Chapter 47- Bath

Yu Zhengzheng’s arm was sore from being grasped, and she wasn’t happy. She shook off his hand angrily. “You always appear when someone needs to relieve themselves. Do you have a voyeuristic fetish?”

The Seventh Prince of the South Sea’s face darkened. How could he be blamed for that?

To escape from his mother’s pursuit, he had been fleeing through the Six Realms. While fleeing, he kept an eye on Yu Zhengzheng, pinning his last hope for revenge on her.

Who would have thought she would disappear like this? Even the Ghost King, who had been with her, mysteriously vanished without a trace.

He had quietly stayed at Guixu Mountain for three years. From a lowly janitor in the Ghost Sect, he had worked his way up to become the Shura King’s right-hand man, but they still hadn’t returned.

He had poisoned Yu Zhengzheng, and the effects would manifest after a hundred days. He thought that since she hadn’t returned, she must be dead, so he continued to thrive in the Ghost Sect.

Perhaps with a bit more effort, he could even kill the Shura King and take control of the Ghost Sect.

Then, a few days ago, he received a letter telling him that Yu Zhengzheng and the Ghost King would appear at Qingcheng Mountain soon. He thought it was a prank, but hurriedly made his way to Qingcheng Mountain anyway.

His father had some connections with Xiao Bichi, so under the guise of visiting Xiao Bichi, he openly stayed at Qingcheng Mountain.

After waiting for several days, just when he was about to give up, he saw the glowing, radiant Yu Zhengzheng at a banquet Xiao Bichi hosted for the Heavenly Emperor.

Xiao Bichi had not invited him to the banquet, but he had already made preparations. He had bribed the maid who cleaned Xianming Hall, and thanks to her informing him, he learned about the closeness between the Ghost King and Yu Zhengzheng.

They even kissed while eating grapes. If there had been no one else in Xianming Hall, who knows what embarrassing things they would have done.

The Seventh Prince’s face was grim. “Now I understand how you survived for four years. You were locked in an illusion.”

Yu Zhengzheng’s face darkened. After all, she had just been in a rush and had encountered a perverted man who had once poisoned her. He was now throwing sarcastic remarks at her; she had every right to kick him into the latrine.

She controlled her restless legs and responded expressionlessly, “How did you know I was here?”

She had just exited the illusion. Even if the Seventh Prince had a nose like a dog’s, there was no way he could have tracked her down within half an hour based on a chain on her ankle.

Without thinking, the Seventh Prince tossed a letter at her. “Someone sent me a letter saying you would come to Qingcheng Mountain.”

Yu Zhengzheng was stunned for a moment, then opened the envelope and quickly glanced at the contents.

The letter contained only two short lines. As the Seventh Prince had said, it stated that the Ghost King would arrive at Qingcheng Mountain within half a month.

Her brow furrowed slightly. Lord Hengwu had said that a day in an illusion was equivalent to a year outside.

The Ghost King’s decision to come to Qingcheng Mountain was made after exiting the illusion, but how had someone managed to accurately predict their movements half a month in advance?

She lowered her gaze, concentrating on the letter.

The handwriting was neat and elegant, in a steady hand. If one didn’t look carefully, one might think it was written by a woman.

Turning the paper over, she saw that the ink had seeped through. The strokes were bold and powerful, suggesting that the writer was a young man.

For some reason, the moment she thought of a young man, Xiao Yuqing’s face flashed instinctively in her mind.

She shook her head, dismissing the thought.

Unless Xiao Yuqing had already predicted that they would be trapped in the illusion by Lord Hengwu before they passed through Shayu Valley, there was no way he could have anticipated their every move. Not to mention, he would have had to predict the Ghost King’s fickle thoughts to prepare this letter ahead of time.

Putting that aside, even if someone had managed to guess the Ghost King’s thoughts, it was an unlikely feat.

In any case, the person who had sent the letter to the Seventh Prince had clearly not considered his intelligence.

Who in their right mind would just throw such a thing away?

Yu Zhengzheng casually tucked the letter into her robe. To be honest, she wasn’t particularly concerned with the enmity between the Xiao family and the Ghost King.

Everything the Xiao family had done was simply aimed at scheming against the Ghost King. It wasn’t her problem. When the time came, she would just hand the letter to the Ghost King and let him figure it out himself.

The Seventh Prince, seeing her actions, couldn’t help but furrow his brows. “Did I give this to you? You’re such a shameless woman…”

Yu Zhengzheng cut him off. “Hurry up and say what you want to say. I can’t hold it any longer.”

Did he think she was a faucet? That he could turn it off whenever he pleased?

The Seventh Prince looked disgusted but didn’t speak further. “Where’s the black ceramic bottle I gave you? He’s just come out of the illusion, his divine power is greatly weakened. If you put the poison in his tea, I can kill him right now!”

Yu Zhengzheng froze for a moment and fell silent.

Seeing her speechless, the Seventh Prince recalled the scene of her kissing the Ghost King at Xianming Hall.

He sneered. “I saw you kissing in Xianming Hall.”

“You’re not falling for him, are you?”

Yu Zhengzheng’s face turned red as if her secret had been exposed. She reflexively denied it. “Impossible. There’s no way I’d fall for him.”

A breeze rustled through the leaves. Rong Shang, perched among the dense foliage, gazed at the greenery in a daze.

He pulled out the hidden black porcelain bottle and emptied its contents into his palm.

The pills bore faint fingerprints, evidence that she had handled them, perhaps deliberating when to act.

Her clear voice echoed in his mind.

— There’s no way I’d fall for him.

She said it so decisively, without a hint of hesitation.

His chest felt tight, and a bitter sensation rose on his tongue, as if someone had forced him to swallow a mouthful of gall.

Why did he feel uncomfortable?

Rong Shang didn’t have an answer.

His gaze lingered on her slender figure as his arm tensed slightly at his side. His dark eyes flickered with an unreadable light.

When the wind stirred the leaves again, his figure was gone from the tree trunk.

The Seventh Prince let out a cold laugh. “Don’t get your hopes up. The poison in you was expensive, and there’s only one antidote.”

Perhaps realizing his tone was too harsh, he softened his voice. “You should act tonight while he’s bathing. Use your charms to seduce him, then spike his drink with the medicine. Once he’s consumed it, I’ll give you the antidote.”

Yu Zhengzheng narrowed her eyes, picking up on the flaws in his words.

For some reason, she didn’t want to poison the Ghost King.

Call it cowardice or self-preservation, but she simply didn’t want to harm him.

However, the poison in her body was real, and without the antidote, it would become a relentless torment. Confronting the Seventh Prince head-on would be sheer foolishness.

If she revealed the Seventh Prince’s plot to the Ghost King, he would likely deal with him decisively.

But even if the Ghost King had a conscience and tried to negotiate for the antidote, the Seventh Prince could refuse and drag her down with him.

After all, the Seventh Prince wasn’t playing with a full deck. While he demanded the Ghost King drink the spiked wine, the actual poisoning process was in her hands.

If she pretended to follow through, feigning the use of the black porcelain bottle and adding something seemingly suspicious to the drink, she could deceive the Seventh Prince.

Once she obtained the antidote, she could expose the truth to the Ghost King. This way, she would secure the antidote and eliminate the Seventh Prince, solving two problems at once.

With this plan in mind, Yu Zhengzheng outwardly hesitated. “How can I trust you won’t betray me after it’s done?”

The Seventh Prince paused briefly. “Then what do you propose?”

Yu Zhengzheng pretended to think deeply before responding. “I’ll find a way to distract him so you can hide under his bed. I’ll poison him in your presence, and once he drinks it, you must hand over the antidote immediately.”

She added as an afterthought, “If you go back on your word, I’ll take you down with me.”

The Seventh Prince mulled it over before nodding. “Fine, we’ll do it your way.”

When they left the latrine, night had fallen.

Yu Zhengzheng carefully timed her actions, waiting until it was likely the Ghost King would begin bathing. Hesitantly, she approached Rong Shang’s chamber and lingered at the door.

Would barging in so abruptly arouse suspicion?

What if he thought she was colluding with the Seventh Prince?

As she wavered, a cold voice came from within. “Come in.”

Startled, Yu Zhengzheng gestured to the Seventh Prince in the distance before cautiously pushing the door open.

She left the door slightly ajar to allow him enough space to slip inside.

As expected, Rong Shang was indeed bathing.

Yu Zhengzheng crept to the edge of the screen, her eyes drawn to the silhouette behind it.

She saw a pair of powerful legs, a perfectly sculpted waist and hips, and…

Well, let’s just say, something surprisingly impressive in the center.

“Seen enough?” came his calm voice from behind the screen.

Yu Zhengzheng instinctively replied, “Not yet.”

There was a brief silence, followed by a low chuckle. “If you haven’t had your fill, come closer.”

Yu Zhengzheng: “…”

Forcing a strained smile, she replied, “That doesn’t seem appropriate.”

Despite her words, she had already taken a step closer to the screen.

She convinced herself it was merely to distract him so the Seventh Prince could slip under the bed. She wasn’t some shameless voyeur.

As she peeked past the screen, the man in the bathing pool subtly sank deeper into the steaming water, hiding himself entirely.

She saw nothing except his imposing back.

Clicking her tongue in disappointment, she sighed quietly.

Rong Shang turned slightly, his tone indifferent. “Disappointed?”

Yu Zhengzheng plastered on a fake smile. “Not at all.”

He nodded. “It’s a virtue not to covet what you shouldn’t.”

Hearing this, Yu Zhengzheng’s heart filled with disdain.

Not coveting? Back in the illusion realm, I practically saw everything there was to see.

Those two peach-like cheeks of his—how many women must’ve touched them for them to look so smooth and supple?

An old charmer pretending to be pure? Ridiculous.

Though scornful inside, she dared not show it.

Yu Zhengzheng knelt by the edge of the pool, setting down the jade wine flask she had brought. Then, clasping her hands together, she scooped up the steaming water and poured it over his neck, letting it cascade downward.

She absentmindedly rubbed his back in light, uneven strokes. Rong Shang didn’t stop her, his arms lazily draped along the edge of the pool as he leaned back slightly, appearing to rest with his eyes closed.

Crystal-clear droplets trickled down his long neck, his Adam’s apple moving subtly, while his red lips remained loosely pressed together.

Perhaps it was the heat of the water, or perhaps it was her growing tension, but her mouth felt dry, and her heartbeat inexplicably quickened.

Yu Zhengzheng hadn’t forgotten her purpose. After clearing her throat twice and signaling the Seventh Prince, she returned to a composed expression.

The Seventh Prince crept in from outside the door. Perhaps because of the wind, the door creaked softly, startling Rong Shang, who had been resting with his eyes closed.

Seeing him about to open his eyes, Yu Zhengzheng panicked, her hair nearly standing on end. In a desperate impulse, she covered his eyes with her hands and quickly leaned in, gently nipping at his Adam’s apple with her teeth.

She mumbled, “Do you like it?”

Rong Shang: “…”

Instead of answering, he asked mildly, “Is someone at the door?”

Yu Zhengzheng turned her head toward the Seventh Prince, who had paused in his movements, furiously signaling him with her eyes. The Seventh Prince employed all his stealth skills to quietly slip under the bed.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she said, “The door wasn’t fully closed. I’ll go shut it.”

With that, Yu Zhengzheng picked up the jade wine jug and walked out beyond the screen.

After securely closing the door, she approached the wooden table near the bed. In full view of the hiding Seventh Prince, she quickly opened her storage bracelet.

Searching through it, she turned it inside out, yet the black porcelain bottle she had carelessly tossed in earlier was nowhere to be found.

She paused in thought. Though this was merely an act, the Seventh Prince wasn’t a fool. Pulling out a random white porcelain bottle to muddle through wouldn’t do.

She searched again, still coming up empty-handed.

Just as she began to sweat in panic, a pale, cold hand extended from behind her, presenting the black porcelain bottle before her.

Rong Shang opened his palm, revealing the bottle. “Is this what you’re looking for?”