Gu Yunxi paused for a sudden by Master's angry shouts in the yard. Seeing him turning his back to her sharply, the girl blinked with grievance, looked at the lower hem of his gown infatuatedly, and stopped talking.

Did he become unhappy?

Master was good at controlling his emotions. It was really rare for him to be like this.

Gu Yunxi believed that no matter how strong a man was, he would be fragile and sensitive sometime, and he would act like a kid who needed comfort.

Thinking of this, Gu Yunxi smiled lightly and walked to Master gently. She stood on tiptoe and put her arms around his neck.

Leng Qingtang’s handsome face was still full of anger, not appreciating her pleasing him actively. He raised his hand and held her thin wrist firmly. As soon as he pulled it from his neck, the girl’s exquisite body plunged into his arms instantly like a soft and sweet sticky candy.

"Master ... "

The girl raised her eyes, staring at him to please him. She called him in a low voice. The deliberately prolonged ending sound was mischievous, as if she was tempting him.

No matter how strong a man was, he couldn't refuse his beloved girl. Leng Qingtang eased his frowning eyebrows helplessly, smiled at the harmless and tame girl in his arms, and tried to suppress his annoyance. He hugged her waist tightly and then lowered his head to bite her pointed chin gently.

Gu Yunxi immediately echoed, pretending to be wronged, and then murmured,

"It hurts ... "

The man was completely pleased by her and then carried the girl into the room.

Sitting on the chair, Gu Yunxi couldn't help asking,

"Master, why do all sects covet the Kunhuang Island map? What is the secret of that map?"

Leng Qingtang smiled coldly and replied calmly.

"The Kunhuang Island map was created by Hong Zun, the thirteenth successor of Tianyan Faction. It's said that there is the location of a hidden underground palace in the map. Since all the craftsmen were killed after it was built, no one knows the whole picture of the underground palace except for Hong Zun himself."

"Rumors say that there are precious treasures in the underground palace and some people even argue that there is a mysterious spell that can change the astronomical phenomena, make people be officials, and even unify the world."

When telling the story, Leng Qingtang didn't talk about the matter of Kunhuang Tomb which was spread by Yu Xuanji deliberately. After all, revenge was just their business. Even if Yunxi was also from the Zheng Family, he didn't want her to be involved.

She had experienced too much distress in the past and she deserved a carefree life in the future days.

After listening to Master's explanation, Gu Yunxi frowned and said thoughtfully,

"No wonder that the person in Mount Yin tried every possible means to get the Kunhuang Island map. When the rare treasure is right in front of our eyes, no one can refuse its temptation. If there were a spell to unify the world in the underground palace, Emperor would look for it as well."

The scariest thing for any emperor in any dynasty was the change of the ownership of the country and the death of the nation.

Leng Qingtang nodded and continued to reveal something,

"Kunhuang Island is located in the east of Wei Sea. It has a special geographical location. Every eleven years, there will be a splendid tornado in summer, which is a great auspicious sign."

"This year, things are not going well in the imperial palace. This time Emperor intends to go to Kun Island in person and take advantage of the grand view to worship heaven and pray for peace in the world."

"Duke Min was charged with important tasks when he left Jing City. He went to Kun Island to supervise the craftsmen to build a platform for worshiping heaven."

Gu Yunxi couldn't help being shocked when she heard the key point. She raised her eyelashes and muttered to herself，

"So that's it. It seems that Brother Lu also wants to get that map, but he serves which sect?"

Leng Qingtang did not answer her question.

Lu Qiange was the third prince Solo Hua of Udan in the western tribes and it was better for Yunxi not to know his true identity.

Looking at the girl in the shadow of the candle, Leng Qingtang held her small hand, played with her slender fingers carefully, and said in a low tone，

"Girl, you have to take the medicine prescribed by Imperial Doctor Jiang on time. You survived without the help of Hanfu Powder in the prison of the Western Depot, which shows that the addiction to Hanfu Powder can be completely broken."

Gu Yunxi was encouraged. Cheerfully and persistently, she clenched her fist，

"Don't worry, Master. With the decoction of Imperial Doctor Jiang, I can definitely break my addiction to Hanfu Powder!"

"Okay."

Leng Qingtang smiled lightly with a trace of displeasure and depression in his eyes. He then held the girl in his arms,

"It is for me that you become like this and I will never fail you. After I defeat the Wan clan, I will arrange the wedding for Xiaoshen and Qinger first, and then it will be our turn in the next spring, okay?"

Gu Yunxi turned shy with a red face and a racing heart. She was too excited to speak for a while.

Leng Qingtang lowered his eyes with a pleasant smile and quipped,

"So, you are not willing to be with me, such an incomplete person, in this life..."

"No! I am willing!"

Gu Yunxi hurriedly stretched out her hand to block the Master's mouth. His delicate lips firmly bit her fingertips.

…

When Gu Yunxi arrived at the Palace, it was just after breakfast. The gold medal given by the Imperial Ceremony Office was so useful that people could go everywhere freely as long as swaying it in front of the guards.

Sun Shengsheng led such a leisure life at this time.

Early in the morning, Emperor Jingxiao followed the words of the High Priest Yu Xuanji and rushed to Sixiang Hut to cultivate himself at the auspicious time after ending the morning court. He wouldn't come out until the Spring Banquet.

Emperor didn't hold the morning court, and the concubines in the imperial harem were all idle. Sun Shengsheng was one of them, but she wasn't as depressed and irritable as the others.

It seemed that she only valued her own reputation and status. As for other things, she wanted less than Gu Yunjin.

When she saw Gu Yunxi in a crimson-purple uniform and black soft leather armor, Sun Shengsheng was surprised with her mouth open widely.

On her way back to the Eastern Depot, Gu Yunxi didn’t have to disguise as a man anymore. In addition, the Master also promoted her from an eighth-rank guard to a fourth-rank close guard, equivalent to her brother Xiaoshen.

Although Sun Shengsheng was always proud, she was also grateful. She got her status with the help of Gu Yunxi before. Seeing Gu Yunxi coming to visit at this time, she ignored her own identity and showed enthusiasm to her. She ordered the chief maid to take a chair over and pressed the girl on the chair who refused to sit.

Gu Yunxi then sat down, exchanged greetings with Sun Shengsheng before coming to the topic, and then begged her to ask the servants to leave.

Gu Yunxi came here to let Sun Shengsheng write a letter to her father who was working in Nan Province and help the Eastern Depot. She wanted to tell her father to investigate the Shenle Marquis' private defense in Southern Jiang. However, Sun Shengsheng hesitated upon hearing this and obviously spoke less.

Seeing this, Gu Yunxi knew that she failed to do it, but she couldn't force Sun Shengsheng anymore.

All people had their own plans.

After all, the leader of this matter, the Wan clan, held great power both in the court and the imperial harem. If Sun Min were involved but failed to defeat them, it would be bad.

At this point, it was not suitable for Gu Yunxi to say more. After chatting with Sun Shengsheng for another while, she stood up to say goodbye.

Sun Shengsheng suddenly grabbed her and said earnestly,

"Muxue, wait a minute."

She laid the brush, ink, paper and inkstone on the desk, and then started to write.

There was always a way out! Gu Yunxi was overjoyed when seeing it and thanked Sun Shengsheng again and again.

As long as Sun Min was willing to come forward, the investigation would proceed smoothly.

Sun Shengsheng wrote the letter quickly and put it into the letter pouch. She sealed it with wax oil and handed it to Gu Yunxi,

"Take it. Be sure it will be taken out of the capital by a reliable person."

"Don't worry. The Eastern Depot will surely speed up day and night. You must also be careful here and don't let out the secret at any time."

Gu Yunxi said and took off the soft armor outside. She put the letter into her inner robe and packed it up properly.

After completing the task smoothly, Gu Yunxi left Hanxiang Residence and walked along the winding path towards Wutong Garden, wanting to try her fortune.

The crimson-purple official suit on her body looked majestic. With the soft leather armor outside, she looked more dignified than ordinary guards. But it was also somewhat troublesome to wear it when walking in the Palace.

Everyone tried to avoid the Eastern Depot. No girls in the imperial harem wanted to be related with them. If she wanted to visit Gu Yunyao, it would be more convenient for her to bother the stupid Prince Chen Huanan Xin instead of troubling the Fourth Princess Huanan Jiyan.

Gu Yunxi walked swiftly all the way, ignoring all the aggressive gazes from both sides of the palace road, no matter how surprising or dodging they are.

But when she arrived at Wutong Garden, she was disappointed. Gu Yunxi met two old nannies who served Prince Chen. They told her that Prince Chen ran out to play after having breakfast and they didn't know where he was right now.

Gu Yunxi's heart sank and she was helpless. It seemed that her wish to see her eldest sister couldn't be realized. She'd better leave the Palace earlier and bring Sun Shengsheng's letter to the Master.

Turning back on the original road and heading straight to the gate of divine prowess, she saw a person in an official robe with a crane on it at the corner of the red wall. The gold and silver embroidery thread on his robe shone in the thin sunlight.

Gu Yunxi stopped abruptly. Her heart sank and her face suddenly changed. She then hurriedly calmed down and made an obeisance by cupping one hand in the other,

"Master Ming."

Ming Lan was in a thick makeup. His face looked pale and his purple eyeshadow glittered in the sun. He smiled slightly and waved his hand, the eunuchs behind him bowing and withdrawing away ten feet.

Ming Lan wandered to the front of Gu Yunxi and sized her up carefully with cold eyes. He raised his eye lazily, looking at the tame girl, and said in a wickedly cold voice,

"You are not what you used to be now. In half a year in the Palace, you became a rank-fifth chief maid from a seventh-rank female slave. And now you are the fourth-rank close guard in the Eastern Depot."

"I'm just so lucky to meet the masters who appreciate me..."

Gu Yunxi bowed her head in a calm and submissive posture and replied lightly. She didn't want to entangle with Ming Lan, such a treacherous person, since she had something important to do.

"Well, you are really lucky."

Ming Lan said as if hinting at something. The shrill voice like a eunuch was unusually harsh, which was particularly irritating to people's ears. It could even make people feel gooseflesh all over.

He walked into the girl's vision in a pair of boots with golden python on them. His fingers were as cold and wet as a snake's belly, which pinched her chin and forced her to meet his cold eyes.

For an instant, his wicked eyes narrowed and suddenly became deep and endless with complete darkness. He stared at her as if he was thinking, remembering and exploring, which looked inexplicably complicated.