This was the third night that Zhan Qingcheng had lain unconscious.

From that night his cultivation had deviated, until now — two days and three nights — he had not once regained consciousness.

Outside, agents and soldiers searching for them were everywhere. At a time like this, even arranging for a physician had to be done in utmost secrecy.

Mercifully, Xue Gu had been tending to herself for two days, and today had finally shown some slight improvement.

After examining Zhan Qingcheng, she shook her head all the same: “Without Jiu’er here, I have no grasp whatsoever of his current condition.”

“The renowned physicians outside — I have already sent people to fetch them. Every one of them was helpless.”

Mu Mu was at his wits’ end. After Qiao Mu had been injured, it had taken great difficulty for her to regain consciousness. Xue Gu, too, had suffered serious wounds; though she was awake now, she could not even channel her qi. Jian Yi was the least injured among them all, but Jian Yi only knew how to kill — what little knowledge he had picked up during his brief time at Tianji Hall was nowhere near sufficient to treat anyone’s internal injuries. As for Mu Mu, he had also sustained internal injuries, but compared to Xue Gu and Qiao Mu, his were considered light.

For two days, Jian Yi and Mu Mu had taken turns channeling qi to Zhan Qingcheng — yet each time, the baffling current of true qi within him pushed them back. That true qi roamed freely through his body, and any external force that attempted to force its way in would be repelled. In milder cases, they were driven off. In worse cases, the external force would rebound against the one who wielded it.

“The true qi within him is too formidable. No one can even touch it, let alone subdue it.”

Xue Gu had tried to force her way through just moments ago, and had been driven back to the point of spitting blood. Now, she no longer dared attempt it again.

“Is there really nothing to be done but leave his true qi to run rampant without end?” Mu Mu stared at the man lying on the bed — eyes shut, face drained of color — his own brow knotted tight.

That night, if Zhan Qingcheng had not intercepted the black-robed man’s palm strike on his behalf, he would never have been hurt this badly.

Yet saying any of that now was useless.

Unless someone could subdue the true qi within him, he would never wake.

“Whether Jiu’er is truly the little princess in the palace, we still do not know for certain. But if she truly is she — the moment she returns, I believe she will have a way.”

“If she truly is Jiu’er, why has she not left us a single hint in all this time?”

Qiao Mu, seated to one side, looked toward Xue Gu. The severity of her injuries left her struggling even to speak at any length. She drew a slow breath before saying, “Perhaps we have simply been looking in the wrong direction entirely.”

Xue Gu said nothing. Mu Mu swept his gaze over everyone, then said, “Tonight, I’ll make another attempt to break into the palace and get a sense of things.”

“That would be unwise…” Xue Gu still had lingering fear of the black-robed figure from that night. “The black-robed figure that night was already gravely wounded when he arrived. Otherwise, even a Ninth Prince whose cultivation had deviated would not necessarily have been able to overcome him. If you go…”

“But he was also struck by our senior brother.” Mu Mu had seen it with his own eyes.

That black-robed man had been hit by Zhan Qingcheng’s final palm strike and sent flying sideways. Had a black-robed woman not appeared suddenly to rescue him, he would certainly have collapsed.

“But who is that black-robed woman? How many more figures of such formidable ability are lurking in the palace — we have no idea at all.”

Xue Gu looked around at everyone and gave a faint sigh: “Mu Mu, between us all now, we have a room full of the wounded and the broken. If you were to be hurt as well, what would become of the Ninth Prince?”

Yet waiting indefinitely was no solution either.

Other than Jiu’er, who could save the Ninth Prince?

While things remained at an impasse on that end, Jiu’er’s attentive care was yielding results on the other side — Fourth Imperial Uncle was recovering with remarkable speed.

By evening, he was already able to get up and move about freely on his own. In truth, he could have risen from bed that very morning — such as when he had carried her — but under Jiu’er’s firm insistence, Feng Li had spent the entire day lying in bed regardless.

Only when night fell and Jiu’er had checked his wound and taken his pulse did she finally nod and allow him to get up and walk about a little.

“You may only walk around the courtyard. You are not to go wandering off anywhere, understood?”

“And you must not channel your qi under any circumstances. Your internal injuries are serious — you absolutely cannot fight again.”

“Rest easy. Within this palace, who would dare raise a hand against Fourth Imperial Uncle?” Feng Jiang thumped his chest with full confidence on that point. “What’s more, with me here, there is absolutely no possibility of Fourth Imperial Uncle being drawn into a fight. Stop worrying needlessly.”

Jiu’er had to return to her own princess hall to bathe and change. Before she left, she naturally had to give her instructions.

Though she did not want to be separated from Fourth Imperial Uncle even for a moment, she was a young woman — she could hardly bathe and change clothes in Third Imperial Brother’s quarters.

If word of that got out, her reputation would be tarnished regardless, even if they were siblings. If their Imperial Father found out, he would be displeased again.

“Go on back.” Feng Li was reluctant to let her go, but he understood — a princess ought not to remain in her imperial brother’s bedchambers at night.

Last night had been an exception. He had not known she was there.

Tonight, now that he knew, he could not allow it to continue.

“I will not fight, and I will not hurt myself. I promise.”

“Really?”

“Truly.”

Reassured by Feng Li’s promise, Feng Jiu’er finally departed from Feng Jiang’s bedchambers and made her way back to her own princess hall.

After bathing and changing, she collapsed onto her bed and nearly fell asleep on the spot.

Had it not been for a dark shadow that suddenly appeared before her, she certainly would have.

But when a person that large materializes out of thin air right in front of you, how are you supposed to sleep?

“You…” Once she made out that it was not Third Imperial Brother, her eyes flew wide open and she cried out at once: “Help! Someone come! Someone come—”

Of all the things Jian Yi had anticipated, he had not expected that the sight of him would make her scream for help.

Had he foreseen it, he never would have allowed her to call out.

He thrust out a broad palm and clapped it over her mouth, smothering every cry before it could escape.

Outside, maids who had heard the commotion came rushing over, about to open the door.

In his desperation, Jian Yi tore open the front of Feng Jiu’er’s robe and said in a low, sharp voice: “Tell her nothing is wrong — otherwise, I’ll strip off your clothes.”

Jiu’er was both frightened and furious, but her shoulder was already exposed, and she had no way of knowing whether this black-robed man would truly follow through.

The little maid had no martial arts. Even if she came in, she would only add another body to the toll, without any rescue to speak of. Thinking it through, Jiu’er nodded firmly.

Just as the maid pushed the door open, Jian Yi swept Jiu’er into his arms, retreating behind the room screen, and at the same time released her mouth.

Feng Jiu’er said immediately: “It is nothing. I am changing. Get out.”

Her voice was cool and measured. When she was not smiling, she commanded a natural authority — stern without anger.

The maid was startled by her cold, commanding tone. She had barely stepped inside before she drew her foot back and retreated, pulling the door shut behind her.

Jian Yi still had hold of Feng Jiu’er’s torn robe, and said in a low voice: “Tell her you are retiring for the night, and that no one is to disturb you this evening.”

Jiu’er exhaled a breath, then called out toward the door with resigned helplessness: “I am retiring. Tonight, no one is to come near. Anyone who does… will be beaten to death with a rod.”