Chapter 19

The Fifth Prince managed to escape from Xue Jin’an’s clutches, his tension finally dissipating. However, at that very moment, a sharp, needle-like pain surged through his chest, causing his complexion to turn even more ghastly.

He clutched his chest tightly, taking several deep breaths in an attempt to steady his racing heart. Despite his efforts, his breathing remained ragged, sounding like a broken bellows.

"I... am leaving," he managed to squeeze out between his teeth. Under the watchful eyes of Fulu and Shouquan—who viewed him as both a pathological liar and a potential corpse-in-the-making—he stumbled away.

His uneven, erratic footsteps gradually faded into the distance. The old wooden gate of Qifeng Courtyard creaked as it swung back against the wall, as if bidding a noisy farewell to the guest.

"That was the first time he used the front door," Xue Jin’an remarked, like an elder observing a child’s growth, the corners of his mouth curling up in a gesture of encouragement.

Turning to Fulu and Shouquan, he added, "Remind him to close the door behind him next time. He needs to develop good habits."

"..." Master, that is not the point. The point is that you fell for his delaying tactic!

Fulu and Shouquan exchanged a helpless glance. They both sighed internally, yet simultaneously thought: Perhaps this is for the best.

While they would certainly assist their master if he truly intended to kill someone and dispose of the body, a human life was at stake. Furthermore, the Fifth Prince was a prince, the master’s own kin; it was better not to resort to lethal force if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

Of course, according to their master’s plans, it would be difficult to trace anything back to them. Even if Consort Rong’s people were determined to investigate the Fourth Prince’s incident and grew suspicious of their master, they would never find concrete evidence.

However, for those in power, suspicion alone is enough. There is no need to act personally; one only needs to nudge their master into a precarious position, and countless malicious forces will rush in. He would then be like a rudderless duckling trapped in the grinding gears of power, unable to speak despite knowing there was someone pushing from behind.

It was much like the late Consort Zhen—or perhaps, without the backing of a maternal clan or the Emperor’s favor, the Seventh Prince would have perished even more quietly.

Their master was still young. Even if he possessed the skill, courage, and resolve, it was better to remain discreet before his wings were fully grown, lest his brilliance lead to his undoing.

As for the Fifth Prince seeking revenge upon his return, Fulu was not overly concerned. With Consort Zhen dead, neither the concubines of the inner palace nor the powerful ministers would take a child who was struggling just to survive seriously.

As long as those people did not intervene, these princes were merely tiger cubs with blunt teeth; beyond roaring, they could do little more than bare their fangs. He believed their master could suppress them with one hand.

Even the First Prince was no exception.

Of course, despite his confidence in his master’s capabilities, Fulu remained cautious. He whispered a few words to Shouquan, who nodded in understanding and slipped away silently.

Shouquan was a new face at the Princes' Quarters. Fulu had handed over his network of contacts to him, and in return, he gave Shouquan all the tasks that allowed for close proximity to Xue Jin’an. Consequently, Shouquan had rarely left Qifeng Courtyard since arriving.

With his naturally amiable, round face and a personality honed in the Imperial Kitchen, he was devoid of sharp edges and often perceived as harmless—making him perfect for gathering intelligence in private.

Shouquan had expected it to take some effort to locate the Fifth Prince, but to his surprise, the prince had hidden himself inside the Green Bamboo Courtyard.

The Green Bamboo Courtyard had been cleared out. The Fourth Prince was claiming illness and hiding in Yihe Palace, while his attendants had moved back to his previous residence, the Suli Courtyard, located on the west side of the Princes' Quarters alongside the Fifth Prince’s Hanxiang Courtyard.

The Fourth and Fifth Princes were close in age and rank, but they had never gotten along since childhood, barely exchanging a word when they met.

The Fourth Prince considered the Fifth a dark, spineless waste who only knew how to hide behind others and sow discord. The Fifth Prince viewed the Fourth as a brainless fool who could do nothing but throw tantrums.

The two, who regarded each other as useless, kept as much distance as possible despite living on the west side of the Princes' Quarters.

Had it not been for the First and Second Princes, who occupied the east side and feigned brotherly affection while stabbing each other in the back—a charade the two of them were too impatient to perform—and the violent brute of a Third Prince on the south side, they never would have tolerated being neighbors.

In short, the Fifth Prince held the Fourth in great contempt; he had even bypassed the Green Bamboo Courtyard during his last visit.

The last time, Fulu had been terrified by the Fifth Prince lurking on the rafters in the middle of the night. He had been so shocked, pleased, and angry all at once that he hadn't dared to close his eyes, jumping at every sound and constantly checking the rafters with a lantern.

After a few times, merely looking wasn't enough to calm his nerves; he wanted to climb up and inspect them closely, but he would hover near Xue Jin’an for a long while first, terrified of waking him.

Though Fulu already knew his master’s sleep quality was excellent—not even sleep apnea could wake him.

Then, Xue Jin’an suddenly opened his eyes.

[Unknown entity detected attempting to access mobile device. Security protocol initiated. Photo evidence captured. Alarm will sound in three seconds. 3, 2... Alarm active. Beep-beep—]

Xue Jin’an’s consciousness was dragged out of "Do Not Disturb" mode, forcing him out of hibernation.

Once Xue Jin’an learned why Fulu was lurking about in the middle of the night, he used big data to calculate the Fifth Prince’s behavioral logic and pointed him in a direction, telling him that if he was truly worried, he should go wait there, as the Fifth Prince would certainly pass by that way.

Fulu, trusting his master unconditionally, didn't ask questions and squatted there all night, catching a cold wind that left his face stiff. By the next day, he had recovered from his paranoia.

As it turned out, Xue Jin’an’s data analysis was spot on: the Fifth Prince had climbed in over the very wall where Fulu had been squatting.

The Fifth Prince’s decision to hide in the Green Bamboo Courtyard suggested his physical condition was truly dire.

Shouquan hesitated for a moment but decided to wait outside rather than enter. About a quarter of an hour later, the Fifth Prince emerged.

His complexion was still poor, and his steps were somewhat unsteady, but his breathing had finally stabilized.

Shouquan followed from a distance, careful not to stare too intently. The Fifth Prince was a martial artist with keen senses; following too closely would easily alert him.

He had assumed that after suffering so much today, the Fifth Prince would surely rush to Minghua Palace to complain to Consort Rong. Unexpectedly, the prince simply returned to Hanxiang Courtyard and shut himself away. The entire courtyard remained eerily quiet, with no one sneaking out to send word.

"I’ve asked around to different people, and their stories largely align," Shouquan reported. "They say the Fifth Prince was frightened and has been bedridden for three days, refusing to leave his room." He paused, then added information about the Suli Courtyard. "The Fourth Prince hasn't returned either; both have taken leave from the Imperial Study."

"Why is it that every time they see our master, they end up bedridden?" Fulu wondered aloud. "Did they call for the Imperial Physicians?"

"They did. The Suli Courtyard says the Fourth Prince is plagued by nightmares and cannot sleep; Consort Zhen has been so worried she has spent days chanting Buddhist sutras, and she looks haggard."

That matched the reports coming from Yihe Palace. Fulu nodded, signaling him to continue.

Shouquan hesitated. "The situation at Hanxiang Courtyard... is strange."

"Shortly after the Fifth Prince returned that day, he summoned a physician and had a prescription filled. The finest tonics were brewed overnight, but they were..." Shouquan leaned in and whispered, "all fed to the plum trees in the courtyard."

"Not a single drop was consumed?" Fulu was astonished.

Shouquan shook his head. "The head maid, Hongling, handled it personally. It never even reached the Fifth Prince."

Fulu was even more shocked. "Hongling? The first-rank head maid from Minghua Palace?"

Usually, the people with the most influence around a prince were eunuchs or wet nurses. Palace maids were mostly selected as potential concubines, and they were rarely much older than the prince himself.

Hongling was Consort Rong’s trusted aide and was nearing the age for release from the palace; she was a full generation older than the Fifth Prince. Consort Rong would never have chosen her as a concubine, and a first-rank maid had a better future than an unnamed concubine. She would have to be insane to choose otherwise.

Therefore, she must be an eye planted by Consort Rong. The fact that she disposed of the medicine meant it was Consort Rong’s directive.

That evening, Fulu relayed the events to Xue Jin’an. "Master, Consort Rong’s attitude toward the Fifth Prince seems..."

"Hmm, it is illogical, but it has nothing to do with us," Xue Jin’an said calmly, as if it were none of his business. "As long as Fifth Brother remembers to bring me a blade."

"...Master," Fulu said, his heart aching at his master’s innocence. He wanted to speak, then stopped, then wanted to speak again, carefully trying to reveal the truth. "The Fifth Prince may not just be ill. Do you know what a 'delaying tactic' is? It dates back to the previous dynasty..."

Xue Jin’an, already lying in bed, listened silently as he explained the origins of the delaying tactic and various military strategies.

Xue Jin’an sat up, his eyes widening as if he finally understood. "You mean he used a delaying tactic on me? He lied to me?"

"That is exactly it." Xue Jin’an tilted his head in thought for a moment before concluding, "It seems I must strengthen my body."

That way, he could use his own hands as blades and dismantle people on the spot. As long as his strength was sufficient and his speed fast enough, he wouldn't have to worry about delaying tactics.

Xue Jin’an felt his logic was sound. That very night, he stayed up digging out a fitness app that had been gathering dust in the corner of a folder for years.

When the shut-in first arrived in this modern world, his body was fragile and broken, unable to withstand even a shred of spiritual energy. He had downloaded the app to exercise. He had followed it seriously a couple of times at the beginning, but later, watching it became synonymous with practicing it, and eventually... he became obsessed with his phone and high-tech gadgets, and returned to being a shut-in.

The software had been there since he was a mortal machine. Every time he cleared his memory, it appeared on his list of rarely used apps. Each time, he would stubbornly insist he would keep it, and now, even though he had ascended and his machine had become a human, the software remained there, gathering dust, never once opened.

After all these years, Xue Jin’an opened it, starting with logging into his account.

Upon logging in, an advertisement for the "Third Recruitment Phase of the Prince’s Private Army Training Camp" popped up, listing coaches with names that sounded remarkably formidable.

There was the "Blade Hero," who could wipe out all the world’s heroes with a single strike; the "Green Lotus Sword Immortal," who could kill a man every ten steps without leaving a trace; and legendary masters who could cross rivers on a reed or kill with a fallen leaf...

Xue Jin’an clicked on one at random, then clicked out three seconds later.

Member trial? No thanks. He was a poor machine; he really couldn't stand such materialistic terminology.

The free section consisted mostly of videos uploaded by private (unranked) "heroes." Xue Jin’an watched several at double speed. Initially, he didn't see any issues, but after watching more, he noticed that many of the basic training movements were similar, and he began to see the problem.