Cheng Wanli staggered into the camp, followed by Lu Rong, the second captain, and Zhao Wuji, the third captain, who looked pale.

Gu Di took off his mask not long ago, and at this moment the scar on his left face was torn where fresh blood water oozed.

When Cheng Wanli came in with his people, he was using cotton dipped in potion to take care of the wound.

"What have you done? I have been here for nearly two hours, and I haven't seen you."

Gu Di didn't turn round. He gazed at Cheng Wanli's silhouette reflected on the copper mirror with his sharp dark eyes and queried in an incondite tone.

"Master, I tried to look for Duke Min but found his son's body on Huyan Beach. The arrows in his body are golden eagle arrows, usually used by Honour Guards."

Cheng Wanli said slowly, deliberately concealing the fact that after this incident, the three of them also secretly met with the real Master, Leng Qingtang.

Pretending to be respectful, Cheng Wanli still showed the posture of the servant controlled by Puppet Art. However, in fact, he scolded in his heart,

"F*ck you! Relying on that you're the twin brother of the Master, you pass yourself off as the Master. You even call yourself the Master and boast without shame. Well, you and Huanan Xin will pay for it!"

Hearing the explanation of Cheng Wanli, Gu Di threw away the cotton angrily. Then he became mad at Min Rui and cursed with a squint,

"Min Rui is a fool. I saved his and his son's life, but he is shortsighted. For his daughter who had slept with the deceased emperor, he sold me to Huanan Xin!"

Gu Di's words were too harsh, and Cheng Wanli and his two captains got angry. Avoiding being found by Gu Di, they lowered their heads to hide the expressions of stoicism.

Cheng Wanli bowed and asked,

"Master, what about the destruction of Wangxian Rise tomorrow?"

Gu Di looked serious and replied without hesitation,

"The plan has changed. I have sent people to enter the Imperial Palace as guards. Since Huanan Xin has gotten the news from Min Rui and takes advantage of Yunxi to wait for me, I must go there."

"Tomorrow you remember to accept any map that Wu Yong gives to you and follow the guidance to find the underground palace. As long as half of the jade seal is protected, we will catch Huanan Xin's tripping."

"Yes, Master."

"You can leave now."

…

The waves awakened the sleeping girl.

She slowly opened her eyes and gradually her vision became clear. She saw the dark blue night sky, silver-white stars, fine sand particles, and a handsome man.

"Ah—"

Gu Yunxi yelled as if struck by lightning. She quickly bounced up and was stunned in place.

She remembered that she ran out of the Qushui Hall when she heard the familiar voice in Huanan Xin's Imperial Palace. Pushing the door, she did not see him. At the moment when she was sad, she couldn't see anything.

Looking at each other, they felt that it was like crossing the barrier of many mountains, going through the difficulties, and finally being integrated together although they stood close now.

"My girl, it's me. I'm back."

He looked deeply at her and said. His voice was pleasant, and his eyes were full of affection with the endless sorrow and joy.

There was a little worry in his handsome face, mingled with longing and slight remorse for the abruptness with which he had just startled her.

Suddenly realizing something, the girl looked at his face. Seeing that there was no scar on his cheek, she instantaneously cried and the tears were like glittering pear flowers.

"Master..."

For a while, she whispered and choked with sobs,

"You're here. Are you... you a human or a ghost?"

"Girl, what are you saying? I'm back. I'm a human..."

He looked at her tearful eyes and laughed, but he also cried.

His thoughts were like a slow river, quietly flowing through his heart as time went by.

Holding the girl's hand and putting it on his chest, Leng Qingtang gently comforted her,

"Don't cry. Feel me by yourself. Am I alive or dead? Am I a human or a ghost?"

Gu Yunxi wiped away her tears and calmed down. She felt about the Master's strong chest with her quivering wet little hands.

Sure enough, beneath the elastic muscles, his heart was beating hard, and it didn't stop.

However, she couldn't quite rest assured. She put her ear on one side and listened attentively.

Finally, the rhythmic beat let her smile. With comfort and sorrow, she laughed and cried.

Touched by her, Leng Qingtang held her more tightly in his arms. He got closer to her ear and took a breath. Then he asked in a soft voice,

"What do you think? Am I alive and well?"

"The Master still has a heartbeat and body heat. He is not a soul because a soul is invisible and is not able to hug me—"

When Gu Yunxi rested assured, she held the Master's waist and no longer wanted to endure. She wanted to release the sorrow and suffering she suppressed for a long time.

The world became colorful again.

She, like a child with a bad temper, cried and swore, allowing the bitter tears to wet his clothes and flow into his heart,

"Why do you just appear now? Go to hell! you cheated me and said that you would take me to Southern Jiang. You broke your promise and your ship overturned. It serves you right. Hum..."

"Don't cry. Don't cry. I deserve it. It's my bad. I shouldn't lie to you. I shouldn't leave you. My girl, I..."

Leng Qingtang kept begging for mercy in a panic. He only patted her trembling back with his big hand and was inexplicably emotional.

Raising the girl's chin, he quickly kissed her and said in a deep voice,

"Girl, I miss you. I miss you much—"

With his big hands, he pulled open her velvet embroidered jacket and threw down the girl. He rolled with her on the soft beach and under the starry sky, telling her his lovesickness of parting...

—

Lu Qiange's ship secretly sent people to Kunhuang Island and left the island.

On the ninth day of this month, Royal Guards of Da Yi would get to the island to open the underground palace. There would be more ships to and from here, so any foreign ships moored near the island would be too conspicuous.

There were several mountains on Kunhuang Island, which were low but vegetated. They were good places for people to hide.

Therefore, Lu Qiange's people were stationed in the mountains for two days and didn't move.

The dark night was silent.

Lu Qiange refreshed his spirit by closing his eyes with his legs crossed for a moment. He slowly opened his purple eyes and saw Huanan Jiyan sit there with her arms clasped around knees and look at the sky.

"Jiyan, can't you sleep?"

Lu Qiange moved and got close to her. He gathered her outermost thin cloak around her.

Although it was in summer, Kunhuang Island was surrounded by sea and it was windy at night, which was wet and cold.

Holding her little cold hands, Lu Qiange was secretly surprised.

That originally soft and silky skin became swollen and hard. Her palms and the back of her hands were bit by mosquitoes everywhere.

"Are these bitten by mosquitoes? Do you feel pain or itch?"

Lu Qiange's purple eyes trembled with a little distress.

Anyway, she was the lineal princess of Da Yi and enjoyed wealth and honor all the time. She shouldn't have borne the pain of leading a homeless life or gone through the rigors of living in the wilderness.

Lu Qiange gently scratched into her small swollen hands that were like pig's feet with his nails. Then he blew her hands, hoping to alleviate her pain.

Huanan Jiyan gave a big smile and gazed at Lu Qiange in a muddle. Her heart was rippled with gratitude and pleasure.

"It's okay. I'm really fine."

Despite the hot itching of her both hands, she put on a relaxed and pointless attitude. She looked around and said,

"Zhu, this island is beautiful. See the meteor in the sky!"

Lu Qiange looked up.

Fireflies flew in all directions gently around the man and the woman. The light was gorgeous like the bright meteor in the sky.

He laughed spontaneously, "They are fireflies, not meteors."

Huanan Jiyan pouted and glanced at the laughing man with naughty eyes,

"Well, of course I know they're called fireflies, and every year there are many of them in the summer in the Palace. The meteor is the name I give them."

"Sounds good."

Lu Qiange raised his eyebrows and praised with his arms crossed.

The joy on the girl's face disappeared suddenly.

"Well...Zhu, Master Leng wants to get half of the jade seal in the underground palace. Does it mean that...he will replace my imperial brother and become the new emperor of Da Yi?"

Huanan Jiyan asked and carefully looked at Lu Qiange's beautiful face. She always paid attention to his expression changes and her crystal eyes were filled with uneasiness.

"You mean Uncle..."

Lu Qiange frowned slightly and scratched his head embarrassedly. He did not know the most reasonable explanation that could tell the girl the truth of certain events and no longer hurt or stimulate her already scarred heart.

After all, she was a kind-hearted girl. Due to the complex relationship among Emperor Jingxiao, Huanan Xin, and Leng Qingtang, she was passively became involved in the imperial struggle.

"Jiyan, if things go the way you say, will you hate him?"

Huanan Jiyan raised her eyebrows and did not immediately answer. With a moment of silence, she suddenly looked sullen.

She lowered her head in depression and replied in a low voice,

"What's done is done. Do I have any qualifications to hate him? He's your uncle. I overheard his conversation with High Priest on the ship and learned that many years ago my father persecuted my grandfather in order to become the emperor. If there was no incident of Baishui Gate, Father could not succeed to the throne and I could never become a princess. Besides, Yunxi's family would not be killed by Father..."

Lu Qiange sighed and grabbed her shoulder,

"I'm sorry, Jiyan. I don't want to keep the secret from you, but I am afraid that you'll be hurt, so..."

The girl rubbed the corners of her eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down again.

"Zhu, I'm fine. Knowing the truth of the incident is not bad. At least, I can rediscover Father, High Priest, and Master Leng. As for the new emperor in the future, it's out of my control. What I can do is to go with you to Udan and be your wife, your princess."

She caressed the man's eyebrows with her carrot-like swollen inflexible fingers and smiled at him,

"Well, you must promise me that you can only marry me in this life."

"Okay, I swear to Udan's god!"

Lu Qiange was touched by the girl's adamancy. Surrounded by thousands of gorgeous fireflies, he hugged her eagerly.