After a long while, the Chief Judge tremblingly lifted his blanket and muttered while looking for his shoes.

Minister Jiang stood up to put on his cloak, Minister Cai said he would go tell his family, and Minister Zhang moved a knife hidden in his sleeve to his waist.

Everyone knew that leaving this tunnel meant facing wind, snow, and blade light.

But they had to go out.

Great Qian could not fall. If the palace truly collapsed, they had to rush out first to hold things up.

Palace Master looked at this group of old men and said with a worried frown, “A bunch of old men – how can I carry them? I don’t have that many baskets!”

Gu Xiaoxiao ignored her, walked out of the tunnel, went to an open area outside, and lit a green incense stick as thick as a finger.

His eyes held worry.

This was something Tie Ci had given him, saying it was a life-saving measure for critical moments. But he was very concerned – could such a small incense stick really spread in all directions on this windy, snowy night and summon the people he wanted to call?

Behind him came rustling footsteps as the ministers walked out, faintly hearing screams and cries for help carried on the wind and snow.

In an instant, they were swept away by the harsh wind.

Who knew if tomorrow’s snow would be stained with blood.

At this time.

The Liaodong group was still fleeing toward the south of the city.

Countless Imperial Academy students, properly dressed, surged toward Changming Street.

Di Yiwei mounted her horse, with Blood Riders behind her like a blood-colored whistling arrow, crossing the fields and leaving the city gates behind.

In the opposite direction from her, a hundred riders broke through the wind and snow, galloping wildly on the official road. The leader’s snow-white cloak flew in the wind as they headed toward the city gates.

On an even more distant, open plain.

Like vast clouds swept by wind, hoofbeats thundered across the earth like drumbeats. Nearby birds and beasts fled in alarm, watching this storm-like army surge across the land like a tide, then flow into the hidden mountain ranges.

They could see the deep black cloak at the very front unfurling like a banner.

…

Inside Chongming Palace, lamplight flickered dimly in the wind and snow.

Those above the hall and those below faced each other from afar.

Another hour had passed.

During this hour, Tong Rushi had sent people to kill a group of Crown Princess’s Nine Guards who had tried to sneak into the hall by circling around to the rear palace.

Tie Ci had sent out Pingzong with a sword to challenge Dongdezi’s wife to combat.

No one knew why she ignored Tong Rushi and the others who had already reached the central courtyard, instead targeting Dongdezi’s wife, who harbored slight goodwill and had been standing outside the hall, only willing to provide support.

But since Pingzong had challenged her, Dongdezi’s wife wouldn’t refuse.

She drew with both hands, revealing a pair of iron cleavers. The cleavers looked very ordinary – just the most common type – but they were made of hundred-times-folded steel, snow-bright, with very thin and wide blade edges.

Tie Ci had once seen those cleavers decapitate people like cutting melons and vegetables on the back mountain of Lingquan Village on that stormy night.

Pingzong’s blade was also very thin, not large, dark and dull-looking. It really didn’t look like a good sword.

Li Zhi walked to Dongdezi’s wife’s side and said softly, “Please don’t be sentimental and use your full strength. Tie Ci has no fighting power left. If we capture Pingzong quickly, we can persuade Tie Ci to offer the imperial seal without bloodshed. His Highness said he would spare her life. This would be good for everyone.”

Dongdezi’s wife nodded slightly.

Regardless of how she viewed Tie Ci, she was ultimately from Lingquan Village, which was more important to her.

Dragging this out would only result in more injuries.

The two faced each other as Dongdezi’s wife slowly raised her blades.

The next moment was like a violent storm.

She had already seen that Pingzong was seriously injured and definitely not her match at this moment.

She decided to resolve this as quickly as possible.

Blade light flashed like a hanging river. Behind Dongdezi’s wife, two trenches suddenly appeared in the snow, sending up snow spray ten thousand zhang high.

The blade wind that carved the snow had already reached above Pingzong’s head.

In everyone’s eyes, the snowflakes hadn’t yet scattered and the world was still hazy, with only a point of cold light like a winter star appearing above Pingzong’s head.

But Pingzong suddenly threw out that ugly little black blade.

A tremendous crash rang out.

No one could see what happened – they only saw snowflakes rise and scatter, black and white objects spinning with whirring sounds cutting through snowflakes and wind, tracing several black and white trajectories in the air before disappearing into the soft snow several zhang away.

Dongdezi’s wife’s hands were now empty.

Obviously this sudden turn of events caught her off guard, and she froze for a moment.

In just this moment of freezing, Pingzong had already closed into her embrace, placing ice-cold fingers on her throat.

Dongdezi’s wife instinctively closed her eyes.

Dongdezi rushed out frantically, but it was already too late.

From the hall above, Tie Ci said, “Pingzong.”

Pingzong giggled, withdrew her fingers from Dongdezi’s wife’s throat, but backhanded a fierce slap across her face.

She said, “Little aunt won’t let me kill you, but giving you a beating isn’t too much, right?”

Dongdezi’s wife opened her eyes as blood marks appeared on her face. She asked, “What kind of blade was that?”

Pingzong: “Magnetic blade.”

Dongdezi’s wife understood.

Her weapons were refined iron twin blades, wide and thin. Once the opponent threw out a magnet, the result was predictable.

Pingzong’s magnetic blade was even about the same width as her blades.

Obviously this was a weapon custom-made for her.

If it had been someone else using fists, long blades, swords, or fishing rods, it wouldn’t have had this effect.

In other words, Tie Ci had never been negligent. From the moment she encountered Lingquan Village, she had treated them as hypothetical enemies and made targeted battle plans against them.

Even though she wasn’t certain they would be used, she still prepared them.

So when they truly appeared before her tonight, even though she was at the end of her strength, she remained calm and unruffled.

Footsteps sounded as Dongdezi rushed to his wife’s side. Without thinking, he threw a punch.

A sharp crack echoed through the air, crisp and bright like an exploding firecracker.

If this punch landed solidly, Pingzong’s head could explode like a firecracker too.

A hand reached over, gently catching and deflecting.

The force was redirected into the snow, covering nearby people with snow and ice.

Dongdezi’s wife said, “Stop fighting.”

The punch force ceased, and Pingzong’s hair fluttered up and down.

The red and white figure flashed as she retreated three zhang away. Her expression remained disdainful, but she was secretly alarmed.

This couple’s strength was enough to match her at full power. Now that she was severely damaged, if they truly used their full strength, she couldn’t withstand it.

Such a terrifying group of experts who also had mutual understanding – even a great army couldn’t keep them.

No wonder they dared to swagger into the palace like this.

The punch force stopped, but Dongdezi’s wife didn’t let go. She was silent for a while, just holding her husband’s fist like this and leading him to turn around.

Walking over to the snow several zhang away, she beckoned with her hand. The twin blades buried in the snow flew out, still tightly attracted to the magnet in between. Dongdezi’s wife flicked her finger, and the magnet shattered into black fragments scattered on the snow.

She inserted the twin blades back at her waist and, without a word, dragged her husband away.

Tong Rushi stared in shock at the couple’s retreating figures, finally reacting with anger: “You’re deserting! Have you forgotten the oath you made before my grandfather?”

Dongdezi’s wife didn’t turn back. Deep footprints from two pairs of feet trailed away in the snow.

Only cold words scattered between heaven and earth.

“She held my child.”

“And I ate Murong Yi’s cooking.”

Inside the hall.

Tie Ci had been sitting calmly the entire time, her face showing neither joy nor sorrow, like wearing a mask frozen from tonight’s ice and snow.

Whether it was the city gates opening, enemy invasion, chaos in the city, or experts forcing the palace – all these calamities coming one after another, instantly plunging her into life’s most miserable situation – she remained unmoved, cold as distant jade mountains.

But upon hearing that name, she slightly raised her hand, then lowered it.

As if in a moment of too much pain.

Wanting to cover her heart.

…

Green smoke drifted and dispersed in the wind and snow.

For quite a while there was no movement.

Just as Gu Xiaoxiao was starting to get anxious, a “gua gua” sound suddenly came from overhead.

Gu Xiaoxiao looked up to see a white mass had appeared on the rooftop, at first glance looking like a chimney.

The chimney began moving, snow falling from its body, revealing colorful clothing underneath. A frog wearing a cotton coat jumped down from its shoulder, calling “gua gua” several times.

Only then did Gu Xiaoxiao see this was a petite young girl.

She wore large glasses, her eyes full of anxiety, and said to Gu Xiaoxiao, “Who are you? How do you have my summoning incense?”

Gu Xiaoxiao vaguely understood the other party’s identity and said, “You’re A’kou, right? My incense was given by the Crown Princess. Now I need to rescue the Crown Princess and need you and your clan’s help.”

A’kou had previously failed to stop her great-uncle at the city gates, so she rushed back to the city to gather clanspeople in the city. The Mo clan had scattered temperaments and lived in different places, so gathering them took considerable time. Just as she was about to head to the palace city, she caught the scent of summoning incense.

This was something she had given to Tie Ci, so naturally she immediately came, but saw Gu Xiaoxiao instead.

A’kou immediately agreed, but turning around she saw a bunch of old men coming out. Gu Xiaoxiao said to her, “We need to get to the palace city as quickly and safely as possible.”

Minister Gu asked, “Shall we prepare horses?” Looking at the heavy snow with a troubled expression.

Riding horses through wind and snow in such weather wasn’t a good idea – the roads were difficult, too cold, and they would encounter interception, which would be walking into a trap.

A’kou looked at this group of old men, frowned, and looked back at her clanspeople.

Now the ministers also saw the shadowy figures appearing behind A’kou, and saw crocodiles, giant pythons, colorful frogs, huge geckos, spiders, scorpions…

These animals that shouldn’t appear here were each wearing cotton coats, fur, and pelts – all beloved pets who couldn’t adapt to cold weather and feared freezing to death, dressed in matching outfits with their masters.

Someone looked up at the sky with a confused expression.

The sun hadn’t risen from the west.

A’kou looked at these treasures and suddenly clapped her hands, saying, “I’ve got it!”

Half a quarter-hour later, a strange procession appeared on the windy, snowy streets of the capital.

Some people rode on crocodiles, some rode giant pythons, some sat on sleds pulled by groups of spiders or scorpions.

The “riders” all had pale faces and rigid bodies, like zombies.

The “mounts” crawled across the snow leaving various eerie traces, but all had speeds that ordinary animals couldn’t match. They slid across the snow with whooshing sounds, occasionally encountering troublemakers. Some people stared wide-eyed without reacting before this bizarre venomous transport brigade rushed past.

Others did react and tried to block them, but before they could approach, they encountered a patch of colorful mist and silently collapsed.

The animal transport army charged out of the colorful mist without stopping.

Gu Xiaoxiao stood rigidly on a giant python, reins wrapped around his hands and looped around the python’s neck.

But this was definitely not like riding a horse. He could feel the soft, tough, slippery surface beneath his feet constantly twisting and swaying. The excessive speed meant wind and snow pelted his face, and he swallowed cold wind and snow with every breath.

Even his eyelashes were frost-covered.

When cold reached its extreme, he forgot about nausea and fear.

Suddenly there was wind beside him, and a voice shouted loudly in his ear, “Sliding pretty well!”

Gu Xiaoxiao turned his head with difficulty to see Palace Master right beside him, keeping pace. She wasn’t riding any venomous creature because all the venomous creatures refused to let her ride them and ran when they saw her.

So she had tied two thin wooden boards to the bottom of her boots, slightly bent her knees, leaned forward, and moved through the snow with the same lightning speed.

At this moment she was turning her head to smile at him.

Like a transparent, free wind.

In the wind, her laughter remained clear: “Handsome or not!”

Gu Xiaoxiao turned his head away.

Palace Master reached out and turned his head back to face her.

Gu Xiaoxiao glared angrily.

Palace Master didn’t mind and continued shouting, “Am I more handsome than your Crown Princess?”

Gu Xiaoxiao’s anger flared as he shouted loudly, “You’re not even worthy to carry her shoes!”

He used too much force, the wind was too strong, and before he finished speaking he was choking and coughing violently.

Palace Master still wasn’t angry and smiled with narrowed eyes. The lower half of her face was buried in a large, thick mask, so only her curved eyes with long eyelashes were visible, like two hazy crescents.

She removed the mask from her face and quickly reached out to put it on Gu Xiaoxiao.

Gu Xiaoxiao immediately felt like he had come back to life.

But he also felt embarrassed and uncomfortable. The mask still retained the girl’s warmth and faint fragrance. His face instantly burned red, and he immediately tried to remove the mask.

But he didn’t know how Palace Master had tied it – he fumbled for a long time without getting it off, and having to mind the large snake beneath him, he nearly fell off.

Palace Master patted his shoulder and said, “Alright, you’re a man – don’t be so fidgety.” With a graceful stretch of her arms, she had already moved far ahead of him.

Gu Xiaoxiao raised his head.

Ahead, the palace city was in sight.

…