Night fell, and the dining hall was filled with a lively atmosphere.

“Come, come! Today, while everyone is here, let’s drink and be merry. We won’t leave until we’re drunk!” Daoist Feng Xuan stood up with his wine cup, gesturing to everyone.

Everyone raised their cups to toast with Daoist Feng Xuan.

Only Mu Yunjin pitifully held a teacup, lightly clinking it against several delicate little wine cups.

The injuries on her lips were just minor wounds. After applying medicine in the afternoon, they had almost completely healed, but Chu Li stubbornly refused to let her drink.

How frustrating!

“Young lady, all of us gathered here today are here for you. We won’t force you to drink if you can’t, but why not perform something to liven things up?” Daoist Feng Xuan teased Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin was stunned, her face full of surprise. Perform something?

“Master, are you joking with me? Everyone knows I have no talent or skill. How could I possibly have any artistic abilities?” Mu Yunjin was speaking the truth. She could fight and curse people, but as for artistic talents…

If it were singing or dancing, she truly wasn’t skilled at those.

“Having no talent or skill might fool infants in swaddling clothes, but you can’t fool us.” Daoist Feng Xuan raised an eyebrow, deliberately teasing Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin pouted, casting a pleading look toward her husband.

“Yunjin is unwell today. Let’s save it for another day.” Chu Li reached out to stroke Mu Yunjin’s back, giving everyone an apologetic smile.

With Chu Li’s words, whether true or not, no one could continue pressing the matter.

Mu Yunjin gave Chu Li a delighted look. Having someone who could always help her out of difficult situations was truly wonderful.

“Oh, right, City Lord Qu, you’re not getting any younger. When are you going to consider your lifelong happiness?” Daoist Feng Xuan had drunk a bit too much and was chattering away, constantly pulling people into conversation.

Qu Xinyao was leisurely eating her food. Hearing this, she first paused, then glanced at Xu Heyu beside her before curving her lips into a faint smile. “I’ll let fate decide. When I meet someone I like, I can marry right away!”

“Hmm, that makes sense.” Daoist Feng Xuan nodded in agreement.

Turning his head, he looked at Xu Heyu. “What about you, City Lord Xu? Have you set your sights on any young lady?”

“I’ll also let fate decide,” Xu Heyu smiled warmly.

“You and City Lord Qu are well-matched. Both of you leave things to fate!” Daoist Feng Xuan laughed and took another sip of wine.

Mu Yunjin pursed her lips, imperceptibly sighing.

…

That night, the room in Liquan Pavilion was filled with an intense atmosphere of romance.

Mu Yunjin was confined in Chu Li’s embrace. Having just finished a round of pleasure, she was still breathing lightly from exhaustion, nestled in Chu Li’s arms, so lazy she didn’t want to move at all.

Perhaps because they were setting off for Ghost Valley Cave tomorrow, Mu Yunjin had no desire to sleep at the moment.

“Tomorrow, will we leave through the secret passage at night, just like last time?” Mu Yunjin asked.

“Mm.” Chu Li responded with a sound of agreement.

Mu Yunjin nodded, and mentioning the night reminded her to remind Chu Li, “Remember to bring my jade pendant. It’s pitch black, and you won’t be able to see. Be careful.”

“Mm.” Chu Li again responded with a soft sound, tightening his arms around her. “Don’t worry about this prince. Take care of yourself. We’ll meet at the foot of Pingfeng Cliff.”

Mu Yunjin laughed softly. “Don’t worry, I’m quite capable!”

“Rest early.” Chu Li’s cool fingers brushed the hair at her forehead, then he lowered his head to place a kiss there.

Mu Yunjin calmed her mind, closed her eyes, and fell into a peaceful sleep.

…

The next day, Mu Yunjin woke up early and began to prepare her outfit.

After selecting from the wardrobe for a while, Mu Yunjin chose a simple, lightweight black shirt to wear. The skirt hem only reached her knees, and on her feet, she changed into a pair of black boots that came right up to her knees.

After changing clothes, she tied her dark hair into a simple yet neat ponytail.

Then, Mu Yunjin returned to the wardrobe and took out a box from the very back. She gently opened it, revealing a box full of hidden weapons like silver needles and flying darts.

Mu Yunjin untied her belt, hid the silver needles and flying darts one by one inside it, and then retied it around her waist.

Next, she felt around the bottom of the box and pulled out three daggers. She hid one in each of her left and right boots, and one in her right sleeve.

After setting up the daggers and hidden weapons, Mu Yunjin also adjusted the phoenix-tail whip on her wrist. After confirming everything was in order, she put the box away and returned it to the wardrobe.

Finally, looking around at her dressing table, she remembered the black jade hairpin that Bei Tang Wenfeng had given her. After finding it, Mu Yunjin tucked it into her bosom.

Chu Li sat nearby, watching her bustling about with these preparations, a faint smile on his lips. With her cool demeanor, she seemed to have returned to when he first met her.

It was precisely this arrogant, fearless attitude that had attracted his attention.

Thinking about it, he was truly fortunate to have met her that day at Shangwen Tower.

“Chu Li, you should wear this too. You’ll look cool, and we’ll be in matching outfits!” Mu Yunjin searched in the wardrobe again for a while and found a black light shirt.

Chu Li rarely wore black clothing, always feeling a vague sense of resistance to it. Now, seeing Mu Yunjin smiling as she handed him the black clothes, he accepted them without any hesitation and put them on.

While Chu Li was changing, Mu Yunjin also prepared a few changes of clothes, making two bundles—one for herself and one for Chu Li.

“Miss, that Miss Yuan Xia from last time is at the back door of our mansion with a woman. Should we let them in?” Zixiang knocked on the door and spoke from outside.

Mu Yunjin paused, just about to agree when Chu Li spoke up first, “There’s no need to let her in. Tell her to wait at Mo Manor Village outside the city at the hour of Xu tonight!”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Zixiang ran off.

Mu Yunjin gave Chu Li a puzzled look.

“We are leaving through the secret passage tonight. Before confirming her background, we cannot let her know the route of our secret passage.” Chu Li explained.

Mu Yunjin pursed her lips and nodded. “I was careless.”

“With this prince here, you don’t need to think of everything.” Chu Li hooked the corner of his mouth in a smile.

When the two walked out of Liquan Pavilion, Huang Yan, Ding Xian, and others were waiting outside. Seeing Mu Yunjin walking in front, Huang Yan burst out laughing.

“Princess, why are you dressed like an assassin?”

Mu Yunjin lowered her eyes to look at her outfit, swung her ponytail, and said, “I’m going to sneak into Ghost Valley Cave anyway. I am going to be an assassin.”

Huang Yan was speechless.

“Where are the others?” Mu Yunjin asked.

“They’re all still sleeping. We arranged to leave in the evening, and they all drank too much last night, so they’re dead to the world.” After speaking, Huang Yan yawned.

Mu Yunjin pouted. It seemed only she was too ‘excited’; she had risen earlier than Chu Li today and had shaken him awake after getting up…

Thinking about this, Mu Yunjin walked back to the room and rummaged here and there, afraid she might have forgotten something.

After looking around several times, Mu Yunjin finally found a roll of silk thread in a drawer.

After making sure there was nothing else to bring, Mu Yunjin sighed deeply, sat down in the rocking chair, and rocked back and forth.

…

As night fell, everyone departing for Ghost Valley Cave gathered in the courtyard of Liquan Pavilion.

“After leaving the city, you head east, and we’ll head west. When entering Pingfeng Cliff territory, be especially careful of ambushes and traps around you. We’ll meet at the foot of Pingfeng Cliff at noon tomorrow. If one group is waiting for too long and can’t see the other group, don’t wait after the hour of Wei. One group should enter Ghost Valley Cave first to search for the Crocodile Pearl!”

Daoist Feng Xuan gave his final instructions.

Everyone nodded.

“Let’s depart now,” Daoist Feng Xuan said.

After that, Chu Li and Mu Yunjin led the way, taking everyone toward the hot spring pool in the room. Upon reaching the vicinity of the hot spring, Chu Li activated the mechanism, opening the underground passage.

Qu Xinyao and others bent down and entered the underground passage first.

Mu Yunjin waited until last. After everyone else had entered the underground passage, she looked at Chu Li. “Let’s go down too.”

Chu Li looked at the pitch-black tunnel, noticed that the others had already gone far ahead, and turned to Mu Yunjin. He pulled her into his arms and lowered his head to kiss her lips.

Mu Yunjin put her arms around Chu Li’s waist. After a moment, she gently punched him. “We should go down now.”

“Let’s go.” Chu Li released her and took out the jade pendant from his sleeve, handing it to Mu Yunjin.

Understanding, Mu Yunjin took the pendant, bent down, and entered the secret passage first. Then she used the pendant to illuminate the steps, making it easier for Chu Li to see clearly when he came down.

Chu Li followed her into the secret passage. After stepping down two steps, he bent down at a stone step and pressed the mechanism to close the entrance to the secret passage.

Instantly, in the secret passage, apart from the white light of the jade pendant, no other light could be seen.

“They’ve all gone far ahead.” Mu Yunjin, seeing no torch lights around, took Chu Li’s arm and quickened her steps.

With the light from the jade pendant, Chu Li could also see the path beneath his feet. Following Mu Yunjin’s light footsteps, they walked forward.

After walking for a while, Mu Yunjin and Chu Li finally saw torch lights not far ahead.

“By the way, your Que Meng eye condition—apart from Ding Xian and a few others close to you, no one else knows about it, right?” Mu Yunjin asked.

Chu Li nodded.

“Then we must be careful along the way. We can’t let this be exposed, since it’s crucial for you.” Mu Yunjin spoke solemnly.

“Just remember to protect yourself.” Chu Li’s eyes moved, and he embraced her, his voice gentle.

Mu Yunjin made a sound of agreement. Now she was carrying equipment all over her body, making her much heavier than usual. “Don’t worry about me.”

Not far away, Daoist Feng Xuan, who was holding a torch in front, stopped and called back, “Brat girl, little Chu Li, stop being lovey-dovey there and come quickly!”

“Alright!” Mu Yunjin responded.

After rejoining the main group with Chu Li, Daoist Feng Xuan kept clicking his tongue and shaking his head. “Tsk, tsk, tsk, it’s a good thing we separated you two. Otherwise, with you two being all lovey-dovey the whole way, this old Daoist couldn’t bear it!”

“Sour grapes when you can’t have the grape.” Mu Yunjin raised her eyebrows, deliberately teasing Daoist Feng Xuan.

“Get out of here!”