mesbooks Chapter 157 The Unquiet Night
Chapter 157 The Unquiet Night
Hua Xiang crushed the letter into a ball and tossed it into the bronze basin, setting it alight.
The flash of fire lit his shadowed profile.
He murmured, “Once the enthronement rite is over, I’ll investigate it myself. Master… don’t blame me.”
With that, he turned and left.
I stayed under the table for quite a while before finally daring to poke my head out.
Whew — he’s gone.
I crawled out and dusted off my clothes, my mind still echoing that line: “The Dragonbone Token of the former dynasty.”
What was that?
Could it be the rumored secret tied to the old imperial clan?
Why bring imperial troops into this?
And why had Lian’s father anticipated it?
The threads wound through my mind, and I suddenly felt that this so-called “enthronement rite” was far from a simple succession.
If royal secrets were truly involved, then Lian — and the entire Blood Lotus Cult — might be dragged into a deeper vortex.
And Hua Xiang’s little “self-righteous” scheme…
Would it end up harming others and himself?
I sighed and brushed off the dust.
“Well… looks like I’ll be the one cleaning up the mess again.”
I stepped out of Lian’s room, still mulling over things.
Hua Xiang had just mentioned Monthly Crimson, and earlier Lian said the Blood Lotus Cult clearly had Monthly Crimson but not its antidote — Daily Green.
But what about the Cult at this point in time?
I looked around. Red walls and vermilion tiles. Corridors swept so clean not a trace of dust clung to the soles. Disciples hurried past with tense but proud expressions.
This level of order, display, and discipline —
At this point, forget antidotes; they probably had a whole chest of treasures.
“Maybe Lian’s father really did leave him something valuable,” I muttered.
Decision made: I would keep an eye on the formation nodes, ask around about Daily Green, and look for any hints regarding the Dragonbone Token.
And who in the Cult was most likely to know all that?
Only Hua Xiang.
I recalled the gossip I’d pried out of the disciples: Lian and Hua Xiang grew up together — one steady, one stubborn; Hua Xiang loyal but proud as a peacock. And thinking of that chess anecdote in Lian’s notes, I immediately concluded: Hua Xiang was the type who folded under softness, not force, and loved being coaxed.
A surge of smug satisfaction nearly made me applaud myself.
Hearing he was currently in the storeroom, I slipped into the kitchen, stole a few snacks, and headed that way with a tray.
Walking along, I pictured it: I’d smile warmly, offer him the treats, say a few soft lines, throw in an “I understand you” look — he would spill everything instantly.
But the moment I reached the storeroom, before I could push the door open, I heard a violent string of curses inside.
“You useless lot! You lost something of this importance?! The sacred artifact of the Blood Lotus isn’t something you can lay hands on! Find it! Turn the mountains over if you must!”
Bang—
Sounded like he slapped a table in half.
I shrank behind the door and peeked inside. Hua Xiang’s face had gone green with fury, a kick sending a stool flying. A few disciples knelt trembling at his feet.
Clearly something serious had happened within the Cult.
I immediately sharpened my ears.
From their broken accounts, it seemed something crucial had gone missing — something tied to the Cult’s “orthodox inheritance.”
“Orthodox inheritance?”
The moment the phrase hit my ears, I snapped fully alert.
No way.
Could this be tied to the imperial troops storming in?
The more I listened, the more intrigued I became. When the disciples finally retreated, I marched in with the snacks.
“Hua Xiang Protector, you’ve worked so hard. Have some snacks to calm down — they’re sweet.”
Hua Xiang looked up and, upon seeing me, darkened further. “Why are you here instead of doing your work at the main hall?”
His glare froze me for a second, but my mind switched tactics immediately —
Soft approach only.
I blinked and sighed. “I’ve been running around all day, starving, and figured you hadn’t eaten either. The Master told me to follow you, so I thought I’d show some consideration. Everyone says you work better on a full stomach — sharpening the knife doesn’t delay chopping wood—”
I kept rambling, then conjured a touch of wounded grievance, eyes misting over. “And yet you scold me… truly biting the hand that feeds you.”
Hua Xiang: …
His fury hit a wall. My babbling left him speechless.
After a long breath, he muttered, “Next time… don’t wander.”
His tone softened.
I hid my satisfaction and pressed on. “I think I heard something was missing? Was it the imperial soldiers? Want me to help search?”
Hua Xiang immediately tensed, eyes sharpening. “Not your concern. Don’t ask.”
I waved my hands. “I only want to help! If any of those imperial soldiers slipped through and mixed in with us, that’d be terrible!”
He frowned, and for a moment, it seemed the thought actually struck him. After a long silence, he finally said coldly, “From now on, you are not to leave my side.”
I nodded quickly.
And then — that very night, I got caught up in trouble.
And it was all Hua Xiang’s fault.
It was a moonlit but starless night. I followed him everywhere, not daring to breathe wrong.
He said east, and I never stepped west. He said the moon was round, and I looked up to admire, “So round.”
Just as I was congratulating myself on being the model follower, suddenly—
A loud rustle on the roof.
A figure “flapped” past like a bird that forgot how to fly — more like a crow about to fall off the eaves.
My eyes widened. “That qinggong is atrocious… definitely not Lian.”
After thinking for a moment, I asked Hua Xiang, “Does anyone in the Cult patrol the roofs at night?”
He stared at me, baffled.
I swallowed and said seriously, “If not, then I think someone just broke in. On the roof. I swear I saw it clearly!”
Hua Xiang looked unconvinced but still ordered a full sweep.
After half the night, they found nothing.
His face grew darker by the minute.
I quickly stammered, “I really wasn’t hallucinating, I really did see a—”
One sharp look shut me up.
I forced a smile. “I’ll be quiet.”
The commotion finally subsided.
But drowsiness hit me like a hammer. Truth be told, I’d been running around and getting scolded all day. By now my nerves were shot.
As soon as fatigue took over, my eyelids felt sewn shut — exactly like when the system lagged. My brain kept insisting “stay alert,” but my body had already signed out.
I yawned against a wooden pillar. Mid-yawn, Hua Xiang shot me a glare.
“If you dare yawn again,” he said coldly, “you’ll take night watch.”
I straightened immediately. “I’m wide awake.”
Three seconds later, I yawned again.
I couldn’t help it. The air in the Blood Lotus Cult was stifling. The hall smelled faintly of calming incense — the more I breathed, the sleepier I became.
I rubbed my eyes, fighting the haze. “Maybe I should go back and sleep?”
Hua Xiang didn’t even lift his eyelids. “Sleep? You do know how to feel tired?”
I nodded vigorously. “Tired like my soul’s been dragged out.”
He inspected me for two seconds, as though assessing whether exhaustion would make me a liability. At last he grudgingly nodded. “Fine. But don’t wander tonight. You’ll sleep in my room.”
I nearly choked. “S-sleep… with you?!”