Chapter 11 Twisting

"Lord Qi! Lord Qi, what's wrong?"

Don't think! Don't think!

"Lord Qi, why are you covering your head and screaming? Is there an enemy attack?"

Don't think! Don't do any thinking! Any thought is like a needle prick, stinging the nerves!

"Someone! Quickly call the physician! Something has happened to Lord Qi!"

Take me away! Take me away! Take me away from here immediately!

"Wait! Eyes! Blood-colored eyes are appearing on Lord Qi's arm! He's been hit, possessed by a bizarre curse!"

Ahhh... twisted... so twisted... everything is so twisted...

Every scene, every person, within Lord Qi's sight seemed to be twisting like a vortex.

No! That's not right! It really is twisting, it really is twisting!

"Ahhh! My hand, my hand suddenly bent!"

"Help! Help! My face, what's happening to my face!"

"Lord Qi! It's Lord Qi! Lord Qi, quickly close your eyes! Close your eyes, don't look at me, don't look at me!!"

All the people who were still alive fled in panic, scrambling and crawling away, leaving only Lord Qi kneeling on the spot, touching his face with both hands, the skin and flesh on his face melting like wax, revealing the bones underneath.

Ah... ahhh... ahhh!!

As if realizing something, Lord Qi let out a desperate scream of terror, only to find that what he shouted out was just a strange sound of bones rubbing against bones.

Before he could understand what was going on, everything went dark, and he completely lost consciousness, becoming a pile of white bones on the ground.

After Lord Qi died, it took several days for the other subordinates to confirm that the Han River had returned to calm and there was no longer any danger before they dared to approach and deal with the aftermath.

As for the details of the mission and the keepsake to be sent back, they had already been sent back using the magic box.

Thinking that not only had the mission failed, but two adults had also been lost, the remaining subordinates trembled with fear and handled the aftermath with trepidation.

...

The capital, the Imperial Palace.

In a courtyard paved with white chess pieces, a young man in white was sitting in front of a chessboard in thoughtful contemplation, entertaining himself by playing chess alone.

The chessboard was black and white, and the chess being played seemed to be Go, but also seemed to be Gomoku. The pieces on the chessboard were placed in a chaotic manner.

But the young man in white stood in front of the chessboard, thinking for a long time, sometimes frowning, sometimes rolling his eyes.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he walked to the pond in the courtyard, stretched out his jade-like white hand, which even women would be ashamed of, scooped up a small spoonful of clear water, walked back to the chessboard, and then carefully poured the clear water along the gaps in the middle of the chessboard.

The clear water flowed down the uneven gaps in the chessboard, and soon, like a small stream, it divided the chessboard.

Seeing this scene, the young man in white's brow relaxed, as if he had figured something out, and he nodded slightly.

Just then, an old man in gray came quickly from outside the courtyard.

He came to the young man in white and bowed slightly.

"Your Highness."

The young man in white glanced at him.

"Be careful, the walls have ears."

"...Your Highness, the First Prince."

"Alright, I was just joking. Old Hui is still so boring. You and I both know that there are no outsiders here, and no surveillance... Tell me, how did things go?"

Old Hui lowered his head and didn't speak, but handed over a closed black box with a thin needle on the top.

The young man in white calmly took the box, his finger lightly touched the thin needle on the top of the magic box, and a drop of blood slid down the needle onto the box.

The closed magic box slowly opened like a lotus flower blooming, revealing the contents inside.

"A black handkerchief and a letter?"

The young man in white glanced at Old Hui and said with a light smile, "I remember that what Old You wanted was that kid's head."

"...They failed."

"Alright, actually, when the order was issued, I always had a feeling that something was being overlooked. Now it has been confirmed."

Taking out the letter from the magic box, after reading it briefly, the young man in white quickly learned about what happened at the Han River Wharf. He couldn't help but become thoughtful, and gave the letter to Old Hui. After Old Hui finished reading it, he asked, "Old Hui, what do you think?"

"This boy, either submit or be eliminated, otherwise he will be a great threat!"

"Hahaha!" The young man in white laughed upon hearing this, and gently patted Old Hui's shoulder.

"Old Hui, you're making too much of a fuss. Heroes emerge in their youth. Our Qing Kingdom hasn't seen a truly capable younger generation for a long time. It turns out that this generation seems to have caught up, first there was Tian Ruichi, a disciple of Heavenly Sword, then there was Weiba, the Holy Maiden of the Glacial Ice Sect, and then there was the talented woman... plus Ye Se Liming who suddenly emerged now. So many geniuses and eccentrics gathered in the same era, gathered in the capital, this world is going to become interesting again!

"Oh right, send the things to Old You, and help me prepare a carriage, and ask someone to help me disguise myself..."

Old Hui's expression tightened.

The previous requests were fine, they were all minor matters, but the last request...

"Don't be nervous, I'll just set up a broken chess game stall at the gate of the capital, and wait for a 'friend' who has come from afar."

Old Hui wanted to say something, but when he thought that the person in front of him was the First Prince of the Qing Kingdom, the man closest to that existence in the world! He couldn't help but lower his head, obediently took the things, and responded in a low voice before leaving.

It was no longer a rare thing for the princes to leave the palace.

In the early years, the princes of the capital went out in a swaggering manner.

It wasn't until the Holy One later imposed restrictions that there was no longer such a big commotion, and they all went out quietly.

But occasionally, one could still hear different versions of the princes' travels from various streets.

Whether it was true or just rumors, no one could say for sure, but it was indeed not a rare occurrence. For the natives of the capital, it was just something to talk about after dinner.

...

The You family.

Since You Sisi returned to the capital, the rumors about her and the Seventh Prince have risen to a new level, and have almost become the most lively event in the capital this month.

After You Sisi returned to the capital, she began to distance herself from the Seventh Prince, and there was no longer the intimacy they once had. Everyone's interest in these childhood sweethearts suddenly increased.

But after all, this matter concerned the imperial family and the You family, and no one dared to gossip indiscriminately, only secretly discussing it in private.

Some people said that You Sisi was actually dead outside, and that the person the You family brought back this time was just someone who looked similar.

Some people said that You Sisi had changed her mind and had someone else outside!

Some people said that this was because the You family did not want to climb the relationship with the Seventh Prince, and it was a high-level power game.

There were all kinds of rumors. You Sisi, the daughter of a wealthy family who had once left the capital and been demoted to work as a small clerk in another place, was in the limelight for a while, and even the recent battle between Weiba, the [Holy Maiden], and Mu Liu, the [Talented Woman], had been suppressed by You Sisi.

The melon of the Four Great Families was much more exciting than the genius contest that appeared every few years.

However, no matter how people outside guessed, the You family's information was not leaked in the slightest.