Chapter 1668 – South Sheng Falls, An Huan Is Killed (Seventy-Six)
Due to Hua Yuan’s refusal, the Young Boy could only leave in a state of anxiety, turning back three times as he departed.
Hua Yuan silently watched him go, a somber expression on his face, causing the Young Boy to temporarily resign himself to despair.
“Master, what should we do now?”
The Xichang Princess assumed Hua Yuan would swiftly poison the Young Boy, but she never expected days to pass without any action from him.
With the Young Boy still alive, the Xichang Princess was restless; she feared that Hua Yuan might abandon her, rendering her a useless pawn.
Following Hua Yuan’s instructions, she embarked on a precarious path, plotting a scandal implying her affair with the Young Boy. If the Young Boy and An both survived until her unborn child came into the world, it would be her doom. An’s temperament would never tolerate his concubine being sullied by an adopted son. If An discovered the child in her womb wasn’t his, the Xichang Princess would find herself in a desperate situation.
She felt like a drowning person clinging tightly to a straw before her demise.
With one hand on her visibly swollen belly, the Xichang Princess cautiously leaned against a table, fearing any misfortune would befall her pregnancy.
“I’ve done everything as you instructed, Master. There’s no turning back now. If you abandon me at this moment, I truly wouldn’t know what to do.” Her face bore an adorably pitiful expression, making one instinctively want to smooth her frowning brow.
Of course, this “someone” didn’t include Hua Yuan, who was as cold-hearted as they come.
“I understand.”
Hua Yuan replied coldly, giving no indication of a concrete answer.
“Master, I’m worried that the longer we wait, the more complications we might face. Although the Young Master is young, he is still the child you and An raised. If we don’t quickly eliminate him, he could become a threat.” The Xichang Princess didn’t forget to butter up Hua Yuan, flattering him further, “Moreover… I’ve had some complications due to that matter. If he seizes this chance to take action against me, I won’t be able to sleep a wink.”
Previously, the pregnancy had stabilized, giving her the courage to scheme against the Young Boy under Hua Yuan’s orders.
To maintain the charade, her struggles were unavoidable and rather intense. Under the influence of the drug, the Young Boy had lost his senses and acted roughly, making for a particularly tough encounter that even caused her discomfort in her belly, putting her in a panic.
Under Hua Yuan’s threats, she was desperate, but with the Young Boy still alive, her heart could never be at ease, prompting her to urge Hua Yuan to take action repeatedly.
Did Hua Yuan not understand her sentiments?
With a cold smirk, he replied, “No rush, it’s coming soon.”
The Xichang Princess pressed on, “What does ‘no rush’ mean? How soon is ‘soon’? Each day the Young Boy lives, I live in dread.”
If she could, she would rather see the Young Boy poisoned immediately by Hua Yuan, ending everything and securing her future without peril.
Hua Yuan snorted, offering no response.
Seeing his displeasure, the Xichang Princess quickly regained her wits, regretting her impulsiveness.
“I’m just too worried, not questioning you, Master…”
She awkwardly explained herself, attempting to salvage some goodwill, fearing that Hua Yuan’s displeasure might unleash a wave of his pent-up frustrations upon her.
“Don’t worry,” Hua Yuan’s expression softened slightly as he stated, “The time is almost ripe.”
This response eased the Xichang Princess’s anxious heart.
She and Hua Yuan were in the same boat, tightly bound by interests.
If something happened to her, Hua Yuan wouldn’t escape either.
As it turned out, her worries were unfounded.
Hua Yuan, the calculating mastermind, surely had a perfect plan for whoever he intended to target.
The Young Boy was still too young; no matter how skilled or calculating he was, he couldn’t possibly rival Hua Yuan, who was both shrewd and madly erratic.
The Xichang Princess thought Hua Yuan hadn’t acted, but in reality, he had.
Hua Yuan had taken action, but not against the Young Boy’s physical being—rather, he targeted his spirit, oppressing his will, breaking down his psychological defenses, eroding any thoughts of survival in a state of anxiety. Finally, the Young Boy would consume the poison Hua Yuan had arranged, delivered to him by others.
On that day, darkness fell, the moon hidden behind ominous clouds, with stars dimmed.
Hua Yuan, draped in a robe, stood by the window lost in thought, unable to find sleep. A letter rested on the table beside him.
This letter had been delivered hours ago by the Young Boy’s servant.
Because it wasn’t directly handed to Hua Yuan, he only discovered it after finishing all his tasks.
The letter contained nothing of substance—just a final cry from a cornered beast, filled with despair on the brink of extinction.
In the still of the night, hurried footsteps rushed closer, chaotic and urgent.
As the approach drew near, Hua Yuan could hear the heavy breathing of the approaching figure, his expression indifferent as he looked towards them, his brow slightly furrowed.
Hua Yuan displeasedly inquired, “What’s the rush?”
The servants of the residence were all well-mannered, serving Hua Yuan with utmost caution; generally, they wouldn’t run loudly.
But at this moment, they disregarded decorum, indicating just how shocking the news they carried was.
“Master, Master… there’s grave news!” panted the servant, struggling to catch his breath, “The Young Master has passed away.”
“Passed away?”
“Yes, the news just came – the Young Master poisoned himself and is gone.”
The servant quivered as he spoke, his eyes locked onto Hua Yuan’s, muscles tensed, ready to brace himself for a sorrowful reaction.
However, Hua Yuan’s response surprised the servant.
He thought that given Hua Yuan’s deep bond with the Young Master, he would surely react with shock or at least a hint of sorrow.
Instead, Hua Yuan’s expression remained utterly unreadable, as if the one who died was merely an inconsequential beggar rather than his pupil. He didn’t even ask “How did he die?”… it was as though… he had anticipated this moment all along and was waiting for the news to arrive? The servant was taken aback by his own speculation, quickly bowing his head to avoid revealing any unintended expressions to Hua Yuan.
“I’m aware. You may leave now and prepare plain garments.”
The death of the Young Master was a major earthquake for others, but for Hua Yuan, it was expected.
His indifferent gaze drifted to the letter on the table, the corners of his mouth curling into a silent scoff.
Foolish!
This was Hua Yuan’s assessment of the Young Boy’s demise.
Had it not been for his foolishness and weakness, the Young Boy would have known precisely who had truly plotted against him. In his last moments, he even wrote a heartfelt letter to Hua Yuan, laden with remorse, expressing gratitude for the years of guidance, urging Hua Yuan not to grieve over a useless and unworthy student.
To have a victim write such a sincere farewell to their murderer was truly laughable.
“Destined not to survive, departing now is cleaner.”
Hua Yuan felt a twinge of regret.
The Young Boy was his pupil, yet his ambition was far too limited.
Though it seemed like a deadlock, there were ways to break through it; the Young Boy could have leveraged their teacher-student bond to test Hua Yuan’s resolve, attempting to sway him against An. Even if that didn’t work, he could have made the first move to eliminate the Xichang Princess.
