Mystique Soul: A Cultivator's Flame
Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Chapter 40

The imperial palace loomed in the distance, its grandeur veiled by the pale light of the waning moon. Feng Jiao Xue moved like a shadow through the rooftops, her every step silent and precise. The wind carried whispers of the guards patrolling below, but she paid them no mind.

Huang Jin De hovered like a silent shadow, his expression calm but watchful.

"Why are we sneaking in? Isn’t the emperor himself aware of the visit?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

She glanced at him, her lips curling into a faint smirk. "Would you rather I waltz in through the front gate and announce my presence to whoever poisoned Liang Feng? Whatever is going on in the impeial family, its best if we stay out. Let Liang Feng deal with his own enemies"

Before he could respond, she leaped silently to the next rooftop, her movements fluid and precise. Every step was calculated, avoiding the patrol routes she had memorized earlier. The imperial grounds were heavily guarded, but Feng Jiao Xue’s years of experience as an assassin and her natural stealth allowed her to slip past unnoticed.

When she reached the palace walls, she paused, drawing a talisman from her satchel. She whispered a short incantation, and the talisman glowed faintly before dispersing into thin air. A ripple of energy spread out, temporarily blinding any nearby surveillance formations.

"Magic never fails to amaze me" Huang Jin De remarked as they slipped through a hidden gap in the wall.

"It’s worth its steep prize at least." she murmured, her voice barely audible. "I’m so glad I didn’t freely squander money"

A faint glow enveloped her figure as she used another talisman to cloak her presence. The surveillance formations flickered briefly, and she slipped through an unnoticed crack in the defensive array.

"Stop, step to the left three times then continue" Huang Jin De guided her through the formations layered around the place. "The higher the position the more paranoid they get" he muses.

The secluded courtyard of Liang Feng’s estate lay just ahead. She skirted the shadows, evading the dim glow of lanterns hanging from ornate poles. At the estate’s back entrance, she tapped lightly three times—a signal she and the crown prince had agreed upon.

Moments later, the door creaked open, revealing Liang Feng. His face, though pale, still held a glimmer of composure. He stepped aside to let her in, closing the door swiftly behind her.

"You came," he murmured, his voice strained.

Feng Jiao Xue cast a quick glance around the room, noting Zang Shi pacing near the wall and Han Qing standing stiffly near the door. "I had little choice. You look worse than I expected."

"Imperial Father is right this way" Liang Feng lead her to the reception room.

"Your majesty" She bowed to the emperor as a sign of respect. Despite there being the three of them in the room, she can feel several dangerous presence lurking all around them making her have her guards up.

The emperor, aged, sat before her, his presence wasn’t overwhleming nor pressuring as she had expected. In fact, it felt welcoming.

The emperor’s fathomless gaze landed on her, his eyes widening a fraction before he smiles and personally went over to help her stand up right. "Good girl, stand, stand. There’s no need for frmalities. I’m not here as the emperor but as a father. I should be the one bowing to you for helping my son" The emperor lightly remarked as he sat her down on the chair. "Just call me Uncle, Xue’er. Is it alright if I call you that? A’Feng told me your called Jiao Xue"

Liang Feng looks at his father in surprise. He had... expected various reactions but not this level of familiarity.

Feng Jiao Xue discreetly observed the Emperor but she can not discern his intent at all. There’s something in his eyes but she can’t quite put her fingers on it. "Your majesty may call me as he wishes" She simply reply.

"Good, good. Now, no ’your majesty’ nonsense. Go on, call me uncle" The emperor urged almost giddily making Feng Jiao Xue feel suspicious in her heart but she didn’t show it.

Instead, she obediently nodded. "Uncle" She called out softly in acquaintance.

The emperor’s pleased laughter made Feng Jiao Xue and Liang Feng look at the Emperor warily. "I’ve seen enough. A’Feng is in your capable hands, Xue’er" He patted her head like that of an elderly would to their younger generation as he walked away whistling a happy tune.

"Uhm... Imperial father must have really liked you" Liang Feng filled in the awkward, unsure silence.

Feng Jiao Xue just nodded as she composed herself and placed her satchel on a nearby table, her sharp gaze settling on Liang Feng. "Sit down," she ordered, pulling out a roll of gauze and a small vial of translucent liquid.

The crown prince complied, lowering himself onto a low couch with visible effort. She knelt beside him, her fingers deftly taking his wrist. Her Qi pulsed gently as she examined his meridians.

His internal energy was in disarray, threads of toxic as cold as ice to the point that they burn clashed with her Qi, The poison mixes with his lifeforce like a pure spring water contantly being contaminated.

"You’ve held out longer than I expected" she said, her voice neutral but laced with an undertone of respect.

Liang Feng managed a faint smile. "Stubbornness has its merits."

"Barely" she muttered, releasing his wrist. She leaned back, her expression turning grave. "Have you taken the antidote yet?"

Zang Shi stepped forward as he had entered the room with hanQing silently when the emperor left. "We gave it to him earlier today, as you instructed."

Feng Jiao Xue nodded. "Good. It’s stabilized him for now, but the poison is tenacious. We need to extract what remains."

Zang Shi stepped forward, his brows furrowed. "Miss Feng, if you need assistance—"

"I don’t," she cut him off, her tone sharp but not unkind. "Just ensure no one interrupts me. I prefer doing things like this on my own or someone I have at least worked with on minor cases."

Han Qing opened his mouth to protest, but Liang Feng raised a hand. "Do as she says."

Feng Jiao Xue set to work, her movements swift and methodical. She crushed herbs, ground powders, and measured liquids with an intensity that left no room for error. The cauldron in the center of the room bubbled as she infused the mixture with her Qi, stabilizing the volatile energies within.

Liang Feng watched her, his expression a mixture of awe and curiosity. "How did you learn all this?" he asked, breaking the silence.

She didn’t look up. "Alchemy? I have a good master." If Huang Jin De was a peacock, his feathers would have spread proudly by now in the small realm.

The room was silent aside from the soft crackle of the fire beneath the cauldron. As the pills slowly solidifying, Feng Jiao Xue’s brow furrowed in concentration. She guided the energy within the cauldron with precise movements, ensuring it remained stable.

When the golden smoke finally rose from the cauldron, she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Carefully, she put the pills into a porcelain vial and handed it to Zang Shi who was silently watching and studying her refinement.

Feng Jiao Xue pulled out a silk-lined case from her satchel, revealing a set of gleaming senbon needles. Liang Feng’s eyes flickered with unease, but he said nothing.

"What are those for?" Zang Shi asked, his tone wary but more curious than worried.

"To purge the residual poison," she replied, her focus on arranging the needles. "The antidote weakened it, but his body won’t recover unless we remove every trace. Think of it as weeding, no matter how many times you cut it off, it will only grow up unless you remove the source, the core. The pills I made killed the source but did not remove everything yet."

She turned to Liang Feng. "This will hurt."

"I’m ready," he said simply, reclining against the couch. He had suffered from this poison foryears, if enduring torment for a short while will relieve him of future years of pain, he will gladly plunged into it without secondthought.

Feng Jiao Xue looks at him and saw his eyes as firm as steel and began by inserting the needles into key acupuncture points along his arms, chest, and neck. Each needle was placed with precision, and faint wisps of dark energy began to rise as the poison reacted, black blood leaking out of the puncture points while other needles stop it from spreading somewhere else.

Liang Feng flinched as biting cold spread through his body. His breathing grew labored, and sweat beaded on his brow. It was as if the blood flowing in his veins where ice.

Zang Shi and Han Qing hovered nearby, their expressions taut with worry.

"Hold him down" Feng Jiao Xue instructed without looking up. "Just in case he moves and disturb the needles’ positionings."

Han Qing hesitated before stepping forward to secure Liang Feng’s shoulders. Zang Shi moved to steady his legs, his hands trembling slightly.

The crown prince groaned as his body convulsed, the poison fighting against the purification process.

"Your highness-" Han Qing worriedly looked at Feng Jiao Xue for confirmation that everything was okay.

"This is normal," Feng Jiao Xue assured them, her voice steady. "The poison won’t leave without a fight while the senbon is extracting all the impurities, or in this case, poison, out of him."

She infused the needles with her Qi, guiding the toxins toward them. The dark mist thickened, coalescing before dissipating into the air.

After what felt like an eternity, Liang Feng’s body relaxed. His breathing steadied, and the faint color of life returned to his cheeks.

Feng Jiao Xue removed the needles, cleaning them meticulously before placing them back in their case.

"It’s done," she said, standing up and checking the prince’s pulse again. "How do you feel?"

"Like i’ve just took a bath in a frozen lake." He chuckled before assuring him. "I’m fine. Thank you" Liang Feng tiredly yet sincerely spoke from the bottom of his heart.

Feng Jiao Xue gathered her tools and prepared to leave. Before she stepped out, she turned to Liang Feng. "Just stay alive. I didn’t go through all this trouble just to see you die."

A faint smile crossed his lips. "I’ll do my best."

Zang Shi and Han Qing helped Liang Feng sit upright, their relief evident.

"The detoxification worked," Feng Jiao Xue continued, her tone brisk. "But you’re not out of danger. Rest and avoid any strenuous activity. The poison may be out of your system but your body will need to recuperate. Zang Shi, here" she handed him a piece of parchement. "The formula for the last batch of pills I made. It should get him to proper health in time."

Liang Feng met her gaze, gratitude flickering in his tired eyes. "You’ve saved my life again, Feng Jiao Xue. Thank you."

Her expression softened for a brief moment before hardening once more. "Don’t thank me yet. Your enemies won’t stop because you’ve recovered."

She packed her tools swiftly, her movements efficient. Without another word, she pulled her hood back over her head and slipped toward the door.

"Wait," Han Qing called out, his voice stopping her in her tracks. "You’re leaving already?"

"I’ll walk the Young Lady out" Zang Shi spoke up looking at Feng Jiao Xue more reverantly now. Even Han Qing no longer look at her as if she was an enemy.

"No need. I’ll be on my way" She refused nonchlantly.

"Wait, what about the payment?" Han Qing asked doubtfully. "What do you want in return?"

"Already got what I wanted" She smirks. "Think of this as my thank you gift" she waved them goodbye before vanishing from their sight.