Chapter 188 Mystery In Stone Valley Part 18

(flashback) 

After Yun finished her dinner, she sat alone at the table in her room in the small courtyard. She thought of the young man she met in the market that day. To her, although they both have feelings for each other, in her heart, no one can compare to the man she met many years ago. She smiled and thought that since her family was looking for some talented people to compete in the Phoenix Tournament, she would recruit Yul and his friends, and maybe if they agreed and win the tournament, that would be her ticket to go out and find her hero. 

Just as Yun was about to leave, the bedroom door was pushed open, and Bi and the two maids walked in. She glanced at Bi and the two maids and ignored them. She knew that every time they came here, nothing good would come of it. 

Yun didn't speak, but pointed at the door, signaling Bi and the two maids to leave. 

Bi looked at the two maids and said, "Close the door." She continued walking towards Yun. 

The two maids quickly walked to the door and closed it. 

Bi looked at Yun with disgust and said, "I've always hated the way you looked at my lady and me." She came face to face with Yun. "Every time I see your eyes, I want to pluck your eyeballs out and feed them to the dogs." 

Yun saw the two maids standing not far from the door, and Bi was so close to her. Every time Bi spoke, she could feel Bi's breath brushing her face. 

Yun looked at Bi and smiled. She whispered, "Some slaves are only slaves of the body, but you are more special because you are a slave of body and soul." 

Bi's eyes widened. This was the first time she heard Yun speak. She turned pale and looked at Yun in shock. She quickly stood up, walked to the door.  She wanted to inform Yue of her findings. When she arrived at the door, she realized that the words Yun said were not ordinary words. She suddenly realizes that if she doesn't act soon, her master may lose her place in the family. She suddenly realized that she had bought some rat poison in the morning. Although she had used some, there was still a little hidden in her waist. 

Bi looked at the maids and said, "Lady Yun wants to take a bath, please go prepare some water." 

"Yes." The two maids responded and left the room. 

Bi turned to look at Yun, rushed forward, pressed Yun to the ground, grabbed the remaining rat poison from her waist, and stuffed the paper with a small amount of rat poison into Yun's mouth. 

Yun tried to spit out the piece of paper containing rat poison, but at this time, Bi's right knee was pressed tightly against her chest, and Bi's hands covered her mouth. After struggling for a while, she swallowed the piece of paper containing rat poison. 

Bi looked at the suffering Yun, Yun's nose and mouth began to bleed. Bi said in a trembling voice, "Don't blame me for doing this. In order for you not to stand in the way of my master, you must die." 

Yun struggled and felt severe pain in her abdomen. Bi was startled by what she just did and stood up, watching Yun struggling and twisting on the ground. Afraid of being seen, Bi rushed out of Yun's room, knocked over several pots of flowers to the ground, and fled Yun's courtyards. 

(Flashback ends) 

Bi looked up at Yue with tears streaming down her face and said, "Later, in order to make my story more credible, I killed your cat and put the blame on Lady Yun.  So, when you ran over to confront lady Yuan, she was already poisoned." 

Yun frowned sadly, "No wonder she looked like she wanted to kill me as soon as I arrived. I was so angry with her that I even told her to commit suicide, not knowing that she was dying." 

Bi sobbed, "Please forgive me, my lady.  My thinking was wrong at the time. I just thought that after getting rid of Lady Yun, there would no longer obstacles in your way." 

Yue said, "Bi... you have been serving me since I was ten years old. I have always regarded you as a sister, not a maid, so your status in the Lai family is higher than others. I am really grateful for your kindness to me and loyalty, but murder is not something I can condone." She sighed. "I won't kill you, but I can't keep you anymore." 

"My lady," Bi sobbed. "Please don't chase me away. I have nowhere else to go." 

Yue said, "The land is a vase. I believe there will be a place for you to call home. Sending you away means giving you a chance to start over. If father and mother find out about this, there will only be death waiting for you.  Sparing your life this time should be regarded as a thank you for everything you have done for me before. If Yun decides to tell father and mother, my answer is that you ran away, and I don't know where you went. This will save you, and it will save me from being kicked out of the Lai family." 

Bi sobbed and said, "My lady, then all your efforts will be in vain." 

Yue said, "Reputations can be rebuilt, but once a life is lost, it can never be rebuilt. Go...as far as possible, and never return to Misnix." 

Bi knelt before Yue and kowtowed three times. "My Lady, take care of yourself." Bi stood up and ran out of the door. 

Yue watched Bi run into the darkness with tears in her eyes. "Silly girl, never come back, otherwise you will die." 

Standing outside the small stone house that was heavily guarded by twenty of Prince Da's elite guards, Bong walked up to the two guards standing at the door. 

"Your Highness why are you still not sleeping at this time?" a guard asked. 

"I'm checking to see if the prisoner is still alive," Bong said. 

The guard reached for the chain on the door and quickly unlocked for Bong. 

Bong turned to look at the two guards and said, "You don't have to follow me in. I will call you if anything happens." 

"Yes, Your Highness," The two guards said, closing the door behind Bong. 

Bong stood at the door and saw Meng sitting on the ground with his wrists chained to the wall. He walked to Meng, pulled up a chair, and sat in front of Meng. 

Meng raised his head. Although his eyes were badly swollen, he knew that the person sitting in front of him was none other than Bong. He chuckled and said, "It seems...it seems that my words have indeed attracted your attention." 

Bong said, "Tell me what secret Lord Lixin has hidden from me, and I will spare your life." 

Meng said, "I hope His Highness will take me out of here first, and then I will tell you." 

Bong said, "You are not qualified to negotiate with me. I am a man of my word, and it would be too bad if you choose not to believe me." He waited for a while, but Meng did not respond. "If you don't want to tell me, forget it. I'll find out myself." He stood up. "If you decide to tell me, we have about four hours until the sun comes up." He turned and started walking toward the door. 

Afraid that this might be his last chance to escape. So, he decided to take a gamble. He would withhold some information until he escaped safely, and then he would tell Bong. 

"Wait..." Meng said. 

Bong turned around and said, "So, have you decided to tell me now?" 

Meng said, "I will tell you half, and after we escape safely, I will tell you the other half of Lord Lixin's secret." 

Bong said, "Now you have my full attention." 

"In order to prove to you that what I'm saying is true, you have to let go of both my wrists," Meng said. 

Bong stood by the closed door and said, "Give me the key. I want to break his arm." 

"But Your Highness, he has been seriously injured," one guard said. 

Another guard grabbed the key from the guard's waist and said, "Are you willing to be His Highness's punching bag?" He opened the door and handed the key to Bong. "Here's the key." Then he quickly closed the door behind him. 

Bong walked up to Meng and untied the shackles that fixed his wrists to the wall. Bong looked at Meng and said, "The shackles on your ankles stay. " 

Meng said, "I understand." 

Bong said, "Now, tell me what secret Lixin is hiding from me." 

Bong watched Meng fall to the ground, shaking his head from side to side. Then as Meng shook his head gently, Meng's slowly changed.  Bong first saw two white antlers appear on Meng's head, and then Meng's face began to change. Bong was startled by Meng's transformation. He jumped up and back away a few feet away from Meng. 

When Meng's transformation was completed, the person standing in front of Bong was no longer a young man, but a white deer looking directly at Bong with red eyes. 

"You..." Bong's lips trembled. "You are not human." 

Meng nodded and said, "Yes, I am indeed not a human being." Meng suddenly turned himself into Bong.  "As Your Highness sees it." He turned himself into Hajime.  "I can turn myself into anyone." He quickly transformed himself into Lixin, then Tuya, then Onon, and then back to a white deer. "As long as I've seen them." 

Bong stared at Meng in the deer form, having difficulty clarifying his thoughts. "Return to human form," Bong said. Meng quickly returned to his human form. "What...what." Bong heard his trembling voice. "What does your secret have to do with Lixin's secret?" 

Meng said, "My true identity is the beginning of Lord Lixin's secret."