Chapter 12: A Countermove

The "Divine Fortune Teller never imagined that the slow-acting poison pill he had painstakingly acquired would now be quietly lying right in front of him. A palace maid was holding the red box that cradled the golden pill, presenting it to him. All the eyes in the grand hall were fixed on that pill, which he was about to swallow.

To others, this might seem like a rare honor, but… for those in the know, this was nothing short of testing poison on himself!

Seeing the strange expression on the "Divine Fortune Teller's face, Song Yue lazily propped her chin on her hand, popped a grape into her mouth, and casually glanced down:

"Is no one taking my decree seriously? Or do you all think that in your eyes, I am the kind of person who blindly seizes what others hold dear?"

"We wouldn't dare…" The "Divine Fortune Teller lowered his head, picked up the golden pill, but his fingers trembled, and he hesitated to bring the pill to his mouth, his face filled with uncertainty.

If he swallowed it… the poison had no antidote. But if he didn't, he'd be defying a royal decree. Such a crime wouldn't just cost him his own head.

He had originally thought Ji Wuchao would be easy to deal with… but he hadn't expected that the more empty-headed someone seemed, the more unpredictable their actions would be. The young emperor was still impulsive, changing his mind on a whim. This was probably Li Deshun whispering in his ear again, urging him to curb his forceful ways to avoid giving people more to gossip about.

Ji Wuchao, that indecisive fool...

The "Divine Fortune Teller gritted his teeth but still didn't dare put the pill in his mouth. His eyes darted around, and suddenly, he cupped the pill in both hands and walked up to Song Yue, bowing slightly. Though his face looked a bit pale, his striking Daoist robe still lent him the air of a reclusive master:

"Your Majesty, this is a rare treasure refined over forty-nine days and nights. To consume it so casually would be a waste. Perhaps..."

If this was just Li Deshun urging Ji Wuchao to put on a show... there was a good chance Ji Wuchao was actually coveting the pill himself, but lacked a proper excuse to claim it in front of the court. Maybe, if he hinted at it, Ji Wuchao might be tempted.

"So much nonsense. Do you dare reject something I have bestowed upon you?" Song Yue's lips curled into a slight sneer as he straightened his face. "Even concubine Li just told me how renowned you are among the people, claiming you're a "Divine Fortune Teller. I also find you worthy. Yet you think you're not fit for this divine pill? Not even your grandmaster could compare."

"Your Majesty is too kind…" The "Divine Fortune Teller was left speechless by his words. He clenched his teeth, grabbed the pill, shut his eyes, and shoved it into his mouth.

After all, his mission wasn't just to poison Ji Wuchao; he also needed to infiltrate the Yan Kingdom's palace and ideally gain Ji Wuchao's trust. So, swallowing this pill was unavoidable. Otherwise, any suspicion could ruin everything.

Song Yue watched his expression, as if he were a warrior heading to certain death, and bit into another grape with relish.

Heh, Xuan Sibei.

When she returned, she'd definitely have to deal with that disobedient boy properly.

The "Divine Fortune Teller's face turned nearly green as he forced the pill down. Song Yue, ever so considerate, even had Xiao Bi bring him water, fearing he might choke to death right there in the hall. After gulping down several large mouthfuls of water, the "Divine Fortune Teller finally accepted his reality. His face regained some color, and he slipped back into his usual conman demeanor, straightening his back and rebuilding his confidence, looking fearlessly at Ji Wuchao.

"Thank you for Your Majesty's grace. Then, this humble one shall take his leave…" The Divine Strategist bowed deeply again, while inwardly calculating. Ji Wuchao was so obsessed with alchemy yet had never managed to produce a golden pill. Now that he'd seen the golden pill presented to him, he would surely regard the "Divine Fortune Teller's skills with newfound respect.

His request to leave was just for show; his real intention was to stay by the emperor's side. Surely, the emperor was already intrigued by him—or at least by his grandmaster's alchemical skills. Otherwise, Ji Wuchao wouldn't keep glancing his way. He might seem indifferent on the surface, but deep down, he must be eager to keep him around as an alchemy instructor.

As the Divine Fortune Teller was busy imagining how Ji Wuchao would beg him to stay, Song Yue was frowning, lost in thoughts about Xuan Sibei. When she noticed this conman lingering before her for far too long, she found it a bit strange.

"Oh, then you may leave," she said casually.

"Eh…?!" The Divine Fortune Teller seemed to experience a brief moment of distraction. His expression froze, and his mouth fell open in surprise.

Ji Wuchao's reaction was far beyond his expectations!

No… this isn't how things were supposed to go…

He quickly calmed himself and began analyzing the meaning behind Ji Wuchao's words.

Maybe Li Deshun had been nagging Ji Wuchao too much lately, and Ji Wuchao really had toned down his usual temper. Or… perhaps Ji Wuchao was just too dim-witted to find a reason to ask him to stay? Had his attempt to take his leave seemed too abrupt, showing no sign of wanting to stay, thus disappointing Ji Wuchao?

Song Yue looked at the Divine Fortune Teller with utter confusion. This man had been standing there silently for quite a while, looking as if he wanted to say something but was holding back. She grew impatient and finally asked directly,

"Why haven't you left yet? Does the Divine Fortune Teller have something to say to me?"

"…." The Divine Fortune Teller's breathing faltered for a brief moment.

Now he realized—Ji Wuchao never intended to keep him at all… Turns out, he had been overconfident, thinking that a mere golden pill would be enough to tempt Ji Wuchao.

Both of his missions… had failed!

No… he couldn't return to Jiulong Bay and report back to his master like this. That would mean death… He still had a chance!

Yes!

Of these two missions, he had to succeed in at least one before returning. Since he'd already swallowed the golden pill, his only option left was to stay by Ji Wuchao's side…

Wasn't Ji Wuchao highly trusting of that Wu Daxian?

"Indeed, this humble one still has one unfulfilled wish…" He suddenly raised his head, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes as he quickly came up with another plan.

"I've heard there's a great Daoist, Wu Daxian, within the palace, renowned for his superior skills. This humble one dares to request a friendly duel in magic arts with him, to make this trip worthwhile."

Once he defeated Wu Daxian and showcased his own "immortal arts," Ji Wuchao would surely refuse to let him leave the palace. And considering Wu Daxian's privileges… it would be far better than wandering the jianghu. Definitely worth it.

"Oh, granted," Song Yue replied, showing little interest in the matter. She waved her hand, pretending not to care. "Then set up an altar and compete in summoning rain. Yan Kingdom has been suffering from a severe drought lately. Whoever succeeds will be seen as a benefactor to the people, and I shall reward them handsomely!"

The Temporal Management Bureau had people skilled in exactly this kind of deception—sent on missions in ancient times, wearing Daoist robes, carrying a bagua flag, and sporting a fake beard. They'd act like they possessed divine foresight, spouting nonsense convincingly, and had even passed these tricks down to her. She knew these little schemes all too well.

As for weather—well, that was just a matter of probability. With ancient technology, there was no way to induce artificial rain. Not to mention, she had lived through this timeline before and already knew that not a single drop of rain would fall in the coming days.

When the Divine Fortune Teller heard that the emperor had specified the competition's content, his face turned pale. But at this point, it wasn't the right time to object—he had no choice but to accept.

Fine, he'd gamble on it.

After receiving the order, the Divine Fortune Teller hurried off to prepare. Perhaps he truly felt luck wasn't on his side this time, as he left swiftly, his face filled with despair.

Song Yue maintained an innocent expression and even "kindly" arranged for him to stay in a remote courtyard within the palace. She also assigned plenty of people to follow him around, under the pretense that a master needed peace and quiet, offering him the treatment befitting a great talent. In reality, it was to prevent him from snooping around the palace during the two days leading up to the competition.

After handling the matter, the smile on Song Yue's face faded as she thought of her disappointing godson. Striding towards her chambers, she penned a letter, had a rabbit caught, and summoned her most loyal servant, Li Deshun, ordering him to find a way to send them out of the palace overnight.

Li Deshun was startled when he heard she wanted to send such odd items to Jiulong Bay, but he dared not ask further. Being older and well-connected both inside and outside the palace, secretly delivering a letter without anyone noticing was not a difficult task for him.

The young emperor had made friends outside the palace?

Li Deshun couldn't help but feel a sense of "the child has grown and can't be kept at home." Ever since the conquest of Chu, the emperor's thoughts had become increasingly difficult to decipher...

...

In the depths of the night, in a secluded part of Jiulong Bay's western edge, a small courtyard sat silently. In front of its tightly closed door, someone quietly placed a basket.

All was silent, the deepest part of the night when people were fast asleep, and no one noticed this action.

However, not long after, there was a slight movement from the basket, a faint rustling sound that caused Xuan Sibei, half-asleep, to slowly open his eyes.

The noise came from just outside the courtyard, near the door. Normally, no one would come at this hour. Even a thief would likely scale the wall rather than approach the front gate.

It was probably just the faint noises of mice. Given the location of this house, it wasn't uncommon to hear rodents gnawing at things during the night.

He sighed softly.

He clearly didn't need to settle here, yet for some reason, he remained. Whenever he had spare time after handling official matters, he would find himself unconsciously drifting towards the door, hoping the footsteps at the alley's entrance belonged to her.

Only now did he realize that woman perhaps wasn't as insignificant to him as he had thought. Day after day, staring at the empty courtyard deepened his feelings for her.

Just then, there was another faint rustling outside the gate, soft enough that even Xiao Cui heard it. Rubbing her eyes, she slowly walked out of her room and opened the courtyard door.

"Huh?" Xiao Cui's surprised voice rang out.

Xuan Sibei closed his eyes briefly, trying to suppress his unrealistic thoughts. Then, he got out of bed, pushed open the door, and silently stood behind Xiao Cui.

Xiao Cui had just lifted the rabbit from the basket. When she turned around and saw Xuan Sibei standing silently before her, dressed in a snow-white inner robe, she was startled.

The young man was strikingly handsome, but when their master wasn't around, he always seemed cold and distant. Sometimes, when their eyes met unexpectedly, she'd feel a strange jolt, a chill down her spine. She didn't dare speak unless he did first.

"Why is there a rabbit?" Xuan Sibei had a natural aversion to such cute animals and frowned.

"I don't know either. I heard a noise just now, and when I opened the courtyard door, the basket was sitting there. Inside, besides this white rabbit, there's also a letter." Xiao Cui handed him the neatly folded envelope, stepping back timidly while holding the rabbit, as if afraid he might order it slaughtered at any moment.

Xuan Sibei took the letter indifferently, casting a casual glance at it, but when he saw the words "For Sibei's Eyes Only" written on the front, his heart skipped a beat.

It was from Song Yue?!