Chapter 19: Is She the Traitor?

In the corridor of the Hall of Tranquility, Ren Ye bent down, running his fingers along the gap of a chamber door. Suddenly, his body stiffened.

His fingers slid across with no resistance.

The hair he had tied in advance was broken. Someone had entered this room recently.

Tonight, he had prepared in two places—the sleeping quarters and the Hall of Tranquility. Not because he could predict every detail, but because he had pushed his capabilities to the limit.

With only one life to live, one must be extra cautious.

Taking three steps back, Ren Ye gathered his strength and kicked the door open.

A loud crash echoed as dust shook loose from the frame. The chamber was pitch black, utterly silent.

“I know you’re in there. Come out.” Ren Ye stood in the shadows of the corridor, his presence making the surrounding lanterns flicker erratically, casting an eerie blue glow.

After a brief pause, a creaking sound broke the silence. Liu Ling’er’s figure emerged from the darkness. “I’m really curious—how did you realize that Second Fool had been bewitched?”

“The bloodstains. The ones in Spring Fragrance Garden didn’t add up.” Ren Ye fixed his gaze on her without moving an inch. “You staged the scene, but it was too rushed. The blood spray from the eunuchs was consistent with a struggle, but the blood from the hidden weapon that struck Second Fool was unnaturally concentrated. If it was a fight, the blood wouldn’t be that neat. Moreover, he left the area in the afternoon…”

Liu Ling’er’s heart sank in shock as she stepped forward. “Then how did you know I wasn’t trying to kill you but was targeting the Hall of Tranquility instead? And you even set a trap here in advance?!”

Ren Ye calculated the distance between them, his thoughts steady. “Until Second Fool left the Palace of Joy, I had no idea what you were planning. But since you deviated from the script, I just followed along. I’m a waste; the only places I could act were the sleeping quarters and the Hall of Tranquility.”

With just two sentences, all of Liu Ling’er’s doubts were dispelled.

“What exactly were you in real life?” Liu Ling’er felt stifled. She had thought her actions were flawless. Twice in this game, she had seized the initiative, yet in the end, she still couldn’t outmaneuver this waste Prince Huai.

“I’m not your father. I have no obligation to answer all your questions,” Ren Ye replied coldly. “Do you want to live? If so, I have a few questions of my own.”

Liu Ling’er appeared contemplative as she stepped forward. “What do you want to ask?”

“Have you found your teammates? Who are they?” Ren Ye’s gaze seemed vacant.

Liu Ling’er lowered her head in silence.

“If you don’t speak, you’re of no value to me.”

“…I’ve indeed found my teammates.” Liu Ling’er took another step forward, now less than ten steps away from Ren Ye. “Fine, I want to live. My teammates are two individuals, and their identity tags are—”

A sharp whistle interrupted her words as a glint of vicious intent flickered in Liu Ling’er’s eyes. She flung a dark purple spike forward, the weapon cutting through the air with a piercing sound, heading straight for Ren Ye’s forehead.

The spike, known as the Soul-Piercing Nail, was Liu Ling’er’s final life-saving item. It could shatter a person’s soul without leaving external wounds.

As the spike hurtled toward him, Ren Ye shut his eyes and softly intoned, “Within a hundred paces, vengeful spirits block death.”

A sudden, chilling apparition materialized out of thin air.

The ghost was dressed as a maidservant, her face deathly pale yet painted with an eerie blush on her cheeks. Around her neck was a faint strangulation mark.

The ghost stuck out her long red tongue and glared at Liu Ling’er with venomous eyes before lunging forward.

The Soul-Piercing Nail flew rapidly, embedding itself in the ghost’s forehead in an instant.

A bloodcurdling scream tore through the air as the vengeful spirit dissipated on the spot.

The nail clattered to the floor, its glow fading instantly.

Standing inside the room, Liu Ling’er’s face froze, her eyes filling with despair.

“I’m cautious. Hard to kill.” Ren Ye shook his head slowly, his body radiating an intense aura of death as he stepped into the chamber. “It seems you weren’t planning to live, after all.”

In the hidden chamber, the activated Imperial Brush had the ability to replicate extraordinary mystical techniques. Thus, prior to tonight’s decisive confrontation, Ren Ye had visited the Princess Consort’s sleeping quarters. By offering her two hours’ worth of Heavenly Pardon Qi, he secured an opportunity to “steal” her skills.

This was his trump card. However, this ability came with significant side effects and numerous limitations. He had yet to fully unleash his strongest power, but time was running out…

Liu Ling’er’s composure completely shattered. Her face pale, she clenched her fists and shouted, “This isn’t fair! Why is your special ability…?!”

“I’m in the open; you’re in the shadows. How is that unfair? It’s just that I’m a little smarter than you,” Ren Ye said with a smirk, raising the Nation-Stabilizing Sword. “Since you don’t want to talk, I won’t bother asking.”

“Boom!”

Just as Ren Ye swung his sword toward Liu Ling’er, a loud explosion erupted outside the hall.

Outside the Hall

The sky brightened with the first light of dawn, the eastern horizon aglow with radiant colors.

“Bang!”

Second Fool’s body smashed into the top of the hall, shattering the plaque and breaking through wooden beams before crashing to the ground like a lifeless corpse.

This was the result of taking Old Daoist Xu’s second palm strike head-on. His chest was caved in, blood gushing from his mouth and nose.

Splinters of wood rained down on Second Fool’s body. His ears were deafened, his vision filled with crimson, and his body convulsed uncontrollably. Yet, he no longer had the strength to rise.

Even so, his right hand groped along the cold ground, seemingly trying to grasp the famous blade, Inviting Moon, once more.

The surrounding eunuchs looked on with sympathetic expressions, but none dared to approach, let alone help him up or intervene against Old Daoist Xu and his followers.

The world was cold. Some people were born as pawns. To feel sympathy was already the greatest kindness they could offer.

Old Daoist Xu cast a vacant glance at Second Fool before stepping onto the platform and heading straight into the hall.

The battle at the Hall of Tranquility tonight was not due to Second Fool’s lack of skill but because Old Daoist Xu’s methods were far too sinister. Though an advisor to Emperor Jing, he practiced the corpse-rearing techniques of the southern borderlands, methods both ruthless and malevolent. The entity that Second Fool had fought earlier wasn’t even Old Daoist Xu himself—it was the Strength Corpse he had cultivated.

The original owner of this Strength Corpse was a renowned general in the southern borderlands, known for his exceptional martial prowess and unparalleled strength. After being captured and refined by Old Daoist Xu, the corpse was altered in appearance and fed daily with the blood of robust men and special elixirs to achieve its current formidable state.

The Strength Corpse specialized in overwhelming force, its body like forged steel, akin to a divine weapon. In close combat, it possessed the strength of an unstoppable army, a natural counter to Second Fool’s lightning-fast blade techniques.

Behind Old Daoist Xu, a group of officials and soldiers followed closely, prepared to storm the hall.

Commander Wu Asi of the Secret Intelligence Division cast a cold glance at the prostrate Second Fool, then sneered and mocked, “Do you understand Zhong Kuishan’s words now? Tonight, even your master might not survive this ordeal. And you, a mere watchdog, dared to stand in the way? Hmm?!”

He drew his waist blade and jabbed its tip into Second Fool’s shoulder. “I’m speaking to you. Why don’t you respond? Raise your head and tell me, who’s the spineless dog now?”

Blood dripped from his shoulder. Exhausted and drained, Second Fool couldn’t even lift his head. In a weak voice, he retorted, “If I’m a mere… watchdog, then in the eyes of your dog emperor, you lot aren’t even that… Just disposable chamber pots…”

“Oh?!” Wu Asi sneered viciously, raising his steel blade slowly toward Second Fool’s neck. “May you have that same sharp tongue when you meet the King of Hell…”

“Bang!”

The hall doors, once tightly shut, suddenly flung open.  

Old Daoist Xu and the officials turned toward the sound and saw Ren Ye standing ominously within the hall. Behind him were several palace maids and eunuchs, dragging along an unconscious Liu Ling’er.  

“Who here claims to protect the imperial court?” Ren Ye held the Nation-Stabilizing Sword, standing at the threshold as he gestured toward the comatose Liu Ling’er. “And who is the traitor? Is it her?!”  

His voice rang out from within the hall. The officials exchanged startled glances, but their eyes betrayed no fear as they turned toward Ren Ye.  

However, the Strength Corpse at the forefront, controlled by Old Daoist Xu, reacted differently. Its pupils contracted sharply, sensing the ominous and eerie aura emanating from Ren Ye—an aura that made it deeply uncomfortable.  

“I’m asking you—” Ren Ye stepped back, his right hand grabbing Liu Ling’er’s hair roughly and shaking her head violently. “Is she the traitor or not, huh?!”  

A tense silence fell. All the soldiers and officials outside the hall turned to Old Daoist Xu.  

“You… you’ve mastered the arts of Yin and Yang,” Old Daoist Xu said, his expression dull and his voice devoid of emotion.  

Inside the hall, Liu Ling’er’s head had been battered, her face bruised and discolored. Supported by the freed Lian’er and others, her body was limp and utterly incapable of resisting.  

Ren Ye ignored Old Daoist Xu’s remark. Instead, he stepped out of the hall, turning to look at Second Fool, who lay beneath the shattered plaque.  

Blood streamed from Second Fool’s mouth and nose, his disheveled hair sticking to his sweat-drenched face. He lay motionless on the ground, unable to lift even his head.  

“Your Highness… I killed a commandant—I don’t even know what rank he was—and a few soldiers,” Second Fool muttered weakly, struggling to speak after hearing Ren Ye’s voice. “I did it. It has nothing to do with you… Heh, I’m just a nobody… willing to go to the capital for trial. At least then I’d get to see that damned emperor’s face…”  

Ren Ye stood frozen, silently watching him without a word.  

The cold wind brushed against his face, bringing memories of the past few years flooding back. Memories from both sides of the Star Gate began flashing through his mind like a slideshow, slowly merging together.  

I am Ren Ye. Before entering the Star Gate, I had already served over three years in prison.  

To the guards, the other inmates, even my family, I might have seemed like a carefree person, maybe even a little cynical, always joking around.  

But deep down, I’d been lost, anxious.  

I didn’t know what I’d do or what I could do once I got out. My golden years had been wasted behind bars. Sometimes, I regretted it, but other times, I thought those seven bullets were meant to pierce the heads of those two suspects.  

I was resentful. I felt I’d done the right thing and didn’t deserve the punishment I got. I even harbored unjustified hatred toward my former workplace. But… my workplace had done everything they could for me. They’d never wronged me.  

The greatest pain in life is when no one is at fault, yet you’re the one who suffers the worst outcome.  

I’d been suppressing this anger, this frustration.  

I am Zhu Zigui. I am worthless.  

Ever since my father’s death, I’ve been nothing but a caged bird. For over three years, I’ve lived in constant fear, uncertain when my emperor uncle’s blade would fall on my neck.  

I have no power to resist, no idea how to change my fate. Aside from indulging in women and making myself appear even more useless, what else could I do?  

Wang Jingzhong smashed his head against the steps of the Hall of Sincerity. And now, even Second Fool lies here…  

Inside the hall, those willing to follow me, to help me, must be trembling with fear right now.  

They’re afraid to die. I understand that.  

But I feel so stifled, and even more so, I am furious!  

…

Outside the Hall of Tranquility, Ren Ye stood there like a statue, the memories in his mind fusing, the long-suppressed tide of negative emotions surging forth, crashing against his mind like waves.  

He looked down at the fallen Second Fool, and in that moment, it was as if he were staring at Li Xiaoyang, who had died abroad.  

This time, he had to save this person who was willing to die for him, whether they were human or a gate spirit with lingering obsessions…  

“Shing!”  

Ren Ye turned his head toward Old Daoist Xu and asked calmly, “Was it you who injured Second Fool?”  

Old Daoist Xu’s puppet body, though a lifeless corpse, radiated powerful pure Yang energy, like a refined weapon. “A caged bird, don’t think that knowing a bit of Yin-Yang arts will—”  

“Was it you?!” Ren Ye interrupted sharply.  

“What if it was?” Old Daoist Xu retorted coldly. “There are far too many blades aiming to kill you. How many can you evade? Hand over Liu Ling’er, and I, a humble Daoist, will let you live out the rest of your days as the profligate, useless prince you are.”  

“So it was you.” Ren Ye closed his eyes and murmured softly, “I just learned a soul-calling technique today. Let’s see if it can kill you…”  

At that moment, the fear, anxiety, and restlessness that had built up over his three days of training disappeared entirely. His face became as calm as a still lake, and his heart, as tranquil as silent waters…  

In life, there is no retreat.  

When faced with desperation, fight with your life and never question the outcome!  

Closing his eyes, the people before him vanished. His ears heard only the howling wind.  

The grand Hall of Tranquility felt as though he was the only one left in it.  

Ren Ye stretched out his arms, no longer sparing Old Daoist Xu a glance, and began to chant softly:  

“Within a hundred zhang, all wandering souls and wild ghosts, heed my command!  

From the Netherworld of Heaven and Earth, obey my will!”  

As the Daoist incantation echoed, the sky darkened with thick clouds. All the palace lanterns in Prince Huai’s residence extinguished simultaneously.  

“Woooo…”  

A sinister wind howled, and everyone heard eerie ghostly murmurs around them.  

“Boom!”  

A blurry apparition of a female Daoist soared into the sky, standing over ten zhang tall. She sat cross-legged atop the Hall of Tranquility like a divine being descending into the world, her eyes fixed upon the darkened sky.  

This sight left all the officials and soldiers in utter shock.  

The Prefect of Qinglian, Chief Historian Li Yan, and even Wu Asi from the Secret Intelligence Division all stumbled backward in terror, hastily fleeing from the elevated platform.  

Old Daoist Xu’s pupils constricted, and his mind reeled in shock. The sinister wind caused wrinkles to ripple across his face as he stared at Ren Ye in disbelief. “That woman… taught you soul-gathering techniques?!”  

In close combat, his puppet body possessed unparalleled strength, but it feared Yin energy and was vulnerable to soul-based arts…  

“Shing!”  

Without hesitation, Old Daoist Xu leaped into the air, decisively choosing to flee.  

Ren Ye abruptly opened his eyes, bringing his palms together in prayer.  

“I, your disciple, am willing to sacrifice my Yang lifespan—  

Please open the gates of Hell(Fengdu)!” [Fengdu actually means Ghost City which can be associated with the underworld or hell. But I’ll just use Hell since it sounds cooler.]  

“Woooo…”  

The winds howled violently. Beyond the high walls surrounding them, within a hundred zhang radius, countless wandering souls and wild ghosts began to gather. Men, women, the elderly, children—all were present.  

“Whoosh! Whoosh!”  

As dawn broke, the legions of ghosts surged like fish crossing a river, uncountable in number. In mere moments, they blocked Old Daoist Xu’s retreat in midair, forming a massive canopy of shadowy spirits that descended upon him.  

“Aaaah!”  

Screams of agony echoed as Old Daoist Xu’s puppet body was overwhelmed, entangled by countless vengeful spirits. His cries of pain were excruciating.  

“Whoosh! Whoosh!”  

He crashed heavily to the ground, shattering a slab of bluestone. His body rolled and struggled, but the relentless ghosts drained his blood essence without mercy.  

In just a few moments, his puppet body withered rapidly, reduced to a paper-thin husk lying lifeless on the ground, his bones utterly crushed…  

The Hall of Tranquility fell into an eerie silence. The ghosts roamed, collectively raising their heads to stare at the officials.  

Standing tall atop the hall, Ren Ye faced the gathered officials and bellowed:  

“Who will tell me where the blade meant to kill me lies now?!”