Chapter 784- The Unturned Immortal
’This time, it is different. This time, I have been planning since childhood. Since I could walk, since I could talk, since I could cultivate. I have been positioning. Gaining allies. The princess — Yuexin — she is my inside agent. I have spent years proving my visions are true. Building her trust. Making her my sword inside the palace.’
’This time, I will not confront him directly. I will destroy him from within. Using his own weaknesses. His lust. His arrogance. His appetite for women.’
’The banquet. The celebration. The perfect stage.’
"Your robes," Shen Mu said. His voice was quiet. Addressing his sister, who was still standing there, pouting. "Prepare them. I will come."
Shen Ling, her bright eyes, the confusion, was there. "You are going? To the banquet?"
"Yes," Shen Mu said. His voice was flat.
She blinked. Then her face brightened. "Can I come too? Please? I want to see—"
"No."
"But—"
"No."
She pouted. Deeper. But she knew better than to push.
Shen Mu stood. His sword, the plain blade, was sheathed. His body, the lean, young body, was there. His robes, the simple, unadorned dark cloth of a stable master’s son, were there. But beneath the cloth, the cultivation, the Soul Formation peak qi, was suppressed.
He changed. His body, the spiritual energy, the sword qi, condensed. The transformation, the cultivator’s technique of converting the body into a weapon, was there. His form, his entire physical body, became a sword. The spiritual energy, the condensed, focused, blade-sharp energy, was there.
He flew. Through the bamboo, through the air, through the sky. Toward the palace. Toward the alleyway where the meeting was.
~~ The Alleyway — The Princess
The alleyway, the narrow, dark, forgotten passage between two buildings near the palace’s eastern wall, was there. The shadow, the dim, the private, was there.
Shen Mu landed. His body, the sword form dissolving, the physical body returning, was there. His robes, the simple dark cloth, were there. His face, the young, sharp-featured face, was composed.
A cloaked figure, from the shadow, emerged. The cloak, the dark hood, the concealment, fell. Revealing the face. The dark eyes. The composed expression.
Princess Yuexin.
"Brother," she said. Her voice was soft. The relief, the genuine relief of a woman meeting her ally, was there. "You have come."
Shen Mu, his arms, opened. The gesture, the brotherly, familial gesture, was there. She moved. Into the hug. Her body, the slender frame, pressed against his. His arms, around her, held.
"Yes," he said. His voice, in her ear, was there. "It is time. You need to help me."
She pulled back. Her dark eyes, on his face, searched. The trust, the absolute, unwavering trust of a woman who had bet everything on this man, was there.
"So you believe me, right?" Shen Mu said. His voice was quiet. The question, the confirmation, was there.
"Of course, Brother," Yuexin said. Her voice was steady. The certainty, the absolute certainty of a woman who had seen too many of his prophecies come true, was there. "Whatever you have told me has always come true. The flood in the eastern province. The demonic cultivator infiltration of the Azure Cloud Sect. The minister’s betrayal. All of it. Everything you predicted."
The list, the recitation of verified prophecies, was there. Each one, a building block. Each one, a proof. Each one, a thread in the web of trust that Shen Mu had woven over years.
"Your position among your siblings," Shen Mu said. His voice was soft. "It is stronger than anyone else’s. Because of the events you predicted. The intelligence you provided your father. The threats you warned about. All of it, came from me."
Yuexin, her dark eyes, the nod, was there. "Yes. Father trusts my judgment more than any of my brothers. The ministers defer to me on matters of security. All because of your visions."
"Good," Shen Mu said. His voice was low. The satisfaction, the strategic satisfaction of a man whose plan was working, was there.
He reached into his robe. The small vial, the glass container, the dark liquid inside, was there. He held it out.
"You have to mix this in the food that is going to be served to Tianlong," he said. His voice was quiet. The instruction, the clear, direct instruction, was there.
Yuexin, her dark eyes, on the vial, the assessment, was there. Her hand, taking it, was there. She held it up. The liquid, the dark, viscous liquid, shifted.
"What is it?" she asked. Her voice was curious. Not suspicious. Curious.
Shen Mu, his brown eyes, on her, held the calculation. The explanation, the carefully crafted explanation, was there.
"It is a reality inducer," he said. His voice was measured. The term, the fabricated but plausible term, was there. "It will reveal his lustful true face in front of everyone. At the banquet, in front of the court, in front of his hosts — he will lose control. He will act like the beast he is."
The plan, the strategy, was laid out. The reality inducer, the aphrodisiac disguised as a truth-revealing potion, was the weapon. The banquet, the public setting, was the stage. The goal, the exposure of Tianlong’s true nature before the entire court, was there.
Shen Mu’s internal thoughts, the racing, hopeful thoughts, were there.
’He will take the food. The aphrodisiac will take effect. In front of everyone, at the banquet, he will lose control. He will act like a lustful, perverted beast. He will pounce on a woman. And in front of the entire court, the entire dynasty, he will be exposed. Even if he is an emperor, if he acts like a perverted beast at a formal banquet, he is finished. The political damage, the scandal, the shame — it will be irreversible.’
’And then, while he is disgraced, I will have the time I need. To open the Sword Domain. To claim my past life’s power. To become strong enough to kill him.’
Yuexin, her dark eyes, the vial in her hand, the nod, was there. She moved. To leave. To prepare.
Shen Mu, his eyes, on her, the sway of her hips beneath her robes as she walked away, were there. The observation, the brief, involuntary male observation, was there. His thoughts, the aside, the private, slightly guilty aside, were there.
’My princess. My ally. My...’
He exhaled. The breath, the sharp, controlled exhale of a man reining in his thoughts, was there.
’Focus. The banquet. The plan. The kill.’
He turned. And left.