AEKMEM chapter 64

It’s no wonder that the inherited memories about how to resolve the Demon King’s curse contained so much yellow trash material…

But still, it was just solving a Demon King’s curse—why would it need such a… such a strange final step!

**

While Chu Heng was talking with Yun Jian Chenyun, An Qiao asked his adjutant, Jiang Qi, about Chu Heng’s injury.

“You said His Highness the Crown Prince is injured?!” Jiang Qi was astonished.

An Qiao frowned slightly. “You didn’t know? When I went into the study just now, he was bleeding from a chest wound.”

Jiang Qi shook his head. “Twelve minutes ago, when I went into the study to tell His Highness that Young Master Yun Jianchenyun wanted to see him, he was fine.”

“He’s only been gone a short while. How could this be?”

He murmured, then asked worriedly, “Is His Highness all right now?”

If Chu Heng were in trouble, An Qiao wouldn’t be so calm.

Over this period, Jiang Qi had realized that An Qiao wasn’t as simple as he seemed. His abilities were unfathomable.

“He’s almost fully recovered.”

As he spoke, An Qiao frowned, also somewhat puzzled.

Since Jiang Qi said that Chu Heng seemed fine when he entered the study twelve minutes ago, could he have been injured in that time?

He was certain that Chu Heng was all right when he returned.

If Jiang Qi wasn’t mistaken, how could Chu Heng have been injured in such a short time?

With Chu Heng’s strength, almost no one should be able to harm him.

An Qiao was frowning in thought when he suddenly heard Jiang Qi ask, “Your Highness, you’ve seen that elf before. Do you know where it is? Or how can we find that elf?”

It was clear that Jiang Qi was eager to know the elf’s whereabouts. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have called An Qiao “Your Highness.” An Qiao didn’t like being addressed that way.

An Qiao gave him a thoughtful look. “What do you want to see the elf about?”

A flicker of barely suppressed grief crossed Jiang Qi’s face. “My cousin was poisoned by an insect. We’ve seen many doctors, but nothing has worked. We want to see that elf.”

The Jiang family is known for its loyalty and bravery, and has produced generals for generations. The current commander of the Third Army Corps, Marshal Jiang—another 3S-level beastman in the Empire besides Chu Heng—is a Jiang family member.

Jiang Qi’s elder brother and two cousins all died on the battlefield. His remaining cousin was crippled by insect poison and rendered unable to walk; he is constantly tormented by excruciating pain.

Without his unwavering will and reluctance to bury his son, Jiang Qi’s cousin likely wouldn’t have persevered.

As Jiang Qi grew older, after his elder brother died on the Zerg battlefield, the Jiang family initially didn’t want their youngest member to go to war. However, Jiang Qi secretly took the entrance exam for the Empire’s First Military Academy and entered it against his family’s wishes.

Even after the Jiang family declared they would never let him join the Third Army Corps in an attempt to change his mind, Jiang Qi didn’t give up. He didn’t want to be sheltered by his family; he wanted revenge for his brother and the Jiang family members who had died.

Later, Jiang Qi followed Chu Heng and joined the Second Army Corps.

“Insect poison?”

“Yes, insect poison. It’s a very strange poison, and most cases are difficult to cure.”

“Send your cousin to Blue Star City first,” said An Qiao, his eyes deep. “If I see that elf again, I’ll tell him.”

“You can see the elf again?!” Jiang Qi asked excitedly.

“Only possibly.”

An Qiao pondered. Having already publicly donned the elf’s disguise once, doing it again shouldn’t be a big deal.

Since he wasn’t exposed this time, he figured he wouldn’t be so unlucky as to be found out next time.

Just then, Jiang Qi’s personal terminal beeped.

An Qiao noticed Jiang Qi glance at the message on the terminal. His expression was peculiar, and he stole a glance at An Qiao.

He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “Is it from Chu Heng?”

“What did he say?”

An Qiao had already suspected that Chu Heng’s injury was suspicious.

To be injured in such a short time with such overwhelming strength that he was practically unmatched…

Jiang Qi hesitated for a moment, then honestly confessed, “His Highness the Crown Prince told me not to speak recklessly.”

The Crown Prince himself listens to the Crown Princess, so it’s only natural that his subordinate would too.

—Of course, it’s also because he had just asked An Qiao to help him ask the elf to treat his cousin if he ever met the elf again.

“Told you not to speak recklessly?”

An Qiao sneered inwardly.

What was Chu Heng afraid Jiang Qi would say? He even sent a specific message reminding Jiang Qi “not to speak recklessly.”

What did he do that he didn’t dare let Jiang Qi know?

Thinking of Chu Heng’s strange injury, An Qiao’s eyes darkened.

**

When Chu Heng left the study and found An Qiao in the living room, An Qiao’s face revealed no emotion.

However, as he passed Jiang Qi, Jiang Qi secretly winked at him, implying that he was on his own.

Chu Heng: “… ”

He had a very bad feeling.

Could An Qiao have discovered something?

Did he already know that An Qiao had injured himself?

Outwardly, Chu Heng appeared calm and composed, but inwardly, he was filled with anxiety.

“Qiao Qiao,” he began, about to test the waters.

An Qiao interrupted him, looking at him calmly. “It’s dinnertime. Let’s eat first.”

Chu Heng: “… ”

His eyelids twitched. He had a strange feeling that this was “the last supper.”

In the restaurant, housekeeping robots served dish after dish.

Chu Heng sat at the table, stealthily glancing at An Qiao, who sat across from him.

An Qiao sat upright in a high-backed chair with his elbows on the table and his hands clasped together. His pale, beautiful face was expressionless and indifferent. He seemed calm, but it was as if a volcano about to erupt lurked beneath that calm.

As if sensing that he wanted to speak, An Qiao raised his icy blue eyes and glanced at him indifferently. “Let’s finish dinner first.”

Chu Heng: “… ”

Chu Heng felt as if An Qiao was actually saying: I’ll deal with you after dinner.

He felt uneasy.

Would An Qiao really find out that he had injured himself? Or was he just trying to trick him?

During the meal, An Qiao’s gaze remained calm, but it gave Chu Heng the sense that he was being stared at deathly. His bad premonition grew stronger.

He ate only half of his meal, feeling uneasy and unable to taste it.

Chu Heng made an excuse about having something to take care of and tried to slip away.

Just as he reached the door, however, he heard the sound of a cold weapon cutting through the air behind him.

Chu Heng’s eyelids twitched violently.

A steak knife from the dining table narrowly missed his ear and precisely embedded itself in the wall in front of him.

The next second, an invisible force swept through, and the restaurant door slammed shut in front of him with a bang.

Chu Heng turned around stiffly.

A handsome, silver-haired young man sat in an exquisitely carved, high-backed chair. One hand rested on the armrest; the other propped up his cheek. He crossed his legs elegantly and languidly. He tilted his head slightly and calmly looked at Chu Heng with his icy blue eyes.

“Tell me, how did you get injured?”

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