CHAPTER 36

Prince at the Border

LUO FAN

For another week, we traveled, taking Lin Qiu with us wherever we went. The child feared Ruan Yanjun so most of the time, he clung to me. Each night we stopped by to rest in an inn, he preferred to share a room with me even if Ruan Yanjun was willing to give him a separate room.

I also preferred the child being with me all the time. It kept Ruan Yanjun away from me. Instead of me becoming the child’s protector, he had become my protector from the devil.

On the eighth day of our travel, I sensed a gradual change in the atmosphere. We were nearing a desert. I could tell by the dry, sultry air and the dust that seemed to stick on my face.

It was a sign that we were nearing Kan Empire.

The realization made me feel anxious.

“Lord Ruan.” I turned to Ruan Yanjun who was seated comfortably with arms crossed. Between us, Lin Qiu had fallen asleep on my lap. “Who do you wish to see in the desert?”

He groaned. “How do you know that we’re in the desert?”

“I’ve been to the desert a few times before. I know how it feels.”

He sighed. “The desert is still a few miles away. Regardless, the climate here is no different from the desert. Isn’t it a wonder why the fifteenth prince of Wun had to build his residence in this godforsaken place?”

“The fifteenth prince of Wun Empire?” I asked. “Is he the alchemist that we’re after?”

“We’re here.”

The carriage stopped and I pushed the curtain aside to take a look outside.

I could see shadows of a royal residence.

“Why does an alchemist prefer to live in a desolate place like this?” I asked.

“His father had originally placed him here to guard the border, to test if he had what it takes to be named a crown prince. Unfortunately, Xiong Ru has no ambition for the throne. Instead of proving himself in battle, he let his general handle all his affairs while he engrossed himself with cultivation mainly for refining purposes. He was never interested in learning martial arts, and that was why the emperor had long lost confidence in him.”

He was quite the opposite of me. I had never been interested in alchemy, but it had been shoved down my throat. As a disciple, I had to obey orders so I had spent more time refining and studying elixirs instead of improving my martial arts.

“Every one of us has their own dream,” I said.

“How about you? What’s your dream?”

I looked away. My dream was to reach the pinnacle of cultivation, of course, but that dream had already been shattered the moment I had lost my martial arts. I had stopped dreaming ever since. Even though the reawakening of my core had given me new hope, I was well aware that at my age, level five was probably the most I could achieve, and it might take several decades for me to get there.

When he did not get an answer from me, he chortled. “Let’s go,” he said and assisted me out of the carriage.

It was still early in the morning, but the sun already burned my skin.

“Lin Qiu,” I called as I reached out for the child.

“Leave the child with Lin Si for now,” Ruan Yanjun said. “Xiong Ru is not informed of the presence of a child. Someone will take care of them.”

I nodded and smiled at Lin Qiu to reassure him before I dropped the curtain.

The moment we entered the royal residence, the guards and servants all bowed down to Ruan Yanjun as if he were the emperor himself. In the middle of the courtyard surrounded by at least a dozen people, a tall, lanky man stood there like a bamboo pole in the middle of cacti. He had the bearing of royalty so I immediately knew that he was the prince that Ruan Yanjun wanted to see.

“Lord Ruan,” Xiong Ru greeted as he stepped forward and lowered his head. “We’ve been waiting for your arrival since early morning.”

“Mmm.” Ruan Yanjun glanced at the people around. “I see you’re still unmarried.”

Xiong Ru awkwardly scratched his neck. “Why don’t we head inside first for tea? It’s hot in here.”

Ruan Yanjun did not introduce me until we were left alone in the prince’s chamber, seated around a rectangular table while the servants poured tea into our cups.

“This is the former Divine Mage of Kan Empire, Wei Fan,” Ruan Yanjun finally said.

The prince gasped in surprise. He suddenly stood up and bowed before me. “Your Highness!” he exclaimed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I have known you for so long and it has been my dream to meet you in person. I never expected that this day would come.”

I felt uncomfortable with all the praise and courtesy he had given me. “Your Highness,” I replied with regret, knowing that my next words would disappoint him. “I am no longer the Divine Mage.”

“I am aware of that. I’ve heard about what had happened, but my admiration for your unparalleled talent remains.”

I shook my head. “They’ve nullified my cultivation as punishment for my crime. I can only refine common pills right now.”

He froze for a moment. I almost felt how his heart must have shrunk upon hearing what I told him. “But you still possess the knowledge, I believe. They can take away your martial arts, but you’re still an alchemist. The only reason that you cannot do it is because you lack the required energy to refine.”

“That’s true,” I agreed. “And because my cultivation is back to zero, my senses have also deteriorated. I can no longer tell the components of an elixir, and identifying ingredients and herbs has also become a challenge.”

Herbs, especially medicinal ones, also possessed energy. High-level alchemists could easily identify them through the essence that the plants emit. I had lost that ability the moment they had nullified my cultivation.

The prince’s sigh reverberated how deeply he resented the loss of something he had admired the most. “But as long as you still possess the knowledge, with the aid of another alchemist, it’s still possible for you to refine, right?”

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I did not know how to tell him that I was not really that passionate about alchemy, but I did not want to disappoint him any further.

“If you’re done getting to know each other, let’s get down to business,” Ruan Yanjun, who had been left at the sideline, said.

Xiong Ru cleared his throat and returned to his seat. “I apologize for the distraction. I was not able to contain my excitement.”

“You may continue discussing alchemy later. I need you to take a look at this.” Ruan Yanjun laid the box on the table, right in front of the prince.

Xiong Ru opened the box and took the elixir out. “Hmm,” he hummed as he inspected the small object. “I must say the creator of this has a higher cultivation level than mine.”

“He’s a level six like yourself, but on the verge of breaching the grandmaster level,” Ruan Yanjun replied. “He has started refining at an earlier age, however, so perhaps his ability is a little more advanced than yours.”

The prince nodded without taking his eyes off the elixir. “I can however tell you the ingredients used in this elixir, if that is all that you wish to know.”

“Yes, that is all.”

Xiong Ru placed the elixir in a small dish and released a small amount of qi into the pill so he could connect with the mixture of essences present and ascertain each of the ingredients used.

With his eyes closed, he started enumerating about a dozen herbs and elements that he could gather from the elixir.

I listened attentively, and so far, I knew all those ingredients, and I could tell that none of them were toxic and their combination was not lethal either. Most of all, the Molun herb was indeed included. The other ingredients were added for more efficiency.

“Is that all?” Ruan Yanjun asked when Xiong Ru dropped his hands and opened his eyes.

“That is all, my lord.”

Ruan Yanjun turned to me. “Is the former Divine Mage satisfied?”

I nodded. “I am.”

“So it’s safe?”

“It is.”

“It is safe,” Xiong Ru agreed. “This is a powerful elixir that can strengthen the body despite a grave illness. In most instances, it makes the body able to fight off any disease and completely recover from it. I believe this is intended for His Highness.” He handed the elixir over to me.

“You should take it in while in the presence of an alchemist,” Ruan Yanjun suggested. “In case something unexpected happens, someone can extract it out of your body or provide you with an antidote.”

“That’s correct,” the prince agreed.

I also agreed. So right then and there, I took the elixir in and swallowed.

While waiting for anything unusual, they discussed the conflicts that had been happening at the border. I listened attentively. I had not expected that Kan and Wun had a decade-long ongoing conflict at their borders. The affected locals were also divided as to which empire they wanted to attach themselves to, thus causing tension between citizens and soldiers.

After an hour, Ruan Yanjun finally remembered that I was still there.

“Do you feel anything now?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Nothing in particular.”

“It might take a week before you notice any changes,” Xiong Ru said. “The Molun herb is notorious for its slow reaction.”

What the prince had just said was correct. The herb was also known as a silent defender.

“I agree,” I replied. “The moment the essence of the herb enters the body, it will remain dormant while it builds resistance, and then it will slowly gather strength. When it’s strong enough to withstand the onslaught of the disease, that’s the only time it will reveal itself.”

“Correct,” Xiong Ru seconded. “And by then, the disease will be powerless to counter it. While the essence of the Molun remains, the body regains back all normal functions.”

“The problem is, the herb cannot stay forever. Eventually, it will dissolve and when the disease still lingers, it weakens the body once again.”

“That’s why you need to completely recover from whatever’s ailing you while the essence of the Molun is still there.”

I sighed. “That’s the problem. It’s not a disease that ails me but a destructive drug that had been secretly fed to me.”

“You mean… a drug refined with light energy that destroys rather than cures?”

I nodded.

Ruan Yanjun yawned. “You both speak so enthusiastically about boring things. The poison, or destructive drug as you refer to, is called ‘The White Vulture’. It’s a silent and untraceable killer developed by the former Divine Mage Han Bao.”

“The White Vulture?” Xiong Ru asked. “Isn’t that what killed the crown prince of Xianru?”

“Oh, so you’ve heard about that?”

“I’ve heard of rumors.”

Ruan Yanjun smirked. “You’ll definitely hear rumors because we found out that your father’s beloved empress has something to do with it.”

The prince gasped. “Could it be?”

“I have all the reason to believe it. Remember that her sister is a consort to Emperor Yin of Xianru, so naturally, she wanted her nephew to inherit the throne. For topping the imperial examination, many believed Prince Bai earned the right to be named the crown prince. Unfortunately, Emperor Yin had proclaimed the fourth prince as the crown prince instead, and she did not take that very well.”

Xiong Ru was speechless for a long moment. “I remember… that time I went to the imperial palace to spend the new year with my mother. Consort Xi suddenly arrived with Prince Bai. She said they only came for a visit. A week later, they received a message that the crown prince of Xianru had died, but instead of going back to Xianru to offer condolences to Consort Fei, they decided to remain in Fuhai City. Even until this very moment, despite Emperor Yin’s repeated summons, they refused to return to Xianru.”

“Because they’re too aware that their scheme has already been exposed, especially since someone has discovered that what ailed the crown prince was not a poison but rather a destructive drug. And do you know who had discovered it?”

“I wish to know.”

“Who else but the former Divine Mage of Kan Empire.”

Xiong Ru gasped in surprise and glanced at me. “Even after his cultivation is annulled, he’s still brilliant.”

“Of course. He did not become the Divine Mage for no reason.”

“So is Lord Ruan telling me that… Empress Biya asked Monk Han Bao to make the drug, and then handed it to Consort Xi?”

“Is it not obvious to you yet?”

“It is, however, I have known Consort Xi and she has been nothing but kind to me.”

“A mother can do anything for her son, especially if her son is that ambitious, and most especially if she has a powerful sister who guarantees her protection.”

“Indeed,” the prince agreed. “Two months ago, I heard of an attack on Consort Xi’s residence in Fuhai. She was wounded, but the assassin did not kill her so they believed she was not the target. Does it have something to do with the death of Crown Prince Sheng?”

“It has everything to do with, of course, and you were right, whoever has ordered the attack, they had made it clear that Consort Xi must survive so she will witness the death of her son. Consort Xi was smart enough to keep her son away from her.”

“Is it safe to assume then that the mother of Crown Prince Sheng, Consort Fei, has ordered that assassin?”

“Who else? Do not underestimate the fury of a grieving mother who has lost an only child. She’s the daughter of one of the richest nobles in Xianru after all. She has all the resources to exact her vengeance.”

“But Lord Ruan,” I said. “We only discovered about Empress Biya’s connection when we met with Monk Han Bao. How did Consort Fei learn about it?”

“First, it’s all a matter of instinct. Upon the death of the crown prince, everyone has already suspected that Prince Bai and Consort Xi were involved, especially since they left in a hurry before that. But there was no evidence linking them at that time. However, after Han Bao confessed to Empress Biya’s connection, I wrote a message to Shi Tengfei about it. Consort Fei had also started her own investigation by then and must have found that message.”

“Is that why you immediately traveled to the palace the moment we reached Xianru?”

“I went there to resolve Empress Suyin’s concern. I did not expect that the problem in the royal court was more complicated than what the empress had relayed to me. It turned out that Consort Fei had not only hired assassins to kill Prince Bai, but she also collaborated with some grandmasters of the Eternal Damnation Sect. Since members of my sect were involved, I had to handle the matter personally.”

“Has it been resolved?”

“Unfortunately, while in the middle of resolving the issue, I received news that there was an attempt on my A-Fan’s life, so I had to leave everything behind and ran back to see you.”

I flushed and Prince Ru stiffened. I could almost see how his eyes must have widened upon hearing such awkward words coming from Ruan Yanjun.

Xiong Ru cleared his throat a moment later and changed the subject. “Since it will take a week for the elixir to take effect, may I suggest that you stay here until then? That way, I can monitor Priest Wei’s progress and find out if anything goes wrong.”

“Good suggestion,” Ruan Yanjun replied.

I honestly was not certain about it. If we were to stay here for a week, I’d have a lot of idle time, and if I were idle with Ruan Yanjun near me, I would be in big trouble.

Ruan Yanjun turned to me. “And since we won’t be doing anything else but wait for the elixir to take effect, let’s take the opportunity to continue your training.”

I knew it.

That was indeed one of the troubles that I was afraid of. Every morning and every night, I would be beaten to near death once again.

As for the second trouble, I’d have to endure more of his spine-chilling teases.

I liked it more when Ruan Yanjun was preoccupied with other things so he would not have the time to bother with me.

“And after training, I can also have the opportunity to learn from the great Divine Mage,” Xiong Ru added.

My jaw dropped.

This prince had no idea how rigid Ruan Yanjun’s training was. I might be so beaten and spitting blood after blood that I would not be able to even afford to speak with him.