On consecutive rainy days, the sky was heavily clouded like a heavy and cold heart.

Leaning against the window, Leng Qingtang frowned at the thick curtain of rain. The air was cold and damp with each breath.

As gloomy as the weather, he couldn’t cheer up no matter what he did.

The news from Southern Jiang was likely to reach the capital this month, considering the Eastern Depot's capacity.

In the capital, the Spring Banquet had been put off due to the matter of Jingyang Palace, which was good to the Eastern Depot's advantage.

Having lost sleep for days, Leng Qingtang felt a constant throbbing in the temple as if there had been a bee nest in his head.

Lying on his side in bed, he kept thinking about the night a few days ago when he closed his eyes. The suspicious and cruel Emperor, unyielding Concubine Xu, the bloodshed in Qinming Hall, and the thunderstorm that had shocked the capital...

Leng Qingtang had blamed himself deeply. He had the witness to prove Concubine Xu's innocence, yet he couldn’t stand out to defend the innocent.

He had his own mission and people who he wanted to protect. For them, he would rather become the devil in others' eyes and not be understood.

His eyelids were getting sticky. When they shut, Leng Qingtang went back to his childhood dream.

On the hillock at the border between Da Yi and the western tribes, Father made a kite for him.

The kite ascended in the wind. Father was smiling amiably, seeing him run farther and farther.

The sun was setting to the west when a bolt of bright lightning suddenly ignited in the scarlet sky and shot the kite down.

The wind was blowing so fiercely that it pulled the broken kite into pieces in all directions.

He chased after the kite down the hill and found it in the arms of his other self, who was smiling eerily under the bloody sun.

Troubled, he panted in horror and didn’t manage to utter a word before quite a while.

"Give... Give it back."

"Why?"

The other one smirked and his boyish face showed sophistication which was usually seen in adults.

But then "he" refused with cunning shimmers in his eyes.

"I am also Father's child, so why should I let you take everything away from me? The one who should disappear is you."

The earth quaked under his feet as it cracked open.

"Ah..."

Losing his balance, he fell into the endless abyss, screaming.

With a shiver, Leng Qingtang woke up from the nightmare. Confused, he looked around the canopy and bed. It was his room in the Southern Residence of the Eastern Depot.

What did it mean to have such a dream in broad daylight?

Dubious, Leng Qingtang wiped his sweating forehead and tidied his clothes out of the bed.

A towering and sturdy shadow flashed across the door. It was Cheng Wanli, who whispered anxiously,

"Master, bad news. Yunxi has seized Wu Yong and is taking him outside!"

Leng Qingtang was stunned. He quickly opened the door and asked,

"Where are they?"

"In the courtyard. The third and fifth captains are trying to stop her!"

Leng Qingtang and Chiliarch dashed to the front yard and saw Gu Yunxi being circled by the captains and a few guards. Glaring and clenching her right fist, she caught tied-up Wu Yong tight in her left hand.

Upon seeing the Eastern Depot Master, Priest Wu stretched his neck to cry for help,

"Master Leng, save me. Your guard has gone crazy and she wants to take me to Emperor! I don't want to die yet..."

"Girl, what are you doing?"

Frowning, Leng Qingtang scolded and made his way through the crowd to Gu Yunxi.

"Didn't this priest tell you just now? I want to take him to Emperor!"

Gu Yunxi restrained herself a bit, but her eyes were still shining sharply.

For several days she had been restless.

The Palace was in turmoil. Concubine Yu had a miscarriage and Concubine Xu was stripped of her title and grounded under house arrest. Emperor no longer trusts the Eastern Depot.

Gu Yunxi knew that Wu Yong was the key to those problems and that he was right in the Eastern Depot.

When he was handed over to Emperor, he would tell the truth of all the cases and clear Concubine Xu's name. The Wans would be thrown over, avenging the murder of Yunyao's unborn son.

But the Eastern Depot had taken no action for days as Master wished to wait longer. What was he afraid of? How could he be so calm?

Gu Yunxi could wait no more.

She was so impatient that she even made the move before dark.

She kicked Wu Yong's door open with some ropes.

Naturally, the hoggish man didn’t fight against her for long. The Kungfu girl tied his arms behind and dragged him into the courtyard before she had the time to gag him.

The guards were dumbfounded but dared not to interfere.

They all knew that she the Master's confidant. No one knew if she came with his order or not? None of them dared to ask anyway.

Fortunately, Cheng Wanli and the captains were having a meeting in the main hall. They were drawn by the noise and wouldn’t allow Gu Yunxi to leave with Wu Yong.

"Girl, Wu Yong cannot see Emperor yet."

Leng Qingtang looked at the girl and said calmly.

Coldly, Gu Yunxi asked,

"How long do you have to wait?"

"When I get the news from Southern Jiang."

He replied to her without shifting his eyes. His words were curt and firm, piercing Gu Yunxi's heart.

Her look was indifferent and her lips barely moved when she spoke,

"You haven't changed a bit. Just for some information, will you disregard Concubine Yu's life and sacrifice Concubine Xu's whole family?"

Everyone present was appalled.

Leng Qingtang's face darkened and twitched, but he said nothing.

After a moment, his clear voice broke the awkward silence.

"Your actions will make the enemy alert and destroy our overall plan. Without knowing the force of the Wans' private army, the royal family and then Wans might break up for any rash action. And then the hidden enemy will take the opportunity to riot. People at the border will suffer. It's not worth it, girl."

"I don't want to be lectured!"

Gu Yunxi was cold and calm. Her eyes were blazing when she drew the sharp, shiny blade.

In the blink of an eye, her broadsword had been precisely placed on the neck of Master.

Cheng Wanli and the captains were shocked and perplexed at the same time.

The two had been close as one. Why would they turn against each other?

Wu Yong watched it in silence. He was secretly awed by the young lady's courage to place her sword on her Master.

His adam's apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed his saliva and sobbed,

"Oh no, I'm a dead man."

Watched by the crowd, Leng Qingtang rolled his eyes at her and said coldly,

"Girl, stop it!"

Provoked, Gu Yunxi scowled at him and replied,

"Master, I'm not joking."

Gazing at her, Leng Qingtang said no more.

Their eyes locked and Gu Yunxi suddenly felt her sword-hand quivering. Her limbs had been controlled by his inner force and could not move.

The next moment, Leng Qingtang pulled back one shoulder and pinched the blade with his fingers. Without any effort, he pushed the weapon out into a safe distance.

Gu Yunxi's upper body shook slightly and the sword hilt then fractured.

Gu Yunxi was forced to step back by the power. Rebalancing herself, she subconsciously looked at the broken sword hilt and fell into silence with a penitent face.

Leng Qingtang approached her slowly. In his black eyes, her little face which was covered by guilt was reflected. Without a hint of anger, he asked,

"Girl, I know you don't mean to be reckless. You're just looking for a way to let off steam, right?"

Even more embarrassed, Gu Yunxi dropped the hilt and ran away, leaving Wu Yong aside.

The clouds dispersed in the early evening and revealed the crescent moon in the navy sky.

When Qinger brought dinner for Gu Yunxi, she ran into Xiao Xiaoshen in the yard.

"Hey, why are you here?"

Qinger looked surprised.

"Off duty. I come to see my fiancée."

The boy grinned, his thick brows lifting in happiness.

Blushed and overjoyed, Qinger complained as a demure lady should,

"Stop it!"

And then she smiled with bright eyes,

"Aren't you here to see Yunxi? Don't worry. She didn’t really fight with Master. I've consoled her the whole afternoon and now she's much better. Come with me."

Xiaoshen grinned and followed up,

"My good wife-to-be! Things haven’t been well for the Eastern Depot lately. Everyone is having a hard time. We need to cheer up. Otherwise, who will be there to make Master and Yunxi happy?"

"You're right."

Qinger read the young man's meaning from his sparkling eyes. Flushed, she backed up to look around and scolded him shyly,

"What are you doing? Behave yourself. We'll be laughed at if anyone sees us like this."

Embarrassed, Xiaoshen scratched the back of his neck.

"You'll marry me soon. Can't I hug you? Right, I have a gift for you."

He stuck his rough hand into his chest and took out a long yellow brocade box.

"For me?"

Happily, Qinger bent over to put the tray on the stone steps and wiped her hands with her handkerchief before taking the box.

Inside the box was a silver hairpin of a pair of lotus flowers. The smooth metal glimmered softly under the moonlight.

"Wow, beautiful."

Studying the silver hairpin, Qinger thanked him with tears,

"Thank you, Xiaoshen. I'll wear it for you on our wedding day."

Looking at her guard suit, Xiaoshen smiled affectionately,

"Silly, wear it with women's dress when you are off duty. I'll customize a gold dangling hair ornament for you at our wedding. You are my girl now and you will have what other women have."

His deep love touched Qinger. She lowered her head shyly with joy in her eyes,

"Enough about it. Come with me to see Yunxi."

"Sure!"

The two chuckled on their way to the door. When Qinger knocked, no one answered.

Worried, Xiao Xiaoshen pushed the door open, but the candle-lit room was empty.