Mu Xueshi woke up with a yawn. After waking, he stared blankly at the ceiling for quite a while, unable to process where he was. The Third Prince was not by his side either, and panic immediately rose in Mu Xueshi’s heart as he abruptly sat upright.
“Young Master Xue, you’re awake?” A graceful and dignified maid walked toward Mu Xueshi with a smile.
Mu Xueshi recognized the woman. She was a maid assigned by the Emperor and had accompanied them the entire journey. Mu Xueshi let out a sigh of relief, took the towel from her hands, wiped his face, and slowly became more awake.
“Where’s the Third Prince?” Mu Xueshi asked with a grin.
The maid replied softly, “His Highness is outside discussing matters with Deputy General Mo. They’ve been talking for quite a while already. Young Master Xue was sleeping so soundly that you probably didn’t hear anything.”
Mu Xueshi smiled somewhat awkwardly, then glanced at the maid again and quietly asked, “What are His Highness and Deputy General Mo discussing?”
The maid shook her head. “This servant did not hear clearly.”
Mu Xueshi got out of bed and walked to the doorway, peeking outside through the crack in the door. The Third Prince and Deputy General Mo were standing in the covered corridor of the courtyard, seemingly talking about something. It was already dark outside, with only the areas lit by lanterns giving off a faint glow. If he quietly slipped outside, wandered around for a bit, then came back, the Third Prince probably would not even notice.
The maid clearly had no idea what Mu Xueshi was thinking and curiously asked from the side, “Why doesn’t Young Master Xue simply open the door?”
Mu Xueshi squeezed out a fake considerate smile and replied, “I’m afraid of disturbing His Highness.”
The maid covered her mouth and giggled, secretly thinking Mu Xueshi was quite thoughtful.
Mu Xueshi wandered around the room once more, truly not knowing what to do. In the end, he found a stool and sat down, pouring himself a bowl of tea. While drinking, he thought about how to send the maid away. Though she was pleasant to look at, having her stare at him without blinking made him feel uncomfortable.
“Well… I’m a bit hungry. Could you help me see if there’s anything to eat? Preferably some specialty unique to this mountain.” Mu Xueshi said to the maid.
The maid immediately responded, “Yes, this servant will go fetch something right away. I heard there’s a unique fruit that grows on this mountain. Its skin is green, but it tastes fragrant and crisp. Young Master Xue will definitely like it.”
“Then hurry and bring some over. Bring extra while you’re at it—I’ll consider it a reward for you.” Mu Xueshi waved generously.
“Yes, yes!” Upon hearing that, the maid immediately turned around with a bright smile and left.
Once the maid had gone out, Mu Xueshi chuckled to himself twice, tidied his clothes, and swaggered out after her.
Unexpectedly, the moment he reached the doorway, he was stopped by two soldiers.
“Where is Young Master Xue going?” one of the soldiers asked with a bow.
Mu Xueshi glanced at him. The soldier’s uniform looked unfamiliar, meaning he probably was not one of the guards who had traveled with them, but rather a soldier already stationed at the residence. Thinking this, Mu Xueshi became bolder and replied with some authority, “I’m only going out for a walk. It’s too stuffy inside.”
“Then this subordinate will first go report it.” The soldier turned to leave as he spoke.
Mu Xueshi feigned anger and snapped, “Report what? Didn’t you see that His Highness is discussing important matters? I’m only taking a short walk nearby to stretch my limbs. I’ll be back in less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense. Why bother alarming His Highness?”
“But…” the soldier replied carefully, “Deputy General Mo instructed beforehand that no matter what Young Master Xue wishes to do, this subordinate must report it first so there will be an explanation later.”
“Report what report!” Mu Xueshi shouted, half real and half fake. “If I want to go out, do I still need Deputy General Mo’s permission?”
“Then… then at least His Highness should be informed…” the soldier stammered, genuinely flustered.
“In the palace, I come and go whenever I please, and His Highness has never restrained me. What right do you all have?”
The more Mu Xueshi spoke, the more spirited he became. Finally, he darkened his face and declared threateningly, “If anyone dares disturb His Highness over this, be careful I don’t take your life!”
The soldier did not understand Mu Xueshi’s temperament. He only knew Mu Xueshi was the Third Prince’s favored person and that even the slightest bump or scrape on him would be a huge matter. Seeing Mu Xueshi angry, he naturally did not dare provoke him further, yet he also could not completely ignore Deputy General Mo’s instructions. In the end, he temporarily obeyed Mu Xueshi’s orders and refrained from reporting to the Third Prince, though he still intended to follow behind Mu Xueshi in case something happened.
Mu Xueshi took a deep breath and pushed open the gate. Seeing that none of the soldiers dared leave his side, he inwardly felt immensely satisfied. He had never expected the soldiers at the border to be so easy to fool. If this had been back at the small courtyard, even holding a knife to the soldiers’ necks would not have gotten him outside.
In truth, after leaving the residence, Mu Xueshi had no real destination. He lingered around the entrance for a while, unsure where to go. He merely wanted to come out for some fresh air. Arriving at a new place always brought a sense of novelty. Usually, he was not allowed to leave the palace even half a step, and Mu Xueshi had long since felt suffocated. After finally reaching the Ice-Fire Cave, he had ended up under restriction again, unable to even leave the cave entrance freely.
The more things were like this, the stronger Mu Xueshi’s urge to sneak out became. Merely taking a stroll nearby excited him immensely. Especially when the Third Prince was not by his side, Mu Xueshi felt as though he had finally broken free from restraint.
“Today Deputy General Mo mentioned a little cottage. Why don’t you take me there to have a look?” Mu Xueshi said to the soldiers behind him.
The soldier now treated Mu Xueshi with the utmost respect and dared not neglect him in the slightest. The moment Mu Xueshi said this, the soldier hurried to the front and led him toward the cottage.
Mu Xueshi did not dare shake off the people around him, because he still had some sense. This was a remote mountain wilderness—if wolves or wild beasts suddenly appeared, at least there would be people to help call for rescue.
The little cottage sat at the foot of the mountain. Inside, it was very simple: a table, several stools, and a bed with somewhat thin blankets. A cloak hung on the wall, and several weapons were placed in a corner. Beyond the cottage was a river. Though the river was not wide, the water was clear and filled with fish. Even standing on the bank, Mu Xueshi could hear fish splashing in the water.
Mu Xueshi could not help entertaining the idea of going into the river to catch fish again. The wild game he had eaten at the Ice-Fire Cave remained unforgettable to him. Just recalling it now made his stomach rumble. Since he had not eaten dinner, this was the perfect chance to bring some back. By then, when the Third Prince saw how thoughtful he had been in catching fish specially for him, he surely would not continue pursuing the matter.
As Mu Xueshi spoke, he removed his shoes and rolled up his pant legs, making preparations by the riverbank.
The soldiers exchanged glances, all sharing a sense of foreboding. One slightly braver soldier stepped forward and cautiously asked, “Young Master Xue… you’re not planning to go into the river, are you?”
Mu Xueshi nodded matter-of-factly. “Of course. I’m going into the river to catch fish. What about it?”
“It’s so dark. How could you even see the fish in the water? If Young Master Xue wishes to eat fish, this subordinate can simply order the cooks to prepare some. Why should Young Master Xue personally go into the river?”
“How could fish I catch myself taste the same as fish prepared beforehand?” Mu Xueshi scolded him again, though after swallowing some saliva, he still asked, “Is the river deep?”
“Not very deep… just somewhat cold…” one soldier answered hesitantly.
“That’s good enough. It’s been ages since I last went into a river.” Mu Xueshi rubbed his hands together excitedly. Missing the bird-hunting trip last time had left him regretful for ages. This time, no matter what, he intended to bring back some spoils.
Seeing that Mu Xueshi was truly about to go into the river, the soldier hurried forward and volunteered, “Young Master Xue, if you want fish from this river, this subordinate can catch them for you. Please remain on shore. We truly dare not let you enter the river.”
“Are you all done yet?!” Mu Xueshi finally shouted. “You’ve completely ruined the mood.”
The group of soldiers instantly fell silent.
Seeing that they had finally quieted down, Mu Xueshi tested the river water and began stepping in from a shallower area. Once steady, he slowly waded deeper. Mu Xueshi could swim, so he was not afraid of drowning. Besides, with so many people on shore, he worried even less about something happening to him.
The soldiers, however, scarcely dared breathe. Later, when Mu Xueshi called for them to come down too, they finally mustered their courage and jumped into the river one after another, surrounding Mu Xueshi. On the surface, they appeared to be catching fish, but in truth they were secretly protecting him.
Fortunately, the river was not only shallow but also very clean, with hardly anything besides some water weeds to hurt their feet. Before long, Mu Xueshi caught a fish and nearly shouted aloud in delight. If only it had been daytime—and if only the Third Prince were here too—Mu Xueshi sighed inwardly. Though if the Third Prince had been present, he definitely would not have allowed him into the river.
Mu Xueshi carefully placed the fish into the wooden bucket prepared by the soldiers, then reached his hand back into the water. Catching fish at night was especially fun because visibility was poor. Mu Xueshi caught one fish after another. Naturally, some of them had been deliberately passed into his hands by the soldiers, but Mu Xueshi never noticed.
Finally, Mu Xueshi felt the bucket held enough fish and breathed heavily as he prepared to return to shore. The soldiers also finally relaxed. Thank goodness this little ancestor had not encountered any problems. If the Third Prince investigated, this river would likely become their burial place.
Excitedly, Mu Xueshi headed toward the shore. Yet when he was less than a meter away, he suddenly realized he could no longer move. An intense pain spread from his calf, rapidly extending through his entire leg and then half his body.
Mu Xueshi knew he had gotten a cramp—a cramp painful enough to drive someone mad. He did not dare cry out, fearing the soldiers would notice and make a huge fuss over it. So he endured it forcefully, bending over and reaching one hand into the water to rub his calf, hoping to relieve the pain.
But the moment his hand touched the water, his balance gave way. Mu Xueshi staggered around for quite a while before finally falling into the water—and when he fell, he landed directly on the cramped leg.
When a person is unlucky, even cold water can get stuck between their teeth. By the time the soldiers fished Mu Xueshi out and carried him back to shore, he looked like a drenched chicken. Moreover, his ankle throbbed faintly with pain. He could not tell whether he had twisted it while falling or injured it by accidentally sitting on it.
Futile Devices Scans 
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