Xiaobai escorted Puding back to the Buddhist temple. He did not stay overnight this, disappearing into the dark night and vanishing without a trace shortly after.
A quarter of an hour later, Pei Yaoguang stepped into Puding’s monastic room right on schedule.
“Is the Dharma Master already asleep?”
Seeing that Puding was sleeping soundly without the slightest reaction and breathing steadily, Pei Yaoguang reached out and tapped his arm.
“Dharma Master…”
Asleep? How could that be!
Wasn’t he afflicted with the “Jade-Bone” aphrodisiac? Could it be…
He reached out to check Puding’s pulse, only to find it steady and completely devoid of any signs of being poisoned by romantic toxins.
Strange.
If he had taken an antidote, then it could only ever be the “Undefiled” pill that could neutralize it.
Where on earth did he get “Undefiled”?
The only people capable of refining “Undefiled” were members of the Xie clan of King Han’s lineage!
A creeping sense of terror gripped him.
His mother had long since passed away, and his entire household from top to bottom had been completely exterminated a task he had personally led the Brocade Guard to carry out.
He carefully recalled the scene from that day.
It was a torrential downpour when a troop of Brocade Guards stepped into the King Han estate, slaughtering everyone in the household down to the last soul. He had watched with his own eyes as King Han died beneath his blade and sword, and even completely destroyed his facial features afterwards.
Could it be that “Undefiled” had leaked out among the common folk? That seemed to be the only explanation.
Drawing back his lingering thoughts, Pei Yaoguang extended a pale, delicate fingertip to stroke Puding’s profile.
The skin was indeed delicate and smooth, feeling just like stroking a piece of fine jade.
The moonlight cast a patch of light and shadow across his thin lips, looking pinkish and rather prone to drawing wandering thoughts.
At that moment, Puding furrowed his brow, his eyelashes trembling slightly as he abruptly opened his eyes to stare fixedly at the person before him.
Instantly, his pupils shrank.
Panicked, he hastily scrambled to sit up, only to find no trace of Xiaobai on the bed, which somewhat eased his anxiety.
Stepping down from the luohan couch, he bowed in salute and asked, “Does Your Excellency have any pressing matters upon coming here in the middle of the night?”
“You… do you have the antidote?” Without beating around the bush, Pei Yaoguang spoke straight to the point.
Puding did not dare to raise his head.
“Speak! I asked you a question!” Pei Yaoguang dropped heavily onto the luohan couch.
“This poor monk… has no idea what Your Excellency is talking about?”
A sharp glint pierced through Pei Yaoguang’s gaze as he began to let out a cold chuckle: “What exact connection do you share with King Han’s maternal clan?”
King Han’s mother was born into a prestigious medical family with a rather renowned ancestry. The most famous figure among her forebears could be traced back to Zheng Yin of the Eastern Jin dynasty. Zheng Yin was a disciple of Ge Hong, and thus also well-versed in the arts of medicine and healing.
Puding pondered briefly. The King Han he mentioned could it be Xie Qingyi?
“This poor monk has no ties to King Han.”
Pei Yaoguang lay sideways on the couch, supporting the back of his head with one hand.
“Judging by your tone, you seem to acquainted with King Han.” He figured that since Puding was the heir of the An’guo Estate, it wasn’t surprising for him to know King Han.
Cupping his hands in a salute, Puding replied, “This poor monk has met King Han once before.”
Pei Yaoguang came straight to the point, listing out the background investigations and information he had previously gathered on Puding’s identity one by one.
There was not a single ripple within Puding’s pupils, as his capability allowed him to unearth anyone’s background. He thus revealed the detailed process of how he had met King Han in his childhood.
Yet Puding could not understand why Pei Yaoguang would bring up King Han. Could Xiaobai actually be Xie Qingyi?
Wasn’t he already dead?
King Han was the current Emperor’s youngest half-brother. Back in the day, King Han held military power in his hands, and Emperor Yuming had always regarded him as a thorn in his side. Consequently, the Emperor hatched a scheme, framing him with the crime of treason and using Pei Yaoguang as the sword to execute him, thereby serving as a deterrent to powerful ministers.
If Xiaobai truly was King Han, then Emperor Yuming certainly had no idea that the criminal of the imperial court they were hunting down was actually King Han.
Pei Yaoguang massaged the bridge of his nose, his voice dropping to an extremely low register: “Have you heard of any unusual movements recently?”
“None at all,” Puding replied respectfully.
Given how he had suddenly started questioning him about the figure in black just now, could he possibly know something?
It ought to have been just a casual inquiry, Puding deliberated in his heart.
Only now did Puding realize that he had unexpectedly become embroiled in an extremely complex and dark political struggle of the imperial court.
At this moment, his temples were already covered in a fine layer of sweat.
Pei Yaoguang narrowed his eyes: “Monk, what are you nervous about?”
“Your Excellency, it is already the Chou hour. Since Your Excellency has traveled far and endured fatigue, I hope Your Excellency can rest early, as you still need to escort Imperial Noble Consort An back to court tomorrow.”
Mentioning Imperial Noble Consort An, Pei Yaoguang finally recalled her relationship with Puding. Since the two of them were collateral relatives by blood, he wouldn’t make things too difficult for him!
Pei Yaoguang was ultimately a man who knew how to adapt to circumstances.
He calculated in his mind that he couldn’t do anything to Puding for the time being. In due course, if Imperial Noble Consort An lost her favor, dealing with this monk would become much easier.
With that, Pei Yaoguang swept away haughtily, leaving Puding to let out a long breath of relief. If Xiaobai truly was King Han, although he had only shared a single encounter with him in their childhood, that single meeting had been deeply etched into his bones.
When he first encountered King Han, the person before his eyes was exceptionally brilliant and refined, bearing a seven-tenths resemblance to his own mother, which naturally evoked a sense of familiarity within his heart.
He and King Han had played with crickets together, having a wonderful time. King Han even yielded to him, and upon seeing that his cricket was at its last gasp, gifted him his own most beloved cricket.
That sentiment was something he had engraved in his heart and never forgotten to this day.
Yet today, he dared not acknowledge him!
He was currently trapped within a quagmire filled with dangers everywhere, and acknowledging him would only drag him down!
Suddenly, Puding realized a crucial problem: How had he managed to return? Where had Xiaobai gone? Was he safe?
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.
At daybreak, after the monks finished their morning chanting and partook in the morning meal, they escorted Imperial Noble Consort An back to court under the leadership of Master Huiru.
Before leaving, Pei Yaoguang cast a deep glance at Puding.
And quietly whispered in his ear: “I will find out how you managed to neutralize the Jade-Bone toxin!”
Bowing in a salute, Puding replied, “Safe journey, Your Excellency!”
Though his face remained devoid of any emotion, a slight tremor wrung his heart, as his hands clenched into tight fists with veins bulging out prominently.
Qingyi little brother, I will not let anything happen to you!
Definitely not!
By dusk, there was still no sight of Xiaobai. Regrettably, when he had returned with Xiaobai previously, his eyes had been blindfolded the entire way, making it fundamentally impossible for him to return to that place now.
Although he was anxious at the moment, he hadn’t expected Pei Yaoguang to summon him so quickly.
Along the way, Puding meticulously went through every potential question and countermeasure Pei Yaoguang might throw at him in his mind.
Though he was being summoned to the estate this time rather than taken to the Town and Pacification Bureau, it indicated that Pei Yaoguang still didn’t dare take direct measures against him, otherwise he would have been subjected to private torture at the Bureau straight away.
Led by a servant, Puding walked down the long corridor, with a draft sweeping past his side and bringing a wave of chill from behind.
The servant left after escorting him into Pei Yaoguang’s study.
A glazed purifying vase sat in the entryway, alongside several potted bamboo plants that added a touch of vitality to the interior.
He actually possessed such leisurely refinement; in his opinion, only scholars enjoyed raising bamboo.
Pei Yaoguang was dressed in a plain cyan straight-cut under-robe, draped in a dark green crane cloak with his dark hair cascading over his shoulders and pinned at the crown with a cyan jade hairpin. The sharpness usually surrounding him was somewhat diminished, leaving him hovering somewhere between delicate elegance and gentle moistness.
He sat upon the grand armchair, as the golden glow cast through the window lattice fell upon the man’s bold, heroic features. Setting aside his usual identity, it flashed through one’s mind for an instant that he was unmistakably a dashing young gentleman.
“Does the monk know why I summoned you?”
“Ah, Your Excellency naturally wishes to question this poor monk regarding the love toxin.”
Outside the window, a lush expanse of greenery thrived, as dappled tree shadows filtered a ray of sunlight that appeared somewhat dazzling.
Leaning back against the chair, Pei Yaoguang wore a completely tranquil expression.
“Speak. How did you neutralize it? And what relations do you share with the former dynasty’s Consort Zheng?”
Puding thought to himself that since Pei Yaoguang already knew he was the An Estate Heir, it wasn’t surprising for him to know he had crossed paths with Consort Zheng.
“Consort Zheng did indeed once gift us a bottle of pills named ‘Undefiled’.”
Naturally, he wouldn’t pretend to be completely oblivious; voicing some authentic facts would make him appear all the more convincing.
“Oh? You even know of ‘Undefiled’?”
“Back then, Consort Zheng noticed my physique was frail, and thus thought to bestow upon me a bottle of medicinal pills.”
“Yet that is a medicine meant to neutralize love toxins. Why would she bestow ‘Undefiled’ upon you? Shouldn’t she have bestowed upon you medicines meant to recuperate your health and nourish the kidney essence?”
Puding’s expression remained completely unchanged as he made an obeisance: “Ordinary medicines were of no use to this poor monk. Therefore, I proactively begged Consort Zheng to bestow upon me a bottle of rare medicinal pills of this world, and it was only then that she granted me ‘Undefiled’.”
The room fell into an abrupt hush, as Pei Yaoguang stared straight at him, pondering something in his mind.
“When did she bestow it upon you?”
Without missing a beat, Puding answered, “When I was ten years old, coinciding with a time when I sustained an injury.”
Pei Yaoguang inquired further about his age, thinking to himself that since he was now eighteen, he could simply go into the palace to check the exit records of Consort Zheng from eight years ago.
Pei Yaoguang smiled. “Since the Dharma Master has finally made a trip to my estate, you might as well stay the night and let me send you back tomorrow.”
Puding paused briefly before slowly responding, “The Buddhist affairs in the temple are complicated and numerous, and this poor monk must return in a timely manner to handle urgent matters.”
Pei Yaoguang rose and approached him, reaching out to rest a hand upon Puding’s shoulder: “Dharma Master need not rush. I will order someone to relay word to the Abbot, instructing him to have other masters attend to those duties on your behalf.”
How could leaving be so easy? Having finally summoned him over, how could he let him leave just like that.
Unable to hold back any longer, Puding asked, “Why must Your Excellency make things difficult for this poor monk at every turn?”
Pei Yaoguang simply spoke his mind without hesitation: “Can you not tell that this superintendent is fond of male beauty?” He lowered his eyelids, his gaze rippling with a seductive hue.
Struck by sudden shock and terror, Puding immediately dropped to his knees: “Your Excellency, this poor monk is a person who has left the secular world. Even if you possess a fondness for the same sex, you should seek out another suitable man instead this poor monk is absolutely out of the question!”
Being admired by a man was actually harmless, but being admired by a man like him was genuinely a harrowing ordeal.
There was no telling what kind of humiliation and torment he might be subjected to.
“Of course, just as I can admire you, I can likewise grow to loathe you! If you displease me, then what awaits you will naturally be a torment far more bitter than the present!”
With a livid expression, Puding realized he had no choice but to accept his fate.
He was accommodated by servants in a secluded, spacious side chamber. Calming his mind and focusing his intent, Puding sat cross-legged on the bed, rolling his prayer beads while silently reciting Buddhist chants.
Yet Puding found that his heart simply could not settle. Opening his eyes abruptly, he knew that given Pei Yaoguang’s temperament, he would definitely go into the palace to verify Consort Zheng’s exit records from back then. He could only send a carrier pigeon to Imperial Noble Consort An tomorrow.
He wondered where Qingyi was right now and whether he was safe. He could only pray for the protection of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
At the mid-point of the Hai hour, a faint tapping sound echoed outside the door. Lifting his eyelids, Puding got down from the bed: “Please enter.”
No response came from outside the door, leaving him with no choice but to walk over to the entryway and ask in a low voice, “Who is it?”
Still, nobody answered from the outside. He silently pulled the door open, only to see a shadow darting past overhead.
A flash of pleasantly surprised delight crossed the depths of Puding’s eyes: “It’s you… Why did you come here? It’s too dangerous!”
Dressed in night-walking attire, Xiaobai spoke softly, “I was worried about you. You’re in his territory, and I’m not at ease.”
“Where have you been all this time?”
“Let’s not talk about that for now. You need to come away with me immediately.”
“No! It will only startle the snake in the grass. Furthermore, given his temperament, even if I left, he would just capture me back again. There’s no need for that.”
Xiaobai remained silent.
Puding: “Let’s wait and see how things develop!”