Chapter 39: An Assassination Attempt

With nothing to occupy his time, Beigong Juechen cast a glance at the ancient zither inside the boat. He arched a brow, sat down, and gently plucked a few strings. The notes rang out clear and lingering; it was indeed a fine instrument. He pressed his lips together and began to play idly. The music rose, graceful and winding, its low, continuous strains occasionally soaring and tumbling.

Beigong Qiyi lounged against the cabin door, watching as the man’s dark green sleeves moved with subtle motions. His phoenix eyes were half-lowered, slender white fingers dancing across the strings, lips pressed tightly together. Beigong Qiyi felt his heart suddenly pause, only to beat all the faster. He blinked in mild confusion, but his gaze never left the man.

There is one whose beauty is as serene as a clear melody. Her grace and laughter, her charming heart. She understands music, skilled in harmony. Her mournful strings subtle, her spirit pure and fragrant.

The music gradually swelled, Beigong Juechen’s eyes narrowing as his fingers danced with increasing speed. Beigong Qiyi stared unblinking, his hand unconsciously tightening around his fan.

Then the melody faded, as if exhausted after a burst of passionate questioning, sorrowful yet resolute in its grief and anger. Beigong Qiyi felt as though he were drunk, when suddenly, Beigong Juechen stopped playing.

Beigong Qiyi clapped softly, smiling. “I never expected you to play so well, Brother.” Beigong Juechen idly plucked a string, his voice low. “It was nothing, hardly worth praise.” Beigong Qiyi shook his head. “Such wondrous tone, evoking the feeling of inebriation—hearing your ‘Fisherman’s Drunken Song at Dusk’ truly makes me feel intoxicated. Only…”

Beigong Juechen shifted, asking with interest, “Only what?” Beigong Qiyi approached him, bent down, and gently strummed a string, smiling. “‘Fisherman’s Drunken Song at Dusk’ paints a picture of a carefree, unrestrained old fisherman, expressing the composer’s political frustration through feigned drunkenness. Yet in your playing, I heard a different meaning. No doubt that’s why you stopped.”

“Oh?” Beigong Juechen raised a brow. “Go on.”

Beigong Qiyi lowered his gaze, chuckling softly. “With a tyrant on the throne, what use is mere rage or vented resentment?” He glanced at Beigong Juechen, seeing the man’s lips curve in a smile, his eyes alight with deep amusement. “If the imperial throne changes hands every generation, why not simply overthrow it?”

Beigong Juechen narrowed his eyes, his long, strong fingers tapping on the zither’s frame. Suddenly he plucked a string sharply; it rang out with a crisp clang and then snapped. Rising to his feet, he said in a low voice, “Excellent.”

Beigong Qiyi smiled soundlessly. Beigong Juechen cast him a sidelong glance and strode out of the cabin. Beigong Qiyi followed, and the two stood shoulder to shoulder at the prow. Beigong Juechen gazed at the flickering lanterns and brilliant fireworks, his tone meaningful: “Such vast lands and boundless beauty—who wouldn’t wish for a share?”

Beigong Qiyi blinked, turning to look at him, slowly curving his lips. “But who would be satisfied with just a share?”

Beigong Juechen suddenly narrowed his eyes, looking back at the youth. Behind the boy stretched a swath of darkness, pierced by countless points of light, illuminating his exquisite features in shifting shades. The youth’s lips curled in a vivid, alluring, almost otherworldly smile. Beigong Juechen stared at him for a long moment before finally chuckling softly.

The boy’s smile deepened. Beigong Juechen reached out and clapped him heavily on the shoulder, his voice firm: “This is something we must win!”

The night was deep, the moon high, stars scattered across the sky.

Within a dim chamber, a candle burned softly, its fragrance delicate and calming. A woman sat gracefully at the table, her long black hair flowing down to her waist. Orange candlelight illuminated her sharp, delicate chin. She slowly placed her slender hands atop a small bronze cauldron on the table. After a moment, pale red smoke seeped from between her fingers.

Her lips curved into a subtle smile. Cradling the bronze cauldron in her arms, she rose languidly. The crimson gauze curtains behind her swayed gently. She paused in her step, lowered her eyes, and the smile on her lips only deepened. “So it’s you, Brother,” she said.

In the dim room, another figure slowly became visible. The newcomer stopped three paces from the woman, his tone bland. “You shouldn’t have made it.” The woman looked down at the cauldron in her arms, her gaze gentle. She laughed softly. “You should be pleased that I did.”

“Pleased?” The man seemed to let out a cold laugh. “Why would I be pleased?” The woman turned to face him, the cauldron in her arms still emitting wisps of red smoke. She lifted her gaze, her delicate brows arched. “In all the world, only you can counter what I create. If this is ever used on that person, he will have no choice but to seek you out.”

The room was silent but for the faint sound of their breathing. The woman looked at him with a smile. After a while, she heard the man sigh softly. “No, he would never come to me. Someone like him—how could he ever plead for help?”

At this, the woman raised her brows, her smile unchanged. “Even if he never begs, he’ll still come to you for the antidote. That puts the terms of the exchange in your hands.” The man watched the curling red smoke, shaking his head with a mocking smile. “Never mind me, Xiao Luo—do you realize that making deals with Beigong Qiyi is a mistake in itself?”

The woman pressed her lips together, frowning as she nodded. “Of course I know. Beigong Qiyi… hides himself too well. But I have no other way. Years ago, she was poisoned, and I had no remedy but to give her ‘Nothingness.’ Now she’s immune to all poisons and venoms. I can’t think of anything else that would bring her back to my side…”

The man gave her a deep look, brows furrowed as he spoke quietly, “How is your new concoction coming along?” Her slender fingers caressed the cauldron’s uneven surface. She chuckled, “Almost done. Very soon now.”

He nodded, pulling a porcelain vial from his robe and tossing it to her. “I’m leaving.” She nodded in return. The bright red gauze curtains swayed a few times before settling into stillness. She set the cauldron by the window, opened the vial, and held it to her nose, her long lashes fluttering. Then she closed the vial, pressed her lips together, and smiled faintly.

* * *

It was midnight. The lake was aglow with lanterns, laughter and song as before. Beigong Qiyi and Beigong Juechen sat cross-legged side by side on the deck. Someone on shore had begun setting off fireworks, and in an instant, cheers and laughter swept across the lake. Though the two men sat in a dark corner, the brilliant fireworks illuminated their forms.

Beigong Qiyi raised his cup, gazing up at the bursts of color in the sky. “Do you like fireworks, Brother?” Beigong Juechen was sipping lazily at his wine. He replied with a relaxed smile, “I’m neither a child nor a woman.”

Beigong Qiyi touched his nose, chuckling softly. “True. It would be strange if you did.”

Beigong Juechen snorted. Beigong Qiyi turned to study him, the man’s face shifting between light and shadow. The youth withdrew his gaze and drained his cup. Though he hadn’t drunk much, he suddenly felt tipsy.

On shore, fireworks blossomed in great clusters, their thunder echoing across the lake. Beigong Qiyi set down his cup and turned to Beigong Juechen, “What do you think of the wine, Brother?” Beigong Juechen finished his drink unhurriedly. “It’s good wine, but sadly, something bad has been added.”

Just as he spoke, a flash of silver swept down from above. Beigong Juechen’s expression didn’t change; he simply tossed his wine cup upward.

The cup struck the blade with a dull thud. Two more thumps followed as bodies hit the deck. Even amid the thunder of fireworks, the sounds were clear. Beigong Qiyi flicked open his fan to parry a thrusting sword. Behind the fan, his lips curved in a dazzling, wicked smile.

The fireworks on shore gradually faded, the last plume dissolving into mist. More and more bodies littered the deck. Beigong Qiyi’s paper fan sliced through a throat. He dusted off his robes and glanced at Beigong Juechen, who still sat lazily on the deck, unmoved, a neat pile of corpses behind him.

The man raised the unfinished wine jug, draining it before tossing it aside. Only then did he rise slowly to his feet. He gave the youth a sidelong glance, raising a brow with a smile. “Not bad.”

The youth lowered his head with a gentle smile, but a sudden chill flashed through his narrow eyes.

Beigong Juechen straightened his robe. “Let’s go back.” Beigong Qiyi nodded, tossing the bodies into the lake and steering the boat to shore.

Behind them, screams began to rise. Beigong Qiyi looked at the man just ahead of him, eyes lowered. “Who do you think those attackers were, Brother?” Beigong Juechen glanced at the pale moon, scoffing. “With such poor skills, they must be from that Liu clan.”

Beigong Qiyi smiled, nodding. “Then, Brother, care to guess when the next group will make their move?” Beigong Juechen kept his eyes half-lowered as he walked. “They’ve followed long enough. It should be time.” As he spoke, he flicked his hand, and a muffled groan sounded behind them. Beigong Juechen turned to Beigong Qiyi, chin slightly raised, brows arched.

It was a look Beigong Qiyi had never seen before. If he had to describe it in one word, it would be “tsundere.” He stifled a cough behind his hand. “You’ve been following us long enough. Why not show yourselves?”

From the darkness came the faint rustle of clothing. Beigong Qiyi turned to see five people standing in a row not far behind, each with a different weapon; two of them were women. The leader leaned on a stag-headed iron crutch. Beigong Qiyi withdrew his gaze, laughing softly. “So it’s the Five Freaks.” These six, all eccentric in their own ways, had been unmatched in their youth and were then known as the Five Freaks.

“Well, well, we old freaks have been out of the martial world for years, yet there are still young ones who recognize us,” cackled the woman on the left, wielding a long whip. Her voice was low and raspy, eerily out of place in the silence.

Beigong Qiyi’s smile didn’t change. “Since you have retired from the world, why wade into these muddy waters again?”

The leader snorted. “Boy, we’re here for revenge!”

“Oh?” Beigong Qiyi raised a brow. “Revenge? I don’t recall having any quarrel with you.”

The iron crutch struck the ground hard, and the leader snarled, “We’re not here for you, but for your companion! My left leg was ruined by him!”

“And my right eye!” added the man beside him, wearing a black patch over his right eye.

“I bested you in my youth, when you were in your prime. Do you really seek death now?” Only then did Beigong Juechen turn, his voice low and steady.

Author’s note: Oh dear, this random selection… and it’s even split by chapters…

Yes, I know artistic, seme-oriented ancient danmei is a niche genre, and my CP preferences are odd.

But I’m truly grateful to all the girls who share these unique tastes and keep supporting me.

Your support moves this seme greatly!

And please, don’t hesitate to offer criticism or suggestions! I may not have much, but I do have a big heart.

However… please, no personal attacks. This seme can be just as sharp-tongued as anyone!