The palace loomed ahead, grand and imposing even under the cover of night. Guards with deadly weapons stood at every archway, eyes sharp, breath visible in the cold night air. The guards had been given explicit instructions and they ransacked every corner. Hei Lang slowed, scanning for a weakness in the guard pattern.
There.
"Almost there," he whispered under his breath, though the words were meant only for himself.
A service entrance, forgotten by all but the most faithful palace aides. Those specially trained in the shadows. He was glad for the escape route. With a swift glance around, he slid Yue Ying into the shadows and pressed his body against the wall like fluid. The guards passed mere feet away, chatting idly about the night's rumors, unaware of the dark figure watching them from the eaves.
When the path was clear, Hei Lang moved like smoke, carrying Yue Ying through silent halls. He paused at every corner, listening intently for the sound of approaching soldiers or the distant clatter of Bai's men.
Finally, he reached his private chambers—a room few had ever entered, even within the royal palace. The heavy door groaned under his touch, then swung open to reveal the silent palace within.
He gently lowered Yue Ying onto the soft matting, carefully positioning her as though she were made entirely of porcelain. Her chest rose and fell with shallow, uneven breaths, her hair clinging damply to her cheeks.
Li Yuyan studied her closely. The mask still covered her face, but he remembered how she fought ferociously. He was still trying to come to terms with the fact that his quiet maid was his toughest opponent ever. Not a man. The only one to see his true face without dying.His jaw tightened. The realization burned hotter.
Li Yuyan withdrew to the shadows of the room, his eyes never leaving her concealed form. His heart beat erratically, a mix of adrenaline, worry, and a strange, unfamiliar emotion he refused to name.
She knows my face. Yet she doesn't know I am her master… my maid. It's perfect she doesn't know my true identity.
The thought gnawed at him, unbidden, as the silence of the palace pressed in. His fingers flexed around the hilt of his sword. Every sense was alert. Every instinct screamed that danger could strike even here.
He could hear distant steps—guards sweeping the halls methodically. Every time a shadow passed his door, he tensed, ready to strike or vanish. Yet none found them
Li Yuyan's mind returned to Yue Ying's unconscious form. Her small hands twitched, almost imperceptibly, and her breathing grew uneven. The poison and her injuries from the battlefield had left her weak, vulnerable.
He studied her again—the curve of her jaw, the softness beneath the mask, the slight rise and fall of her chest. All traces of the fearsome vigilante were gone, replaced by a fragile, human figure. Big drops of blood gushed from her body, he ripped one of his clothes to momentarily stop the bleeding. At least, this was the girl that saved his life before.
How had this shadow fought so fiercely, yet been so delicate?Orders had been sent: sweep the palace, check every chamber. Li Yuyan knew that if anyone found Yue Ying here, both of them would die. He had to act quickly.
He moved through his room with practiced stealth, closing windows that would reveal shadows, extinguishing torches that flickered too brightly. He checked the corridors for loose planks, any passageway that might betray her presence.
Then, he prepared a hidden alcove within the room—a small space behind the wall paneling, reinforced with soft mats and herbs to mask any scent. Carefully, he lifted Yue Ying and slid her into the space, ensuring she was comfortable yet completely concealed.
Her body trembled faintly. Her head lolled back as she murmured something in her sleep. Li Yuyan's hand brushed the beads of sweat forming on her face.
The moment was brief, fleeting, yet heavy with unspoken tension.
But within him, he could feel serious danger looming. What could it be?