Poison Ivy

Last week was so hectic. The girls from the Empire's visit made a huge toll on all of the students. The lessons were cut off short as they were introduced one by one.

"You never told me you have a younger sister, Laohu," Pei Hang said which made us both grimaced.

"Now you know" Laohu just said

"I thought the girl likes you, Weicheng. Turns out you were cousins" Eun jo said which made me choke my drinks.

"She even hugged you in the middle of the hallway, we thought you had a girlfriend" Chou Xi also stated which made me internally vomit.

I remember when Mu Lin saw us having lunch, she run towards me in the middle of the hallway where everyone is looking and jumped out in front of me. I just laugh out because of that and even the physicians also looked at us in disbelief.

She also took my right hand as if inspecting my wound, I looked around and saw everyone eyeing us. Laohu who's behind the set of people looked at them as he realized we were the hot topic of everyone. I gestured to him to save my face.

If not for Laohu's interference we would have been labeled as a couple. The moment Mu Lin shouted Laohu As "older brother". The latter just bowed to everyone as he apologized for causing trouble and introduce her as his little sister.

After that, the academy continued and went on with their tasks.

I even overheard one of the physicians ask my name "Is that Dan Weicheng? The ace archer?" she answered proudly which I grimaced.

"Ahhh hahaha" I just laughed "Mu Lin, Laohu, and I grew up together, so we are really close to one another"

They stayed for a night and left early in the morning, yet the whole week is filled with buzzing chit chats about them. I scratched my eyebrow as we remember we're having another week today. And the discussion is about history. We have to eat breakfast first since they voted that we should wake up all early rather than me cooking the breakfast.

Since it's the start of the week, students are more likely to go to the dining hall to eat rather than cook their meals. The moment we arrived, the queue is long, so we have to wait for minutes. My stomach badly needs to eat. I saw the side drinks and pour down a tea first. As I beg Laohu to get me a bread. I'm really tired and hungry to line up.

Since I decided to have tea, I chose chamomile as always. When I was about to heat the tea set, another person took the other set. My eyes darted to one of the hazel eyes I've seen. I burn my left hand upon gazing at him.

"Ugh" he was caught off guard but I was quick to take the set again.

"good morning" My mouth already voiced out before I could comprehend the words. As I said my good morning I mentally slapped my face and leave.

The moment I turn around, I was greeted by a chest, I rolled my eyes as I saw the evil incarnate, those black orbs and raven hair. Everything about him is black. His soul too.

"How about another burn for you, Dan Weicheng?" He asked as I ignored him. He put down his glass of water at the nearest table and smiled as if taunting me, he pushed me hard which cause my imbalance, and the tea set I'm holding broke.

Due to the impact of the ceramic set, we drew attention, yet again.

He was about to push me again, this time he was aiming for me to lose my balance and land on the floor. Which I easily dodged as I punched him hard. Everyone was in shock as I hit his face, his lip is bleeding as he was about to punch me too, he was stopped by Ji wok the very last second his fist is near my face. He shook off the hand of Ji Wok upon looking at me

"Stop targeting me, Wang. I'm not afraid of you" I took his glass of water as I threw it in front of him.

He smirked as he fake laugh "I'm not targeting you, you're just there when I'm not in the mood" he spit the blood as he swiped the remaining out of his lip.

I saw my teammates already ganging up at our table as they motioned for me to return not bothered by what happened. I guess they already knew me.

As I left them I smirked at Tae Hua "tsk tsk, you owe me my chamomile tea today, Wang Tae Hua"

My team high-fived me the moment I arrived at our table. "He really is faint-hearted," I said whispering and blowing out the air. I saw Tae Hua and Ji wok leave the dining.

-----

The bell rang which indicates that the class is about to start, the pavilion is already preoccupied, even Ji Wok's team is complete. I sighed as we sit on our designated seats.

The class hasn't started yet, but I'm dreading to end it right away. It's Mater Pu's class today. Laohu and I had to listen to him all day talking and doing some activities. His class is the most boring.

The moment he entered we stand up and bowed to greet him. We were about to sit down when he halted us and said we have to stand up for a while.

"I've heard the issue earlier, step forward Dan Weicheng and Wang Tae Hua"

I just stretched my neck as if annoyed with Tae Hua, he side-glanced at me as if not interested.

"I don't need explanation since you will be giving me those excuses, you're both capable of knowing what's right or wrong, and still you both resorted to violence, again. Since we have an activity today I will punish you accordingly, you will have to clean the ground for a whole week as a warning."

He was about to butt-in when Master Pu raised his hand to stop him "2 weeks"

I gritted my teeth as I looked at him and elbow him. "Stop whining," I said in a low voice to which he returned me with another elbow. Master Pu asked us to go back to our places.

"You all kept on disappointing me"

"Today we will be going inside the Empire's Museum" everyone shouted in excitement. Maybe because lectures are boring or maybe because we'll be seeing how grand the Arghon empire is, well as long as I will not sit at the hall the whole day is already a feat.

"We will be discovering artifacts and history all together"

as if we are not aware of the history itself. I said in my head listening.

I swallowed hard as my hand traveled to my chest, Even with the robe I can still feel the necklace piercing through my chest to my hands outside the robe. My mind went blank as I remembered what's my purpose. I release my hand as I felt someone staring at me, my eyes darted to Ji Wok, he's eyeing me which made me curious. His eyes were curious or should I say he's analyzing something.

Yun Ji Wok is one of the smartest in the kingdom, he may be calm and silent, I know he sees everything right through it. I have to be wary of him the next time. Actually, no one is to be trusted here.

"For safety purposes, you have to stick by your group the whole trip. I will be giving you a question before we start, and you have to answer the question while looking and learning about the facts and the clues that are given in the museum"

We all nod in accordance. Master Pu's eyes became serious as he looked at me. The noise was reduced when he said "There's a twist"

everyone listened as he talks again.

"While you have to gather the facts and the clues, one team will sabotage it by destroying the clues. The culprit group should not be discovered. The best team to gather up facts and to pin the culprit will win. But if the culprit is not discovered, the culprit will win the award."

"Woah"

"Okay, team leaders take your roles in this vase." We all went to the vase by one and take a small tablet. "Do not let other leaders see your tablet and gather your group members, we will be setting out a little while"

Everyone returned to their groups as they started discussing

"Master Pu" Bai Ku Ji raised his hand as he was still confused.

"How would we know we are the culprit?" He asked while I gather my team at the corner to present the wooden tablet

"The culprit's tablet has a scripture, the others do not."

Our faces whitened, as we once again looked at our tablet. It has the scripture.

"Exciting" Qiu Run said

As we head out to the hall, I carefully hid the wooden tablet inside my robe. The carriages arrive as we set off to the empire.

The doors and courtyard are enormous, the drawings are a lot more different than the life. I've heard several students said, "imagine Tae Hua's home?"

Grand.

We reach the south wing of the Palace as the gates opened and we have guided the hall, we reached a huge palace named "written by the stars"

the enormous oak door greeted us.

The five groups were separated accordingly.

"Although we have a task, you still need to follow safety and museum protocols, this includes no touching of fragile and paintings. No unnecessary noises, certain parts are closed to the public so you need to follow the rules. Clues are written on a piece of paper as you can find them you will be closer to the answer. The game will last for only 2 hours."

We gather once again as he opened the rolled paper for the question. "A natural cure for Scarecrow's doom, your savior's gone, but still in bloom." He closed the paper as the timer starts now

We all went inside as I said, we have to sabotage clues and keep them all first, and when we got them we have to hide them and solve the question.

Since we are the culprit, I don't intend them to work hard, I instructed them to act naturally and to just collect as if solving and analyzing. Since the other groups resorted to separating, I also told them to separate ways so we were not be easily targeted.

I got my first clue under the incense. I looked at the frame where the incense is put, it was under the First Emperor of Wang.

I decided to just keep the clues first until I saw almost five and read them one by one.

"Stage a coup"

"painful"

"Four kingdoms"

"Three words"

"needed fertilizer"

My mind went haywire with the given clues, I saw Laohu as I asked him about his clues. I let other teams see my first clues to giveaway that we are not the culprit. My move is to get closer to other teams to promote trust.

I read them once again.

"Maybe a traitor."

"Poisonous elixir."

"A flower that cannot be made an ornament."

"Revengeful."

The clues are all vague, as I gather the last clues from my teammates.

"Can be seen in Weiyou tribe" Laohu and I looked at each other

"poison"

"A striving battle"

The other clues are repetitive. "I know the answer" Laohu and I said in unison as we both looked at the tablet.

"Time is up"

We gathered in a small hall as we discussed the game.

Teacher Pu asked everyone who do we think is the culprit. As to create tension I chose Ji Wok's group. I heard Tae Hua murmured as I explained that I never saw them giving away the clues means they are sabotaging the clues so we cannot answer them.

"I saw Tae Hua entered one place and didn't get anything," A group 1 member said as they all agreed

"What can you say group 4?"

"I saw the group 3 crumpled one of the clues"

"I did it to save it from the culprit!!" Group 3 reasoned out

"Why do you have to crumple it?" Asked Qui Run "are you afraid to be caught?"

"Why are you giving away the clues Cheng?" Everyone looked at me and Ji wok, he has been quiet the whole time until his voice burst out as to pin it on me.

"Culprits job is to sabotage. But if we work together, the culprits can be discovered right away, that's what you call mass protests"

"You're doubtful from the beginning" Tae Hua joined in Ji Wok's conclusion

I shrugged. The group 3 came to my defense as well as group 2

"Alright alright, gather your thoughts as to who is the culprit, we will be eliminating each who are not the culprit"

"Who do you want to eliminate? Group 1?"

"Group 5, I don't think Group 5 is aware of what's happening, they just kept on looking for the clues. They're not competitive even." the three groups voted for us except group 4. So we were eliminated right then.

I smiled internally, as my acting skills are leveling up.

Until it came down to the last two groups. The one we will be choosing will be saved. It's groups 1 and 4. Unanimously we all voted for group 1 to be saved. As the end conclusion came.

"Group 4 are the voted culprits" I smiled. "We will find out"

"Now for the next round, what is the answer you've gathered?"

Group 1: Poison Ivy

Group 2: Poison Ivy

Group 3: Poison Ivy

Groups 4: Poison Ivy

Group 5: Death of the Poison Ivy

All of the groups looked at me as if confused, I just stayed calm. I was the one who answered it with conviction. I heard them slightly confused.

" you got the right answer, group 5 come up here" we all clapped as we walked down to the front

"What have you got? Why did you come up with the answer?" Master Pu asked.

I went to the front

"poison ivy could be right, all of the answers could have gotten the right points, but making it the death of poison ivy is different, have you heard of the story of the Weiyou tribe written in a book of Poison Ivy?"

Everyone remained silent as I talked again,

"The last part of the book stated the sentence "Death of the Poison Ivy"

"Weiyou Tribe is the trading route, so Poison Ivy can be gathered and trade to Arghon and Ruyu and vice versa. Poison Ivy became one of the criminal punishments for crimes since the beginning of the Wang Dynasty. The Weiyou supported both empires for reproducing them."

"Poison Ivy became the relief for the empires, a poison never used for decorations but higher purposes, the poison ivy only grew in the mountain ranges of the weiyou tribe, which we got the first clue."

"However, the "coup" clue makes it validly separate from the poison ivy alone. If you would see the clues, they are all given and can be seen only in the rooms where previous emperors' portraits at, but no clues can be found on the incumbent emperor, the reason is that because the present emperor created the decision to kill all those ivies at the route"

"Since weiyou tribe is the bridge and previously..."

I swallowed as I turn around to look at Master Pu and avoid their faces

"....staged a "coup" the poison ivy that is used for punishment became extinct too, which our answer for "death of the poison ivy" came from. The reason that the clues are only given at the previous emperor is because, the Weiyou tribe is still alive then, and the poison ivy is still used for execution."

Everyone clapped.

"You gathered your thoughts as a group well" Master Pu complimented which my teammates disagreed with right away.

"No, Master" Eun Jo started "He got the answer on his own"

"But their clues made me come up with these reasons and the right answer" I reasoned out

"You are an ace for a reason" Master Pu complimented me. "For the last part, surrender your tablets in front"

"The culprit is not group 4" everyone tried guessing who is who again as master Pu asked us to keep it low.

"The real culprit is the Group ... 5"

Everyone was in shock as they all have beaten.

"You traitors!!!" Bai Ku Ji and the other teams laughed as they were all scammed by my kindness by giving them my clues.

"Since you all got the wrong answers and you chose the wrong culprit, group 5 will have the chance to go out for a day, I will arrange your desired date so you can go out and enjoy outside"