Author Angel Chua

Adapted from Princess Agents drama series and original novel by Xiao Xiang Dong'er – Chu Qiao Chuan Biography

Trickster Prince (08.12.2021)

A secret cave, hidden part of the Kong Sang mountain, lies the what-so-called Afterlife Nirvana hub. Zhan Ziyu gathered the Afterlife camp supervisors coming from Jian Kang city at Southern Liang and some parts of Wei state, to witness the achievement of immortality or the promotion of new supervisors and shed off the old ones.

This is the second level of what they call "Ascension to Nirvana kills." Held every ten years, where all afterlife camp supervisors compete for the control of Dengxian Pill supply.

Dengxian Pill, an important possession for an Afterlife camp supervisor to empower its spy leaders and associates. Dengxian means immortality and to achieve this state one must compete for the other leaders to kill and finally receives the honor of ten years Dengxian pill supply from their Grand Master Zhan Ziyu.

While Mohists masters continue to build traps, lures, and devices to protect its people, the Celestial Dao masters concerns themselves about the transformation of matter and performs experiments, rudiments or what they call the fundamentals then attempts to convert base metals, gold, and minerals to find a universal elixir.

Zhan Ziyu, one of the descendant children of the alchemist clans, one of the original Celestial Dao Masters who formerly controlled the Royal Temple of alchemist monks.

He is one of the best Alchemist Masters in Liang empire until Empress Lu Zhi was dethroned.

After the First Empress downfall, all of Zhan Ziyu's experiments and discoveries on the Immortal Pill was abandoned.

The promoted Empress eventually put Zhan Ziyu's discoveries and experiments into hearsay, a man of corrupted spirit, deceit and to cut off all of his ties, Empress Yuan ordered all Daoist temples to be closed.

The original mission was to find a cure for the frailty of mortal human bodies, to achieve immortality but one day, Zhan Ziyu found all his table experiments on fire, burning in ashes.

All of Zhan Ziyu's study and learning experiments that arrived at the premature development of the immortal pill ended in disaster.

The immortal pill made of potent potions and metal solutions and the mixture of powerful ingredients was later renamed as Dengxian pill.

Sourced from the liquid form of gold infused with herbal plant extracts supposed to prolong life. It also empowers the agent's mind to carry out any government affairs especially those who were highly regarded by the Liang Empire to pursue a long-term goal in response to their pro-life advocacy to its people.

The Dengxian pill was initially been administered orally to the brightest and best of Southern Liang spy agents, but today it belongs to the best of Liang's for hire killers.

After the decline of the first Empress Lu Zhi, Zhan Ziyu is broke and lived like a hermit at Kong Sang mountain. He did not have anything left except for his knowledge and his skills. Ever since then, he withdrew from the noble society and devoted himself to meditation.

He became thin and skinny until one day, a familiar figure passed by a usual route to Kong Sang mountain where she recognized Zhan Ziyu. She took him to the little town in Xue Fu.

She helped him recover from malnutrition and even gave some of her treasures to help start his life.

Zhan Ziyu did not realize the importance of life until he nearly lost it. This became the starting point of his evolution being a Daoist Celestial master that turned into a cruel Killer master.

Zhan Ziyu did not have a sense of poverty until he experiences it himself and took some wisdom, it ignited him to put up one of the most powerful spy networks.

He built it under the foundations of no strings attached relationship, client-based system, and assassins skills for hire network. Name the mission and if the price if right Zhan Ziyu is definitely the man who can get things done.

He changed his lifestyle, his appearance most particularly all his long beards, long hair, gone.

You are looking at a man who no longer looks out for the good of others but looks out for the opportunity of others in exchange for money.

When Zhan Ziyu was able to set up a cruel, prosperous and stable assassins network for hire, he discovered that most of his clients were coming from the noble society who can afford to pay him taels of gold or traded him some relics that he thinks it is important for his experiments.

When his golden goose laid golden eggs, he bought some lands, built a secret workroom in the Kong Sang Mountain to continue his experiments.

Finally, was able to release its first potent addicting Dengxian pill and poisoned needles with hard to find the cure and difficult to find an antidote.

This earned him a good reputation regarding spying, infiltration, killing a target, and hunting prey.

Fascinated by some spy gadgets and killing machines, he invented the great afterlife black mouth mask and backpack killing machines, Afterlife campers two of their killing frolic trademarks.

Zhan Ziyu wanting to control Wei and Liang borders through the small water channel of Xianyang, he bought a ship primarily for his pleasure but when his afterlife camp network flourished, it became a vessel to advance his business disguised as trading goods for the two states, as well as sourcing information useful for its spy network.

One day Zhan Ziyu heard the news about the most powerful spy leader from the East captured and detained in Wei garrison prison. He is aware of their existence and supernatural powers.

He even encountered them from one of their killing operations frustrating him to kill an important figure. Now he came to Wei, paid its guards with heavy gold just to get a glimpse of their leader Lou He.

Zhan Ziyu even duplicated the dress of underworld spies leaders which was usually white hood covering their heads and a white scarf covering their face.

Only thing, he chose the black color and black mouth mask to quickly find his afterlife camp leaders from the underworld spies leaders.

Zhan Ziyu has always been trying to catch the leader of the underworld spies and tried his best to overpower its spy agents however he always ends up losing the battle with them and suddenly gone without any trace of evidence to track their whereabouts.

What he didn't know was the fate that awaits him on that day, he said goodbye to his feet which were both paralyzed, in a blink of his eyes, he was not able to prevent the sharp ice that invisibly killed his feet.

What happened next permanently left him a scar to endure in his entire lifetime.

He always wears a Jade ring in his thumb.

And when he touches it, it's like an omen that someone powerful must die or someone who is influential shall kill at any means and his next customer came to a secret location where he met the present Liang Empress and showed him a portrait.

Zhan Ziyu on his black hood covering its head and only dim light of tea candle reveals its face for the first time exclaimed: "Your Highness, this is the crown prince of Liang."

Empress Yuan expressed her disgust and said: "I thought the rules are clear, there are no strings attached, only this.."

The Empress showed him the payment in exchange for the crown prince dead body, and her servants opened the casket, said.

"All riches and treasures here belong to you, shall I unload it?"

"But after this casket becomes empty, I want his body to be placed inside and deliver it to me."

Zhan Ziyu in a crises moment for he did not expect, his next target was his nephew.

Good thing this Empress Yuan does not know who he does not even remember him. Zhan Ziyu like frozen ice did not respond to his client.

For the first time in his life, he felt some conscience if he still ever have it, his next kill would be a family and the man whom he worked in the past.

Zhan Ziyu did not reveal his blood relations to the Crown Prince and did not tell about his mother deposed Empress Lu Zhi.

These secrets can always make one person close to death he did not attempt to bother the crown prince life to avoid any suspicion on it.

He knows that the prince grew in the lap and bosom of present Liang Empress and did not know about his real mother's fate.

Zhan Ziyu discovering the answers on his secret long-time family rival that destroyed his useful life in the past and turned him to a monster killer now.

Although, this is the road that Zhan Ziyu took, and he knows the consequences but what he did not realize is this fate of killing his own nephew, in his own hands to end his very blood for the sake of what?

The power struggle of the present Empress?

Zhan Ziyu on his professional deal he asked her beautiful crouching client: "This is not a simple figure to kill. We are talking of a heavily guarded royal, an almost impossible assassination plot unless he is put on the spot to a vulnerable situation or left alone without his guards. May I know why you are doing this?"

Empress Yuan slightly raised her brow pissed off because Zhan Ziyu's may have been digging too personal reason, she said: " I think you are clever and know who this person in front of you and what do I want to achieve in Liang's future. I am somewhat pissed off for asking my intentions for this simple matter I ask you to do."

Zhan Ziyu started to play his cards, and in front of Empress Yuan, he said: "For every blood of royal killed, I Zhan Ziyu do not kill without any reason behind it. Whether it would be a petty reason or simple envy, it is not my business to ponder about it. I ask for the reason because, in a difficult mission like this, I will choose the method and appropriate poison for it."

Empress Yuan suddenly dumbfounded but she already knows she is playing Zhan Ziyu's card, she said: "Well, if you may, an acceptable reason would be, jealousy. On the other hand, you are free to interpret further."

Zhan Ziyu laughs at her, and he said: "Jealousy, the deadliest poison of all. Consider it done your Highness."

Zhan Ziyu thought, her ambitions were quite high, and she is lucky she picked him for it.

For he will smash it down like what he did to him many years ago.

Zhan Ziyu also added and told the Empress: "If it's revenge, it can wait for a while. If its jealousy, it cannot wait. A sharp poisoned knife and a casket to bury it."

And just like that Zhan Ziyu agreed to put on his seal on the small document the Empress prepared where he cut a little wound in his wrist, let the blood drip in a small plate and used its blood to seal the paper.

Empress Yuan beamed, waiting for a paper to dry beside the little tea candle.

Zhan Ziyu was left alone, the man for the first time is thinking deeply.

After the thirty-day terms of his prison sentence inside his palace one year ago the Liang crown prince learned his lessons very well and managed to roam around his palace usually by the company of some of his finest maids.

Now, he decided to go outside of his Palace.

His first destination was to visit the Old lady in Xue Fu street. Xiao Ce not familiar with his new set of royal guards, he randomly chose his company, requested for Ping'An to be his close in bodyguard together with his spies all around.

This time he obtained an official pass from King Tang and followed the protocols of the Empire.

The King agreed but doubled his company of his royal guards and spies all around him as guardians for this rare visit.

Though, inside his mind, he has another plan.

Xiao Ce on his flashy flowery orange robes with three horses in front of his horsemen driving the Palanquin, he suddenly tapped Ping'An shoulder, he said: "Your eyes on a blindfold, I am changing my clothes."

After a while, Xiao Ce already change his clothes ready for his next getaway tapped Ping'An shoulder and said: "How do I look?"

You look so poor said Ping'An, and he smiles. Xiao Ce on the other hand slightly hit his head and said: "That is the goal I must look poor, come on put these clothes on your body."

After it Xiao Ce closed his eyes, then opened it, his dress looked like Ping'An dress V-neck sleeveless black jumper suit with a black belt in his waist and a black band also in his head, Xiao Ce thinks everyone will be convinced that he is a peasant slave.

"Now your turn. Let me see?" Xiao Ce said.

Ping'An like a dog turning to his master with his thin body dressed in Xiao Ce's royal garments. Xiao Ce is beaming his two perfect white teeth he said: "You have to pretend you are the crown prince, and you are good at it, right?"

"Your Highness…I..I.." Ping'An not yet finished when Xiao Ce said: Hep…hep…hep…what did I told you to call me?

Ping'An on his awkward face he said: Lotus Prince…

"Hep…hep…hep… you are not a spy to call me Lotus Prince. Think of another." Xiao Ce said vertically tapping his fingers on his head and then looking at him on his foxy eyes hoping for Ping'An to think the worst name.

Ping'An said: Yaling?

"Hmm…" Xiao Ce on a hum thought about it and said: Yǎ meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with ling meaning "tinkling of jade." Perfect slave name. (Though it does not sound like its meaning)

Ping'An just followed his prince advise as Xiao Ce does not want the entire world to see his face thinks this disguise will work.

However, did not bother to transfer the jade ring in Ping'An index finger as it does not fit, he slid in it in one of his pockets.

Xiao Ce put some little powder in Ping'An face and arranged Ping'An hair to make him look like the real crown prince. While he disarranged his hair putting some bangs in his forehead now, he looks like he is going to be a disposable slave.

No one knows what is happening inside the Palaquin except the two when suddenly another cavalry is meeting their route halfway, and it stopped in the middle.

Prince Lou's guard came to them and at once, recognized it's the crown prince banners, and flags turn back to Prince Lou sitting on his black horse said: Prince Lou, it is Prince Xiao Ce.

The Liang royal guard turned back his horse and tapped Xiao Ce's Palanquin he said: "Your Highness, Prince Lou is passing through what shall we do?"

Xiao Ce slightly put the cloak on his face and said: "do not let him come near me, I am meditating."

The Liang royal guard scratched his head thought to himself: If he meditating why did he answer my question? And then he slightly shouted: "Okay, your highness, we will not allow any contacts."

Prince Lou wants to play with his brother thought: What if I give a surprise? Prince Lou's guard beamed and laughed: "Ha…ha…ha… I heard Lee Cecilia do not have many surprises until today."

Sound of mighty horse hoofs ran towards Xiao Ce's Palaquin as Prince Lou suddenly tapped his horse and nobody of his guard not even Xiao Ce's guards were able to block him, his horse leaped so high and landed on the side of his Palaquin and said: "I know you are there, you can't escape your brother without giving me a good sword fight."

Xiao Ce's guard shouted to Prince Lou: "Your Highness, the prince cannot be disturbed, he said he is meditating!"

Xiao Ce does not know what to do or react, he suddenly heard a noise of sword from its scabbard then it began to attack his window curtains made of finest silk but enough for the sharp sword to cut it. Suddenly a thin hand counter attacked it inside the Palaquin.

Prince Lou beamed and showed his white teeth said: Are you meditating or counter-attacking me?

Xiao Ce faked his response he arrogantly said: "What do you think? Do I have any other choice?"

"No, you don't" Prince Lou laughs and changes his sword position and attacked the Palaquin window.

Then another good counterattack coming from the Palanquin, he didn't think his brother could respond to this advance sword moves.

Prince Lou thinks his brother may have improved on his swordplay he said: "Quite fast but military troops will not heed to take a knee on it," when suddenly Prince Lou tore the silk window of his Palaquin and stunned of the view.

Xiao Ce like Mary Magdalene put a long cloak from his head down to his body, to cover his dress and Prince Lou saw his face he said: "What? Oh Come on, why do you dress like this?"

"None of your business!" said Xiao Ce on his poker face, still not looking at his brother. He wanted to turn around when Prince Lou came closer to look at his Palaquin.

"No you cannot come near," said Xiao Ce he closed his eyes and gave him the hand signal to go.

"Ha..ha…ha.." said Prince Lou and continued: "are you hiding a girl at your feet? or are you the man pretending to be a girl?"

Xiao Ce rolled his eyes and annoyed of what he just heard said: "even if I pretend to be a girl, you still lost, you failed to counterattack my sword."

"That's exactly what I supposed to find out, seems your hands improved but still like a girl. I must admit I have to give double effort but looking at you like this makes me puke."

Prince Lou has some good time to bully his younger brother like they always used to be when they are still young.

Xiao Ce mocked him too and awkwardly beamed on him, said: "It means you are getting old and you need to re-train your skills."

Prince Lou laughed louder and said on his handsome and very straight posture sitting on his horse: "Very well, I must go, or I might let you cry, Lee Cecilia." Prince Lou joked at his brother Xiao Ce.

Xiao Ce did not take this seriously and laughs out loud, said in his dull voice: "Go away, you are not needed here."

"Ha…ha…ha…" Prince Lou cannot help himself but to laugh, he turned his back and gave a hand signal to his cavalry and left the place.

Xiao Ce took off the cloak in his face and tapped Ping'An under his seat, and they are back to their original plan.

Ping'An put back the sword in his waist and breathe out slowly. Xiao Ce tricked his brother again by not displaying any amount of effort and not showing his real skills.

Prince Lou white slowly walking in the woods when suddenly a cold wind blew in his face. Sensing a foreboding danger, he gave a hand signal to his cavalry, and everyone stopped.

Prince Lou's ears listening to the silence of the road beside the river sounds, he heard sounds of swords and whizzing arrows not towards them but on his back he suddenly turns around and saw the crown prince envoy shot by the arrows coming from different directions.

Prince Lou on his fast heartbeat and worried eyes tapped his horse, and all his Liang valiant men followed him when suddenly a huge iron net dropped in front of their horses. Prince Lou cried he unsheathed his sword slashed the iron net barrier.

But cannot cut it in, his men put in the shields to cover for Prince Lou, while he sees the crown prince envoy dead men on the ground shot with cloud arrows.

His cavalry took him away from the barrier to protect him, but he cried out loud because his brother might have been assassinated.

One of Prince Lou's guard activated their flare to inform Sun Di, to reinforce them with men as the crown prince met a sudden an attack.

Xiao Ce did not expect this to happen but repeatedly put into this situation, he got used to it, he already knows what to do said: "It's party time!"

He started to deploy his tricks by saving Ping'An instead of himself.

His dress is loaded with smart killing machines, he is armed with his classic weapon-the hundred flying needles that fly 360-degrees, all enemies dead in less than 60 seconds.

Ping'An somehow confused about whether to act as the Prince and follow his master's game plan or time to test his martial arts into the outside world. But Xiao Ce said: "It would be nice if you stick to our plan, we are ready for this."

Ping'An nodded and when Xiao Ce heard the sound of all flying arrows landed on his escorts and suddenly all quiet.

He suddenly pushed a button, and their Palanquin ceiling ejected two bodies.

Both Xiao Ce and Ping'An landed on the side of the riverbanks unharmed.

Aware of lures and traps, Xiao Ce said to Ping'An: "Shhh…Don't move." Ping' an nodded.

Xiao Ce heard the fighting started and his royal guards were outnumbered. He is trying to recognize who are these assassins who came to kill him.

Two warm bodies are walking along the riverbanks when suddenly they heard fighting of swords and battle cries.

Both of them looked into their eyes and Viper climbed the tree using her whip while Chu Qiao put on her indigo scarf, her eardrums listening to the fighting sounds and ten times sharper she walked like ordinary people in the road.

After a while, Chu Qiao senses two people running towards her direction, but she did bother to look at it not even see who it is.

Xiao Ce on his foxy eyes, he beamed on the black assassin people. It did not even start to attack him, but their strides look so terrifying. Xiao Ce sees these are not men but women.

At his back, he took his crossbow and hold it in his hands playing his scenario of being a hero while defending the young Prince Ping'An. Xiao Ce said: "Ping'An run and hide from the trees."

Xiao Ce confident and armed, he boldly stopped while the two spies came closer to him.

The cobra spy and flying spy deployed to abduct the Liang crown prince but do not have time to bother themselves with his weak guardian.

As they walked closer to Xiao Ce, cold air blew their spaces, they just passed by at him and did not even kill him. The two spies are looking for the boy who is running towards Chu Qiao but it still a bit far.

Xiao Ce held his crossbow and released two arrows when suddenly the flying spy used its sleeves, it stretches, and the hunting wind binds the two arrows, but the flying spy did not bother to look at Xiao Ce.

Xiao Ce annoyed and looks incompetent, he kneels to aim for the two feet of the spies, this time used a different arrow, smaller than the first one and released it.

Suddenly Chu Qiao heard the voice of boy screaming for help as the cobra spy has released some Cobras from her sleeves and the cobra is crawling in the ground towards the Ping'An. Ping'An desperate for help.

Chu Qiao smelled a scent of stinky blood from cobra, and she thinks it drank a poison.

The flying spy took Xiao Ce's small arrows and threw them at the river, still no reaction from the two spies but almost reached Ping'An and Xiao Ce a bit far from him for a grab.

Ping'An does not want to blow his cover, pretended he needed him as he sees the woman walking so calm towards him, he asked for help before the cobra creeps into his body.

Ping'An short of breath and do not want to reveal his martial arts for the sake of the crown prince whom these two spies treated as no one, he is going to die any minute when suddenly Chu Qiao opened her palms and welcomed the bloody poison cobras in her hands.

The two spies, surprised at what happened, suddenly looked at each other questioning who is this person? Why did she turn my cobra's like her pet?

Chu Qiao looking at the two cobras in their eyes, she controlled them using her internal powers.

She communicated to them not to go back to their spymasters and live peacefully, she tapped the two heads of the cobras, and suddenly the two fell to the ground like a dead snake.

All their black colors were turned into a white one, and their eyes restored its sight went to crawl away from their master.

The two spies saw what happened and Chu Qiao started to look fierce, she took the resemblance of cobra's eyes and even Ping'An became afraid of her.

The flying spy started to strike her side using her sleeves, and she flew as high as the trees while the cobra spy is focusing on her prey, she suddenly grabs Ping'An.

Chu Qiao on her white hood dress, white boots, and her fiery blue cobra eyes, she opened her palm and touched the ground soon the flying spy's long sleeves that went to strike her were inserted on the ground and then it was covered with ice in the surface.

Chu Qiao still on her fiery eyes, she blew air towards the Cobra spy, and suddenly the air turned into a wind that strangled her neck and her color changed from yellow turning pale.

The cobra spy does not want to let go of Ping'An when suddenly she took a small needle in her long fingernails and insert it at the middle of Ping'An palm.

Chu Qiao got angry she twitched her hand, and the cobra's spy strangles, the double effort turned the cobra's spy face blue.

Suddenly the flying spy out of Chu Qiao's sight came to attack her again and is about to sweep her body when Viper out of hidden nowhere swayed her whip and cut the long sleeves.

Chu Qiao is starting to draw more of the inner powers that she has not seen or let herself use it if it becomes too much for her, she puts herself into danger.

Ping'An suddenly used his martial arts to counter the small needle but its too late it was inserted very little and yet he dozed off and his head fell to the ground.

Xiao Ce stunned at what he saw did not recognize Chu Qiao, his feet unable to walk because the flying spy caught one of his feet. He cried and shouted bitterly: "save him, Miss! I cannot let him die."

Xiao Ce looked up in the sky and said to the flying spy: "Here take me instead, I have the jade ring. I am the crown prince of Liang. After the moment of truth, Xiao Ce closed his eyes."

The flying spy came back so quick and walk so calm towards him. Her entire body covered with a red hood, her eyes on double black liners, beautiful but dark, she hushed Xiao Ce's ears: "Finally you admit you tricked us. Impressive but not your lucky day!"

And she tied Xiao Ce's feet so quick, Xiao Ce did not move and obeyed her with a dark plan to execute his last resort in mind.

The flying spy pulled Xiao Ce's feet and Xiao Ce like a beaten dog being dragged while he is lying on the ground and no one dared to come near them.

Chu Qiao is controlling her powers suddenly feels weak she walked towards Ping'An and looked at his hands. Ping'An is turning pale, the needle is poisoned, it cannot wait any longer.

Chu Qiao pressed his wound and used her powers to take out the poison, and the cobra spy freed from strangling like a mist faded into the trees.

While Viper said to the flying spy: "Today is your lucky day." And she whipped her palms to frighten the flying spy.

The flying spy on her calm voice like the river said: "Get away from here, you cannot save this Prince. He is doomed to die."

Xiao Ce thinks it's time, he released a hundred needles weapon and Viper on her big eyes swayed her whip, and all of the needles were thrown on the flying spy, but then she went up to the sky then suddenly gone.

Viper on her power was able to control the wind except for one needle inserted on her arm, she fell.

Suddenly Prince Luo came to rescue his brother, he was able to catch Viper on his arms. While Chu Qiao tried to suppress the poison inside Ping'An body, like absorbent cotton she took the poison to her body.

Ping'An came back to life while Chu Qiao who was sitting beside him slowly dropped to the ground.

Xiao Ce said to his brother: Please take her, take this dark lady to the palace. After it Xiao Ce ran towards Ping'An and then to his surprise he saw the face of the woman, he took her small beautiful face and put her in his arms.

After checking her pulse, Xiao Ce on his pale face full of worry, asked his guards to lend him a horse and they helped him put the damsel in distress, and his knight in shining armor climb to the horse then rode away fast.

Ping'An also rescued by Xiao Ce's royal guards and looking at his dress right now, will bear much fruit of explanation to convince the trees of the forest of the Liang Empire later.