “Just tell me—did the Third Prince lock Qingyun up? I haven’t seen her for two days. Did she get punished because of me?”
Eunuch Tai’an had never seen a master show such concern for a servant. A warmth stirred within his chest.
Indeed, Qingyun had been punished because of Mu Xueshi—but she had also kept her life because of him. When Eunuch Tai’an thought about it more carefully, he realized that since Mu Xueshi had arrived, many people’s fates in this palace had quietly begun to change.
Perhaps… they should feel grateful instead.
With that thought, Eunuch Tai’an suddenly knelt.
“Please be at ease, Young Master Xue,” he said loudly. “Miss Qingyun has been unwell recently. His Highness the Third Prince transferred her to the embroidery hall to do lighter work so she may recuperate.”
“Oh! Is that so?” Mu Xueshi burst into laughter. The tension that had been knotted in his heart finally loosened.
He looked down at the simple bracelet in his hand and chuckled awkwardly.
“You’ve rendered such a great service, how could I repay you with something this shabby? How about this—I’ll keep this one for myself. I’ll sneak into the Third Prince’s little treasury later and steal something better for you.”
Before Eunuch Tai’an could refuse, Mu Xueshi had already slipped away without a trace.
Watching the uneven trail of footprints he left behind, Eunuch Tai’an’s face softened with a faint smile.
Later, as they rode on horseback, Mu Xueshi and the Third Prince sat facing one another in their usual manner.
Mu Xueshi realized he had already grown accustomed to this arrangement. Not long after mounting the horse, he leaned forward and fell asleep against the Third Prince’s chest.
He was truly exhausted today.
Curled in the prince’s embrace, he slept deeply. His fair little face carried a look of pure contentment as his arms wrapped tightly around the prince’s waist.
Occasionally, when the Third Prince shifted slightly, Mu Xueshi would instinctively clutch him tighter, afraid of falling from the horse.
Even knowing the reason, a faint trace of tenderness would still appear in the prince’s eyes.
The road was usually quiet.
But today, a carriage suddenly passed by.
It was filled with large, rough-looking men whose loud voices filled the air as they passed beside the prince’s horse.
Then—
In the very next moment, every sound vanished.
The world fell silent once more, as though the earlier commotion had never existed.
Mu Xueshi’s slightly furrowed brow relaxed again in his sleep. Smacking his lips dreamily, he rubbed his forehead against the Third Prince’s chest before turning his head and continuing to sleep.
Behind them, however—
Those men now lay scattered across the ground.
Each of their tongues had been severed in two, blood spilling steadily from the corners of their mouths. The scene was horrifying.
Two masked figures dressed in black dropped down from the trees. They nudged the bodies with their feet and exchanged a confirming glance.
A moment later, they leapt back into the air and vanished into the forest.
When the Third Prince arrived at the Grand Tutor’s manor, there was an unexpected guest waiting.
This man had arrived the previous night and had knelt at the gate ever since, awaiting the prince’s arrival.
His name was Yuwen Tao, the late Grand Tutor Mu’s closest friend.
Upon hearing that the Third Prince had come to investigate the case, he had hurried here to plead for justice.
“How do you know Mu Xueshi is not the real murderer?” the Third Prince asked coldly.
Still kneeling, Yuwen Tao replied with grief etched across his face.
“I do not know, Your Highness. But if Your Highness has personally come to investigate, there must be reason. Whoever the murderer is, I only wish for a conclusion that convinces the world.”
His voice trembled.
“If the true killer of Brother Mu can be found… even if I must give up this old life of mine, I would gladly do so.”
With tears in his eyes, Yuwen Tao knocked his head heavily against the ground. Blood began to bloom across his forehead.
Watching from behind, Mu Xueshi felt unexpectedly moved.
If one day he were killed, and the Third Prince would mourn him like this—
He thought he might almost welcome death now.
But after that brief moment of sentiment, Mu Xueshi suddenly found himself unwilling to remain in the same room as Yuwen Tao.
The sorrow surrounding the man felt too heavy.
Seeing him was like glimpsing his own future.
And Mu Xueshi was not ready to bear that kind of despair.
He wandered alone into the main hall, intending to search for clues.
Instead, he encountered Steward Wang.
The steward held a slender-necked bottle and was sprinkling something across the floor.
Curious, Mu Xueshi walked over.
“What are you doing?”
Steard Wang quickly tried to bow, but Mu Xueshi stopped him.
Having already changed his opinion of the young master, the steward spoke with unusual gentleness.
“This is fragrant dew. It helps stabilize pregnancy and strengthen the body when inhaled. Sprinkling it in a room can also drive away insects and remove foul odors.”
“I see…”
Mu Xueshi rubbed his hands eagerly.
“Can I smell it?”
Steward Wang smiled and handed him the bottle.
Mu Xueshi brought it to his nose and inhaled.
“So fragrant…”
But as he continued sniffing, a strange sense of familiarity struck him.
Without another word, he handed the bottle back—and suddenly threw himself onto the floor.
Before Steward Wang could stop him, Mu Xueshi had already sprawled across the ground like an octopus, pressing his nose to the scorched area on the floor and sniffing carefully.
“I knew it,” he muttered.
“The day it happened, the ground smelled sweet too…”
Futile Devices Scans 
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