Chapter 1439: Beauty Undercover General's 30th Trick

The day of the welcome banquet.

After a few days of rest, unwilling as he was, he still had to report for duty; early that morning Jin Chen entered the palace to sign in as required.

After handling some related matters, Jin Chen deliberately went to the Imperial Hospital.

The imperial physician on duty that day was precisely the disciple of the chief of the Imperial Hospital.

Upon hearing Jin Chen's purpose, he said: "General, you may not know this, but before entering the palace I had studied the totems of various foreign regions; if you trust me, let me show you."

Jin Chen had the imperial physician bring white paper and ink, then sketched the simple totem he had seen on Muyue's wrist that day.

"This..."

The imperial physician leaned in, puzzled, and said: "General, you may not know this, but every tribe's totem is an animal transformation they believe in, such as eagles, wolves, and so on."

Jin Chen's eyes flickered with a hint of hostility, his voice icy: "This isn't a totem—is it an illness or poison?"

"From what I can tell, official, if it appears at regular intervals and only stays on the hand briefly, then it's surely poison."

The official couldn't fathom Jin Chen's attitude, so he chose his words carefully.

Jin Chen glanced once more at the ink marks on the paper, then left without a word.

"See the General off."

Meanwhile, inside the General's residence.

Muyue had eliminated the serious trouble; thereafter no one in the capital would still think he was the top courtesan of the Jade Water Pavilion, and he had been gleeful for several days straight.

For tonight's welcome banquet he was to attend with his elder brother; Muyue felt it was a major affair, and since Jin Chen had left early that morning he couldn't sleep, so he got up to tidy himself and dress up.

Having heard that the imperial palace held the most beauties, he figured that even if officials' daughters showed up today, despite his status as monarch he wanted to be the best-looking one beside his elder brother.

Just as Muyue was torn between wearing his favorite red robe or one that would match his elder brother's, he suddenly heard a thud from outside the door.

A dead pigeon.

Muyue's face instantly darkened.

After glancing a few times toward the outer courtyard, Muyue silently picked up the dead pigeon and went into the room; with practiced ease he twisted off its drooping head, and at once his hands were covered in blood.

Inside the pigeon's body was an iron rod holding a slip of paper.

Muyue pursed his lips, tossed the pigeon aside, fixed his gaze on the writing on the paper, and pressed his bloody‑stained fingertip firmly against his wrist.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Jin Qingqing watched Muyue head out of the residence, hurried a few steps to catch up, and said, "Your Majesty, tonight is the welcome banquet—aren't you waiting for your second elder brother to return?"

Muyue glanced back at her, smiled faintly, and said, "I'm going to see my subordinates; if my elder brother returns, just tell him that."

"Ah..."

Jin Qingqing stared blankly at the bloodstain on his sleeve, bowed respectfully, and said, "I will truthfully relay that to your second elder brother."

——

Even though he had once gone undercover in the capital, Muyue had never explored any other places, let alone such a remote suburb.

Following the note's directions, Muyue reached the open‑air pavilion in the suburbs; upon arrival he could sense the chaotic qi here, with many people lying in ambush among the hills and fields.

"Get out!" Muyue snapped in Xiwu language, a cold light flashing in his green pupils.

"Nice little brother, you're really perceptive."

Agena clapped his hands and appeared, his subordinates wielding iron‑spiked poison whips at their heels, instantly surrounding Muyue.

"Should I call you younger brother or monarch?" Agena's deep‑set face was full of anger, his smile all the more sarcastic.

Seeing that the visitor was the sole prince acknowledged by the former monarch, Muyue's expression eased, and he replied coldly, "Of course I am the monarch."

"I don't have an older brother like you; you're unworthy."

"What a monarch! You killed your father and your lord—you deserve to be locked away on Divine Mountain for punishment! How dare you!"

Muyue flicked his ear, saying, "You're so noisy—anyway, you only recognize the Heaven's Eye Pearl; it's in my hand, so I am the monarch."

Agena: "……"

"You took advantage of my absence in Xiwu to scheme for the throne—then don't blame me for being rude as your older brother."

Muyue rolled his eyes, "When have you ever been polite? Shameless."

After the abuse, Xiwu changed hands, and now you say you won't be courteous?

Isn't that just plain sick?

Muyue reached out his hand, "Give me the Heaven's Eye Pearl, and you give me the antidote."

"Foolish! What antidote could there be for this poison?" Agena flicked his braid and sneered, "Too bad I lack the patience to wait months for you to die so I can reclaim the monarch's throne."

"As expected, a liar."

Muyue pulled his hand back, muttering, "You're just like your father—shameless!"

"Kill the traitor! Seize the Heaven's Eye Pearl!" Agena's eyes flashed with sharp anger as he swung his poison whip.

In an instant everyone rushed forward, encircling Muyue from all sides.

Unlike the Xiwu guards Muyue had killed before, those following Agena were genuine experts, each possessing secret techniques.

Even though Muyue had previously concealed his clumsiness, after killing a few of them off‑guard his skill was revealed, and he could not break free at once.

And Agena, who was determined to retake the Heaven's Eye Pearl, had his muscles tensed like a frenzied beast; his strikes were vicious and cruel, each blow as deadly as a raging storm.

What's more fatal, Muyue was completely unfamiliar with the mountain terrain here; he was driven deeper into the woods before realizing the terrain was excessively complex, leaving him without a sense of direction.

Agena pressed his bloody wound, thinking to himself that he had underestimated the enemy, never imagining that this person's harmlessness since childhood was merely a façade.

Nevertheless, having numbers on his side was ultimately useful.

Watching Muyue buzz around like a headless fly searching for an escape route, Agena couldn't help but burst out laughing, wiping the blood droplets from his face.

"This place I carefully picked out for you is excellent—even if you die here, a lonely soul couldn't escape!"

"Ah!"

Muyue, caught off guard, was struck in the arm by a sudden iron spur, knocked to the ground, and then heard Agena's mocking laughter.

Their face was pallid, already exhausted on the endless road ahead; their dry lips could only taste salty, bitter sweat.

They really shouldn't have come today.

But even if there was a sliver of hope for detox, they would not let it go.

When their thoughts were in turmoil, Muyue blinked their weak eyelids, and suddenly recalled the tactic that their elder brother had mentioned when they were previously in the Divine Might Battalion.

Although it was intended for Saiwai, where direction is easily confused, using it here……

Muyue clutched their broken left arm; with a hazy, dazed gaze, they looked around and finally found a usable small path.

They gritted their teeth, leapt down from the sloped ground beside the pavilion that had some height, and, using the momentum of sliding down, escaped the encirclement of Agena's subordinates.

"Damn it! This person truly doesn't value their life—chase after them!"

Even Agena, who had surveyed the terrain beforehand, did not expect that Muyue could still find another way out.

Another round of fleeing and killing.

Muyue used the deep mountain terrain to evade the pursuing assassins; while running, they inevitably moved their broken left arm, their whole person almost bloodless, bloodstains covering their clothing.

"Ah!"

A woodcutter carrying two loads of firewood was hurrying along the road when they were startled by this person who suddenly appeared; they quickly put down their load and intended to run, when a sleeve dagger suddenly appeared before them, stabbing straight into a tree branch only half an inch away.

The woodcutter trembled all over from fright, stiffening their body as they turned backward, "Great… great… great hero! I was just passing by, I didn't see anything!"