Free Web NovelChapter 134: Chapter 134: Sneaking Away
’Maybe I’m overthinking it,’ Jiang Xia thought, ’or maybe I just overheard a stranger with a similar voice once.’ freewebnσvel.cøm
He shook his head. ’Whatever, I’ll just nod along.’
Fang Yuan, however, was getting anxious. He was desperate to complete his mission and prove his worth. The very next day, he took out the drug he had hidden in his Space Bag from the start.
Poisons were generally unsafe, as most detection tools could identify them. But this particular drug was especially effective against Beastmen. It wasn’t lethal, but ingesting it would cause a temporary loss of spiritual power and leave the body completely weak.
Fang Yuan planned to kill Ye Ming himself once he was incapacitated. freewёbnoνel.com
However, once Ye Ming was dead, he would have to find a way to escape quickly. Otherwise, Ye Ming’s mother would never let him get away. When the time came and the Second Prince successfully became the heir—the Monarch’s only child—he could find another opportunity to change his identity and become one of the Prince’s trusted confidants.
At this thought, Fang Yuan cast aside all his hesitation.
Unfortunately for him, his plan had already been exposed.
So when he delivered the food, Ye Ming didn’t eat it. Instead, he pried open Fang Yuan’s mouth and fed it to him.
Fang Yuan stared at him in terror, gagging and vomiting even as he was forcefully fed. Though he tried his best to spit it out, he still ended up swallowing most of it.
The drug took effect quickly. A minute later, Fang Yuan collapsed like a boneless heap into the puddle of food he had just thrown up.
Ye Ming, looking disgusted, washed his hands off to the side.
Fang Yuan couldn’t even move. His pupils dilated as he watched the others in the Treatment Pods transform into their human forms and sit up. Suddenly, he was surrounded by five people.
He had long since thought the five of them were dead.
It turned out the other three had also awakened, their mental breakdowns apparently subsiding...
Mu Tangfeng kept a meter’s distance, glaring at him with a look of revulsion. "Tsk, disgusting. A filthy rat from the garbage heap, just as I thought."
Jiang Xia looked wistfully at what had been a perfectly good bowl of food and grumbled, "What a waste."
He hadn’t eaten in two days. He’d asked Mu Tangfeng to sneak him a bun, but he’d refused. And the director hadn’t shown up again after that one visit.
Jiang Xia was so hungry he was seeing stars. He asked, "Vice Admiral He, can I go eat now?"
They had agreed earlier that once Fang Yuan was caught, he could do as he pleased.
He Hanshi hadn’t expected him to have an appetite after witnessing such a disgusting scene, but he nodded helplessly. "Yes, do as you wish."
Jiang Xia’s eyes darted around happily. He secretly grabbed his luggage, opened the door, and left. Mu Tangfeng noticed what he was carrying and looked baffled. "Why are you taking so much stuff just to get a meal?"
Jiang Xia retorted, "Can’t I take a shower while I’m at it? I reek of blood. It’s disgusting."
Although Mu Tangfeng still found it strange, he didn’t press the issue, only remarking speechlessly, "You have no ambition. All you think about day in and day out is eating."
’Just wait till you get fat. Let’s see if Lanlan still wants you then.’
He thought with a hint of gloating.
With one person gone, only four remained. For some reason, Fang Yuan felt the pressure intensify, as if heavy mountains were closing in on him, making it hard to breathe.
Fang Yuan realized he had probably walked into a trap. But at this point, there was nothing he could do. He could only gasp for air like a dying fish, turning a pleading gaze to the smiling Yan Huoshui, who seemed to be the most approachable of the group.
Yan Huoshui bent down with a gentle smile. The red mole between his eyebrows made him look like a compassionate bodhisattva, appearing all the more holy and merciful.
A glimmer of hope appeared in Fang Yuan’s eyes. Then he heard him say, slowly and deliberately, "Tsk. So disgusting, and useless too. Why don’t we just kill him? Keeping him around is an eyesore."
Fang Yuan couldn’t believe he would say such a thing. His mouth moved desperately, trying to form words that wouldn’t come out.
He Hanshi read his lips. "You’re saying you’re useful? That you can work for us?"
Fang Yuan’s eyes blinked happily. Mu Tangfeng cut in sharply, "Useful how? Your Spiritual Power Level is so low, and you’re more of a hindrance than a help. You seem like a total waste."
Fang Yuan quickly opened his mouth.
He Hanshi continued, "You’re saying you can be our mole?"
Fang Yuan blinked again in response.
The four of them pretended to think it over for a moment before agreeing.
Then He Hanshi said, "Grant us monitoring authority over your identity chip. We need to monitor all your chip’s activities from now on. Otherwise, who’s to say you won’t betray us again?"
Fang Yuan agreed without hesitation.
He understood the situation now. In terms of spiritual power, the few people in front of him, despite having only recovered to a low-level, were clearly a much greater threat.
Besides, there was no chance of completing his mission anymore. The most important thing was to find a way to stay alive.
Each person’s chip could grant up to five monitoring authorizations, with many options to choose from. Married Beastman couples, for example, would often enable location services to remotely track the female’s position and prevent danger.
And now, Fang Yuan had granted full monitoring rights to He Hanshi, Mu Tangfeng, Ye Ming, and Yan Huoshui. Whether it was his calls, transactions, or location, everything was being tracked.
Finally, they spared Fang Yuan for the time being, instructing him to pass on a false message to his contact that the assassination of Ye Ming had been a success.
However, the person on the other end was clearly cautious. They didn’t show their face, and they insisted on waiting for the public announcement of Ye Ming’s death before they would give Fang Yuan his commission and other promised rewards.
Having no other choice, He Hanshi and the others had the director cooperate in announcing Ye Ming’s faked death.
At that moment, Jiang Xia, sitting on a spaceship, saw the news online. His face a mask of shock, he sent several question marks to He Hanshi: [???]
[What? The Eldest Prince is dead? I was only gone for a few hours, and he died?]
He Hanshi narrowed his eyes. [Young Master Jiang, I was wondering why you disappeared after saying you were just getting a meal. Speak. Where did you go?]
Jiang Xia guiltily took out the comb hanging from his waist and began to brush his hair. He had made sure to eat his fill and have a nice wash before leaving, so at least he no longer carried the thick stench of blood.
He looked out at the vastness of space, hesitating for a moment before sheepishly replying: [On my way to Yaoxing.]
He Hanshi didn’t reply.
Soon after, a call came through from Mu Tangfeng.
Jiang Xia immediately hung up.
Mu Tangfeng called several more times, and Jiang Xia rejected every single one. Finally, unable to take it anymore, the other man sent a direct message: [Aha, you shameless short-legged beast! You snuck off to find Lanlan while we were busy with important matters.]
[You just wait. When I get there, I’ll definitely put you in your place.]
Jiang Xia curled his lip in disdain. [Are you stupid? We’re love rivals. Did you expect me to send you a special announcement that I was going to see Lanlan?]
Mu Tangfeng: [You, you, you... Fine, Jiang Xia. You’re getting smarter, I see.]
Jiang Xia sent him a series of mocking reaction gifs, then took a picture of outer space to provoke him further.
Mu Tangfeng couldn’t stand it any longer. "No, I have to go find Lanlan too. Who knows what kind of nonsense Jiang Xia will be spouting..."
The other three stared at him intently.
Mu Tangfeng’s voice trailed off.
’Hmph. If it comes to it, I’ll just sneak off too...’
