The Xiliang envoy had been arranged in a building not far from Yelu Qianqian, their second-floor windows directly facing hers. Jun Beiyue, however, had been placed to the left, with the altar separating them.

“Heh, how strange. We’re both envoys, yet that big fellow from Xiliang has more privileges than our own Prince Yao!” Situ Haonan joked, lounging lazily on a heated couch. He was quick to notice the Xijing royal family’s differential treatment of the envoys, yet completely oblivious to the fact that Xijing had deliberately arranged for the Xiliang envoy to be near Yelu Qianqian.

“Situ, don’t you find this mountain, this city, and this altar all rather strange?” Jun Beiyue said flatly.

Ever since getting a close look at Mingsha Mountain, he had been mulling this question over the entire way. Of course, what concerned him most was what exactly the “lone island ruins” referred to—whether it meant this entire mountain.

And what secrets did this lone island ruin hide?

Xuanyuan Zhaoxi had said that Yanzi had gone to Yaoshun Island for two musical notes. How had Yanzi learned the secret of Lishang? Was the secret about Lishang tied to Mingsha Mountain itself, or had Xuanyuan Lige told her?

Ziqing still hadn’t woken, and Xuanyuan Lige’s whereabouts remained unknown. The truth of the matter was still shrouded in mystery.

Situ Haonan might have been a bit slow on matters between men and women, but he was sharp in every other regard. Hearing Jun Beiyue’s words, he immediately understood what he meant.

“That Yanzi still hasn’t shown herself. Could it be she’s waiting for us to come to her territory?” Situ Haonan asked seriously.

Jun Beiyue’s gaze suddenly turned cold, his hand pressing on the armrest so hard the precious golden-thread nanwood nearly cracked. “I can’t wait for her to show herself right now!”

This trip had been undertaken to find a cure and seek revenge. Whatever it took, if Yanzi wouldn’t appear on her own, he would force her out into the open!

Just as they were speaking, Yingzi arrived. “My lord, the princess’s personal maid requests an audience.”

Situ Haonan sat up straight without meaning to. In truth, he too had been waiting for that maid to come—he just hadn’t expected her so soon!

Of course, he didn’t dare act on his own initiative, and looked at Jun Beiyue without speaking.

To his surprise, Jun Beiyue looked back at him. “She’s here for you. Go on.”

“Well…” Situ Haonan scratched his head. “That girl said she wanted to see everyone, didn’t she? Let’s go together—I can ask her a few things along the way. At least I can tell if she’s lying or not.”

“A secret meeting before marriage—what a lovely affair. I won’t intrude and spoil the fun,” Jun Beiyue said, a rare smile crossing his face as he waved him off. “Just don’t get carried away and run off with the princess. If Xiliang can’t find her, we’ll have a real mess on our hands.”

Situ Haonan eyed him suspiciously, sensing there was more to those words than met the eye. But with only half an hour to spare, and no telling what trouble Yelu Qianqian might stir up, he hurried out the door without saying more.

But a moment after leaving, he doubled back. “Beiyue, that girl said she wants to see you too—says she has something she wants to hand to you personally, to send to Ziqing.”

“That little girl is nothing but trouble. Go on ahead, I’ll be there shortly,” Jun Beiyue said flatly.

“She said it’s at Mingsha Grotto, a cave on the east side of the mountain—can you find it? Let’s go together, and you can ask her whatever you want yourself,” Situ Haonan said, worried he might need to ask Yelu Qianqian something and that girl would come up with more demands.

At least, in front of Jun Beiyue—that cold-faced judge of the underworld—she wouldn’t dare put on princess airs.

Jun Beiyue shot Yingzi a look, and with such a rare invitation, smiled. “Let’s go together, then.”

Seeing Jun Beiyue emerge, Yanzi’s heart immediately leapt with joy.

“Prince Yao, Young Master Situ, please follow this servant.”

As she spoke, Yanzi made a point of walking over toward Jun Beiyue’s side. “The princess is soon to be married off far away, and by custom she may not meet alone with a man outside her family—it wouldn’t do for others to see. This way, there’s a path around the mountain.”

Just then, Yingzi suddenly caught up to them. Seeing the maid present, he discreetly slipped a letter into Jun Beiyue’s hand without saying who had sent it.

Jun Beiyue opened it at once and skimmed through it. His originally cold, sharp lips slowly curved, unconsciously, into a warm smile.

Yanzi glanced sideways and caught sight of that smile. Her heart lurched, as if struck hard by something, a raw, aching pain.

She had watched this man for so long, harbored a secret love for him for so long, yet this was the first time she had ever seen his true smile up close. So handsome, so warm—it inexplicably made one feel safe.

But when she looked again, the warm smile was already gone, replaced once more by those sharply defined, ice-cold lips.

“Keep him here,” Jun Beiyue instructed Yingzi in a low voice—just those three words—before tucking the letter away and walking on. Yanzi hurriedly lowered her head and led the way.

She hadn’t expected Jun Beiyue to speak up. “You’re very familiar with Mingsha Mountain?”

“The Princess and the Crown Prince are both very familiar with Mingsha Mountain. This servant has followed the princess since childhood—whatever the princess knows, this servant mostly knows as well.”

Though it was just an ordinary question, Yanzi felt strangely flattered. In a certain sense, this was the first time Jun Beiyue had ever spoken to her face to face!

She couldn’t find words to describe her feelings in that moment. Though she was, in truth, a seasoned and ruthless woman, her heart at that instant felt like that of an innocent girl just awakening to first love—nervous yet delighted, simply because she had drawn a little closer to the man she loved, because she had spoken with him.

Of course, she remained composed, and answered with practiced cleverness.

“What sort of place is Mingsha Grotto? A natural cave, or…” Jun Beiyue asked again.

“Mingsha Grotto is actually a secret shared by the princess and the crown prince. Aside from them—and this servant, of course—no one knows there’s such a place on Mingsha Mountain. Though the princess rarely comes here, His Highness visits from time to time. It’s a natural cavern, right within the mountain’s body, and it hasn’t collapsed yet.”

Yanzi was without a doubt a cunning old fox—those words played right into Jun Beiyue’s suspicions!

He had been searching all along for the lone island ruins on Mingsha Mountain, and a place Yelu Chenyi frequented was most likely to be it.

There was no telling what Jun Beiyue was thinking, but Situ Haonan immediately asked, “Did the crown prince come here alone?”

Yanzi sneered inwardly, thought for a moment, then said, “This servant isn’t sure about that either. This servant only accompanies the princess, and can only come here during the Sand Sacrifice Ceremony.”

Situ Haonan nodded and didn’t press further.

The singing of the sands grew louder and louder, as if building toward some climactic peak, and soon they had circled around to the east side of the mountain.

Here, the ground was thick with thorny brush. The body of Mingsha Mountain was no longer entirely sand—patches of exposed rock showed through, covered in thorns.

“Prince Yao, Young Master Situ, this is the entrance. The princess has been waiting for some time.” As Yanzi spoke, she carefully triggered a hidden switch. A stone door, concealed beneath the thorns, slowly began to open…