Chapter 86

I Truly Am Not a Wise King!

Eastern Garden, Study Hall.

Princes Four, Five, Six, and Seven and Zhiyi sat around a small table.

Each was bundled up in thick clothing.

The wind outside today was truly fierce, and snow was still drifting down, so they hadn't returned to the Princes' Quarters at noon. Qu Dubian hadn't gone back to Shunning Palace either, instead persuading Grand Tutor Fang to join them for a hotpot meal in the side hall.

They would wait for the wind to die down a bit before heading back.

Hotpot was called 'warm pot' in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and because putting food into the pot made a 'gudong gudong' sound, it also had a homophonic nickname: 'antique stew'.

Each had their own tiny copper pot, with plates of thinly sliced meat and somewhat wilted vegetables arrayed in the middle—getting fresh vegetables in winter was quite a feat.

Seeing them looking utterly chilled, Grand Tutor Fang said with a chuckle, "The charcoal braziers in the side hall were lit late. It should warm up a bit soon."

"Grand Tutor, come join us quickly."

The condiments weren't plentiful, but the broth itself was deliciously savory.

He pulled out a small bottle of pepper and shook a generous amount into his sauce bowl.

Prince Four sniffed the air, instantly turned his head, covered his mouth, and sneezed. "That's pepper! It's a spice, right? Little Seven, why are you putting that in there?"

Zhiyi said, "He took some of Father Emperor's spices, said it seasons things and tastes pretty good. It's a bit unique."

"Let me try," said Prince Six, reaching out.

"Here."

Qu Dubian added, "Whoever wants some, add it. When it's gone, I'll just go 'acquire' some more from the Purple Zenith Hall."

Prince Five smiled.

Only Little Seven would dare say such a thing.

Qu Dubian found himself missing chili peppers, cursing his luck that he never seemed to draw them in the prize lottery.

Although the pungent flavor made from dogwood, scallions, and ginger was quite good, without chili peppers, he felt something was missing.

The hotpot bubbled and gurgled. Paper-thin slices of meat went into the pot, cooked swiftly in the rich, savory bone broth, then given a quick dip in the sauce.

Qu Dubian sighed contentedly.

Snowy days and hotpot were a perfect match.

Prince Six said, "Hey, have you all heard? Big Brother and Third Brother are butting heads again."

Prince Four ladled some broth from his pot. "Haven't they been at odds for a while now? Did something else happen at court?"

Qu Dubian said, "I heard the envoys from Nanning have entered the capital. The leader of their delegation is the second son of the Nanning Emperor."

"Indeed, the most important matter with the envoys' arrival is the negotiations," Grand Tutor Fang explained. "Their lead envoy is Duke Lu. The accompanying second prince is to be a hostage. Before he stays as a hostage, negotiations must first take place. According to customary protocol between nations, our side should also have a prince or a member of the imperial clan presiding. Both Princes One and Three desire this assignment, so tensions have indeed been high these past couple of days. At court, ministers are recommending their respective candidates."

Prince Four shook his head. "If we were the ones who lost and had to go to Nanning for negotiations, Big Brother and Third Brother would probably become the picture of fraternal harmony."

Zhiyi teased, "Fourth Brother, that's too blunt."

Grand Tutor Fang said, "This negotiation assignment may seem straightforward, but it holds significant intricacies. A single misstep could lead one into the other side's trap."

Qu Dubian nodded.

Although the defeated nation was in a weaker position, now that the war had stopped and both sides were willing to negotiate, Nanning would certainly have to cede territory or pay reparations. The details—how much land, which areas, the amount of silver—were what needed careful discussion.

Prince Six said proudly, "My mother said that for the great victory at Zhennan Pass, aside from Marquis Pingnan, Xia Hong, my maternal grandfather and cousins had major contributions." He nudged Qu Dubian with his shoulder. "When my cousins come to the capital on behalf of my grandfather to receive their rewards, I'll be able to go out of the palace to play, just like you!"

Only Prince Six's two cousins would be returning to the capital for rewards.

Xia Hong, who led the surprise attack, had been enfeoffed as Marquis Changping. Once the war was settled, he immediately returned to the Northern Frontier.

Thus, leveraging the merit from Zhennan Pass, Xia Hong gained more prestige in the military, and the situation Emperor Chongzhao desired for the Northern Frontier was firmly solidified.

Qu Dubian complained, "You made me drop the piece of meat I was picking up."

Prince Five glanced at the delighted Prince Six and said with a smile, "I truly envy you, Sixth Brother."

As they ate, Qu Dubian's chopsticks suddenly paused. A sensation of soreness and sharp pain traveled through his meridians. He frowned and immediately began circulating his internal energy method to suppress the feeling.

Zhiyi, familiar with his subtle expressions, immediately tugged his sleeve and asked quietly, "Little brother, are you unwell?"

Qu Dubian smiled. "The spice got me."

Lately, his meridians had often felt painfully swollen. He had asked Xia Fuyang, Consort Xuan, and Liuliu about what it felt like before breaking through the Dantian acupoint, but their experiences were different from his.

He estimated it probably wasn't a lingering effect from his recent forceful attempts to break through the Dantian point, but rather that he was nearing some kind of limit. He just didn't know when it would happen or what symptoms would appear when it did.

He hoped the commotion would be minimal.

-

The next day.

After careful consideration, Emperor Chongzhao ultimately assigned the task of negotiating with Nanning to the Third Prince.

Not long after.

The residence hosting the Nanning envoys compiled a report on the Third Prince's personality and preferences and presented it to Duke Lu, the leader of their delegation.

Duke Lu flipped through it casually, stroked his mustache, and snorted. "Nothing remarkable."

"Great Zhou actually sent the Third Prince to negotiate with us. Do they look down on us?"

A slender hand reached over, pressed down on Duke Lu's wrist, and took the paper analyzing the Third Prince. A calm voice said, "Is there a need for them to look up to us? We, Nanning, are the defeated party."

The speaker's face was expressionless as he scanned the lines of analysis.

He appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen, with unusually light gray eyes. This was precisely the hostage Nanning was sending: the Second Prince, Yu Ruo.

Duke Lu said angrily, "The war has stopped! If it starts again, Great Zhou can't afford the drain either!"

Yu Ruo ignored him. "Judging from the information we have so far, the First Prince is rash, the Second Prince is mediocre, and the Third Prince is meticulous. By sending the Third Prince, the Great Zhou Emperor ensures their negotiator won't be easily provoked or fall into simple verbal traps."

"If we want to gain even a slight advantage in the negotiations, we need to think of a method. And the only thing we can do now is wage a campaign of public opinion, to make Great Zhou appear in the wrong—"

Duke Lu interrupted, "This isn't the Nanning Imperial City, nor is it our court. Do you still think you're a prince who can comment on state affairs?"

Yu Ruo said coldly, "Does the Imperial Uncle perhaps wish to cede more territory to Great Zhou? Does the Imperial Uncle, seeing Nanning defeated and Great Zhou strong, intend to use this as a letter of recommendation to defect to Great Zhou outright?"

Duke Lu's face darkened. "If you have ideas, then go negotiate yourself! Try to sell yourself cheap! You've been given too much face, you little bastard."

He flung his sleeve and stormed out.

Yu Ruo suddenly clenched the paper in his hand, closed his eyes, braced his hands on the table, and took a deep breath.

Two guards appeared beside him as if materializing from shadows. "Master..."

Yu Ruo spat out three words as if squeezed through his teeth: "That imbecile."

"One of you, go keep an eye on him. Don't let him cause any trouble within the Great Zhou capital."

After calming his emotions, Yu Ruo pulled a packet of medicinal powder from his robe and poured it directly into his mouth.

Gu Xin asked, "Master, this is...?"

Yu Ruo said, "Poison, a mild one. It will make my pulse appear much weaker. We've both seen what negotiations between two nations are like; shoving is the least of it. When I collapse on the ground, even though Great Zhou is the victorious nation, as long as they don't want the history books to record things too disgracefully, they'll have to cough up some concessions."

Gu Xin made a sound of understanding, then reacted with shock, "Master, you're planning to extort—"

Yu Ruo expressionlessly stuffed a piece of paper into his mouth.

-

Purple Palace Hall.

"What?"

Emperor Chongzhao was astonished, "The Duke of Lu from Nanning didn't go to the embassy for negotiations, but went to the Spring Breeze Pavilion instead?"

Left Commander: "That is indeed the case."

Emperor Chongzhao: "Sending such a person as the head delegate... I think the Emperor of Nanning might have been cursed by our late Emperor."

Left Commander: "This subordinate is also seeing for the first time a head delegate visiting a brothel while the hostage prince goes to negotiate."

This would be utterly shocking in the historical records of either Great Zhou or Nanning. Of course, it's advantageous for Great Zhou, while for Nanning, it's simply a joke.

Emperor Chongzhao said happily, "The more absurd, the better. Pay it no mind. Heaven favors Great Zhou."

The Left Commander hesitated for a moment, "While conducting surveillance, I also spotted two people near the Spring Breeze Pavilion..."

Emperor Chongzhao: "Who?"

Left Commander lowered his head, "It's... it's the Seventh Prince. He... he also brought Princess Zhiyi along."

Emperor Chongzhao's smile froze on his face.

One second later, a roar erupted from the Purple Palace Hall.

"That damn brat! How old is he! What is he doing there? And he brought his elder sister along?!"

-

Xu Residence.

Xu Tingfeng: "With Great Zhou's victory, the southern border will certainly advance. This is a good opportunity to expand business into Nanning."

Xue Letian said with a bitter face, "Don't tell me I have to go there again?"

"No need. Advancing the border will take at least a year to manage and stabilize; it will be chaotic. Open a few grain shops over there first and establish the trade routes."

"Oh, that's fine then," he glanced sideways at Xu Tingfeng, his tone sarcastic, "Of course that's possible. Anything is possible."

Xu Tingfeng: "..."

"After the Nanning envoys arrived in the capital, you had me keep an eye on your little nephew," Xue Letian said, "Guess where your little nephew is right now?"

Xu Tingfeng: "Probably just playing with the young masters from the Xia and Xi families."

Xue Letian bent down, hooking an arm around his shoulder, "He's currently near the Spring Breeze Pavilion. Should we consider buying one?"

Xu Tingfeng: "Hmm."

Buy whatever...

Half a second later, his hands, which were kneading dough, stopped. "Hmm?"

Buy what thing?

-

The small tea stall in front of Spring Breeze Pavilion.

Qu Dubian wore a tattered bamboo hat. Underneath, his clothes were made of good, warm material, but the outer layer was coarse cloth, making him look no different from the children of common folk nearby.

Xia Fuyang and Zhiyi beside him were dressed similarly.

Yesterday afternoon, when Xuanfei's niece, that is, Yuan Jie'er, the eldest daughter of the Xie family, went with Zhiyi to Zhang Chansi's place to learn etiquette, she told Zhiyi that she was getting betrothed.

Yuan Jie'er is two years older than Zhiyi, fourteen this year, and has reached the age for matchmaking.

Her mother favored the second legitimate son of the Tong family, who moved to the capital two years ago, while her father, Xie Jingshan, preferred the eldest legitimate son of the Xiang family.

They had been arguing for several days, annoying Yuan Jie'er as well. Full of youthful worries, besides talking to her sisters at home, she could only confide in Zhiyi.

Yuan Jie'er and Xuanfei are aunt and niece, so her matter is considered a family affair. To secretly investigate the conduct of the two young masters from the Tong and Xiang families, the Xie family wasn't in a convenient position, but Qu Dubian was very convenient.

So he called Xia Fuyang, dragged his elder sister along, and transformed into an investigation trio, staking out the Spring Breeze Pavilion.

Qu Dubian lowered his hat brim, "Xia Fuyang, are you sure you found out that Young Master Xiang frequents this place? It's been so long, why isn't there any sign of him?"

Now that Xia Hong was enfeoffed as a Marquis, those who flatter Xia Fuyang call him 'Young Marquis.' He knew more and more young scions of noble families. With a little inquiry, he could clearly find out who did what today.

Zhiyi said, "I heard the Xiang family has strict discipline. Wouldn't Young Master Xiang get his legs broken if he's seen at the Spring Breeze Pavilion?"

Xia Fuyang snorted with a laugh, "For scions of prestigious families, 'strict family discipline' is sometimes just a facade for the outside world. Spread one or two stories, and over time, they naturally gain a reputation for strict discipline."

Zhiyi: "It can be like that?"

Xia Fuyang: "Quick, look, that's him."

Qu Dubian and Zhiyi followed the direction of his finger. A carriage stopped outside the Spring Breeze Pavilion.

A young master stepped out, his clothes understated yet splendid. As he climbed down from the carriage, he lifted his hand to draw up the hood of his cloak, which covered most of his face, as if he feared the cold.

Following the pulling and tugging of the girls, he skillfully entered the Spring Breeze Pavilion.

Zhiyi said indignantly, "He's indeed no good! And doesn't he seem a bit too old?"

In the young girl's mind, Yuan Jie'er is only fourteen, in the bloom of youth, naturally meant to be matched with someone of similar age. But she had just glimpsed that Young Master Xiang getting off the carriage looked about twenty.

Qu Dubian: "Brother Xiaoyuan, keep an eye on my sister. I'll go in with Xia Fuyang to take a look."

Ye Xiaoyuan nodded: "Alright."

Zhiyi understood the seriousness and didn't insist on going in. "Be careful."

"Don't worry, I'm here," Xia Fuyang and Qu Dubian headed together towards the Spring Breeze Pavilion.

The sister guarding the entrance covered her mouth with a laugh, "Oh, such delicate young masters coming to a place like this?" She looked up and down at their commoner attire. "You haven't mistaken the door, have you?"

Xia Fuyang said with a smile, "We sneaked out from home. This is my younger brother; he insisted on coming along to see the world."

Qu Dubian also pretended to be curious, "Yes, I heard there are many pretty sisters here. I wanted to come in and see."

"Hahaha, please come in quickly, young masters~"

"So delicate, the sisters like you."

Amidst a cloud of perfume and powder, the two somewhat awkwardly slipped inside.

-

At the same time.

Negotiations between the two nations were underway.

A long table made by joining sections, with ministers from both countries seated opposite each other.

Everyone went through the familiar routine of exchanging pleasantries, then began passionately clashing. They politely and gently inquired after the well-being of each other's ancestors for eighteen generations and whether they could afford four dishes during festivals.

The Third Prince was somewhat uncomfortable. At the beginning, he could barely sit upright like the Nanning prince opposite him.

The Vice Minister of Rites quietly whispered near his ear, "Your Highness, something's not right with the Nanning side. Why are they so agitated, as if we were the defeated nation... We just want them to cede the Six Cities of Youyun and the Twelve Cities of Jiangzhou. Is it worth fighting so desperately?"

The Third Prince also whispered back, "Didn't you initially tell me it was just the Six Cities of Youyun?"

The Vice Minister of Rites said, "Does Your Highness understand bargaining?"

The Third Prince: "..."

An envoy opposite glared furiously, "You of Great Zhou are simply going too far!"

With that, he stood up abruptly, grabbed the Vice Minister of Rites by the shoulders, and shook him back and forth, "You think we of Nanning are afraid of you, don't you!"

The Vice Minister of Rites wiped the spit from his face expressionlessly and swore back, "Yes, you're not afraid, not afraid at all. You're so formidable, you even sent your prince here. May I ask, is your esteemed prince here on a pleasure trip?"

A fight seemed imminent.

Yu Ruo stood up worriedly, weakly pulling at the two men. "Alright, alright, let's all discuss this calmly..." He looked at the Third Prince, pleading, "Your esteemed Highness, please advise them as well."

The Third Prince sighed, feeling a twinge of sympathy for the future life of dependence this Nanning prince would face.

He stood up to help the Nanning prince pull them apart, but the moment his hand just touched the Nanning prince's hand, the latter let out a sharp cry: "Ah—! That hurts!"

Yu Ruo fell backwards violently, the back of his head hitting the ground, immediately drawing blood.

He looked weakly and incredulously at the Third Prince. "You pushed me!"

The Third Prince looked at his own hand. "??"

Yu Ruo said with grief and indignation, "I... although I am to enter your Great Zhou as a hostage, I am still a prince of Nanning! For your state to humiliate me so, and to propose such an outrageous peace treaty, how is that any different from a petty man gaining power?"

"Could it be that Great Zhou has no real intention for peace talks and only wishes to humiliate my Nanning?"

Both negotiation parties had imperial physicians on standby. Seeing someone injured, one came up to diagnose and treat. After the Great Zhou physician finished his examination, he whispered a few words to him: "The pulse is weak, the heartbeat erratic. The injury is not light."

The Left Vice Minister of the Rites Ministry glanced at the bloodstain on Yu Ruo's palm, his expression gradually turning grave.

Even knowing they had fallen into a scheme, it would be difficult to continue the talks now.

-

Inside the Spring Breeze Pavilion.

Qu Dubian: "Didn't you say you were a regular here?"

Xia Fuyang argued stubbornly: "Being a regular at the tavern next to the Spring Breeze Pavilion also counts as being a regular." He feared that if he truly became familiar with such places, his mother would chase him with a stick for six blocks.

The two of them kept a close eye on Young Master Xiang's back, bickering without losing track of him.

He went to a room at the corner of the second floor, with servants guarding outside. They stopped then, and as the servants looked over suspiciously, they turned and leaned on the railing. Qu Dubian deliberately raised his voice a bit, "Brother, looking down from here, those red silk drapes hanging below are so beautiful."

Xia Fuyang: "Beautiful, right? Didn't I lie to you."

Qu Dubian leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Still waiting for him to come out?"

Xia Fuyang: "No need. Just remember which room on the second floor it is. Later, I'll ask someone to inquire with the girls here, see if he's a frequent visitor."

"Young Master Xiang's family knows the Xie family is considering their son as a potential match, yet he still comes to visit the Spring Breeze Pavilion," Qu Dubian said. "Good thing we followed him here to check."

Xia Fuyang: "We can't make the decision. We'll explain the matter clearly to Lord Xie and Lady Xie. They are the ones who will decide."

Qu Dubian: "What if they don't believe us?"

"Got any ideas?"

Qu Dubian thought for a moment, then pulled him as they slipped out of the Spring Breeze Pavilion again. They found Young Master Xiang's carriage, avoided others, and used a stone to carve a crooked five-petaled flower in an inconspicuous spot.

"This carriage of his has no family crest, clearly a private vehicle he prepared himself. We'll leave a mark. If they don't believe us, let them track the carriage's movements themselves."

Xia Fuyang applauded. "That flower is drawn in a truly unique style."

Qu Dubian shot him a glance, too lazy to respond.

Having finished their task, just as they were about to leave, they suddenly heard arguing at the entrance of the Spring Breeze Pavilion, accompanied by angry shouts and a woman's weeping.

A large crowd had gathered outside.

Qu Dubian and the other squeezed in to look. A middle-aged man with a burly build, inverted triangular eyes, and a mustache was dragging a courtesan by the wrist, trying to pull her onto a carriage.

Duke Lu: "It's your fortune that I'm buying you! Don't be ungrateful! A whore pretending to be chaste? You're not even willing to be redeemed? Feeling lonely at the thought of being with just one person from now on?!"

The courtesan, named Yinlan, had tears in her eyes and struggled fiercely. "I'd rather die in Great Zhou than go back to Nanning with you! I, Yinlan, am a person of Great Zhou in life and a ghost of Great Zhou in death!"

The onlookers murmured:

"Ah, he's with the Nanning envoys?"

"I did hear the Nanning envoys entered the capital..."

"They're visiting Great Zhou's Spring Breeze Pavilion?"

"Can't men be romantic anywhere? Buying someone is no big deal. They're of lowly status; sending a few more wouldn't matter either." Among the bystanders, a young man who looked about seventeen or eighteen was holding a hand warmer.

Qu Dubian turned to look at the person who had spoken beside him.

The hand-warmer man was startled by the chill in his eyes, rubbed his arms, then, realizing he'd been frightened by a kid, said angrily, "What are you looking at! Stay away from me! My clothes are expensive. Could you afford to pay if you ruin them?"

Xia Fuyang pulled Qu Dubian to the other side, whispering, "His name is Xu Cheng. He's actually related to you, but you two have never met."

Qu Dubian disgustedly rubbed his arm. "From the second branch of the Xu family, right?" No wonder his grandfather and grandmother disliked them too.

What kind of things are they raising? They'd be better off as fertilizer for his flowers and plants in the field.

Yinlan struggled, but Duke Lu smiled instead. "This is an eye-opener. It's the first time I've seen a woman with such a strong backbone. When you go back, you'll be my thirty-sixth wife, living in luxury."

He waved over two strong servants he had brought and looked at the bouncers watching the commotion outside the Spring Breeze Pavilion. "I bought a girl from your establishment. What, won't you help her into the carriage? Get a rope. She's quite spirited."

The madam of the Spring Breeze Pavilion nodded, and the bouncers came over with a rope.

Yinlan: "I won't go! I won't go! Let me go, I'd rather die than go!!"

Someone who couldn't bear to watch stepped forward. "Even if she's a courtesan, she's still a person of Great Zhou. How can she be sold to a Nanning envoy? Isn't this slapping our faces and trampling on us?"

Duke Lu snorted a laugh. "I am the Duke of Lu, Nanning's imperial uncle. My sister is the Empress of Nanning. I come to your Great Zhou for negotiations, and I get criticized for buying a mere courtesan? Where are your manners as hosts?"

"Besides, didn't I pay? I even paid extra. A transaction, goods for money. What's wrong with that?"

The person who spoke up was left speechless.

Xia Fuyang's expression grew darker, his fists gradually clenching.

Ropes were tied around Yinlan's body. Despair gradually filled her eyes. She suddenly stopped struggling and said to Duke Lu, "Nanning will have peace talks once, then a second time, a third! Humiliating others like this, one day, your own country will also be trampled and humiliated by others!"

"You bind me today, and you will surely be bound tomorrow. Watch as Nanning's imperial city is reduced to ashes, and you all turn to dust!"

Duke Lu nodded, a cold intent spreading in his eyes. He looked at her with an unreadable expression for a moment. "You're quite the talker. I wonder if you'll still talk without teeth."

He pulled the whip from his waist and lashed out.

Xia Fuyang's eyes focused. Just as he was about to intervene, he saw a figure shoot out from beside him, firmly catching the whip Duke Lu had swung.

His spirits lifted. Good! Someone with backbone!

But when he saw who had caught the whip, his eyes nearly popped out. "Heavens—!" When did Little Seven become so fast!

Xia Fuyang didn't care about anything else, striding over in two or three steps. "Is your palm alright?!"

That whip had been swung with force. He saw Qu Dubian's left palm, hanging at his side, quickly swell and redden, with a slight seepage of blood.

His anger flared instantly.

Qu Dubian stared into Duke Lu's eyes, violently shook off his whip, his voice turning icy cold for the first time.

"This is Great Zhou's territory. No stray dog by the roadside gets to run wild here! Even the courtesan girls are citizens of Great Zhou. How dare you, a defeated nation, lay a finger on them?!"

Damn it. Reckless or not, after nearly twenty years of patriotic education in his past life, he really couldn't stomach this.

Xia Fuyang's eyes widened as if seeing him for the first time. A subtle, peculiar light sparked in their depths.

In a distant teahouse, Xu Tingfeng, who had come to see what his nephew was up to, slowly furrowed his brows. He said to Xue Letian beside him, "Push me down there. Quickly."

Duke Lu's gaze fell on Qu Dubian's worn bamboo hat and plain coarse-cloth attire. Furious, he said, "You wet-behind-the-ears brat! What is your status? Do you know that by provoking an envoy, I can tell your Great Zhou emperor of your rudeness?!"

"I am taking her with me today. What will you do about it?! Do you dare to beat me up to vent anger for that courtesan behind you? A commoner assaulting the Duke of Nanning—that's a capital crime!"

Qu Dubian rolled up his sleeves. "Today, this young master is beating you up!"

He circulated his inner energy technique, channeling force into his fist, and threw a punch. Unexpectedly, halfway through, the accumulated true energy in his meridians, which was usually stable, surged toward his dantian acupoint at a terrifying and uncontrollable speed, and then—with a boom—

His dantian acupoint opened.

Qu Dubian: "?!"

His movement froze. Duke Lu seized his wrist, shoved him backward, and he fell.

Duke Lu sneered, "Is that all?"

Xia Fuyang caught Qu Dubian's falling body, exclaiming in shock and anger, "Little Seven?!"

True energy rampaged wildly within him, his qi and blood churned. Qu Dubian vaguely realized this wasn't bad, but good. However, the moment the true energy poured into his dantian, an intense yet gentle drowsiness assaulted him.

"Little Seven!"

Qu Dubian lowered his head and coughed up a mouthful of blood with a retching sound.

Xu Tingfeng, who had hurriedly made his way through the crowd, saw only that shocking splash of crimson.

The gentle smile on Xu Tingfeng's lips slowly faded, a dark storm rapidly brewing in his eyes. He reached Xia Fuyang's side and gently patted Qu Dubian's cheek with his palm. "Little Seven?"

By now, Qu Dubian's consciousness was already blurred by the overwhelming drowsiness.

Even his sense of taste seemed delayed. Supported by Xia Fuyang, all he heard was a buzzing in his ears.

In the last second before succumbing completely to sleep, he looked up at Duke Lu and grinned:

"You... you're done for."