The north wind was blowing softly, clearing away dense clouds from the sky. The shining sun then showed up as the sky looked like a vast blue velvet.

That night "Gu Yunxi" returned to the mansion with Ming Lan. For two consecutive days, she did nothing but eat and sleep as she had done the first when she entered the mansion that year, which made Ming Lan feel at ease, along with the attendants who had suffered a lot from her in the past.

Seeing that she was recovering day by day, Ming Lan couldn't restrain the desire in his heart. When he woke up in the morning, he told Nanny Gui who served in the west chamber to put some hypnotic drug into the decoction for "Yunxi".

Thinking the time was almost ripe, he led Nanny Yan and Nanny Gui into the wing-room.

On the large bed was a delicate beauty with long curled eyelashes, who was sleeping soundly as her head was resting on a soft pillow. Rays of sunlight pierced through the red embroidered drapes and faint red lights hit her cheek like an adorable porcelain doll.

Ming Lan leaned forward and put the five fingers of his undisfigured right hand on her eyes, carefully stroking her face. He reflected on the various joys, sorrows, and all kinds of expressions in that pair of stary eyes as his heart ached for them.

Nanny Gui asked softly,

"Master, shall we do it now?"

Ming Lan's fingers stiffened. He thought for a moment and said, "Let's do it." Then he took a step back to watch.

The two hags gathered around the bed and began to undress the sleeping girl with their stumpy fingers.

They were instructed by Ming Lan to check Gu Yunxi who had been sedated.

As she had wandered away for a year and a half, no one knew what she had gone through, who she had met, or whether she was still a virgin.

In the past two days, she lived in the Mansion of Ming. She mostly ate and drank while she was awake and spent the rest of her time sleeping. Ming Lan couldn't wait; he wanted to take her right away.

Nanny Yan tore open the girl's shirt, exposing the fair and tender skin covered by a shred of red satin.

Nanny Gui smiled in admiration,

"Dear, she still has such fine skin."

Ming Lan heard it and leaned over to take a look.

Instantly, his desire started surging and drove him towards the girl.

Suddenly, Ming Lan got startled and stared blankly.

Something was wrong.

Something was missing from the girl's delicate collarbone.

Nanny Gui held the girl's upper body up, pulled down the sleeves, and found a rice-sized cinnabar mark on her smooth right shoulder.

"Yes, there it is. The virginity mark is still here!"

The old woman turned to inform her Master of her discovery with a careless smile.

Stiffened, Ming Lan squinted suspiciously.

Nanny Yan said to her companion,

"Let's take a closer look at her lower body. Though we can be mostly assured with that virginity mark..."

As she said, she reached for the girl's pomegranate skirt and wanted to help her take off the trousers.

The girl's eyes opened suddenly as she wrinkled her brows in vigilance.

She jumped up like a carp and kicked Nanny Yan in the abdomen with her right foot. In the meantime, her left arm flew towards Nanny Gui's neck like a hook. She threw her onto the bed and pinched her throat.

Subsequently, one woman rolled and wailed on the ground with her hands on her stomach, whereas the other one lay on her back with a pale face, begging for mercy.

Ming Lan watched in confusion. Frowning, he gradually calmed down. What followed was a burst of skyrocketing anger, distorting his face despite the heavy makeup.

"You are not Gu Yunxi..."

Ming Lan glared at the girl. His voice was full of pain and annoyance.

"Who are you?"

The girl let go of petrified Nanny Gui. She dressed up at the end of the bed and leisurely fastened the ribbon around her waist. Gradually, her ruthlessness ebbed from her eyes as she put on an affectionate smile,

"Master Ming, it's me. Your Yunxi..."

Filled with fury, Ming Lan yelled,

"Lier!"

Suddenly, he felt his heart stabbed through and the suffocating pain twisted his face.

The girl in front of him had the same face as that fierce kitten as Ming Lan called Gu Yunxi and her voice was pleasant, too.

Ming Lan couldn't tell how he himself felt at this time.

He thought he had finally found her and could naturally be with her. While he was indulged in the constructed fantasy, the sweet dream was shattered by reality like a fragile and colorful bubble. The world had played the fool again.

She was not Gu Yunxi!

"I should have seen through you a long time ago. Gu Yunxi does not have cruel eyes or tricks like you. What's more...her virginity mark is on the collarbone, not the right shoulder."

The girl lifted her eyebrows playfully as if she had heard something interesting. With a smirk, her delicate face turned cold as she stared at Ming Lan,

"Indeed, I am not Gu Yunxi. And I have poured the medicine for the past two days into the flowerpot over there."

Ming Lan nodded sadly and smiled bitterly,

"Sure enough... You found me but did not attack me in the last two days. Tell me, what can I do for you?"

The girl sneered as a shadowy glow was cast in her red eyes.

"Master Ming, you are truly straightforward. It's true. I do want your help."

Ming Lan narrowed his peach blossom eyes and asked in a deep voice, "What?"

"Send me into the Palace," the girl's smile became more obvious, "I can help you get rid of your enemies."

…

The sun was setting in the west as the night fell. The sky was illuminated by the bleak crescent.

In Nanyuan of the Shenle Marquis' mansion, the kitchen was busy preparing midnight snacks.

White vapor streamed out of the small steamer on the stove. A fat chef saw and walked to it with a handkerchief. He opened the bamboo drawer to take out an exquisite pot of wine and placed it on the wood table.

He had a sneaky look around to make sure he had no company and then he quietly took out a paper packet and opened it.

Inside was some white odorless medicinal powder. The cook quietly removed the lid of the whine pot and poured the white powder into it. He then ordered a young servant to take the wine to the hall of the front residence.

The young man should have rested, but the Marquis suddenly demanded a banquet, and hence he was sent to watch kitchen temporarily.

Unwillingly, he hurried to the front residence with the painted tray in his hands, yawning constantly.

Passing by a utility room, he suddenly heard some noise of “plonk”. He stopped instinctively to look at the darkness where the sound originated.

Something moved again and then he heard groans and moans that were tantalizing and arousing.

The servant grinned, wondering which couple dared to pick today to have their fun.

Allured by imagination, he put down the tray and tiptoed to the utility room. By the window, he wet his index finger in his mouth and pierced a peeping hole in the window paper.

The room was too dark to see anything.

Yet not reconciled to this, he strenuously leaned to the window and looked harder with one eye.

Little did he know that a man in black had fallen lightly in the courtyard. He looked at the back of the lewd boy, replaced the wine pot on the tray with the one he had, and then flew over the eaves.

Soon the room went back to silence. The young man squatted on the porch, waiting for the couple but to no avail.

A shiver went down his spine. Had he been haunted by ghosts?

He spat angrily, got up resentfully, picked the tray, and then continued his way to the destination.

The front residence hall was dimly lit. Wan Li was sitting in the center, followed by Lei Huan and Priest Wu.

Each of the three was accompanied by a beautiful woman in revealing garments. The women did not wear much jewelry on their heads. Yet despite their simple hairstyle, they were all flirty and frivolous.

Priest Wu loved to drink. After a few cups, his face was already red even though he was not drunk. With the woman in his arms, he enjoyed himself while wining and dining.

Outside the door the young servant's shadow preceded. He walked quickly to the hall and put the warm wine on the table.

Wan Li and Lei Huan silently exchanged glances at the moment when the young man retired. Murderous intentions were flaring deep in their eyes, the desire to kill seemingly ready to come out.

Wan Li grinned, waved his hands, and called,

"Come, you are welcome. Everyone eats up. The wine is freshly warmed. Taste it."

The woman in Priest Wu's arms took the hint. She stretched her slender arms and filled an empty cup with the fragrant wine. Giggling and flirting, she presented the cup to Priest Wu with a beautiful smile,

"My lord, please take a sip."

None could resist the soft hands that smelled of floral perfume or turn down the jade cup that was held by those slender fingers.

"Of course. How can I say no to a beauty like you?"

Priest Wu took a lustful look and then drank it up. He held the woman close and chuckled,

"Yes, it's good wine!"