Qin Yao was seized with shock. She threw herself backward with every ounce of strength she had, barely managing to dodge the clawing strike.

There was nothing behind her to break her fall. She plunged headfirst off the towering, sky-high tree, the howling wind rushing past her ears alongside the sound of branches snapping one after another. Her heart leapt almost into her throat. With her inner energy unable to coalesce and her qinggong beyond her reach, she could only close her eyes and flail wildly on sheer survival instinct — until, at the very last moment, she just barely managed to catch hold of a branch.

The branch was as thin as an infant’s arm, and could not bear the force of Qin Yao’s downward plunge; with a drawn-out creak and groan, it snapped all the same.

Fortunately, that branch provided just enough of a buffer for Qin Yao to gather her inner energy again. She hit the ground and lurched sideways sharply — but at that very moment someone swiftly reached out an arm and steadied her.

Qin Yao looked up with her heart still hammering, and saw Lin Xiao — his face drained of color, both hands gripping her shoulders, his voice urgent and tight: “Are you all right?”

He was very close. The fresh, clean scent of youth washed over her. His refined features were right there before her, every inch of his skin like the finest jade — pale and smooth — his forehead beaded with fine, dense drops of sweat, his eyes as dark and gleaming as gems. She could even see her own reflection in them with perfect clarity.

His palms were still on her shoulders, the warmth of them seeping through her clothes. Her face flushed hot. She stepped quickly back, almost rudely pulling herself free of Lin Xiao’s hands, and stammered: “I — I’m fine.”

Lin Xiao looked as though he had been slapped. Both hands hovered awkwardly in mid-air for a long moment before he hastily drew them back and looked at Qin Yao with a trace of uncertainty.

The girl’s face was redder than his own — no, not just her face; even the white lobes of her ears and her neck had taken on a faint blush of pink. Her expression could only be described as flustered and self-conscious — nothing at all like her usual forthright and natural ease.

It seemed — the bashfulness far outweighed any sense of aversion.

He was taken aback, and felt an inexplicable delight at this unexpected discovery. “As long as you’re fine — as long as you’re fine,” he said, still a little awkward. Clearing his throat, he looked up at the Duke of Lu in the tree. “That was too dangerous just now. Wait here and don’t move — I’ll go up and draw him down.”

Without waiting for Qin Yao to say a word, he drew the Chixiao Sword from his waist, gave a light leap, and sprang up into the tree.

His qinggong was superb, his movements beautiful; within only a few breaths he had reached the top of the tree.

By now Qin Yao had already fully composed herself. Watching Lin Xiao head straight toward the Duke of Lu, she tried to call out to stop him but was too late. She quickly gathered her inner energy, murmured an incantation under her breath, and the Soul-Devouring Bell at her chest surged with a blaze of radiance in response to the spell. She cried out: “Go—!”

Three Fire Dragons erupted from the bell in an instant. In no time at all they caught up with Lin Xiao, coiling around his body in spiraling ascent and wrapping him in thorough and impenetrable protection.

The Duke of Lu had been watching Lin Xiao with keen, hook-like eyes. As Lin Xiao’s sword blade closed in on him, its light blazing brilliantly, the Duke was caught completely off guard; a flash of fear crossed his eyes, and before the blade could draw any nearer, he gave a powerful leap and barely evaded the edge.

Lin Xiao had never had any intention of harming the Duke. He had only been testing him with the sword, while also drawing him down from the tree. Seeing that the Duke was truly intimidated by this sword, he felt slightly more settled, and was just working out how to maneuver him down — when the Duke suddenly ghosted around the trunk of the tree with preternatural speed and came up behind him, striking out with the swiftness of lightning, claw-like fingers lunging directly for Lin Xiao’s shoulder.

At that very instant, the Fire Dragons Qin Yao had dispatched arrived just in time, shielding Lin Xiao’s body.

The Duke’s fingers made unexpected contact with a Fire Dragon; the flesh sizzled with a sound of scorching, and he let out a scream of agony. He lost his footing and fell from the tree like a dead leaf.

A red mass of light was torn from his body with lightning speed, shot over the courtyard wall, and fled in the direction beyond the garden.

Qin Yao saw it clearly. She immediately called out to Jiang Sanlang and the others in a sharp, urgent voice: “The malevolent entity has escaped — quickly, catch the Duke!”

She herself gave a sharp cry, recalled the Fire Dragons, and went tearing off in pursuit of the red light.

The Duke of Lu was caught by Jiang Sanlang and the others working together, and was mercifully spared from a grave injury from the fall. But no matter how Jiang Sanlang and the others called out to him, his eyes remained firmly closed and he did not stir — he had clearly sunk back into unconsciousness.

Lin Xiao, unable to stop worrying about Qin Yao, saw that the Duke was in Jiang Sanlang’s and the others’ capable hands and went racing after Qin Yao as well.

The red light moved at considerable speed, and in the blink of an eye it had flown into a walled enclosure and vanished into the darkness beyond.

By the time a winded Qin Yao finally pursued it to that location, she found herself before a small courtyard. Its vermilion gate was firmly closed; from within the walls stretched thousands of stalks of green bamboo, lending the place a secluded, quiet, and refined air.

From behind her, Lin Xiao asked in puzzlement: “Are you certain? You saw clearly that the malevolent entity fled here?”

Qin Yao nodded. “Perfectly clearly.” She turned to look at Lin Xiao and saw a troubled expression on his face. “Whose courtyard is this?”

Lin Xiao frowned. He lifted his chin toward a servant who was craning his neck and peering curiously in their direction. “Go fetch Third Young Master at once.”

Qin Yao suddenly understood — could it be the Third Young Master’s private courtyard?

It was not long before not only Jiang Sanlang but the eldest and second young masters arrived as well; the Duchess of Lu and the other women were nowhere to be seen, and had presumably all gone to attend to the Duke.

Jiang Sanlang covered the distance to Qin Yao in three quick strides, and demanded: “Are you absolutely certain? This is my courtyard, you know.” His tone was one of utter disbelief.

“The poor Daoist did not see wrong. Third Young Master, time is of the essence — please have the servants inside open the gate, lest the malevolent entity harm innocent people.”

Jiang Sanlang’s expression shifted. He gave Qin Yao a long, searching look, then turned and knocked on the gate: “What are you all doing in there — open up at once!”

With a creak, a young maidservant peeked her head out from inside: “Third Young Master!”

“You haven’t even gone to bed yet — why was the bolt already drawn?” Jiang Sanlang shot her a sharp look, stepped through the gate, and glanced around in both directions before turning back to Qin Yao and making an inviting gesture: “Please—”

The courtyard inside was considerably larger than Qin Yao had imagined. In the center stood a row of chamber rooms — three in total, each one north-facing and south-facing. Though sheltered by the bamboo, they would surely catch plenty of sunlight by day, making them well-suited for the master’s residence.

Along the eastern and western sides ran a line of seven or eight side rooms each; by comparison, their position was considerably less favorable.

The door curtain stirred, and from the main chamber emerged a young woman followed by a retinue of maidservants and matrons. The woman had a graceful figure and could be called strikingly beautiful. She hurried out into the courtyard, bowed to Jiang Sanlang and the others, and said: “Please forgive this concubine for the discourtesy.” There was a trace of anxious agitation in her expression.

Jiang Sanlang’s face softened. He helped her to her feet and said quietly: “It’s none of your doing. Go back inside and rest — whatever you hear going on later, don’t come out.”

He then instructed the maidservants: “Bring Wenzhu and all the other women out here.” Several maidservants acknowledged the order and dispersed toward the east and west side rooms.

Jiang Sanlang then moved to escort the young woman back to her room.

“One moment.” Qin Yao stepped forward with a smile to block Jiang Sanlang’s path. “Third Young Master, you saw how formidable that malevolent entity was tonight — it could even take control of the Duke himself, and its methods know no limits. To be safe, it would be best if this young lady remained out here as well.”

“You—” Jiang Sanlang’s long eyebrows shot up, and he was about to give vent to his anger.

“Third Brother, what the Venerable Daoist Yuanzhen says is not without reason.” The older of the two brothers cut Jiang Sanlang off, his tone carrying a quiet note of admonishment. “Don’t make trouble.”

He bore a distinct resemblance to Jiang Sanlang but was somewhat darker in complexion and considerably more composed in manner — surely the eldest son of the Duke of Lu’s household, and the current heir of the residence: Jiang Huimin.

“Yes, Third Brother, the malevolent entity made such a scene here in our residence tonight — if we’re careless and let it escape, there’s no telling what further disaster it might stir up. Better to be thorough.” This time it was the second son, Jiang Huihong, who spoke.

With both elder brothers having weighed in, Jiang Sanlang, however unwilling he was at heart, had no choice but to abandon the idea of sending A’Miao back to her room.

He kept A’Miao shielded behind him and fixed his chin high, looking at Qin Yao: “What method do you plan to use to find the malevolent entity?”