Chapter 10.1: Flare Up

“Cough cough cough…..”

In the quiet Imperial Study, the sound of a series of stifled coughing broke out suddenly.

“Your Majesty, your Dragon’s body is more important. Have a rest first!” A young man who was a close aide in waiting said with a worried expression on her face.

The Water Edge Kingdom was different from other kingdoms. They did not have eunuchs here as the founding ancestor had abolished that cruel and immoral system of castration.

They only had palace maids and close aides in waiting who took charge of caring for the reigning Emperor’s daily needs and their battle skills were also top notch, carrying the responsibility of protecting him as well.

Behind the dragon table, a man covered his mouth as he coughed violently before he slowly raised his head up from the memorials laid out before him.

It was seen that it was a man with striking sharp brows and a pair of bright eyes, his face smooth as crowning jade. His facial features were gentle and elegant, but his complexion was unfortunately rather pale, where it could immediately be seen that he was not all that well.

“I’m alright. How is the Duke of Vast Oceans doing recently?” Yue Mu Chen asked in a soft voice with a slight lift of the ends of his mouth.

The close aide replied respectfully: “The Duke of Vast Oceans awoke a few days ago. The Imperial Physician had gone to make a diagnosis and found everything to be normal. Moreover, over the several years that he had been in a deep sleep, the Duke of Vast Oceans’ body had actually continued to carry out cultivation on its own. According to the Imperial Physician’s report, it had been because the Duke’s body was undergoing a breakthrough and it could not contain that overwhelming power which caused the Duke to fall into a deep sleep to allow his body to adjust.”

“That’s what actually happened?” The smile on Yue Mu Chen’s mouth deepened. “Looks like the Heavens are blessing our Water Edge Kingdom. The Duke of Vast Oceans is the best gift the Heavens have bestowed onto our kingdom.”

A strange phenomenon had occured in the Heavens twelve years ago where a star had descended from the sky, and he was now their Guardian Protector!

“Your Majesty, with the Ninth Princess’ delegation going to the Blue Wave, are you….. really intending to make her marry that Crown Prince of theirs?” The close aide gave voice to the question that had been in his heart for so long. He had served His Majesty for several years already and their relationship was naturally not all that ordinary. Moreover when in private, His Majesty was a very easygoing person.

“Haha. With that wild lass Yan Yan, if I really ignore her wishes and marry her off, she will definitely come tear down this Imperial Study of mine.” Yue Mu Chen’s eyes were highly doting. “I fear that it’s only because she saw that the Duke of Vast Oceans had awoken and feeling that she has strong backing now, she just wants to go to the Blue Wave Kingdom to cause a stir.”

Upon hearing that, the close aide then breathed out in relief. The Ninth Princess was the darling of the entire Water Edge Kingdom and if she was really married off to the Blue Wave Kingdom, it was wondered how many men and women would be washing their faces with tears everyday!

The Cloud Gathering Loft was established by Bai Zhi Yan back when he was idle and had nothing to do. After he came to serve under Lou Jun Yao, the running of the establishment was handed over to Lian Ji.

Having had to come back to this place after so many years was not a matter of choice.

“Get out!”

A shout of suppressed rage shot out from inside one of the sealed rooms and a red figure flew out from the room before crashing heavily onto the wall.

“My Lord…..” Today was a special occasion and hence Lian Ji closed the place early. She was keeping watch when she saw her Master thrown right out of the room and she went to help him up with her face creased with worry.

“Cough cough.” Bai Zhi Yan clutched at his chest and coughed twice as he swept Lian Ji’s hand away before approaching the room a little once more.

“My Lord, let me help you take a look. I will be fine. You…..”

“Are you wishing for death! ?” The voice of the man inside was threatening and cold.

Lou Jun Yao’s body that was afflicted with fire and ice poison was inherited from his mother back when she was injured in an ambush while she was pregnant with him.

And it was no ordinary fire and ice poison but also cast with the Blood Curse incantation. Every time it relapsed, the Blood Curse’s seal would spread over his entire body, half of it red, and the other half a dark blue, making him look as terrifying as an evil demon.

Chapter 10.2: Flare Up

At moments like this, if one could not brace himself to get through it with strong willpower, the body’s blood vessels would rupture and he would undergo insufferable torment but not die. The terrifying thing about this poison was that the torture would go on for a period of forty nine days.

For Bai Zhi Yan to go in there now would undoubtedly mean seeking his own death as once the poison flared up, Lou Jun Yao would not recognize anyone and would just kill Bai Zhi Yan without mercy.

Added to the fact that he had just been struck till he came flying out and he had vomited out blood that surged inside him. That bloody scent would only agitate Lou Jun Yao and drive him berserk.

“My Lord!” Bai Zhi Yan called out as he heard the suppressed roars of pain, as he grew frantic. His good looking face was filled with resentment and remorse, blaming himself for his own lack of skills, helpless before the fire and ice poison as he could do nothing but watch his Lord suffer such torment.

In his anxiety, he wanted to just rush inside in wild abandon but Lian Ji held on tightly to him as she said: “Master, you cannot go in there. You will die…..”

“Let go!”

“Lian Ji cannot allow you to send yourself to your death!”

“Insolence! You dare defy me. Let go of me now…..”

Through their struggles, something dropped out, and the sound of a “ting” was heard, causing the two of them to freeze.

Bai Zhi Yan lowered his eyes to look and saw the exquisite little bottle that that youth had left behind.

He bent down to pick it up and he gripped the bottle tightly for a long while. At this moment, he could only risk it and give this a try!

“My Lord, try this!” Bai Zhi Yan did not go inside. He knew that Lou Jun Yao would not want anyone to see him in his current state and hence he only a slight gap in the curtain to push the bottle inside.

It was pitch dark inside the room and nothing could be seen clearly.

But in one corner, something seemed to be giving out a faint glow. The pair of violet eyes were exceptionally bright in the darkness and he was born to be able to see in the dark.

A small white porcelain bottle was sitting there by the door all alone.

He stood up slowly, and right beside his violet eyes, a dense web of blood coloured vein lines crawled over his entire face, making him look like a demon straight from Hell.

He reached out a large hand and sucked the bottle right into his palm. There was a green round pill inside the bottle that was giving out a soft lustrous glow.

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately swallowed the pill.

The fire and ice in his body were still violently fighting to establish their own domains, neither giving way at all. The excruciating pain he felt then seemed to suddenly settle the moment he swallowed the pill.

The icy chill and searing heat was no longer felt in a few breaths’ time like they had fallen into a deep sleep.

The frightening vein lines on his face had also miraculously began to turn fainter and fainter, till it completely faded away.

There was a mirror in the room but it had already been shattered to pieces. Even the powerful Lou Jun Yao could not bear to face his demonic berserk self.

He stood there quietly in his spot. After a long while, he picked up a fragment of the broken mirror and his violet eyes then slowly turned to look into it.

Nothing. There was nothing at all.

That handsome face that was resented by the Heavens and mortals alike was clear and flawless.

He reached his hand up to feel his face.

Was he….. hallucinating?

It was as if nothing had appeared before.

But he had clearly seen himself covered with weaving blood vein lines and he had not even dared to look at his own face directly after that.

As time passed, he was almost going to forget his own looks.

Within that dark and tiny little space, the man’s violet eyes flashed unsurpassably bright as his spirits soared, his thin luscious lips slowly lifting up at the corners into a beautiful smile.

Bai Zhi Yan waited outside anxiously for a long while, his brows furrowed up tightly as he paced back and forth incessantly.

Suddenly, the door was being opened.

Bai Zhi Yan immediately stopped and turned himself around to look, where his eyes then widened incredulously in disbelief.

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