Chapter 63
Trickster Prince
Hidden within the Kong Sang Mountain lies a secret cave known as the Afterlife Nirvana Hub. Zhan Ziyu, the Grand Master of the Afterlife Camp, gathered the camp supervisors from Jian Kang City in Southern Liang and other parts of Wei to witness the ascension to immortality, or the promotion and elimination of supervisors. This event, called the "Ascension to Nirvana Kills," occurs every ten years, where the supervisors compete for control of the highly coveted Dengxian Pill supply.
The Dengxian Pill is an essential possession for Afterlife Camp supervisors, used to empower their spy leaders and associates.Dengxian, meaning "immortality," is a title that comes with a deadly price: only those who kill their rivals and emerge victorious will receive a ten-year supply of the pill, bestowed by Zhan Ziyu himself.
While the Mohist masters focus on building traps and devices to protect their people, the Celestial Dao Masters are preoccupied with the transformation of matter, conducting experiments with base metals, gold, and minerals in their quest to create a universal elixir.
Zhan Ziyu, a descendant of the alchemist clans and one of the original Celestial Dao Masters, once held control over the Royal Temple of Alchemist Monks. He was one of the greatest Alchemists in the Liang Empire until Empress Lu Zhi was dethroned.
After Empress Lu Zhi's downfall, Zhan Ziyu's work on the Immortal Pill was abandoned. The new Empress, Yuan, dismissed his research, labeling him as a man of deceit and corruption. She ordered the closure of all Daoist temples, severing Zhan Ziyu's ties with the royal court.
Originally, Zhan Ziyu's mission was to find a cure for the frailty of mortal bodies and achieve immortality. But one day, he found his lab in ruins, his experiments reduced to ashes. His work on the Immortal Pill, which had reached a promising stage, ended in disaster.
The Immortal Pill, composed of potent potions, metal solutions, and powerful ingredients, was later renamed the Dengxian Pill. The pill, made from a mixture of gold and herbal extracts, was meant to prolong life and enhance the mind. Initially administered to the brightest Southern Liang spy agents, it is now the reward for the deadliest of Liang's hired killers.
After the fall of Empress Lu Zhi, Zhan Ziyu became destitute and retreated to Kong Sang Mountain, living like a hermit. He had nothing left but his knowledge and skills. Withdrawn from noble society, he devoted himself to meditation, growing thin and frail.
One day, a familiar figure passing through Kong Sang recognized Zhan Ziyu. She took him to the small town of Xue Fu, where she nursed him back to health, giving him some of her treasures to start anew.
It was during this time that Zhan Ziyu realized the true value of life, only when he had nearly lost it. This marked the turning point in his evolution from a Celestial Dao Master into a ruthless Killer Master.
Having experienced poverty firsthand, Zhan Ziyu gained wisdom and ambition. He established one of the most powerful spy networks, based on a client-driven, no-strings-attached system, offering assassination services for hire. Any mission could be accomplished, as long as the price was right.
Zhan Ziyu's appearance changed dramatically. Gone were his long hair and beard, replaced by a sharp, cold look. He no longer sought the greater good; he sought opportunity, and wealth.
As his network flourished, Zhan Ziyu found that most of his clients were from the noble class, willing to pay him in gold or rare relics in exchange for his services. His fortune grew, allowing him to purchase land and build a secret workshop in Kong Sang Mountain, where he continued his experiments.
He successfully released the first batch of Dengxian Pills, along with poison-tipped needles that were nearly impossible to cure. These inventions solidified his reputation as a master of spying, infiltration, assassination, and hunting.
Fascinated by spy gadgets and killing machines, Zhan Ziyu invented the Afterlife Camp's signature black mouth mask and backpack killing devices, two of their most feared trademarks.
Zhan Ziyu's influence extended beyond espionage. He purchased a ship, originally for pleasure, but it soon became a vessel for smuggling goods and gathering intelligence for his spy network, under the guise of a trading ship operating between Wei and Liang.
One day, Zhan Ziyu heard about the capture of a powerful spy leader from the East, detained in the Wei garrison prison. Aware of the leader's supernatural abilities, Zhan Ziyu recognized their importance and recalled a previous encounter where this spy had thwarted one of his missions.
Determined to see this leader, Lou He, in person, Zhan Ziyu bribed the prison guards with gold. He even went as far as replicating the dress of the Underworld Spies, wearing a black hood and mask to distinguish his Afterlife Camp agents from the Underworld's white-hooded leaders.
Zhan Ziyu had always sought to capture the leader of the Underworld Spies, but despite his efforts, he repeatedly lost battles against them, unable to track their movements or find any trace of their existence.
What he didn't anticipate, however, was the fate that awaited him. During one fateful encounter, Zhan Ziyu's legs were paralyzed by an invisible attack, a sharp, icy strike that he could neither predict nor prevent.
From that day forward, Zhan Ziyu was left with a permanent scar, both physical and psychological. He wore a jade ring on his thumb, a symbol of the powerful individuals who were either destined to die or to kill at any cost.
His next client was none other than Empress Yuan of Liang. Meeting in a secret location, Zhan Ziyu, cloaked in black, revealed his face in the dim candlelight as he exclaimed, "Your Highness, this is the Crown Prince of Liang."
The Empress, her face twisted with disgust, replied, "I thought the rules were clear, no strings attached. Only this…"
She gestured toward a casket her servants had brought, and they opened it to reveal a trove of riches and treasures.
"All of this is yours," she said. "Shall I have it unloaded?"
"But once this casket is emptied, I want his body inside it, delivered to me."
Zhan Ziyu stood frozen, gripped by a personal crisis he hadn't anticipated. The next target was his nephew.
Good thing the Empress Yuan doesn't know, and probably doesn't even remember him. Zhan Ziyu stood there, like frozen ice, unable to respond to his client. For the first time in his life, he felt a flicker of conscience, if he even had any left. His next kill would be family, his own blood, and a man with whom he had once worked.
Zhan Ziyu chose not to reveal his blood relation to the Crown Prince, nor did he speak of the deposed Empress Lu Zhi, the prince's real mother. Secrets like these were dangerous and could easily lead to death. He avoided any connection to the prince, not wanting to arouse suspicion.
He knew the prince had been raised in the care of the present Liang Empress and had no knowledge of his true mother's fate.
Zhan Ziyu had long sought answers about the family rival that destroyed his life and transformed him into the killer he had become. But now, the path he had taken led him to an unimaginable fate, being asked to kill his own nephew. Was it all worth it, for the sake of what? The power struggles of the current Empress?
Maintaining his professional stance, Zhan Ziyu asked the Empress, his beautiful but dangerous client, "This is not an easy target to kill. We're talking about a heavily guarded royal, an almost impossible assassination unless he's caught in a vulnerable moment or left without his guards. May I ask why you wish to do this?"
Empress Yuan raised an eyebrow, irritated by Zhan Ziyu's prying. "I think you're clever enough to know who I am and what I aim to achieve for Liang's future. I'm somewhat annoyed that you would question my intentions for such a simple task."
Zhan Ziyu began to play his cards. "For every drop of royal blood spilled, I, Zhan Ziyu, do not kill without understanding the reason behind it. Whether it's out of petty envy or some deeper cause, I don't need to ponder it. I ask only because for a mission this difficult, I need to determine the appropriate method and the right poison."
Empress Yuan, momentarily caught off guard, realized Zhan Ziyu was testing her. But she played along, responding, "If you must know, jealousy would be an acceptable answer. You are free to interpret it further if you wish."
Zhan Ziyu chuckled, replying, "Jealousy! The deadliest poison of all. Consider it done, Your Highness."
He thought to himself that her ambitions were high, and she was lucky to have chosen him for the task. He would crush her plans, just as they had crushed him so many years ago.
Zhan Ziyu added with a wry smile, "If it's revenge, it can wait. But if it's jealousy, it cannot. A sharp poisoned blade and a casket to bury it in."
And just like that, Zhan Ziyu agreed to seal the deal. He cut a small wound on his wrist, letting the blood drip into a small plate, and used it to mark the document that Empress Yuan had prepared. She smiled as she watched the paper dry beside the flickering tea candle.
Left alone, for the first time in a long while, Zhan Ziyu found himself thinking deeply.
After serving thirty days of house arrest inside his palace one year ago, the Liang Crown Prince had learned his lessons well. He had since kept to himself, usually in the company of a few of his finest maids. But now, he had made a decision.
He was going to leave the palace.
His first destination was to visit the old lady on Xue Fu Street. Xiao Ce, unfamiliar with his new set of royal guards, randomly selected his company, requesting that Ping'An serve as his close-in bodyguard, along with his spies scattered around him for protection.
This time, he obtained an official pass from King Tang and followed the empire's protocols.
The King agreed, but doubled Xiao Ce's entourage of royal guards and spies to ensure his safety during this rare visit. Though, in Xiao Ce's mind, he had another plan.
Dressed in flashy, flowery orange robes, Xiao Ce traveled in his palanquin, with three horses leading his entourage. He tapped Ping'An on the shoulder and said, "Blindfold yourself; I'm changing my clothes."
After a while, having completed his disguise, Xiao Ce tapped Ping'An again. "How do I look?"
"You look... poor," Ping'An said, with a faint smile.
Xiao Ce playfully tapped him on the head. "That's the goal! Imustlook poor. Now, come on, put these on."
Xiao Ce closed his eyes and when he opened them, his appearance matched Ping'An's: a simple V-neck sleeveless black jumper suit with a black belt at the waist and a black headband. He now resembled a lowly peasant.
"Now it's your turn. Let me see," Xiao Ce said.
Ping'An, dressed in Xiao Ce's royal garments, turned toward his prince. Xiao Ce, beaming with satisfaction, showed off his two perfect white teeth. "You're going to pretend to be the crown prince, and you're going to be good at it, right?"
"Your Highness, I... I..." Ping'An stammered.
"Hep... hep... hep," Xiao Ce interrupted, "What did I tell you to call me?"
With an awkward expression, Ping'An said, "Lotus Prince..."
"Hep... hep... hep. You're not a spy. Call me something else," Xiao Ce said, tapping his head with his fingers, his foxy eyes urging Ping'An to think of something ridiculous.
"Yaling?" Ping'An ventured.
"Hmm..." Xiao Ce hummed thoughtfully. "Yǎ means 'elegant, graceful, refined,' andlingmeans 'tinkling of jade.' Perfect slave name. Not bad!"
Ping'An followed his prince's advice, as Xiao Ce believed this disguise would work. However, Xiao Ce didn't bother to transfer his jade ring to Ping'An, as it didn't fit. Instead, he slipped it into his pocket.
Xiao Ce applied a bit of powder to Ping'An's face, styled his hair, and transformed him into a convincing crown prince. Meanwhile, he deliberately messed up his own hair, letting bangs fall over his forehead, completing his disguise as a disposable slave.
No one knew what was happening inside the palanquin except the two of them. Suddenly, another cavalry approached their route and blocked the way.
One of Prince Lou's guards recognized the banners of the crown prince and quickly rode back to Prince Lou, who was seated on his black horse. "Prince Lou, it is Prince Xiao Ce's envoy."
The Liang royal guard turned back to Xiao Ce's palanquin and tapped on the window. "Your Highness, Prince Lou is passing through. What shall we do?"
Xiao Ce slightly pulled his cloak over his face and said, "Do not let him approach. I am meditating."
The royal guard scratched his head, thinking,If he's meditating, why did he answer my question?He called out, "Understood, Your Highness. We will not allow any contact."
Prince Lou, always playful, thought,What if I surprise him?He turned to his guard with a grin. "I think it's time for some fun."
Without warning, Prince Lou urged his horse forward, its hooves thundering toward Xiao Ce's palanquin. His guards couldn't block him in time. His horse leapt high, landing beside the palanquin. Laughing, Prince Lou said, "I know you're in there. You can't escape a good sword fight with me."
One of Xiao Ce's guards shouted, "Your Highness, Prince Lou, the crown prince cannot be disturbed! He is meditating!"
Xiao Ce, unsure of how to react, suddenly heard the sound of a sword being drawn from its scabbard. The next moment, the blade slashed through the silk curtains of his palanquin. A thin hand countered the attack from inside.
Prince Lou grinned, baring his white teeth. "Meditating, or counterattacking me?"
Xiao Ce, faking arrogance, responded, "What do you think? Do I have another choice?"
"No, you don't," Prince Lou laughed as he adjusted his sword and attacked the palanquin again.
Another quick counterattack met his sword, surprising him.Could my brother have improved his swordplay?he wondered.
"Quite fast, but not enough to make an army kneel," Prince Lou teased. He slashed the window again, tearing the silk further. When he saw the figure inside, he froze in shock.
Xiao Ce, now wrapped in a long cloak from head to toe, hiding his face, looked like Mary Magdalene. Prince Lou, bewildered, asked, "What? Why are you dressed like this?"
"None of your business!" Xiao Ce snapped, his face a mask of indifference. He turned away, avoiding his brother's gaze.
Prince Lou tried to peer closer into the palanquin. "You hiding someone in there? A girl, perhaps? Or are you pretending to be one yourself?"
Annoyed, Xiao Ce rolled his eyes. "Even if I were pretending to be a girl, I still bested you with the sword."
"That's exactly what I wanted to find out!" Prince Lou laughed. "Your hands may have improved, but they still fight like a girl. I'll admit, I had to put in a little more effort, but looking at you now, I feel like I'm going to be sick."
The two brothers, as they always did, teased each other. Xiao Ce beamed at his brother, saying, "It just means you're getting old and need to retrain."
Prince Lou laughed even harder, his posture tall and straight on his horse. "Very well, I must go, or I might make you cry, Lee Cecilia."
Xiao Ce, not taking the joke seriously, laughed back. "Go away, you're not needed here."
Prince Lou rode off, laughing as he waved a hand to his cavalry.
Once Prince Lou was gone, Xiao Ce removed his cloak and tapped Ping'An, signaling it was time to return to their plan. Ping'An put his sword back in its sheath, exhaling slowly. Xiao Ce had successfully tricked his brother again, without even displaying his true skills.
As Prince Lou's company moved through the woods, a cold wind blew across his face, giving him a sense of foreboding. He signaled his cavalry to halt.
Prince Lou's sharp ears picked up the sound of swords and arrows not directed at him, but behind them. He turned to see arrows raining down on Xiao Ce's envoy from different directions.
His heart raced. Fearing for his brother's life, Prince Lou tapped his horse, and his men followed. But before they could reach Xiao Ce, a massive iron net dropped in front of their horses, blocking their path. Prince Lou unsheathed his sword and slashed at the net, but it wouldn't break.
His men raised shields to protect him as Prince Lou watched in horror. Xiao Ce's guards had been shot down by cloud arrows, their bodies littering the ground. Desperate, Prince Lou's cavalry pulled him away from the net, fearing for his safety, but he cried out in anguish, believing his brother had been assassinated.
One of Prince Lou's guards fired a flare, signaling Sun Di for reinforcements.
Inside the palanquin, Xiao Ce, though used to such situations, knew this was serious. "It's party time!" he exclaimed, activating his clever plan.
Xiao Ce's clothes were rigged with hidden weapons. His signature move, the hundred flying needles, was ready to be deployed, killing enemies within 360 degrees in under 60 seconds.
Ping'An, still uncertain whether to continue pretending to be the crown prince or to fight, hesitated. But Xiao Ce, always one step ahead, said, "Stick to the plan. We're ready."
Ping'An nodded. The sound of arrows hitting the palanquin grew louder. Suddenly, everything went silent.
Xiao Ce pushed a hidden button. The ceiling of the palanquin opened, ejecting two decoy bodies to mislead their attackers.
Both Xiao Ce and Ping'An landed on the side of the riverbank, unharmed but cautious.
Sensing potential traps and danger, Xiao Ce whispered to Ping'An, "Shhh... don't move." Ping'An nodded, remaining still.
The sounds of battle echoed in the distance as Xiao Ce's royal guards clashed with their enemies, clearly outnumbered. He strained to identify the assassins who had come to kill him.
Further along the riverbank, two figures moved stealthily. Viper, agile as ever, climbed a tree with her whip, while Chu Qiao adjusted her indigo scarf and sharpened her senses. Her heightened hearing picked up the battle's sounds, but she continued walking calmly along the road.
Chu Qiao soon sensed two people running toward her but didn't bother to look, trusting her instincts.
Xiao Ce, with his sharp eyes, spotted the approaching assassins, women, not men, moving with a terrifying grace. His hand instinctively reached for the crossbow slung over his back. He imagined himself playing the hero, defending the young Prince Ping'An.
"Ping'An, run and hide in the trees," Xiao Ce ordered.
Confident and armed, Xiao Ce boldly stood his ground as the two spies advanced toward him.
The cobra spy and the flying spy, both tasked with abducting the Liang crown prince, paid no attention to Xiao Ce, dismissing him as a weak guardian. As they approached, a cold wind blew between them, but they didn't even glance his way.
Frustrated at being ignored, Xiao Ce raised his crossbow and fired two arrows. The flying spy merely flicked her sleeve, sending a gust of wind that caught the arrows mid-air. She didn't bother to acknowledge Xiao Ce's presence.
Annoyed and feeling incompetent, Xiao Ce kneeled to aim at their feet, this time firing smaller arrows. Just as he released them, the cobra spy unleashed several venomous cobras from her sleeves, sending them slithering toward Ping'An, who was running in Chu Qiao's direction, calling for help.
Chu Qiao, with her sharp senses, smelled the stench of poisoned blood on the cobras. She recognized the danger.
Ping'An, desperate and out of breath, struggled to maintain his disguise, knowing he couldn't reveal his martial arts skills without blowing their cover. Just as the cobras were about to reach him, Chu Qiao calmly opened her palms and allowed the snakes to slither into her hands.
The two spies, startled by what they saw, exchanged glances, bewildered by how this mysterious woman had tamed their deadly cobras as if they were harmless pets.
Chu Qiao stared deeply into the cobras' eyes, using her internal energy to control them. She communicated with the snakes, instructing them to abandon their masters and live in peace. After tapping their heads gently, the cobras' black scales turned white, and they slithered away, no longer a threat.
The spies, now fully aware of Chu Qiao's presence, realized they were dealing with someone formidable. Chu Qiao, her eyes glowing with intensity, stood fierce and ready. Her aura resembled that of a cobra, and even Ping'An, watching from a distance, felt a chill.
The flying spy, her long sleeves whipping through the air, attacked from above, while the cobra spy focused on capturing Ping'An. The cobra spy grabbed Ping'An, but Chu Qiao was already in action.
Dressed in her white hooded robe and boots, Chu Qiao tapped the ground, freezing the flying spy's sleeves in mid-strike. The icy surface locked the fabric in place. Meanwhile, she exhaled a gust of wind that strangled the cobra spy, causing her face to turn pale yellow.
The cobra spy, refusing to let go of Ping'An, drew a small needle from her fingernail and quickly stabbed it into Ping'An's palm.
Seeing this, Chu Qiao's anger flared. With a mere flick of her wrist, the cobra spy's neck tightened as if an invisible force was choking her. The spy's face turned blue from the pressure.
The flying spy, out of Chu Qiao's sight, prepared another strike. But before she could land the blow, Viper appeared from the shadows, her whip slicing through the spy's long sleeves.
Chu Qiao's powers surged, but she could feel them overwhelming her. She knew that if she continued pushing herself, she'd be in danger.
Ping'An, weakened from the poisoned needle, tried to fight off the effects, but it was too late. His eyes fluttered, and he collapsed to the ground.
Xiao Ce, witnessing the scene, was frozen with shock. He didn't recognize Chu Qiao, but his legs refused to move as the flying spy caught him by the ankle. Desperate, Xiao Ce shouted, "Save him, Miss! I cannot let him die!"
Realizing the situation was dire, Xiao Ce shouted to the spy, "Take me instead! I have the jade ring! I'm the crown prince of Liang!" He closed his eyes, bracing himself for what was to come.
The flying spy, now intrigued, approached Xiao Ce with deliberate calm. Her body was cloaked in a red hood, her eyes lined with black, giving her a sinister but beautiful appearance. She leaned in close to Xiao Ce's ear and whispered, "So, you admit you tricked us. Impressive, but today is not your lucky day."
With swift precision, she tied Xiao Ce's feet, dragging him across the ground like a beaten dog. Xiao Ce, complying for now, had a plan in mind for a last resort.
Meanwhile, Chu Qiao, feeling her strength fading, reached Ping'An's side. His skin had turned pale, and the needle wound was already showing signs of poison spreading. Without wasting time, Chu Qiao pressed the wound, channeling her energy to draw out the poison.
The cobra spy, sensing her defeat, vanished like a mist into the trees.
Viper, standing off to the side, taunted the flying spy, "Today is your lucky day."
The flying spy, unhurried, responded with an eerie calm, "Step aside. You can't save him. He's destined to die."
Just as the spy moved to finish Xiao Ce, he unleashed his secret weapon, hundreds of flying needles. Viper, her eyes wide, whipped her weapon, deflecting most of the needles, but one managed to lodge itself in her arm, causing her to fall.
At that moment, Prince Lou and his cavalry arrived, just in time to catch Viper as she collapsed.
Meanwhile, Chu Qiao successfully absorbed the poison from Ping'An, restoring him. But the effort had drained her completely, and she collapsed beside him.
Xiao Ce, his voice filled with desperation, called out to his brother, "Please take her! This dark lady! To the palace!"
Rushing to Ping'An's side, Xiao Ce's heart sank when he saw the woman's face. Gently cradling her, he checked her pulse. His pale face filled with worry, Xiao Ce called for a horse.
With great care, Xiao Ce placed the unconscious Chu Qiao onto the horse, climbing up behind her. His knight in shining armor persona came to life as he rode off at full speed, leaving the battlefield behind.
Ping'An, also rescued by the royal guards, looked at his disheveled state. He knew there would be a great deal of explaining to do once they returned to the Liang Empire, particularly when it came to convincing the trees of the forest how they survived this ordeal.
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