The lantern hit the ground, and the candle inside toppled over. Along with half of the mask, it instantly burst into flames.

Sparks flew, but in an instant, everything burned away completely!

On Ji Yunshu’s delicate face, that ferocious scar had already faded considerably. Without the lantern’s illuminating light, it was now difficult to make out this flaw on her face.

Muruo truly had real skills!

Presumably in another ten days to half a month, it would heal completely.

At this moment, she looked at Ji Huan, who had just been in a rage, and saw him holding that Xuanchi sword—yet his hands were actually trembling.

He should have killed her, eliminated this criminal for the Ji family, but in the end he made such a pathetic decision that at this very moment, he truly hated himself, hated himself so much that both hands were shaking!

However, this outcome was within Ji Yunshu’s expectations. She knew Ji Huan was not Ji Li!

And to survive under that Xuanchi sword—Ji Yunshu was probably the first person to do so.

After a long while, Ji Huan sheathed his sword. The murderous intent that had originally seemed to burst from his eyes had now left only coldness behind.

He said to Ji Yunshu, “Just because I won’t kill you doesn’t mean Elder Brother will let you go.”

Ji Yunshu nodded slightly. “I know!”

“If possible, you’d better leave the capital. This is a place of troubles, not where you should be.”

Though the usually rough Ji Huan spoke in his coarse voice, the concern in his words still felt heartwarming.

She lowered her head slightly. “Thank you for the reminder, Second Brother, but some matters truly leave one with no choice.”

“Yunshu, listen to me—hurry and leave the capital. I know you came to help Prince Rong investigate the Linjing Case, but do you know that this case is not as simple as you think? It hasn’t been solved for fourteen years—don’t you find that problematic?”

Speaking of this, Ji Huan became somewhat anxious.

How could she not know there were problems in this?

If the case were simple, why would Qin Shiyu have gone to such great lengths to memorialize for a retrial?

Overnight, dozens of lives in Duke Yuguo’s household perished in the flames—how could only one person have escaped?

Duke Yuguo had even met with Old General Li before the disaster. How could this possibly be simple?

She had long suspected that behind this case lay an enormous secret, and this secret had to be hidden through silencing witnesses with murder.

Of course, this was only her speculation.

Steadying her gaze, she said, “Second Brother, it’s not that I haven’t considered these issues, but regardless, since I promised Prince Rong to come to the capital to help him investigate this case, I cannot give up halfway.”

“Anyway, I’ve warned you of everything I should warn you about. Do whatever you want!” Ji Huan waved his hand dismissively.

He seemed somewhat angry.

“Who’s there?” Suddenly, a loud voice came from the distance.

Several eunuchs hurried over from afar.

Ji Huan immediately said to her, “The palace eunuchs have loose mouths. You should leave quickly. I’ll hold them off here.”

Those seven or eight eunuchs carrying lanterns were about to arrive.

They had probably seen the fire from the lantern earlier.

Seeing that Ji Yunshu still hadn’t moved,

Ji Huan growled, “Why aren’t you leaving yet?”

Only then did she take her steps and leave the lotus pond.

When those young eunuchs arrived and saw it was Ji Huan, they immediately bowed. “General Ji.”

Ji Huan kept a stern face.

One or two of the eunuchs saw Ji Yunshu in the distance and wanted to pursue her, but were blocked by Ji Huan.

“This general just accidentally knocked over a lantern. What are you rushing for?”

The lead eunuch was quite glib. Bowing at the waist with a fawning expression, he glanced at the badly burned delicate lantern on the ground and exclaimed, “So it was just a lantern! We thought there was a fire in the palace.”

“Alright, everyone disperse!”

Ji Huan waved his hand.

But that eunuch glanced at the departing Ji Yunshu and asked, “Who was that person just now?”

“That’s my elder brother!”

“Lord Ji of the Bureau of Justice?”

That didn’t seem right!

So he stared carefully. Because it was very dark, he could only see the back, but surely he couldn’t be mistaken about the build?

So he muttered confusedly, “Has Lord Ji lost weight? His frame looks much shorter and smaller.”

“What are you looking at? Didn’t I already say he’s this general’s elder brother? Don’t tell me you need this general to drag him back over so you can get a good look?”

Hearing this fellow get angry, the eunuch immediately offered a big smile. “This slave didn’t mean that.”

“Alright, hurry and clean up the ground!”

He pointed at the burned lantern on the ground!

“Yes, yes, yes!” The eunuch complied.

Ji Huan, as if he had swallowed a bullet, glared at these eunuchs, then looked in the direction Ji Yunshu had left, and subsequently departed as well.

Not long after Ji Yunshu left this place, Shi Zijin, who had been hidden in the darkness all along, suddenly jumped out.

She stood beside her, walking along with her steps.

She spoke up to remind her, “His Highness ordered me to escort you back to the residence.”

Ji Yunshu didn’t look at her. After walking two steps, she stopped, turned to face her sideways, and asked, “Just now, why didn’t you appear?”

“He wouldn’t have killed you!” Shi Zijin was certain.

“When his blade came down, how did you know he wasn’t going to kill me?”

“I knew!” Brief and concise!

Ji Yunshu smiled and patted Shi Zijin’s head. “Zijin, today I’ll tell you a principle—there’s never anything one hundred percent certain in this world. Anyone can change their mind at the last moment.”

Uh!

Indeed, the moment Ji Huan swung his sword, Shi Zijin had known that his blade was aimed at Ji Yunshu’s mask, which was why she hadn’t acted.

However, Ji Yunshu was quite right—what if Ji Huan had changed his mind at the last moment!

Just thinking about it was somewhat terrifying.

Shi Zijin nodded.

“I understand now.”

Ji Yunshu rubbed her head again. Though this girl seemed cold, she was ultimately still a child.

The two left the palace together. The carriage was waiting outside. After watching Ji Yunshu safely board the carriage, Shi Zijin vanished into the darkness.

On the way back to the residence, she could only hear the sounds of the carriage wheels and the coachman driving the horses. This kind of silence made Ji Yunshu extremely uneasy.

And in her heart, she inexplicably thought of Su Ziluo, recalling that face, those eyes, alternately flashing through her mind, growing more and more intense.

Until the fingernails of her clenched fist dug deep into her flesh, that sharp pain instantly brought her back to clarity.

And by this time, they had already arrived at Prince Rong’s residence.

That night, she didn’t know when Jingrong returned from the palace, nor did she know whether any other remarkable events had occurred at the palace banquet. She simply covered herself with her blanket, tossing and turning for a long time before gradually falling asleep.

The Next Day

A shocking piece of news arrived at Prince Rong’s residence.

A minor official came to see Jingrong and reported the news to him in detail.

It was said!

Someone had died at the courier station!