3.21

Disgust.

That is the first thing Wen Yang felt, the moment he wake up. However, no matter how he tried to erase all those revolting memories last night, it will never work due to the ambiguous marks left in his body.

How could this happen?

Teeth harshly gritted, whilst slender fingers gripping the edge of the soft mattress, staring coldly into nowhere. Naked and sore. It was disgusting.

He recalls the repulsive hotness crawling into his body, like a river of abhorrence lust wanted to vent, and be merged. It was not normally kind of his sensitivity. Wen Yang's face unknowingly distorted, madness deeply manifested in his eyes.

Could he possibly drugged?

If he was, then who was it?

"Bai Menxiang..." He whispered faintly.

Truth to be told, Bai Menxiang was the most suspicious person related to this drug incident. However, if the latter indeed drugged him, what could he possibly gain? Wen Yang knows that the young man shouldn't be trusted wholeheartedly. But he also knows, that Bai Menxiang will never do something like this.

Wen Yang was a very observant man. His abilities to discern allies and nemesis with just a single flaunt of sight allows him to rise at his rank. Eventually, this is also one of his flaws that will time to time hinder all his plans. He was a straightforward person. He doesn't believe in other's perspective, he only believes in his conclusion.

So, the situation about him, being drugged, was mostly or not related to Bai Menxiang.

Right now, his trail of thoughts was still processing the supposed reason of Bai Menxiang betraying him. But, he found no reason.

Then... does that mean this situation was meant to destroy their cooperation?

It was the only conclusion that makes sense.

His eyes grew colder. He once again lifted his the blanket, revealing his nakedness printed with several marks. The sticky liquid squishing the moment his body stretches, made his disgust towards the Emperor boasted. It is sad to say that the remaining pride he had was horribly shattered when he wake up without his majesty at his side.

He was treated like those sluts!

He was the Crown Prince of Shu Kingdom, the epitome of a quintessential and outstanding prince. The moment he was born, skies bows down at his presence, flowers blooms in the void of snow, delighted and devoted at his existence. Seemingly, breeze followed his company. All the things in this world belongs to him. Only to him. If his kingdom doesn't experience a horrible crisis, he will never come at this ironically disgusting country.

Hypocritically speaking, he would never deny that once he used his body to lure the second prince. Nevertheless, he was no novice in the aspect of sex, as well as desirable intercourse. He can use anything that will benefit him, owning all things. However, the mutual understanding of him and the prince was both consensual. It was different when it comes to the Emperor, he did not have any means nor reason to sleep with that bastard.

He wants to kill him. He wanted to kill him, nonetheless destroy this country. He will punish him for taking advantage of his drugged state.

Even if it will cost his life, he will certainly tear him down together with this repulsive country.

----

"Your majesty, his highness, the fourth prince has arrived!"

The room was seemingly showered with sunlight, silhouettes were created by extremely after light akin to shadows, however the people presents had almost the same expression. Confused and bewildered.

Suddenly, sounds of footsteps echoed in the whole room, for a while, a man with his almost identical appearance to the Emperor if it weren't for the cloth lingering into his left eye, apparently revealed. Face wholeheartedly frozen like a wintery storm in the Everest, no emotion and only pure coldness gradually manifested.

Observant eyes followed attentively at the figure. It was rather unfortunate to say that the young man was rumored to be a rebel prince. It was not in air to be caused by such misfit, strong and imposing should be rightfully described to this prince.

"Fourth Prince greets his majesty, the Emperor."

His voice lifeless yet sounded presiding, with his head faintly lowered, spreading his dark hair in the hallow breeze. After a while, his head lifted, staring directly at the silent Emperor.

The Emperor nodded, "I summoned you today, to elect as the leader of the warriors to eliminate all the rebels in the south."

There were no used of flowery words, like the Emperor used when commanding a specific person. It was direct to the point. However, in other's perspective in present, it was not normally for his majesty to assign a task to one of his descendants, to avoid giving them sense of achievement. But for now, not only his majesty summoned the fourth prince in the middle of the court discussion, but also nominated him as the leader of warriors to get rid of the rebels. If the young prince was successful at this commission, not only he will obtain accomplishments, he will also gain adoration from the commoners. Such a good opportunity, causing some ministers and officials to gasp.

There were no surprise expression on the prince's face, "I accept, your majesty."

Minister Zhao's face immediately lit up. Although, the fourth prince has a rogue attitude, he was a perfect candidate in the next line of the throne. Just a little polish in his trail of perspective, he will be a great ruler. Minister Zhao already set his self to support the fourth prince in the battle for the throne.

In the other side, several Ministers and Officials, including Minister Han had a distorted face. They already supported the second prince behind his majesty's back, and it is too late to change now. In a while, their panic face turned serene. Even if his majesty will favor the fourth prince, his status will never match with the second prince, as for the fact that he was only a bastard born from a palace maid. If his majesty indeed support the fourth prince, he will still can't manage to ascend to the throne. Some higher nobles will eventually protest by letting that bastard occupy the title. Thinking of this, their face turned wicked. Indeed. The second prince will still become the next Emperor, no matter what his majesty will do.

-

"Are you out of your mind?!"

Bai Menxiang's voice reverberated. The scrolls his hands was holding has been slammed in the table. He can't believe it. He will never believe it.

"We already reach to this point, and we can't afford to achieve one mistake. Yet, are you telling me about that?!" He glared angrily at the youth sitting in the opposite side of him.

Wen Yang's cold face narrowed, ocean eyes spark with burning anger, "I don't care. I want to kill him. I just want to kill him."

Bai Menxiang slap his forehead. The intense enthusiasm that he felt in past when he cooperated with Wen Yang apparently vanished just for his mere suggestion. He suddenly regretted forming an alliance with this man. However, it was too late to regret; thus he needs to correct and clear this man's mind properly.

"Wen Yang, we gather all the forces that we need, and it will only take a week in order to successfully conquer this country. What happened to you and the Emperor, consider it as a dream. We don't have to kill the Emperor right now or else, we will alert our enemies."

"You only said that because you are not the one experiencing this kind of outcome. You will never felt how much disgust I harbored from that old bastard. Or maybe, you are the one orchestrating behind this? Bai Menxiang, did you dare drugged me that night?!"

Bai Menxiang's eyes widened before anger evidently appeared on his face, "Wen Yang are you out of your mind?! If I was really the one who drugged you, then all my efforts this whole month will just vanish! Wen Yang, please clear your mind!"

His answer was like a bucket of waters splashing the rationality of Wen Yang clearing his messy mind. He sighed and pursed his lips. The erotic night he spent with his majesty was like a ghost that will haunt his mind anytime. He frowned.

"I-I'm sorry... I was just not on my right state..."

"Yes, I believe we need to delay the plans. Please, don't be reckless again."

Wen Yang blankly stared at the retreating of Bai Menxiang. His hands formed into a fist.

-

"Your highness, we received the message from my brother." Yunsheng handed the letter.

Yong Guan received and read the letters attentively. His eyes were seemingly surrounded by darkness, not even a bit of glint visibly form on his iris. It was pure pitch black. The prince then torn the paper into several pieces and shifted his eyes to his forces.

"Rest early, we will depart tomorrow."

The soldiers nodded and hurriedly ran towards their tent.

Yunsheng watched the cold face of the Prince. He doesn't understand why his highness was more terrifying than before. Furthermore, his highness should be happy and delighted now that his majesty was giving him favor. Still, even if his highness become stoic person, he will never leave his side. Yunsheng already devoted his life to his highness the moment he save his brother.

His brother was his only family left. In the past, he knows that his brother was such an intelligent person, however he was ambitious. He was confident to the point that it was not normal anymore. But still, his brother loves him and his family, even if the two was born from different fathers. Yunsheng's mother was a courtesan and living with the brothel make him sick and disgusted. When he was ten, he met his highness the fourth prince. Afterwards, he follows him and trained his self as a soldier and servant. He left his brother in the care of his mother.

But when the news of his mother passing away, and his brother becoming the Emperor's sparrow reach his ears, he was intensely devastated. He tried to save his brother from the clutches of his majesty because he knew that the Emperor will only throw his brother when he was tired of him. But in result, not only his brother refused to follow him, but also denied him as his brother. That time, his anger for the sparrows and Emperor deeply engraved.

However, he never knows that his brother has been brainwashed by the harsh torture of his majesty. Gladly, his highness save his brother. And now, they were both working for his highness.

But thinking of the fourth prince's dark face, a beautiful sparrow invaded Yunsheng's mind.

They were all aware of the cooperation of his highness and the sparrow of taking down the Emperor. And Yunsheng has long realized that his highness... likes the Emperor's sparrow. At first, he was hardly opposing. He tried to create several situations for his highness to think that the sparrow was maybe tricking him.

Only to receive a death glare by his highness.

In the end, Yunsheng can only watch his highness unconsciously smile while they exchange letters with the sparrow.

Yong Guan stared at the starry sky with several stars blinking through. The cold river was a reflection on the surface of the sky, gently fluttering with the touch of the wind. His long hair seemingly floated in his back, with his black robe darker than the night. Though, his face was lack of emotion. In a while, a short sighs escaped in his mouth, turning his eyes into a big tree.

"Why don't you come out? Are you not tired following me?" His cold voice was akin to the abyss.

Slowly, a figure reconstruct in the shadow. The moonlight reflects in his sudden appearance, revealing his completely ordinary face wearing a servant uniform. He was plain. His presence was like an afterimage in the aftermath. It was not harsh to say, that he had rather no presence. Like an entirely invisible person.

But Yong Guan knows that he was no ordinary servant. How can such a mere servant observe him from a far without feeling his presence? For normal people, they will never notice this servant observing them. Eventually, Yong Guan was not a normal person.

"Why are you following me? Did my second brother send you?" He asked while gripping the sword on his waist, ready to attack.

However, the servant seems only looking at him. There were no weapons in his hands nor body. He was simply staring at him.

His eyes were devoid of emotion, dull and lifeless. Extremely blank. He extended his hands in the midair.

[Soul Scanning....3...2...1]

Yong Guan feels an intensely nerve racking pain, making him almost lost his consciousness. The sudden nausea made him flinched and groaned. He held the closest tree branch in order to support himself, staring coldly at the servant.

However, the dizziness turned into something more comfortable. Yong Guan's body seems absorbing some essence not visible in one's eyes. His strength increase and his senses gradually boasted. He stands up straight and stared at the servant, who was confused.

For a moment, the emotionless face of the servant panicked, trying to retract his hands, "N-No... W-What is this?! W-Who are you?! You are not a rebel soul and the lord god and yet, you have his presence?! W-Who are you?!" The servant helplessly shouted as his body slowly become transparent.

Yong Guan was still not on his proper state. His body was enjoying the comfortable essence and when his eyes opened, the servant was no longer in his front.

He was confused. However, he noticed that his left eye was not hurting anymore. He pulled the eye patch down and his clear dark eyes showed.

The wounded left eye healed, leaving a scar on his handsome and sharp face.