Chapter 78: Utter Devotion

Zhan Yan was puzzled upon hearing this—who could be visiting the Prince Chun’s residence at this hour? The guard quickly resolved her confusion: “Your Highness, the visitor claims to be Doctor Meng, and says he’s here to see you.” Zhan Yan was startled—of course! She had nearly forgotten she’d promised Grandpa Meng to study medicine under him. She hadn’t expected him to arrive so soon, catching her off guard.

Zhan Yan rose to her feet. “I’ll go welcome Grandpa Meng.”

Zhongli Yu stood as well. “I’ll come with you.”

Zhan Yan nodded, and together they set off for the main gate to greet their guest. The others, seeing them leave, didn’t rush to eat. Instead, they chatted as they waited for the pair to return. Soon enough, Zhan Yan and Zhongli Yu reappeared, accompanied by Meng Tao. Meng Tao was acquainted with the old prince; he had treated him before, and as for Old Grandpa Wu Li, their friendship spanned over forty years—a bond forged through long acquaintance.

Gu Yan saw Meng Tao and asked in surprise, “Brother Meng, what brings you here?” His old friend was usually traveling to heal the sick, rarely lingering in one place. Why had he come to the Prince Chun’s residence, where no one was ill?

Meng Tao chuckled. “I’m getting old and need someone to care for me in my twilight years. I’ve set my sights on your granddaughter.” Seeing Gu Yan here was no surprise; he’d heard the rumors. He figured Gu Yan was worried for his granddaughter—knowing how fond he was of her, it would be strange if he weren’t present.

Meng Tao glanced at the old prince and greeted him warmly. “Your Highness, it’s been years—how is your health?”

The old prince replied cheerfully, “Thanks to you, I’m still in good shape.” The Prince Chun’s residence hadn’t been so lively in years. Today, with so many talented guests, the old prince was in high spirits and seemed rejuvenated.

After some polite exchanges, everyone finally sat down to eat. The meal was bustling with conversation and laughter. The elders, as always, exchanged toasts and drank heartily, enjoying themselves immensely.

In contrast to the lively Prince Chun’s residence, the scene at the headquarters of the Thousand Venoms Sect was quite different. When Liang Wei heard the latest report, she learned that the King of Dongling hadn’t fallen for their ruse, and those who had tried to infiltrate the Prince Chun’s residence had failed to even set foot inside. These reports angered her deeply. She hadn’t expected that the rumors she’d spread would prove completely powerless against the Prince Chun’s household—this outcome was entirely contrary to her expectations.

She kicked the kneeling guard who had brought the news and snapped, “Get out! You can’t even handle such a simple task. Useless!”

Yang Qi glanced helplessly at his mother. Venting her frustration on the guard would do nothing—the plan had failed. He said in a low voice, “Mother, the rumors have only been circulating for three days; things aren’t over yet. We can’t give up so easily.” He still hadn’t avenged his capture by Zhongli Yu, and had no intention of letting him off so lightly. He conveniently forgot that it was he who had once forced Zhongli Yu into desperation, remembering only that Zhongli Yu had captured him.

“So what do we do now?” Liang Wei noticed her son seemed more composed and was willing to hear his ideas.

“Haven’t we already taken control of several Dongling officials? Have them go before the king every day to advise caution against Zhongli Yu. I refuse to believe the king will continue to ignore such warnings. Also, tomorrow we should send more experts to secretly infiltrate the Prince Chun’s residence and see if we can find the Pear Blossom Fall manual. I’d like to witness its power firsthand. If I could master it, even ten Yang Rui would be no threat to me.”

“That woman has already mastered Pear Blossom Fall herself. I doubt she would leave it behind at Prince Chun’s residence,” Liang Wei said, giving her son a long, thoughtful look. He truly did seem more mature, which comforted her.

“You’re right, Mother. It’s a pity—if I could learn Pear Blossom Fall, this world might well be ours.” Yang Qi sighed with regret.

Liang Wei declared proudly, “Qi’er, don’t worry. Even without Pear Blossom Fall, I will help you claim this world.”

“Thank you, Mother. You are so good to me,” Yang Qi said, moved.

Liang Wei stroked his face affectionately. “Silly child. You’re my son—who else would I help, if not you?”

“Mother, I’ll go now and instruct those officials to advise the king daily. We must throw the Dongling court into chaos.”

“Very good, go ahead.” Liang Wei nodded in satisfaction, her earlier anger entirely dissipated. Her son could now devise strategies—she was pleased.

Meanwhile, in the Minister’s mansion, Liu Changwen sat in his study, trying to read, but he couldn’t calm his nerves. Tomorrow was the day the poison would take effect. If the sect leader didn’t bring the antidote tonight, he would be devoured by the parasite and die a horrible death.

A gust of wind extinguished the candle in his study, plunging the room into darkness. Liu Changwen’s heart leapt with relief, knowing the sect leader had arrived. He held his breath and listened intently.

“Minister Liu, have you waited long?” came Mo Qing’s cold voice from the darkness.

“Sect leader, you’re here. I’ve been waiting for you,” Liu Changwen said, his voice trembling with excitement. He was truly afraid of death. Ever since the leader of the Thousand Venoms Sect had forced him to swallow the “Obedient Servant” poison, he had been under their control. It was a deadly parasite—each month, he needed the antidote, or the parasite would devour his brain, leaving him dead. As long as he followed the sect leader’s orders, he would receive the antidote on time; otherwise, his life would be forfeit. To survive, he had no choice but to obey.

Mo Qing regarded him with contempt and said coolly, “Minister Liu, I’ve delivered the antidote for five months running without asking anything of you. Now, it’s time for you to earn it.”

Liu Changwen’s heart quailed—this was a bad sign—but he managed to reply respectfully, “What are your orders, Sect Leader?”

Mo Qing’s voice was cold. “Starting tomorrow, every day you attend court, you will advise the emperor that Zhongli Yu is becoming too powerful and urge the King of Dongling to be wary.”

Liu Changwen inwardly cried out in distress. “Sect leader, many have already made such suggestions, but the king has ignored them.”

Mo Qing snapped impatiently, “You’ll do as I say—no more nonsense. Even if the King of Dongling wants to execute you, you must persist in advising him every day. Do you understand?”

Liu Changwen could only agree—he had no desire to die by having his brain devoured by a parasite. The very thought was terrifying; how could one live without a brain?

What Liu Changwen didn’t know was that several other officials were similarly under the control of the Thousand Venoms Sect. In the days to come, when he spoke out in court, others would join him, so he was temporarily in no danger of being executed.

Satisfied with his submission, Mo Qing nodded, produced a porcelain vial from his sleeve, and poured out a pill, handing it to Liu Changwen. With the candle already extinguished, Liu Changwen couldn’t even see what the pill looked like. Mo Qing always watched him swallow it before leaving, never allowing a clear view. Even after taking five such pills, Liu Changwen still had no idea of their appearance.

－－－－－－Author’s Note－－－－－－

Dear readers, starting tomorrow, this story will officially move to paid chapters. I only received the notification today, so I couldn’t inform you earlier. I hope you’ll continue to support the story. Thank you in advance for your subscriptions!