Futile Devices Scans

Lin Yue never spoke of any of this. She simply remained outside the palace wall, waiting for the Third Prince. Though still very young, the Third Prince was remarkably sensible and often brought her food and daily necessities. He even clumsily built her a tiny thatched hut barely half a person’s height, named it Linhan…

A fine rain fell throughout the Qingming season as the Third Prince walked along the flagstone path of Linhan Palace, treading over rain-soaked weeds. Not far away stood a solitary grave, where a beautiful woman lay sleeping beneath the earth. The Third Prince had once promised to select an auspicious place for his mother consort…

“Thank you, my son!” Consort Mu struck her forehead heavily against the floor and only managed to straighten herself again after a long struggle. “Mother Consort, allowing one’s elder to kowtow before oneself is a grave act of unfilial rebellion. How could Mother Consort bear to place such a crime upon your son?” As he…

The waning moon curved like a hook, while wisps of pale mist adorned the pitch-black night sky. Swaying Luozhi blossoms gave off a cold, melancholy fragrance. The Third Prince sat upon the bed, silently watching the serene face lost deeply in sleep. “Your Highness the Third Prince, we’re so close. The person I like most…

Mu Xueshi was torn. On one side was the servant’s pain-twisted face outside; on the other was the Third Prince’s cold, severe expression. Every brutal stroke dealt by the executioners pulled taut at Mu Xueshi’s nerves. He wanted to close his eyes and ignore it, yet he could not stop worrying. The executioners deliberately waited…

Eunuch Tai’an was astonished when he heard the Third Prince’s order. No one in this courtyard had ever been punished before. Anyone who offended the Third Prince simply lost their life—there had never been any question of surviving long enough to be beaten. The canes used for such punishment were selected from the armory by…

Mu Xueshi dropped to his knees with a thud, his mind going completely blank. Then he began explaining incoherently, “Your Highness the Third Prince, while you were gone, someone really did break into your bedchamber. I even heard a series of crashes and bangs. But you told me that I couldn’t allow other people to…

The moment Ning Yue spotted the Third Prince, he hurriedly turned around and kowtowed to him. “Your Highness the Third Prince, every word this commoner has spoken is true. My Young Master Xue was framed. Whoever murdered his own father must possess an utterly vicious heart. Although Young Master Xue is usually quiet, withdrawn, and…

“Am I even still on Earth?” Mu Xueshi murmured, looking utterly miserable. A moment later, he patted himself on the chest and tried to offer himself some reassurance. “At least I can still read the writing. That proves I’m still in China. But why have I never heard of this dynasty? Could these people be…

“No. This subordinate acted out of selfish motives,” Su Ruhan admitted without attempting to conceal it. “What selfish motives?” the Third Prince asked coldly. Su Ruhan stared straight in the Third Prince’s direction but gave no answer. The Third Prince suddenly struck him with a palm. Su Ruhan spat out blood and his face turned…

Every section of the residence had its own rules and miscellaneous duties, and the library was no exception. They had to rise before dawn each day to wipe the bookshelves, sweep the floor, and dust the books. In winter, they also had to remove the frost. The library housed many precious volumes, so burning charcoal…

Wenren Li tightened his arms around Chen Yixin. He had kept the truth from him partly because he wanted Chen Yixin to remember it for himself, but there was another reason as well: he had been afraid. Afraid that Chen Yixin would blame him. “A-Rong, I’m sorry. I made you wait all these years.” Whether…

1989, Hong Kong, Kau Lung Walled City. This was a city shrouded in mysterious darkness. Seen from above, the entire Walled City was perfectly square, its tightly packed high-rises layered one atop another like a giant Rubik’s Cube built from reinforced concrete and steel. It stood abruptly in Hong Kong’s Kowloon District, utterly out of…

The man looked haggard and skeletal, with thinning hair and sunken eye sockets—the typical appearance of a junkie in the Walled City who used white powder. At this moment, he was desperately fleeing through the dark, cramped alleyways between buildings. Beneath his feet came wet smacking sounds as he unknowingly crushed countless greasy rats scurrying…

Long since forced to grow accustomed to Ning Xuan’s excitable temperament, Mo Qi gave a drowsy grunt of assent. “Mm.” Ning Xuan carefully considered his wording, afraid that one wrong phrase might traumatize Mo Qi as well. It was bad enough that he alone had suffered; dragging a newly made friend into it merely because…

When Chen Yixin fell asleep, he had been lying upon Woven Cloud with his head pillowed in Wenren Li’s arms. When he awakened, he was still lying upon Woven Cloud with his head pillowed in Wenren Li’s arms—but they were no longer inside their residence in Luanmo City. They were lying together inside a half-open…

At the first glimmer of dawn, the Third Prince pushed open the door and stepped outside. Su Ruhan and another man were kneeling before his bedchamber. A conspicuous wound marked the lower part of the man’s neck, and his head was slightly bowed. The Third Prince used a scroll to lift his chin and found…

Mu Xueshi’s hand was still waving before the Third Prince’s eyes when the Third Prince reached out and pinched his exquisitely delicate cheek. Mu Xueshi cried out in pain, looking even more adorable than before. Instead of withdrawing his hand, the Third Prince continued kneading the same spot on Mu Xueshi’s face. His skin was…

The Third Prince already wore an utterly captivated expression, but Mu Xueshi failed to notice it at all. Rubbing his arms with both hands, he said, “Your Highness the Third Prince, this commoner sincerely repents his mistakes. I’ll go down now and accept my punishment properly.” When Mu Xueshi turned around, his face was still…

Seeing the Third Prince’s gesture, Mu Xueshi dove headfirst into the lake without even taking off his clothes. All the sand and dust he had picked up from the Zaoying Pod tree washed into the water, and the crystal-clear lake immediately clouded around him. Mu Xueshi did not notice at all. He simply scrubbed at…