During this stretch of time, Mu Mu had been leaving the city every night to search, returning to the city when dawn was nearly upon it, and continuing to hold the city through the day.

His private outings were known to few — yet to keep up this pattern day after day was something that not even a person made of iron could sustain.

Ye Luosha watched with genuine heartache, but ever since Feng Jiu’er had left, Mu Mu no longer had any desire to exchange more than half a word with her.

Though Leng Yue had said that Feng Jiu’er had left of her own accord, and Mu Mu might have his suspicions, those suspicions should have fallen on Leng Yue alone. Yet for no clear reason, Ye Luosha found herself lumped in under his suspicion as well. Mu Mu did not trust her. He kept the Ye Ming Palace’s authority firmly in his own hands, and Ye Luosha at present was like someone stripped of all real power — aside from joining Elder Shi in holding the city, there was nothing she could do.

“Palace Mistress, I believe the Young Master is simply in a low mood these days and is treating you this way on account of it. Once he comes around…”

“In truth, he has harbored doubts about me for some time. He simply has no proof.” Ye Luosha cut across Elder Shi’s words of comfort.

Right now, she had absolutely no need for anyone’s comfort — because in her own heart, she understood more clearly than anyone else.

“The moment he has proof and knows that it was I who harmed Feng Jiu’er, who delivered Feng Jiu’er into Butterfly Madam’s hands — I’m afraid he won’t leave even the last shred of courtesy between us.”

The Mu Mu of today was no longer the Mu Mu of before. Ye Luosha did not exist in his memory, and so he had no feeling of any kind toward her.

Once he learned that Ye Luosha had once done Feng Jiu’er grievous harm, how could Mu Mu show any mercy?

Elder Shi understood the stakes involved as clearly as a polished mirror — how could he not?

He had just let out a quiet sigh and was about to say something, when from outside came the sudden voice of a scout: “Palace Mistress, urgent report.”

That was one of the very few trusted subordinates among Ye Luosha’s inner circle — one of the carefully cultivated scouts she had trained herself. Apart from this small number of people, virtually all the others in Ye Ming Palace were now loyal to Mu Mu.

Ye Luosha glanced at Elder Shi. Elder Shi immediately stepped out and personally brought the scout inside.

“Palace Mistress.” The scout entered and said cautiously, “Palace Mistress, something has happened at Butterfly Valley.”

“Butterfly Valley?” Those three words sent a sharp jolt through Ye Luosha’s heart.

Her eyes instinctively went to the doors and windows. All were shut, and there was no sound from outside.

Ye Luosha let out a quiet breath of relief and lowered her voice. “What happened?”

Feng Jiu’er had been taken away by Butterfly Madam of Butterfly Valley back then. Could it be… that Feng Jiu’er’s body had been found?

A pang went through Ye Luosha’s heart. No matter what, that had been a life she had brought ruin upon!

She had been such a vivid, alive person — someone who had exhausted heart and mind for Di Wu Ya and for Mu Mu — yet now she had been… by Butterfly Madam…

The scout lowered his voice still further, and gave his report in hushed tones: “Palace Mistress, trouble has broken out in Butterfly Valley. It seems something happened to Butterfly Madam — the one currently holding power in Butterfly Valley is her former subordinate, Hu Shuang.”

“What?” Both Ye Luosha and Elder Shi were startled. Out of nowhere — what could have happened to Butterfly Madam?

Butterfly Valley had changed hands? Then… then what about Feng Jiu’er?

Yet somehow, the name Feng Jiu’er — neither of them dared utter it rashly.

Elder Shi could only ask: “What exactly happened to Butterfly Madam? What is the situation now? Where is she?”

“Word has it that Butterfly Madam was struck by someone and fell into the Gu pool. She is already… already dead.” The scout was well aware what they truly wanted to ask — but since they dared not say it, the scout naturally dared even less.

He was one of the very few trusted members of Ye Luosha’s inner circle — and among those few, one of the truly reliable ones. Otherwise, the Palace Mistress would never have disclosed to him something as critical as information concerning Feng Jiu’er.

The scout thought it over, then said: “Rumor has it… that at the time, someone fell into the Gu pool together with Butterfly Madam. Afterward, she was rescued by an elderly person. As of now, she is neither confirmed alive nor dead, and her whereabouts are unknown.”

The person he referred to, Ye Luosha and Elder Shi both understood perfectly.

Feng Jiu’er had apparently been rescued by someone. But she and Butterfly Madam had both fallen into the Gu pool together — had she survived unharmed?

If she had, then why had she not appeared until now, and why had she not returned?

Feng Jiu’er — what on earth was she thinking?

Butterfly Valley and Phoenix City were so close to each other that a little inquiry would surely reveal the current state of affairs in Phoenix City.

If Feng Jiu’er truly wanted to return, she should have returned by now.

If she hadn’t returned… could it be that when she and Butterfly Madam fell into the Gu pool together, she too had already…?

Unable to extract any further information, Ye Luosha told the scout to continue keeping close watch, then dismissed him.

In the room, Ye Luosha was filled with anxious worry, utterly unable to make out what the current situation was.

Elder Shi could only offer some consolation: “Feng… that girl, I’m afraid, has truly come to a bad end this time. Otherwise, why wouldn’t she have come to Phoenix City to find her Ninth Imperial Uncle?”

Even if she didn’t come to find Mu Mu, she should have found Di Wu Ya by now. Given the relationship between Feng Jiu’er and Di Wu Ya, not to come find him would be far too strange.

“Palace Mistress, I think she may have truly suffered the same fate as Butterfly Madam — already…”

Elder Shi’s words trailed off without finishing, but Ye Luosha understood perfectly.

She walked to the window and pushed it open.

Outside, the night was a vast and boundless darkness. She gazed into the southern night sky, her heart heavy.

Di Wu Ya was held fast by the war — he could not possibly, like Mu Mu, move about freely and go searching for Feng Jiu’er himself.

But knowing Di Wu Ya’s nature, could he truly achieve a heart as still as standing water, calmly face the enemy forces, and remain untangled by the matter of Feng Jiu’er?

That would not come easily — yet no one knew what Di Wu Ya was doing at this very moment.

…

The night was like water. At this very moment, the Ninth Prince was still studying a terrain map.

Only this time, the map he was studying was not the topography of the surrounding area — rather, it was…

“My lord, why are you studying the terrain map of Wuhe?” Yu Jingfeng’s heart lurched sharply, and a deeply unsettled premonition surged through him at once. “My lord, you… you have designs on Wuhe?”

“Why should I not?” Zhan Qingcheng’s slender fingers passed over the terrain map, moving across it point by point. Wherever his fingertip landed, the terrain of that particular area was thoroughly imprinted into the depths of his mind, locked there from then on, never to be forgotten.

“But my lord, with troubles both within and without, Phoenix City faces a crisis. If my lord were to think of swallowing up Wuhe at a time like this, I’m afraid…”

Yu Jingfeng had no wish to say anything inauspicious, but this particular move by the Prince was truly far too risky — and far too… brazen!

“My lord, to go and wage war on Wuhe at this moment would be, I think… well, difficult.”

Under ordinary circumstances, if the Wuhe army had dared to invade so boldly, given the Prince’s temperament, he would have wiped out the entire Wuhe clan without a second thought.

The Prince had always been a man of wolfish character — a commander with the nature of a wolf! He would not offend others if others did not offend him, but if they dared to offend him — annihilate them!

Yet now the situation was truly different. With the internal threat of the Nanmeng clan and Emperor Qiwen’s forces watching greedily from the sidelines, if the Prince went to wage war on Wuhe at this juncture, Nanmeng Rong and Emperor Qiwen would certainly send their armies surging southward without delay.

If the Prince went now, it would be an absolute loss with nothing to show for it.