Lang Huan sat up straight on her giant white wolf, Xiao Bai, holding the reins lazily with one hand. She half-listened to the conversation between Master Xuankai and Qiu Yue, catching bits and pieces of Xuankai's deep, serious voice as he spoke about the creepy place they were heading to—Soul Lost Forest.
"What was it called again?" Lang Huan asked, half-laughing as if she couldn't quite take it seriously.
"Soul Lost Forest," Xuankai replied flatly,
How ridiculous. Lang Huan had little patience for ominous names like that. She'd seen the maps the area—marked with strange symbols. What did those even mean?
The fog thickened as they rode, the rhythmic sound of hooves striking damp earth blending with the quietness. They should have reached the resting point by now, but there was no sign of tents, no soldiers setting up camp, no fires burning in the dusk. General Wu's brows furrowed, an uneasy feeling settling over him.
When they reached the lake, the scene turned horrifying. Dead soldiers were scattered across the ground. They looked as if they had just died—yet there were no wounds, no blood. Just... lifeless bodies, as if their very breath had been stolen in an instant.
Lang Huan jumped down from Xiao Bai and walked to the broken bridge. She looked at the damage closely: big wooden beams were chopped, the cuts still fresh. There were pieces of burnt wood nearby and a faint smell of smoke. The ropes that once held the bridge together were cut and lying on the ground.
There were footprints too, going toward the hills. This wasn't an accident. Someone had destroyed the bridge on purpose—to stop them from crossing.
The group halted by the lake as the sun dipped behind the trees. The Emperor's voice rang out from his carriage:
"We'll rest here for the night. General Wu, find a way to fix the bridge. We cannot stay here too long."
General Wu shouted back, "Yes, Your Majesty!" and started giving orders.
The Eldest Princess sat in the old pavilion by the lake, discussing poetry with Master Xuankai. Her calm, graceful posture contrasted with the dark wood of the worn pavilion. Sometimes, Feng Yao's gaze would drift toward Lang Huan, watching her move energetically here and there. They seemed unbothered by the broken bridge and the mysterious deaths of the soldiers.
Lang Huan wandered over, her boots kicking up dust as she crossed the clearing. She dropped down beside Feng Yao, ignoring any sense of formality.
Xuankai's disapproving eyes followed her. "Insolent," he scolded.
Lang Huan didn't care at all. She slid closer to Feng Yao, looping her arm through hers and leaning in with a grin.
"Your Highness~," she crooned in a playful, complaining tone. "I'm so scared of Master Xuankai, this morning, he said he wanted to kill me!"
Feng Yao tried not to laugh, but the corners of her mouth curved up slightly.
Xuankai's eyes narrowed. He let out a cold, sharp huff and said, "If Her Highness weren't here, I would have wrapped you up and thrown you into the lake."
Lang Huan gasped and turned to Feng Yao with big, fake-sad eyes, as if silently begging for help. "See? I told you!!"
Feng Yao gently placed her hand on Lang Huan's head, her fingers brushing lightly, as if in silent comfort.
"I can't help you," she said warmly. "Your master is trying to teach you a lesson. You should listen to him."
Master Xuankai folded his arms with a smug look, clearly pleased to have Feng Yao's support. "Your Highness, please don't spoil him too much."
A faint smile curved Feng Yao's lips. "You're right, Xuankai. I'll leave this brat to you."
Lang Huan stuck out her tongue at Master Xuankai in playful defiance. She puffed out her cheeks in a pout, but a small grin was already forming on her lips.
Just then, a few eunuchs arrived with trays of food and set them down on a low table inside the old pavilion.
Lang Huan immediately reached for a piece of grilled meat, but Xuankai stopped her, catching her hand. "Her Highness hasn't picked up her chopsticks or given the order to eat yet,"
"Oh…" Lang Huan paused, then looked at Feng Yao with an expectant, hungry gaze.
Feng Yao amused by the hungry kitten beside her. She lifted her chopsticks and picked up some green vegetables.
"Eat this first. It's good for your digestion," she said, placing it gently in Lang Huan's bowl.
Seeing them begin to eat, the eunuch smiled. As he turned to leave, A Li slipped a gold ingot into his hand. His smile widened, and he left the pavilion happily.
Just as Lang Huan was about to reach for the meat again, Feng Yao's calm voice cut in. "Don't eat the meat."
A Li pulled a slender golden needle from the sash at her waist and dipped it into the dish.
Within seconds, the needle darkened, turning a sickly black.
Lang Huan's smile vanished. Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at the poisoned food, then at A Li, then at Feng Yao.
If Feng Yao hadn't been here… if the food hadn't been tested… she could have been poisoned. A chill crept down her spine.
She stood up quickly, ready to shout a warning—but Feng Yao caught her wrist gently and pulled her back down.
Lang Huan stared at her, confused. Feng Yao leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "Just play along. Don't make a scene."
Then, she added calmly, "Just eat the vegetables. All the vegetarian food was prepared by our own people."
"I have a feeling something will happen tonight," Master Xuankai murmured.
A Li quietly cleaned up the poisoned food, slipping it into a hidden box.
But Lang Huan couldn't relax. Her eyes scanned the others around the area. Everyone else was eating like nothing had happened. No one seemed to know.
Later, as they sat inside the carriage to rest, she looked at Feng Yao, who was reading a book. "Your Highness… do you already know who did it?"
After a moment, Feng Yao put down her book and leaned her head on Lang Huan's shoulder. "No. Anyone could be the suspect."
"Then why does A Li prepare separate food?" Lang Huan asked again.
Feng Yao's voice dropped lower. "It's just out of habit. I've killed too many people... There are always those who want revenge. That's why whenever we travel, we always bring our own food."
Lang Huan sighed. Maybe being careful and even a little paranoid isn't such a bad thing after all.
The Eldest Princess picked up her book again to read, but Lang Huan stopped her.
"Your Highness, don't read anymore. Aren't you tired? Sitting there with your back so straight all night..." she said softly, gently massaging Feng Yao's back.
She shifted the cushions, carefully helping Feng Yao lie down properly, tucking the blankets around her.
Outside, the fires crackled, and somewhere in the darkness, unseen eyes watched.
---
That night, Lang Huan woke up suddenly because the carriage shook with a loud thud.
She heard Xiao Bai growling low outside. Then came the sound—bang, bang!—as Xiao Bai kicked the side of the carriage. He sounded angry and tense.
Lang Huan's heart beat fast. She quickly slid the small window open a little and peeked outside.
Her eyes went wide.
Where were the guards? Where were the soldiers? Why was it so quiet?
Then she saw them—figures dressed all in black, moving like shadows in the night. They were fast and quiet, heading toward the carriages.
They grabbed Feng Xiyan, Wei Yanzhou, and even the Emperor, pulling them out of the carriages. They tied their hands behind their backs.
Lang Huan froze for a moment.
Where was Feng Tianwei? She remembered she hadn't seen him at all that day.
Something was wrong.
She quickly shook A Li awake.
"A Li, wake up. Wake up! Something's wrong," she whispered.
A Li sat up, still sleepy, but when she saw Lang Huan's serious face, she quickly became alert.
Lang Huan turned and gently shook Feng Yao.
"Your Highness… there's trouble," she whispered.
Feng Yao slowly opened her eyes, then propped herself up with one hand to sit upright.
Lang Huan pulled a small dagger from the side of her boot. She held it tight in her hand.
Feng Yao whispered, "Be careful."
"You and A Li stay here," she said. Then she made a small hand gesture, telling them to stay quiet.
The men in black came closer, and one of them reached out to open the carriage door.
Just as the door swung open, Lang Huan jumped at him. Her dagger flashed in the moonlight.
The man was shocked. He stumbled back, but Lang Huan held the dagger to his neck.
"Don't move!" she hissed in a low, dangerous voice.
Master Xuankai and the Eldest Princess's guards jumped out of their carriages to help Lang Huan.
Lang Huan realized the people who had been captured looked weak—probably because of the poison. That's why they couldn't fight back. Some of the eunuchs and guards must have betrayed them.
One of the men in black slowly took off the cloth covering his face.
Lang Huan's eyes widened. "You…!" she shouted in shock.