In silence, Gu Yunxi and Lu Qiange finished the breakfast and parted ways.

Watching the girl disappearing on the road, Lu Qiange's purple eyes blinked in confusion as an indescribable feeling rose in his heart.

Was her name Tu Muxue?

But when she called him, her tone was somewhat similar to that of Yunxi.

He must miss Yunxi so much that he hallucinated.

The feeling of loss was like a sour jujube fruit on his tongue. He could not swallow it, and thus his mouth was full of bitterness, chilling his heart.

Sighing and shaking his head, Lu Qiange turned around, ready to take a walk.

Within two steps, he was surrounded by some Eastern Depot guards who forced him into a narrow alley on the right.

It was quiet in the long and narrow space that sunlight could not reach. The dimness distorted Lu Qiange's handsome features.

"What do you want?"

His roar thundered while he pressed his right hand on his sword hilt. Yet, he did not act rashly.

He was now a member of the Palace's honour guards, a colleague of the Eastern Depot in some way, so he could not offend them easily.

"I'm looking for you."

At the end of the alley, a low and magnetic voice sounded leisurely.

Lu Qiange's purple eyes froze, staring at Leng Qingtang approaching him. His handsome face was shrouded in shadows, full of solemnity.

Five steps away, Leng Qingtang stopped and scanned the guards with his cold and indifferent eyes, beckoning them to back up.

The guards then blocked the alley to deny other people's entrance.

The two pairs of eyes looked at each other quietly for a while. Then, Leng Qingtang asked first,

"A foreigner infiltrated the Palace of Da Yi. What's your purpose?"

Lu Qiange remained cold. Blades seemed to be spinning in his eyes and were about to dart out, killing the man before them.

If it hadn't been for the official suit on him, Lu Qiange would have already cut the enemy down with the iron sword.

Smiling mockingly, Lu Qiange raised his brows, lowered the weapon-holding right hand, and replied calmly.

"I'm short of money roaming about, so I came to work in the Palace. Why? Do I displease you, Master?"

Leng Qingtang sneered as his eyes glared with resentment.

"The third prince of Udan is short of money? I don't buy it! If you don't tell me the truth, I'll inform the manager of honour guards and expel you from the barracks."

Lu Qiange smiled and spoke coldly as if he had been not intimidated by the other's threats at all.

"Since you know who I am, you should know that My Mother is the sister of Da Yi's Emperor. I advise you not to make things difficult for me."

What he said was true. As a matter of fact, he was related to Leng Qingtang.

But what was the reason that made him infiltrate the Palace of Da Yi regardless of his identity?

The question flashed across Leng Qingtang's heart. He immediately interrogated him solemnly.

"Why were you together with a maid just now?"

This was what troubled him really.

The Emperor's nephew found Gu Yunxi as soon as he came to the Palace. Had he recognized her already? Or did he know from the beginning that Tu Muxue was Gu Yunxi?

Lu Qiange was slightly startled, but he soon recomposed himself and opened his arms.

"That was an accident. I was buying her a meal as a favor. By the way, I won't let you go if you dare to tell Yunxi about this when she's found."

Leng Qingtang was at a loss whether to cry or laugh.

It seemed that Lu Qiange had no knowledge of Tu Muxue's identity, which relieved Leng Qingtang.

When he was about to continue, a hubbub was heard a few meters away.

Fan Lin was dealing with the guards at the alley, struggling hard to enter as he shouted.

"Master Leng, I'm the captain of Tiger Battalion's fifth team. That one was new here. Please show mercy if he has offended you."

Leng Qingtang waved his subordinates to let go of Fan Lin.

Fan Lin's legs went soft and he stumbled to the ground where he stayed and kowtowed to Leng Qingtang.

"Master, please have mercy. The newcomer did not mean to offend you. Please forgive him and spare his life."

Leng Qingtang frowned helplessly. It appeared that the Eastern Depot was so infamous in the capital that he was misunderstood before any action.

"Stop it and get up."

He raised his brows fretfully and cast his stern eyes on fearless Lu Qiange again.

"The rules in the Palace are stricter. If you misbehave again, I'll have no mercy!"

Speaking ferociously, Leng Qingtang walked out of the narrow alley.

It was good to leave Lu Qiange alone. If he could not force the truth out of him, he would see what he would do in the Palace on his own.

...

Concubine Xu drank much chrysanthemum wine during dinner and went to bed early.

Lanxin was on duty on the night of the Double Ninth Festival. She was cooking sober soup and snacks in case Her Grace should wake up in midnight.

Grasping the opportunity, Gu Yunxi put on a dark suit and covered her face with a handkerchief. Then she levitated out of the Palace and went to Mount Yin via the ridge route that she had acquired in the morning.

Before midnight, she finally reached her destination.

On the mountaintop, night breezes were blowing softly.

The horizon was wide and empty. Rolling hills were veiled by the night. The shadows of the trees nearby were densely packed, revealing the unique melancholy of late autumn.

Recalling that she had been imprisoned here secretly for a whole year, Yunxi was filled with mixed feelings. Resentment, hesitation, confusion, and bitterness all intertwined and weighed down her mind.

It was her first night visit without His Highness's summoning, which broke the rule.

Should she disturb him?

Gu Yunxi took out the jade flute from her waist belt. While she was hesitating whether to blow it and summon him, she felt a chilling current crawling on her back.

Then a big claw reached her from behind and easily surrounded her waist.

"I did not give the flute to you for this..."

His cold and dreamy voice lingered in her ears. As he spoke, his cold breath touched Gu Yunxi's cheek, making her hair stand on end and her heart palpitate.

"Your... Your Highness..."

Without turning to him, Gu Yunxi whispered tremblingly and clenched the flute.

The man emerged from the thin air in the middle of the night like a ghastly ghost that could scare people to death.

"You find this place after all."

There was not much emotion in his words. He turned her body around and forced her to face him.

Afraid of punishments, Gu Yunxi kept her head down and said carefully,

"If you don't want to be found by me, you would not let Baoting serve me."

Assertive people never wanted to be seen through. She might have violated the taboo again.

He did not respond for a long time. Heart throbbing, Gu Yunxi mustered her courage to look up at him and meet his cold, hazy, and mist-enshrouded eyes.

However, different from before, now his lips under the mask slightly pursed into an arc that almost looked like a smile.

"Yes, I revealed my residence to you. But I didn't want you to be here empty-handed."

His tone was casual and playful.

Gu Yunxi was a little embarrassed.

"I haven't found any clues about the Kunhuang Island map after two months into the Palace. I don't know where to start. I hope Your Highness will give me some tips."

The smile lines went deeper as the masked man gazed at the concentrated and obedient girl. His tone changed and sounded softer than ever like a spring.

"There was once a 'Tianyan Faction' in Da Yi who specialized in hidden weapons. The former Emperor regarded them as heterodoxy and expelled them. So, they went across the sea and settled on an island in the east sea."

"A year ago, a traitor named Lei Huan poisoned the faction's thirteenth headmaster and stole the treasure, Kunhuang Island map. I traced the man down and found he was in contact with a certain official in the Palace. He'll show in court in the near future."

"I captured you and taught you in the underground tomb last year for this day."

"You arranged for me to enter the Palace to wait for that man?"

Gu Yunxi's eyes gleamed. She quietly examined the mysterious face under the cold mask and suddenly asked,

"Who are you? You hide in such a secret place and place so many spies in and out of the Palace. Who are you?"

Last month, when Gu Yunxi was anxiously waiting for the contact of the masked man to get the next box of Hanfu Cream, she found a rouge box under the window that was exactly like the one she had.

It could be inferred that the mysterious man had spies in the Palace.

Seeing that he was silent, Gu Yunxi reached out to remove his mask.

She had readied herself to break in today and did not intend to leave without an answer.

His sharp eyes glared coldly as he caught her thin wrist and grumbled.

"Think clearly. You won't be able to return to the Palace if you take off my mask!"

Gu Yunxi chuckled.

"You worked so hard to mold my face and send me there. Will you be willing to give up now?"

His grasp on her wrist suddenly tightened. The atmosphere was frozen, sending a chill down her spine.

It seemed that he was really angry.

"Do you think you are the only one who can complete the task? If you think so, you can remove my mask and see what will happen!"

Checkmated, Gu Yunxi calmed down and put down her hand after a moment of struggle.

"Your Highness, the Hanfu Cream you gave me is almost used up..."

"Well, I know."

Finally, the aggressive and unfriendly voice gradually turned warm.

Then he took out an oval rouge box from his sleeve and stuffed it into her hand.

Seeing her slim body trembling against the wind on the frosty night of late autumn, he silently took off his cloak and covered her up.

"It's too late. Return to the Palace. I will have a black suit sent to you as soon as possible. Be watchful and bring me the Kunhuang Island map the next time you come."

As he spoke, he gazed into her deeply. Full of ambiguous compassion in place of imposing coldness, his eyes were now fixed on her.

Gu Yunxi did not notice his look. She put away the rouge box and jade flute, curtsied to him, and then retreated.

Behind the masked man, a graceful figure showed up from behind a tree. She uttered with a beautiful bell-like voice that sounded just like Gu Yunxi's.

"Your Highness, I bet she can't complete the task."

The masked man's eyes dimmed. Without looking back, he scolded.

"It's not your time to show off yet. Dismiss yourself now!"

——

At the Imperial Ceremony Office in the Palace

Recently, Emperor Jingxiao was indulging himself in lust and alchemy, ignoring all government affairs. Piles of reports were all passed to the Imperial Ceremony Office and stacked on Leng Qingtang's desk, waiting for his attention.

A little eunuch ran in and knelt in front of the desk.

"Master, an assassin attacked the Palace. Honour guards are trying their best to pursuit him."

Leng Qingtang frowned and rushed outside.

At the corner of the palatial garden, Gu Yunxi was sprinting ahead and avoiding honour guards from all directions thanks to her excellent levitation skill.

Back from Mount Yin, she successfully climbed over a watchtower of the Palace and floated down into the palatial garden from the glazed tiles.

Seeing the night honour guards approaching her from the corridor, Gu Yunxi dodged into the bushes in a panic, and her cloak was caught by a branch.

She tugged it recklessly and broke it. The noise made into the ears of honour guards.

"Who is there!"

One guard shouted, followed by a whole brigade.

Gu Yunxi hurriedly pulled the cloak hood over her head and ran in the opposite direction.

"Assassin! Guards!"

"Catch him!"

The shouts rose and fell, thundering the once tranquil sky above the imperial city and spreading in all directions.

Gu Yunxi gathered her strength and jumped onto the roof, only to be faced with archers.

Gu Yunxi blocked the rain of arrows with her internal strength, but was forced down the roof.

Fleeing aimlessly like a headless fly, she was often outflanked by honour guards who were familiar with the layout.

After several twists and turns, Gu Yunxi threw off chasing soldiers again to flee into a narrow path.

Suddenly, a shadow showed from behind the rockery and covered her mouth with a gentle hand.

His perfume filled her nose.

Leaning on the rockery, Gu Yunxi panted restlessly, spraying the warm air from her nose on his hand. She fixed her frightened and glimmering eyes on his moving lips where a sentence was squeezed out.

"Don't say anything if you want to survive!"