Chapter 11: A Single Move, Instant Victory!

Sheng Nanxi’s space ability had limited energy, allowing her to teleport only about a hundred meters at a time.

Fortunately, Vermilion Bird Street was lined with aristocratic mansions, one after another. She barely needed any effort—she’d finish looting one estate, teleport a few times, and arrive at the next.

As the little girl and her system happily plundered the officials’ residences, a very different scene unfolded in a modest hut in the outer courtyard of Prince Qin’s estate.

“Ah—Brother… be gentle. You’re touching my wound…”

“You deserve it! Who told you to have sticky fingers and steal the county princess’s jade bracelet? You should be grateful that our county princess is kind—she stopped the beating after just a few strikes.”

“I get it, I won’t do it again, Brother… Ow, ow—be gentle…”

“Hmph, funny how you didn’t cry out in pain when you were being punished, but now you’re whining?”

“There were… too many people outside. It was embarrassing…”

“Ah—ow, ow… it hurts! Go easy on me!”

“Shut up! It’s just medicine, and you’re making such a fuss!”

The dim candlelight flickered inside the crude little room. As they spoke, the two young men kept an ear out for any noises outside.

Only when they confirmed that the surrounding people had gone to sleep did they quiet down.

The boy who had been lying on the bed, groaning in pain—‘Laifu’—slowly reached behind himself and peeled off a layer of fake skin.

Revealing a backside as smooth and delicate as white jade… and even somewhat perky.

He then sat up comfortably, picked up a teacup from the table, and took a slow sip.

Though still young, his mannerisms already hinted at an air of regality.

Even though he was dressed in the grimy servant’s uniform, anyone who saw him could no longer treat him with the slightest contempt.

“How is the Emperor’s condition?”

The boy’s voice, slightly husky from adolescence, was calm and steady.

“Your Highness, word has come from the Northern Star Kingdom. His Majesty’s condition has stabilized after taking the medicine prescribed by the Grand Diviner. However… the Grand Diviner said the poison has seeped into his bone marrow. The medicine can only keep his condition in check—if he wants a full recovery, we must find those rare herbs.”

At the mention of serious matters, the young man who had been tending to Guyuan Cheng’s wounds became entirely focused, his previous casual attitude disappearing. He stood respectfully to the side.

“The herbs the Grand Diviner mentioned are indeed precious, but given our reach across various nations, acquiring them shouldn’t be difficult. However… as for the legendary Phoenix Tail Ganoderma… Your subordinate has been unable to find any leads.”

“Phoenix Tail Ganoderma…”

Guyuan Cheng removed the disguise from his face, revealing exquisite, delicate features, like a painting come to life. His amber eyes shimmered with a faint golden glow under the candlelight, resembling the rippling surface of a lake at sunset.

“It is said that while Phoenix Tail Ganoderma cannot be directly consumed, if refined with the unique secret techniques of the Heavenly Pivot Sect, it can grant miraculous healing—even a person on the verge of death, poisoned beyond hope, could cling to life for decades longer.”

“But the herb has incredibly strict environmental requirements for growth and is extremely rare. In recent years, some even claim it has gone extinct…”

Guyuan Cheng paused, a trace of melancholy far beyond his years flashing through his eyes.

“What most people don’t know is that years ago, the fallen King of the Chen Kingdom had a cherished Phoenix Tail Ganoderma in his private collection. However, at that time, the Emperor of Southern Qi had already lost himself to alchemy, neglecting state affairs for years.”

“When he heard that Prince Qin had completely eradicated the Chen Kingdom after multiple provocations, he merely waved his hand dismissively and ordered that all the treasures in the Chen King’s private vault—over a dozen chests of rare valuables—be gifted to his most distinguished war hero, Prince Qin, Sheng Jinghai.”

Xuan Feng’s head was spinning with confusion, his round eyes filled with questions.

“So… this is the real reason why you’re lowering yourself to disguise as a servant in Prince Qin’s estate? I thought you were just hiding here to avoid that old witch from Beichen.”

“But if you’re not just avoiding the old witch—then why, knowing full well that someone stole the county princess’s jade pendant, didn’t you have it secretly returned? Why wait to be reported and get punished with a dozen strikes?”

Even though His Highness padded himself with fake skin and those strikes didn’t actually hurt, being stripped in public for the beating… That was still humiliating.

If the nobles of Beichen ever found out that the ever-righteous, untouchable Seventh Prince had willingly let himself be bent over a bench and spanked, they might just start questioning reality!

Guyuan Cheng’s small face flashed with a hint of satisfaction—only now did he truly look like a youth his age.

“Staying here isn’t just about finding the Phoenix Tail Ganoderma, it’s also about keeping the old witch off my trail. After today, not only will her people stop looking for me, but even Prince Qin’s household will lower their guard around me.”

“After all, the rumors say that the Seventh Prince of Beichen is a genius who could outdebate veteran scholars at seven years old. No one would ever associate him with some foolish servant who got framed, didn’t even try to defend himself, and just took a dozen hits like an idiot.”

Guyuan Cheng spoke casually, as if the “old witch” he referred to was just some ordinary old woman—rather than the high and mighty Empress Dowager of Beichen.

Then, as if remembering something, he furrowed his brows and asked,

“What’s the situation in Beichen’s court lately?”

At this, Xuan Feng instantly perked up, his narrow phoenix eyes gleaming.

“Master, you really do see everything coming! Ever since His Majesty fell ill and the Empress Dowager took over state affairs, she’s been finding all sorts of excuses to suppress officials from opposing factions.”

“Following your instructions, we purposely exposed several officials who seemed loyal to you but had secretly pledged allegiance to other princes. And just as expected, not long after, every single one of them was taken down for different so-called crimes.”

“Heh… If the Empress Dowager ever realizes that all this time she was actually helping us clean house, I wonder how many more wrinkles she’d grow on that old face of hers.”

Guyuan Cheng listened intently, his slightly chubby fingers tapping rhythmically against the wooden table—a light, crisp sound that mirrored his rather pleased mood.

But despite his satisfaction, his expression remained far too solemn for a ten-year-old boy.

“Good. Keep a close watch on Beichen’s court. Our people should stay quiet for now—whatever the old witch wants them to do, just let them do it.”

“When all the factions have exhausted themselves fighting each other…”

“We’ll return to clean up the mess.”

The flickering candlelight cast deep shadows in his amber eyes, making them look like bottomless abysses. A fleeting but chilling killing intent swept across the young boy’s delicate face.

Like a panther cub lurking in the depths of the jungle—still too young to strike down its prey, but patient enough to wait for the perfect moment.

And when he finally strikes—

It will be a single move. Instant victory.

For a moment, the humble little room fell into absolute silence.

But just then—

Footsteps approached from outside the courtyard.

Guyuan Cheng and Xuan Feng’s expressions instantly turned sharp.

Without hesitation, they shut the windows and lay back on the bed!