"This man knows too much. He can't be allowed to stay," Xiao Jingyuan said coldly, thinking to himself that the fellow had gotten far too close to those two Imperial Guards.
If word of what was happening in the mansion reached the capital, the way His Majesty was these days, the Prince Su's household could be in serious trouble.
Tang Wanxin recalled the unfamiliar terms Jiang Yun had mentioned and reached out to stop Xiao Jingyuan. "Heir Apparent, we can't kill him just yet."
"He knows a little about the Animal Husbandry Technique."
"It might help with the Prince's heart transplant."
Xiao Jingyuan fell silent for a moment, then said, "He can't leave the Prince's Mansion alive."
Tang Wanxin smiled. "The mansion is as impenetrable as a fortress. How could he possibly escape?"
"Handle it as you see fit." With that, Xiao Jingyuan hurried out of the dungeon. Replacing a heart with the Prince's own bloodline was no small matter; he had to ask his father first.
Once Xiao Jingyuan was gone, Jiang Yun, lying on the board, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
A hint of madness in her eyes, Tang Wanxin crouched beside the board and whispered into Jiang Yun's ear, "Tell me. What do you know about the Method of Animal Husbandry?"
"If I'm satisfied with your answers, I can't let you go, but I'll grant you any other request."
Her words carried a teasing lilt.
Jiang Yun turned to look at her and smiled. "Really?"
"I want a few things."
"Tell me."
"I want a lock of your hair, miss."
Tang Wanxin furrowed her brows and touched her blood-stained hair. "What do you want my hair for?"
Jiang Yun blinked. "A peculiar fetish."
"And you should at least let me sit up. I can't lie on this board and chat with you, can I?"
Tang Wanxin frowned slightly and considered it for a moment before undoing Jiang Yun's restraints. "You'd better not try anything. The mansion is full of experts."
"If you do try something, you'll die a horrible death."
Tang Wanxin moved Jiang Yun onto an iron stool and locked his feet to it.
Jiang Yun flexed his hands. They had been tied until they were slightly numb. "Miss Tang, the Method of Animal Husbandry you practice has another name: anatomy."
"Anatomy?"
Jiang Yun nodded. "Of course. Anatomy is a medical art that heals the sick and saves lives, unlike your cruel methods..."
Prince Su's Mansion had five bays across the main entrance and three successive gates. Its main hall had seven bays, the side wings nine each, and the rear hall five. It was an enormous estate.
Xiao Jingyuan hurried to a bedchamber and pushed open the door. Inside were not only numerous servants but also two imperial physicians from the capital.
Both physicians had their brows tightly furrowed.
A man in his fifties lay on the bed.
Xiao Yukang, the seventeenth Prince Su.
"Cough, cough..."
Xiao Yukang coughed incessantly, clutching his chest. He knew his days were numbered.
"Jingyuan, Jingyuan."
Seeing him, Xiao Yukang struggled to sit up. "What did Miss Tang say?"
Xiao Jingyuan frowned and glanced at the two physicians and the many servants in the room. "Everyone, leave."
"Yes."
The physicians and servants filed out.
Only then did he kneel beside the bed and say, "Father, Miss Tang said the heart transplant requires a heart from someone who shares your bloodline..."
As he spoke, Xiao Jingyuan pulled open his clothes, baring his chest. "I'm your legitimate son, and I'm the closest to you by blood. Take my heart."
"Cough, cough, cough."
Xiao Yukang coughed violently, spitting up blood.
His eyes widened as he panted heavily. "Your mother and I have only one legitimate son—you. You're the next Prince Su. How could I take your heart?"
"When Father fell ill, my second brother through my seventh brother all returned to the mansion," Xiao Jingyuan said quietly.
Xiao Yukang closed his eyes and lay back on the bed. "Then use Jing Qi's heart. Aside from you, he's the most like me, and he's the one I like best."
"His heart must be the most suitable for me."
"He's enjoyed plenty of wealth and privilege, too. He owes me this."
Xiao Jingyuan drew a deep breath and nodded firmly. "Yes."
In the dungeon, Jiang Yun was telling Tang Wanxin about anatomy.
"Anatomy is actually an advanced medical art."
"For example, if someone's leg bone is shattered, you can replace it with stainless steel."
Like a student, Tang Wanxin held a notebook and wrote down Jiang Yun's words. But she had questions, too. "Stainless steel?"
"Iron that doesn't rust."
Tang Wanxin had another question. "But wouldn't the body reject the replacement bone?"
"Not the bone."
Tang Wanxin carefully wrote everything down. Just then, Xiao Jingyuan's voice came from outside the dungeon. "Miss Tang, everything is ready."
Tang Wanxin quickly stood up and gathered the tools from the board. Then, as if remembering something, she asked, "By the way, what did you mean by sterilizing?"
Her tools were covered in blood. Even if she managed to replace the Prince's heart, he would probably get an infection after one cut.
"Just heat the tools over a fire," Jiang Yun said solemnly. "Also, Miss Tang, what about that lock of hair you promised me?"
Tang Wanxin gave him a faint smile and said coldly, "You know strange magic. If I give you my hair, you might use it against me."
"Just stay put."
Watching Tang Wanxin leave, Jiang Yun couldn't help thinking that women really couldn't be trusted.
After waiting a little longer to make sure she was gone, Jiang Yun quietly recited, "The Way of Chaotic Reed: those who do not initiate must open; those who initiate slightly must open wide; those who initiate widely must never open..."
Click.
The iron locks around his feet snapped open.
Jiang Yun stood and stretched a little.
Having little Magic Power did have its advantages.
During his time in the dungeon, the Magic Power in his body had almost fully recovered.
He bit his finger, lifted his shirt, and began drawing a talisman on his abdomen.
He knew the old Prince was doomed.
Back in his previous life, with all the data available, he had heard that even replacing an organ required a long time to find a suitable match.
Once the old Prince died, Jiang Yun and Tang Wanxin would probably both be killed.
He had to get out of this hellhole as soon as possible.
He made his way to the dungeon exit.
The door was locked from the outside.
Of course, that wouldn't stop him.
He recited a passage from the Chaotic Reed Art. With a click, the lock outside fell away.
He gently pushed open the door.
The dungeon entrance was hidden inside a woodshed.
He peered outside. Two guards stood near the woodshed.
But the two of them were squatting on the ground, slacking off.
"What do you think the Heir Apparent has going on today? He's in such a hurry, and he's even sent so many of our brothers away."
The other man lowered his voice. "The old Prince's health is failing. Maybe it's got something to do with that."
"So the Heir Apparent's about to become Prince? My wife's cousin's daughter is a maid to the Heir Apparent's wife."
"You think that connection's strong enough? Maybe I'll even get a promotion before long."
"Enough. We'd better not talk about this kind of thing. It won't do us any good if some random person overhears."
"Come on, this place is so remote. What random person could there be? It's not like someone locked in the dungeon could overhear us, is it?"
As the two men talked, a wooden club silently appeared behind their heads.
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