Chapter Eleven: A Narrow Escape

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The Prince’s Bedchamber.
Ren Ye stood shoulder to shoulder with Lian’er, his eyes grave as he stared at his own room, his heart pounding with anxiety.
The internal affairs of the Prince of Huai’s residence were intricate; even a trivial matter could spark chaos or cost one’s head. The servants within Zhu Zigu’s quarters were seasoned veterans of the household—there was no such thing as someone “recklessly wandering” into the Prince’s bedchamber by accident.
Three strands of hair were completely severed. Someone must have sneaked inside while he was visiting the princess.
“Swish!”
As he pondered this, Er Leng, who had just entered to inspect the room, suddenly dashed out without a sound. “Your Highness, no one’s inside.”
“Have you searched thoroughly?” Ren Ye asked cautiously.
“Definitely no one,” Er Leng’s once simple expression vanished, replaced by seriousness and composure. “But we must still search carefully to guard against hidden traps.”
“I will have trusted men sent immediately,” Lian’er interjected.
Ren Ye looked at her. “Remember, only reliable people. No need for many—three to five will suffice.”
“Yes.” Lian’er bowed and quickly left.
Er Leng stood at the chamber door, his right hand resting on the famed sword Yao Yue at his side, curiously asking Ren Ye, “Your Highness, how did you discover someone had entered the bedchamber?”
“I have my own ways,” Ren Ye replied thoughtfully, his tone calm.
When he tied his hair, he faced away from others; Er Leng was unaware.
Having worked on the frontier for years and participated in numerous undercover missions, Ren Ye was accustomed to surviving in perilous environments. Many of his actions were instinctive. Tying his hair was routine; he also kept his phone completely wiped clean—no chat or call history, no downloaded apps revealing his habits.
Of course, Ren Ye disliked this habit. He considered it a sickness—a distrust of everyone and everything—but it had saved his life more than once.
Standing in the dim corridor, Ren Ye began to “read” Zhu Zigu’s memories, hoping to find whether the worthless man had hidden something important in the chamber.
After careful scrutiny, nothing significant surfaced.
If it wasn’t theft, then what was the purpose of someone entering his room?
Footsteps approached. Lian’er returned with four trusted eunuchs.
“Your Highness,” the four bowed respectfully.
In Zhu Zigu’s memories, only these intimate eunuchs and maids were trustworthy, though not absolutely—betrayal was still possible.
Ren Ye nodded slightly in response, signaling Er Leng with his eyes.
“Follow me inside,” Er Leng said, pressing a hand on Yao Yue’s hilt as he led the four eunuchs into the hall.
The main chamber doors stood open inward. Ren Ye and Lian’er remained in the corridor, observing cautiously without stepping forward.
Er Leng and the four agile eunuchs spread out to search meticulously, turning over every corner, even places hard to see. They probed several teapots with silver needles for poison—nothing unusual was detected.
Standing beneath the beams, Er Leng carefully reminded, “Check for dust marks or imprints—be meticulous.”
“Yes.”
A young eunuch wiped sweat from his brow, crawling along the floor toward the bookcase, searching for traces.
Next to the bed, a handsome, about sixteen or seventeen-year-old eunuch first removed his shoes and outer robe respectfully, then carefully felt along the bed frame.
This task was the hardest. Ancient customs emphasized strict hierarchy; royal rules were severe. Finding anything too personal on a prince’s bed could cost one’s head. After all, these lowliest servants had no powerful backing.
Being a “little Karami” was always dangerous.
The young eunuch was trembling but dared not be careless; soon sweat glistened on his forehead.
Er Leng quietly descended from the beams and approached Ren Ye to report, “Your Highness, there’s no sign of an intruder hiding here. I believe…”
“Bang!”
At that moment, the young eunuch on the bed lifted the scarlet cover and inadvertently slammed his right foot against the bed frame, producing a muffled sound that drew everyone’s attention.
“You clumsy servant...!” scolded an older eunuch, turning sharply.

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“Huh?”
The young eunuch suddenly froze, eyes wide as he looked beneath the cover and saw a soft, nameless worm-like creature slowly unfurling its curled body.
Er Leng spun around abruptly, his figure radiating a fierce killing intent.
“Swish!”
Yao Yue was drawn from its custom sheath. Er Leng shouted, “Don’t...!”
“Pfft!”
The worm on the bed emitted an eerie black glow and shot like a bullet straight into the young eunuch’s forehead.
Everything happened too fast for anyone to react. Ren Ye, standing in the corridor, only saw the dazzling black light before the eunuch fell backward from the bed.
“Ah!!!”
A scream of unbearable pain echoed. The young eunuch clutched his forehead, convulsing and rolling on the floor. “The... the worm egg has burrowed into my head... Your Highness, save... save me...!”
The other three eunuchs reacted first and stepped forward without hesitation.
“Don’t move!” Er Leng rushed inside to stop them.
Ren Ye and Lian’er followed closely behind. Ren Ye stared in disbelief at the young eunuch. “Er Leng, save him!”
“No, Your Highness, stay back!” Er Leng stood protectively before Ren Ye, muscles tense, one hand gripping the sword, eyes fixed on the eunuch, ready to fight to the death.
“Ah! Save... save me...”
The eunuch writhed in agony, contorted, struggling desperately while crying out in sharp pleas.
“Ah... it hurts... pfft!”
Suddenly, he flipped over, bracing himself on all fours, and roared as a black flame burst from his mouth.
Ren Ye was utterly stunned. Though standing far, he could feel the heat of the black fire; even the stone floor began to smoke.
Boom!
The flames surged from the crown of the eunuch’s head, his figure twisting grotesquely. Within two breaths, he was engulfed in black fire, burning from within.
Everyone immediately retreated outside, eyes wide in terror, helplessly watching the horrifying spectacle.
About ten breaths later, the black flames dimmed and finally extinguished.
The once lively and cautious eunuch was reduced to a few scattered bones and the stench of blood permeating the room.
In just a dozen breaths, he had been burned alive—completely incinerated.
Ren Ye stared dumbfounded at the remains, a chill running down his spine.
Having seen countless corpses and gruesome scenes in his service, his tolerance was exceptional, yet at this moment, he felt nothing but dread and fear.
If he hadn’t habitually tied three strands of hair to the door, he would have been the one in bed. Unprepared, he reckoned he couldn’t have resisted that “flesh worm.”
The handsome young eunuch had taken a fatal blow meant for him.
Just imagining it made Ren Ye’s scalp crawl and his legs feel leaden.
“Your... Your Highness!” Er Leng shook Ren Ye’s shoulder vigorously, calling loudly.
Ren Ye slowly regained composure and instinctively asked, “Someone tried to kill me?”
Er Leng was surprised Ren Ye wasn’t terrified out of his wits. In his experience, Zhu Zigu would have already broken down emotionally by now.
“Your Highness, I’ll go in and investigate.” Er Leng said, drawing his sword and stepping back inside.
He traced the burn marks, scraping the shattered debris with Yao Yue’s tip until his gaze fixed on a long, burnt worm-like shell.
“Your Highness, I was born in the southern frontier and have witnessed many bizarre phenomena,” Er Leng said, bowing. “If I’m right, this worm is a lost southern sorcery called the Soul Control Gu.”
Ren Ye’s greatest strength was his emotional control. Though fearful, his mind remained clear. “Gu? What does it do?”
“The Soul Control Gu has two parts: the male Gu restrains the soul, and the female Gu manipulates the strings,” Er Leng recalled. “Ordinary people controlled by it become puppets, fully manipulated. If I’m correct, that worm was the male Gu.”

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Ren Ye was stunned but instantly grasped the crux. “You mean someone tried to control me with Gu magic? But why did the young eunuch self-immolate after contact with the worm?”
“Everyone’s three souls and seven spirits are unique. This Gu was specially crafted for Your Highness—little Xuzi couldn’t withstand it,” Er Leng truthfully reported. “The Gu can only be used once; if the host is unsuitable, it self-destructs.”
Ren Ye was silent for a long moment. “What would happen if I were infected by this Gu?”
Er Leng glanced up slightly, lips moving.
“Speak honestly.”
“You would become a puppet, your soul bound. When the Gu departs, you’d share little Xuzi’s fate,” Er Leng answered, lowering his head.
A fiend!
Ren Ye cursed inwardly. Who could be so vile?
There were still ten players within the Star Gate, and on his very first night here, he had nearly had his brain invaded by a worm… Were the two connected?
Footsteps echoed urgently in the corridor. Many servants who had heard the eunuch’s screams were rushing toward the chamber.
Ren Ye turned and ordered Lian’er, “Stop them. Tell them little Xuzi made a mistake while serving me during bathing and dressing and has been punished. This incident must not spread.”
“Yes!” Lian’er responded and hurried away.
Er Leng pondered a moment, then bowed to Ren Ye and asked, “Your Highness, with a Gu practitioner inside the residence, it’s hard to guard against. I suggest you no longer stay in the bedchamber.”
Ren Ye’s gaze sharpened. “No, a Gu practitioner is less dangerous than a traitor.”
“Huh?” Er Leng was stunned.
“The bedchamber is deep within the inner courtyard, far from the other sections,” Ren Ye said deliberately. “I was only away visiting the princess for an hour. Have you considered who could so calmly enter my chamber, plant the Gu, and leave unhurriedly? Was there enough time?”
“You mean…?”
“There’s a traitor, or rather… the Gu practitioner is someone close to me,” Ren Ye stated decisively.
...
In the Prince of Huai’s residence, a certain courtyard, a certain chamber.
“Squeak squeak...!”
Within a plain wooden box, a flesh worm twisted anxiously, emitting mournful cries.
Under the lamplight, a woman’s eyes widened as a black line appeared on the worm’s body, then suddenly snapped.
“What?!”
She stood in disbelief.
“Bang!”
The black line broke, and the worm exploded, turning into powder that dispersed into the air.
The female Gu manipulator was not poisonous.
Yet the woman was stunned into silence.
A cold voice echoed in her ears; her complexion turned purplish red.
[Gu implantation failed. Current Task Two concluded. You will receive a penalty.]
[Friendly reminder: Dear player, cherish every mission opportunity. Use your brain—use your brain more...]