Last week had been an absolute nightmare. The sudden, high-profile arrival of the empire's newly passed female physicians had taken a massive toll on the focus of the entire student body. Formal lectures had been completely derailed or cut short just so the women could be introduced one by one to the faculty and elite dormitories.
"You never told me you had a younger sister, Laohu," Pei Hang grumbled over dinner a few days later, his face contorted into a dark grimace.
"Now you know," Laohu grunted back, ripping off a piece of dried meat with his teeth.
"I swear, I thought the girl liked you, Weicheng," Cha Eun Jo chimed in, leaning across the table with a smirk. "Turns out you two are just cousins. I almost choked on my drink when she jumped you."
"She literally threw her arms around you in the middle of the main hallway while everyone was staring," Chou Xi stated, shaking his head. "We all seriously thought you had a secret girlfriend."
I forced a tight smile, internally vomiting at the mere thought.
I remembered the exact moment vivid as day. Mu Lin had spotted our squad having lunch and had literally sprinted across the crowded, stone corridor. Completely ignoring the rules of decorum, she had leaped directly at me in a flying hug right in front of the entire academy. I had managed to laugh it off to hide my sheer panic, but the senior physicians traveling with her had stared at us in absolute disbelief.
Worse, she had instinctively grabbed my right hand, her sharp medical eyes immediately inspecting the fresh, blood-stained bandages beneath my sleeve. Sensing the suffocating weight of dozens of suspicious eyes locked onto us, I had frantically locked eyes with Laohu, silently screaming at him to save my face before someone dug too deep.
If it hadn't been for Laohu's quick reflexes, the entire academy would have labeled us an item. The second Laohu roared out a booming, "Little sister!" the tension had broken. He had bowed repeatedly to the crowd, apologizing profusely for his family's complete lack of manners, and firmly introduced Mu Lin as his hyperactive sibling.
Once the commotion settled, the academy had tried to return to its grueling routine, but the damage was done. I had even overheard one of the senior physicians whispering to a faculty member later that afternoon. "Is that boy Dan Weicheng? The freshman ace archer?" Mu Lin had beamed proudly behind them, which only made me grimace.
"Ah, haha, yes," I had stepped in, sweating through my collar. "Mu Lin, Laohu, and I grew up in the same province. We're practically inseparable."
The delegation had only stayed for a night before departing at dawn, yet the entire week remained thick with incessant, buzzing gossip. I scratched my eyebrow in irritation, dreading the start of a brand-new week.
Today's schedule was Imperial History. The boys had collectively voted that we should all just eat at the central dining hall today, firmly banning me from cooking breakfast after the "sweet knife" incident.
Because it was Monday morning, the dining hall was a chaotic sea of white and blue robes. The queue for the food basins stretched out the door, and my stomach was violently demanding sustenance. I couldn't handle the wait. Leaving the boys to brave the line, I slipped toward the side counters to pour myself a hot drink, begging Laohu to grab me a loose piece of bread before I collapsed from exhaustion.
I reached for the ceramic tea set, selecting chamomile as I always did to soothe my nerves. But just as I extended my left hand to lift the heavy iron water kettle from the stone hearth, another hand reached out, brushing against mine.
My eyes darted upward, locking directly into a pair of sharp, familiar hazel eyes.
Yun Ji Wok.
The sheer shock of his sudden proximity caught me off guard. My fingers slipped, and a splash of boiling water hissed against my bare left hand.
"Ugh," I gasped, the sudden sting causing me to flinch.
Ji Wok blinked, visibly surprised by my reaction, but I recovered instantly, aggressively snatching the handle of the tea set before he could offer assistance.
"Good morning," my mouth voiced out automatically, completely bypassing my brain's defense mechanisms.
The second the words left my lips, I mentally slapped myself. I turned on my heel, desperate to escape his intense, calculating gaze, only to slam directly into a solid, unyielding chest.
I rolled my eyes. Speak of the evil incarnate.
Looking up, I met those bottomless black orbs and raven hair. Everything about this man was pitch black—especially his soul.
"How about another burn for you, Dan Weicheng?" Wang Tae Hua asked, his voice dripping with venomous arrogance.
I ignored him entirely, attempting to step around his massive frame. Tae Hua smirked, a taunting, razor-sharp smile cutting across his handsome face. He casually set his glass of water onto the edge of a nearby table, and before I could predict his movement, his hand shot out, shoving my shoulder with immense force.
My balance broke. The delicate ceramic chamomile tea set slipped from my fingers, shattering into a dozen jagged pieces across the stone floor with a deafening crash.
The sharp explosion of porcelain instantly drew the attention of the entire dining hall. Total silence dropped over the room.
Tae Hua stepped into my space, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent as he lunged forward to deliver a second shove, clearly aiming to humiliate me by sending me crashing flat onto my back into the puddle of hot tea.
Not a chance.
I twisted my torso, effortlessly dodging his extended arm. Utilizing his own forward momentum against him, I wound back and drove a brutal, bone-shattering punch straight into his jaw.
CRACK.
A collective, horrified gasp echoed through the dining hall. Tae Hua stumbled backward, his head snapping to the side as dark blood instantly began to seep from his split lip. Infuriated, his eyes flared with murderous rage. He reared back, his massive fist tearing through the air toward my face—only to stop a mere millimeter from my nose.
Yun Ji Wok had intercepted him, his slender fingers locked around Tae Hua's wrist like a vice.
Tae Hua violently wrenched his hand out of his cousin's grip, glaring between the two of us.
"Stop targeting me, Wang," I hissed, stepping forward rather than backing down. "I am not afraid of you."
Reaching onto the table behind him, I grabbed his abandoned glass of water and deliberately threw the contents directly into his face.
Tae Hua stood drenched, the water mixing with the blood on his lip. He let out a fake, dark laugh, wiping the crimson smear away with the back of his hand. "I'm not targeting you, commoner. You just happen to be standing there when I'm not in the mood."
Behind him, I saw Laohu, Eun Jo, Pei Hang, and Chou Xi already forming a protective wall near our table. They weren't even running over; they just gestured for me to come back, completely unbothered by the violence. They knew my temper by now.
I smirked, giving Tae Hua a condescending side-glance. "Tsk, tsk. You owe me a chamomile tea today, Wang Tae Hua."
The second I reached our table, Laohu and Pei Hang gave me enthusiastic high-fives.
"He really is a faint-hearted prince," I whispered, blowing a stray hair out of my face as I watched Tae Hua and a silent, stony-faced Ji Wok turn and exit the dining hall entirely.
When the grand academy bell finally rang, indicating the start of the morning lecture, the water pavilion was already packed. Group 4 was completely assembled, Ji Wok sitting at the front with an unreadable posture. I let out a heavy sigh as Dormitory 5 took our designated seats directly behind them.
The class hadn't even begun, but I was already dreading it. Today was Master Pu's territory—Imperial History. He was a man capable of talking for twelve hours straight without a single break. His class was widely known as the ultimate test of endurance against boredom.
The moment Master Pu crossed the threshold, the entire hall stood up and bowed in unison. But before our knees could even bend to sit back down, his booming voice halted us.
"Stay standing," Master Pu commanded, his stern eyes sweeping the room. "I have already heard about the little display in the dining hall this morning. Step forward, Dan Weicheng and Wang Tae Hua."
I stretched my neck, a muscle twitching in my jaw as I stepped into the center aisle. Tae Hua glided out from his row, offering me a dark, completely disinterested side-glance.
"I do not need your explanations, nor will I listen to your petty excuses," Master Pu stated, his hands tucked into his heavy robes. "You are both highly capable candidates who know right from wrong, yet you both resorted to primitive violence. Again. Since we have a special field activity today, I will punish you accordingly. You will both clean the academy stables and courtyards for a full week as a warning."
Tae Hua's mouth opened to object, his royal pride clearly wounded, but Master Pu instantly raised a single, unyielding finger.
"Two weeks."
I gritted my teeth, shooting a glare at the prince. Reaching out, I sharply elbowed him in the ribs. "Stop whining," I hissed under my breath.
Tae Hua instantly threw a vicious elbow back, striking my upper arm before Master Pu barked at us to return to our seats.
"You all continue to disappoint me," the old master grumbled, turning to the chalkboard. "However, the curriculum must move forward. Today, we will be entering the Empire's Royal Museum."
The entire pavilion instantly erupted into excited murmurs and whispers. For most of these boys, leaving the dry classroom to see the legendary, grand artifacts of the Arghon Empire was a massive treat. For me, it just meant I didn't have to sit on a wooden bench all day.
"We will be discovering artifacts and uncovering the truths of history together," Master Pu announced.
As if any of you actually know the real history, I thought bitterly, a cold weight settling in my chest.
My hand instinctively drifted to my collar, my fingers pressing against the fabric where my mother's hidden jade necklace lay concealed. Even through the thick layers of binding and the heavy scholar robes, the sharp edges of the heirloom seemed to pierce right through my skin, a brutal reminder of why I was here. I had to avenge my people. I had to expose the lies.
Sensing a heavy gaze, I abruptly tore my hand away from my chest. My eyes darted to the side row.
Yun Ji Wok was staring at me. His hazel eyes were narrowed, entirely fixed on my hand's movement, his mind visibly analyzing the subtle shift in my posture.
A cold sweat broke out across my neck. He sees everything, I reminded myself. Yun Ji Wok was arguably the most dangerous intellect in this capital. He didn't just look; he dissected. I would have to be incredibly wary of him moving forward. In this nest of vipers, absolutely no one could be trusted.
"For safety purposes, you must stick strictly to your assigned groups for the duration of the trip," Master Pu continued, pulling a small scroll from his sleeve. "I will provide you with a central historical riddle before we begin. You must find the answer by analyzing the facts and hidden clues scattered throughout the museum exhibits."
The students nodded in unison, eager to start. But Master Pu's expression grew deeply serious, his eyes locking directly onto mine as the room quieted down.
"However... there is a twist."
Everyone leaned in, hanging on his next words.
"While four of the teams will be working diligently to gather the facts, one specific team has been secretly designated as the Saboteurs. Their job is to covertly destroy or hide the clues before the other groups can read them. The culprit group must remain undiscovered by the end of the two hours. If the innocent teams successfully deduce the answer and correctly identify the culprits, they win. If the culprits successfully sabotage the clues and remain hidden, the culprits take the grand prize."
"Whoa..."
"Now, leaders, step forward and draw your designation from the vase."
One by one, the five dormitory leaders walked up to the podium, reaching into a deep ceramic urn to pull out a small wooden tablet. I slipped my hand inside, my fingers wrapping around a smooth piece of timber. I carefully shielded it from the sight of the other leaders as I walked back to the corner of the room where Dormitory 5 was waiting.
"Master Pu!" Bai Ku Ji, the leader of Group 1, raised his hand in confusion. "How will we know if we are the culprits?"
"The culprit's tablet bears a hidden imperial scripture on the reverse side," Master Pu replied. "The others are entirely blank."
I turned my wooden tablet over in the palm of my hand.
There, etched in sharp, dark ink, was the intricate scripture.
Our faces collectively whitened. Laohu let out a low, breathless curse. We were the saboteurs.
"Exciting," Cha Eun Jo whispered, a dangerous, competitive glint entering his eyes.
Hiding the damning piece of wood deep within the folds of my robe, I signaled my team to move out. The heavy imperial carriages were already waiting in the courtyard, and within an hour, we were pulling up to the massive, breathtaking gates of the inner palace.
The sheer scale of the architecture was overwhelming. The towering walls, the intricate golden murals—everything was vastly grander than anything I had ever seen in the northern territories.
"Imagine growing up here," one of the freshmen whispered, gesturing toward the horizon. "Imagine Tae Hua's home."
Grand. A fortress built on lies and blood, I thought, keeping my face entirely stoic.
We were guided straight to the prestigious South Wing of the palace complex, arriving before an enormous oak door topped with a hand-carved plaque that read: Written by the Stars.
Master Pu gathered the five groups in the grand foyer. "You have exactly two hours. You must obey all museum protocols—no touching the fragile artifacts, no damaging the paintings, and absolutely no unnecessary noise. Certain corridors are strictly sealed to the public. Your central riddle is written here."
He unrolled the small piece of parchment, reading aloud:
"A natural cure for Scarecrow's doom, Your savior's gone, but still in bloom."
"The timer begins now. Move out."
The doors threw open, and the teams scattered. The moment we crossed the threshold, I huddled Dormitory 5 into a tight circle.
"Listen to me," I whispered urgently. "Our job is to sabotage. But if we are caught hoarding or destroying paper clues in a massive pack, we will be exposed instantly. We need to act completely natural. Go out, pretend to analyze the paintings, and if you find a clue, quietly pocket it. Then, we separate. If we aren't seen together, they won't suspect us."
They nodded, dispersing into the grand exhibits.
I slipped into the long gallery of the early emperors. Walking past a massive, bronze incense burner beneath the portrait of the First Emperor of the Wang Dynasty, my eyes caught a small, folded piece of parchment tucked under the lip of the stand. I smoothly swiped it, opening it in the shadow of a pillar.
It read: Stage a coup.
Over the next hour, I navigated the rooms with calculated precision, successfully pocketing four more hidden clues before the other teams could spot them. I read them over one by one, my mind racing:
Painful
Four kingdoms
Three words
Needed fertilizer
My thoughts went entirely haywire. The clues were bizarrely disconnected. Spotting Laohu pretending to examine an ancient vase near the eastern wing, I slipped past him and quietly asked what his sector had yielded. To ensure the other groups didn't suspect us, I intentionally let a passing member of Group 2 see one of my early, non-essential clues, offering a friendly, cooperative smile. My strategy was pure psychological warfare: build absolute trust by appearing entirely uncompetitive.
Gathering the final fragments from Eun Jo and Pei Hang, we laid the remaining clues out in our minds:
Maybe a traitor.
Poisonous elixir.
A flower that cannot be made an ornament.
Revengeful.
Can be seen in Weiyou tribe.
Poison.
A striving battle.
The moment my eyes hit the word Weiyou, a cold spark ignited in my brain. I looked up, meeting Laohu's wide, stunned gaze.
"I know the answer," we whispered in perfect unison, our eyes dropping to the hidden culprit tablet in my sleeve.
"Time is up! All candidates, assemble in the central hall!" Master Pu's voice echoed through the high-arched ceilings.
The five groups gathered in a tight, tense semi-circle in the pavilion hall. The air was thick with suspicion as students eyed each other, trying to read the body language of the leaders.
Master Pu stepped forward, his arms crossed. "Two hours have concluded. Before we reveal the historical answer, we will determine the culprits. Leaders, present your accusations. Who sabotaged the museum?"
To immediately deflect any lingering eyes from Dormitory 5, I took the offensive. I stepped forward, pointing a firm finger directly at Group 4.
"It's Yun Ji Wok's team," I declared confidently. "During the entire two hours, I repeatedly saw them walking through the main galleries without ever sharing or documenting a single clue with the rest of us. They were actively hoarding information to ensure the rest of the academy failed."
Tae Hua let out a low, irritated murmur from the back of his row, glaring at me.
"Actually, that makes sense," a member from Group 1 chimed in suddenly, completely taking my bait. "I saw Tae Hua enter the northern exhibit alone, and when he left, the clue stand near the imperial carriage was completely empty!"
Master Pu turned his stern gaze to the second row. "What say you, Group 4?"
"I saw Group 3 literally crumple a piece of parchment near the pottery exhibit!" Tae Hua countered sharply, his dark eyes snapping to the left.
"I crumpled it to protect it from being stolen by the actual culprits!" the leader of Group 3 shouted back defensively.
"Why would you need to hide it if you weren't guilty?" Bai Ku Ji roared. "Are you afraid of being caught?"
Amidst the growing shouting match, Yun Ji Wok's voice suddenly cut through the chaos like a shattered sheet of ice. He had been completely silent the entire time, but his gaze was locked entirely on me.
"Why are you so eager to hand out your own clues, Weicheng?" Ji Wok asked, his smooth, calm voice instantly silencing the room. All eyes shifted to him, then back to me. "A saboteur's primary job is to ensure the truth remains hidden. But if a clever saboteur realizes they are outnumbered, the easiest way to avoid suspicion is to perform acts of false charity. It creates an illusion of innocence. You promoted a mass protest against my team to hide your own footprints."
Tae Hua smirked, stepping up right beside his cousin. "You've been doubtful from the very beginning, Dan Weicheng."
I simply shrugged, maintaining a perfectly relaxed, unbothered posture. "Think what you want, Prince."
Fortunately, my carefully cultivated trust paid off. The leaders of Group 2 and Group 3 immediately jumped to my defense, loudly arguing that Dormitory 5 had been nothing but helpful throughout the entire exercise.
"Silence!" Master Pu barked, slamming his wooden staff against the stone floor. "We will put it to a vote. One by one, we will eliminate the teams deemed most innocent. Who do we eliminate first? Group 1?"
"Eliminate Group 5," the leader of Group 2 stated firmly. "I don't think Dan Weicheng's team even understands what's happening. They weren't competitive at all; they were just casually wandering around looking at the paintings. They're entirely harmless."
Unanimously, three out of the four opposing groups voted to eliminate us from the suspect pool. Only Group 4 voted against us.
I smiled internally, a wave of profound satisfaction wash over me. My acting skills were reaching terrifying new heights.
The voting trickled down until only Group 1 and Group 4 remained as the final suspects. Master Pu turned to the room for the final verdict. Unanimously, the crowd pointed their fingers to the right.
"Group 4 are the voted culprits," Master Pu announced.
I offered Tae Hua a sweet, victorious smile. He looked ready to murder me.
"We shall see," Master Pu murmured darkly. "Now, for the final round. What is the historical answer to the riddle of the Empire's South Wing?"
One by one, the leaders stepped forward to deliver their conclusions:
Group 1: "Poison Ivy."
Group 2: "Poison Ivy."
Group 3: "Poison Ivy."
Group 4: "Poison Ivy."
Finally, Master Pu looked at me. "Group 5. Your conclusion?"
I took a deep breath, stepping into the center of the hall. My voice was calm, carrying a level of absolute conviction that made the entire room turn silent.
"Our answer is: The Death of the Poison Ivy."
A wave of confused whispers washed over the pavilion. The other students stared at me as if I had completely lost my mind. Why add unnecessary words to a simple botanical answer?
Master Pu's eyes widened slightly, a rare spark of profound academic respect flashing across his weathered face. "An incredibly specific distinction, Candidate Dan. Step forward. Explain your reasoning to the academy."
I walked to the front of the podium, turning my back to the students to look directly at the grand portraits of the historical Arghon emperors.
"Poison Ivy is technically the correct plant," I began, my voice steady. "Every group here found the basic clues. But stating just the plant misses the entire historical weight of the riddle. Have any of you actually read the forbidden archives regarding the fall of the Weiyou Tribe? It is explicitly detailed in the ancient texts under a chapter titled The Death of the Poison Ivy."
The room was dead silent. I saw Laohu keep his eyes fixed firmly on the floor, his jaw tight.
"The Weiyou Tribe was the primary trading route connecting the Arghon and Ruyu Empires," I continued, my fingers tightening within my sleeves as I suppressed the raw emotion rising in my throat. "For generations, Poison Ivy was cultivated exclusively within the steep mountain ranges of the Weiyou territory. It was highly valued by the imperial courts—never used as a mere ornament, but for higher, lethal purposes. It was the premier chemical used for royal execution and capital punishment across the Wang Dynasty."
I took a slow step toward the older portraits.
"If you look closely at the clues provided today, every single parchment was hidden exclusively in the exhibition rooms belonging to the previous emperors. Not a single clue was placed near the portrait of the incumbent, living Emperor. Why?"
I swallowed hard, the taste of ash rising in my mouth as I forced myself to say the words. I turned around, deliberately avoiding the intense, searching gaze of Yun Ji Wok.
"...Because the present Emperor enacted the secret decree to completely eradicate the Weiyou Tribe. They alleged a 'coup' was being staged. When the tribe was systematically wiped out, the trade routes were destroyed, and the specific strain of Poison Ivy used for imperial justice became permanently extinct. The riddle states: 'Your savior's gone, but still in bloom.' The savior represents the historical order of the old empires, which died alongside the Weiyou. Therefore, the true historical answer isn't the plant itself—it is the historical event of its extinction. The Death of the Poison Ivy."
When I finished speaking, the silence in the grand hall was absolute.
Then, Master Pu began to clap. Slowly, the rest of the faculty and the stunned students joined in, a thunderous applause echoing off the high stone walls.
"Magnificent," Master Pu complimented, nodding slowly. "You gathered your thoughts as a cohesive unit and deduced a truth most scholars overlook."
"Actually, Master," Cha Eun Jo interrupted from the back row, a wry smile on his lips. "We can't take credit. Our leader deduced that entire conclusion completely on his own."
"But it was your clues and your efficiency that gave me the pieces to solve it," I countered instantly, throwing my team a warning glance to keep our unity intact.
"You are an academic ace for a reason, Dan Weicheng," Master Pu said, a genuine smile touching his lips. "Now, for the final piece of the game. All leaders, surrender your wooden tablets to the podium."
I stepped forward alongside the others, placing my wooden block face down on the silk cloth.
Master Pu raised his hand, silencing the murmurs. "As it turns out... Group 4 was entirely innocent."
"What?!" Bai Ku Ji gasped, the students instantly looking around in utter bewilderment, desperately trying to guess who had scammed them.
Master Pu flipped the final tablet over, revealing the dark imperial scripture etched into the wood of Dormitory 5.
"The real culprits... were Group 5."
The entire hall erupted into a frenzy of shocked shouts, groans, and laughter.
"You absolute traitors!" Bai Ku Ji laughed, pointing an accusing finger at me while the other teams shook their heads in disbelief. "We were completely scammed by your kindness! You literally handed us a clue just to make us trust you!"
I offered the room a flawless, innocent bow, a mischievous smirk finally breaking across my face.
"Since the innocent teams failed to identify the true saboteurs, and since Group 5 provided the only flawlessly accurate answer to the historical riddle," Master Pu announced, a rare twinkle in his eye, "Dormitory 5 is officially granted a full, unrestricted day of leave from Hill Academy. I will personally arrange your desired date so you may leave the grounds and enjoy the capital city."
Laohu, Eun Jo, Pei Hang, and Chou Xi instantly let out a massive cheer, celebrating our sudden freedom. But as I turned to join them, my eyes accidentally crossed the aisle.
Yun Ji Wok was still sitting perfectly still. He wasn't smiling, and he wasn't joining the commotion. He was simply staring at me, his hazel eyes dark with an intense, quiet fascination—as if he had just watched a master phantom slip through a locked door right in front of his eyes.