Chapter 7: The Trap

Several people climbed to the mountain waist, where there were two paths: one leading to the back of the mountain and the other to the mountain top. By passing through a bamboo grove, they could reach the pavilion at the back of the mountain. Jianxi directed the two young eunuchs to quicken their pace, leaving Zhao Cheng behind.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" As Zhao Cheng passed through the bamboo grove, he heard the young eunuchs' stern rebuke. Although they had no status in the inner court, they were like gods to the servants in the outer court, and their words were never polite.

Hearing the rebuke, Zhao Cheng became cautious, slowed his steps, and hid in the bamboo grove to observe. He saw a man of medium build with a fair face, wearing a short jacket and long pants, but with silk shoes on his feet. His attire suggested he was a servant in the mansion, but Zhao Cheng found him somewhat familiar, as if he had seen him in the steward's office.

Although Prince Zhao Cheng had not yet established his own household, he was equipped with a staff similar to that of a prince's mansion since he moved out of the palace. According to the Song dynasty's imperial family tradition, officials were appointed but not assigned, and positions such as the chief secretary, vice-secretary, and military advisor were not always filled. There were one advisor, two friends, and one secretary, all of whom were nominal figures with ranks, belonging to the imperial family temple. They would only appear for major events like weddings and funerals, otherwise, they just received their salaries without managing anything. Zhao Cheng had not seen them in over a year since he left the palace. In reality, all affairs of the mansion, except for the inner court managed by eunuchs sent from the palace, were handled by the stewards in the outer court. There were three stewards in the mansion, who held real power and could be called managers.

"I am from the mansion," the man said nervously when he saw the three people suddenly appear, stuttering.

"Steward Li, how can you come to the inner court without reporting? Don't you know the rules?" The young eunuchs in the inner court did not recognize the stewards, but Jianxi often dealt with them and naturally recognized this third steward. He found it strange that the steward appeared and was dressed oddly, and said with a frown.

"Sir Jianxi, I was passing by and smelled the flowers in the garden, so I came in without thinking. I didn't mean to offend you!" Steward Li bowed and smiled.

"Steward Li, you are an old hand. You know that Second Master is timid and afraid of outsiders. How can you come and go freely? Leave quickly!" It was said that one does not hit a smiling face, and since they often dealt with each other, Jianxi did not want to make things difficult for him, so he waved his hand and told him to leave quickly.

"Oh, I deserve to die. Is Second Master here too?" Steward Li asked, lowering his head.

"Yes, Second Master is right behind you. You should quickly avoid him and not offend him!" Jianxi answered casually, his mind still on the large python, wanting to get rid of Steward Li as soon as possible.

"Hehe, that's great," Steward Li said, raising his head and smiling. Although he was smiling, his voice was full of coldness, and his eyes showed a fierce look.

"What are you planning to do?" Steward Li's sudden change in demeanor frightened Jianxi, who subconsciously raised the wooden stick in his hand and shouted.

"Jianxi, run! He wants to kill!" Zhao Cheng, hiding in the bamboo grove, felt the intense killing aura from Steward Li, even though he was several meters away. If he ran now, he might escape, but he couldn't bear to see Jianxi lose his life, so he shouted a warning.

"Ah?!" Hearing Zhao Cheng's shout, Jianxi was startled and called out. He swung the wooden stick at Steward Li and shouted to the two young eunuchs, "Protect the Prince!"

Seeing his plan exposed by Zhao Cheng, Steward Li did not panic. He dodged Jianxi's stick and already had a short knife in his hand. The two young eunuchs reacted and swung their sticks at Steward Li, but they only saw a blur, and their target disappeared.

One of the young eunuchs tried to call out but saw a flash of white light, followed by a spray of blood. A salty taste filled his mouth, and his head tilted to one side as he fell straight to the ground. The other young eunuch, seeing his companion killed, was so frightened that his stick fell to the ground. He tried to move but couldn't, standing there in shock as the short knife pierced his chest. The pain made him unable to scream, and he felt his heart being shredded as the knife quickly left his body. He felt cold and collapsed on the ground.

"Prince, Prince!" Seeing Steward Li kill the two people in a fluid motion, Jianxi was terrified. His face turned white, and his body trembled. He lost control of his bladder, and a foul smell spread in the air. However, he did not run and still blocked the path, standing in front of Zhao Cheng.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here!" Zhao Cheng, surprised that Jianxi thought of him at this critical moment, felt a warmth in his heart. He stepped forward and stood in front of Jianxi.

"Hehe, you have deep feelings for each other. Don't fight, I'll send you both on your way!" Steward Li casually flicked the blood off his knife and taunted them like a cat playing with a mouse.

"Hehe, can you tell me why you want to kill me?" Zhao Cheng looked up at the killer a few steps away and laughed.

"Aren't you afraid?" Steward Li enjoyed seeing the panic on the faces of those about to die under his knife. He felt like the master of the world, and this feeling made him very happy. Seeing Zhao Cheng's calmness, he became angry and took a step forward.

"You haven't answered my question. Why should I tell you?" Zhao Cheng's arms hung at his sides, and the gun in his hand was already cocked. He looked at Steward Li coldly and calmly.

"I am just a killer and never ask why I kill!" Steward Li took another step forward. He suddenly felt a chill from the child in front of him and tightened his grip on the knife.

"Take the money and do the job. Since you know nothing, die!" Zhao Cheng's voice suddenly became abnormally cold. Behind him, Jianxi, unable to bear the pressure, collapsed on the ground, his eyes wide with fear. He couldn't understand why this child, much younger than himself, suddenly made him so afraid, a fear that went deep into his bones.

"Die!" Steward Li, an experienced killer, sensed the danger and, without hesitation, thrust his knife at Zhao Cheng's neck.

"Bang," a cloud of smoke rose, and Steward Li's body shook. It felt as if his chest had been hit by an iron spike, and all his strength was instantly drained. The knife clattered to the ground. "A bolt from the blue, why did it hit me?" He staggered back two steps, leaning against a stone, trying to understand what had happened. He had been sure that his knife would end the child's life, but he was struck by lightning.

"Are you a demon from the netherworld?" Steward Li suddenly thought of something. His face, pale from rapid blood loss, was filled with fear.

"Your heart is in the wrong place!" This was the last thing Steward Li heard in the world. Accompanied by the Prince's words, a dull sound echoed, and a flower of blood bloomed on his chest. His arm, which had just risen, fell limply, and his wide-open eyes, filled with confusion and fear, slowly slid down the stone. Everything was over.

Zhao Cheng pointed his gun at the lifeless Steward Li, slowly approached, and touched his neck. Feeling no pulse, he put away the gun. "Prince, Prince, for all the time I've served you, don't eat me!" Suddenly, a voice that didn't sound human came from behind him.

"Eat you?!" Zhao Cheng turned around, surprised to see Jianxi kneeling on the ground, crying and begging for mercy. "Why would I eat you? You're just a stinky pile of meat." He realized that Jianxi had taken Steward Li's last words seriously. He hadn't seen Zhao Cheng shoot Steward Li, only heard the gun and seen the smoke, thinking that Zhao Cheng had summoned lightning to kill him, mistaking him for a demon.

"Yes, yes, I'm just a stinky pile of meat, eating me would make you sick!" Jianxi wanted to run but his legs wouldn't move. He struggled several times but fell each time.

"Jianxi, get up! You're so spineless. He was killed by my gun, what are you afraid of?" Seeing Jianxi's panic, Zhao Cheng kicked him a couple of times and laughed.

"Ah, ah?! Second Master, you're not a demon?" Jianxi looked at the smiling Prince, took a moment to realize it was still the Prince he served every day, and said, "Prince, you scared me to death!"

"Coward, get up quickly!" Zhao Cheng scolded, and Jianxi hurriedly stood up. He walked to the dead Steward Li, kicked him twice, and said, "You wanted to kill us, so I killed you first. Get up and kill me!"

"Search him, see if he has anything on him." Zhao Cheng said. Jianxi, not bothered by the dead body, searched Steward Li's pockets and found two strings of copper coins and a small, black, intricately carved wooden plaque. He wiped the blood off and handed it to Zhao Cheng.

"Is this plaque from our mansion?" Zhao Cheng ignored the copper coins and examined the wooden plaque for a moment. It had strange symbols that didn't look like the Taiji or Bagua. He looked up and asked.

"Second Master, this is not from our mansion, nor does it look like it's from the palace. We use copper and silver plaques!" Jianxi answered immediately.

Zhao Cheng nodded and put the wooden plaque back in Steward Li's pocket. "Jianxi, what did your family do before you entered the palace?"

"Hehe, Second Master, we sold coffins and collected unclaimed bodies for the government. Later, a fire destroyed our home, and my father sent me to the palace!" Jianxi scratched his head and said embarrassedly.

"Oh, Jianxi, you killed the assassin this time, I will reward you well!" Zhao Cheng now understood why Jianxi wasn't afraid of dead bodies and dispelled his doubts. It turned out Jianxi had grown up in a place full of dead bodies, so he had a natural fearlessness. He changed the subject and said suddenly.

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**End of Chapter 7**