【One】

Li Ke woke up. He moved his eyes and found himself lying on the ground. When he raised his head, he saw a man in a long robe with wide sleeves sitting on a rosewood chair a few steps away. Li Ke closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then suddenly said, “Where am I?”

“…”

Li Ke continued, “Why does this place look like ancient times? How did I get here? Who are you? Is this some kind of reality show?”

“…”

Li Ke demanded, “Say something!”

The man finally spoke, “In the past two years, it’s rare to see someone react like you.”

“…”

The man explained, “For the past two years, everyone who came here seemed very certain about their situation, usually asking if they had time-traveled.”

“…”

【Two】

The man leisurely took a sip of tea. His black hair was like ink, his eyebrows reached his temples, and his eyes were long and narrow. He had a beautiful face that appeared indifferent and heartless. After a moment of composure, Li Ke said, “So I did time travel.”

The man nodded, “You did.”

Li Ke asked, “Which dynasty and era is this place?”

The man replied, “This is the capital of the Da Liang dynasty.”

Li Ke fell into deep thought. The man watched him for a while and then kindly reminded, “It’s fictional.”

“Oh,” Li Ke responded.

【Three】

Li Ke asked, “So do people often time travel to this place?”

The man explained, “The capital seems to be located at a dragon’s lair with peculiar feng shui. Every year, one or two people who have just died come back to life in this area. These revived people all lose their memories and claim to be from thousands of years in the future. The emperor has set up a special office to handle these people.”

“…” Li Ke questioned, “What do you mean by handle?”

The man smiled silently.

Li Ke pressed, “How are they handled?”

The man answered, “It varies from person to person. The emperor takes these strange occurrences seriously and has ordered that whenever someone like you is found, they must be reported to the court immediately for him to personally interrogate.”

Li Ke asked, “Then why haven’t you reported me?”

The man took another sip of tea.

Just then, a servant hurriedly knocked on the door and entered, “Your Highness! The palace urgently summons all princes to the hall. It seems the emperor is not doing well!”

“…”

【Four】

Before leaving, the man looked at Li Ke on the ground and instructed the servant, “Lock him up.”

Li Ke and the servant exchanged glances.

The servant thought for a moment, then followed and asked, “Your Highness, where should I lock Mr. Liu?”

The man replied, “Just keep him here.”

“…”

The servant thought for a moment and stood at the door of the room, facing inward, silently staring at Li Ke.

Li Ke also silently stared back.

After a while, Li Ke asked, “Who am I?”

The servant closed his lips tightly and remained silent.

Li Ke asked, “Did your Highness instruct you not to talk to me?”

The servant replied, “No.”

Li Ke asked again, “Who am I?”

The servant said, “Are you stupid?”

Li Ke responded, “No.”

The servant thought for a moment and suddenly realized, “Oh, you’ve time-traveled.”

“…”

【Five】

The servant explained, “Your name is Liu Wenzhong, a musician from a music hall in the capital. His Highness loves elegant music and heard that you are good at playing the flute, so he invited you to the mansion to play.”

Li Ke asked, “Who is His Highness?”

“His Highness is the son of the emperor, Prince Yu. Just now, I was on duty outside and heard a flute playing inside. Suddenly, the sound stopped abruptly, and I thought you were dead.”

“…”

【Six】

Li Ke asked, “How could playing the flute kill me?”

The servant replied, “I don’t know.”

Li Ke asked, “Does your Highness dislike me?”

The servant replied, “I don’t know.”

Li Ke questioned, “Does your Highness have any deadly martial arts skills?”

The servant replied, “His Highness does not know martial arts.”

Li Ke thought for a moment but couldn’t figure it out, so he jumped to the next question, “Can I look in the mirror?”

The servant pointed to a bronze mirror in the room, “Feel free.”

Li Ke approached and looked at the weak, delicate figure in the mirror, with a pale face and a fragile expression. Suddenly, he thought it wasn’t surprising if this person died from playing the flute.

【Seven】

Li Ke asked, “Did your Highness just calmly watch me die and then calmly watch me come back to life?”

The servant replied, “His Highness is always calm. Besides, it’s not uncommon for the dead to come back to life.”

Li Ke asked, “What happens to people who time-travel here?”

The servant replied, “There are two types. Some people can provide knowledge from thousands of years in the future. For example, the last person who came made a means of transportation called a bicycle from a bunch of scrap metal. Unfortunately, the emperor rode it once and said it was uncomfortable compared to riding a horse or sedan.”

“…”

“In short, such people are employed by the court for their talents. Then there are those who seem insane. They can’t understand anything, can’t explain anything, but believe they are chosen by fate to save the world and become famous. Once, a woman even slapped the emperor, thinking he might fall in love with her. She was immediately imprisoned in the imperial jail.”

“…”

The servant asked, “What kind of logic is that?”

Li Ke replied, “…I don’t know.”

【Eight】

Li Ke said, “Now that I think about it, I really don’t have any remarkable skills or useful knowledge…oh, does poetry count?”

The servant asked, “What poetry do you know?”

Li Ke began, “Have you not seen the Yellow River’s waters flowing from heaven…”

The servant interrupted, “Someone recited that five years ago.”

“…”

The servant said, “Take your time to think.”

Li Ke asked, “What will happen if I can’t think of anything?”

The servant replied, “The emperor said that resurrected people are ominous. If they are completely useless, they are imprisoned for life to prevent trouble.”

Li Ke whimpered, “Oh no.”

【Nine】

The servant said, “Oh, but the emperor has been seriously ill for a long time. He might be dying now. Who knows if the new emperor will change the policy?”

Li Ke asked, “Isn’t the new emperor your Highness?”

The servant was shocked, glared at Li Ke, and quickly shut the door with a bang.

Guess not, Li Ke thought.

【Ten】

When Zhou Rongqi returned, Li Ke was sitting at the table, drinking tea from the cup Zhou had just used. Seeing Zhou Rongqi push the door open and enter, Li Ke froze, then quickly stood up and stepped aside respectfully, “Your Highness.”

Zhou Rongqi slowly sat down, glanced at Li Ke, and asked, “Can you play the flute?”

Li Ke replied, “No…”

Zhou Rongqi asked, “Do you have any other skills?”

Li Ke replied, “No…”

Zhou Rongqi commanded, “Someone, take him to the imperial jail.”

Li Ke shouted, “Wait!”

Zhou Rongqi asked, “Have you thought of something?”

Li Ke bit his lip, recalling a strange novel he read in his youth. He solemnly tugged at his clothes, exposing half of his shoulder, “I am skilled in… seduction.”

“…”

Zhou Rongqi smiled.

Zhou Rongqi called, “Someone.”

Li Ke knelt down on the spot, “Wait! Wait!”

【Eleven】

Zhou Rongqi remained unmoved and gestured, causing two servants to come forward, grab Li Ke, and drag him out.

Li Ke shouted frantically, “I can warm the bed! I can do laundry! I can mop the floor! I can cook! I can speak English! Do you need English? Hello! How are you!”

Zhou Rongqi frowned, and the servants let go of Li Ke.

Zhou Rongqi asked, “You can cook?”

Li Ke thought of the three dishes he could make: scrambled eggs with tomatoes, fried rice with eggs, and fried rice with tomatoes and eggs.

Li Ke nodded decisively, “Yes.”

【Twelve】

Zhou Rongqi ordered someone to take Li Ke to the kitchen to cook a dish.

Li Ke searched inside and out of the kitchen meticulously.

Li Ke cursed, “Damn.”

He finally remembered, there were no tomatoes in ancient times.

【Thirteen】

The two servants stood by, expressionless, watching.

Li Ke stared at the stone stove for a while, then smiled apologetically, “Could you help me start the fire, please?”

The servant replied, “Aren’t you supposed to know how to cook?”

Li Ke explained, “Where I come from, cooking doesn’t include starting the fire.”

The servant clicked his tongue.

With two dishes out of the question, Li Ke had no choice but to make fried rice with eggs.

Once the fire was lit, Li Ke clumsily prepared the ingredients, broke the eggs, mixed them with the rice

, heated the iron pan, poured in some oil, then added the egg-rice mixture, stirring it clumsily with a spatula. The fire was too strong, and the eggs were about to burn. Li Ke suddenly realized, “Salt, salt, salt!”

Li Ke opened the salt container and saw the coarse ancient salt, unsure of how much to use. In a panic, he sprinkled half a spoonful into the pan, tasted it with chopsticks, couldn’t discern the flavor, and added two or three more spoonfuls.

“…” The servant’s eyelids twitched.

Li Ke tasted it again, maintaining a calm silence.

He picked up a bowl of clear water from the table and, with a trembling hand, poured it all into the pan.

“…”

【Fourteen】

Zhou Rongqi looked at the dish that resembled egg-cooked rice.

Li Ke said, “This was just a practice run.”

He continued, “Let me try it again properly. I think I can salvage it.”

Zhou Rongqi gracefully picked up a pair of chopsticks, his posture extremely elegant.

A sudden hope arose in Li Ke’s heart: what if the people in this world have different taste buds?

Zhou Rongqi, with a composed expression, picked up a small piece of either burnt egg or charred rice and put it in his mouth, chewing a few times.

Li Ke kept thinking: after all, I’ve lived so long and never eaten egg-cooked rice myself. What if it’s unexpectedly delicious?

Zhou Rongqi said, “Ptooey.”

“…”

【Fifteen】

When Li Ke was being dragged out, he didn’t struggle anymore; he quietly looked at the sky.

The sky without smog was so blue. Maybe I traveled here just to see this, he thought.

In the end, he wasn’t taken to the anticipated dungeon, nor was he taken outside the prince’s mansion. Instead, he was turned around and locked in a dark inner room.

The door creaked shut, and he heard the sound of a lock falling into place outside.

Li Ke stood alone in the room, looking around. He saw an assortment of whips and torture devices, indicating that this was a small torture chamber.

What does this mean?

Li Ke, suddenly confronted with a series of shocks, paced back and forth, recalling his uneventful past life and tearfully missing his friends and family.

Then he tried to guess the prince’s intentions but couldn’t figure it out.

Until the night grew deep and darkness surrounded him, Li Ke, cold and hungry, finally heard the door open.

Zhou Rongqi walked in alone, holding a candle in one hand and shielding the flame with the other, casting a wavering light that made his features look both beautiful and sinister.

Li Ke looked him up and down.

Zhou Rongqi was about to speak when Li Ke interrupted, “You are a man destined for greatness.”

“…”

Li Ke continued, “People who look like you at least survive until the third to last episode.”

“…”

Zhou Rongqi replied, “You flatter me.”

【Sixteen】

Zhou Rongqi put down the candleholder, turned around, and pulled out a knife from the torture instruments.

“…”

Li Ke asked, “What do you want?”

Zhou Rongqi smiled and said, “Two years ago, one of your kind mentioned that in your world, some harmless foods were discovered to be lethal when combined. Have you heard of this?”

Li Ke was stunned and said, “Crabs and persimmons?”

Zhou Rongqi said, “That’s already documented. I’m asking about newly discovered ones.”

Li Ke, sweating, said, “Oh, actually, my mom once shared an article in her social circle…”

Zhou Rongqi asked, “What?”

Li Ke said, “An article debunking myths.”

“…”

Li Ke, wiping his cold sweat, said in an increasingly smaller voice, “It said that food incompatibility is all pseudoscience. Someone personally tested it, eating crabs and persimmons, drinking milk and orange juice… and nothing happened.”

【Seventeen】

Zhou Rongqi raised the knife.

Li Ke exclaimed, “Let’s talk it out!!!”

【Eighteen】

Li Ke asked, “Why do you want to know this?”

Zhou Rongqi smiled and said, “For health preservation.”

Li Ke asked, “Do you want to poison someone? Are you looking for a way to poison someone quietly, without being detected?”

Zhou Rongqi did not answer, he flicked the blade with his finger, “Think carefully. If you can’t recall, never mind.”

Li Ke said, “I remember! My mom also shared another article! Scientists discovered a new poisonous mushroom. Eating it initially feels fine, but after half a day, it causes headaches, vomiting, convulsions, organ failure, and then death.”

Zhou Rongqi pondered, “What’s its name?”

Li Ke said, “I forgot.”

“…”

Li Ke said, “I remember! I remember the picture! It looks a lot like a shiitake mushroom, but a bit redder. I can recognize it if I see it again!”

【Nineteen】

Zhou Rongqi thought for a moment, then had Li Ke taken to a guest room.

Li Ke took a bath, ate, and tossed and turned, unable to sleep until dawn. When he woke up, he realized he was under house arrest.

In stories, when someone wakes up after time-traveling, even if the first words they hear aren’t “Your Majesty has finally awakened,” at the very least, they hear “Young Master, you’re alive!” and they are surrounded by panicked maids and doctors.

Li Ke looked at the locked door and the shadow of the guards outside, feeling utterly desolate.

Three days later, he saw Zhou Rongqi again.

Zhou Rongqi pointed to a wooden box on the table and said, “These are all the mushrooms resembling shiitake mushrooms that they found from various sources. See if any of them are the poisonous ones you mentioned.”

Li Ke slowly went through them, picking up the reddest one and hesitantly said, “This seems like it… but it could also just be a shiitake.”

Zhou Rongqi, without wasting words, had a dog brought in and fed the mushroom to it.

After half a day, the dog was still lively.

“…” Li Ke said, “I remember now, the article said the poisonous one, when cooked, smells slightly bitter compared to shiitake.”

Zhou Rongqi asked, “Are you stalling?”

Li Ke said, “No! Really no! I swear!”

【Twenty】

Li Ke was sent back to the guest room.

Zhou Rongqi ordered a stove, a small pot, and a daily supply of mushrooms to be brought to him, with a ten-day deadline to identify the poisonous one.

Li Ke looked at the pot and said desolately, “I feel like I’ve just hit rock bottom for a time traveler.”

Zhou Rongqi seemed to consider this.

Zhou Rongqi slowly said, “You can have the dog too.”

“…”

【Twenty-One】

Li Ke said, “A rat… a rat will do. Oh, I also need cooking oil.”

Zhou Rongqi said, “You can get the ingredients from the kitchen. Someone will accompany you, and you cannot go elsewhere.”

From then on, the guest room was filled with cooking smoke.

Three rats were kept in a cage, serving as Li Ke’s test subjects. He cut a small piece from each mushroom, cooked it, sniffed it, and then fed it to the rats.

Li Ke didn’t report any good news, nor did Zhou Rongqi come to check on the progress.

The emperor passed away, a new emperor ascended, and the court was bustling, but it didn’t seem to affect Prince Yu. Li Ke could see Zhou Rongqi from his window, strolling in the garden, admiring flowers, sometimes sitting down to read or eat snacks, looking like a carefree rich man.

Li Ke pondered: who is this person trying so hard to kill?

What kind of person makes a prince go to such lengths, unable to execute them directly but needing to do it secretly?

The more Li Ke thought about it, the more he felt he wouldn’t live long.

【Twenty-Two】

On the seventh day, Zhou Rongqi happened to pass by the guest room and smelled a delicious aroma.

Zhou Rongqi opened the door and saw Li Ke sitting cross-legged on the floor facing the stove, holding a plate of mouth-watering stir-fried mushrooms with shredded meat, enjoying it with the cooking wine from the kitchen.

Li Ke said, “Come, Your Highness, want to try? There’s also stir-fried mushrooms with greens and mushroom tofu soup.”

Zhou Rongqi glanced at the rats in the cage.

The three rats were plump and shiny, showing no signs of poisoning.

Li Ke said, “If they’re still fine after half a day, I put the remaining pieces in the pot. But now, I’m a bit sick of the smell of mushrooms.”

Zhou Rongqi crouched down, took the chopsticks from Li Ke, turned them around, and picked up a piece of mushroom to eat.

Li Ke asked, “My cooking skills have improved, right?”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Do you know you have only three days left?”

Li Ke said, “I know. If I can’t poison a rat in three days, I’ll die.”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Yes.”

Li Ke said, “If I do poison one, I’ll still die.”

Zhou Rongqi asked, “Why?”

Li Ke said, “You’re obviously plotting something big. You isolated me to make it easier to kill me after it’s done.”

Zhou Rongqi praised, “Smart, you do have some brains.”

“…”

Li Ke said, “Thank you.”

【Twenty-Three】

Li Ke said, “If I had known, I wouldn’t have resisted. Letting you send me to the dungeon, I could have lived a few more years.”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Did you come all the way from another world just to spend the rest of your life in the dungeon? Can’t you have a bit more ambition?”

“…”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Help me make a poisonous dish, and

 I’ll let you live for two more months.”

“…”

Li Ke said, “Thank you.”

【Twenty-Four】

Things happened suddenly.

The next evening, as Li Ke was cutting mushrooms as usual, one of the rats in the cage suddenly flipped over, foamed at the mouth, twitched its legs, and died with a squeak.

Li Ke blinked in disbelief, squatted down, and silently stared at the rat. After a while, he poured himself a cup of wine and said, “Life is unpredictable, full of ups and downs. Brother rat, you go ahead, I’ll follow soon. Here, I toast to you.”

When Zhou Rongqi entered, he saw Li Ke pouring half a cup of wine on the floor in front of the dead rat.

Zhou Rongqi asked, “Which mushroom did you feed it?”

Li Ke put down the wine cup and pointed to a plate of mushrooms, one of which had a small piece cut out, “It’s one of these.”

Zhou Rongqi nodded and said, “Cut a piece from each. Someone, bring in a few death row prisoners.”

A few days later, after a series of tests, the poisonous mushroom was finally identified.

Li Ke looked at the grotesque corpse of the unfortunate prisoner and weakly raised his hand to his forehead.

Zhou Rongqi asked, “Scared?”

Li Ke said, “I was once revered by friends and family as the god of dark cuisine, never thought I’d actually send someone to heaven one day.”

“…”

【Twenty-Five】

Li Ke poured himself another cup of yellow wine and said, “Life is unpredictable, full of ups and downs. Brother prisoner, you go ahead, I’ll follow soon.”

Zhou Rongqi suddenly laughed.

As he laughed, he raised his hand, nervously covering his eyes with his slender fingers, his shoulders shaking as he bent over.

Li Ke asked, “What are you laughing at?”

Zhou Rongqi said softly, “I’m laughing at the unpredictability of life.”

“…”

Li Ke said, “You truly are someone destined for greatness.”

He added, “People who laugh like you are usually the ones who destroy the world.”

【Twenty-Six】

The people in the prince’s mansion were efficient. Using the poisonous mushroom as a standard, they quickly found a batch of identical ones.

Zhou Rongqi once again dismissed the others and brought Li Ke into the torture chamber to show him a dish. In the center of a lavish golden plate was a plump carp, carefully placed.

Zhou Rongqi said, “This is a regular dish in the palace kitchen, called ‘Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate.’ The carp is braised and accompanied by shiitake mushrooms, greens, and bamboo shoots. This dish is always present at palace banquets.”

Li Ke said, “I don’t understand.”

Zhou Rongqi said, “You have two months to learn this dish and make it indistinguishable from the real one.”

Li Ke said, “I think I understand now.”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Let’s hear it.”

Li Ke said, “You want me to replace the shiitake mushrooms with the poisonous ones and mix my dish into the palace banquet.”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Correct.”

Li Ke said, “I heard that every dish in the palace is tested with a silver needle for poison before it is served. You want to create a poison that the silver needle can’t detect. I also heard that the palace has someone taste the dishes, but the poison from the mushroom takes hours to act, so the taster won’t be affected immediately.”

Zhou Rongqi said, “You think a lot.”

Li Ke said, “I suddenly thought of something else. Do you want to hear it?”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Go ahead.”

Li Ke said, “Since it’s a palace banquet, no matter who else is invited, there is one person who will never be absent.”

【Twenty-Seven】

Li Ke knew he had learned too much, but he wasn’t very afraid.

Zhou Rongqi said he could live for another two months, which meant that two months later, the poisonous mushrooms would be used.

Two months later, it would be the New Year’s Eve banquet.

Li Ke entered an intensive practice phase.

The poisonous mushrooms were slightly redder than shiitake mushrooms and also more bitter. To disguise their appearance and taste would require a lot of effort.

For a while, the guest room was filled with even more smoke, and the mushroom smell was so strong it made people nauseous.

Li Ke finally couldn’t take it anymore.

Li Ke said, “I quit.”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Oh, you want to die?”

“…”

【Twenty-Eight】

Li Ke said, “I’m going to die anyway, with just over a month left. Every day I’m stuck in this room, cooking mushrooms and nothing else. What’s the point of dragging it out? I might as well die quickly.”

Zhou Rongqi understood. He sipped his tea and said, “So you want to go out?”

“…”

Li Ke said, “I made it here with great difficulty, at least let me visit the capital.”

Zhou Rongqi said, “You know too many secrets. I can’t let you out of my sight.”

Li Ke said, “So you accompany me.”

“…”

Zhou Rongqi said, “What did you say? Repeat that.”

Li Ke said, “So you accompany me.”

【Twenty-Nine】

Zhou Rongqi was a man destined for greatness.

Such a man cannot trust anyone on crucial matters.

So, despite having secret guards following them, he personally changed into casual clothes and stood beside Li Ke.

Li Ke changed into new clothes and joyfully went out. The capital was bustling with people.

Zhou Rongqi, with his hands in his sleeves, asked, “Where do you want to go?”

Li Ke thought: Naturally, to a place where I can escape.

Zhou Rongqi didn’t know martial arts, but the secret guards were highly skilled. After careful consideration, Li Ke knew he had to go to a place crowded with all sorts of people and create a commotion to escape.

Li Ke said, “Let’s go to a brothel.”

“…”

Li Ke said, “Let’s go to a brothel.”

“I heard you.”

【Thirty】

The brothel was not what Li Ke had imagined.

First, he couldn’t find the building.

The so-called brothel was actually a large courtyard. Once inside, it was a different world, with red columns, winding corridors, pavilions, and willows, elegantly decorated. The lively, perfumed scenes from movies were absent. It was quiet, with only faint laughter coming from a few secluded rooms.

Li Ke was a bit panicked.

He originally thought the secret guards wouldn’t follow him into such a place, but Zhou Rongqi waved his hand, and the guards, who had been following from a distance, openly revealed themselves and accompanied them inside.

A heavily made-up madam greeted them, bowed, and said, “Gentlemen, please come in. Would you like a private room for tea or a meal?”

Li Ke calmly said, “I want to sleep.”

“…”

【Thirty-One】

The madam laughed dryly, “You’re joking, sir. Who comes here to sleep in broad daylight?”

Li Ke said, “Then I want to drink and listen to music.”

The madam wiped her sweat, “Sir, during the mourning period, music is forbidden for a hundred days.”

Li Ke said, “I clearly heard a woman’s voice just now. What are they doing in the rooms?”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Sitting and chatting.”

“…”

【Thirty-Two】

If they were just sitting and chatting, there would be no reason to act alone. Li Ke had to change his plan, “Then let’s eat.”

The madam led them to the hall. This brothel at least had a touch of color compared to other taverns, with beauties either standing or sitting at each table, helping pour wine and entertain guests. Among the patrons were nobles and commoners, all drinking heavily and talking merrily.

Li Ke took a few bites of food, secretly looking for a chance to escape, and then an opportunity presented itself.

A fat man, dressed like a rich young master, staggered over, grabbed Li Ke’s hand without warning, and even rubbed it a few times, “Master Liu, long time no see!”

“…”

Li Ke looked at Zhou Rongqi in shock.

Zhou Rongqi kept his eyes on his drink.

The fat man said, “When can I hear you play the flute again?”

Li Ke said, “…You’ve got the wrong person.”

The fat man stretched his neck, bringing his face inches from Li Ke’s, staring at him with drunken eyes. A wave of alcohol hit Li Ke’s nose, “How could I be wrong? Who could mistake Master Liu’s face?” He laughed loudly.

Li Ke looked at Zhou Rongqi in even greater shock.

So Liu Wenzhong really had this identity!

【Thirty-Three】

Li Ke contemplated the possibility of running away with this fat man and couldn’t stop sneaking glances at Zhou Rongqi.

Zhou Rongqi, dressed in casual clothes, didn’t have any accessories indicating his status. The fat man, eyes blurry from drunkenness, asked, “Is this your friend? I’ve never seen him before.” He reached out to grab Zhou Rongqi’s hand.

The secret guards’ hands moved to their swords, but were stopped by a look from Zhou Rongqi.

The prince’s mansion had its dignity and couldn’t reveal its identity in such a place.

Li Ke saw the opportunity and quickly grabbed the fat man’s hand, smiling apologetically, “This… master, you mustn’t touch him.”

Unexpectedly, the provocation failed. The fat man looked at him with delight, “Oh, Master Liu is in a different mood today?”

“…”

Zhou Rongqi said expressionlessly, “Young Master Wu.”

The fat man said, “Huh, you know my father?”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Consider us old acquaintances.”

The fat man squinted at him, still not recognizing who he was, and hummed, “May I know your surname?”

Zhou Rongqi politely hinted, “My surname is Rong.”

The fat man blinked, not understanding.

The fat man said, “I want to invite Master Liu for a drink. You don’t mind, do you?”

Zhou Rongqi said, “I mind.”

“…”

【Thirty-Four】

The rich young man shouted, “Hey! Men!”

With a sudden rush, seven or eight attendants surrounded them. The rich young man grabbed Li Ke, and Li Ke pretended to lose his balance, hiding behind him.

In his mind, Li Ke waved a small flag: Fight! Beat them up!

The rich young man’s attendants drew their weapons!

The rich young man’s attendants charged forward!

The rich young man’s attendants fell to the ground.

【Thirty-Five】

“…”

Zhou Rongqi slowly stood up and walked forward, taking Li Ke from the stunned rich young man’s hand.

Zhou Rongqi’s fingertips were icy cold. Li Ke shivered and realized that Zhou Rongqi was leading him out.

Li Ke felt a chill and suddenly noticed the rich young man’s furious but restrained expression.

Li Ke’s thoughts raced, and he suddenly clung to Zhou Rongqi’s arm.

Zhou Rongqi glanced at him.

Li Ke loudly said, “Master! Thank you, Master, for saving me! Master, you are the best! Master, mwah!”

“…”

Zhou Rongqi allowed him to hold his arm and walked out slowly. Behind them, the rich young man yelled, “Wait until I tell my father!”

Li Ke thought: Yes! Go tell your father! Let him flatten Prince Yu’s mansion!

Then he heard Zhou Rongqi whisper in his ear with a mocking tone, “Do you know who his father is?”

“…”

Li Ke asked, “Who?”

Zhou Rongqi replied, “My subordinate’s subordinate.”

“…”

Li Ke whimpered, “Oh no.”

【Thirty-Six】

Li Ke asked, “What is your relationship with Liu Wenzhong?”

Zhou Rongqi replied, “A gentleman’s friendship.”

Li Ke said, “Heh heh.”

【Thirty-Seven】

Li Ke asked, “Why were you so calm when he died?”

Zhou Rongqi replied, “Great sorrow has no tears, great realization has no words.”

Li Ke said, “Heh heh.”

【Thirty-Eight】

Li Ke said, “I asked your servant. It seems your servant doesn’t know about your ‘gentleman’s friendship,’ right?”

“…”

Zhou Rongqi’s eye twitched.

Li Ke suddenly realized he had found a weak spot and, feeling desperate, dared to act boldly. Knowing Zhou Rongqi couldn’t kill him yet, he loudly said on the street, “Master! I want to buy new clothes!”

Zhou Rongqi looked at him.

Zhou Rongqi said, “Buy.”

“…”

【Thirty-Nine】

Li Ke said, “Master, I want to eat a sugar figure!”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Buy.”

Li Ke said, “Master is so kind! Master, I’ll feed you! Ah—”

Zhou Rongqi opened his mouth expressionlessly.

“…”

【Forty】

Li Ke said, “Master, I want to watch a play.”

Zhou Rongqi said, “During the mourning period, all theaters are closed.”

Li Ke said, “Then I’ll sing for you.”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Sing.”

Li Ke began to howl, “I really want to live for another five hundred years—”

People around them started to stare.

Zhou Rongqi laughed again. His laughter was neurotic, unclear if it was laughter or tears.

Zhou Rongqi said, “What’s the point of living that long? All your loved ones and descendants would be dead, leaving you alone to guard their graves?”

Li Ke said, “You have a point. But compared to living for two months, I’d still rather live five hundred years.”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Everyone dies. You already died once before you came here. How did it feel then?”

Li Ke pondered, “I don’t remember. I closed my eyes and then opened them here.”

Zhou Rongqi said, “So maybe those who die just open their eyes in another world.”

“…”

Li Ke said, “Alright.”

Zhou Rongqi asked, “What’s alright?”

Li Ke said, “You are alright. You have high ambitions, ruthless methods, and an antisocial personality. You don’t value human lives. You will ascend the throne.”

“…”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Who said I want to ascend the throne?”

【Forty-One】

Li Ke lowered his voice, “Aren’t you planning to assassinate the emperor?”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Yes.”

“…”

Li Ke asked, “Aren’t you assassinating the emperor to seize the throne?”

Zhou Rongqi said, “No.”

“…”

Li Ke asked, “Then who will be emperor after you assassinate him?”

Zhou Rongqi said, “That’s none of my concern.”

“…”

【Forty-Two】

Li Ke worried silently all the way back. Zhou Rongqi noticed but said nothing.

Back at the prince’s mansion, Li Ke finally spoke with hesitation, “What you’re doing is wrong.”

Zhou Rongqi asked curiously, “Is this the first day you knew I was going to assassinate the emperor?”

Li Ke said, “That’s not what I mean. Even bad guys should have ambitions. You’re only interested in killing without taking the throne. That’s a minor character’s role.”

Zhou Rongqi said, “What did you think?”

“…”

Zhou Rongqi stood by the window with his hands behind his back, leisurely saying, “Swapping the emperor’s meal with poisoned dishes is a major event. The palace will definitely investigate thoroughly. I have always had a grudge with the new emperor, and I will be the first suspect. By then, I will naturally accompany him to the grave.”

Li Ke asked, “So… you’re just going to kill and not escape, enjoy one moment and then die?”

Zhou Rongqi smiled.

Li Ke asked, “Can I ask, what grudge do you have against him?”

【Forty-Three】

Zhou Rongqi said, “When we were children, he whipped me with a horsewhip.”

Li Ke tried to smooth things over, “That was a long time ago…”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Later, his mother plotted to drown my younger brother.”

“…”

Zhou Rongqi continued, “Before his mother died, she poisoned my mother.”

“…”

Li Ke said, “Grudges have their sources…”

Zhou Rongqi added, “Then he caused the death of my closest friend.”

“…”

【Forty-Four】

Li Ke, gritting his teeth, said, “Even so, killing innocent people is wrong. At the banquet, many people besides him will be poisoned.”

Zhou Rongqi said, “I know.”

Li Ke said, “After you are found out, the whole mansion might be implicated.”

Zhou Rongqi said, “I know.”

“…”

Li Ke said, “Are you really antisocial? This could be carefully planned. There must be a way to not implicate others, and maybe even clear your own name!”

Zhou Rongqi smiled, “I don’t have time.”

“…”

Zhou Rongqi said, “The late emperor probably already suspected something. He decreed that I should be sent to a remote fiefdom in Shu after the mourning period. This is my only chance in my lifetime.”

【Forty-Five】

As the days passed, Li Ke’s sense of impending doom grew stronger.

Apart from staying in the guest room cooking mushrooms, he would drag Zhou Rongqi out to the street occasionally, wanting to ride horses today, play polo tomorrow, drink and feast, enjoying life to the fullest before dying.

For some reason, Zhou Rongqi always complied.

Li Ke ordered a plate of musk duck and, while devouring it, said, “We have a dish called beer duck where I come from.”

Zhou Rongqi asked, “What is beer?”

Li Ke explained, “It’s made from barley malt, slightly bitter in taste but refreshing and not easy to get drunk from. You stir-fry the duck with ginger and garlic, add soy sauce and beer, a bit of sugar, simmer it, then add chili and salt…”

Li Ke smacked his lips.

“…”

Li Ke said, “Give me some time, maybe I can figure out how to brew beer. I’ve improved my cooking lately, making beer duck isn’t impossible.”

“…”

Li Ke said, “Oh, but there’s no time.”

Zhou Rongqi was silent for a moment, then said, “I’m sorry.”

Li Ke was surprised by this sudden statement and sighed, “You clearly are about to die too, surely you have many unfulfilled wishes, yet you still accompany me wandering around. Is it because you feel guilty towards me?”

【Forty-Six】

Li Ke, having drunk too much, said, “You are a good person.”

Zhou Rongqi laughed, “I’m a good person?”

Li Ke said, “Deep down in that heart of yours, which has lost all humanity, there must still be a glimmer of undiminished human kindness. It’s all a problem with the system. It’s the system’s fault.”

“…”

Li Ke earnestly advised, “Your Highness, turn back while you can.”

Through his drunken eyes, Li Ke seemed to see Zhou Rongqi raise his cup and drink it all: “I’m too far from the shore.”

【Forty-Seven】

One day, as New Year’s Eve approached, Li Ke suddenly had a brilliant idea and realized he had been too stupid before.

Why must he disguise the poisonous mushrooms as shiitake mushrooms? Why not just grind them into powder and sprinkle them into the dish?

It turned out that grinding mushrooms into powder wasn’t easy, but cutting them into tiny pieces was. Li Ke held the fragments in his hand, ready to report to Zhou Rongqi, when another idea struck him.

Li Ke made an excuse to enter the mansion’s kitchen.

During this time, he had become quite familiar with the people there, and even the attendants watching him had gradually lowered their guard.

Standing in front of the stove, Li Ke looked at the steaming food.

If he sprinkled the poison into the food…

Half a day later, Zhou Rongqi would notice something was wrong and wouldn’t let him go.

But what if he poisoned the food first and then timed it to trick Zhou Rongqi into going out? The secret guards would be poisoned too and wouldn’t have time to return for help…

Li Ke stood for a long time, clutching the fragments hidden in his sleeve, but in the end, he didn’t release them.

【Forty-Eight】

Zhou Rongqi said, “I’ve carefully considered what you said.”

Li Ke asked, “…Which part?”

Zhou Rongqi replied, “I will eat the poisoned dish at the banquet with the emperor and die at the same time as him. If I die, it will clear my suspicion. Even if it doesn’t, no one will bother to trouble the people in my mansion.”

“…”

Li Ke said with a complex expression, “Do you have to die?”

Zhou Rongqi just smiled without answering.

Li Ke said, “There are so many beautiful sights and delicious foods in this world that you haven’t seen or tasted…”

Zhou Rongqi said, “When I was young, I also thought about traveling the world’s mountains and seas.”

Li Ke said, “If you go to Shu, you can enjoy the mountains and rivers!”

Zhou Rongqi replied, “It’s not worth seeing.”

Li Ke said, “Many people strive for a chance to live. You are still young and full of life, why waste it meaninglessly…”

Zhou Rongqi coldly said, “Can great hatred be measured?”

Li Ke said, “Would your mother and brother want you to sacrifice your life for revenge?”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Insolence!”

“…”

Li Ke wanted to mock the tactic of shouting “insolence” when losing an argument. But he couldn’t speak because Zhou Rongqi was choking him.

【Forty-Nine】

Zhou Rongqi’s grip was incredibly strong, and Li Ke couldn’t break free. His face quickly turned purple.

Li Ke’s lungs felt like they were about to burst, his heart pounded uncontrollably, and shadows clouded his vision. As he was about to lose consciousness, he realized he wasn’t that afraid of death.

Probably because it was a borrowed life, destined to be returned eventually.

Zhou Rongqi suddenly let go.

Li Ke, busy coughing, couldn’t immediately mock the tactic of choking someone when losing an argument.

Zhou Rongqi calmly said, “After I die, they may not come after you. If you manage to survive, I will leave a letter to help you escape the city.”

“…”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Go see the mountains and seas for me.”

【Fifty】

On New Year’s Eve, the prince’s mansion was peaceful.

Li Ke cooked the most beautiful and delicious plate of “Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate” he had ever made in his life, carefully placing it in the golden plate and handing it to the secret guard.

The secret guard nodded slightly and disappeared into the growing twilight.

Zhou Rongqi stood before the mirror, arms outstretched, allowing someone to help him into his heavy ceremonial robes. He turned to Li Ke and said, “I’ve left you some money. It depends on your luck.”

“…”

Zhou Rongqi no longer looked at him, stepped outside, his back straight like a lonely sword.

“…”

Li Ke said, “Goodbye.”

【Fifty-One】

Li Ke returned to his room, took out pen and ink, and began to write a letter.

Li Ke wrote carefully, stroke by stroke:

“To His Highness Prince Yu:

“Are you stupid?

“The plate handed to your secret guard was not mushrooms disguised as shiitake mushrooms but shiitake mushrooms disguised as mushrooms. After all this practice, I can manage this little trick.

“I also made a real poisoned dish for myself. I ate it earlier today. Even though you have an antisocial personality and your torture chamber is well-equipped, I’m more afraid of the strange tortures you might use before I die. By the time you discover the deception and get furious, I should be peacefully dead.

“I figured it out. If you die, I may not survive; but if I die, you will surely live.

“I’ve already lived a lifetime, and now I’ve had another go here, without many regrets. It’s just strange, those who travel through time in books often do great things that change history, but all I did was cook hundreds of dishes.

“Now I am fulfilled. Live well for yourself. Believe me, life is beautiful, you won’t regret it.”

【Fifty-Two】

Li Ke blew on the ink, admired it, then put down the pen and walked to the window, looking at the unpolluted starry sky, imagining Zhou Rongqi’s furious expression upon discovering the truth.

Poisoned food wasn’t like poison gas. He had eaten it well in advance, and even after standing by the window for a while, there was no reaction.

As Zhou Rongqi was almost back, Li Ke almost thought he had ruined his reputation as the god of dark cuisine. Just as he frowned, considering other ways to commit suicide, his stomach finally started to cramp.

Li Ke bent over and vomited a mouthful of black blood. Then he couldn’t stop vomiting.

His vision gradually blurred, and Li Ke fell to the ground, his whole body burning with pain. Regret filled his heart. Had he known it would be this painful, he would have waited for Zhou Rongqi to strangle him. Besides, what if Zhou Rongqi had a change of heart and didn’t kill him?

But it was too late to think about that now.

As his limbs began to convulse, he heard the door open, followed by a maid’s scream.

I’ve been discovered…

Please don’t try to save me, he thought. No matter how much you struggle, you can’t save me. Just finish me off.

In his semi-conscious state, Zhou Rongqi appeared before him.

Zhou Rongqi picked up the letter and read it, then walked over and squatted beside him.

Li Ke said, “…”

Zhou Rongqi leaned closer.

Li Ke, coughing blood, said, “If you are really angry, whip my corpse after I die. This body isn’t mine anyway.”

“…”

【Fifty-Three】

Zhou Rongqi asked, “Do you know who Liu Wenzhong is?”

Li Ke, on the verge of death, replied, “Your bosom friend?”

Zhou Rongqi said, “Liu Wenzhong was my closest friend. A gentleman’s friendship.”

“…”

“His father was an important court official, brought down by the new emperor during political strife. He was demoted to a commoner. The new emperor’s followers, eager to please, repeatedly plotted against him, making him poor and sick. By the time I found him, he had little time left.”

“…”

“The day he came to the mansion, he was saying goodbye to me. Even in his last moments, he urged me not to die for revenge and to live well for the deceased. Then you arrived.”

“…”

Zhou Rongqi looked at Li Ke, whose breathing was becoming more rapid, as if he was about to cry, but in the end, he laughed, “I regret it.”

“…”

Li Ke said, “Oh.”

Then everything went black, and he breathed no more.

【Fifty-Four】

Li Ke woke up.

He moved his eyes and found himself lying on the ground. When he raised his head, he saw a man in a long robe with wide sleeves sitting on a rosewood chair a few steps away.

This scene, this perspective, felt familiar.

Li Ke’s head was a bit muddled. After blinking for a long time, he gradually became clear-headed.

The man rested his hand on his forehead, seemingly dozing, then suddenly opened his eyes and saw Li Ke on the ground, looking surprised.

Zhou Rongqi, puzzled, said, “Why would I dream…”

“…”

Zhou Rongqi looked around and then at his own hands, frowning, “I distinctly remember dying of old age, confessing my regret to you before I died. How could I open my eyes here?”

“…”

Zhou Rongqi asked, “Is this not the underworld? Is this my mansion? What year

 and day is it today?”

“…”

Li Ke said, “For the past two years, I rarely see people react like you.”

“…”

Li Ke slowly got up and said, “Everyone usually asks if they’ve been reborn.”

“…”

【Fifty-Five】

Zhou Rongqi said, “So, I have been reborn.”

Li Ke said, “You have been reborn. We have both been reborn. Except I returned to this moment immediately after I died, while you lived a lifetime after my death before returning. It’s fate!”

“…”

Zhou Rongqi said, “It really is fate.”

Li Ke said, “So, what did you experience in that lifetime? Tell me about it.”

Zhou Rongqi, lost in thought, said with a faint smile, “The world experienced many interesting things.”

Li Ke was startled by his tone when he said “interesting,” his eyelids twitching. Just as he was about to ask more, Zhou Rongqi said, “Come on, don’t you want to see the mountains and seas?”

【Poisonous · End】