Butterfly Pond was Butterfly Lady’s private training ground. Absolutely no men were permitted to approach.

And so, when Feng Jiu’er arrived at the outer entrance to the cave with Mo Bai and Yu Jingfeng, she found even Emperor Ji had been stopped outside.

“Official Yu.” Seeing Yu Jingfeng approach, Hu Shuang clasped her hands in a slight bow toward him — though her expression remained just as severe as ever.

“Official Yu, please stop here. Men may not intrude upon Butterfly Pond.”

And yet, Ninth Imperial Uncle had gone inside.

Feng Jiu’er peered inward and realized the interior went quite deep. Standing here, she could not make out even the slightest glimpse of what lay within.

“Miss Hu Shuang, we have urgent matters and must request an audience with His Highness,” Feng Jiu’er said.

Hu Shuang inclined her head, but shook it at the same time: “His Highness should be resting now. Why don’t you all come back a little later.”

This was a training ground — hardly the place for resting. No one could tell what Butterfly Lady was doing after having brought Ninth Imperial Uncle inside.

Had she not already encountered the peculiar and outrageous Empress — an older woman who had acted that way — hearing that Butterfly Lady was the junior martial sister of Ninth Imperial Uncle’s birth mother would ordinarily have put Jiu’er somewhat at ease.

But precisely because she had witnessed firsthand the Empress’s obsession with Ninth Imperial Uncle, she could feel no ease at all about this Butterfly Lady inside.

Who could say whether she, too, was like the Empress — another woman harboring desire for Ninth Imperial Uncle’s looks?

“Miss Hu Shuang, I expect you are well aware of Ninth Imperial Uncle’s current condition.”

Since they clearly knew what Ninth Imperial Uncle had come to the Southern Wilds to do, they naturally also knew his present state — so there was no need to conceal it.

Moreover, Mo Bai was comfortable enough here to conduct his research without worry. At the very least, the people in this place bore no ill will toward Ninth Imperial Uncle.

“We truly have urgent matters,” Feng Jiu’er said. “I hope Miss Hu Shuang might send word on our behalf.”

“This…”

While Hu Shuang was still hesitating, a low and unhurried voice came from within: “Let them in.”

It was Butterfly Lady. She was said to be a woman in her mid-thirties — and this voice suited that age well enough.

What was astonishing was the sheer depth of her internal energy. They were quite a distance from her, and her voice had not been loud — elegant and unhurried as it was — yet every word fell crisp and clear into every person’s ear.

To have one’s internal energy so profound — it was simply frightening.

Hu Shuang immediately turned to Feng Jiu’er: “Please.”

Then, unexpectedly, she looked to Mo Bai as well: “Mo Bai, please.”

“Mo Bai is permitted to enter?” Yu Jingfeng’s face was full of surprise. He had accompanied His Highness here on so many occasions, and in all that time, he had never once seen any man besides His Highness allowed inside.

Yet now, Mo Bai was being let in as well.

Hu Shuang said nothing, simply stepping aside.

Feng Jiu’er looked back at Emperor Ji. He gave a small nod. Without further hesitation, Jiu’er stepped forward and walked inside.

Mo Bai also turned back to look at Emperor Ji: “My lord, I’ll go in first.”

Emperor Ji had always kept a low profile — he himself disliked being conspicuous — and so within a group, he was easily overlooked. Yet everyone here treated him with deep deference. One could imagine that this elderly man’s standing was far from simple.

Hu Shuang could not help glancing at Emperor Ji once more but still could not discern his identity. In any case, she had no attention to spare for guessing at it right now.

She bowed her hands to the group, then turned and walked alongside Feng Jiu’er and Mo Bai, personally leading them inside.

The moment Hu Shuang left, two more white-robed women immediately stepped forward to stand in the entrance to Butterfly Pond, barring anyone from approaching.

“My lord, would you allow this subordinate to escort you to the guest quarters first?” Yu Jingfeng had come here the most times of anyone — he naturally knew where the guest rooms were.

In fact, where they stood now was the outer guest area — including the room they had been in just a moment ago. It was all accommodation for visitors.

Though guests at Butterfly Valley were seldom many, this area was indeed the space used for receiving them.

The true Butterfly Valley lay further within. Once one passed through this entrance, it was long-established that no men were permitted beyond.

In all the times Yu Jingfeng had come here, he had never once ventured inside to see it.

In truth, passing through that entrance was entering the real Butterfly Valley.

Which was to say — all of them had never truly entered Butterfly Valley at all.

As for Butterfly Pond, where the Ninth Prince currently was, it lay in some corner deep within Butterfly Valley. None of them had any idea where exactly it was.

After Feng Jiu’er and Mo Bai went in, they followed Hu Shuang forward.

The further they walked, the deeper the astonishment in Jiu’er’s heart grew.

She had detected from Butterfly Lady’s earlier words that the distance was certainly no small one — but she had not imagined it would be this far.

At the pace they were moving, they had walked for a full incense-stick’s time. Yet most unsettling of all was this: the voices of those speaking at the valley entrance had not been loud, and Butterfly Lady had been able to hear every word with perfect clarity.

This Lady’s level of cultivation had completely surpassed anything she had imagined.

Finally, after who knew how many small bends in the path, she at last spotted an opening in the rock. Carved into the stone wall above it were three characters: Butterfly Pond.

Stepping inside, she saw Butterfly Lady seated at the entrance, two white-robed young women standing behind her, while she herself sat alone taking tea.

“My Lady, this is Feng Jiu’er, the physician His Highness recently found, and this is the divine physician Mo Bai, whom you have met before.”

“Sit.” Butterfly Lady’s exquisite face bore not the slightest expression.

Earlier, she had been seated on the tall chair draped with gauze veiling, which had obscured her entirely.

Only the outline of her figure could be vaguely made out — her features had been impossible to see clearly.

Now, looking at her directly, even Feng Jiu’er was left staring. The degree of preservation was simply worthy of perfect marks.

Yu Jingfeng had said she was well past thirty — approaching forty. Yet this face, no matter how one looked at it, appeared no older than twenty.

Her skin was utterly full of collagen. It was truly remarkable.

The Empress was only a few years older than her, and among women was considered exceptionally well-preserved. But if the Empress were to stand beside this Butterfly Lady, she would genuinely look like a middle-aged matron.

This Butterfly Lady was truly beautiful — strikingly so — her very bearing ranked among the finest.

“Miss Jiu’er, Mo Bai — please be seated.” Hu Shuang immediately had two chairs brought over.

The two of them exchanged a glance. Mo Bai immediately said: “My Lady, we have some urgent matters and wish to speak with His Highness…”

“Ah Jiu is currently resting quietly in the pond — he likely will not be able to come up for some time.” Butterfly Lady cast a glance at Feng Jiu’er and said, unhurriedly: “Ah Jiu does not like women to approach when he is bathing. Please, both of you, sit here for a moment.”

That Ninth Imperial Uncle disliked being attended to by women while bathing and changing — this, of course, Feng Jiu’er knew. She knew even better that Ninth Imperial Uncle actually rather enjoyed being attended to by her.

But in front of this Butterfly Lady, such things were better left unspoken. She shifted her approach: “Since Ninth Imperial Uncle does not like women to come near, then perhaps Mo Bai, being a man, could go in and speak with Ninth Imperial Uncle briefly?”