Chapter 6#

For someone as tough as Hua Rong, breaking a little finger was nothing major.

However, to get Han Lang to hold him more, after the old Prince’s birthday, he pretended to be sick for a few more days, acting weak and fragile in bed until his feet were almost numb from inactivity.

Finally, his patience reached its limit. He decided to recover, so he got up, drank a pot of chicken soup, and went out for a stroll in the courtyard with a fan.

The Prince’s residence was immensely wealthy, with countless winding paths and courtyards.

Hua Rong naturally got lost. Fanning himself in the cold weather, he accidentally wandered into the small courtyard where Zou Qi lived.

Zou Qi was not there. Only the Emperor, disguised as his apprentice, was taking a nap in the room.

Liu Yun stood at the door with his hands behind his back, his face dark, guarding the door and refusing to let Hua Rong in.

Hua Rong rolled his eyes and was about to leave when there was movement inside the room.

The Emperor had gotten up, saw him through the lattice window, and specially opened the door to let him in.

After entering, Hua Rong fanned himself vigorously, looking at the Emperor’s cloud brocade pillow with gritted teeth, gesturing: “Where are you from? Why is the Prince so good to you? Even your pillow is so high-class, embroidered with gold thread.”

The Emperor sneered and gestured back: “Of course he is good to me. In the whole world, he is only sincere to me.”

This was arrogant. Hua Rong immediately turned his nostrils to the sky to express his disdain.

The Emperor’s gestures became faster: “How was the porridge? How many days did you have diarrhea? The Prince slept in the same bed with you, did he touch you? And that day when everyone poured wine on their heads, was it fun?”

Hua Rong’s eyes widened, beginning to understand what he meant.

The Emperor quickly confirmed: “Yes, I put laxatives in the porridge. I told the Prince to sleep with you, but only sleep, not touch. I also made the Prince wash his hair with wine in front of everyone. He listens to everything I say.”

Hua Rong closed his fan and jumped up, pouncing on him to pull his hair, acting more like a shrew than a shrew.

In the gap of their fighting, there was a sudden noise behind the bed. A voice came through the wall, three words clearly audible.

“Who are you?”

Hua Rong stopped pulling hair, looked around, and gestured: “Who was speaking just now? Could it be you are pretending to be mute?”

Hearing the noise, Liu Yun came in and hurriedly shooed him out like driving a duck: “Fighting out of jealousy in the Prince’s residence, please consider the occasion, Master Hua.”

Hua Rong was driven out extremely unwillingly. The Emperor lay down contentedly and continued his nap.

The voice behind the wall was relentless, looking out through a small hole in the secret door, repeating again and again: “Your Majesty, who is he?”

“His name is Hua Rong, a male prostitute.” The Emperor gestured, then kicked the wall hard a few times before the voice finally quieted down.

Returning from Zou Qi’s place, Hua Rong was obviously in a bad mood. He started to vent his anger on Hua Gui, demanding him to stew pig stomach and lung soup to nourish his lungs which were exploding with anger. If he didn’t stew it, he was asked to leave.

Hua Gui was certainly not a good person either. He immediately went to the kitchen to get fresh pig stomach and lungs, pulled out Lin Luoyin’s black scabbard sword, and drained the blood and removed the oil in front of Hua Rong.

With such a disgusting display, Hua Rong naturally didn’t want to eat anymore, so angry that his gestures were clumsy.

Lin Luoyin walked in at this moment. As soon as he entered, he saw his famous sword covered in lard, with pig blood dripping from the blade.

Hua Gui’s eyes went straight. His first reaction was to hide the sword behind his back, then quickly took it out and posed: “Hero Lin, I am practicing the Heart-Splitting Lung-Rending Sword. I plan to split pig lungs first and then human lungs. Why don’t you give me some pointers?”

Hua Rong laughed loudly and quickly gestured: “Right, Hua Gui Ren also often practices the Hair-Blowing Hair-Cutting Sword, preparing to shave pig hair first and then human hair.”

“My master invites you to drink… wine.” Hua Gui stared at his gestures and translated: “Brag… brag.”

After speaking, he disappeared with a whoosh, saying he was going to prepare wine and food so they could brag properly.

The black scabbard sword was left in the room by him, placed in a wooden basin with a pile of pig stomach and lungs.

Lin Luoyin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He had to bend down to pick up the sword, wipe it clean with a rag, and wave the sword in an arc against the wind.

The sword was indeed a left-handed sword. In his hand, it was like a dragon roaring in the nine heavens, suddenly possessing a kingly air.

Hua Rong sighed with emotion, thinking that it was the same three-foot green blade, but just now in Hua Gui’s hand, it was an out-and-out pig-killing knife.

“This sword is named Ominous.” Lin Luoyin ran his fingers over the blade: “It is said that those who obtain it will not have a good end.”

Hua Gui happened to bring the wine and food at this time. Hua Rong quickly gestured, signaling him to sit down and talk.

The wine was aged Bamboo Leaf Green. Hua Rong opened the jar seal and put in a green plum and eight dried orchid petals.

Lin Luoyin seemed to be in a bad mood, drinking sullenly. In a short while, half a jar was gone.

Later, he was three parts sober and seven parts drunk. Finally, looking at the long sword, he spoke: “I came to the capital to find my master. This sword originally belonged to him. But a year ago, the sword returned, but the person didn’t.”

“The sword is there when the person is there; the sword is gone when the person is gone. I understand this principle, but I don’t believe it.”

“Master’s swordsmanship is unparalleled, and he is proficient in formations. How many people in this world can trouble him!”

“But I just can’t find him.” Speaking of this, Lin Luoyin sighed infinitely: “He said he came to the capital to do great things, but I spent all my money asking for news about him, yet found nothing.”

Hua Rong had been silent all along. Hearing this, he suddenly made a gesture: “Now you have found him, right?”

Strangely enough, Lin Luoyin actually understood his gesture.

“Yes.” He answered blankly, recalling the encounter with Han Lang in the tavern that day: “I found him. It really is ‘wearing out iron shoes in a fruitless search, only to find it without any effort’.”

Wearing out iron shoes in a fruitless search, only to find it without any effort.

That’s right. A thousand gold couldn’t buy the news, but that day in the restaurant, a bowl of dirty water splashed out the Prince of Funing, Han Lang.

The title of Grand Tutor Han couldn’t scare him, a man of the Jianghu. What shocked him was Han Lang’s later sentence.

“The purple-robed guest carrying the Ominous Sword, what is Shen Yanchi to you?”

This sentence hit him like a thunderbolt.

After that, he was like falling into a cloud, listening blankly to Han Lang’s description, summarizing his master’s final life in a few sentences.

It turned out that Shen Yanchi used the alias Shen Lei and went to the Prince of Funing’s residence as an advisor. A year ago, he went out with Han Lang. Halfway, someone assassinated them. He fought ten people alone and exchanged his life for Han Lang’s safety.

“Both civil and military, loyal and brave.”

This was Han Lang’s evaluation of him, an eight-character commendation exchanged for a cavity of hot blood and a life.

“Both civil and military, loyal and brave…” Recalling this, Lin Luoyin laughed involuntarily: “Master, you are only worth these eight characters. If I hadn’t appeared, I’m afraid people would have forgotten even these eight characters.”

Hua Rong made another gesture at this time.

Hua Gui quickly glared at him: “What ‘a sword chilling nine continents is not as good as receiving a fief as a bottom’? Master, don’t talk nonsense. Didn’t you see Hero Lin is sad?”

“A sword chilling nine continents is not as good as receiving a fief as a bottom?” Lin Luoyin laughed again upon hearing this, a bit of wildness in his drunken eyes.

Unknown when, the Ominous Sword was already held horizontally in his hand. With a flick of his finger, the long body unsheathed, and the cold light rolled like snow waves.

“A bright man drinking blood on the battlefield is not as good as bending over to be a bottom?! Who taught you to think and say this!”

After saying this, the Ominous Sword was already retracted. The cold light just now seemed to be just an illusion.

But the red sandalwood Eight Immortals table fell apart a moment later, splitting in half diagonally, kicking up a large cloud of dust.

Hua Gui stared, then quickly applauded: “A hero is indeed a hero. Well said! My shameless master just needs to be taught a lesson!”

Lin Luoyin was silent. He had sobered up a lot by now, realizing that what he did just now was equivalent to slapping Hua Rong in the face.

The atmosphere was a bit awkward for a moment.

Hua Rong made another gesture, holding up three fingers.

“My master says three hundred taels.” Hua Gui translated with a shrill voice, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into: “He says Hero Lin, you broke the table. If you want to redeem the sword, you have to pay three hundred taels.”

====================

The long night was silent. Han Lang was out, and the Prince of Funing’s residence suddenly seemed deserted.

Liu Yun was standing guard outside the Emperor’s door. He was standing straight, but his head inevitably started to nod like a chicken pecking rice.

The transom window on the back wall of the room began to loosen at this time. Someone was very patient, spending an hour quietly removing the entire window.

The hole of the removed transom window was still very small. That person squeezed in with great difficulty.

The Emperor had entered a deep sleep, breathing evenly on the bed.

The hazy moonlight shone on the intruder’s black clothes. The person was masked, walking on tiptoe step by step to the bed.

The Emperor in his dream only felt a chill on his neck. When he opened his eyes, a knife was already placed across his carotid artery.

The knife was not a precious one, just a long wood-chopping knife, the kind where one tael of silver could buy dozens.

However, any knife could be fatal. With a turn of the person’s wrist, the blunt edge of the wood-chopping knife had already cut the Emperor’s skin, leaving a long mark on his neck.

Blood seeped out from the wound like pearls, gradually overflowing the collar.

The Emperor couldn’t make a sound and didn’t dare to move, only allowing that person to get closer and closer, until they were face to face.

The wood-chopping knife did not advance. That person seemed to have no intention of killing him, but just groped carefully on the bed board.

After groping the bed board, he started groping the wall, inch by inch carefully, careful not to make a sound.

Liu Yun stretched outside the door at this time and began to stomp his feet to drive away the cold.

The Emperor also reached out and groped, finally touching a jade pendant by the pillow, so he flicked his finger and brushed it down.

The jade broke into two halves on the ground. The sound was small but crisp. Liu Yun immediately noticed and knocked on the window asking: “Is everything okay inside?”

The intruder paused, and the wood-chopping knife advanced again, fiercely holding the Emperor hostage.

Outside, Liu Yun said again: “Then I’ll come in and have a look.”

After saying this, he started knocking on the door. With no response, he knocked more and more urgently.

A fierce look flashed in that person’s eyes, and suddenly he struck the wall with his palm.

The wall was originally a hollow wall. With this strike, the door opened instantly, revealing a secret room inside.

There was still candlelight in the secret room. The one living there was exactly that “Voice”. The person was turning around at the sound, revealing a full face in the candlelight.

After seeing this face, the assassin seemed to have accomplished the mission. The person rose rapidly and broke through the roof. The wood-chopping knife in hand was thrown out, whistling in the wind straight towards the Emperor’s forehead.

Liu Yun, who had already broken into the door, hurriedly threw two chess pieces. The white piece struck towards the blade, while the black piece chased the intruder.

The two chess pieces carried the weight of a thousand catties, both hitting their targets.

The black piece hit the assassin. That person was injured but didn’t stop at all, twisting his body and disappearing into the vast night.

The wood-chopping knife was hit by the white piece. At this time, it changed direction and fell just right, brushing past the Emperor’s forehead with the wind, cutting off a lock of the Emperor’s hair.

A cluster of blood dripped in mid-air. It was the assassin’s blood, falling onto the top of the Emperor’s head with a “ding-dong” sound.

The Emperor was dizzy. Seeing blood dripping from his eyelashes, he thought his head had been split open. His body immediately went limp, and he fainted just like that.

When Han Lang returned, everything had been handled properly.

The “Voice” had been safely transferred, and no news had been leaked to the outside.

The Emperor had actually woken up, leaning in Han Lang’s arms, his eyelashes trembling incessantly.

Han Lang patted his face: “If you are awake, you are awake. Even if you are awake, I will still hold you. Don’t pretend anymore.”

The Emperor grunted. He was still a bit weak, leaning in his arms and gesturing: “Just now I was almost split to death. You almost wouldn’t have seen me.”

Han Lang stroked the gauze on his neck, his eyes curving into a smile: “Actually, it’s nothing. Before you became Emperor, the Crown Prince’s faction sent people to kill me at least once a month. You have almost not seen me countless times.”

The Emperor was stunned and shrank a bit more into his arms.

Han Lang’s smile widened: “But didn’t I survive all the same and help you ascend the throne? This bit of wind and waves really counts for nothing.”

“But I’m scared. I’m timid.” The Emperor made another gesture. After finishing, he pinched his hair and started twirling it.

He was one hundred percent still a child, a child spoiled by Han Lang.

Han Lang suddenly felt a bit emotional, looking down at his Emperor, looking tired: “Why don’t you go back, Your Majesty? The Prince’s residence is not as safe as the Imperial Palace after all. You can be treated the same way when you go back. As long as it’s a prescription that Hua Rong has tried and found useful and harmless, I will immediately send someone to deliver it to the palace.”

The Emperor stopped playing with his hair and started waving his hands repeatedly: “I won’t go back. Being this Emperor is so boring. Why don’t you just do it instead?”

The weariness on Han Lang’s face deepened. He sighed and said no more.

The Emperor leaned over to look at him, pouted for a while, and also sighed like him: “I know, you said it. This world belongs to the Zhou family, not the Han family. I was just saying it for fun.”

Han Lang remained silent. Only after a long time did he say: “In the twelfth lunar month, Your Majesty will be fully eighteen years old.”

The Emperor’s expression immediately became guarded, gesturing very fast: “I won’t have a grand wedding. I won’t marry a woman. Besides, people will find out I’m mute.”

“I didn’t ask you to have a grand wedding.” Han Lang touched his forehead: “I just want to celebrate your birthday, then grant a general amnesty to the world, and pardon my big brother by the way.”

“Your big brother?” Hearing this, the Emperor straightened up and gestured word by word: “Han Yan?”

Han Lang nodded.

“But don’t forget, he is the leader of the Crown Prince’s faction. He was the one who sent people to kill you once a month.”

“I also sent people to kill him, at least twice a month.” Han Lang chuckled, his eyes flickering: “No matter what, he is still my big brother, my last relative in this world.”