Chapter 15 Imperial Kitchen Part 8
The night patrols by the imperial guards were still orderly, but it was clear that Xiao Hengzi had studied the guards' routes. He was seen leading the Third Prince, walking hurriedly, and always managed to avoid the patrols accurately.
In the vast palace, the lamplight flickered, and a faint breeze blew. A barely audible footstep mingled with the footsteps of the two, following them like a shadow.
The owner of the footsteps was dressed in black, leaping across rooftops without landing, following the Third Prince and his companion at a distance, observing their movements. When he noticed that their target was starting to deviate from his prediction, a look of anxiety appeared on his face.
Why would it be heading this way?! The man in black knew that if he went any further in, there would only be one path left, which did not lead to the eldest princess's Bixuan Palace, but to a closed plum garden and the servants' quarters of the Imperial Kitchen.
The man in black frowned. Seeing that the Third Prince and the eunuch had indeed walked into that path, he decisively wiped away the tobacco he used for communication, intending to recall his colleagues who had parted ways with him when they came out of the Third Prince's palace.
He didn't notice that, following behind the Third Prince and his companion, was another person, Masakuni. At this moment, Masakuni also noticed the strangeness of the Third Prince's route.
How could Shinju not know where the Third Prince was headed? Just thinking of the Third Prince's lewd face in the Imperial Garden made the coldness on his lips seem tangible.
Wow, they really dare to think that way, even setting their sights on him.
But they shouldn't even think about getting into his yard.
Shinju glanced in the direction of the man in black, and in the blink of an eye, he made his move!
In just a few breaths, the distance between Shinju and the Third Prince rapidly closed. Taking advantage of a corner, Shinju tiptoed and rushed to within half a foot of the two, delivering a chop to each side. The Third Prince and Xiao Hengzi's muffled groans were cut short as they were about to collapse.
Just before they fell to the ground, Shinju grabbed one of his belts with each hand and pulled them back just in time. Then, as if carrying two bundles, he easily tossed them into a latrine.
However, Shinjuku's anger was too intense, and he couldn't control his strength, so he hung the two of them on the edge of the latrine. The faces of the master and servant were suddenly rubbed against the sticky and filthy footboard, and had intimate contact with the yellow water mixed with some unknown filth.
Ugh. Mayuki shifted away in disgust, but the two, oblivious to their surroundings, leaned too far out and were about to fall into the latrine—
Shinjuku finally held his breath, grabbed the rake leaning against the corner of the wall, and used it to pull the two of them back in time.
Then, Shinjuku immediately began searching him, finding the iron can that was the "source of all evil," which he took. He then found the exquisite Boshan incense burner, which Shinjuku thought for a moment and took as well. Finally, he closed the straw door of the outhouse, knocked off the latch behind it, and immediately disappeared into the shadows, leaving from the other side.
The man in black, who had been left behind the whole way, was astonished to discover that someone had appeared out of nowhere right under his nose and kidnapped the Third Prince halfway through the journey! And the eunuchs weren't spared either!
The man in black was confident that he knew the intricacies of the palace like the back of his hand. He never imagined that someone could accomplish such a feat, leaving him spinning in circles for a long time. Not only did he lose sight of his target, but he also failed to even get a clear look at the suspicious person's face before losing track of him.
Just then, the reinforcements finally arrived, and a powerful scent of ambergris suddenly wafted to their noses. The man in black turned his head and saw an extremely tall man, clad in silver armor and a purple crown, with his sleeves and legs bound tightly and his hair tied up high. He possessed a superior physique, and his face had deep-set eyes and a high nose as dark as the night. He exuded a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay, like a god descending to earth, and stood silently beside him.
The man in black, as if he had found his pillar of support, exclaimed excitedly, "My lord, it was you who came in person!"
The man in black was eager to report what he had seen to the other party.
Little did he know, the man was gazing into a servants' room, his dark eyes revealing a sense of complete indifference mixed with a hidden, stirring excitement.
He pointed to another direction and ordered the man in black, "Go and rescue the Third Prince. As for that man, I will personally go and meet him."
The man in black felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that the Poison King knew everything! He knew the location where the Third Prince was trapped, and the whereabouts of the suspicious person who had vanished without a trace. A wave of shame, dread, and lingering fear washed over him. His back went cold, and he immediately obeyed, saying, "Understood, Your Majesty. Please be careful."
"Hmm." The figure of the Poison King and his voice disappeared into the night wind.
.
As the night deepened, a servant's quarters next to the plum garden became quite quiet.
A faint yellow light shone through the window lattice of the servants' quarters. At that moment, a figure landed lightly like a falcon and stood outside the door. The person who came was none other than the King of Zhen. The King of Zhen used the hilt of his Miao sword to gently push the door, but encountered no resistance at all. Immediately, a yellow light, like a fan, peeked out from the crack in the door.
Along with the yellow light, wisps of smoke also leaked out. Under the candlelight, the smoke took on a slightly orange-pink hue, looking quite eerie.
The King of Poison used a breath-concealing technique that would hold his breath, so he paid no attention, crossed the threshold, and steadily entered.
Amidst the wisps of smoke, a hazy figure could be vaguely seen huddled in a corner, appearing smaller by the tall wooden cabinet beside it, seemingly motionless.
The King of Poison tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword and continued forward.
As he approached, the figure shrouded in smoke remained motionless, seemingly unaware of the intrusion.
Something's not right. This incense isn't right. Could it be—
The King of Poison walked to a corner in a few steps, and what happened next confirmed his guess and was deeply imprinted in his dark eyes.
The boy, leaning against the wall with his head tilted to the side, sat cross-legged on the ground. His cat-like eyes, outlined by thick lashes, were half-open. Illuminated by the candlelight, his pupils were indeed as magnificent as molten gold at sunset, breathtakingly beautiful. And these beautiful eyes would move slightly as he approached. With that movement, everything around seemed to be imbued with a spirit, moving in response. And the most vigorous movement seemed to be... his heart?
The King of Poison immediately pressed down on the hilt of his sword and secretly exerted force.
...Boring, this is just an illusion caused by the influence of the aphrodisiac. Such a low-class trick cannot fool him.
The boy's eyes were misty, his lips were red and his teeth were white, and his breath was fragrant. His collar was pulled open, revealing a patch of snow-white skin, which, along with his exposed ankles and neck, was tinged with a beautiful, faint crimson. He looked like a fragile and tender, newly transformed demon beast.
Such seductive behavior clearly indicates that the substance burning in the room could only be aphrodisiac.
The aphrodisiac can arouse the deepest desires of a person's body and mind. The King of Zhen has seen too many people who, in the heat of passion, reveal their ugly side, abandoning their human dignity and degenerating into beasts. He has never had any interest in the weak.
The boy on the ground, Shinjuku, was unaware that he appeared in such a state in the eyes of the other. He only vaguely felt that his vision suddenly brightened. Because Shinjuku was using his six senses, he could only see a sky full of gray-black. Unexpectedly, a tall and large purplish-red block appeared, occupying the center of his vision and splitting the gray-black representing poison apart.
Upon closer inspection, one can also see wisps of gray-black flowing into the purplish-red, merging together, as if being invaded and absorbed.
What's stealing his love potion?! Is it a person?
Shinju's mind cleared up a bit, and he regretted that he had been tempted by novelty and had put all the aphrodisiac powder into the Boshan furnace and set it on fire. This not only caused the aphrodisiac to spread severely, but also made it impossible to prevent it from being snatched away.
This aphrodisiac specifically targets the perineum, and Shinju felt he could still bear it. After all, compared to the near-death experiences he had had several times before, this was nothing at all; it was just a feeling of heat all over his body and some swelling and pain in a certain area.
So Shinjuku used an amplification technique to try and make up for the loss of poison that had been stolen from him.
However, his senses were amplified to an extreme degree, forced to focus on a certain point, while his other senses became dulled. He did not notice that the gray-black air was becoming increasingly dense, gradually turning into pure black, and the smoke that was initially as thin as a cicada's wing had become as thick and turbulent as a flowing river in a short while.
"?" Even the Poison King, who was quite proud of his self-control, did not expect that the smoke from the burning incense would be so large.
When he tried to close his eyes, it was too late; he was instantly blinded by the fragrance of acacia. His dantian felt as if it had been filled with hot water, and the heat surged rapidly, then surged through his meridians, making his whole body burn.
The golden eyes etched in his mind were drawing him in, drawing them once again to overlap with the eyes of the man before him. As if bewitched, the King of Poison knelt on one knee before the man, bowing his head and closing the distance between them inch by inch.
The breath lingers.
Shinjuku was tormented by passion to the point of losing all six senses, and when he opened his eyes again and saw a pair of extremely aggressive phoenix eyes as sharp as a hawk or a vicious hound, everything went awry.
It's unclear who moved first, but their lips, so close together, suddenly touched. The soft touch was like a whirlpool, quickly swirling them together and pulverizing their already clouded senses.
Although my head was burning up, the touch of my lips and tongue felt like immersing myself in a clear spring, cooling me completely. Yet, the heat below me was relentless, making me want to keep drawing in the sweet spring water.
However, even after the smoke in the room had completely dissipated, the two were still intoxicated by the passion that had been stirred up from somewhere, and they continued to vie for each other's attention, neither of them stopping, which gradually evolved into a contest where neither of them would give the other the chance to call a halt.
It seemed like only a snap of the fingers or the time it takes for an incense stick to burn had passed when a sudden hawk's cry came from outside, bringing their entangled fight to a halt.
With the silver threads connecting them, the two gradually regained their clarity of mind from the emotions they had been experiencing.
"..."
"..."
The two of them tacitly looked away and wiped their lips separately.
Shinjuku stared blankly at the King of Blades's hairband, which was stuck to the side of his neck with damp sweat. He didn't care, nor did he mention it.
The King of Zhen was still in a state of astonishment, though he did not show it on his face; only the subtle twitching of his nostrils could be seen.
They were more desolate than the air itself.
Shortly after, the King of Poison glanced at Shinjuku as if it were nothing, then gracefully rose and left through the door.
As soon as the person left, Shinjuku also started to move, beginning to clean up the incense burner residue. After a long while, he blinked his dry eyes before remembering to check on the condition of his root chakra.
This sight astonished Zhen Su. Perhaps because the aphrodisiac powder targeted the perineum and surrounding area, and the root chakra encompassed the perineum, this time it was even more effective than highly toxic arsenic. After absorbing and refining the aphrodisiac in this room, and then incorporating it into the root chakra, he now only needed about 30-40% of the amount of poison required to advance to the middle stage of poison cultivation!
This time, the harvest was plentiful, and Masaya was naturally pleased. However, what lingered in his mind was another completely unrelated question—
No, who exactly is that person?
A note from the author:
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Yeah, what exactly are you doing here, King Zhen?
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