The night was deep, and all was silent.
In the bedchamber of the princess consort, the carved window was propped open with a slender wooden stick, allowing a gentle cool breeze to drift into the room. The palace lanterns swayed lightly.
Xu Qingzhao sat cross-legged on a cushion, her deep eyes fixed on the sparkling night sky. Her left hand supported her chin, while her right hand toyed with a teacup. No one could tell what she was thinking.
Not far away, Ren Ye lay sprawled on the floor, his eyes dazedly staring at the ceiling, looking utterly drained.
Two full hours of "soul resonance" had passed. Not only had the fortune of the Heaven-Pardoned One been drained, but even the hairs on his body felt plucked clean. It was no exaggeration to say this was a miracle of life!
If all the virile men in the world were measured in units, Ren Ye felt he alone accounted for eight-tenths.
But thankfully, the princess consort was a woman of her word. She had kept her promise and demonstrated an enigmatic and unfathomable Daoist technique to the "Yin-Yang Emperor"...
"If you're tired, you can sleep here for a while. With me here, no one should be able to kill you." The cold breeze brushed her face as Xu Qingzhao spoke emotionlessly.
Emotionlessness, in itself, was a kind of emotion.
For Xu Qingzhao, she feared being entangled in the karma of the Heaven-Pardoned One. Yet, for some reason, from the moment she beganing the fortune of the Heaven-Pardoned One, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had taken advantage...
On the soft wool carpet, Ren Ye wiped the sweat from his forehead and gazed wistfully at the ceiling. "Sigh, I haven't slept well in over three years. One more night won't make much difference..."
"Over three years?" Xu Qingzhao asked indifferently. "Have you done something to feel guilty about?"
"No. Perhaps I just never quite adjusted. Feeling wronged, feeling resentful, feeling a bit of regret, and a sense that it was meant to be? Heh, maybe all of it." Ren Ye let himself go completely. "It's like... there's always been a suppressed negative emotion in my heart that never found release."
Xu Qingzhao didn't understand his words, nor did she care to ask. She simply fell silent again.
"Dong, dong dong~!"
The sound of a gong from outside the quiet bedchamber interrupted Ren Ye's conflicted thoughts.
It was midnight.
Ren Ye snapped back to reality, quickly sat up from the floor, grabbed his clothes, and began putting them on. "My beloved consort, rest early. I must take my leave."
Xu Qingzhao ignored him.
A moment later, Ren Ye, now dressed, walked toward the chamber door.
"...I said, if you don't seek death yourself, I will do my best to keep you safe." Xu Qingzhao turned her head, chin still resting on her hand. "But if you take matters into your own hands, no matter what happens, I will merely watch coldly from the sidelines."
Though Xu Qingzhao carried an air of detachment from worldly affairs, the petty and corrupt dealings within the prince's manor did not escape her notice. She knew Ren Ye was planning to take risks tonight and thus offered a word of caution.
"My beloved consort, I forgot to tell you—I have never liked being passive..." Ren Ye laughed and tossed out the remark before pushing the door open and leaving with a flourish.
"Foolish people are beyond cure..."
Xu Qingzhao shook her head gently, her expression serene as she gazed out the window.
...
An hour later, in the bedchamber of Prince Huai.
Ren Ye sat upright in a chair and instructed, "Proceed as planned yesterday. Go now to Li Yuan and select songstresses. Mix that female thief among them and bring her here. If she resists, strike directly, but remember to keep her alive."
"Understood," Er Leng replied before hurriedly leaving with his attendant eunuchs.
Ren Ye then turned to Lian'er in the chamber and waved impatiently. "Go to Xile Palace early and prepare. Do as I instructed."
In the flickering candlelight, Lian'er looked pale as she stared at Ren Ye, her eyes inexplicably filled with fear.
Ren Ye was curious. "What's wrong? Why do you look as if you've seen a ghost?"
"...To be honest, Your Highness, I truly feel as if I've seen a ghost." Lian'er mustered her courage to reply. "I don't know why, but since you returned from the princess consort's chambers, you give off a very eerie vibe... almost as if...!"
"As if what? Speak freely."
"As if I've seen a dead person, or one of those Daoist priests who exorcise ghosts and summon spirits in the wilderness. In short, you radiate a heavy Yin energy." Lian'er answered truthfully. "You... you aren't...?"
"It's fine." Ren Ye waved her off. "Every day after returning from the princess consort, I feel drained... today is just especially severe. I'll be better tomorrow."
"Then should this servant go prepare now?"
"Go!" Ren Ye nodded in agreement.
...
Half past midnight, in Li Yuan.
The eunuch in charge of rituals called out in a hoarse voice, "By His Highness's order, those selected shall proceed to Xile Palace to serve!"
The sound of gongs echoed, and the young eunuchs in the courtyard busied themselves. Before long, the songstresses and maids of Li Yuan had all gathered in the outer courtyard, standing in several rows.
"Guard Hong, please proceed!" The old eunuch raised his arm, looking impatiently at Er Leng.
Er Leng nodded slightly in response and quickly walked into the rows of songstresses to make his selections.
Under the night sky, swaying lantern light illuminated the scene.
Liu Ling'er hid among the rows of songstresses, her eyes fixed on Er Leng as she focused her intent to once again sense the subtle connection between them.
His state as a loyal lackey remained stable, without any abnormalities.
After selecting over ten people, Er Leng arrived before Liu Ling'er. His eyes burned with unconcealed passion as they lingered on her enchanting figure.
"This servant is indisposed and cannot serve His Highness," Liu Ling'er curtsied gracefully, subtly signaling Er Leng with her eyes.
"What use are you then?!"
Er Leng scolded Liu Ling'er but followed her gaze to another songstress skilled in playing the sheng. "Are you indisposed?"
The woman shook her head, her cheeks flushed with shyness.
"Then step forward." Er Leng chose her and, without another glance at Liu Ling'er, moved on swiftly.
...
Half an hour later, over twenty songstresses skilled in music and dance were brought to Xile Palace.
Ren Ye sat atop the grand hall, reeking of alcohol, and shouted drunkenly, "This prince is in a foul mood! Play music and dance! If you can lift my spirits, you will be handsomely rewarded!"
His voice echoed through the hall as the beautiful songstresses busied themselves. Soon, the hall filled with the harmonious sounds of ancient, melodious music...
Ren Ye drank fine wine, pretending to be a dissolute noble, his eyes lecherously admiring the dancers' enchanting figures while his mind wandered elsewhere.
"Er Leng...!"
"Your subordinate is here."
"Have you sniffed out who the female thief is?" Ren Ye asked softly, his eyes scanning the women in the hall.
Er Leng half-bowed, covering his mouth with his hand. "The woman playing the sheng on the left is the thief who fought me at Chunxiang Garden."
"Are you certain?" Ren Ye turned, his eyes fixed intently on Er Leng's expression.
"Your subordinate is certain. It is her."
"Later, I will summon her to attend me. Go to the bedchamber and prepare." Ren Ye thought for a moment. "Remember, do not reveal anything prematurely. She is highly skilled in martial arts and possesses peerless lightness skills. We cannot let her escape."
"Rest assured, Your Highness. I will capture her alive." Er Leng replied before quietly leaving the hall.
"Hahaha!"
Ren Ye laughed heartily, raised his wine cup, and staggered to his feet, shouting, "Keep the music playing! Keep dancing!"
On the right, Lian'er, who was attending in the hall, saw Er Leng leave and signaled to a maid with her eyes.
...
After leaving Xile Palace, the obsequious expression on Er Leng's face vanished.
He first went to Prince Huai's bedchamber, intentionally sending away the eunuchs on night duty before slipping away unnoticed.
A short while later, he arrived at Jingxin Hall with a woman dressed as an ordinary maid.
As soon as the two appeared, two eunuchs emerged from under the corridor. One of them called out, "Who goes there?"
"It's me."
Er Leng frowned in response, stepped onto the, and pointed to the maid beside him. "His Highness is feasting and merrymaking at Xile Palace. He sent us to retrieve some personal items."
"So it's Guard Hong. Please, come in!"
"Guard Hong, I don't recognize this maid."
"She's from Li Yuan. Don't ask too many questions." Er Leng replied coldly.
"Yes, yes...!"
The two eunuchs naturally put on fawning expressions in front of Er Leng and wisely stepped aside.
"No need to accompany us. Stay alert on night duty."
"Yes." After a brief exchange at the hall entrance, Er Leng led the way inside.
The eunuchs on guard here were all assigned by him and Lian'er. Er Leng knew exactly how many there were and where each was stationed, so he encountered no one else along the way.
In the dimly lit corridor, the ordinary maid closely following Er Leng slowly raised her head. "Has that noticed anything unusual about the songstresses?"
"Reporting to my master, the's plan is to lure the sheng-playing songstress into the bedchamber and have me subdue her." Er Leng looked at Liu Ling'er, disguised as an ordinary maid, his eyes blazing as he licked his parched lips. "The eunuchs in the hall are weak and untrained in martial arts. He wouldn't dare act recklessly now."
"Mm." Liu Ling'er nodded in satisfaction. "Are you sure you can open the mechanism in the secret chamber?"
Er Leng replied respectfully, "The previously displayed Guardian Sword in the hall is the switch to the secret chamber. However, a couple of days ago, it recognized a new master. The secretly took the real sword and replaced it with a fake one identical in appearance to keep the switch pressed. Anyone familiar with its secrets can enter. There's no need for concern, master."
Liu Ling'er nodded in satisfaction. "Let's hurry."
With less than seven hours left before she had to deliver on her mission tomorrow morning, Liu Ling'er was anxious to finish quickly and avoid further complications.
The two walked swiftly, one after the other, and soon arrived at the main hall.
"Creak!" The hall door closed. Liu Ling'er stood in the darkness, glancing around cautiously.
Er Leng rushed forward, circled the tall throne, and lifted the fake Guardian Sword.
"Click!"
Gears turned, and a section of the wall split open, revealing a hidden passage.
"This is the secret chamber the discovered." Er Leng looked at Liu Ling'er with an eager, treasure-offering expression. "Master! After this matter, I only beg to... to share another moment of intimacy with you... Even if I die immediately afterward, I will have no regrets."
Liu Ling'er coldly stared at him. "You go down first."
"Alright!" Er Leng didn't hesitate and dashed into the passage.
Liu Ling'er slowly closed her eyes, carefully sensing the subtle connection between them through her intent. Satisfied that Er Leng's lackey state remained stable, she nodded.
After a few breaths, Er Leng's voice echoed from the passage. "Master, there's nothing unusual."
Liu Ling'er frowned slightly and whispered, "Spring Breeze Ruyi Diagram."
"Swish!"
A flash of light shimmered as a scroll suddenly appeared in Liu Ling'er's hand.
Clutching this magical artifact, she held her breath and cautiously stepped into the passage.
The faint torchlight flickered restlessly. Liu Ling'er's eyes gradually adjusted to the's layout, and her ears caught the prompt from the Stellar Trace Gate. [Congratulations, enchanting songstress. You have discovered a hidden passage within the prince's manor. Mission completion: 1/3.]
Hearing this, Liu Ling'er was overjoyed. She took the torch from Er Leng and glanced at the densely packed shelves before asking, "When you and that came to this secret chamber, did you find the construction records of the former dynasty's princess tomb?"
"No, I did not find any such records." Er Leng shook his head.
Liu Ling'er looked up and noticed the iron door at the end of the secret chamber, her expression curious. "Where does this lead?"
"I don't know. But that day, the Prince Huai and I encountered a fierce ghost here...!" Er Leng vividly recounted the experience.
After listening, Liu Ling'er cautiously approached the iron door. Her mission was to investigate the secrets here, and she naturally wanted to glimpse what lay beyond...
"Master," Er Leng said, watching the flickering torchlight, "I've been away for nearly half an hour. I must return to Xile Palace to report, or that may grow suspicious...!"
"Go." Liu Ling'er said indifferently. "Don't close the secret chamber door. After I finish investigating, I will hide in a side room. Come back for me later."
"Yes!" Er Leng clasped his hands and asked, "What should I do later when the sheng-playing songstress is lured to the bedchamber? If thePrince Huai speaks with her, the plan will be exposed."
"Tell him the female thief is highly skilled in martial arts and possesses mysterious supernatural abilities. Advise theto find a safe place to hide." Liu Ling'er observed the iron door, her. "After he leaves, pretend to slip up and kill the songstress. Leave no evidence."
"The two young eunuchs at the hall entrance also saw us earlier..."
"Kill them both before leaving. Heh, I have ways to divert attention."
"Understood!"
"Go." Liu Ling'er nodded slowly.
"Swish!"
Er Leng quickly disappeared from the secret chamber.
...
In the dark, narrow corridor of Jingxin Hall, Er Leng hurried back to Xile Palace to report.
The surroundings were silent, only the sound of hurried footsteps echoing on the ground...
"Er Leng!"
A familiar voice suddenly called out. "What is so special about that woman? Isn't Lian'er good enough?!"
In an instant, Er Leng felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, a chill running down his spine. He swiftly drew his famed blade, Inviting Moon.
The torchlight flickered, revealing Ren Ye's figure.
Seeing him, Er Leng's pupils contracted, and he stubbornly shouted, "You! No one can harm my master!"
"Slap!"
Lian'er, hidden on the left, struck him across the face. "How am I not as good as her?! Your tendency to forget loyalty for lust is faster than His Highness taking off his clothes!"
Amid the scolding, a Daoist talisman was instantly slapped onto Er Leng's chest by Lian'er.