Chapter 347

Chapter 347

As the Bekhai Khishigs marched out to surround the gathered guests, visions of bitter conflict and slaughtered nobles flashed through Yuzhens mind. Reacting a beat too slow, she ran on stage dragging Gerel behind her, hoping to talk some sense into Baatar before her premonition came to pass. Blade drawn and teeth bared, he was no longer the quiet, reserved warrior she once took him for, but instead a murderous savage hellbent on blood and vengeance. The transformation was startling to behold, a disciplined soldier turned wild creature pacing the stage in restless unease. Shoulders slumped and back hunched, he eyed the guests with blazing blue eyes like a predatory beast searching for an opening to pounce on his wary and frightened prey.Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only

Curiously enough, the Divine Turtle seemed completely unperturbed, still eating her meal next to the stage alongside the rest of Rains pets. Knowing how he loved them dearly, it was disheartening to find Rains pets so indifferent to his death, more concerned with filling their bellies than mourning their master.

Her approach drew Baatars ire and his frosty eyes locked onto Yuzhen with a snarl, responding to what he saw as a challenge to his authority. Pulling her behind him, Gerel stood tall with hands up and palms forward to show he meant no harm. Hands off your weapon, my love, he Sent, his gaze locked on Baatar. Challenge him now and hell act without thinking, or worse, Sarnai will act without caring for consequence.

It took more effort than she liked to admit to lower her guard, unable to relax the fingers wrapped tight around her hilt. An obvious blunder to approach him with weapon ready to draw, but she didnt remember reaching for it, an instinctive response to a dangerous situation. Not that the weapon would do her any good. From what her father told her, Baatar might be strong enough to defeat Nian Zu in single combat. Then there was Akanai, a woman on par with Du Min Gyu and standing nearby over the fallen Rain with her axe-lance in hand. Were the Bekhai to lose their mind here and now, Yuzhen doubted anyone present could contend with this Mentor-Disciple pair aside from Guan Suo, and even he might be forced to retreat before this assembly of Bekhai Experts.

Itd be foolish to rely on the Smiling Slaughterer to save them. They had no prior relationship and if anything, hed probably stand on the Bekhais side. Then there were the other powerful and prominent guests present, such as Nian Zu, Tong Da Hai, Chu Tongzu, Situ Jia Ying and her brother Jia Yang, all high ranking officials and warriors with both feet firmly in the Bekhai camp. If Baatar acted, they would have no choice but to support him because no one in the Empire would believe they were unable to stop him. Yuzhen had to choose her words carefully lest she become a witness to the birth of a rebellion backed by no less than three Magistrates and a Colonel General.

Speaking out loud so the guests could listen in on their exchange, Yuzhen began with, My sympathies for your loss -

Do not speak as if my son is dead while he still draws breath, Sarnai interrupted. Havent you heard? He is the Undying. Mere poison isnt enough to bring him low.

So much for choosing her words wisely. Now that she looked again, Yuzhen noticed the Medical Saint kneeling with eyes closed and hands pressed against Rains bared chest. Gerels mysterious veiled Mentor joined Akanai to ensure no one interrupted the Medical Saints work, yet another hidden dragon shed forgotten about. At times it felt like Bekhai Experts were as common as clouds, a stark reminder they were a force not to take lightly.

To make matters worse, Sarnais words were spoken with confidence and contempt, instilled with Chi to echo throughout the courtyard for all to hear. She made it clear she knew how the guests viewed her oh so troublesome son and many of them shifted uncomfortably in their seat, no doubt remembering earlier conversations where the words savage, bumpkin, and brute had being bandied around quite liberally. As spectacular as Rains victories were, Martial Warriors were an arrogant bunch and his strength far from enough to inspire fear or respect. Most believed his triumphs were solely due to luck, having faced only one true talent, Wu Gam. Then again, even if Rain were ten times stronger and defeated all his rivals in single combat, hed still have more than his fair share of detractors due to his background alone, not to mention his offbeat opinions and distinctive mannerisms. He should have listened to her advice and presented himself as a stoic (and silent) warrior of humble origins instead of flaunting his learning and wealth in front of the entire Empire. Only then would he command respect and...

Focus woman, no sense blowing out candles while the whole house burned down around her.

What fortuitous news. Smile, but not too much. Relief, not joy, which could be misconstrued. The Bekhai are insular and trust no one, so dont give them reason to mistrust you even more. Gesturing at the Khishigs surrounding the guests, Yuzhen added, Thank you for your protection. Who knows if the dastardly villain might strike again. I believe I speak for the Northern delegates present when I offer our full cooperation towards finding and apprehending the party or parties responsible for this heinous crime.

Glancing at her Central counterpart Yo Jeong-Hun, she prayed he had the sense to speak up. After a moments thought, he stood and clasped his hands. Central understands the need for caution in this delicate situation, and I am personally outraged by the audacity of this crime. Not only did they target this talented young hero and mar this festive occasion, it was carried out in the presence of so many esteemed peers whilst under Imperial Decree. Whatever aid you might require, ask and I shall answer.

A thinly veiled warning and an offer to help without committing to anything. How diplomatic of him. The southern delegates had no unified representative, so they all looked to young Dienne for guidance, who merely nodded in silent agreement. Addressing the crowd, she suggested, With so many suspects to winnow through, it would be best if we all remained seated while the Bekhai inspect the kitchens and question the servants. It would be remiss of us if the guilty party were to slip away in the chaos of our departure.

A chorus of ayes and nodding heads followed her statement, but despite securing their agreement, there was no doubt in Yuzhens mind that every guest present had already Sent a message to their guards. Even as she spoke, she knew there were countless warriors marching towards this courtyard ready for blood and battle, but she had to at least try to keep the situation from spiralling out of control.

Directing her next question to Akanai, Yuzhen prayed the Bekhai leader was as calm and level-headed as she appeared. Perhaps the Khishigs would be of more use guarding the exits. From escaping would-be assassins or approaching would-be rescuers, Yuzhen didnt care. Fewer swords wielded by fewer temperamental hot-heads would be good for everyone, and sending the Khishigs away might calm the guests down. So long as the balance of power sat firmly in Bekhai hands, Yuzhen believed Akanai would keep things from devolving into open slaughter.

With a nod, Akanai wordlessly sent the Khishigs away and Yuzhen celebrated this tiniest of victories. A half-second later, the sound of heavy boots filled the air, draining her of joy and filling her with trepidation as they marched towards the courtyard in a steady and speedy cadence. Hundreds of boots moving in perfect rhythm marked them as highly-trained and disciplined elites, and their quick response meant theyd been waiting nearby in full armour no less. The Bekhai hardly seemed concerned by the approaching warriors, which was strange considering they lacked any sort of heavy infantry. This meant that in all likelihood the boots belonged to Nian Zus elite soldiers or Yo Jeong-Huns personal guards, but neither mans reaction gave anything away. Temples throbbing and shoulders tense, Yuzhen held her breath and waited. Whose soldiers would step through those curtains and for what purpose? Were these warriors here to even the balance or would they tip the scales even further in favour of the Bekhai?

Language my boy, language.

Sorry. Closing his eyes, Rain quietly coughed and thought things through while Yuzhen and the other guests waited with bated breath. After an eternity of silence, Rain finally opened his eyes and chuckled, shaking his head ever so slightly. Damn. I think it was the idiot servant.

After listening to Rains theory on how he was poisoned, Yuzhen felt the urge to smack him upside the head and ask who was the real idiot. A single cup to control which one he drank, running back and forth so no one could accidentally drink from a poisoned teapot or see him poison the cup, making eye contact with a young noble and then disappearing without warning, all strange behaviour unbecoming of a servant. What happened? Rain was normally so wary and perceptive, for him to stumble like this was entirely out of character.

Well, hes probably long gone by now, Rain said, eyes closed in rest. Guess I scared him off when I asked for a bigger cup, haha. With a tired sigh, he asked, So why will this take weeks to recover from?

Instead of taking offence at an open challenge to his skills, the Medical Saint merely shook his head in defeat. Whoever arranged this knew of your Healing abilities and planned accordingly. They didnt poison you, not exactly. Whatever it is, its taken root in your intestines and created... not an obstruction, but an impediment of sorts. In small doses, this wouldnt be an issue and to some it might even be considered a boon, helping to filter the rich blood flowing out of your intestines. Problem is, you consumed too much and now the obstruction is so dense, its creating blood clots which are carried away to the rest of your body. You were lucky, my boy. Had this clot travelled to your brain instead of your lungs, youd have had a stroke or possibly even outright died. As it is, you passed out from a pulmonary embolism in your lungs.

Oh. Least Im not dead. Furrowing his brow, Rain continued, Clots are easy to deal with, I can handle that myself, though itd require constant surveillance. Hmm... I cant remove the impediment. My body doesnt recognize it as harmful or foreign, so my Healing does nothing. How clever, using medicine to kill.

Indeed, but not to worry. Though removing the cause is beyond my skills, treating the symptoms is simple enough. Blood flow will break down the impediment in time and while this will lead to more blood clots, so long as we have a healer watching you around the clock, no harm will come to you.

Why dont you just remove the impediment?

Shaking her head at Rains question, Yuzhen worried that a clot had already reached his brain and was affecting his memory. Hed only just stated that the body didnt recognize the impediment as harmful, so there was no way to target it with Healing. The Medical Saint said as much, but Rain merely smiled. No, I mean physically remove it. With a knife. Slice my stomach open, cut out the afflicted section of intestine, and Heal me back up. Easy peasy.

A bark of laughter slipped through Yuzhens lips before she could stop it, but thankfully, she wasnt the only one. Nervous chuckles emanated from the gathered guests at the thought of doing something so barbaric. Vivisection and flesh-sculpting were the pursuits of madmen and sadists, like the heretic Zhen Shi and his ilk. For Rain to suggest such a thing was -

Brilliant! With a dazzling smile which had Yuzhen swooning on her feet, the Medical Saint beckoned for Baatars help. Come, make a single long incision here, deep enough to penetrate the abdominal cavity but not enough to rupture his intestines, else well have a real mess on our hands...

The next fifteen minutes were the longest quarter hour of Yuzhens life. It was small comfort knowing she wasnt alone in her torment, the other guests also forced to sit and watch while the Medical Saint and Baatar eviscerated Falling Rain on stage in front of them. Once the cut was made, the Medical Saint stuck his hand into the bloody incision and rummaged about, chewing on his tongue and humming beneath his breath while Rains guts spluttered and squelched. After long minutes of ransacking the cavity to no avail, the Medical Saint snorted in discontent and pulled out an entire length of intestine, inspecting it centimetre by centimetre while it was still attached to Rain like a length of bloody, throbbing rope. Soon, he gave a cry of success and held out a section of blackened intestine. With two flicks of his wrist, Baatar cut it free and the severed piece fell to the stage, rolling away while the Medical Saint cackled with delight while holding two spurting sections of guts in his blood-soaked hands.

Thankfully, Yuzhens mind blocked out the rest and soon enough, she looked down at a shirtless, bloodied, but uninjured Falling Rain. Mouth twisted in a grimace, he plucked at his black silk pants covered in his own blood and quipped, Next time, we should put down towels first. I really liked these pants.

Mind buffeted by alternating waves of shocked disbelief and fearful apprehension, Yuzhen struggled to keep her mouth closed and feet steady. More than one guest had fainted with others wavering on the precipice, and it was all Yuzhen could do to hold back the bile rising in her throat, but Rain? His eyes were wide open throughout the entire ordeal, yet he never made a sound. Now, minutes after being disembowelled, he sat on the stage floor with bowl and chopsticks in hand, shovelling food into his mouth while cracking jokes about needing to put on weight. Even without his new title of Imperial Consort, Yuzhen suspected that once word of tonights events spread, no one would dare cross him ever again.

The Undying Savage, the people would say, is entirely devoid of mercy.

Even towards himself.

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