In the darkness, a shadowy figure scurried along the wall.
Although the patrolling Imperial Guards noticed this person, they merely glanced at the sky and paid him no further mind.
As long as it wasn't past the Hour of the Dog, they wouldn't stop anyone for questioning.
But once the curfew began, they wouldn't be merciful.
The Imperial Guards looked at the white-robed eunuch running past, their faces filled with amusement.
The one hurrying was naturally Deng Weixian, who had just come out of Jingyang Palace, and behind him, Li Xuan followed closely and silently.
Initially, Deng Weixian's speed was normal, but then he began to move like the wind, easily surpassing the speed of an ordinary person running at full sprint.
Li Xuan knew that Deng Weixian possessed martial arts skills; his own Tiger Form Ten Styles was learned from him, after all.
But this was also the strange part.
Logically speaking, Deng Weixian was just an ordinary farm boy who fled to the capital and entered the palace to become a eunuch.
So, from whom did he learn his martial arts?
Moreover, since he was Yu'er's biological younger brother, Li Xuan had to figure out Deng Weixian's current background, if only for Yu'er's sake.
Before long, one person and one cat returned to the Shi Jian Courtyard almost exactly on time.
Not long after Deng Weixian entered, the sound of the night watch eunuch rang out from outside.
"The Hour of the Dog has arrived, close the palace gates."
"During curfew, no one is allowed on the streets."
The palace's night watch didn't use gongs; they relied on people shouting loudly.
Once Deng Weixian entered the Shi Jian Courtyard, he no longer needed to run, walking unhurriedly towards his own courtyard.
Li Xuan walked on the courtyard wall, quietly following him.
Ever since the two eunuchs from Yan Qu Hall were arrested, he hadn't set foot in this place for a long time, and he didn't know if Deng Weixian was still practicing martial arts every night.
When Deng Weixian entered the courtyard, he found it brightly lit, with someone standing with their back to him, clearly waiting for him.
The moment he saw the person's back, Deng Weixian immediately prostrated himself, kowtowing three times with clear thuds.
"Little Deng greets Godfather."
Seeing this, Li Xuan leaned back slightly, showing his admiration.
"You, kid, got a Godfather before you even left the Shi Jian Courtyard?"
Yu'er had been worried earlier that Deng Weixian wouldn't be able to get by in the palace and might even commit suicide.
Now it seems she underestimated her big brother.
"He latched onto a big leg before even leaving the Novice Village."
Li Xuan found it hard to imagine where Deng Weixian, with his poker face, got such social skills.
In the imperial palace, eunuchs were castrated and entered the palace from a young age; someone like Deng Weixian was considered an older entrant.
Li Xuan remembered that the age limit for castration and entering the palace was fourteen; in another year or two, Deng Weixian wouldn't even be qualified to enter the palace.
Within the palace, everyone was without family, so the custom of recognizing godfathers had existed since ancient times.
This was all for survival and was not shameful.
He just hadn't expected Deng Weixian to be so quick on the uptake.
"Perhaps this kid even has some talent."
Li Xuan thought about these things, quietly lying on the wall, ready to watch the show.
This was the good thing about being a cat: no one guarded against him.
Everything was said and done in front of him.
So far, Li Xuan hadn't encountered anyone strange enough to guard against a cat.
Therefore, he could easily hear and see many interesting things.
And it seemed another rare opportunity was presenting itself.
"Little Deng, you're back."
The speaker wore a large, black hooded cloak that concealed his figure.
His voice was deep and resonant, quite distinctive in the palace.
"Did you see your sister?"
Li Xuan's pupils constricted; he hadn't expected this person to know about their sibling relationship.
"Yes, we've exchanged greetings and confirmed each other's safety. I must thank Godfather for making this possible," Deng Weixian replied respectfully, his head bowed to the ground.
"Good, it's good that you saw her." Deng Weixians Godfather turned and came to his side, gently patting his shoulder: "This way, you can serve me with peace of mind."
"Don't worry, as long as you serve me well, getting your sister out of the Cold Palace is not a difficult matter for me."
From beneath the wide cloak extended a hand with distinct, slender, and fair knuckles.
This hand was even more beautiful than many women's.
What caught Li Xuan's attention even more was his sleeve.
Although only a corner was visible, it was clear that the patterned clothing on this person was even more luxurious than Chief Steward Shang's.
Especially the special silver trim on the clothes, with intricate patterns and fine craftsmanship, clearly indicated its high value.
"What is this eunuch's identity?"
"This outfit is probably not something an ordinary Grand Eunuch could afford."
Li Xuan couldn't help but frown; things seemed much more complicated than he had expected.
"Yu'er, your younger brother is quite a handful."
Deng Weixian remained kneeling almost the entire time, not even once raising his head.
"To share Godfather's worries, Little Deng will not shirk his duty."
Deng Weixian was also impressive, expressing his loyalty cleanly and directly.
"Good boy."
The person praised him, then asked, "How is your practice of the Tiger Form Ten Styles coming along?"
"It has reached the minor accomplishment stage as per Godfather's requirements."
"Good. I've already arranged tomorrow's duties. You don't need to worry about anything; continue to focus on your martial arts training."
"Next, I will teach you the accompanying claw technique for the Tiger Form Ten Styles, the Bloodthirsty Tiger Claw."
"Watch carefully."
Hearing this, Deng Weixian suddenly raised his head and looked at his Godfather.
Li Xuan hadn't expected such an unexpected gain tonight. He immediately straightened his body and widened his eyes, afraid of missing even a single detail.
The person flung off his cloak, then began to move, demonstrating an extremely fierce claw technique.
This claw technique was broad and sweeping, powerful and forceful, yet his movements were nimble and agile, a perfect blend of rigidity and flexibility.
The tiger claws swung out, almost tearing through the air, creating a piercing sound, like a tiger's roar, astonishing in its momentum.
The trees in the small courtyard swayed and shook from the surging internal force, shedding many branches and leaves.
Li Xuan was greatly enlightened; it was his first time seeing a master display martial arts, and the aura was much more powerful than he had anticipated.
One round of the Bloodthirsty Tiger Claw was quickly completed. The person's body spun like a whirlwind, re-tying his cloak.
"How was it? Did you see clearly?"
Deng Weixian, still kneeling, didn't answer immediately but showed a thoughtful expression, clearly recalling the previous moves in his mind.
After a few breaths, he slowly nodded in confirmation.
"Good, show me one round."
Deng Weixian received the command, got up from the ground, and began to mimic the moves of the Bloodthirsty Tiger Claw from memory.
Although his movements were slow, each move was precise and methodical, without the slightest oversight.
It wasn't until he had completely performed the Bloodthirsty Tiger Claw from beginning to end that a voice of praise came from the side.
"You truly have talent. I did not misjudge you."
"Thank you for your praise, Godfather."
Deng Weixian knelt again, bowing his head respectfully.
The person was very satisfied with this attitude, nodded, and said, "The mental cultivation method is the Tiger Form Ten Styles. Practice it well. This set of complementary techniques is enough for you to break through to the Ningxue Realm and become a Ninth-Rank martial artist."
"By then, you will be qualified to do that thing for me."
Deng Weixian immediately kowtowed heavily, responding with a resounding voice:
"Your child will not fail Godfather's high expectations!"