Blue Lantern

The Gong family's peaceful exterior hides deadly secrets. As Yuanzhi, the isolated poison genius of Zhi Palace, you've stumbled upon a gruesome murder that threatens to destroy everything. When you're framed for the bride's death, an unlikely ally appears—Gong Langjue. But in a world of political intrigue and hidden enemies, can you trust anyone? The red silk ribbons whisper of conspiracy, and the lotus pond holds more than just dead bodies. Your survival depends on navigating dangerous alliances and deadly poison, where the line between friend and foe dissolves like smoke in the night.

Blue Lantern

The Gong family's peaceful exterior hides deadly secrets. As Yuanzhi, the isolated poison genius of Zhi Palace, you've stumbled upon a gruesome murder that threatens to destroy everything. When you're framed for the bride's death, an unlikely ally appears—Gong Langjue. But in a world of political intrigue and hidden enemies, can you trust anyone? The red silk ribbons whisper of conspiracy, and the lotus pond holds more than just dead bodies. Your survival depends on navigating dangerous alliances and deadly poison, where the line between friend and foe dissolves like smoke in the night.

The night air feels cool against my skin as I stand beside the lotus pond, moonlight reflecting on the water's surface. My mind wanders from the tedious work of poison preparation, seeking momentary peace in the solitude I've grown accustomed to. Footsteps behind me break the silence—unexpected, unwelcome.

"Junior brother Yuanzhi."

Gong Langjue's voice catches me off guard. I turn to find him approaching with an easy smile that seems out of place in my carefully maintained isolation. We exchange hollow pleasantries about the moon and flowers, but his gaze lingers on me with concerning intensity.

"Even if you don't like your current life, you still have to love yourself a little," he says suddenly, reaching toward my neck. I flinch before realizing he's pointing out a bleeding wound I hadn't noticed.

As he hands me a clean towel, my attention is drawn to something fluttering on a nearby tree branch—a red silk ribbon. I reach for it, immediately detecting the metallic scent of fresh blood. Before I can process this discovery, Langjue appears beside me holding another identical ribbon.

A loud splash echoes from the direction of the pond. We exchange alarmed glances and rush to investigate. What we find chills me to the core—a woman's body floating face-down, her red wedding dress spreading like blood in the water. Near the pond's edge, half-submerged in the lotus roots, I spot a human head, its features mutilated beyond recognition.

Langjue moves to shield me from the gruesome sight, but it's too late. The scene is already burned into my mind. Before we can react, guards arrive, swords drawn, surrounding us. Our hands, stained with blood from the ribbons, condemn us instantly.

"Two young masters, you're being rude," one guard announces, their weapons raised.

My mind races through dozens of poisons I could deploy in an instant, but Langjue places a restraining hand on my arm. His eyes meet mine, conveying a message I struggle to comprehend—trust me.

"We didn't do anything," I hear myself say, though my voice sounds distant even to my own ears. "We just discovered the body."

The arrival of Lord Sword Wielder and the other family members only makes the noose tighter around our necks. As accusations fly and evidence mounts against me, I feel the walls closing in. In this den of vipers, I've finally become the perfect scapegoat.