4.7

In the evening, Qiao Chen sat on the reclining chair beside the window and moon gazed. The olden times had few entertaining activities during their evenings. Furthermore, this was still a part of the palace, so they could only drink, sing, or recite poetry at the most.

Qiao Chen didn't want to gather with the people on Prince Yong An's side. He didn't feel like watching as Cheng Jingrui used his modern knowledge to gain others' praise and flattery either. In the end, Qiao Chen retired to his room early and decided to rest.

Moon gazing may have evoked some emotions from the people from ancient times, but could also be a kind of torture for the modern man. They were the ones who had gotten used to all sorts of entertainment and there were those who were even addicted to the internet or gaming. Yet for Qiao Chen, who had experienced several lifetimes and too many memories, it was a rare time for him to clear his mind.

Qiao Chen emotionally sighed at the moon, and a figure suddenly appeared outside of the window. Qiao Chen didn't even have to look to see who it was. He knew who it was when he sensed their presence. He turned to the servants and ordered, "You guys can leave now. Don't come in unless I call for you."

"Yes." The two servants complied and withdrew from the room.

Qiao Chen watched as Xiao Qinan jumped into the room from the window and asked, "What are you doing running over here to me instead of protecting the Emperor on such an important evening."

"What do you think I'm here for?" Xiao Qinan sat down beside Qiao Chen's reclining chair and asked.

"It looks like you're collecting a debt." Qiao Chen said.

"That's right." Xiao Qinan nodded and said.

Qiao Chen looked at his self righteous appearance and felt angry. He kicked Xiao Qinan's chest and said, "Saying 'That's right'. What do I owe you?"

"During the day, in the cave, you said 'Let's do everything you want to do when we go back'." Xiao Qinan grabbed Qiao Chen's foot and slowly moved up his leg.

"You- I was…" Qiao Chen wanted to say that it was something he said as a delay tactic, but he figured that Xiao Qinan wouldn't let go of him no matter what. Therefore, Qiao Chen decided that might as well take advantage of the situation and draw the poison into his own body.

Qiao Chen sat on Xiao Qinan's lap and said, "Since you absolutely insist on doing it tonight, then I'll tell you what- Whoever stops first has to call the other granddaddy."

Xiao Qinan picked up Qiao Chen and walked to the bedside. "If I stop, I'll call you granddaddy. But if you stop, you need to call me daddy."

"No way. If you stop, then you're calling me daddy and you can never get me to call you daddy for the rest of your life." Qiao Chen didn't forget to bargain with Xiao Qinan at this time.

"Okay." Xiao Qinan agreed and then pushed Qiao Chen under his body.

Qiao Chen took in Xiao Qinan's deep kiss. When the two men's clothes had disappeared, Qiao Chen wrapped his legs around Xiao Qinan's strong waist.

"Ah~ Lighten up a bit. Lighten up, you barbarian." Qiao Chen was in pain and slapped him on the back.

.....

They were both sweating profusely. When Xiao Qinan ejaculated into Qiao Chen, he suddenly felt something odd. There seemed to be the sensation of something leaving his body. And as a result, his body felt much more relaxed and lighter.

"We already agreed: The first to stop has to call the other one daddy. Are you ready to call me daddy?" Qiao Chen panted and said. Then he pulled Xiao Qinan in for a kiss and distracted him.

...

Xiao Qinan frankly stared at Qiao Chen. His hands traced Qiao Chen from his face down to his body. Qiao Chen's body temperature was abnormal and his face showed signs of discomfort.

Xiao Qinan thought about the odd feeling he has earlier and asked Qiao Chen, "Are you hiding something from me?"

"Don't move me around. I'll be fine in a moment, don't worry."Qiao Chen said somewhat weakly. The fire poison was extremely potent. It was only a few minutes after all of the poison entered his body, but he already couldn't bear it.

Qiao Chen initiated the system and quickly forced out all the toxins. It was like his body had been rained on. He was drenched and even soaked the bedding under him.

Xiao Qinan knew that he shouldn't disturb Qiao Chen any further. He had some guesses in mind and frowned at Qiao Chen who was still sweating.

—–

"Water." Qiao Chen said weakly. It wasn't easy for him to force out all the toxins.

Xiao Qinan hurriedly got out of bed to get some water for Qiao Chen. He helped Qiao Chen up and let him lean over for support. Finally, he fed Qiao Chen water little by little.

Qiao Chen finished off a pot full of water and then felt much better.

"Did you draw the poison from my body into yours? Is that the method for detoxification?" Xiao Qinan tried hard to suppress his growing anger.

Qiao Chen nodded and said, "Yes. Isn't it all settled now?"

"Why did you hide it from me?" Xiao Qinan looked at Qiao Chen's indifferent appearance and felt even angrier. He was so angry that his heart ached.

"Would you have agreed If I had told you the detoxification method had to be done like this?" Qiao Chen leaned into Xiao Qinan's chest and hugged his neck. "My body is invincible. This was the best and quickest way to detoxify it.

Xiao Qinan frowned and did not reply.

"Don't be angry. Don't keep any psychological shadows either. If you did, then you wouldn't be able to do it in the future, right?" Qiao Chen deliberately stimulated Xiao Qinan.

Xiao Qinan wanted to press Qiao Chen under his body and teach him a good lesson, but he was very concerned about Qiao Chen's health at the moment. He endured his anger over and over it again and breathed out loudly, but still didn't talk to Qiao Chen.

Qiao Chen kissed his face and then moved and kissed his lips. He saw that Xiao Qinan still ignored him, so he gently blew on Xiao Qinan's ear and softly called out, "Daddy?"

Xiao Qinan immediately pushed Qiao Chen down. If Xiao Qinan hadn't immediately kissed him, then Qiao Chen would have laughed angrily. Qiao Chen inwardly scolded him. Ruthless, immoral, and a tsundere to death.

.....

The hunt hadn't exceeded two days before a sudden rainstorm disturbed the originally perfect weather. It rained for four to five days. This was something that had never occurred before during any other hunts. Everyone had to stay in the palace and wait for the storm to end.

After the rain stopped, the sky was full of sunshine for a very long time. It was an unnatural phenomenon, and they didn't know whether it was a good or bad omen.

When someone returned with the news that Mount Yu's mountain lake was full, everyone thought the strange occurrence was an auspicious omen

During the founding emperor's reign, the taizu emperor caught a water monster in the mountain lake. Then, he crafted twelve bone arrows from the water monster's remains. These arrows were lighter but stronger than iron. It was said that the arrows were even capable of penetrating iron plates. The taizu emperor used these twelve bone arrows in war campaigns. In the end, he created the beginnings of the now great Wei Dynasty.

Usually, Mount Tu's lake was never full. Even if someone saw the water monster appear in the water, they weren't able to catch it. However, now the mountain lake was full. As long as they were able to draw it out, there was a way to capture the water monster.

The greatest and most auspicious omen would befall upon the person who was able to capture a water monster and create twelve bone arrows from its remains.

Prince Yong An and the Xiao's father became restless. Obtaining the bone arrows were said to be a heaven sent fate. Their grab for the throne would be easier justified if they had the famous bone arrows.

Therefore, both sides had a mutual understanding. They would wait for the emperor to make a decree that a bone arrow would be bestowed upon whoever caught the water monster.

Qiao Chen felt that the emperor was truly incompetent and aggrieving. He was no different than a puppet. People on both his sides only thought about how they could beat the other and seize the throne. No one took him seriously.

Water monsters usually only stayed at the bottom of the lake and rarely surfaced. They would have to wait for it to appear. They didn't know how long they had to wait either. They were also afraid that they'd end up waiting until the lake's water evaporated into the air and recede.

However, according to the people who lived near Mount Yu, every time a steel winged eagle landed by the lake to drink, the water monster would appear. Then it would kill the bird and drag it into the water.

There was one time when two mountain men traveled up the mountain together. One of them picked up the steel winged eagle's large feather and kept it to take home. When they passed the mountain lake, they decided to catch some fish to bring home as well.

There had never been an instance where the water monster attacked a human. But on that day, the water monster suddenly appeared and dragged the mountain man with the steel winged feathers into the lake. He was never seen again.

The other mountain man, who hadn't been dragged away by the water monster, was scared to death. He desperately fled home. Later on, when he told the other mountain people about the incident, everyone believed that the water monster would appear as long as it sensed a steel winged eagle near the lake's edge.

Furthermore, even though everyone knew how to draw the water monster out, steel winged eagles weren't easy to catch either. They lived on cliffs and one could only occasional spot it high above in the skies. No one had ever seen it land on the ground before.

No one knew where or how, but Prince Yong An's faction heard that the steel winged eagles loved to eat the tiger-striped snake. Therefore, they sent someone to catch one. Chen Jingrui made a modern telescopic rod, that was usually used to fly flags, to solve the issue of steel winged eagles never landing on the ground. Then they created an iron box with a trap door mechanism. They would then place the tiger-striped snake in the box and when the steel winged eagle entered the box to eat the snake, the iron door would immediately activate and trap the eagle.

Xiao father was worried after he saw Prince Yong An's smooth progression when his own side wasn't even able to think of a method yet.

Xiao father was constantly pacing in the house. Several of his servants had gone dizzy following him. Xiao Qibei's was also getting blurry eyes because his father had constantly flashed by. He couldn't take it anymore and said, "Father, you still haven't come up with a good idea after all this time. Why don't you take a seat and then think about it?"

Xiao father sat down in his seat and said, "If we can't figure out a way, then we can follow them and just do what they do. Even if I lose face, I absolutely cannot allow Prince Yong An to catch the steel winged eagle and lead the water monster out of the water."

"Father, I don't think that they could even catch the steel winged eagle. Even if they did manage to lead the water monster out, how can they catch it? I don't think that anyone besides eldest brother has the ability to catch the water monster. Prince Yong An wants to rely on Yang Sheng to capture the water monster? It's impossible." Xiao Qibei said.

"Prince Yong An and I agreed on the rules in front of the emperor. Whoever leads the water monster out will catch it. If they draw it out and are unable to catch it, we still can't catch it. If we did, then those scholars would run their mouths one by one. I wouldn't even know what they'll say about us."

Xiao father added, "And they have Cheng Jingrui on their side. That person's brain seems to be different than others. He can always come up with something that others can't even dream of. They might not require force to catch the water monster. Maybe they've made something that can just catch the water monster on the spot. We've been trying to figure it out to no avail. Let's go learn something from what they're doing. Come on. Have people prepare."

Both factions were busy trying to capture the steel winged eagles. Those who weren't helping were also busy watching the bustle. It was just Qiao Chen who hid in his room and fiddled with his colorful ink paintings.

When Xiao Qinan came to visit, Qiao Chen asked Xiao Qinan to send someone to help him find some big roosters. The bigger the rooster, the better.

Xiao Qinan thought that Qiao Chen wanted to eat chicken, so he sent soldiers to the mountain people's homes to buy a dozen big roosters. From the dozen roosters, Qiao Chen spent a long time before he chose the biggest one. Then he asked the servants to send the other roosters to the kitchen and have them plucked. The feathers needed to be sent back to him.

Xiao Qinan didn't understand why Qiao Chen left a single rooster in his courtyard. Qiao Chen touched the feathers tied up to the rooster and said, "I'm going to use this to trap the steel winged eagle."

When Qiao Chen finished, he noticed that Xiao Qinan was looking at his with a weird gaze, so he asked, "What's with your eyes? Do you think I'm abnormal?"

"I'll never turn my back on you because of it." Xiao Qinan said lovingly.

"You'd better turn your back on me and never appear before me ever again. Get out of here already." Qiao Chen retorted and pushed Xiao Qinan out.

Prince Yong An's people reported that the Xiao family was copying them. When Prince Yong An was thinking of a method to stop the Xiao family from copying them, Cheng Jinrui told him to let them copy all they could. He personally set up the mechanism for the cage and knew that it was something the Xiao family couldn't do.

Prince Yong An listened to Cheng Jingrui's words and immediately relaxed his heart. He praised Cheng Jingrui for a while as a reliable member of his faction. Other people also rushed to flatter Cheng Jingrui according to Prince Yong An's praising.

When both sides were ready, everyone came to the mountain. Prince Yong An sat in the high canopy and looked towards the sky to see if there were any steel winged eagles flying overhead. It was said that this was the area that the steel winged eagles flew over the most.

However, most of the day had passed but not even a single feather of the steel winged eagle was seen- only other birds.

"Here comes the steel winged eagle." A soldier suddenly shouted.

All the sleepy people immediately cheered up and looked up to the sky.

Perhaps the snakes in the iron cage really attracted the steel winged eagle. The steel winged eagle had been hovering in the sky and hadn't flown away.

When the steel winged eagle flew over to the Xiao family's cage, prince Yong An's people couldn't help but stand up. Even though Cheng Jingrui ensured that their side's cage would lure and capture the steel winged eagle, what if the Xiao family's blind grasp for straws turned out to make it out in the end?

The steel winged eagle kept circling over the both side's tiger-striped snake cages. It was as if it was comparing prey and trying to pick out the better one. The people below became increasingly anxious.

The steel winged eagle suddenly flew in a certain direction and maintained a landing posture. Just when everyone was anxious and confused, the steel winged eagle flew back. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The steel winged eagle finally picked one of the cages with the tiger-striped snake. It was Prince Yong An's side's. When the steel winged eagle was just about to pick up the snake with its beak, the cage suddenly closed. The mechanism locked the steel winged eagle's beak was caught. The steel winged eagle struggled vigorously in the air.

"Drop it down and net it up. Hurry." Prince Yong An gave a loud and urgent order to the soldiers under the pole.

However, the cage hadn't even lowered halfway down when they hear a loud bang ring out in the air. The steel winged eagle broke out of the cage and flew back into the sky. A dozen tiger-striped snakes fell from the cage. The soldiers below flew off in fear. The tiger-striped snake was highly venomous. They didn't dare to risk a single bite.

The steel winged eagle made a loud cry in the sky. It seemed to be annoyed by what just the cage that tried to catch it. It flew to the other iron cage and beat it with its huge, strong wings.

All the tiger-striped snakes in the cage fell from the air. A few tiger-striped snakes flew out because of the eagle and landed onto Prince Yong An's canopy. This greatly scared the people inside.

"Protect the Prince. Quickly protect the prince." Prince Yong An was surrounded by several soldiers, so he had nothing to fear. Others, however, weren't so lucky. Some were so scared that they stumbled off the tall canopy. Two people had been bitten by the tiger-striped snakes and were lying on the ground as they cried out in pain.

Once the soldiers beheaded all the snakes in the area, they threw them all out. Prince Yong An looked at the sky again and saw the steel winged eagle, with a snake in beak, quickly land in another direction.

"Hurry and follow me." Prince Yong AN hurriedly took his guards and soldier to the direction that the steel winged eagle landed in. The steel winged eagle was on guard. If they couldn't catch it this time, then it would be exceedingly difficult to catch it later.

The Xiao faction also saw the direction in which the steel winged eagle landed and rushed that way.