Mission II

"Young Master!!!" Zhou Xun shouted excitedly as their savior finally appeared.

"Calm down, we'll be safe. My Young Master has come to save us," Zhou Xun reassured the women.

The women's faces instantly brightened; after being kidnapped for so long, they finally had hope of being freed.

"Oh, Young Master is so cool…" Zhou Xun almost squealed, like a devoted fan seeing their idol in person.

Lang Huan felt relieved seeing that everyone was safe. She dismounted from Xiao Bai and took down the guards with a powerful punch. But her eyes locked onto a target, the Second Prince. Wu Ming and Qiu Yue joined in, fighting fiercely against the remaining guards.

Suddenly, agonized screams filled the air. "Help—Help!" The guests clutched their lower abdomens, collapsing to the floor in excruciating pain.

The Second Prince saw the chaos, panicked, and attempted to flee, but his steps faltered as pain twisted his expression. Clutching his lower abdomen, he gasped in realization. "Poison…? Who put the poison?"

Lang Huan approached with calm yet intimidating steps. She grabbed the Second Prince by the collar and flung him hard against the wall.

"Please… please don't kill me," the Second Prince pleaded, his voice trembling.

Lang Huan gazed at him coldly. Seeing the man clutching his stomach in pain, a cruel smile formed on her lips.

"Arrrghhhh!!!"

The Second Prince's scream echoed throughout the room as Lang Huan mercilessly stomped on his private part. His face turned crimson, his body trembling violently from the unbearable pain.

Qiu Yue quickly rushed forward and grabbed Lang Huan's arm. "Young Master, don't be reckless! We will take him to the Minister of Justice." Without waiting for a response, she tied up the groaning prince and gagged him to silence his cries.

Lang Huan's fingers twitched with suppressed fury. She wanted to end him right then and there, but Qiu Yue's words hit home. She couldn't act recklessly—killing a prince would bring severe consequences for the Duke of Huguo.

Just then, Commander Chang entered the room with firm, measured steps. He saluted before reporting, "General, Yulian Villa is secured. Everything is under our control."

Meanwhile, Wu Ming unlocked the iron bars, freeing the kidnapped women. Zhou Xun rushed forward, his eyes welling with tears. "Young Master, I thought we'd never meet again!"

Lang Huan gently patted his shoulder. "Help Wu Ming escort them out safely."

"Yes, Young Master!" Zhou Xun responded firmly.

Qiu Yue tightened the prince's tied before turning to Lang Huan. "Young Master, we must leave now and hand the Second Prince over to the Minister of Justice. Let Commander Chang handle the rest." As she spoke, she shot a subtle glance at Commander Chang—a silent signal.

Commander Chang gave a firm nod. "Yes, General Ye, rest assured."

Lang Huan swept her gaze across the grand hall—the guests writhing in pain, the fallen guards, the stench of blood and fear. She exhaled slowly.

Despite her hesitation, she finally nodded. "Very well. I leave everything in your hands, Commander Chang."

---

Lang Huan rode through the dark night on Xiao Bai, the ground beneath them covered in a thin layer of snow. The cold wind stung her skin, and the falling snow quickly erased the wolf's tracks. This mission had been much easier than she expected. Honestly, even without her, the case would have been solved. The Eldest Princess was smart—too smart.

After handing the Second Prince over to the Minister of Justice, Lang Huan didn't feel relieved. Instead, she felt uneasy as she returned to the Princess Mansion. The Emperor was not wise and would surely protect his son. In a low voice, she asked, "Qiu Yue, do you think he will be punished properly? I think he deserves to die."

Qiu Yue only gave a small smile, watching the falling snow as if she could see the future. "Young Master Ye, just wait and see."

Seeing how Lang Huan kept looking toward the Princess Mansion's gate, Qiu Yue finally delivered the message she had been given. "Young Master, Her Highness said you may return to the Duke's mansion tomorrow."

"What?" Lang Huan's face fell. Where is Her Highness? Why isn't she coming back? Feng Yao had promised to meet her, but now she was nowhere to be seen.

That night, Lang Huan firmly told Qiu Yue that she wouldn't leave until she saw the Eldest Princess. Qiu Yue, knowing how stubborn Lang Huan could be, sighed. There was nothing she could do to change her mind.

---

A beautiful woman sat in the main seat of the Minister of Justice's hall, her expression cold and unreadable. Two officers dragged in the weakened Second Prince, throwing him onto the floor before her without a shred of mercy. They untied the ropes and removed the gag from his mouth.

"You...!" The Second Prince glared at her with burning hatred, his voice hoarse from pain.

"My dear brother… we meet again," Feng Yao greeted him with a faint smile.

The Second Prince struggled to get up, Lin Ruochen grabbed his arms and pinned him down. He looked pitiful—his entire body trembled from unbearable pain.

"You can't kill me! Father won't let this happen!" he shouted in desperation.

 Feng Yao's expression remained calm. "Kill you? That would be too easy," she said nonchalantly. "I let you live all this time for a reason. But now... there's no point in keeping you alive any longer. The people in Great Qi deserve to see how incompetent the Emperor truly is and how his useless son has tarnished the royal family's honor."

The Second Prince gritted his teeth and struggled, but a sharp pain shot through his body, forcing a tortured scream from his lips. "Aaargh!" He writhed on the floor, blood still dripping from his lower body before he finally lost consciousness.

When he woke up, the first thing he saw was Feng Yao, still sitting in her seat, calmly reading a book.

"You're awake?" Her voice was too gentle.

"Feng Yao… Eldest Princess Zhao Yi… please don't kill me!" His voice trembled with fear. His body shook uncontrollably as he stammered, "I swear… I won't dare to do anything again!"

Feng Yao sighed softly, shaking her head as if disappointed. "You have to die," she said casually. Then, tilting her head slightly, she asked, "Do you want to know why?" Her tone was light, almost playful, but filled with mockery.

The Second Prince swallowed hard. Sweat dripping down his face. He already had a bad feeling about this.

Feng Yao clapped her hands twice. The door to the room opened, and two people stepped inside—Physician Wang and Qing Meier.

Physician Wang walked forward and slowly removed her mask, revealing her true face. The moment the Second Prince saw her, his eyes widened in sheer horror.

Beside her, Qing Meier stood still, her gaze filled with unfiltered hatred. Years of pent-up anger burned in her eyes.

The Second Prince's entire body went stiff. His face turned bright red as if he was holding something back. Then, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

His body weakened, his knees hit the cold floor, and he let out a gut-wrenching wail. He clawed at the stone tiles, slamming his fists against the ground as if trying to break it apart.

"Aaaarrgh!!" His screams echoed through the hall. He sobbed, wailed, and screamed until his voice was raw, but no one felt sympathy for him.

"Shut up!" Qing Meier snapped and kicked him repeatedly, taking revenge for everything he had done.

Feng Yao watched the scene indifferently before turning her gaze to her guard who had been disguised as Physician Wang all this time. In a calm voice, she said, "Qiu Li, tell my dear brother what you've been giving him. Let him die with a clear mind."

Qiu Li took a step forward, looking down at the Second Prince, who was shaking uncontrollably, "The ointment Your Highness has been using… was made from the poison of blood worms. Slowly, the poison will eat away at your flesh. First, it will consume your lower body, then it will spread, little by little, until your entire body rots without you even realizing it."

The Second Prince gasped, his eyes wide with terror. He tried to speak, but his lips only quivered.

Qiu Li continued in the same cold tone, "And the supplements you've been taking? They are called soul-consuming poison. When consumed, they temporarily give you great strength. " But if you stop taking them for just two weeks…" She didn't finish her sentence, but the implication was clear.

The Second Prince panted heavily, his breath came in short, panicked bursts. "No… this can't be happening…" he muttered weakly.

With trembling hands, he frantically tore open his robe and pulled down his pants.

His breath caught in his throat as he saw the horrifying truth. His lower body was rotting. The flesh was blackened, oozing with a disgusting, foul-smelling liquid.