THE NEED FOR SURVIVAL
Her mother entered, her eyes immediately scanning the room and settling on Wei Cheng's face, seeing past the weary expression to the fear underneath.
"I know what happened in the arena," the Empress said simply, walking toward the bed.
"And I know what this means."
"Your Highness," Mei Lin bowed.
"Mother, I failed," Wei Cheng said. He immediately bowed on one knee and covered his face with an arm. "General Hu won the selection instead of me like I normally do. The court is already in chaos."
"They are already whispering 'false prince' and 'weak heir' everywhere," Mei Lin interjected softly. "Mei clan is moving quickly to capitalize on the loss."
The Empress sighed. She was rarely vulnerable.
"Stand up, crown Prince. I told you that I saw what happened there and that I know what it is," She asserted.
"And my father?" Wei Lian asked, her jaw tight.
"He is silent," the Empress replied, turning back to face them.
"Which means he is considering all options. He has stripped you of your duties for the next month, pending a 'health review'." She motioned to the small black fox on the bed.
"Xiao Hei, activate the deepest silencing array. We must speak freely."
Xiao Hei immediately sprang into action, a flicker of mist, and the room felt instantly sealed, muffling even a scream. He returned back to the bed.
"The court is a secondary concern right now. They have poisoned the strongest warrior in Qingyun Sect."
"They?" Wei Cheng asked sharply.
"Yes. They. Moiying Valley," the Empress confirmed, a dark look crossing her face. "They engineered this. They knew you were our undefeated champion. They needed you out of the picture before the Grand Tournament."
"So they could get the golden rain?" Mei Lin asked confusedly.
"The tournament is not only about the rain. It's much more than that," The Empress said.
"But how did they do it?" Mei Lin interjected again softly from the corner.
"The Mo Teng Curse isn't just a simple poison; it's a specific energy manipulation," the Empress explained. "It takes precisely three months to mature, then consumes the host's primordial spirit. You don't have much time left, Cheng."
Wei Cheng looked down at his right hand, the veins had completely disappeared after Mei Lin's illusion spell, but he could still feel the throbbing beneath the skin. "I can't even use my power at full capacity without the tendrils showing. And it is painful when it shows."
"I know that already," the Empress nodded. "Stop trying to use it until we have found a slight preservation method for you. Our pure Qingyun Qi will only spread the corruption faster if you try to fight it here. You need a solution rooted in the very energy that cursed you."
Mei Lin stepped forward and bowed. She pulled out the ancient scroll from where she had hidden it in the cabinet. "We made a little findings on it, your highness."
"Xiao Hei found this scroll in the archives and it seems to say a lot about the poison. It has also confirmed the only known antidote: The Celestial Dew Elixir. It's found in a reclusive part of the neutral Spirit Plains, guarded by the 'Ghostly Physician'."
"And you should know, of course, that only a few can access this plains. But there is also a preservative for it. Something to neutralise the power of the poison for the short period of time that one has left. But that depends on a person's cultivation and root."
"I think she should see her master," She said and handed the scroll over to the Empress.
"The location is obviously a secret," the Empress said after going through the scroll. "And only someone who uses a similar, dark energy signature can access that territory safely. Someone with innate dark/fire affinity. Someone with roots and a cultivation that has to do with darkness."
Xiao Hei, curled on the bed, jumped up and shifted into his human form instantly. He jumped down and bowed to the Empress.
"Long Yue. The champion of the Moiying Valley. Doesn't he use the same power? He was Lian Lian's opponent last season but you saw it. There was darkness in his weaves."
"He's the champion of the enemy nation, Xiao Hei," Wei Cheng argued, the idea was bitter and he did not like the thought of working with someone who was literally a half-demon.
"And he might have been the one who poisoned me!"
"What do you mean by that he might have been the one who poisoned you?" The Empress asked.
"The last time I used my Qi was the final tournament of last season. According to the scroll, that is the only time the poisoning could have happened—while using the Qi," He heaved.
"I felt a sharp pain on my wrist when he threw that fireball at me. But I didn't pay attention to it. And as you said, it is a slow poison and takes quite long to produce its effect. And he is from the Moiying Valley, Mother! Wouldn't it be natural if he did it?"
The Empress nodded.
"But he has the innate affinity necessary to guide you to the realm and get you the elixir," the Empress stated. "This is for your survival, Lian. However hard, you need to find a way to get into his good books and find out the secret about the Elixir and how to get to the realm. It is in your hands now."
"And you must travel to his home territory to find him. He would never be allowed here."
"I need to secure his help," Wei Cheng said, determination hardening her features. "I will go as the Crown Prince to secure his cooperation. I will make him an offer that he won't refuse. I will find out his weakness first and then use it against him."
The Empress shook her head. "No. The Crown Prince is broken, disgraced, and cannot leave the palace grounds without official decree. Wei Cheng must stay here, officially recovering while we manage the political fires."
She looked at her daughter with fierce love. "Shed the veil. Go in plain clothes, as the woman that you are. Try your best out there. Nobody outside this room knows the face of Wei Lian, save you three. You do not need the veil for the meantime. Live as the real you. Wei Lian."
Wei Lian looked at her female name, spoken aloud with such care. The path forward was dangerous, requiring her to rely entirely on her greatest rival, a man from the nation trying to kill her. A man whom she had once defeated in battle and who she had been planning to face off again.
The Empress did a spell and unveiled the veil of illusion. She was back to being Wei Lian.
"My baby," She cried and touched her face. "Do this for your survival. Please. Go and see your master first for the medicine that will keep the poison away."
"I understand," Wei Lian nodded slowly. "Mei Lin, can you keep digging for any intel on the Moiying Valley's involvement? Xiao Hei, we leave tonight. Time is our enemy."