When they reached the palace gates, hundreds of elite soldiers suddenly appeared, arrayed in tight formation before the entrance, blocking Shangchuan Hong’s path.
A storm of thoughts swept through Shangchuan Hong’s mind.
Su Ruhan was nothing more than a demoted guard—how could he possibly summon so many soldiers on such short notice? Even if these troops had originally been mobilized by the Third Prince, now that they saw him, they should still obey his commands.
“Stand aside,” Shangchuan Hong said darkly.
A guard stepped forward and bowed.
“Your Highness, without the Emperor’s permission, no one may leave the palace.”
“Since when has such an order existed?” Shangchuan Hong demanded.
He remembered clearly that the Third Prince had always come and gone from the palace with ease.
One of the soldiers at the gate hurried forward, speaking nervously.
“Your Highness… this order was issued by you yourself. The ruler of Lubei is soon to visit, and all palace regulations were to be revised—especially those concerning entry and exit. You instructed that every departure must bear the Emperor’s personal approval. You even said that if you yourself were to break this rule, you should still be punished according to the law.”
Shangchuan Hong let out a cold snort.
“The rules were set by me. Now I wish to change them. Who among you dares disobey?”
With that, he snapped his whip and urged the horse forward.
Yet the moment the horse moved, dozens of spearpoints thrust forward, stopping it cold.
“Please do not make things difficult for us, Your Highness,” the soldiers said. “You warned us yesterday that even if you yourself tried to defy the order, we were still to enforce the rule without exception.”
Shangchuan Hong ground his teeth inwardly.
Should he curse the Third Prince for being so calculating—or blame himself for being careless?
These regulations had been established to welcome the visiting ruler of Lubei. Now they had become the very stone that smashed his own foot.
If he were stopped at the palace gates after coming this far, it would be unbearably humiliating.
Very well. Since you show no mercy, don’t blame me for returning the favor.
Ruining your image of righteous dignity here shall be my repayment.
“I, the Third Prince, intend to leave the palace! Who dares stop me?”
A cold smile curled on Shangchuan Hong’s lips. With a sharp crack of the whip, he charged toward the gate.
The soldiers instinctively scattered before him, none daring to directly intercept.
He had nearly broken through when he suddenly saw that the gates themselves were tightly shut. Dozens more guards stood firm before them, clearly prepared to defend the gate with their lives.
Realizing there was no time to force the gates open—and turning back would only lead him straight into Su Ruhan’s hands—Shangchuan Hong leapt from the saddle.
Clutching Mu Xueshi in his arms, he sprang onto the high city wall, intending to jump directly out of the palace.
But the moment he landed atop the wall, another formation awaited him.
Hundreds of archers stood in rows, bows fully drawn, their eyes fixed fiercely upon him without the slightest sign of retreat.
At their head stood a mounted archer named Zheng Qingcang, seated atop a tall steed and wielding a heavy crossbow inlaid with gold. His sword-like brows and bright eyes gave him an imposing presence.
Seeing the “Third Prince” attempting to escape with Mu Xueshi, he showed not anger—but delight.
“Your subordinate pays respects to the Third Prince.”
Holding Mu Xueshi calmly, Shangchuan Hong replied,
“I must leave the city today—no matter what.”
Zheng Qingcang burst into hearty laughter.
“Your Highness, such a small matter! Why trouble yourself? Why not put that person down first and join me atop the tower for a few drinks?”
Another troublesome one, Shangchuan Hong thought grimly.
“I have no leisure for such elegance today,” he said coldly. “The man in my arms suffers from a grave illness. The divine physician who can cure him travels the martial world. If we miss the appointed time, none of you will be able to bear the consequences.”
Zheng Qingcang strode forward without hesitation, peering curiously at Mu Xueshi.
“Then why is his face covered? Is his illness on his face? I happen to have a cousin who practices medicine in the jianghu. He’s not famous, but he’s treated patients for many years and—”
“Enough.”
Shangchuan Hong’s voice turned icy as he fixed Zheng Qingcang with a frigid gaze.
“Will you let me pass—or not?”
“If you truly were the Third Prince,” Zheng Qingcang said with another booming laugh, “how would I dare stop you?”
Shangchuan Hong immediately realized his disguise had been exposed.
Without hesitation, he drew his sword and struck toward Zheng Qingcang.
Zheng Qingcang was skilled mainly with bow and arrow, and the Third Prince had specifically ordered that the person in Shangchuan Hong’s arms must not be harmed. Thus he could only dodge clumsily.
Even as he retreated, he continued speaking with a grin.
“The real Third Prince left the palace at dawn and hasn’t returned yet… and with the gates so heavily guarded, he couldn’t have slipped back in unnoticed. So if you appear now—well, you must be fake!”
He chuckled.
“Still, I must admit—you impersonate him rather well. Just as handsome and elegant. You nearly fooled me!”
By now more than ten sword wounds had appeared on Zheng Qingcang’s arms and shoulders, yet his expression remained carefree.
As he gradually fell into disadvantage, dozens of archers surrounded them, all arrows trained on Shangchuan Hong.
If they loosed their arrows, even a master swordsman could scarcely escape unharmed—let alone while carrying another person.
Originally, Shangchuan Hong had planned to bring the Third Prince to meet Hao Lin and obtain the antidote.
Wangyun Peak was far away. Even if the Third Prince hurried back unharmed, he could not possibly return before late afternoon. By then, Shangchuan Hong would already have escaped the palace with Mu Xueshi.
But he had clearly underestimated his opponent.
He had never imagined the Third Prince would leave behind so many hidden traps before departing.
He had expected only Su Ruhan to intercept him.
Because he held evidence against Su Ruhan, Shangchuan Hong had never feared the man’s threats.
Yet now so many unexpected obstacles had appeared, leaving him unprepared.
His martial skills were not overwhelming; if this continued, his true identity would inevitably be exposed.
“Do not shoot!”
A sudden shout rang out.
Su Ruhan had appeared atop the city wall.
Zheng Qingcang stared at him in puzzlement before suddenly bursting into laughter.
“Guard Su! Long time no see. I’ve truly missed you!”
In truth, the two had met only once before. But Zheng Qingcang was naturally warm and fond of casual conversation—even with strangers.
Su Ruhan, however, knew very well that beneath the man’s genial exterior lay someone far from easy to deal with.
Even wounded as he was, Zheng Qingcang would never allow Shangchuan Hong to leave.
But Su Ruhan had his own goal.
He had to rescue Mu Xueshi—and ensure Shangchuan Hong escaped safely.
Tomorrow was the day the ruler of Lubei would arrive. If Shangchuan Hong were imprisoned here, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Shangchuan Hong seemed to read Su Ruhan’s thoughts.
With a finger, he lightly hooked the veil covering Mu Xueshi’s face.
“Escort me out of the palace,” he said calmly. “Otherwise, I will tear this veil off immediately.”
The moment those words were spoken, Zheng Qingcang’s expression hardened.
With a shout of command, dozens of arrows shot toward Shangchuan Hong.
Su Ruhan leapt forward, sweeping his sword through the air. The arrows reversed direction and flew back toward the archers, killing many of them instantly.
The remaining archers stepped back, fear now visible on their faces.
“Fire again!” Zheng Qingcang roared, eyes blazing.
Protected behind Su Ruhan, Shangchuan Hong and Mu Xueshi remained unharmed.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Su Ruhan tried to snatch Mu Xueshi from Shangchuan Hong’s arms—but the veil remained caught in Shangchuan Hong’s hand. Any sudden movement would tear it away.
Shangchuan Hong laughed coldly.
While the two were still locked in struggle, Zheng Qingcang drew a single arrow and aimed directly at Shangchuan Hong’s back.
The arrow flew like lightning.
Su Ruhan infused his sword with internal energy and struck the arrow aside. Sparks erupted as steel met steel.
“Excellent swordsmanship!” Zheng Qingcang exclaimed, his anger instantly replaced by admiration.
At that moment, Shangchuan Hong seized the chance and leapt from the wall.
Yet midair, Mu Xueshi was suddenly snatched from his grasp.
All that remained in Shangchuan Hong’s hand was the torn veil.
A bloodthirsty smile appeared on his lips.
Su Ruhan had abandoned everything.
Suddenly a fierce gust of wind swept across the wall, raising clouds of dust that obscured everything.
When the dust cleared, Su Ruhan had vanished.
Shangchuan Hong stared blankly at the empty air.
The warmth that had lingered in his arms moments before had turned cold.
When he had first clashed with the soldiers, Su Ruhan had been slow to appear. Clearly, he had already prepared this escape in advance.
Strangely, Shangchuan Hong felt no hatred.
Only a bitter sense of irony.
From beginning to end, he had been the one thrown off balance, unable to see through even such simple tricks.
Forget it.
Hao Lin had merely asked him to see Mu Xueshi’s face when the poison was cured—not to bring the man back.
Why he had felt compelled to take Mu Xueshi away remained a mystery even to himself.
Now that Mu Xueshi had fallen into Su Ruhan’s hands, it could hardly be considered his failure.
Though… there was some regret.
While the soldiers were still disoriented, Shangchuan Hong slipped out of the palace.
Soon allies arrived to meet him.
At an inn, he changed clothes and mounted his horse as if nothing had happened, heading back toward the delegation of Lubei.
Throughout the journey, he said nothing.
His attendant Zhang Mu followed behind, repeatedly opening his mouth as though wanting to speak, yet stopping himself each time.
In all his years serving Shangchuan Hong, he had rarely seen his master look like this.
Even when not confident, Shangchuan Hong was always relaxed and composed.
But now—
His calm felt chilling.
Suddenly Shangchuan Hong spoke.
“Zhang Mu. Tell me—who is the most beautiful person you have ever seen?”
Startled by the question, Zhang Mu hesitated before answering cautiously.
“The most beautiful woman in the world must be the wife of the ruler of Lubei. And the most handsome man would be the son of the ruler of Yunxi.”
Shangchuan Hong’s deep eyes flickered with something complicated.
“Today, I saw the most beautiful person in the world.”
Zhang Mu’s curiosity was immediately piqued.
“There is someone even more beautiful? Who might that be, my lord?”
Shangchuan Hong smiled faintly.
“You will find out one day.”
Futile Devices Scans 
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