On both sides of the flower garden grew tall magnolia trees—all purple magnolias with luxuriant blossoms. Under the mysterious moonlight, dew condensed into purple droplets on their elegant flower receptacles. Between the trees strolled a figure, robes fluttering, tall as a jade tree, elegant as magnolia blossoms, clear as moonlight.

Several enormous purple magnolia flowers fell in the wind, tumbling into his garments. He casually extended his hand to catch them. His posture of holding flowers while raising his eyes to glance over in the moonlight made one instantly hold their breath.

In the moonlight, among the luxuriant flowers, Ning Yi strolled forward.

That young eunuch had already retreated to the shadows in a corner ten paces away, standing respectfully, head bowed and body bent, eyes directed toward his own shoe tips.

Ning Yi glanced at him casually, his gaze sweeping over the waist token at the man’s waist. “Is that Little Cheng? So late—where are you going?”

“In response to Your Highness,” that eunuch seemed quite familiar with Ning Yi and said with a low laugh, “This slave’s master couldn’t sleep again tonight and sent this slave to the Imperial Medical Bureau to fetch some compound incense calming pills. You know, Jingshen Hall has a side gate leading to the Imperial Medical Bureau—quite secluded, with few people checking along the way. This slave was being lazy and took this route.”

Ning Yi seemed preoccupied. He listened casually and nodded. “Don’t wander around after nightfall. Next time, send word out and I’ll have someone deliver it to you to save trouble—but you’ll have to wait until my turn on guard duty.”

“Isn’t it precisely because Your Highness is on guard duty tonight that my master let this slave come out…” the eunuch said with a low laugh.

“Then go ahead.” Ning Yi looked back toward the Imperial Medical Bureau and waved his hand.

The eunuch bowed again and continued forward. Feng Zhiwei frowned—judging from this young eunuch’s direction, it looked like he would still pass by Gu Nanyi’s location. Now that he had obtained Ning Yi’s open permission, no one would stop him.

Worried about being discovered by Ning Yi, she hid far away in the shadows behind the corridor. She hadn’t heard the two men’s conversation clearly, only sensing that the two seemed familiar. In the moonlight, the direction Ning Yi looked back toward was both the Imperial Medical Bureau’s direction and also where Gu Nanyi was located.

For a prince to know a eunuch wasn’t strange. For a prince to know a martial arts-proficient eunuch and allow this martial eunuch to walk about the palace at night was somewhat strange. For a prince, late at night without bringing a single attendant, to encounter a martial arts-proficient eunuch at Jingshen Hall and allow him to pass—that was extremely strange.

When things are abnormal, there must be demons at work. With Feng Zhiwei’s understanding of Ning Yi, even if things weren’t abnormal, eight or nine out of ten things happening around him had demons—just that ordinary people couldn’t discern them.

She couldn’t help growing anxious. She wanted to follow but didn’t want to be seen by Ning Yi. Then thinking—what was Ning Yi doing coming here in the middle of the night? Could he be looking for her? That would be terrible—

But she saw that in the moonlight among the flowering trees, Ning Yi raised his head and looked over from afar—precisely toward her lodging’s direction.

Feng Zhiwei’s heart tightened. Just as she was thinking how to return inconspicuously, Ning Yi, gazing toward her palace chamber’s direction, suddenly formed a fist at his mouth and coughed lightly. The coughing grew more intense until he couldn’t stop, slowly retreating a step to lean against a tree.

Feng Zhiwei watched him with furrowed brows. His face was sunken in the tree’s shadow—she couldn’t see clearly whether his expression showed pain, but he kept his head lowered, coughing continuously. The hollow, muffled coughing sounds carried over faintly. Feng Zhiwei’s brow furrowed. Hearing this cough, it actually sounded like internal injury.

When had he been injured? During the Three Judicial Offices’ joint trial, she’d noticed he seemed somewhat off, but he usually appeared lazy anyway. When he should be sharp, he was still sharp. He hadn’t missed any opportunities he should seize, so she hadn’t paid attention. Looking now, the injury was actually quite serious.

She crouched there, hesitating. Should she take advantage of his coughing and inattention to return first? When he came over, she could give him some of Zong Chen’s medicine—she had quite a few good medicines there.

Just as she was about to move, Ning Yi suddenly straightened. Feng Zhiwei thought he was going to her location, but who knew—he looked over there again while coughing, then turned and walked away.

In the moonlight among the flowering trees, though his coughing continued, his back remained straight. He didn’t look back.

Behind the corridor, the flowering trees moved. Feng Zhiwei stood up from among the flowers in a daze, watching Ning Yi’s departing back, her gaze complex.

Then she withdrew her gaze and without hesitation crossed the corridor. Since Ning Yi wasn’t coming, naturally she should continue her own plan.

After thinking, she took a handkerchief from her bosom and covered her face. All the way through corridors and courtyards, she also encountered several groups of guards, but flashed past them all with ease.

The courtyard where Gu Nanyi stayed was completely quiet, without even attending servants. Only a young eunuch dozed by the moon gate. As Feng Zhiwei passed by him, his snores were loud.

Feng Zhiwei knew that with Gu Nanyi’s peculiar temperament, he naturally wouldn’t want anyone attending him closely. Reassured and bold, she headed straight for the main bedroom.

Before even approaching that room, she felt a wave of cold air pressing toward her. Feng Zhiwei’s heart grew alert. She quickened her pace, silently flashing over and raising her hand to push the door.

“Whoosh.”

The door opened a crack. Brilliant light dazzled. Several sharp implements flashing with colored light thrust straight at both her eyes!

The attack came extremely fast, bringing fierce hissing wind!

In an instant, the light was chaotic like ten small daggers. Looking carefully, it was actually one person’s long fingernails on both hands—all ten fingers!

This person hid behind the door. The moment the door opened a crack, when the person pushing had their attention focused forward, they suddenly struck—fast and ruthless. Feng Zhiwei didn’t even have time to blink before that colored light had already reached her eyes.

Feng Zhiwei suddenly leaned back in a large backward bend. Her long hair cascaded down like a waterfall onto the ground. While leaning back, her leg had already kicked up, viciously striking that person’s wrist.

A muffled thud. That person’s wrist was kicked aside, but they smoothly spun in a circle. Their robe corners scattered like flowing clouds. With a reverse turn, the ten dagger-like jeweled fingernails struck again in reverse—this time aiming at Feng Zhiwei’s groin.

In that split second, Feng Zhiwei felt both annoyed and ashamed—this person’s strikes were truly too vicious. They clearly thought she was a man.

She didn’t get up but borrowed the upward kicking momentum for a three-hundred-sixty-degree spin, wheeling herself around. In one turn, she’d already avoided that groin-destroying strike. The moment she steadied herself, she raised her knee and thrust viciously toward that person’s chin, which was facing her knee due to bending down to strike at the groin.

In the instant they exchanged hands, they’d already fought three moves. Each had their own cunning and viciousness—one more underhanded than the other.

That person laughed lowly and praised, “Good adaptability!” Twisting head, torso, and steps, all ten fingers flew and flicked, whistling like wind, clawing toward her chest.

Feng Zhiwei was furious. This groin-destroying claw—it truly never ended!

Raising one hand to deflect the groin-destroying claw, her other hand formed a claw and also grabbed toward the opponent’s chest!

That person froze, not expecting this person before them could also use such rogue fighting methods. Seeing Feng Zhiwei’s fierce wolf-like claw coming with whooshing wind, they immediately released their hand, slid and turned, lunging toward Gu Nanyi who had been sitting with closed eyes in meditation on the bed the whole time. Raising their hand to strike his crown.

Feng Zhiwei was greatly alarmed and desperately pursued. But that person’s move was a feint. Laughing heartily, their hand flashed above Gu Nanyi’s head while reaching to feel at his waist, pulling out a golden pouch. Grabbing it, they rushed toward the rear window, kicked it open with one foot, and jumped out.

Feng Zhiwei originally didn’t want to pursue—she only cared about Gu Nanyi’s safety. However, that person seemed to have also stolen some item from Gu Nanyi’s person. Gu Nanyi didn’t carry many personal items, but since he wore it on his person, it must be extremely important and absolutely couldn’t fall into someone’s hands. She glanced at Gu Nanyi amid the chaos and saw him sitting upright as before, his whole body emanating misty cold white vapor—clearly practicing energy circulation to expel cold poison. He absolutely couldn’t be disturbed under any circumstances. She gritted her teeth and pursued through the rear window.

Beyond the rear window was a lotus pond connected by a nine-curved corridor. That person crossed the water by stepping on duckweed. Though dressed as a eunuch, their bearing was extremely graceful, with a special lightness and rhythm. In the moonlight, with robes fluttering as they flew, they were like a dancer performing an enchanting aerial dance above the lotus pond.

Seeing this posture, Feng Zhiwei’s heart stirred. Vaguely, she felt this special physical form and bearing seemed familiar somehow.

But now wasn’t the time to think. That person swept across the lotus pond, leaped onto the corridor, and lunged toward another elegant chamber connected to the corridor used for rest and tea preparation. This person seemed extremely familiar with everything in the palace—every step and footfall without hesitation.

But Feng Zhiwei was no slower either. She rarely used martial skills, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t proficient. Someone like her would never relax in honing herself at any time. At this moment, hot currents surged within her body. Chasing light and shadows, she raised her foot to cross the lotus pond, traverse the corridor, and pursue to that person’s back. Reaching out to grab their shoulder, she shouted, “Give it back!”

“Bang.” Without looking back, that person kicked open the quiet chamber door and crashed inside. Their shoulder struck the wooden door, which rebounded toward Feng Zhiwei’s face. Feng Zhiwei pressed one hand against the door pivot while her other hand flashed like lightning toward that person’s lower back. That person suddenly turned back and smiled at her.

With that smile, a hundred charms bloomed.

With that smile, an enchanting lotus blossomed on blue waves. With that smile, dancing sleeves swayed gracefully in ripples. With that smile, beneath light gauze, crabapple blossoms slept in spring. With that smile, in the warm breeze, delicate flowers bore dew.

The cool spring night wind seemed to suddenly slow and dance gracefully because of this devastating smile.

Even though Feng Zhiwei was a woman, she was dazzled and frozen for an instant by this seductively charming, enchanting-to-the-bone smile. In that frozen instant, that person raised their hand and threw the item they held—precisely the thing wrapped in a golden pouch taken from Gu Nanyi’s waist.

Feng Zhiwei immediately moved to catch it. That person, taking advantage of her attempt to catch it, smiled again and turned to leave.

The golden pouch flew over.

Feng Zhiwei extended her hand to catch it.

But another hand suddenly extended from behind her, lightly beckoning. The pouch fell into that person’s palm.

At the same time, Feng Zhiwei’s back stiffened. She couldn’t move.

Frozen there, Feng Zhiwei cursed herself for being so off her game tonight, too anxious. How had she failed to guard against the mantis stalking the cicada while the oriole lurks behind? Single-mindedly wanting to retrieve Gu Nanyi’s item, she actually hadn’t noticed that someone had been silently pursuing behind her the whole time. Taking advantage of an opening, they’d seized the item and also restrained her.

In an instant, her heart burned with anxiety. This was the imperial palace. If something happened, her own death didn’t matter—but it would implicate Nanyi!

Moonlight shone over faintly. In the moonlight, that hand was clean white and slender. The shadow stretched on the ground was also tall and slender. Wide robes concealed the build. The face seemed to have a veil fluttering.

That person, having seized the pouch, raised their hand and struck her mute point, paralysis point, and sleep point, then stuffed her under a short couch in the quiet chamber.

Feng Zhiwei’s face was down, touching full of mud and dust. Unable to raise her eyes to see the surrounding situation, she took deep breaths—regardless of inhaling a ground full of dust, she first calmed herself.

The opponent’s strikes had been extremely fast. To make her lose consciousness, they’d used a three-pronged approach. Unfortunately, when striking the final sleep point, their true energy seemed slightly insufficient. The true energy hadn’t penetrated the point. She’d also reacted extremely quickly and shifted her body slightly, so she hadn’t fallen asleep.

Then she heard a wind sound and footsteps. Someone seemed to enter through the rear window. That person landed and made a sound of surprise—judging by the voice, it was precisely that young eunuch whose laugh earlier was enchantingly alluring.

Hearing that voice again now, she detected some deliberate deepening. The tone was still female without voice alteration. Indeed a woman.

That person had left and returned. Seeing no Feng Zhiwei in the room but an additional masked person, they couldn’t help freezing, instinctively about to retreat. But that person suddenly said, “Did you lose something?”

This voice was somewhat hoarse, altered by true energy. Feng Zhiwei vaguely heard the sound of something shaking. Recalling the golden pouch of Gu Nanyi’s that she’d finally retrieved—it was in the opponent’s hand, seemingly being shaken lightly.

Apparently that fake eunuch had returned for this very item.

That fake eunuch stopped, was silent for a moment, seemed to laugh lightly, then said, “Oh my, yes, I lost something. Thank you for waiting to return it to me.”

The two conversed flatly yet strangely in this nighttime secluded palace chamber, like a genuine daytime street encounter between owner and finder. Then Feng Zhiwei heard that fake eunuch’s relatively light, distinctive footsteps advance two steps, seemingly about to receive that golden pouch.

“Bang.”

“Hiss.”

Two low but muffled strange sounds. Footsteps missed a beat. In the moonlight, two figures’ light and shadow became chaotic. Then she heard that fake eunuch’s low laughter. “Good… good… you’re formidable. Treating someone with their own methods.”

That masked person said leisurely, “Something that’s passed through your hands—naturally formidable.”

The fake eunuch was silent for a moment. The moonlight was slightly bright, casting their shadow on the opposite wall. They seemed to smooth their temple hair, then laughed charmingly. “Who are you? How do you understand me so well? How did you know I’d already poisoned this pouch? How is it you weren’t poisoned?”

That person laughed faintly again. “Since I knew you poisoned it, how would I be poisoned?”

Feng Zhiwei’s heart shook—when that fake eunuch threw the pouch back just now, they’d already poisoned it? She hadn’t noticed at all. At that time, pursuing so urgently, with that fake eunuch still having to deal with her relentless pressure—raising their hand, they’d managed to apply poison. The technique was truly skillful.

In other words, when the masked person seized the pouch from her hands, they’d actually saved her life?

While her thoughts surged like tides, the conversation over there continued. Vaguely, the short couch above her head shifted—someone seemed to have sat down. Then she heard the masked person’s laughter ring out from above, shaking the short couch slightly.

Feng Zhiwei felt annoyed—hey, you’re sitting on my head!

“You went to such efforts to get close to that person—wasn’t it precisely to see what was inside his pouch?” The masked person sitting on the couch pointed at the golden pouch now in the opponent’s hands. “Why not open it and look?”

That fake eunuch gave a cold laugh and indeed opened the pouch, then made a low sound of surprise.

The moonlight reflected the shadow of the object in their hand—vaguely a ruyi-shaped item.

Feng Zhiwei froze. Inside Gu Nanyi’s golden pouch was a jade ruyi? That wasn’t right. If she remembered correctly, it should be Gu Nanyi’s weapon used only once—that short jade sword carved with a blood-red pagoda.

Very clearly, the instant the masked person seized the pouch, they’d switched it.

But who was this fake eunuch? Why so interested in this item on Gu Nanyi’s person? Willing to risk infiltrating close to him to steal it? And who was this masked person who seemed to understand the ins and outs very clearly and also seemed unwilling to let this fake eunuch know those ins and outs?

Feng Zhiwei stared wide-eyed in the darkness. Vaguely, she felt that tonight’s series of encounters seemed to touch upon certain secrets lurking in the shadows—secrets that appeared unrelated to her but were actually connected by a thousand threads.

That fake eunuch held the jade ruyi in hand, seemingly somewhat stunned. After a long while, they said lowly, “Could it be… I guessed wrong…”

The masked person remained silently quiet, saying nothing.

“Indeed it seems plausible yet not…” The fake eunuch murmured another sentence, then raised their hand and tossed the jade ruyi back. “I don’t want this thing. You keep it yourself.” So saying, they turned to leave.

The masked person sat unmoved, not stopping them either.

That fake eunuch walked to the doorway and suddenly turned back, arms crossed, looking the masked person up and down. The masked person remained silent, allowing the inspection.

After a long while, the fake eunuch laughed. “Actually, you need not go to such lengths… I say, why must you…”

Her final sentence’s tone suddenly turned soft and charming—light, ethereal, gracefully seductive, like someone using velvety soft flower petals to tickle one’s palm. Rustling, itching, enticing.

The masked person comfortably leaned back and laughed. “Oh? I don’t understand your meaning.”

The fake eunuch was silent for a while, then suddenly gave another light laugh.

“Adversary…” She laughed, slowly walking back. Now her gait was no longer swift and sharp as before but elegant and sinuous, swaying gracefully with every step. The moonlight illuminated that shadow—her waist didn’t seem to twist much, her posture didn’t seem deliberately posed. The clothing was still a eunuch’s plain blue silk robe. Yet somehow, that subtle trembling amplitude as she walked strangely produced infinite allure.

A true enchantress needs no heavy makeup or beautiful clothing, no exposure or seduction, no coquettish posturing. One glance, one smile dimple, one gesture of raising a hand—already a segment of irresistible romantic fragrance.

This was only a shadow distorted by moonlight. One could imagine—when such an enchantress walked forward face to face, what a test it would be for a man.

The masked person on the short couch remained silent, seemingly stunned by such beauty and charm.

“Adversary…” She laughed again, repeating the sentence. This time with slightly curled tongue, half-contained on the tongue tip then lightly expelled, carrying a charming yet playful trailing note. It made one think of summer night moonlight, dew-dripping half-curled lotus leaves swaying in wind, secretly sending forth fragrance.

Smiling, she slowly pressed both hands on the masked person’s shoulders. The masked person didn’t move. She smiled and leaned over, her elbows supporting boneless on his shoulders. Coquettishly tilting her head halfway, she blew on his earlobe intermittently.

The masked person laughed lowly, lightly raising his hand. Fingertips pinched her scallion-like fingers. His little finger flicked repeatedly. Enamel jeweled finger guards flashed colored light in the darkness and fell. Then with a cherishing gesture, he grasped her fingertips.

The moonlight illuminated that pair’s shadows—she leaned affectionately on his shoulder, breath like orchids. He half-turned his head, tenderly and lightly holding her fingers. Ten fingers interlocked, gazing at each other and smiling. It looked like tender feelings flowing.

Feng Zhiwei stared at that pair of nearly overlapping shadows on the wall, pondering—if this pair of dogs started coupling right above her head, should she immediately break through the pressure points and overturn this bed, or endure and lie under the bed listening to live erotica?

Seeing that woman lean closer and closer, almost pressing her entire body down, the shadow on the wall showed only her undulating body lines—wonderfully exquisite.

Feng Zhiwei sighed inwardly. Looked like that fellow would sooner or later be overwhelmed by this beauty. How many men could sit unmoved? The unmoved ones were all impotent. She’d better not hold too high expectations for this person’s willpower.

Feng Zhiwei began closing her eyes to gather true energy to break through the pressure points.

Suddenly she heard that woman moan delicately and say softly, “How did you come to be here today…”

The man smiled without answering.

“You bad person…” The woman sighed, suddenly leaned her head over and viciously bit his earlobe. “You’re not here to oppose me, are you?”

The man gave a light “Ouch”—sounding more like laughter than pain. He pushed her outward slightly.

“I don’t care what you think.” Though the woman’s body was pushed away by him, her hand still firmly rested on his shoulder. “For you, I’ve disregarded everything, even stopped being myself… you must absolutely not go back on what you promised me.”

The man laughed lightly, still not speaking—an attitude of “I’m just like this, you deal with it.”

The woman looked down at him. The moonlight illuminated her bright black eyes glowing with soft charm. Yet within those eyes was no tender affection like water but rather a stern light concealed behind that pink warmth. Occasionally a flash of sharpness revealed her true nature.

She looked at the man with near hatred, suddenly extending her hand to push him down on the couch. Leaning close, one knee kneeling on his leg, propping herself to look down at him, she laughed coldly. “If you’re two-faced, burning bridges after crossing, using me then ruining my affairs…”

Smiling, her knee slowly moved, wandering toward a certain critical location. Making a gesture to press, she said with a smile devoid of mirth, “Crack!”

The man laughed lowly. His laughter vibrated until the short couch shook slightly, rustling dust falling all over Feng Zhiwei’s head.

He laughed. “Just this?” Laughing carelessly, he suddenly flipped over. The woman cried out lowly. Light and shadow on the wall became chaotic. The short couch shook violently. Then came a bang. Feng Zhiwei was covered with another head of dust.

Still pinned, but positions had changed.

Feng Zhiwei frowned, waiting to hear panting or moaning. But the couch was deathly silent. Then that man laughed. “When I do things, don’t you trust me?”

After a long while, that woman laughed shortly and said in a soft voice, “Trust… if I don’t trust you, who can I trust? Good man… you want to… want… mm…”

That half-refusing, half-welcoming tone was most enchantingly seductive. Even Feng Zhiwei’s face flushed hearing it. But that man’s light laughter on the couch was both tender and cold. He said lowly, “You, this thorned rose—I fear I lack the fortune to enjoy…”

The woman fell silent, then laughed coldly. “Yes, you lack fortune. Someone else has fortune. Someone with a body full of old spots and rotten flesh—yet has this fortune to enjoy!”

The man fell silent. The bed couch moved slightly—he seemed to flip over and yield space.

The woman sat up, laughing coldly repeatedly. “Do you know what’s most terrible for a woman? Not having no man, but having a man who’s the type you most detest—breath decayed, entire body aged. When clothes come off, a whole coffin board smell. Yet you must still embrace him and tell him you like it so much!”

The room was shrouded half in darkness, half in bright light. Even the silence seemed half-bright, half-dark, unfathomable. Only that venomous tone—hearing it chilled even one’s heart.

After a long while, the man said faintly, “You’ve suffered…”

But the woman laughed delicately again.

“Just joking with you…” She intimately extended her hand to caress the man’s cheek. “Since I chose this path, I have no regrets. Don’t speak of this. We rarely meet—let’s chat about something else… you seem to always help that person. A few days ago, anxiously sending messages into the palace, making me go to such efforts arranging for the old man to come out… what relationship do you have with him?”

“What relationship?” The man smiled. “You know that person’s reputation too… if I’m cultivating him, why would that be?”

“In any case, it’s for your purposes. Rest assured, I’ll assist you.” The woman laughed lightly. “As for my matter, you must absolutely keep it in your heart. With my current status, nothing is easy. So that person—you must absolutely remember for me. You must help me find him. Don’t accidentally forget.”

“I might forget anyone’s affairs, but wouldn’t dare forget yours.” The man laughed. “I fear you’ll—crack.”

“A severed head can also go crack.” That woman also laughed, her body trembling with laughter. The shadow on the wall was like wind-swayed enchanting lotus.

The man was also laughing, his tall body propped on the couch. In the moonlight, his hanging robe corner was elegant, like a half-tilted jade tree.

Moonlit night, quiet chamber, deep palace. A man and woman smiling warmly at each other.

Contending, testing, probing—smiles bright yet containing hidden killing intent in their dialogue.

Beneath the couch in darkness, Feng Zhiwei’s eyes blazed.

“It’s getting late. You should return.” After a long while, the man said gently, then seemed to pass over something. “Your medicine.”

The woman made an “mm” sound and obediently took and consumed it.

She half-reclined on the couch. One hand kept hanging below the couch, hanging before Feng Zhiwei’s eyes.

Suddenly powder drifted over, blinding Feng Zhiwei’s eyes.

Feng Zhiwei blinked hard to clear the powder. Just wondering—the two hadn’t moved, where did the dust come from?—she raised her eyes and saw faint yellow powder silently rustling down from that hand hanging below the couch, scattering in the wind.

In that instant, Feng Zhiwei understood—she hadn’t eaten the medicine the man gave at all but had also switched it, consuming fake medicine she’d prepared herself. The medicine the man gave—at this moment was being quietly crushed in her hand.

She didn’t know there was someone under the couch, letting Feng Zhiwei see everything clearly.

Feng Zhiwei gasped inwardly, the sound resonating in her belly.

This pair—outwardly deeply affectionate, inwardly concealing killing intent and mutual deception!

What medicine was this?

What transaction were these two conducting?

Exactly who was deceiving whom, who concealing from whom? Or were both deceiving and concealing from each other?

A belly full of questions turned over. Above her head, that woman had already tidied herself, rose and laughed. “I’m leaving. Remember—don’t make me wait too long.”

The man made an mm sound. The woman walked several graceful, elegant steps on the ground, then flew up. The shadow on the wall flashed—only one remained.

The wide-open window let in midnight’s cold wind.

The man seemed lost in thought on the couch, coughed lowly once, then lowered his head intending to pull Feng Zhiwei out from under the couch.

“Bang!”

The short couch suddenly overturned, crashing to the ground with wood splinters flying. The man fell unprepared. At the same time, Feng Zhiwei’s figure flashed up from the billowing dust, pouncing on him. Knee pressing, waist locking, elbow striking, throat choking—all in one smooth sequence, pinning him firmly to the ground. Raising her hand, she reached to tear off his face veil—