The thick fog pervaded in the Black Matrix, sometimes dispersed, sometimes converged, and changed into a horrible figure. And then turbid waves appeared and soared up a hundred feet high. Like a huge black dragon, it groaned and plunged at Yu Xuanji.

Yu Xuanji licked the tip of his index and middle fingers and passed them across before his eyebrows. Instantly, his vision cleared.

A golden magic circle lit up under his feet where a lotus hovered. Yu Xuanji danced with the long sword, which shone coldly as it turned into a silver net and bound the great dragon.

The faster he swung the sword, the tighter the light cage became. Screams were heard from within the black mist, and the dark dragon slowly turned scarlet.

With a loud noise, the mist collapsed into many warriors dressed in red and wearing grotesque masks, who immediately started fighting with Yu Xuanji.

Those men were like hallucinations. They would immediately decompose into a spray of blood after being hit by Yu Xuanji's sword or touched by the golden magic circle. But soon they would incarnate and attack from somewhere else.

Soon after the fight began, the golden circle under Yu Xuanji's feet disappeared. He felt heavy on his limbs, and he knew that his energy was being absorbed by this strange Black Matrix.

Resolutely, Yu Xuanji gripped the palm that had just been sliced by the dagger and pierced the fresh scab with his nails. Blood immediately ran from his wound.

He muttered imprecations and the symbol of blood in his palm glowed red in the dark, igniting Yu Xuanji's eyes.

Seeing an opportunity, Yu Xuanji pushed his palm in one direction.

The red light shone brightly with a bang, and the warriors disappeared quickly. Exhausted, Yu Xuanji supported his body with the long sword, his eyes swelling.

There was a person standing in front of him. Yu Xuanji struggled to look up and froze on the spot.

The man was wearing armors and holding a silver spear. His face was glad and kind.

Yu Xuanji's eyes got wet suddenly. Only now did he recall that the courtyard he had seen when he entered here was his childhood home...

Father...

Looking at the familiar face before him, he opened his trembling lips and was about to utter something. Yet, he suddenly realized that the matrix was so strong here that its evil power had invaded his spiritual world.

Lei Huan must be the caster. He needed to break out as soon as possible and deny his access to his mind.

Yu Xuanji made up his mind and bit his lip. He spat blood at the man and slashed his sword at the same time.

The man immediately started burning in screams.

The ground suddenly disappeared under his feet. In a trance, all colors burst into chaos before his eyes. When he was awake again, Yu Xuanji had appeared on the outside of the Swift Tower.

With a long sigh of relief, he raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat on his forehead. He looked back at the dilapidated tower and then mounted his horse to drive up the hill.

In the woods, Leng Qingtang had already received the two boys and the other people.

During the battle, Gu Yunxi and Lu Qiange's men had exhausted themselves. Wounded in her left shoulder, she went unconscious into Master Leng's arms upon seeing him.

Lu Qiange was also fatigued but did not leave because of the Kunhuang Island map. Leng Qingtang knocked him unconscious after being offended by his rude remarks.

And then Yu Xuanji arrived.

Leng Qingtang unceremoniously stretched out his hand when he saw him,

"Give it to me."

Yu Xuanji blinked slyly and took out the sheepskin. He handed it over to Leng Qingtang obediently and smiled,

"It's fake. Why bother?"

Leng Qingtang replied calmly, "It might be useful still."

He took the map and stretched out his hand to Yu Xuanji again.

"What else?" Yu Xuanji smiled bitterly.

Leng Qingtang did not emote. He spoke back, "You tell me."

Yu Xuanji's face changed as he hid his chest under his hands.

"No!"

Leng Qingtang was not in the mood to make a laugh with him. He stepped forward with a dark face and pulled Yu Xuanji's coat open.

Yu Xuanji struggled to resist,

"Hey, wait... What's the hurry..."

"Shut up and give it to me!"

Leng Qingtang withdrew his hand with a bottle in his palm.

"Those are the replenishing pills refined from thousand-year-old ice toads..."

Yu Xuanji was distressed to see the medicine taken away by Leng Qingtang, especially when he did so for Gu Yunxi.

Leng Qingtang stopped arguing with him. He mounted the horse with Gu Yunxi in his arms and said without turning his head,

"You have worked hard tonight. Go home before dawn. I'll make contact later."

"Dump me so soon after you no longer need me!"

Yu Xuanji complained and rode away.

...

Inside the Swift Tower, a person wearing a black Taoist robe was covering his chest. He got up in the shadows and spat blood on the ground.

He wiped his mouth and staggered down the stairs as he muttered to himself,

"The man who broke my matrix was powerful... Who was the man holding the spear in his mind?"

Parked on the first floor, the priest looked at the dead bodies on the ground with dim candlelight. His eyes were suddenly attracted by something shiny in the bloodstained mess.

He frowned and approached the shining spot. When he stooped to pick it up, he found that it was a needle with a poisonous green tip.

He squinted at the needle with a weird smile and said to himself,

"Sure enough... Hong Zun passed the key to you after all!"

…

Gu Yunxi woke up and saw orange light wafting around her.

Leng Qingtang was sitting by the bed. His thick eyelashes cast hazy shadows on his ivory cheeks, and his eyes reached the bottom of her heart with compassionate gentleness.

"You are wounded. Don't move. My girl, do you recognize this place?"

Seeing that she was struggling to get up, Leng Qingtang reached out to help her. She looked around in confusion, and then her eyes teared up.

"The Eastern Depot..."

She said with a trembling voice as tears hung from her eyes uncontrollably. Her heart was filled with shock and joy. For a while, her lips quivered in silence.

"Yes. It's also your home!"

Leng Qingtang's eyes were gleaming. He held Gu Yunxi's hands tightly, letting her face gradually become blurred in his eyes.

For a year and a half, they were parted. He did not know if she were alive. On many nights they both tossed and turned. Now, she had finally returned to the Eastern Depot!

The cumbersome footsteps outside sounded like a lot of people. And then the door opened wide, and many people scrambled into the room.

The person at the front was Qinger. She was dressed in purple like a handsome boy. Now she worked as a female guard in the Eastern Depot under the tutelage of Cheng Wanli.

When she saw the strange girl on her own lady's bed, Qinger only felt stings in her eyes and burst into tears.

On that rainy night, she left the Master's Mansion in search of the antidote. Her resolute back and beautiful face were deeply imprinted in everyone’s heart, but now she came back as a plain stranger. The huge gap was too cruel for them to accept.

Staring at the familiar faces that were either stunned or regretful, Gu Yunxi immediately realized something and bowed her head helplessly.

Leng Qingtang took her hands and softly comforted her.

"There, there..."

Xiao Xiaoshen could not hide his keenness. He ignored the presence of the Master and strode to the bed to embrace Gu Yunxi despite boundaries between men and women. His throat rolled as his tears ran into her hair. He said with a shaking voice,

"Yunxi... Welcome home."

"Xiaoshen..."

Gu Yunxi burst into tears. Many cried when they heard her unchanged voice.

The scene she had dreamed about so many times was now before her eyes. It was surprising and suspicious at the same time. Was she dreaming again, or was this real?

People in the back gathered around and called her "Yunxi" affectionately. She greeted Cheng Wanli, Zhao Wuji, and others with tearful eyes. Finally, she saw Yuan Qian.

"My brother!"

Gu Yunxi looked at him standing in front of her unharmed. She was so excited that she could barely express herself.

"Your hands and feet are all healed?"

The boy's appearance had not changed much, but his tone was full of stories. He had grown out of childishness and become mature.

"Doctor Jiang's treatment made me walk freely as before, but I can't practice martial arts anymore. The Master asked me to stay as a clerical worker in the Eastern Depot. Everyone and I... have been looking forward to your return..."

Yuan Qian choked and wept with Gu Yunxi. All people told her how much they had missed her.

In the end, Leng Qingtang had to push them out for the sake of Gu Yunxi's recovery. He asked them not to reveal Yunxi's current identity.

In the unusually quiet room, Leng Qingtang returned to the bedside and sat down. They looked at each other in silence for a moment.

"Jiang Huaian took your pulse when you were unconscious and found a chronic poison in your body. Did that person do it? He abducted you to change your face and put you in the Palace to find the Kunhuang Island map for him. To control you, he fed you poison?"

Gu Yunxi buried her head and listened. Her nose went red and her eyebrows twitched. She exhaled heavily but didn't have the courage to face the Master.

"I had to obey him to survive... Master, I once helped him to act against the Eastern Depot. But I had no choice..."

Leng Qingtang knew that. He said calmly with worried eyes.

"Last Girl's Day, the masked man managed to escape with injuries. It was you who had helped him. You were his assistant in the Palace."

Gu Yunxi's heart thumped. She quickly raised her head and avoided Leng Qingtang's calm but stern eyes. Biting her lip, she nodded,

"It was me. I stabbed Prince Chen with a hairpin and led you to Wutong Garden."

Leng Qingtang's brows lifted in realization. One could sense his decisiveness in his body language.

On that night when they expressed their love, he had been suspicious from the moment he found the jade flute that Gu Yunxi was carrying with her. He had deliberately concealed his intention from her so the investigation could go smoothly.

Now that the truth was clear, he could not blame her anyhow. What was the reason why she had come so far and did so much?

After a moment of silence, Gu Yunxi wiped her eyes,

"Master, you'd better let me go back to the Palace. If he knows that I'm in the Eastern Depot, you will get into trouble."

Leng Qingtang frowned,

"At this point, do you think you can go back to the Palace? I don't believe that there are no other spies there besides you. Girl, the Kunhuang Island map is now in the Eastern Depot. We're all involved in this. The only way is to fight against him. The Eastern Depot can protect you. Only I can protect you."

Shrinking in the corner of the bed, Gu Yunxi shook her head and wept,

"I can't. I really can't. He won't set me free. He is the devil!"

Suddenly, a shadow pressed over her eyes. The Master hugged her and gently consoled her,

"Dear, don't be afraid. We've got the map. We can get rid of them if we plan well. Also, what kind of poison that person gave you? Tell me, and I will let Jiang Huaian research on the antidote."

Leng Qingtang stretched out his hand, but she only stared blankly and hesitated,

"It's fine. Take a good rest first."

Leng Qingtang took back his hand and forced her no more.

His heart ached when he thought about how much she had suffered. He showed a gentle smile, meaning no pressure on her. He helped her to lie down and tucked her in the soft and comfortable quilt.

"Good night. I'm going to work in the front hall, and I will come to see you tomorrow morning."

He landed his warm lips on Gu Yunxi's forehead and did not leave until he solaced her more.

When he went to the front hall and found Cheng Wanli, Leng Qingtang tightened the corners of his mouth and whispered to him,

"Arrange someone to release the news to Ming Lan. Lure the snake out."

Cheng Wanli hesitated for a second and then nodded.

"Yes."

Leng Qingtang walked slowly with his hands behind his back. A long-shelved question suddenly slid into his mind.

If Prince Chen's hand was injured by Yunxi, why had he lied that he was scratched by a branch?

How could the fool deceive him?