Waking up from her sleep, Gu Yunyao opened her eyes languidly.

Light filled the room like wisps of golden thread, glittering and flowing. Warm shadows gently lay on the snow-white walls.

However, the woman's heart was fraught with coldness.

Quietly getting out of bed, Gu Yunyao, clad in a long fur, pushed open the door of the main hall.

Zhao An was guarding on the porch. He was surprised when he saw the mistress walked out without a word. His lips moved but words were blocked in his throat.

Gu Yunyao's foggy eyes moved away from Zhao An as if she didn’t have a soul. Stumbling down the jade steps, she gazed straight at the courtyard.

Jingyang Palace was not small. It had an elaborate architectural style and unique carved beams.

Several expensive magnolia trees in the courtyard would bloom with bowl-sized white flowers when the flowering season came.

After passing through a row of willows, she followed a winding path to the outer garden.

There was a white jade gazebo adjacent to a small artificial pond, in which rockeries were set. In the daytime, the sunlight was reflected on the water, vivid with colors. It was like a glazed fairyland, pleasing to people’s eyes.

It was said that the former owner of Jingyang Palace had been the most favored concubine of the late Emperor of Da Yi, the Lan. The past between her and Leng Qingtang, the Master of the Eastern Depot, was yet clear to Gu Yunyao.

Zhao An's eyes never left the woman in the center of the courtyard. He felt that the slender figure was enveloped by a dark, gloomy aura that was quite different from the beautiful surroundings.

A breeze passed slowly, bringing music and fragrance from the distance. It was like a temporary invitation to another world.

Her fur coat fluttering, Gu Yunyao narrowed her eyes and asked,

"Where is the music from?"

Zhao An bowed and lowered his eyes,

"My lady, a rite of exorcism is going in Yongning Palace."

"Oh, Xu is free, while I am still suffering on earth..."

The wind carried her chilling laughter that sounded like a ghostly chanting.

Zhao An drew a cold breath and a shiver went down his spine.

Blinking, he looked down and made up his mind,

"My lady, what is on your mind?"

The woman stood still in silence.

Feeling miserable, Zhao An fixed his red eyes on her lonely back and said sadly,

"I'm worried about you. I don't want you to be bad. What's bothering you that you can't even share with me?"

"Zhao An, I want to raise the Seventh Prince..."

After a long time, the woman finally replied to him. Raising her bright eyes to look far away into the clear sky, she continued after due consideration,

"By whatever means, I will raise the Seventh Prince and treat him as my own child. This is the only way for me to seek salvation and to compensate for Xu."

...

The rite was going on in the outer yard of Yongning Palace.

Chimes were ringing and incense was burning. Dressed in a black robe, Lei Huan frenziedly danced and chanted before the altar with a shiny sword.

Emperor Jingxiao sat at the end of the corridor, staring at the priest's every move with unblinking eyes. Every strand of his facial muscle tensed up.

The sky was suddenly covered by thick clouds as thunder roared, getting closer and closer...

At Sixiang Hut…

A thread of smoke was curling up from a copper stove. Two handsome men, one dressed in blue and the other in red, were enjoying playing chess as they were drinking to their hearts' content.

The Imperial Ceremony Office needed to organize the approaching annual Spring Banquet. Leng Qingtang was allowed to go to the Palace for preparation. Now, when he was not busy, he took the opportunity to meet with Yu Xuanji in secret while everyone was participating in the rite in Yongning Palace.

Leng Qingtang spoke leisurely as he set one black piece on the chessboard.

"That was a risky move. You've been impatient..."

He knew clearly the ability of the High Priest and that he had something to do with Wan Yuyao's curse.

With a hint of a smile, the man opposite moved his slender fingers back and forth in the chess pot, where the pieces clinked and clanked.

"How else could we lure Lei Huan out? Nowadays, the Palace seems to be quiet on the surface, but in fact, dark tides are stirring. I heard that Empress Qian intended to plant new people in the harem to solidify her power once Wan Yuyao fell ill. Now she has picked Jieyu Sun."

Preoccupied with the intricate chess game, Leng Qingtang only smiled,

"It doesn't matter now. Everything will end on the night of the Spring Banquet, won't it?"

He looked up as his eyes met with his. They exchanged a quick smile by tacit agreement.

Yu Xuanji set a white piece and changed the subject,

"Bringing down the Wans will mean a vicious battle in Southern Jiang. Lang Army in Guangxi is not well-equipped but the barbarians' strength may be beyond your imagination."

Leng Qingtang smiled peacefully with piercing eyes,

"A few days ago, the Eastern Depot intercepted a secret letter from Min Rui to Emperor. It mentioned the construction of Wangxian Rise in Wei Sea and asked about Concubine Yu's pregnancy. I think Duchess Min was worrying about her."

Yu Xuanji put one hand on his forehead with a light sigh.

"Poor people. They are far away in Guiping, not knowing that their daughter has been harmed. But this must be fate. Min Rui helped the crown prince in the persecution of the late Emperor and now the retribution is brought to Concubine Yu."

Leng Qingtang leisurely played the black piece between his fingers with a sly smile,

"Therefore, I imitated Concubine Yu's handwriting and sent a letter home to Duke Min."

Yu Xuanji squinted his eyes, looking at Leng Qingtang with mischief, and praised,

"Nice move! If we can win over Min Rui and his Dongqing Fleet, we will be able to go south by water to deal with Wan Li's Lang Army. As far as I know, the current commander of the Southwest Army was General Ye Zilong. He used to be a general under Min Rui in his early years."

Leng Qingtang agreed with a nod,

"I'm counting on such nepotism. That's why I want to use Duke Min..."

Suddenly, a strange movement interrupted them. Yu Xuanji seemed to sense something. His face changed greatly as he got up.

"What's going on?"

Leng Qingtang heard the thunder outside the hut. He followed Yu Xuanji and stepped fast out, getting horrified instantly.

Black clouds were gathering above, looming over to swallow the tiny hut.

Flashes of lightning played across the sky and shone like blood, which was frightening to see.

Yu Xuanji gazed at the sky gloomily and scorned,

"So arrogant... Brother He, leave by the back door. They're coming after you."

Leng Qingtang frowned in disbelief,

"What are you talking about?"

Yu Xuanji returned to the hut without looking back and grabbed two handfuls of five-colored rice. He explained to Leng Qingtang while quickly setting up the altar,

"Lei Huan has already figured out that I cursed Wan Yuyao. You cannot be seen here when he comes here with people. You and I will meet again at the Spring Banquet for the last fight."

Stunned and dignified, Leng Qingtang looked at Yu Xuanji for a moment,

"Good. Take care of yourself and be well. Remember, you still have unfinished business. You must find sister Ruo."

Yu Xuanji froze for a second. His eyes were glittering as he continued working at the table in silence.

As Yu Xuanji chanted, his lips moved and his eyes lit up. And then he grabbed a handful of embers from the copper stove and cast them over the five-color rice sigil.

A beam of blue light burst out of the sigil and shot into the sky.

The man tilted his head to look up as if his cold eyes could penetrate the roof. He listened closely to the rumbles above that were no less fierce than wars.

A moment later, everything fell into silence.

Paled, he spat blood on the altar.

Yu Xuanji's servant gave him a hand, noticing blood seeping out of his chest.

When he removed Yu's robe, he screamed in shock.

There was a bleeding hole in the priest's chest as if a large piece of flesh had been cut out. Blood was oozing out of the wound where bones were indistinctly visible.

"Your Eminence, this..."

The boy hurried to cover it with a handkerchief, tearing.

Curling up in agony, Yu Xuanji clenched his left fist while drawing symbols in blood on a piece of yellow pare with his right hand. And then he attached it to his chest.

Panting and sweating, Yu Xuanji said,

"I summoned spirits to curse. This is the wrath of the gods. Clean up the mess. Don’t let anyone discover it later."

When Lei Huan followed Emperor and the Shenle Marquis into Sixiang Hut, he was appalled by what he saw.

The man in red was sitting quietly on the futon, carving something on a wood plate. His face was indifferent and pale.

The handsome man spotted Emperor Jingxiao and other visitors from the corner of his beautiful eye. His lips curled to form a faint smile that poked Emperor's heart.

"Your Majesty."

Yu Xuanji put down the things in his hands and bowed.

Blushing instantly, Emperor Jingxiao stood still, getting embarrassed.

After all, Yu Xuanji was the High Priest, a religious practitioner just like Lei Huan.

It seemed unreasonable not to notify Yu Xuanji of the rite in Yongning Palace, which was held by Lei Huan, and now broke in with many people.

Lei Huan's eyes widened when he heard the man talking.

He sounded just like the man who had broken through his circle at the Swift Tower.

Maintaining his composure, Emperor looked around and cleared his throat,

"Xuanji, I bring someone here to meet you. You are both Taoist. So I suppose you should value each other and have much to discuss."

After that, he stepped aside and pointed at Lei Huan,

"This is Lei Huan, a priest of the Tianyan Faction. Priest Lei, this is the head of the Pengxian Temple, High Priest Yu Xuanji."

"Your Eminence's reputation precedes you. I have long admired you from overseas. It's my honor to meet you in person today."

"You're too kind. I'm humbled by your determination to bring the map across seas."

The two bowed and exchanged pleasantries.

Lei Huan quietly sniffed when he bent over and smelled herbs and blood carefully covered by incense.

He must have been injured if he applied medication.

The sorcery Lei Huan had cast was an extremely powerful attack.

Lei Huan knew that the spirit caller would be condemned so he used that spell to give a fatal blow while his target was weak.

Now this aloof man was wounded, so he must have been the one who had led Concubine Xu's ghost to Yongning Palace!

When their eyes met, Lei Huan stepped closer to the pale man with narrowed eyes and a meaningful smile,

"Dare I ask if Your Eminence is unwell recently? I can smell herbal ointment on you."

"What are you talking about?"

Yu Xuanji's smile gradually faded away and his eyes shone with coldness.

Lei Huan stared at the man's bloodless face and spoke coldly word by word,

"I feel like we're old friends already. You look so pale. I'm afraid you're injured!"

Lei Huan pulled Yu Xuanji's robe open and a yellow bag fell on the ground.

Slightly aggrieved, Yu Xuanji picked it up and dusted it carefully.

"This is..."

Emperor Jingxiao's eyes brightened up when he saw the embroideries of a dragon in clouds on the bag.

Smiling, Yu Xuanji gave a frivolous glance to Emperor,

"Your Majesty, have you forgotten? This is the gift you gave me last year when I lectured at the Pengxian Temple. Spring has come, so I stuff it with herbs to deter insects."

As he spoke, he opened the bag to reveal the fragrant herbs to the crowd.

Lei Huan was nervous but didn’t want to give up easily.

Yet, before he could say anything, Yu Xuanji presented the carved plate to Emperor obediently.

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Noble Concubine has been ill for days. I have made a special peach wood plaque to ward off evil spirits. Just hang it on the door frame of Yongning Palace's main hall and I'll chant the Five Sutras every day for Her Grace's good health."

When Emperor reached for it, the priest's sleeve slid down and showed blood-stained bands on his left wrist.

Astonished, Emperor asked, "Are you injured, High Priest?"

Yu Xuanji gave him a faint smile,

"I've been clumsy with the carving knife and cut my wrist. It matters little to me now as it's bandaged. My greatest wish is Her Grace's recovery. May harmonies return to the harem soon."

"It's truly thoughtful of you, High Priest."

Touched, Emperor gazed at him gently. He held the man's hands and stroke them lovingly.

Indeed, this beautiful man had given himself to him and had always been submissive.

How could he be so foolishly misled by Lei Huan to suspect the High Priest?

"Your Majesty..."

Lei Huan saw Emperor's hesitation and wished to say something. But Emperor only gave him an annoyed glare and then walked out with the plaque in his hands.

Staring at the handsome man in the fiery robe, Wan Li indignantly grunted and then beckoned Lei Huan to follow him away after Emperor.

The pain aggravated. Yu Xuanji could hold on no longer. Holding his chest, he finally let out a groan in anguish.

...

Leng Qingtang rushed to the training field and found Gu Yunxi dancing freely with a broadsword.

The sharp blade swished in the dusty air so fast that it looked like a glossy silver net hovering over the ground.

Amidst that net was the girl in purple. Her clothes fluttered, blurred by the slashing blade.

Leng Qingtang watched quietly. His gaze followed her dashing figure.

Her stance abruptly changed and the huge net instantly shrank into a beam darting to the flags a hundred meters away.

Crunch! Boom...

The flagpoles cracked and fell in a row, shaking the ground as dirt swirled in the air.

The girl drew back the sword, huffing and puffing.

In that moment, nothing could outshine her.

She smelled the cold perfume nearby. And Master had quietly stopped behind her.

"Girl..."

His voice was deep and hurt. Seeing her shoulders trembling violently, he couldn’t help but reach out to her tender heart.

She had been frenziedly wielding the sword like this for days. Disturbed by Concubine Xu's tragedy, she would rather bury her grief and anger deep in her heart than share any of that with him.

She knew that he was there but didn’t turn around. Her trembling words hit him heavily like pellets and his gentle heart was bleeding as a result.

"Master, you are not wrong. No further explanation is needed. I have been in the Palace and I know well the unpredictable and treacherous nature of that place.

It is a deep, dirty swamp, where everyone and everything is intertwined.

Some people were born peaceful and innocent. But consequently, their whole family ended up being executed for crimes they didn't commit. Some are evil with bloody hands, but we cannot punish them for the greater good."

"It’s almost time. That moment is almost here!"

Her voice was as sharp as her blade, breaking Leng Qingtang's heart.

He couldn’t hold back any longer. With a low growl, he approached her and turned her around to face him.

And then he froze.

He thought her quivering shoulders meant sorrowful tears, but what he saw was a determined, calm face.

Leng Qingtang saw calmness and hatred in her clear eyes, but not a hint of cowardice or fear.

Leng Qingtang suddenly realized that she had really grown up. He was pleased that the sapling carefully protected by him had grown into a tall tree that was strong enough to stand alone.

Gu Yunxi stared at him without a blink. Her face was as calm as a frozen pool with indescribable solemnness.

"Master, it's the Eastern Depot's turn to strike back. The time to take down the Wans and avenge the western tribes has finally come!"