Mu Yunjin naturally hoped the Black-Robed figure couldn’t have survived the hot pool, yet if he had truly perished there, she found it somewhat hard to believe.
These people weren’t so easily defeated.
“Alright, alright, don’t worry too much about it. With those moves you displayed today, even if the Black-Robed figure comes back, he won’t be able to harm you,” Yun Lianqing changed the subject, his eyes full of teasing as he looked at Mu Yunjin.
Mu Yunjin pouted, feeling somewhat frustrated. At the moment, she didn’t want to hear any more news about these people.
Master An looked at her and smiled lightly. “Shall we talk?”
Hearing his voice, Mu Yunjin glanced at Master An and nodded slightly.
The two then walked to a nearby pavilion.
After sitting down in the pavilion, Master An sighed meaningfully. “You remember everything now?”
Hearing this, Mu Yunjin was first startled, then nodded gently. “Yes.”
…
…
“It wasn’t easy, going around in circles like this…” Master An sighed.
Mu Yunjin rested her chin on her hand and glanced toward the main hall. “I’ve recovered the memories of my previous life, but what about his?”
In her previous life, she still had so many things she hadn’t told him.
“That’s hard to say. Perhaps like you, he’ll suddenly remember. Or perhaps in ten years, eight years, or perhaps he’ll never remember in this lifetime,” Master An said softly.
Hearing the words “never remember in this lifetime,” Mu Yunjin’s face instantly crumpled, but the next second, she wondered if she was being too greedy and ungrateful.
“Master!”
Qiqi suddenly appeared from the side, calling out to Mu Yunjin.
Hearing Qiqi’s voice, Mu Yunjin turned her face to look at her. “What is it?”
“Something’s strange with Hua Ying and the others. I still haven’t received their spirit signal. I’ve sent spirit signals to them, but there’s been no response…” Qiqi pointed at the Phoenix Feather Pavilion spirit signal on her wrist, her brow tightly furrowed.
As Qiqi finished speaking, Mu Yunjin grew concerned.
Could something have happened in North Clarity Kingdom?
“Master, what should we do now? Should we go to North Clarity Kingdom to check the situation?” Qiqi anxiously inquired.
Mu Yunjin pressed her lips together and lowered her head in thought. With no news from Hua Ying and the others, plus the existing spies in North Clarity Kingdom, it seemed necessary to make a trip there.
“Alright, let’s go,” Mu Yunjin nodded in agreement.
Master An listened to their conversation as he sipped his tea, speaking unhurriedly, “You just arrived from East Ridge Kingdom this morning, and now you’ve barely been in South Court Kingdom for half a day, yet you’re heading to North Clarity Kingdom again?”
Mu Yunjin shrugged, somewhat helplessly. “I don’t want to either, but who told those people to run us in circles!”
“Fine, anyway, both your father and mother are there. If I don’t let you go, you’ll still worry,” Master An smiled lightly.
Hearing this, Mu Yunjin looked toward the main hall. “I wonder how long Chu Li and the King of South Court will continue talking.”
“You and this cat girl go to North Clarity Kingdom first. I’ll explain to Chu Li for you later,” Master An glanced at Mu Yunjin.
“Can you handle him?” Mu Yunjin asked, somewhat conflicted.
Master An snorted. “Then stay here and wait!”
“That won’t work, Master. If something has happened, the longer we delay, the more danger they’ll be in,” Qiqi urged.
With Qiqi’s words, Mu Yunjin made her decision. She stood up, looked at Master An, and said, “Then you help me deal with Chu Li. I’ll go to North Clarity Kingdom first to check.”
Master An lightly snorted and nodded.
As Qiqi activated the Formless Space, just as she and Mu Yunjin were about to leave, Huang Yan appeared from somewhere. Before he could speak, he grabbed the corner of Qiqi’s clothes and followed them into the Formless Space, heading to North Clarity Kingdom.
…
They arrived in North Clarity Kingdom at around the fourth watch, when the sky was still somewhat dark.
“Huang Yan, when did you follow us?” When Qiqi withdrew the Formless Space and saw an extra person beside her, she was startled.
Mu Yunjin had just realized Huang Yan had followed them and turned to glance at him.
Huang Yan scratched his head, his expression somewhat uncomfortable. “Didn’t you say you couldn’t contact Hua Ying and the others? How can two women go out without a man’s protection?”
“Hmph, as if we don’t know who we’re going out with because of!” Qiqi snorted lightly, silently rolling her eyes.
Huang Yan’s face froze, the roots of his ears turning slightly red.
Mu Yunjin didn’t participate in their bickering. She looked around and recognized they were near the residence where Jiang Qingxue had previously stayed.
Seeing this, Mu Yunjin walked a few steps forward.
Following her memory to the entrance of this residence, Mu Yunjin discovered that the mansion, which had been destroyed during the previous battle, had been completely rebuilt. At the entrance of the residence hung a plaque with two characters—
“Qing Residence.”
When Qiqi and Huang Yan arrived, they saw Mu Yunjin standing at the entrance of the Qing Residence, preparing to walk back.
“Master, why aren’t you going in?” Qiqi asked.
“My mother isn’t inside,” Mu Yunjin replied.
Qiqi frowned. “How do you know?”
The master hadn’t even knocked on the door. How did she know Madam Qing wasn’t inside?
“My mother is the head of the Qing Concealment Pavilion. There isn’t a single guard around now, so my mother must not be inside,” Mu Yunjin said, crossing her arms and walking back step by step.
Qiqi and Huang Yan immediately understood.
“Huang Yan, help me change my face,” Mu Yunjin pointed at her appearance.
Huang Yan understood and, with a point of his finger, activated the Thousand Faces technique, helping Mu Yunjin and Qiqi change into ordinary-looking faces. Then he changed his face as well.
Shortly after, as the three walked through the market streets, the sky was gradually brightening.
Upon reaching the Northern Palace Gate, the three flew in using qinggong.
At the entrance of the Northern Palace Gate, as before, was parked an ordinary carriage.
Huang Yan, seeing that carriage, walked over and lifted the curtain with his hand. He was surprised and beckoned to the two behind him.
“There are several sets of clean palace maid clothes and guard uniforms prepared here. Could someone have predicted we would come? Or is this just a coincidence?” Huang Yan took out a guard’s uniform.
Mu Yunjin glanced at the palace maid’s clothes. “Never mind, let’s change first.”
Then, she bent down and entered the carriage to change clothes.
Soon, after the three had changed into palace maid clothes and guard uniforms, they headed toward the inner palace.
Walking along the way, Huang Yan deliberately maintained a distance from them.
Mu Yunjin and Qiqi walked side by side. As they continued, Mu Yunjin suddenly felt the air pressure around them dropping. She felt that this palace seemed to have no vitality at all—everything was gloomy, quite different from usual.
On the way to Bei Tangwen Wind Palace, they would pass through the palace where Princess Jingyang lived. At this moment, as Mu Yunjin and Qiqi passed by, they happened to encounter Empress Yang Qingning and Jingyang Bei Ningyi stepping out of the palace gates together.
Mu Yunjin and Qiqi were startled for a moment, then immediately bowed in greeting.
Yang Qingning didn’t even raise an eyelid for these two little palace maids. She continued talking to Jingyang, facing sideways.
“Jingyang, Mother has told you so many times. Now that the New Year has passed, you’ve grown another year older. You can’t be willful anymore!” Yang Qingning’s tone was somewhat displeased.
Hearing her mother’s complaint, Jingyang lowered her head, speaking with grievance, “But I don’t want to…”
“You are Mother’s flesh and blood. Mother naturally wouldn’t harm you. Be good, when you see your father later, remember to do as Mother said, understand?” Yang Qingning coaxed Jingyang.
Behind them, Mu Yunjin and Qiqi watched the departing group, straightened up, and looked at each other.
“What is Yang Qingning planning now…” Mu Yunjin stared at Yang Qingning’s back, then followed with small steps, trailing at the end of the group.
Qiqi also followed, walking beside Mu Yunjin.
…
Shortly after, Mu Yunjin and Qiqi followed Yang Qingning to the entrance of the Imperial Study.
The Chief Eunuch Su Xin was waiting at the door. Seeing Yang Qingning and Princess Jingyang, he immediately stepped forward to bow and greet them.
“I stewed a bowl of white fungus soup for His Majesty. May I trouble Eunuch Su to announce us,” Yang Qingning said with a gentle smile.
Hearing this, Su Xin smiled. “This servant will go announce you right away.”
Mu Yunjin stood behind, looking at the bowl of white fungus soup, slightly furrowing her brow.
Ever since that bowl of white fungus soup had caused Chu Li to lose his memory, she had become extremely sensitive to this item and avoided it whenever possible in daily life.
Soon, Su Xin came out to announce, “Empress, Princess, please enter.”
With these words, Yang Qingning and Princess Jingyang went in.
Mu Yunjin clenched her fists and quietly took out a token from her sleeve, holding it in her palm.
Su Xin stood at the door, scanning the eunuchs and palace maids brought by Yang Qingning one by one. When his gaze fell upon Mu Yunjin, she happened to be looking at him.
Then, while no one was paying attention, Mu Yunjin raised the North Clarity Kingdom token in her hand toward Su Xin, her lips curving in a slight smile.
Seeing that token, Su Xin was inwardly shocked, though his face didn’t reveal it. He said to the other palace maids and eunuchs, “All of you wait outside. Don’t all stand here.”
Those palace maids and eunuchs immediately retreated outside the hall.
Mu Yunjin and Qiqi remained standing in the hall, looking at Su Xin.
“Who might these noble persons be?” Su Xin asked with a humble tone. Although the people before him wore low-ranking palace maid clothes, those who could produce such a token must be people who couldn’t be offended.
Mu Yunjin walked to a corner and lowered her voice. “Have you seen Madam Qing recently?”
Hearing the words “Madam Qing,” Su Xin immediately understood who was before him—weren’t these the handmaids who had followed Madam Qing some time ago?
“The last time I saw Madam Qing was five days ago,” Su Xin answered honestly.
Mu Yunjin was slightly startled, then asked, “Where did you see her?”
“Right here in the Imperial Study. Madam Qing was helping His Majesty with his ink,” Su Xin said.
Preparing ink…
Mu Yunjin pressed her lips together, thinking of the osmanthus-scented ink…
Her thoughts turning, she continued to ask, “How often does the Empress see His Majesty?”
“She has been coming almost every day these past few days,” Su Xin patiently replied.
Hearing this, Mu Yunjin bit her lip and slowly walked toward the door of the Imperial Study. As she approached the door, she turned sideways, placing her ear against the door to listen to the conversation inside.
Normally, anyone who dared to eavesdrop like this would definitely be put to death.
But now, seeing Mu Yunjin holding Bei Tangwen’s token—and seeing the token was like seeing Bei Tangwen himself—Su Xin naturally dared not stop her. He could only stand dutifully to the side, allowing Mu Yunjin to listen to the activity in the Imperial Study.