The night grew thick and deep.

Feng Jiu’er was still waiting in her room. Xue Gu had gone out more than half a shichen ago and had yet to return, which made clear that the Second Prince’s manor was truly guarded with great vigilance.

Otherwise, with Xue Gu’s lightness technique, sweeping through the entire Second Prince’s manor would not have been so difficult a task.

The most critical issue at the moment was that no one yet knew where the Second Prince was being held.

At the very least, they needed to know that location before they could think of a way to slip in and make contact with him.

Had Xue Gu found the place where the Second Prince was being imprisoned yet?

Jiu’er walked to the bedside and was just about to lie down and rest for a little while when sounds of a scuffle suddenly broke out from outside.

Jiu’er snapped upright with a start and walked swiftly to the door. She did not step outside — she simply leaned against the door and listened in silence.

Qiao Mu had gone out. The one fighting outside was Xing Zizhou, trading blows with an intruder.

Qiao Mu said in a low voice: “Xing Zizhou, do you know him?”

Xing Zizhou had already subdued the intruder. Hearing this, he fixed his gaze on the young man whose arms he had pinned behind his back, and in the next instant, released him.

“Tuoba Keyan, why have you come?” Qiao Mu walked over quickly and glanced behind him. Seeing that the earlier commotion had not disturbed anyone, she let out a quiet breath of relief.

Xing Zizhou, by instinct, glanced behind Qiao Mu. It had only been about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea since he had left Xiao Yingtao’s room — he wondered what Xiao Yingtao was doing now.

Not far away, Feng Jiu’er’s door swung open, revealing half her face: “Let him in.”

……

When everyone had gathered, Xiao Yingtao was the last to arrive. Her clothes were, of course, already properly worn; the chest binding had been removed, and she had returned to the appearance of a proper young woman.

Xing Zizhou was also present. From the moment Xiao Yingtao walked in, she had not dared to cast even a single glance his way.

The moment she looked at him, she would immediately recall the sight of herself being held in his arms.

At that time, he had pressed his lips to hers, his hand slipping in beneath the hem of her garment, touching every part of her that no man had ever touched before…

Xiao Yingtao’s eyes nearly grew damp again. She could only lower her head further still, afraid that someone might catch on if she were not careful.

Tuoba Keyan, upon seeing Xiao Yingtao restored to women’s clothing, immediately let his gaze drift toward Qiao Mu.

“What are you staring at — what does it matter if she’s a young woman?” Qiao Mu shot him a sharp look. She felt no small amount of irritation toward this man who had tailed them so secretively.

They had left in such haste, and she had noticed no one following them along the way — so how had he managed to follow?

Moreover, Tuoba Keyan’s martial arts were hardly impressive; his lightness technique was slightly better, but still far below her own. How on earth had he been able to keep pace with them without being detected?

Tuoba Keyan did not dare look at the fierce Qiao Mu again and turned his gaze back to Feng Jiu’er.

“How did you follow us?” Even Jiu’er found this curious, though she already had a faint guess.

Tuoba Keyan concealed nothing. “I had my hunting hound sniff the things you used last night and let the hound lead me here.”

The money Jiu’er had left him had gone almost entirely to Tuoba Keyan’s brother. He had spent only a little to buy a horse and some dried provisions before setting off in pursuit.

“A hunting hound?”

“Just an ordinary dog — but its nose is remarkably sharp,” Tuoba Keyan said.

Jiu’er said nothing. Qiao Mu was about to speak, but Xing Zizhou’s eyes suddenly lit up: “You can truly have the hound track any person you wish to find?”

Tuoba Keyan glanced at him and said nothing.

He had never seen this man before, and naturally knew nothing of his identity — nor whether certain things could be said in his presence.

Before the Ninth Young Master had left, he had mentioned that they were people of Bei Mu. Being people of Bei Mu, much of what they discussed was confidential and could not be spoken freely.

“It’s all right — he’s one of us.” Naturally, Feng Jiu’er was not about to reveal too much just yet. After all, even though she had already judged Tuoba Keyan to be a good person, they still had important matters to attend to.

“You followed us — is there something you need? Is it about A’Dong…?”

“No, A’Dong is well. I’ve taken him to the Erbao household at the edge of the village. For the time being, A’Dong will be living with Second Granny — you needn’t worry about him.”

“Then why did you follow us? What are you after?” Qiao Mu asked. She was still unsettled by the fact that he had tracked them without her knowing.

If they were ever to have a few enemies like him in the future, would they not be left with nowhere to hide?

To trail someone using animals — if Tuoba Keyan were an enemy, there would truly be no guarding against it!

Tuoba Keyan glanced at her, then finally fixed his gaze on Feng Jiu’er’s face.

His lips moved. He seemed a little shy. At last, after drawing a deep breath, he suddenly went down on one knee: “Ninth Young Master, please accept me into your service.”

“Accept you?” Jiu’er looked at him, then at Qiao Mu.

Qiao Mu said nothing. A person with such a rare skill — of course it would be the best possible thing if Jiu’er were to take him on.

But Jiu’er did not take on people at will; who could say whether he was truly loyal?

“Tuoba Keyan, our Ninth Young Master does not accept people lightly,” Qiao Mu said evenly. “What if you were sent by an enemy…”

“I know.” Tuoba Keyan seemed to have come prepared. With a swift motion, he drew a short blade from inside his boot.

Xing Zizhou and Qiao Mu immediately gathered their inner energy into their palms, ready to act the moment he showed any intention of harming Jiu’er.

Tuoba Keyan drew the blade — not to threaten Jiu’er. He looked at her with sincerity. “On the day I left to seek vengeance, I said that if I returned alive, my life would be yours.”

“I never imagined that you would disregard your own safety and accompany me to the military camp, not to mention the care you gave A’Dong. I, Tuoba Keyan, have no great talents, yet I know the value of keeping one’s word. From this day forward, my life belongs to the Ninth Young Master.”

“If the Ninth Young Master doubts my loyalty, I am prepared to prove it for the Ninth Young Master to see!”

The moment his words fell, he suddenly raised the short blade and drove it forcefully toward his own left arm.

Qiao Mu and Xing Zizhou’s expressions changed at once, and they moved to stop him.

There came a clear, ringing sound. Feng Jiu’er did no more than give a light flick of her long fingers, and something — no one could tell what — struck Tuoba Keyan’s blade.

Tuoba Keyan felt a sudden numbing sensation spread from the web of his thumb and across his wrist. The blade slipped from his grip, and with a clatter, fell to the floor.

“Ninth Young Master…”

Xing Zizhou, Qiao Mu, and even Xiao Yingtao all stared at Feng Jiu’er, their faces full of astonishment.

This… this inner energy… the improvement was simply beyond belief! When had this happened? When had Jiu’er’s inner cultivation become this formidable?

Feng Jiu’er’s expression remained unchanged. She fixed her gaze on Tuoba Keyan and said, “I have no use for useless people.”

“I am not useless!” Tuoba Keyan protested indignantly.

“And if you wounded your arm and bled like a river, would you not become a useless person shortly enough?”

Jiu’er swept a glance at the blade on the floor, and pressed her lips together. “At that point, would I not have to waste my energy tending to your wound? Does that sound amusing to you?”