Chapter 11#

Detoxification#

When Yin Yuheng returned to the palace, it was already dawn, and a pale red morning glow stained a small patch of the sky.

“Brother Heng, you scared me to death, woo woo woo.” Xiao Bai was still in shock.

Yin Yuheng examined the wound on his shoulder and found that it had turned brownish-red, faintly darkening. He thought to himself that demon poison was indeed troublesome and would probably take some time to heal.

“Scared of what? What’s the big deal about shooting him with an arrow? Getting hit by that demon’s needle, returning an arrow is letting him off easy.” Yin Yuheng applied medicine to himself nonchalantly, without even a frown. “Dealing with the jerk gong’s temper is one thing, but can just anyone bully me?”

Xiao Bai thought to himself, If you hadn’t deliberately rushed up to save Lu Yan, you wouldn’t have been injured…

“I thought you would hide it from Lu Yan for a bit longer.”

Xiao Bai sometimes felt he couldn’t understand Yin Yuheng.

Xiao Bai originally thought Yin Yuheng approached Lu Yan to gain trust and avoid the tragic end of dying under Lu Yan’s sword in the future. He didn’t expect Yin Yuheng to expose his identity just like that, without blinking an eye.

“Brother Heng, aren’t you afraid Lu Yan will find out you’re the one who shot the arrow and fly into a rage out of humiliation…”

After applying the medicine, Yin Yuheng dressed and smiled softly into the mirror, looking every bit the calm, gentle, and noble young master. No one would suspect his ruthless nature towards others and himself.

When he went mad, no one could predict what he would do next.

“He’ll find out sooner or later anyway, so what’s the difference if it’s sooner or later?” Yin Yuheng smiled. “I do what I want to do; my own satisfaction is what matters most.”

Yin Yuheng glanced at the dawn sky and thought about how Eunuch De would soon inform his eldest brother about yesterday’s events. His brother would surely lecture him furiously again, which gave him a bit of a headache. He simply closed the palace gates and ran to see the unconscious Lu Yan.

The morning breeze blew through the window, bringing the cool dampness of dew. Spring peach blossoms trembled gently, and morning light fell through the branches, spilling onto the young man’s sleeves.

Yin Yuheng watched for a while, then suddenly asked curiously, “He’s not very old, is he?”

Xiao Bai quickly replied, “That’s right, Brother Heng. He’s a month younger than you.”

Yin Yuheng’s gaze immediately became affectionate. “It hasn’t been easy for him, experiencing so much at such a young age… and his injuries are so severe.”

Yin Yuheng had just checked Lu Yan’s pulse and found that besides the external injuries from yesterday, there were several troublesome toxins hidden in his spiritual veins, likely from the hardships he endured while fleeing.

Yin Yuheng had once fed Lu Yan a Spirit Marrow Pill, barely repairing his damaged spiritual veins. However, the residual poison in the spiritual veins hadn’t been fully cleared, so Lu Yan’s injuries still wouldn’t fully heal and would torture him for years.

Yin Yuheng pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled, his eyes brightening.

Seeing this expression, Xiao Bai had an ominous premonition.

Yin Yuheng called out, “Someone, come.”

Two Jinwu Guards soon entered and bowed respectfully. “What are your Highness’s orders?”

Yin Yuheng said calmly, “Bring the Spirit-Binding Cords.”

The Jinwu Guards immediately obeyed.

Yin Yuheng took a small jade bottle from his Qiankun bag, leaned leisurely against the table, and pointed at Lu Yan lying on the bed. “Tie him to the chair.”

Xiao Bai: “…?”

Yin Yuheng had managed the Eastern Palace for many years, and his first requirement for his subordinates was absolute loyalty. They only needed to follow orders meticulously, not saying what shouldn’t be said, nor asking what shouldn’t be asked. The Jinwu Guards wordlessly lifted Lu Yan and tied his wrists to both sides of the chair.

Yin Yuheng toyed with the small bottle in his hand. “Tighter.”

The Spirit-Binding Cords cut into Lu Yan’s pale wrists.

Xiao Bai: “Brother Heng—”

“Shh.”

Yin Yuheng looked at Lu Yan with a smile. The other was slumped groggily in the chair, his head hanging weakly, black hair messily clinging to his face, occasionally letting out a gasp or a light cough.

The Jinwu Guards stood expressionlessly to the side, awaiting Yin Yuheng’s orders.

Yin Yuheng rubbed his chin and said leisurely, “He’s a demon.”

The Jinwu Guards immediately understood, thinking they knew what Yin Yuheng meant.

In recent years, the relationship between the human and demon races had gradually eased, and there was some interaction between the two. However, they were still different races, and people couldn’t fully rest easy when facing demons.

A demon who appeared mysteriously in Chaoge was naturally very suspicious.

So, the Crown Prince intended to interrogate him personally?

Yin Yuheng fiddled with the small jade bottle and smiled. “The demon physique is strong; two pills should be no problem.”

The Jinwu Guards were even more certain that the small bottle contained some kind of torture drug.

The Jinwu Guards, thinking they understood Yin Yuheng’s intention, proactively offered, “Your Highness, this subordinate will wake this demon up now.”

“No need, I’ll do it.” Yin Yuheng gave the Jinwu Guard a half-smile. “His name is Lu Yan, not ’this demon’.”

A surge of spiritual energy poured into Lu Yan’s spiritual platform, and Lu Yan gradually woke up, his head moving slightly.

The discomfort on his wrists made him instinctively want to struggle, but his movements were restricted by the Spirit-Binding Cords. Lu Yan looked up somewhat blankly, revealing a high nose bridge and handsome, clear features, with a hint of mist still in his eyes.

After days of wandering on the edge of life and death, this state of confusion lasted only for a brief moment, and Lu Yan immediately regained clarity.

However, the Spirit-Binding Cords prevented his instinctive move to reach for his sword.

“…” Lu Yan saw the Spirit-Binding Cords tightly binding him and realized his situation.

Lu Yan slowly pursed his lips and looked at Yin Yuheng in front of him.

In his memory, he had been drugged unconscious by Yin Yuheng… where had he been brought?

The Lizhao Empire’s dungeon?

Lu Yan saw the sandalwood table by the window, the exquisite brush rack and ornaments on the table, and quickly dismissed that thought. The surrounding furnishings were elegant and luxurious, definitely not a prison.

Yin Yuheng was still dressed in white, leaning against the table, looking at him with a faint smile.

The morning glow fell behind Yin Yuheng, outlining him with a pale golden edge.

“Young Master Lu,” Yin Yuheng’s tone was gentle, “Are you alright?”

Lu Yan hesitated to open his mouth and found his throat was hoarse. “This is…”

Yin Yuheng smiled. “This is the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace.”

Lu Yan stared fixedly at Yin Yuheng. “Why did you bring me here?”

Yin Yuheng took out the small jade bottle and didn’t answer directly, saying leisurely, “Young Master Lu is too trusting of others.”

Lu Yan’s gaze changed slightly, his brows furrowing slightly, and he said in disbelief, “You…”

Too trusting?

Did you deliberately deceive me and get close to me?

A chill rose in his heart, as if a layer of frost had condensed in his chest.

Yin Yuheng approached Lu Yan and, meeting Lu Yan’s shocked, complex, and disbelieving gaze, poured two small pills from the jade bottle.

“Young Master Lu, bear with it.”

Lu Yan gritted his teeth and said, “What are you planning to give me?”

Yin Yuheng gave an apologetic smile and stuffed the two pills into Lu Yan’s mouth. The pills dissolved instantly upon entering his mouth, and Lu Yan had no time to react.

Lu Yan coughed in vain and said painfully, “You… you saved me, helped me, was it all fake?”

Yin Yuheng didn’t answer because the medicine’s effect had already begun.

Immense pain instantly surged through his internal organs. Lu Yan felt as if someone had punched him hard in the stomach. He uncontrollably hunched his body, bowed his head, and breathed heavily.

It hurt; every inch of his spiritual veins hurt.

Lu Yan clenched his fists, veins popping on his arms, as the Spirit-Binding Cords bit deeply into his flesh, restraining his movements.

Lu Yan gritted his teeth hard, his whole body trembling. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead and dripped onto his black clothes along his hair. The clothes on his back were already soaked, showing the immense pain he was enduring.

*

Lu Yan was in so much pain that he could no longer perceive his surroundings. The smile on Yin Yuheng’s face faded as he watched Lu Yan without blinking.

Xiao Bai’s shape was a book, and it had now curled into a ball.

“Brother Heng, ahhh,” Xiao Bai trembled. “I was thinking that in the plot, Lu Yan’s revenge for an arrow wound was so cruel that it seemed unreasonable… now I understand…”

“No wonder he destroyed the spiritual platform, broke the limbs, and pierced the heart with an arrow,” Xiao Bai was about to cry. “Waaa, Brother Heng, what are you going to do…”

Yin Yuheng clicked his tongue. “Enough, be quiet.”

Xiao Bai: “…Hmph!”

Yin Yuheng ignored Xiao Bai’s breakdown and panic. He observed Lu Yan carefully and seriously, not missing a single expression or look.

Yin Yuheng was certain that the pain and disbelief in Lu Yan’s eyes just now were not faked.

Or, Lu Yan’s acting had reached a level of perfection that even he could be deceived.

Yin Yuheng suddenly laughed.

No, no matter how clever a liar was, it was impossible to act without a single flaw.

Lu Yan truly… trusted him and cared about him.

Yin Yuheng couldn’t quite describe his feelings at this moment.

— “You are too trusting of others, Your Highness.”

In the original plot, this sentence was spoken by Lu Yan as he grabbed Yin Yuheng’s hair and whispered it into his ear with a contemptuous and playful tone.

But…

Yin Yuheng looked at Lu Yan, who was trembling with pain, and thought that Lu Yan was truly the person he had seen who differed the most from the original plot.

This difference was so large that it made Yin Yuheng feel uneasy, forcing him to use drastic means to test it once.

The result of the test left him with feelings too complex to put into words.

This was the first time in over twenty years.

Yin Yuheng slowly took a deep breath and closed his eyes, but a strange emotion surged in his heart.

…Lu, Yan.

Yin Yuheng repeated the name in his mind.

…………

The pain lasted for an unknown amount of time before it slowly subsided.

Lu Yan’s head hung weakly, feeling as if every spiritual vein in his body had been broken and reshaped.

“Young Master Lu?”

Yin Yuheng’s concerned voice came from beside his ear.

A surge of anger suddenly rose in Lu Yan’s heart. He gritted his teeth and looked up, but he looked straight into Yin Yuheng’s worried eyes.

The words he was about to say were inexplicably stuck in his throat.

Yin Yuheng was standing beside him, in the same position as before, having stood there for an unknown amount of time, as if he had been guarding him all along.

“The Blood Refining Pill’s properties are indeed too strong,” Yin Yuheng sighed softly. “But to clear the residual poison, there was no other way.”

Lu Yan was stunned. “…Clear the residual poison?”

Yin Yuheng tilted his head and looked at him. “Didn’t you know? The residual poison in your spiritual veins couldn’t be fully cleared even with the Spirit Marrow Pill. There was really no other way but to use this method.”

Only then did Lu Yan realize in hindsight that the poison that had been secretly torturing him had indeed lessened significantly.

Lu Yan leaned against the chair and widened his eyes slightly. “You… you were doing this to treat my injuries?”

“Otherwise?” Yin Yuheng gave Lu Yan a strange look, as if asking what he had been thinking.

“You said I was too trusting…”

“Aren’t you? If Young Master Lu weren’t so trusting, I wouldn’t have been able to easily drug you and bring you here,” Yin Yuheng smiled helplessly. “It’s fine this time. You can’t do this in the future; what if someone wants to harm you?”

Lu Yan was dazed.

Yin Yuheng leaned over and took Lu Yan’s wrist.

Because he had stood for too long and had an injury on his shoulder, Yin Yuheng’s hand trembled for a moment before he untied the Spirit-Binding Cords.

“The Blood Refining Pill is very potent. If your limbs aren’t restrained, you’ll harm yourself and others,” Yin Yuheng’s eyes showed apology. “…Does it hurt?”

“…”

Not hearing a response from Lu Yan, Yin Yuheng looked up in confusion, only to have his wrist grabbed and pinned down.

Yin Yuheng fell onto the chair as Lu Yan had already stood up.

Yin Yuheng looked up blankly.

“It hurts,” Lu Yan said through gritted teeth. “Feeding medicine directly without even a word of warning?”

“Clearly doing something for someone’s benefit, yet not saying a word. Do you know, I almost thought…”

Almost thought you were deliberately deceiving me, calculating against me, and torturing me.

Yin Yuheng’s wrist was held tightly by Lu Yan, causing a sharp pain, but he didn’t dare say anything and said guiltily, “I’m sorry…”

Lu Yan tried to keep his tone cold, but a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes as he gently loosened his grip. “Is ‘sorry’ enough? I have to get my revenge.”

Yin Yuheng blinked. “…How will you get your revenge?”

“I haven’t thought of it yet, I’ll owe it first.”

“Then… let me apply medicine to your wrist first?” Yin Yuheng said hesitantly. “It’s bleeding…”

“Are you worrying about me?” The smile in Lu Yan’s eyes became more obvious.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on Yin Yuheng’s shoulder, and he frowned deeply.

Bloodstains had appeared on the white clothes at some point; Lu Yan realized Yin Yuheng’s wound had reopened.