Go and capture those thirty-six fierce villains.

"His Highness is taking a nap at this time. Please wait here for a moment, Qin Xingzhen."

At the entrance to the study, the guard whispered his words, glancing at Qin Ning's attire with some surprise, but said nothing more.

At this moment, Qin Ning simply wiped the filth off his face. He was still wearing the same blood-stained, tattered robe he wore on Zhenji Ridge.

She was taking a nap... Could this be considered remaining calm even if Mount Tai collapsed before her, or being completely at ease because she was certain the prince would be safe?

Qin Ning pondered to himself, and considering that the leaders of the Mohist school had all appeared at Zhenji Ridge, he leaned towards the latter.

It didn't take long, just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

There was a commotion inside the house. A guard went in and came out a moment later, saying, "Qin Xingzhen, His Highness requests your presence."

As Qin Ning entered, the familiar fragrance of the pear-shaped curtains filled his nostrils. Prince Su, dressed in close-fitting plain clothes, sat on a soft couch, with servants attending to him as he washed his face and rinsed his mouth.

Prince Su looked up, blinking his small eyes. "How did things get like this? Is Yan'er alright?"

"His Highness is well and is currently resting at the Good Dream Pavilion."

"Then what brings you to see me?"

Qin Ning didn't speak, but looked at the maids on either side of him and the guards in the room.

Prince Su chuckled and waved his arm, saying, "You may all step aside. Qin Xingzhen and I need to discuss the Crown Prince's illness."

The head guard: "Your Highness, you..."

Although Qin Ning appeared calm and respectful, the stench of blood emanating from him was overwhelming. As the head of the guards responsible for Prince Su's safety, he couldn't trust leaving just the two of them in the study.

Prince Su interrupted, "Alright, I once single-handedly held off hundreds of thousands of iron cavalry. Although I am old now, I am not so weak as to be unable to defeat a seventh-rank physician, especially since you are all guarding the door."

After he finished speaking, he stood up, but he didn't pay attention and missed the step under the tatami mat. He stumbled and fell to the ground.

Fortunately, the head of the guards reacted quickly and stepped forward to help the man up.

Prince Su: "..."

Qin Ning: "..."

The head of the guards: "..."

After a moment of silence in the study, Prince Su steadied himself, pushed away the guard's hand, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Go, go, all of you go outside and stand guard... Also, call the craftsmen from the manor to come and dismantle these steps for me!"

After all the irrelevant people in the house had left.

The overweight Prince Su walked to the mahogany round table, picked up the blue stone teapot, poured two cups of tea for himself and Qin Ning, and then slowly walked over with the tea.

"Tell me, what's all this secrecy about, and why are you kicking everyone out first?"

Qin Ning's chest heaved, his eyes revealing determination, and he said softly, "Your Highness, I have joined the Sichen Guard."

pat!

The teacup in Prince Su's hand fell to the ground and shattered into several pieces, the crisp sound echoing in the room.

The study door was suddenly pushed open, and the head guard, with his long sword half-drawn from its sheath, peered in to see what was happening.

Prince Su suppressed his shock and said with displeasure, "Why are you making such a fuss? I just didn't hold the cup properly. Get out! Don't come back in without my permission... Also, tell the steward to send another tea set later."

Sheathing his sword, the head guard looked dejected as he scratched his head and closed the door.

"Come with me."

As Prince Su spoke, he walked towards the inner room of the study. He came to the large vermilion desk and gently turned the small seal on it. Qin Ning sensed an invisible wave spreading out, as if it were enveloping the small room.

"Having joined the Sichen Guard and then revealed his true identity to me, is Qin Xingzhen planning to do something reckless?"

Hu Guang, a prodigy who studied both Confucianism and Buddhism, once served in the Great Xia Dynasty. Later, he was persecuted by his political enemies and fled across the Chengchuan River to Daling to avoid disaster.

Because of his talent and political skills, he was appreciated by the Emperor of Daling and entered the court as a second-rank official.

As a result, during the subsequent war between the two countries, due to the exposure of a secret letter, Da Lingfang learned that Hu Guang was actually a spy planted by the Great Xia Dynasty within Da Ling!

Qin Ning had been visiting the library frequently over the past ten days, so he was naturally familiar with this historical anecdote.

"My joining the Sichen Guard was not my original intention. I have come to confess to Your Highness for two reasons: first, I have news to report to repay the kindness shown to me over the past ten days; second, I am begging to live."

The incident at Zhenji Ridge forced Qin Ning to make a choice under the threat of death. But as he came to his senses, the more he thought about it, the more something seemed amiss.

Xu Meishan, a fourth-rank Mohist, is already one of the top masters in the world. Such a person would certainly not have a low rank in the Sichen Guard.

His adoptive father, Physician Yang, was able to establish rules for the autumn harvest.

Their rank and abilities will likely only be higher.

Qin Ning recalled the bedtime stories Feng Hanying had told him.

One person can destroy a nation! Could someone like that really be so self-important just because of some medical theories?!

He didn't believe it.

Moreover, how did Gu Kexing die? Why did I inexplicably end up in a deadly situation in Blood Rain Fortress? The prayer ceremony is only held on the third day of the tenth lunar month every year at Zhenji Ridge. It's such a coincidence that a great spirit is there. Xu Meishan appeared in time twice in a row. Is all of this really a coincidence?

Unrelated by blood, yet they traveled thousands of miles to deliver a message, wielding immense power to search for someone just to pass on a single sentence. Perhaps someone else would have thought they were the chosen one, possessing medical theories far ahead of their time that could awe the ancients.

But Qin Ning never believed in free lunches.

It has been said that the gifts of fate come with a hidden price.

What price will he have to pay for the gifts from figures like Sichenwei and Physician Yang in the future?

Qin Ning's current strength is weak. Although he possesses various supernatural abilities and has the inheritance of the Daoist sect, he feels powerless to resist the mysterious net that has been cast upon him until these things are transformed into real strength.

Fortunately, there's always a way out!

After more than ten days of firsthand experience, Qin Ning decided to side with Prince Su, believing that he was still relatively kind and law-abiding in this era.

Having the power, and being at odds with Sichenwei, they had no choice but to make a decision.

Qin Ning would rather join the other side; at least the people in this camp still have humanity!

Most importantly, he chose it himself!

"What news do you want to report? And what is your plea for life? As far as I know, although the Sichen Guard is ruthless, they have their own strict rules and regulations and will not kill their colleagues indiscriminately."

Prince Su walked behind the desk, pulled out a chair and sat down, his small eyes fixed on Qin Ning, seemingly lost in thought.

Why does this feel like an interview...? Gathering her wandering thoughts, Qin Ning said softly, "The young master's strange illness was caused by the Sichen Guard. These words came from a fourth-rank Mo family member in the Sichen Guard named Xu Meishan."

"Xu Meishan, the outcast of the Mohist school, didn't he go to the border with Yang Sisheng? Why is he here at Zhenji Ridge today?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Prince Su's eyes; clearly, he was not entirely unaware of the chaos that had occurred during the prayer ceremony. However, Xu Meishan's appearance still took him by surprise.

"I already suspected that Yan'er's strange illness was caused by Sichenwei, so this isn't exactly new information. Is this how you repay my kindness?"

Qin Ning shook his head and said, "As far as I know, the Sichen Guard, Daling, Mobei, and many other forces in the shadows do not want a new ruler to appear in Suzhou, especially since this new ruler is so diligent and loves the people... With so many possible targets, even if Your Highness had guessed beforehand, you probably couldn't be sure which side it was."

Prince Su laughed: "You know quite a bit, alright, your information is useful. But what you mean by 'begging for life,' is that something you agree to?"

Qin Ning fell silent.

If he were to truthfully state his guess, it seemed that Physician Yang had some ulterior motives towards him, and it was hard to say whether Prince Su was interested or indifferent.

He came here to survive, not to add another layer of entrapment to himself.

There's no need to gamble on human nature... Qin Ning decided to tell a little lie.