Chapter 492 – Fragrant Bait for Eunuchs, Receiving a Ghost Hammer From the Green Lotus - Part 2

Chapter 492 – Fragrant Bait for Eunuchs, Receiving a Ghost Hammer From the Green Lotus - Part 2

A few days later.

A supply wagon rolled out of the palace on a routine shopping trip.

These kinds of errands were seen as plum assignments, which meant easy work, good pay, and plenty of opportunity for pocket-lining.

The tall, handsome eunuch Chang Xin had somehow caught the favor of one of the palace’s high-ranking nobles and secured this enviable post for himself.

At the moment, he was proudly driving the cart through the busy marketplace, his posture practically dripping with smug satisfaction.

When he stopped outside a fabric shop, the owner came bustling out, fawning shamelessly. Bowing and scraping, he grinned and said something about fetching sample robes, asking Chang Xin to wait a moment.

So Chang Xin stayed on the cart, lounging.

Barely a few breaths passed before a shadow fell across him from behind.

Someone cleared their throat.

Chang Xin turned around and nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Hall Master Shi! What are

you

doing here?!”

Before him stood a man with cropped white hair, broad shoulders like iron shields, and a quiet, unshakable presence like a mountain that had simply decided to walk into the street.

Clad in thin yellow armor, a dark cloak draped over his shoulders, Shi Shanbai looked even more imposing than usual. He didn’t bother with words.

He reached out, grabbed Chang Xin by the wrist, and with a swift motion from his sleeve, something small and dark slid into his hand.

Click!

With one smooth motion, he locked the cuffs around Chang Xin’s wrists.

They were leather, but not ordinary. These manacles were infamous at one point, known to completely subjugate those who wore them, stripping away their ability to resist.

Over time, the true origin of these restraints had been uncovered by the higher powers across the continent. They came from the mysterious ghost domain in the south known as the Ghost Prison.

And because that ghost domain was becoming increasingly more powerful, what had once been an item that could only be used by fifth ranks or above could now be used by fourth ranks.

[1]

Shi Shanbai had obtained the human-skin cuffs from the remnants of the Immortal Worship Cult, then wasted no time in using them on Chang Xin.

It only took a moment. The eunuch’s body convulsed violently, then gradually stilled. A fanatical gleam lit up in his eyes as he knelt down before Shi Shanbai and said with fervent devotion, “Greetings, Master.”

Shi Shanbai clicked his tongue in delight. He tested the results a few more times and confirmed it. This eunuch was now utterly obedient, willing to follow every word he said. No hesitation. No resistance.

Satisfied, he cut straight to the point, asking in detail about Chang Xin’s relationship with the Empress Dowager.

When he heard that it was only

after

that particular day that the Empress Dowager began allowing Chang Xin to serve her...a slow smile spread across Shi Shanbai’s face.

He understood. That day, when he’d offered to massage the Empress Dowager under the pretense of helping her cultivation, she

had

been tempted.

Of course she had. A woman who’d lost her man, who bore the crushing weight of the empire on her own shoulders—how could she not? A woman like that didn’t need comfort. She needed a mountain. A man she could lean on.

And

he

, Shi Shanbai, was that mountain.

She simply hadn’t been able to lower her pride. Or maybe she still harbored some suspicion toward him. So, rather than accept his offer, she called for the eunuch instead.

But from that, Shi Shanbai had learned a great deal.

The Empress Dowager was the type to

divert

her feelings.

A terrifying woman,

he thought with a quiet admiration. Then he grinned.

But no matter how clever you are, you’d never guess your most trusted eunuch is now mine.

After that, he began assigning tasks to Chang Xin.

The core instruction was simple. To get closer to the Empress Dowager, lure her in, and become her most trusted servant. The more intimate, the better.

But there was no need to rush. Everything should happen naturally.

Chang Xin, a seasoned palace eunuch, understood immediately. He nodded again and again, eyes gleaming with calculation.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

A few days passed.

By now, July had arrived. The imperial lotus ponds were in full bloom.

The sky was endless blue. Red blossoms blazed like fire against the light.

A small orchid boat floated motionless on the surface of the palace lake, gentle ripples glimmering beneath it as a soft breeze stirred the jade-colored waters.

Along the cobbled path that curved around the lake, rows of palace maids and eunuchs stood in perfect order, quiet and respectful.

The Empress Dowager had announced she would be taking a boat ride today, so preparations had been made hours in advance.

But even in this calm and orderly scene...there was something strange in the air.

In the back row, a few newly appointed young maids, still unfamiliar with court etiquette, were whispering gossip behind cupped hands.

“Where’s Chief Eunuch Chang?”

“Yeah, usually he’s already here by now. Isn’t he always the first to stand by the water, right at the spot closest to the boat?”

“No idea... Do you think...” One of the girls lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Maybe the Empress Dowager’s tired of him?”

Fortunately, a sharper, more experienced maid nearby immediately cut them off. “Are you trying to get yourselves killed? Shut your mouths.”

The gossip stopped instantly.

Meanwhile, Chang Xin himself was practically glowing as he made his way toward the Clear Mind Hall.

He could feel it. No,

everyone

in the palace could feel it.

The Empress Dowager was getting closer and closer to him. It wasn’t his imagination.

He hadn’t even been working this angle for long, and already he was on the verge of completing his master’s task. If he could truly become the Dowager’s most trusted confidant, or even share her bed, even just once, then what did it matter that he was a eunuch?

He’d die smiling.

Originally, he was supposed to wait by the lakeside today. But instead, he’d been summoned directly to Clear Mind Hall.

And the intent behind that summons? He had a good guess.

Was the Empress Dowager about to appoint him as her personal attendant? Would he be serving her in the inner sanctum of Clear Mind Hall from now on?

The thought made his heart race with anticipation.

He picked up his pace, nearly skipping through the gates—only to see, within the hall, that dignified and awe-inspiring woman seated before a bronze mirror...all alone.

The palace maids had already been dismissed. When she heard footsteps outside, the Empress Dowager raised her hand and called out with a gentle smile, “My dear Xin, come here.”

Chang Xin swallowed nervously and hurried forward. Just as he reached her back and opened his mouth to speak, everything went black. He collapsed without a sound.

Moments later, another

Chang Xin

appeared beside the Empress Dowager.

But this one...was different. His eyes gleamed with a quiet majesty, and his presence, though dressed as a lowly eunuch, carried the immovable weight of a mountain.

Xie Wei sat silently before the bronze mirror, watching his reflection from behind.

“Incredible,” she murmured.

Chang Xin—no, Li Yuan—said mildly, “Didn’t you already see this once before?”

“The Emperor is gone. Gucheng belongs to Yu'er now. That means

you

...belong to me.” Xie Wei reached out, gently taking his hand, her voice soft and calm. “I need you.”

Li Yuan said, “What if I’m not here...”

But he trailed off. From somewhere below them, the hidden chamber beneath the hall, came the faint, unmistakable sound of a blade being drawn...then swung.

“He’s dead.” Xie Wei said quietly.

A long silence filled the air.

Then Xie Wei spoke again, her voice low but steady. “I’m a disgraceful woman. But I’m not one to throw myself at just anyone. This life of mine, this body of mine, after today, they’re yours alone. I’ll grant you the title of

Marquis of Freedom

, and the right to come and go through the palace as you please. Will that do?”

“Isn’t this a little fast?” Li Yuan asked.

“Then let’s see how you perform...on the lake today,” Xie Wei replied.

“No need to rush. Wait a few more days before announcing anything.” Li Yuan shook his head. He paused, then added, “Now that Chang Xin has won the Mountain Hall’s absolute trust, I’ll use the opportunity to investigate from within.”

They continued speaking in hushed tones, plotting quietly together.

Then they rose and stepped outside.

The Empress Dowager boarded her imperial palanquin.

Li Yuan followed at her side.

By the time they reached the lotus lake, the crowd of servants watched in shock as the eunuch known as Chang Xin helped the Empress Dowager onto the boat himself, with an ease and intimacy that turned more than a few heads.

The elegant orchid boat glided across the surface, slipping into the dense web of lotus leaves.

Not long after, from within the boat, soft laughter drifted out. It was a woman’s laughter, light and lilting, like a secret hidden in the mist.

Many of those present heard it clearly. Tongues clicked. Eyes widened.

It was official. That eunuch named Chang Xin...had truly risen.

But the story didn’t stop there.

That very night, a new order was issued. Chang Xin was reassigned to the Clear Mind Hall as the Empress Dowager’s personal attendant.

As night fell, the lamps of the Clear Mind Hall were extinguished. Darkness filled the air.

And outside the hall, the palace buzzed with speculation.

The rumors spread fast, and they inevitably reached the ears of the young Emperor.

Of course, he didn’t know that the eunuch now serving his mother was actually the very same man who, in his childhood, had taught him how to fly a kite...the man who had given him one of the few joyful memories of his early years.

He was still young but far from naive. He had already experienced more in his few years than many would in a lifetime. And now, with the guidance of excellent tutors, his mind was growing sharper by the day.

At that moment, he felt as though he saw straight through the filth inside the Clear Mind Hall.

Rage boiled in his chest. He nearly gave the order to have a carriage prepared. He wanted to confront his mother directly and demand to know why. But in the end...he stopped himself.

He clenched his jaw. He understood how hard his mother had fought.

“Mother...knows what she’s doing. She

knows

what she’s doing! I’m still young. I don’t understand anything!”

Tiny fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. His teeth sank into his lip as his breath came in ragged gasps. His eyes turned red, fury and tears flickering inside them like wildfire.

And yet, despite everything...

That night, Li Yuan wasn’t in the Clear Mind Hall.

He had quietly returned to the outskirts of Bloomtown. He was waiting for Bai Lianjue. But Bai Lianjue had disappeared without a word. There was no contact, no signal, as if she had simply vanished from the world.

Still, though Bai Lianjue remained silent, someone else

had

returned to Bloomtown.

1. For clarification, I believe the human-skin manacles still only work on seventh ranks or above. This is specifically talking about those who can wield the ghost items. Ordinarily, a fourth rank’s Yang energy is too overwhelming to be able to use lower tier ghost items. ☜