Dawn had barely begun to lighten the sky when Mu Xueshi found himself completely unable to sleep any longer.
He had slept for less than two hours, yet in that short time he had dreamed countless dreams.
In every single one, the figure of the Third Prince lingered before his eyes.
When Mu Xueshi opened his eyes again, the miracle he had secretly hoped for had not occurred.
He was still in this room.
With a sigh, he found a bronze basin and splashed some water onto his face. Using the water’s surface as a makeshift mirror, he clumsily tied his hair into a rather strange-looking style.
Then, forcing himself to look refreshed and energetic, he went to find Su Ruhan.
“Master, let’s practice martial arts!”
Su Ruhan had only just fallen into a light sleep when loud knocking erupted at his door.
Mu Xueshi’s voice rang out brightly, not the least bit like someone who had barely slept.
“Master! Master! Hurry up—your disciple can’t wait!”
Su Ruhan had only just sat up in bed, wearing a white inner robe with purple trousers, when the door burst open and Mu Xueshi rushed inside.
“Master, I’ve decided!” Mu Xueshi announced excitedly.
“For the time being I’m sticking with you. I’m never going back to that Qingyun Palace again. It’s much freer here!”
Su Ruhan looked at the excited Mu Xueshi.
His response, however, was completely indifferent, as though Mu Xueshi’s decision had nothing to do with him at all.
Mu Xueshi didn’t care in the slightest.
He kept urging Su Ruhan to come outside and practice martial arts.
After waking that morning, he had suddenly come up with many new plans. First he would learn martial arts from Su Ruhan, then he would venture out into the jianghu, searching for that silver coin on his own.
Mu Xueshi had a strange feeling.
That silver coin was not far from him.
It felt as if there were some invisible connection between them. Recently, he often saw the coin in his dreams, as if his mind were receiving some kind of subconscious signal.
Once he found it, he could change back.
And then he would never return again.
He would leave this place that had chilled his heart.
Outside the room came a whooshing sound.
“Ha! Hah! Hoh!”
Su Ruhan was still dressing when he heard the wind slicing through the air.
Mu Xueshi stood outside wildly swinging a long sword in the breeze.
His fitted clothing outlined a graceful figure—slender waist, long straight legs.
Even after the Third Prince’s disguise technique had altered his appearance, his face still possessed a striking handsomeness.
“Master, take this!”
Mu Xueshi suddenly lunged forward.
The sword in his hand shot straight toward Su Ruhan’s chest.
Yet Su Ruhan did not even move to dodge.
He simply stood there calmly.
Mu Xueshi had assumed his attack would be blocked halfway.
But to his shock, the sword’s tip had already reached Su Ruhan’s face—and he still hadn’t reacted.
Panicking, Mu Xueshi hurriedly withdrew his sword.
Unfortunately, his feet couldn’t keep up with his brain.
His body pitched forward wildly before he finally crashed heavily onto the ground.
Even worse—
A sharp stone jabbed directly into his back.
A tearing pain shot through him.
Seeing Su Ruhan watching him, Mu Xueshi forced out a loud laugh, rolled across the ground, and sprang back to his feet.
“So embarrassing!” Mu Xueshi muttered in words Su Ruhan could not understand, trying to cover up his pain.
When Su Ruhan turned away, Mu Xueshi immediately bared his teeth in pain, grimacing fiercely.
He reached behind to touch his back.
It felt like he was bleeding.
Still, Mu Xueshi ignored the injury.
His clothes were already dark red—any blood seeping through wouldn’t be obvious.
Besides, even if he told Su Ruhan, the man would probably just think he was overly delicate.
Mu Xueshi hated being looked down upon.
Later, Su Ruhan made a straw dummy for him.
The dummy was tied with numerous knots, specifically for Mu Xueshi to practice acupoint striking.
Originally Mu Xueshi had thought other martial arts were too exhausting.
Acupoint techniques seemed fun and effortless.
But after practicing all day, Mu Xueshi discovered his two fingers were swollen and red.
“Master, let’s go out for a walk,” Mu Xueshi suggested.
“The palace is terribly boring.”
Su Ruhan nodded and led two horses out from the stable.
“Master, I’ve noticed something,” Mu Xueshi said cheerfully.
“You don’t refuse me anymore. Whatever I ask, you agree. You’re really a good person.”
As he spoke, he slung an arm over Su Ruhan’s shoulder with a silly grin.
In Mu Xueshi’s mind, Su Ruhan’s compliance simply meant they had grown closer.
The barrier between them had disappeared.
If the Third Prince had never befriended him in the beginning, perhaps he wouldn’t be suffering like this now.
If he had met Su Ruhan first—
perhaps the Third Prince wouldn’t occupy his thoughts at all.
No matter how he looked at it, Su Ruhan seemed far kinder than the Third Prince.
He was more tolerant as well.
“I can ride a horse too, right?” Mu Xueshi asked, his bright eyes wide with excitement.
“Yes.”
Su Ruhan led one of the horses over to him.
“I have a horse! I have my own horse!”
“It’s called Leichi. Wait here, I’ll go get it!”
But halfway there, Mu Xueshi suddenly stopped.
Turning back awkwardly, he said,
“Actually… never mind. That horse is a thousand-li steed. Maybe I should start with a smaller one…”
With that, he hurriedly grabbed the horse Su Ruhan was holding, as if trying to cover something up.
Leaving the courtyard, Mu Xueshi felt as if a huge weight had lifted from his chest.
After wandering around the palace for a while, the two of them eventually exited the palace gates.
Su Ruhan deliberately slowed his horse so it walked side by side with Mu Xueshi’s.
They strolled leisurely through the bustling streets.
Mu Xueshi rarely had opportunities to leave the palace.
During the days he spent with the Third Prince, aside from visiting the Grand Tutor’s manor, he had hardly gone anywhere else.
And even that road had been so quiet that Mu Xueshi usually slept the entire journey.
Yet strangely—
today nothing seemed interesting.
Even when they passed street performers or martial artists setting up challenge arenas, Mu Xueshi only halfheartedly cheered.
He was afraid of ruining Su Ruhan’s mood, so he occasionally forced out loud laughter.
But it looked painfully unnatural.
Suddenly—
A familiar figure appeared in the distance.
Mu Xueshi immediately urged his horse forward to chase after him.
Li Qian was standing at an apothecary buying medicine, holding two wrapped paper packets.
Hearing the familiar voice, he turned around.
“Young Master Xue?”
Li Qian greeted him with a bright, pure smile.
Seeing Li Qian instantly lifted Mu Xueshi’s spirits.
Glancing at the medicine in his hands, Mu Xueshi asked,
“What’s wrong? Are you sick?”
Li Qian’s expression changed slightly.
A soft sigh escaped his lips.
“Not me…”
“Then who?”
“Well… this…”
Li Qian hesitated, clearly unsure whether to speak.
“It’s fine,” Mu Xueshi laughed easily. “If it’s inconvenient, you don’t have to say anything.”
Seeing Mu Xueshi’s cheerful smile, Li Qian found himself smiling as well.
“Oh right,” Li Qian suddenly remembered.
“Last time you said you had thought of a way to clear your name. What happened with that?”
Mu Xueshi froze.
Then he scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly.
“I completely forgot about it.”
“When they come to arrest me, we’ll talk about it then. If I can delay it, I’ll delay it.”
Li Qian couldn’t understand this attitude at all.
This matter concerned human lives—yet Mu Xueshi spoke about it as if it were nothing.
Suddenly Mu Xueshi shouted,
“Ah!”
He looked around frantically.
“I lost my master!”
“That’s strange—he was just beside me a moment ago. How did he disappear all of a sudden?”
“…Wait, did I accidentally shake him off earlier?!”
Mu Xueshi hurriedly scanned the street but saw no trace of Su Ruhan.
After quickly saying goodbye to Li Qian, he turned his horse and rushed back the way he had come.
Futile Devices Scans 
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