When Su Ruhan and Mu Xueshi reached the main street, the number of people had already increased. What puzzled Su Ruhan was that he didn’t see any soldiers blocking the way. Everything seemed so calm that it instead made his nerves tighten. He slowed the horse slightly, sharpening his gaze to observe the surroundings more carefully.
They passed two major intersections and one smaller one, yet still found no trace of soldiers. Occasionally, they passed a few officials in uniform, but they were just the usual patrol officers seen on the streets.
Mu Xueshi remained silent—whether from numbness or relief, it was hard to tell. He no longer complained about needing to relieve himself. Instead, he sat stiffly in front of Su Ruhan like a puppet, his large eyes blinking slowly, looking utterly exhausted.
From time to time, people on the street would stare at Mu Xueshi, their expressions turning to shock and fear. At first, Mu Xueshi didn’t understand why, but then he remembered—his face had “broken out.” Seeing that the situation didn’t seem as dangerous now, he cautiously spoke to Su Ruhan.
“Master, I need to tell you something.”
Su Ruhan leaned slightly forward to hear him more clearly.
“My face… had an allergic reaction.” Mu Xueshi sighed.
Su Ruhan frowned. “Allergic reaction?”
Mu Xueshi assumed he didn’t understand, so he recounted everything that had happened that day in detail. After listening, Su Ruhan felt both amused and helpless. Only Mu Xueshi could think so simply—anyone else would have realized they’d been poisoned.
Su Ruhan had just been smiling a moment ago when, in the next instant, he caught a flying dagger between two fingers.
The dagger looked ordinary, except for three engraved lines on its blade, forming a character like “川.” Su Ruhan’s expression turned serious—he realized that Sun Ye was nearby.
Su Ruhan’s horse came to a stop in the middle of the street. At that moment, a carriage behind him began shouting for him to move aside. As Su Ruhan turned, the coachman’s sword was already thrust toward his chest. With just a slight movement of his palm, Su Ruhan sent the coachman—and his sword—flying to the ground, along with another who hadn’t even had time to strike. Both men coughed up blood.
Su Ruhan turned his horse around, now facing the carriage blocking the road.
Only then did Mu Xueshi notice the men lying on the ground, blood spilling from their mouths. His body trembled, and he quickly looked away.
The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and Sun Ye stepped out with a faint smile.
Su Ruhan had long expected Sun Ye to appear along the way, but he hadn’t expected him to bring so few people. Judging from the coachman’s earlier attack, these men were merely average soldiers—only slightly stronger than ordinary people.
Sun Ye first glanced at Su Ruhan, then at Mu Xueshi, a trace of surprise flickering in his eyes. With his deep knowledge of disguise techniques, he could tell that the dark layer on Mu Xueshi’s face wasn’t makeup. It looked more like poison had damaged his skin.
Noticing Sun Ye’s gaze lingering on Mu Xueshi, Su Ruhan felt a hint of displeasure. He fixed Sun Ye with a cold stare and asked, “May I ask why the State Preceptor of Lubei is blocking the road, preventing the citizens of Yunxi from passing?”
He deliberately emphasized Lubei and Yunxi, clearly mocking Sun Ye.
Sun Ye sneered inwardly. So Su Ruhan had learned of his Yunxi origins—did he really need to mock him every time they met? If he revealed Su Ruhan’s other identity—and his so-called “glorious past”—would Mu Xueshi be so frightened that he’d willingly return to the palace with him?
“He’s the State Preceptor of Lubei?” Mu Xueshi tilted his head back and asked Su Ruhan.
Su Ruhan nodded, adding, “He’s also the one who disguised himself as me to visit you at Chun Nuan Pavilion—and ended up getting stabbed by Sun Ye.”
Mu Xueshi had only a vague impression of Sun Ye before—he remembered seeing him the night his soul left his body, when the Third Prince and Princess Wenyang went out to see lanterns. That memory alone already left him feeling uneasy. Now, hearing Su Ruhan explain things, he realized it was this very person who had toyed with him that day. Even if it was another man, being treated like that still filled him with disgust.
“Bah! People from Lubei—none of them are any good!” Mu Xueshi spat on the ground, glaring at Sun Ye with a fox-borrowing-the-tiger’s-power kind of bravado.
Sun Ye had remained calm, but hearing Mu Xueshi curse him stirred something unpleasant in his chest. He was just about to speak—
When Mu Xueshi cut him off again.
“Pretentious hypocrite, beast in human clothing… wasting such a decent face…” His voice grew softer toward the end.
As his eyes met Sun Ye’s, Mu Xueshi instinctively shrank back closer to Su Ruhan, his large eyes filled with wariness.
Sun Ye took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “Young Master Xue, you can’t be so ungrateful. Back when your face was poisoned, it was I who cured you. Without me, your face would have been in an even worse state than it is now.”
Hearing this, Mu Xueshi felt a bit confused and quickly turned to ask Su Ruhan. After all, he believed he was someone who clearly distinguished gratitude and grudges—if that person had truly saved him, he should at least offer thanks. Of course, after thanking him, he would still continue scolding him. Those were two separate matters.
Su Ruhan let out a cold laugh and said to Mu Xueshi, “Because the poison on your face was put there by him in the first place.”
The moment Mu Xueshi heard this, his eyes widened even more, ready to curse Sun Ye again. But after Su Ruhan reminded him softly at his ear, he could only shut his mouth, glaring at Sun Ye with indignation.
“State Preceptor, may we pass now?” Su Ruhan asked coldly.
Only then did Sun Ye withdraw his gaze from Mu Xueshi. He smiled faintly, his refined and elegant face showing a gentle expression. “I never said you couldn’t pass.”
“Hmph…” Mu Xueshi despised people who put on such pretenses. He turned back to Su Ruhan and urged, “Master, then let’s hurry and go.”
Su Ruhan didn’t move. His eyes swept directly toward the carriage behind Sun Ye.
Sun Ye spoke again, unhurried, “You must be wondering why I brought so few people to see you off, right? Heh… originally, there were thousands of soldiers here, surrounding this street. Unfortunately, something major happened in the palace, and His Majesty had no choice but to withdraw all the troops.”
Su Ruhan’s expression did not change at all. Instead, Mu Xueshi suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, a faint ache spreading within.
“What happens in the palace has nothing to do with me,” Su Ruhan said as he began to guide the horse around Sun Ye’s carriage.
Sun Ye’s voice sounded again from behind him, “You may pass this carriage—but I can’t guarantee the safety of the person inside.”
As he spoke, the carriage curtain was lifted again—this time by Su Ruhan’s sword. But the person inside was immediately pulled to Sun Ye’s side. Su Ruhan could have snatched him back, but wary of a trap, he restrained himself, his sharp gaze fixed on Sun Ye.
Standing beside Sun Ye now was a graceful young man. The moment he stepped out of the carriage, people on the street began to stop and stare. Although he lived nearby, he rarely appeared in public, so anyone who saw him couldn’t help but marvel at his delicate and handsome features.
Mu Xueshi also stared at him for a moment, suddenly finding him very familiar. After thinking for a bit, realization struck, and he blurted out instinctively, “Li Qian…”
The young man looked at Mu Xueshi as well, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.
Mu Xueshi hadn’t expected that after being confined in the palace for months, he would run into someone he knew the moment he got out. Back when he had been clearing his name, Li Qian had helped him greatly. Mu Xueshi had a very good first impression of him, and even now, seeing him made him feel happy. He just couldn’t understand why Li Qian was standing with Sun Ye, what connection he had with Su Ruhan—wasn’t he the younger brother of Li Gui, the brothel madam…?
While Mu Xueshi was still confused, Sun Ye spoke again.
“If you want to take the person by my side, then let me take the person by yours.”
Su Ruhan suddenly stepped forward—so fast he was like a streak of light—appearing beside Sun Ye in an instant. Then, when he reappeared beside Mu Xueshi, there were now three of them on this side.
Although Sun Ye had already expected Su Ruhan to act, he still inwardly admired his skill.
“Taking him won’t help. He has been poisoned by me. If he doesn’t take the antidote quickly, he’ll die here within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Want me to hand over the antidote? I’m afraid that’s not possible. The poison was just administered—I still need to prepare the antidote. And whether I can make it… depends on my mood.”
Mu Xueshi had still held onto a sliver of hope, but hearing the latter part of Sun Ye’s words, he immediately felt his teeth itch with anger. What a despicable trick. He had thought that with his master’s martial skills, even after handing over the antidote, it wouldn’t be difficult to snatch him back. But from Sun Ye’s plan, it was clear he intended to use the time needed to prepare the antidote to take Mu Xueshi somewhere completely unreachable.
Silence fell all around…
“Master, don’t worry about me. You should go.”
“Brother, don’t worry about me. You should go.”
Almost at the same moment, Mu Xueshi and Li Qian spoke the exact same words, breaking the stillness.
The two looked at each other, both stunned.
Standing between them, Su Ruhan’s expression darkened noticeably.
Futile Devices Scans 
Leave a comment