Chapter 21

After arriving at Liu Bang's camp, it wasn't long before the favorite concubine of Liu Bang, Lady Qi, suffered a relapse of her old illness. Despite the efforts of the best doctors in the vicinity, none could cure her. However, the Chief Steward was skilled in prayer and alchemy. After taking the medicine he personally prepared, the Chief Steward conducted a series of prayers for Lady Qi for three consecutive days. By the third day, it seemed that heaven had finally opened its eyes. Lady Qi, who had been on the brink of death, suddenly felt hungry. After being fed some congee, her face gradually regained some color.

After more than a month of recuperation, Lady Qi's health was finally restored. Liu Bang was overjoyed and offered the Chief Steward the position of a military commander. The Chief Steward, who had seen and experienced much in the Qin palace, did not place much value on such a minor position. He was contemplating whether to use some underhanded tactics to make Liu Bang's wife, Empress Lu, fall ill as well. If curing a concubine earned him a military commander position, wouldn't curing the empress bring back the former chief alchemist? But what if he went all out and cured Liu Bang himself...

While the Chief Steward was lost in his thoughts, a strange wind suddenly blew open his door. The sound of the door hitting the frame startled him. When he turned to look, a man with white hair and dressed in white had already entered.

The man did not speak but pulled a chair to sit in front of the Chief Steward's bed, staring at him with a smirk that carried a look of supreme arrogance.

Xuan! The Chief Steward immediately recognized the man. However, he had died more than three years ago, and the Chief Steward had personally checked his pulse. He had even watched the soldiers bury him. After more than three years, the man should have turned to bones. Why was he now standing before him with white hair?

He's a ghost, here to take revenge! The Chief Steward noticed no signs of yin energy, probably because the man had been a practitioner of alchemy and knew how to contain it.

The Chief Steward had made up his mind, but his face showed a different expression. He muttered to himself: If he were a human, I might still be a bit afraid after what I did to him, but if he's a ghost, then he's out of luck. The alchemist grandpa fears nothing but such evil spirits.

The Chief Steward made a hand sign and sneered, saying, "Little brat, still not content with death? Want to come back and take revenge on Grandpa Steward? Too bad you forgot what Grandpa does. You're really blind, you dog..." Before he could finish, a bolt of lightning appeared in the white-haired ghost's hand, and he heard the last words: "You really haven't changed, still as annoying as ever..." Then everything went black, and he knew nothing more.

When the Chief Steward opened his eyes again, he found himself in an unfamiliar place. It was pitch black, and he couldn't tell where he was. He was tied to a pillar with a strange rope that he couldn't break no matter how many times he struggled.

In such a pitch-black environment, the longer he stayed, the more uneasy he became. The more he thought, the more anxious he felt. Finally, he shouted, "Is anyone there? Anyone, just say something! Even a sound would do! I'll even let you beat me up!"

As soon as he finished speaking, an old voice in front of him said, "Why didn't you say that earlier? I've been waiting for you to say that." The Chief Steward's forehead suddenly ached, and he lost consciousness again.

After an unknown amount of time, the Chief Steward was woken by the sound of voices. There were two people speaking, one of whom had a familiar and harsh voice, saying, "Good thing you didn't kill him, or I would have held it against you."

The old voice replied, "I still have some control, but I didn't want to risk attracting attention. You know, I'm not as strong as I used to be... But to be honest, I didn't expect you to hold your breath. You're letting the person who tried to kill you go, which isn't like you."

The younger voice said, "You seem to know my character well." He paused, and a sizzling sound filled the air, followed by quick footsteps. The Chief Steward glanced over and saw an old figure running away. The younger voice then sneered, "How long are you going to pretend to be dead?"

A chill ran up the Chief Steward's spine, and he shivered. When he turned his head, he met the gaze of a man who should have been dead long ago.

Xuan's lips curled, and he raised an eyebrow, saying, "Chief Steward, do you remember the way to the palace?"

The Chief Steward's heart raced. He now understood that Xuan was alive and had come back for revenge. He couldn't fathom how a palace servant could come back to life and learn such astonishing techniques. But one thing was clear: if Xuan was alive, he was the one who would die. The thought made his muscles tremble, and he tried to beg for mercy, but no words came out.

"I asked you a question, do you remember the way to the palace? Can you at least answer politely?" Xuan repeated coldly, watching the Chief Steward tremble uncontrollably. If not for the ropes, he would have fallen to the ground.

Xuan snorted and was about to speak again when Gui Bu Gui's voice came from nearby, "Interrogation is an art. If you keep this up, the little bastard will soil his pants. Even if you can hold your breath, the smell will stick to your clothes. Imagine that smell..." As he spoke, Gui Bu Gui made a disgusted face.

Gui Bu Gui's words made Xuan swallow his words. He glanced at the old man for a moment and then said, "You ask him..." Gui Bu Gui blinked and asked, "Ask him... what?"

Xuan found a half-burned piece of wood on the ground, walked to Gui Bu Gui, and without hesitation, tore the front of the old man's clothes. Gui Bu Gui grimaced and muttered, "No need to be so rough, just say the word, and I'll take it off myself."

Xuan ignored him and used the charred end of the wood to draw a map. After finishing, he handed the map to Gui Bu Gui, who looked at it for a moment before showing it to the Chief Steward, saying, "Come, look. If you can tell me where this is, I'll send you home..."

As he spoke, the Chief Steward's mouth opened, and he began to wail, "Spare my life... for the sake of my mother, who is over sixty years old... I'll give you everything I've saved over the years, just spare my life..." As he cried, a foul smell filled the air. Gui Bu Gui covered his nose and kicked the Chief Steward, "I said I'll send you home, not to your grave!"

Sensing something was wrong, Xuan's body flickered, and in a few moments, he was outside the room. His voice echoed, "Old man, you continue..."

Gui Bu Gui looked back at where Xuan had disappeared, then turned back to the Chief Steward, holding his breath and whispering a few words in his ear. As soon as he started, the Chief Steward's wailing stopped, and he looked in the direction where Xuan was. Gui Bu Gui continued, and the Chief Steward's eyes grew wider and wider in shock. When the old man finished, the Chief Steward said, "There really is such a person? Then why did Xu... the Great Alchemist go to sea?"

Page break for AD

Page break for AD end