Dark moon, fierce wind, night of murder.

Watch me, sneak, go examine corpses.

Qin Chang Ge and Xiao Jue, who had been arranged in the lowest guest rooms at the valley bottom, were preparing to become corpse thieves.

They knew tonight would definitely not end peacefully, so they not only avoided eating any food the Shui family sent, didn’t touch the Shui family’s bedding, and didn’t even touch anything belonging to the Shui family.

Although ordinary poisons couldn’t trouble these two, this was Nanmin, this was Yilan Valley, which had been famous in the martial world for decades – how could Yilan be an ordinary place? Being extra cautious was never wrong.

Shui Jingchen had arranged the guests very separately, with almost everyone isolated in different dwellings. Especially Su Xuan, who was arranged to stay halfway up the mountain, several li away from these small fry at the valley bottom.

“Chang Ge,” Xiao Jue passed over a piece of cold beef, carefully helping her tear it into strips, saying, “Eat your fill so we’ll have strength to do bad things.”

“Mm,” Qin Chang Ge took the beef and examined it thoroughly in her hands. Xiao Jue couldn’t help but say resentfully, “What are you looking at? Afraid I drugged it? Am I as devious as you?”

Qin Chang Ge smiled sweetly as she looked up, gazing at him and said, “Don’t bring up old accounts. That time was my mistake – let me apologize to you now, alright?”

Her words were rarely so gentle, carrying a hint of coquettishness. Her usually somewhat cool smile also bloomed with fragrant, honey-sweet charm. Her disguised features showed eyes that sparkled with delicate cleverness, clear waves rippling.

Xiao Jue’s heart warmed, and for a moment he seemed to see that yellow-dressed maiden from years past turning back among flowers, smiling brilliantly before him. He couldn’t help but reach out and embrace Qin Chang Ge.

Qin Chang Ge didn’t struggle. She leaned gently against that familiar yet strange shoulder, softly breathing in the man’s faint, pure masculine scent mixed with pine needles and cypress leaves, whispering low, “A’Jue, thank you for abandoning imperial dignity to keep accompanying me…”

Xiao Jue’s hand stroked her back. Hearing these words whispered so softly, he suddenly paused.

Then he slowly said, “Chang Ge, the person you least need to thank is me, because for you, whatever I do is only right.”

“Is that so…” Qin Chang Ge’s hands slowly climbed up his shoulders, breathing like orchids at his ear, “…including, wanting to drug me?”

Xiao Jue smiled and simply seized the opportunity to hold Qin Chang Ge tightly, also whispering at her ear, “Yes, including… Chang Ge, we’re both thinking the same thing, aren’t we?”

Under candlelight the two embraced tightly, yet each pressed the other’s shoulder well and celestial pivot pressure points, maintaining a posture of mutual surprise attack while silently expressing their care for each other, neither willing to yield nor remove their hands first.

Finally, they looked up at each other and smiled helplessly.

“…Let’s go together. Neither of us should think of leaving the other behind to face danger alone.” Xiao Jue buried his face greedily in Qin Chang Ge’s shoulder, breathing in her unique cool fragrance of mint and narcissus with near desperation. In this brief moment of joyful dizziness, past events flashed by like fleeting light… rivers and mountains, war horses, white bones, golden palace, all the red dust entanglements – his empress, his beloved. In this life and that life, time flowed away like water, and in the turning he had lost her… Having lost her, perhaps they should start over again, yet even holding her in his arms had become a precious joy; yet even holding her in his arms, he still fiercely, fiercely missed her.

Already blooming on the other shore, already changed in a snap of fingers.

“How should I…” His murmured words broke apart in her shoulder hollow, that exquisite, warm curve where he would willingly die and have his bones buried.

Qin Chang Ge slowly released her hand from the pressure point on Xiao Jue, instead embracing his waist. There was a burning passion and deep love that wouldn’t allow cold indifference – what did it matter if refined steel became soft silk wound around fingers at this moment?

They embraced quietly, surrounded by enemies’ malicious intent, before the dangerous and strange adventure about to begin.

At this moment candlelight was serene, wind sounds gentle.

After an unknown time, the human shadows reflected on the pale yellow window paper lightly separated. With a swoosh, Xiao Jue shot out first, but immediately retreated back.

Qin Chang Ge followed out, and Xiao Jue grabbed her hand, saying, “Wait, this mist isn’t right.”

In the darkness, a pale red mist enveloped this remote small courtyard. The mist seemed present yet absent, without strange odor, easily confused with moonlight and celestial radiance, yet it seemed to have a target as it danced and pressed closer.

“It may not be poisonous mist…” Qin Chang Ge retreated, staring at the mist and saying, “But it’s definitely not good. Look, it’s surrounding the front and back of the house, and only we have it here.”

Xiao Jue flicked his sleeve, his palm force tremendous and unmatched, powerful enough to split stone. The mist scattered with a whoosh, but instantly regrouped, soft and insubstantial, lingering like a ghost.

Qin Chang Ge’s black silk struck out, piercing straight into the mist and dragging back instantly. The black silk had a layer of pale red liquid substance attached, but it quickly dissipated.

“As long as we hold our breath, this thing can’t stop us at all. We just fear it touching our skin.” Xiao Jue quickly tore cloth strips to wrap both himself and Qin Chang Ge tightly, covering all exposed skin, but was troubled about their eyes. “…What about eyes? Walk with them closed? In this place, walking blind is seeking death. That Shui Jingchen fellow just wants us bound hand and foot so he can slaughter us easily, eh?”

“As if it’s that easy,” Qin Chang Ge laughed heartily, rummaging in her clothing and pulling out two crystal pieces, looking at them with some regret. “I should have stolen a few more pieces earlier…”

“What are those?” Xiao Jue looked curiously at the white transparent crystal-like thin pieces, remembering when they were at Blazing Flame headquarters and Su Xuan fought the golden-robed man, Rong’er had pulled out something called “sunglasses.”

“Rong’er’s toys. I stole two pieces as backup, and they’re really coming in handy.” Qin Chang Ge grinned as she used black silk to thread holes in the crystal pieces, tying them with silk thread to cover their eyes, then made another for Xiao Jue.

“One piece each?” Xiao Jue held the thin crystal piece in bewilderment – this looked terrible, didn’t it?

Shrugging, Qin Chang Ge said helplessly, “I only grabbed two pieces. You and I use one each, cover the other eye, this should be enough. Remember to control your balance well.”

Xiao Jue reluctantly used black cloth to cover one eye and wore the polished crystal piece. Looking at Qin Chang Ge, one eye blazing white light, one eye dark with black cloth – truly comical.

Qin Chang Ge was also tilting her head and grinning as she examined His Imperial Majesty, who had become increasingly undignified since being with her.

The pair of one-eyed thieves looked at each other and both burst out laughing.

Xiao Jue took Qin Chang Ge’s hand – warm, soft, and delicate to the touch, yet his heart didn’t waver, feeling only peaceful warmth.

Even if countless killings and adventures lay ahead, walking this path together still made warm flowers bloom in his heart.

“Let’s go.”

After rushing several steps, Qin Chang Ge suddenly stopped, and simultaneously Xiao Jue turned toward a patch of grass.

Qin Chang Ge flicked her finger, sending a stream of finger force shooting out. The grass rustled and a furry thing jumped out.

The creature was neither rabbit nor fox, resembling both deer and cat, dragging a fluffy big tail. Plump, white and adorable, with tiny paws and big round eyes, it looked somewhat like a Dutch hamster Qin Chang Ge had raised in her past life.

Xiao Jue’s eyes lit up. “It looks like Rong’er!”

Qin Chang Ge carefully examined the creature’s innocent gaze as it gnawed its paws with rolling eyes, remembering someone’s habit of sucking fingers while eyes darted about, and couldn’t help laughing. “It does look alike. Too bad we didn’t bring him to meet his relative.”

“He’d roast his relative and eat it right up,” Xiao Jue was even more delighted thinking of his son, but still pretended to be serious as he shook his head. “That fellow is a reincarnated glutton who disowns all relatives for food.”

As they spoke, the creature had already hopped over with clumsy movements, stopping before Xiao Jue and tilting its head at him with an expression that seemed to say “hold me.” Thinking of his son put Xiao Jue in good spirits, and he couldn’t help crouching down to play with it.

Qin Chang Ge’s gaze shifted as she called out urgently, “Care—”

Before she finished speaking, the creature’s mouth opened – revealing a truly ferocious maw! Inside were actually two tongues, thick and blood-red, whooshing out a stream of pale red dense fog directly at Xiao Jue’s face!

At the same time it extended sharp claws – the tiny paws had retractable nails that were completely hidden before but now spread out with a snap like ten small daggers, slashing straight toward Xiao Jue’s pulse points!

With a swoosh, Xiao Jue’s black shadow flashed and he had retreated several zhang. His muffled laughter from behind the face covering was somewhat unclear but full of smugness. “You think I’m an idiot? Something appearing in Yilan Valley, appearing in this mist – how could it be an ordinary animal?”

Qin Chang Ge smiled and reached out to grab the tail of the creature trying to escape. “You’re as good at pretending as Young Master Shui! As cunning as Xiao Rong! The better the appearance, the worse the heart!”

“Chang Ge, you seem to be describing yourself.” Xiao Jue grabbed the creature’s big tail and dangled it in the air. The creature desperately twisted its head while suspended, baring white fangs at Xiao Jue.

Xiao Jue swung it around several times, then flung it far away.

“Why not kill it?” Qin Chang Ge looked at him. “Because it looks like Rong’er?”

Xiao Jue smiled. “Can we kill them all? There’s more than one of these things in this valley. If we offend them too badly, won’t we have trouble? Scaring it is enough.”

“True. Animals are sometimes more united and principled than humans. Humans, this most intelligent of all creatures, the smarter they are the more complex their thoughts, the more distracting thoughts they have, making them harder to unite.”

“So you’re planning to use the divide and conquer strategy,” Xiao Jue smiled at her. “When we were examining the coffin today, I saw your eyes darting around – who were you looking for?”

“Looking for those legendary uncles who competed for position. Didn’t you notice? Today the Shui family were all of Shui Jingchen’s generation. Only one uncle-generation person appeared, looking most useless, following behind Shui Jingchen submissively. Where are those who competed for position?” Qin Chang Ge counted on her fingers with a low laugh. “At least three people have mysteriously disappeared.”

As they spoke, the two had already rushed out of the pale red mist, but didn’t remove their crystal pieces – being careful was never wrong.

“You want to use the conflicts between the Shui family’s older and younger generations to find the cause of the old family head’s death?” Xiao Jue carefully distinguished the mists in the valley while walking on Qin Chang Ge’s left side – his right hand was more agile, so if there were any traps, he should be faster at pulling her to safety.

Qin Chang Ge naturally didn’t know he would carefully calculate even walking positions to find the most advantageous direction for her. In her memory, Xiao Jue was bright and bold, heroic and fierce, but his personality wasn’t particularly meticulous. She didn’t know that after experiencing that painful loss, Xiao Jue’s mindset was now close to paranoid anxiety, fearing at every moment, wanting to hold her in his palm every instant, yet unwilling to constrain her free soaring phoenix wings. He could only cast aside everything and accompany her through wind, thunder, and lightning.

“Those who competed for position are probably all dead, right?” In the whooshing wind, the two rushed along. Strangely, though it should be dangerous at every step, apart from that pale red mist, they encountered nothing – not even valley patrol guards.

“Not necessarily. A succession struggle that can continue for so long shows these people aren’t easy to deal with – they must each have their own forces. If Shui Jingchen wants to obtain a complete Yilan Valley rather than a family torn apart by anxiety, he shouldn’t kill those people.” Qin Chang Ge squinted at the mountainside – the coffin from earlier was there.

“Don’t know where Su Xuan is staying. That fellow is probably now enjoying endless romantic fortune and longevity matching heaven.” Qin Chang Ge grinned at Xiao Jue.

“What are you thinking about all day?” Xiao Jue tapped her hand with amusement.

“I’m thinking…” Qin Chang Ge squinted at an unremarkable dwelling halfway up the mountain, “Is that flickering thing ghost fire or human fire?”

Halfway up the mountain, in empty space, building outlines suddenly appeared with tiny flickering lights blinking on and off. Without careful attention, they’d look like ghost fire or fireflies. Xiao Jue made a sound of surprise. “I remember when we looked during the day, that was clearly empty ground.”

He was about to move forward when Qin Chang Ge suddenly pulled him back hard. Startled, he turned to see in the deep black night, Qin Chang Ge’s eyes glowing faintly, her expression somewhat grave and strange.

“Don’t move yet…” Qin Chang Ge stood still, only turning her body to observe in all directions. Her gaze was deep black, gradually showing cold, amused light.

“So… the entire Yilan Valley is problematic,” After a long while, Qin Chang Ge carefully retreated several steps, surveyed the area again, and slowly said, “No wonder Shui Jingchen is so confident, no wonder he doesn’t even post guards, no wonder he doesn’t send people to kill me. The entire Yilan is itself a great formation.”

“The Great Formation of Sun and Moon Rotation and Circulation, recorded in the ancient strange book ‘Qiankun Chronicles,’ but because the layout is enormous and requires terrifying human and material resources, no one has ever constructed it. When I saw those buildings arranged layer by layer around a mountain, I felt something was wrong. Now I understand.”

She pointed toward the white round-domed palace-like building at the mountain peak. “Look, has the color changed?”

Xiao Jue looked carefully and said in surprise, “It seems pale red?”

“A place of ‘pearl binding,’ pearls suppressing the peak, endless rotation, sun and moon crossing the sky. The huge domed building is pearl-shaped, white during the day and red at night, reversing day and night – this is sun and moon rotation. This formation is said to require massive engineering, digging mountains and filling seas. It’s just that Thousand Jue Gate doesn’t have the ‘Qiankun Chronicles,’ so I only heard my master’s master mention this formation when discussing geomancy techniques. Now it seems this place with four peaks surrounding is called a ‘pearl binding’ place in the ‘Green Crow Classic,’ suitable for using this great formation. But how exactly to break it, my master’s master only said three words back then.”

“Hmm?”

“Do the opposite.”

“Then…”

“That area ahead with continuous buildings and flickering lights is still empty. If we rush over there, we’ll end up falling off a cliff.” Qin Chang Ge sneered. “From halfway up the mountain, all the scenery you see now is reversed.”

She pulled Xiao Jue and suddenly retreated backward!

And behind them was nothing but a sheer cliff!

Xiao Jue unhesitatingly shot backward, rushing ahead to shield her – if the deduction was wrong, he would fall first, and Chang Ge could avoid the drop.

With a clang, the two who should have stepped into empty air suddenly found solid ground under their feet.

“Oh no.” Xiao Jue suddenly frowned.

“What?”

“Su Xuan will definitely come out tonight. What if he doesn’t understand the danger and falls into the trap?”

“You probably don’t quite understand that Shui family girl’s infatuation with Su Xuan,” Qin Chang Ge smiled. “She’s no fool either – she’ll definitely find a way to warn Su Xuan.”

She walked ahead toward an empty area, and Xiao Jue unhesitatingly stepped forward first – overcoming the illusion of reversed vision was extremely difficult. Normal people facing an apparent cliff ahead, even knowing it wasn’t real, would find it hard to have courage to step forward.

However, Qin Chang Ge had never been normal, and then Xiao Jue’s love for Qin Chang Ge had never been quite normal either.

He had strong trust in her. With her, he didn’t want to worry about any dangers – danger, he’d accompany her; schemes, he’d accompany her; even death, he’d accompany her!

Fortunately, Qin Chang Ge wouldn’t joke with her and Xiao Jue’s lives.

The mist ahead suddenly parted, revealing building outlines. The lights still flickered with a crackling sound, quite eerie in their bright and dim alternation.

Qin Chang Ge swaggered up and knocked on the window. Her voice from behind the face mask sounded muffled and dim in the mountain wind. “Brother, your signal isn’t standard – that’s not how it’s done.”

The human shadow behind the window paper suddenly froze.

But Xiao Jue had already entered this room as elegantly as if entering his own Dragon Seal Palace.

In the crude interior, the man turned around in alarm to see a pair of strangely dressed one-eyed thieves. The taller one was asking the shorter one, “Why didn’t you come through the window?”

“What’s wrong with you?” The shorter one scoffed. “Read too many martial arts novels? There’s a door – why climb through windows?”

The two argued for a few sentences as if no one else was present, then both turned to look at the man inside. The man suddenly felt his eyes brighten – one person’s gaze was sharp and fierce, the other’s seemingly gentle as water yet with hidden brilliance. Even through those strange crystal pieces, he could feel their extraordinary bearing pressing toward him.

The man smiled slightly – after working so hard for so many days with no one coming, finally, had someone arrived?

Across from him, the short one-eyed thief Qin Chang Ge stepped forward, pointed at his paused hand, and commanded, “Continue, keep lighting and extinguishing!”

“Huh?”

“You think Shui Jingchen doesn’t know you’re calling for help? If you suddenly stop, once he notices, he’ll know someone came here.” Qin Chang Ge smiled. “Uncle Shui, smart as you are, I don’t need to say more, right?”

The man understood and hurriedly continued playing with the flint while asking, “Who are you two? Are you my Yellow Hall subordinates?”

“No,” Qin Chang Ge answered crisply. “Your Yellow Hall subordinates are probably all buried at the bottom of the cliff.”

The man turned back in shock, eyes wide. “Why?”

“Because of your summons,” Qin Chang Ge stared across the cliff. “Your Yilan Valley has a rule against going out after nightfall, doesn’t it?”

“How do you know?”

“I just learned,” Qin Chang Ge sneered. “The entire Yilan Valley is a trap. Your summons are useless – however many come, that many die.”

The man was stunned, his face showing indignant anger as he said hatefully, “No wonder they never allowed us…” He looked urgently at Qin Chang Ge and Xiao Jue. “Are you here to save me? I won’t let you save me for nothing. As long as you help me eliminate that patricidal villain and prevent the valley master position from falling into treacherous hands, when it’s done, I’ll reward you with ten chests of jewels and ten thousand taels of gold. Overnight, you could become rich as nations!”

“Oh? Patricide?” Qin Chang Ge’s eyes brightened. “Shui Jingchen? How exactly did the old valley master Shui die?”

The man hesitated, a shadow flashing in his eyes. After a long while he said irritably, “Just save me. As for these noble family secrets, why ask so much?”

He struck down with his palm, breaking off a corner of the ordinary-looking table beside him. The break showed gleaming black light – it was black gold.

Black gold was worth far more than yellow gold. A table made entirely of black gold was truly valuable.

The man held the black gold in his palm and sneered. “Does Shui Jingchen think that by taking all my treasures I have nothing? That yellow-mouthed child – how could he understand the importance of money like I do?” He arrogantly pointed around the room. “This room may look like it has nothing but furnishings, but all the furnishings are made of black gold!”

“Wow! So much silver! Thank you!” Qin Chang Ge immediately applauded supportively. “But if your life is gone, what use is silver? To make a coffin?”

She grabbed Xiao Jue and left. “The black gold here isn’t that much anyway – probably just enough for your own coffin. We won’t compete with you. Well then, mountains are high and waters long – until we meet again. Bye bye.”

She walked away without hesitation, so unreasonably carefree it was outrageous. Xiao Jue didn’t even bother looking at the man from beginning to end, just turned and walked.

“Stop!”

Those two didn’t stop at all.

“Wait!”

No one was willing to wait.

“Please!”

Qin Chang Ge waved dismissively with her back to him, meaning: better to help yourself than ask others.

“I… I’ll talk!”

Whoosh – the two cool characters immediately sat back down calmly before the man. Qin Chang Ge smiled at him. “Should have said so earlier – waste of time.”

The man smiled bitterly. Where had this pair of difficult customers come from? Impervious to persuasion, unmoved by anything. A whole room of wealth couldn’t make them look twice, especially that tall man whose gaze was even disdainful.

Qin Chang Ge clicked the flint, calculating how long Su Xuan could hold off Shui Jingchen and what moves the Shui family might make. One possibility made her secretly anxious, though her expression remained cheerfully smiling as she looked at the man’s face that somewhat resembled Shui Yingqi’s.

“Come on, Uncle Shui, tell me – what’s really going on with Shui Yingqi’s corpse?”