“Do you still remember the day when Hao Lin and Princess Wenyang arrived in Yunxi?”
Mu Xueshi nodded. “I only remember that my body felt very strange that day. I don’t recall much else.”
“That night was a festival. The streets were filled with lanterns. The Third Prince accompanied Princess Wenyang to watch them.”
Mu Xueshi lowered his eyelids and said quietly, “I know…”
“You know? I heard from His Highness that you were unconscious the whole night. Where did you hear that from? A servant? Or did His Highness tell you himself?”
Mu Xueshi had intended to say that he saw it with his own eyes, but then realized that would require explaining too much, which would be troublesome. So he said to Su Ruhan behind him, “His Highness told me.”
Mu Xueshi still remembered how the Third Prince had said he went out to seek medical help for him. Even now, he remembered that well-meaning lie. If the Third Prince hadn’t said that at the time, perhaps he wouldn’t have been able to leave so decisively. It wasn’t quite resentment, but it was still a wound he preferred not to touch.
Su Ruhan continued slowly, “In truth, that night, His Highness wasn’t sincerely accompanying her to see the lanterns. He was trying to obtain that silver coin for you. Do you remember that coin? It was originally in Shangchuan Hong’s possession—the State Preceptor we met that day.”
Mu Xueshi looked somewhat dazed. After a long while, he seemed to come back to himself and forced a faint smile. “I remember…”
“In fact, the Third Prince never intended to rename Linhan Palace into Wenyang Palace. But at that time, Linhan Palace already belonged to Hao Lin. Do you know why the Third Prince gave it away?”
Hearing the question, Mu Xueshi already had an answer forming in his mind—but he didn’t dare follow that line of thought. He simply shook his head mechanically and waited for Su Ruhan to speak.
As if deliberately making him anxious, Su Ruhan remained silent for a long time.
Mu Xueshi grew uneasy and turned to look at him, only to find Su Ruhan gazing around, as if admiring the scenery. They had been traveling for two to three hours and were now passing through a grassland. The grass reached the horses’ bellies—one could easily pull up long strands with a light tug.
Though Su Ruhan appeared to be appreciating the scenery, he was actually observing their surroundings.
Mu Xueshi, on the other hand, grew irritated. He pulled out a blade of grass covered in small thorns. When Su Ruhan turned his head back, he felt a prickling sensation on his face. He moved the grass aside and saw Mu Xueshi smirking.
Su Ruhan couldn’t help but laugh.
Mu Xueshi, however, stopped smiling, huffed, and turned away.
Su Ruhan deliberately leaned closer and asked softly, “Are you eager to know the answer?”
Mu Xueshi let out a dry laugh, wearing a strange expression. “Why would I be eager? What’s there for me to be eager about?”
“Then let’s move on to something else.”
Mu Xueshi struggled slightly and nearly fell off the horse, but Su Ruhan quickly steadied him. Seeing that Mu Xueshi, though simple-minded, cared a great deal about saving face, Su Ruhan stopped teasing him and began to recount everything he knew.
“At the time, Hao Lin set a condition—if the Third Prince wanted the silver coin, he had to give up Linhan Palace. The Third Prince wasn’t certain the coin could save you, but he had no choice. At that moment, even the slightest hope had to be tried. You probably only know that Linhan Palace was built for his mother, and that her tomb is there. Beyond that, you know nothing.”
“…Mm,” Mu Xueshi responded softly, his expression shifting slightly.
“I don’t know all the details either. I only learned by chance that the woman in that tomb is not the consort who died recently. The Third Prince’s real mother was a commoner. She was persecuted and killed when he was very young—her body was never even found. As a child, he promised to build her a palace. It was only after her death that he fulfilled that promise.”
Hearing this, a feeling of ache slowly rose in Mu Xueshi’s heart.
Su Ruhan suddenly stopped and asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
Mu Xueshi was startled. Was it that obvious?
Seeing Su Ruhan watching him, Mu Xueshi quickly forced a laugh. “Nothing… it just sounds like something out of a drama, haha…”
Su Ruhan didn’t press him further and continued, “Before you, the Third Prince had never shown affection to anyone. But everyone could see how deeply he cared for his mother. He visited her tomb every day, personally. Even though it was nothing more than an empty grave.”
“Maybe…” Mu Xueshi interrupted, “maybe he only cared about the original owner of this body. None of this was for me.”
Su Ruhan sighed softly. “Xueshi, I don’t understand why you still stubbornly believe that His Highness loves the previous Mu Xueshi.”
“He said it himself—he said he doesn’t love me.” Mu Xueshi blurted out, almost angrily. Then, realizing he had overreacted, he steadied his breathing and gave a bitter smile. “Forget it. It doesn’t matter anymore.”
Su Ruhan felt that the Mu Xueshi before him was completely different from his usual lively and mischievous self. Perhaps this side of him had always been hidden deep inside.
“His Highness said he didn’t love you because you got his name wrong. And when he truly began to develop feelings for you, it was also because of that name. His name is not Yelü Jue. His childhood name was known only to his mother—and you, by sheer coincidence, spoke that name aloud. From that moment on, the Third Prince began to feel close to you.”
“After you left with the silver coin, he kept asking that ‘Mu Xueshi’ what his name was. If there was no answer, he would lose control. I’ve been by his side for so long—I’ve never seen him like that before.”
Mu Xueshi felt a bitter tightness in his chest.
“The Third Prince never expected that you spoke that name simply because you happened to remember it incorrectly. And what he never expected even more was that the only family he had in his heart had left no remains after death—and that very filial devotion was something he traded away himself. In the end, what he got in return… was your departure…”
At last, a tear slid down Mu Xueshi’s cheek.
“I remember the Third Prince once said something to me. He said that without the memories of those two months, Mu Xueshi meant nothing to him. And yet you didn’t even know what he was truly angry about. Do you understand now?”
Mu Xueshi choked out, “I don’t…”
Su Ruhan sighed, gently stroking Mu Xueshi’s soft hair. “What angered him was that you left without a word—that even until you left, you never confessed your feelings to him. If you had told him the truth about your identity back then, at most he would have punished you a little—and even that would only have been for show.”
Think about it carefully. How many times has the Third Prince ever truly harmed you? When I serve as his guard, even a subordinate who momentarily loses focus could be killed by my sword. How many times over do your actions deserve death? If he truly felt nothing for you, after you returned, would he have allowed you to stay in that courtyard? Would he have transferred all your attendants to your side? Would he still have let you leave now? Do you really think that’s possible?”
“Master, please… don’t say any more…”
Su Ruhan touched Mu Xueshi’s face—it was soaked, cold to the touch.
“I’m only telling you this so you won’t regret it in the future. We’re about to leave the capital. Even if you regret it later… it may already be too late.”
Mu Xueshi’s eyes were red as he spoke hoarsely, “I don’t regret it. He’s already married Princess Wenyang. It was my fault before… just let him forget me.”
Su Ruhan held Mu Xueshi in his arms. After a moment of hesitation, he still said, “Princess Wenyang… has already been killed by the Third Prince.”
Mu Xueshi’s body stiffened. He suddenly turned his head and asked, “Why?”
“The reasons are complicated. Even if I explained them now, you might not fully understand. You only need to know one thing—the Third Prince may not control everything, but he will do everything in his power to protect you.”
Mu Xueshi stared blankly, as if stunned.
Su Ruhan took a water flask from his pack and handed it to Mu Xueshi, urging him to drink.
Mu Xueshi pushed his hand away and suddenly asked, “Then isn’t the Third Prince in danger now? He killed Princess Wenyang—Hao Lin will definitely seek revenge. Hao Lin is a ruler, and the Third Prince is only a prince. If Hao Lin orders his death, how could he possibly escape? Master, tell me… has the Third Prince already—”
Seeing Mu Xueshi’s frantic expression, Su Ruhan almost laughed. He quickly reassured him, “No, he won’t. The Emperor is protecting him—he’ll be fine. As long as you leave safely, you don’t need to worry too much about him…”
After that, Mu Xueshi could no longer hear what Su Ruhan was saying. Everything before his eyes turned white—he didn’t know if it was tears or something else. It felt as though a piece of his heart had been torn away. All the pain he had buried for so long surged out at once. Only then did Mu Xueshi realize that what he thought was letting go had merely been sleep. Once awakened, everything remained exactly the same.
Only now… there was no way to turn back. He had already cut off his own retreat.
Mu Xueshi leaned his head lightly against Su Ruhan’s chest, his expression blank, as if his soul had left him.
After traveling for a long while, something gleaming suddenly appeared before Mu Xueshi’s eyes. It looked… strangely familiar.
Su Ruhan placed the silver coin into Mu Xueshi’s hand and said in a low voice, “His Highness returned this to you. If you want to go back, you can still completely leave. And if you truly encounter danger, you can also use this to protect yourself.”
Mu Xueshi suddenly recalled something hazily. It seemed that when he had tried to kill himself that day, the Third Prince had said something similar. At the time, he had been unconscious and hadn’t cared to listen to anything that followed—he only remembered the words, “I don’t love you.”
Su Ruhan seemed to read his thoughts. Seeing Mu Xueshi frown slightly, he reminded him, “At that time, His Highness feared for your life, so he told you to take this silver coin and temporarily leave this body. He said that no matter whose body you ended up in, he would love you all the same.”
Mu Xueshi’s tears burst forth like a flood.
Su Ruhan still felt it wasn’t enough, and continued speaking to Mu Xueshi, “The Third Prince also asked me to tell you—his real name is Mu Linxi.”
Not long after, Mu Xueshi finally broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. “Master… I regret it. Let’s go back…”
“You swore a poisonous oath—you said you would never regret it,” Su Ruhan teased.
Hearing his tone, Mu Xueshi realized he was doing it on purpose. A spark of hope suddenly rose in his heart—did this mean they could still turn back?
Thinking of this, Mu Xueshi quickly wiped his tears, turned around, and said to Su Ruhan, “Master, an oath is just an oath. If it really comes true, I’ll accept it. Let’s go back…”
Su Ruhan cracked the whip, and instead of stopping, the horse sped up even more.
Mu Xueshi panicked, grabbing Su Ruhan’s arm and shouting, “Master, don’t forget—you’re still poisoned! What if it acts up halfway? We haven’t gone far yet—let’s hurry back and cure your poison first!!”
Su Ruhan let out a faint laugh. “Now you remember your master’s poison? Don’t worry—this little poison can’t harm me.”
Seeing that Su Ruhan had no intention of stopping, Mu Xueshi twisted his whole body around on the horse, swaying wildly. His darkened face grew even gloomier as he shouted hoarsely, “Master, please, I’m begging you—let’s go back!”
The playful look on Su Ruhan’s face slowly disappeared, replaced by his usual stern expression.
Only then did Mu Xueshi realize—Su Ruhan wasn’t joking. He truly had no intention of taking him back.
“The reason I’m telling you all this now is because there is no turning back anymore. At least this way, you’ll have something to hold onto in the days ahead. If we turn back now, pursuers will intercept us immediately. There’s a wide canyon ahead—once we cross it, we’ll be out of the capital, and they won’t be able to catch up for the time being.”
With swollen eyes, Mu Xueshi looked ahead. Everything was lush and green—they had already reached the foot of a mountain.
“I’m not going! I’m not going!” Mu Xueshi shouted into the vast mountains, his voice echoing loudly twice.
Su Ruhan hadn’t expected him to shout. He immediately covered Mu Xueshi’s mouth and continued riding forward.
Mu Xueshi struggled like a madman on the horse, poking at Su Ruhan’s body in an attempt to immobilize him. Only at this moment did Su Ruhan realize what a mistake it had been to take Mu Xueshi as his disciple.
Mu Xueshi had completely lost his rationality. He kicked wildly at the horse’s belly, causing it to buck repeatedly. He even clawed at Su Ruhan’s neck, completely forgetting that this person was his master—anyone who stood in his way now was an enemy.
“Let me go back—AAAAAH!!” Mu Xueshi bit down on the hand covering his mouth and continued shouting.
Su Ruhan tapped Mu Xueshi’s acupoints again.
Mu Xueshi could no longer speak. Tears streamed down like broken pearls, and his entire body trembled as if he were about to suffocate.
“You don’t need to worry about not being able to return. We’re only leaving temporarily. Once things are safe, we will come back,” Su Ruhan said, having no choice but to explain.
But Mu Xueshi showed no sign of calming down. Soon, even his gaze began to lose focus.
“Are you still going to shout?” Su Ruhan asked coldly.
Mu Xueshi quickly shook his head, his expression easing slightly.
Su Ruhan released the mute acupoint, though Mu Xueshi still couldn’t move his body.
As soon as he could speak again, Mu Xueshi said, “Master, if anything happens to the Third Prince, I won’t go on living either. Letting me escape danger is useless—if he doesn’t escape danger, I’ll die with him.”
“If you go back, the Third Prince will have to go to great lengths to protect you, which will only increase his danger. Why won’t you think for his sake?”
“Master, when you went to get that warm jade for Li Qian, didn’t you also know it was dangerous? Did you think about him then? And what you did was only to make Li Qian more comfortable. But now the Third Prince is in danger—can’t I at least go and be with him? You’re too heartless! You only care about your own peace of mind. If you keep forcing me like this, then from this moment on, our master–disciple relationship is over!”
Su Ruhan was left completely stunned by Mu Xueshi’s sharp and relentless words.
Futile Devices Scans 
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