The wind of Chentie, carrying such fierce intensity, crossed the tortoiseshell lands, swept past thousands of people’s gazes, and likewise stirred the deep curtains of Shangyuan’s palace.

Behind the deep curtains, someone was murmuring in low voices.

“The Queen has already been surrounded in Chentie… When she traveled all this way, the Kanglong army followed behind. After she entered the city, the Kanglong army directly blocked the city gates…”

“The Queen usually doesn’t seem like a fool. How did she fall so far below her standards this time, seeking her own death?”

“She naturally has other plans, but her courage is too great. You must know that no matter how well one plans, there will inevitably be variables, isn’t that so?”

“Where are the variables?”

“Great King, are you not the variable?”

“Me? I’m still fighting with Pei Shu. That fellow appears violent but is actually as cunning as a fox in military tactics. Where would I have extra energy to travel far to Chentie to attack the Queen?”

“Why would you need to travel far to Chentie? You need only sit firmly here and hold back the Queen’s reinforcements.”

“Reinforcements? Her reinforcements are Pei Shu, and he’s already been held back by this king.”

“But the reinforcements I speak of are not him. What the Queen truly relies on is not Pei Shu either.”

“Oh? Could there be someone else helping her?”

“Shadow Pavilion’s Gentleman Mu recently issued urgent orders, assembling all his subordinate branches. He’s probably preparing to march to Chentie.”

“Heh, just a rabble of mountain bandits.”

“What about those cavalry forces at Baotian and Qiyu?”

“…Your meaning!”

“Great King, you’re confused. Since you feel those two cavalry forces stationed at Baotian and Qiyu without moving are there to monitor you and the Queen competing fairly, how can you not guess that once the Queen is truly in danger, those two cavalry forces will mobilize?”

“If those two really send troops, the Queen’s so-called death trap can immediately be resolved. She could even solve the Chentie problem once and for all. But I’m in Shangyuan City with enemies watching hungrily from all sides. I cannot cross most of the tortoiseshell territory to intercept those two extremely fast cavalry forces!”

“But you don’t need to intercept the cavalry. Haven’t you heard ‘to capture bandits, first capture their king’?”

“Oh? Does sir have instruction for me?”

“Come closer and listen…”

The voices grew lower, murmuring and chattering, obscure and ambiguous, hints and explicit directions, countless conspiracies and open schemes relating to the great world situation disappeared behind the deep curtains, where even the wind could not hear.

After a moment, the curtain lifted. Ming Yan’an personally saw his guest off. The guest wore gray robes and a mask, his eyes shooting forth brilliant light—clearly the same person who had previously gone to Cheng Gumo to offer him counsel.

His figure disappeared into the darkness like a cunning gray fox. Ming Yan’an watched him vanish into the shadowy palace corridors, calculating the upcoming plan in his mind. Just as he was about to turn back, his eyes suddenly focused.

On the eaves of the palace hall ahead, there seemed to be a human figure.

Though still distant, Ming Yan’an’s heart tightened. He quickly walked over for a look and was startled to see the brocade-robed man sitting with knees drawn up on the hall roof, watching the moon.

Seeing the brocade-robed man, Ming Yan’an’s head buzzed. He felt that the secret conversation just now could be heard by anyone in the world, but absolutely must not be heard by the brocade-robed man.

This fellow was clearly taking shelter in his palace and had seemed quite docile recently, yet he felt this person was the greatest variable—a black water dragon that could bare its fangs at any moment.

“The hall roof is cold and windy. What is sir doing there?” he called up loudly.

The brocade-robed man turned to glance at him and said, “Sunbathing in moonlight.”

Ming Yan’an felt it was truly difficult to converse with this person, so he could only continue asking, “This small king doesn’t understand. What’s good about sunbathing in moonlight?”

The brocade-robed man removed his wig, touched his scalp, and said leisurely, “Sunbathing in moonlight can grow hair. Of course, you wouldn’t understand.”

Ming Yan’an decided not to argue with this person about the issue of moonlight sunbathing growing hair. Every time he saw that “you stupid humans” look in his eyes, he felt blocked up inside.

He looked at the brocade-robed man, truly unable to determine whether he had heard that secret conversation or not. At such a distance, anyone else definitely couldn’t have heard, but with him, it wasn’t certain.

After thinking, he still probed tentatively: “The hall roof is too cold. Sir, why don’t you come down and join this small king for wine and discussion to ward off the cold? What bad timing—this small king just had a guest, otherwise I would have pulled sir down for a good drink together long ago.”

The brocade-robed man faced the moon, hugging his knees, and said indifferently, “Having me help you isn’t enough, so you go seeking here and there? Insatiable greed brings its own harm. You can struggle on your own.”

Ming Yan’an’s expression stiffened, his heart racing like galloping horses—he really had heard after all!

What to do?

But the brocade-robed man was already ignoring him, touching his scalp where hair stubble had grown, seemingly very satisfied with this round of moonlight sunbathing results. He put on his wig and walked away.

Ming Yan’an stared at his retreating figure, his facial expression changing constantly—now hesitant, now sinister. After a long while, he finally gritted his teeth fiercely.

This matter was too important to allow any mishaps. Since he had already heard, he could not be allowed to remain!

Since he was still on his own territory, then strike first to gain the advantage!

…

The brocade-robed man walked leisurely along the path. Zhongwen took his cloak and came forward to meet him.

The brocade-robed man seemed in good spirits. Zhongwen knew that whenever there was entertainment, his master’s mood was always good.

He feared both trouble and the lack of it. If lonely too long, he would rust.

After walking for a while, the brocade-robed man suddenly said, “There may be assassins tonight. Receive them well.”

Zhongwen acknowledged, then thought and asked, “Did you really hear Ming Yan’an’s secret conversation with his guest?”

He was just thinking happily that his master’s martial arts seemed to have improved again when he heard his master say leisurely, “How could I hear from such a distance?”

Zhongwen fell silent, thinking: as expected!

This was someone who loved to deliberately stir up trouble!

“Even without hearing, I know what they want to do,” the brocade-robed man said indifferently. “I heard the Queen attacked Chentie and was blocked in the royal city. Someone will definitely go help her. What Ming Yan’an wants to do is block those who would help her.”

If Ming Yan’an heard this now, he would certainly break out in cold sweat, but the one sweating now was Zhongwen. “Master, please don’t oppose the Queen anymore…”

His hair hadn’t even grown out yet!

“When did I ever oppose her?” the brocade-robed man asked strangely. “I helped her rescue hostages and returned them all to her in the end, even gave her a carefully crafted male-female love double coffin I made. How was I bad to her?”

Zhongwen thought about it—it really did seem to be the case? But why did something feel wrong?

“If Little Cake finds out in the future, you must explain this matter clearly to her, just say it like this,” the brocade-robed man suddenly remembered this important matter and instructed his honest subordinate.

The honest subordinate honestly nodded, feeling this way of putting it was indeed correct.

“Then will you help the Queen again?” Zhongwen always felt his master’s logic was somewhat off and wanted to help him make amends. “Miss Wen would be even more pleased to know.”

The brocade-robed man propped his chin, and after a long while said, “I don’t like Jing Hengbo. Why should I help her? For me to help her, it depends on the situation.”

Zhongwen’s eyes were full of “what situation?” The brocade-robed man glanced at the stupid human and rarely bothered to explain patiently: “For me to act, there must be a reason. If Ming Yan’an behaves himself tonight, considering his diligent offerings to me, I don’t want to ruin his affairs. But if he really sends people to silence me…”

He smiled, full of anticipation. His smile made Zhongwen break out in another cold sweat, and he couldn’t help praying in his heart.

Old Ming, hurry up and send people to kill master!

He just needs a beating!

…

At midnight, on the roof of Baoyue Palace where the brocade-robed man was temporarily staying, whooshing winds suddenly swept by.

In the deep night there seemed to be cats calling, then silence. A faint bloody smell permeated the air, making the night even more mysterious.

Sleeves cut through wind, wind cut through night, and night cut through life and death.

Faintly there were splashing sounds—who knows who fell into whose trap.

Such sounds cycled several times, almost throughout the entire night. The lights of Baoyue Palace never lit up; everything proceeded in darkness.

However, no matter how much commotion occurred at night, it didn’t seem to disturb someone’s sleep. When dawn came, the brocade-robed man opened his door, faced the sunlight, and lifted his head to breathe in the fresh morning air.

The courtyard had messy footprints, bloodstains, and dragging marks everywhere. The guards had huge dark circles under their eyes. He acted as if he knew nothing, stepping over those bloodstains to wash and eat breakfast. After eating, he said, “Going out.”

He led his guards out of the palace, deliberately taking a detour past Ming Yan’an’s door, deliberately greeting Ming Yan’an good morning. Facing Ming Yan’an’s pale and guilty face, he said a bunch of caring nonsense, smiled and nodded to the surrounding guards who were on high alert, and finally touched the door frame before leaving.

As soon as he left, Ming Yan’an, who had been holding his breath, let out a long sigh—he had been afraid that fellow would have a malicious episode and slap him, or sprinkle some poison first.

Fortunately, nothing happened. He even seemed quite normal.

Thank heavens.

Because he had held his breath too long and his chest and lungs felt ready to burst, Ming Yan’an released this breath wildly and inhaled deeply.

Then he saw a faint wisp of smoke suddenly rise from the door frame.

There seemed to have been powder on the door frame originally. When it met wind, it would scatter, and Ming Yan’an’s sighing and breathing naturally created air currents.

Startled, he instinctively tried to hold his breath, but it was too late.

Bit by bit, pale yellow ash entered his nose with his hearty breathing.

Instantly Ming Yan’an’s face stiffened, and he fell backward with a thud.

The guards were greatly alarmed and hurried to support him, seeing Ming Yan’an’s face stiff, mouth opening wide but unable to make any sound.

Terrified cries instantly spread throughout Shangyuan Palace.

“The Great King has had a stroke! Quickly summon the imperial physicians!”

…

A team of light cavalry raced along narrow mountain paths.

His snow-white robes were already stained with dust from the journey, but his steed’s speed showed no signs of slowing.

Orders to assemble the cavalry forces of Qiyu and Baotian had been issued. He had to immediately rush to rendezvous and lead both cavalry forces into Chentie territory.

Racing all the way, the messengers couldn’t keep up with his speed. He wasn’t entirely clear about the current situation within Chentie territory, but he understood the crazy decisiveness beneath Jing Hengbo’s seemingly good-tempered facade. If she really intended to stage another palace confrontation, she would definitely do it thoroughly, never leaving herself a retreat.

To ensure the peace of the three counties, she had only taken ten thousand men with her. She couldn’t help but advance alone, going straight into Chentie’s royal city. Yet Chentie’s military strength combined with Kanglong’s army was at least fifty thousand, not to mention she was fighting away from home. In this battle, if he couldn’t arrive in time, she would surely die.

She was actually using death to force him.

She was actually using the world’s territories as a chess board, wielding armies as pieces, operating military fronts as the game, cornering him into a dead end!

How dare he not ride frantically? At this moment he didn’t even dare stop to wait for intelligence reports. His hair was full of dust, and he had no time to wipe it.

Behind him, the sound of hoofbeats clattered. The poor messenger’s well-trained steed was already foaming at the mouth from the chase.

The rider’s voice called out sharply, “Report—Queen Hengji’s army has entered the royal city! At the same time, Chentie border troops have mobilized, opening the passes to let Kanglong army enter the territory!”

He listened with an expressionless face. It was as he had guessed. The only surprise was that Jing Hengbo’s speed in entering the royal city was much faster than he had imagined.

She was indeed becoming more and more formidable, even learning to use this move to force him.

Her swift breaking of the city gave him a glimmer of hope—breaking the city quickly meant she was entering to find someone. If the Kanglong and Chentie armies couldn’t match her speed, she might still have time to find the person and safely withdraw from the royal city…

The only thing he prayed for now was that she wouldn’t have her brain squeezed by doors repeatedly, and after finding the person, still stubbornly insist on staying in the royal city, waiting for people to come and encircle her, just to force him out.

If she really dared to do that…

If she really dared to do that, he would definitely have to punish her properly!

Suddenly he wondered: if Jing Hengbo knew his current thoughts, what would her reaction be?

Eighty percent chance she’d curl her red lips, sweep her eyes, and say, “Hehe, I’m so scared…”

Then go her own way.

He smiled bitterly.

He and she were both stubborn, self-willed people. Neither could do anything about the other.

Then he could only pray that she would suddenly see reason and let go, no longer obsessing over knowing the truth, no longer choosing to use such decisive methods to force himself and everyone else.

He only hoped no one would deliberately provoke her…

Suddenly there was the sound of flapping wings behind him, accompanied by a special rhythm. That sound was familiar—he turned around sharply.

A corner of snow-white wing swept across his vision, and something landed with a slap in his palm.

He caught it—a small brocade pouch, already quite old with darkened edges. On the pouch, a white dragon floated among clouds, its five claws gleaming golden.

This was the family crest!

When the founding empress struck down the family, under her dying command, the Dahuang imperial clan had suppressed and destroyed everything related to the family for generations. He had only seen the family crest by chance once. According to his years of investigation, now only the last remaining batch of family members might still carry items bearing the crest.

For all these years, his search for the family was actually a search for the crest. Family members would necessarily be together with items containing the crest.

After years of fruitless searching, he suddenly encountered it at this moment!

A lifetime of pursuit, the end of mysteries, matters of life and death, family succession, even the entire Dahuang—perhaps even affecting the most important clue to his and her future and ending—suddenly appeared at this moment!

His fingers gripped the pouch tightly as he looked up at the sky. The snow-white wing tip had long since vanished.

He hadn’t clearly seen whether that message-bearing white eagle was trained by Snow Mountain. Snow Mountain had always been so mysterious, without beginning or end.

The winter wind was cold. Being of ice and snow constitution, he never knew what cold meant, yet at this moment gripping the pouch, he felt instantly chilled to the bone from hair to toes.

The greatest dilemma of his life suddenly pressed before him with such cold, sharp severity.

The situation ahead concerned her life and death.

The situation behind equally concerned her life and death, perhaps even more lives.

Forward or backward—both could affect her life and death!

He couldn’t even send others to go. The secrets belonging to his family were his greatest secrets. Besides himself, no one else had the ability to truly verify them.

After exhausting years to get this single thread of clues, if he missed it, perhaps he would never have another chance in this lifetime.

Even knowing this was an open scheme, he had no choice but to stop.

Gripping the pouch, he hesitated to open it for a long time. He had a premonition that opening it would make the choice even more difficult.

Opening it would provide more powerful evidence, telling him where the clues were. As long as he went there personally, he could resolve years of doubt, end years of searching, and obtain life for himself and his family.

The incomparable temptation was such that even this person of ice and snow gradually felt his palm grow damp with sweat.

The guards watched him intently, not knowing what had happened but shocked by the expression between his brows at this moment, holding their breath awaiting the next momentous decision.

He maintained that posture of gripping the pouch for a full quarter-hour.

In that quarter-hour, earth-shaking turbulence, tremendous waves, countless memories and past events came rushing forth—those difficult years, the bitter endurance of life, the exhaustive searches, the unimaginable prices paid for searching that ordinary people could never fathom…

He remained unmoved as a mountain, but his heart was battered by giant waves, suffering torment between advancing and retreating.

After a quarter-hour.

His clenched fingers moved slightly.

Then his five fingers opened.

The pouch slowly fell from his five fingers.

From beginning to end, he never opened the pouch.

The chief guard who had been watching him intently, the only one who knew some of the inside story, suddenly burst into tears.

Only he knew what this action meant; only he knew the price his master had paid for this clue, and that price would continue to be paid until life’s end.

This iron-hearted man didn’t weep for his master giving up the clue, knowing he would have to continue searching painfully. He wept from shock at life’s countless helplessness and sacrifices—those silent sacrifices that couldn’t even be known by others.

He had already turned his head away.

Once decided, no regrets.

In all this vast world, among all weighty matters, nothing was worth half her safety.

“Go!”

Before he could spur his horse, the pouch suddenly trembled and split open on its own. A thin object fluttered out.

He instinctively turned his gaze, but his peripheral vision had already caught sight of that thing. In that instant, giant waves rose again in his heart.

That half piece of silk…

It was the swaddling cloth from his infancy, with unique aristocratic inscriptions—there would be some family secret records related to the truth!

This item was enough to prove that this pouch wouldn’t merely be a hoax, but must contain some extremely important clues.

Whoever set up this trap had no intention of giving him the chance to abandon it.

His gaze swept over that half piece of silk.

Then his sleeve flicked out.

A gust of force arose, rolling toward that half piece of soft silk.

The guard showed expressions of regret and pain—his master’s will was firm. Once he decided to abandon something, he wouldn’t waver again. With the chance for truth right before him, to avoid being unable to resist temptation, he simply planned to destroy it.

This destruction would waste years of painstaking effort, leaving only increasingly slim hope.

He closed his eyes, unable to bear watching.

That gust of wind suddenly stopped.

The guard opened his eyes to see a figure flash by, swooping away that half piece of silk with a swish. That figure didn’t pause, directly charging toward his master’s horse above. In mid-air, a palm strike was delivered with profound force. The surrounding vegetation was blown up as if by a hurricane, rustling and flying for quite a while, forcing everyone to close their eyes.

In the gray confusion, only two sharp sounds were heard as a forceful wind swept overhead. The guards hurriedly moved toward the center. When they opened their eyes again, they saw two figures like projectiles hurled across the sky, disappearing into distant reed marshes.

…

“Thud.” Gong Yin and the brocade-robed man both fell into the reed marsh.

Gong Yin immediately tried to get up upon landing, but the brocade-robed man pounced over, pressing down on his shoulder, waving the half piece of silk before his face.

Gong Yin turned his head away, saying coldly, “If you like it, take it and play.”

“Really? Then I’ll take it to play.” The brocade-robed man actually put away the silk. Seeing his actions, Gong Yin’s expression was complex.

The brocade-robed man turned back and held out his hand. “Give it here.”

“Mm?” Gong Yin raised an eyebrow.

“Human skin mask.” The brocade-robed man raised his other eyebrow. “Aren’t you quite good at disguises? You wouldn’t be without a mask resembling yourself?”

Gong Yin remained silent for a long while before saying, “Why should I give it to you?”

“Because I’m going to go in your place.” The brocade-robed man pointed to the silk in his bosom.

“Not necessary.” Gong Yin immediately refused. “I can send guards to investigate instead.”

“Do you take me for Jing Hengbo, easy to fool?” The brocade-robed man’s smile was mocking. “First, your guards definitely have no way to handle this kind of thing. Second, how do you know the other party can’t guess you’d do this? They might be deliberately trying to draw away your guards. Once you’re alone, naturally they’ll have follow-up moves to hold you back.”

Gong Yin fell silent. He could naturally see this, but entrusting it to the brocade-robed man was equally unreliable.

This person had sufficient wisdom and martial strength, but not necessarily loyalty and morality, with no constraints. Who knew what he might concoct if his playful nature stirred?

“Since the other party came prepared, then going to investigate that matter is equally dangerous.”

“Perfect, I just like danger.”

Gong Yin fell silent again, turning to look in Chentie’s direction.

He had always acted cautiously throughout his life, planning every step carefully. However, since meeting her, he had begun learning to gamble with life.

At this moment, he also planned to gamble.

Gamble that the brocade-robed man truly wanted to help him, gamble that he had reasons to help him.

He suddenly stood up and began removing his clothes.

This time it was the brocade-robed man’s turn to be shocked. “What are you doing?”

Gong Yin ignored him, removing his outer robe and casually pulling open the brocade-robed man’s outer robe as well.

The brocade-robed man quickly stepped back, his gaze immediately shifting from casual to alert—hm? Special preferences? A double blade?

Could it be that Gong Yin didn’t actually love Jing Hengbo, and his true target was him?

This was somewhat troublesome. Had his interference been misunderstood as a declaration of love?

What would Little Cake think?

His complex mind instantly churned through countless thoughts while Gong Yin had already thrown his outer robe over his head.

“Put it on.”

“Hm?” The brocade-robed man grabbed the clothing from his head, his expression rather unfriendly, like a large cat randomly provoked.

“To impersonate me, how can you not wear my clothes?” Gong Yin’s tone was indifferent yet disdainful. “When would I ever wear such disgustingly colored garments as yours?”

The brocade-robed man looked down at his own special fabric robe that gleamed with dark blue and pale purple iridescent colors—where was it disgusting?

But Gong Yin’s words made perfect sense. He found himself speechless and had no choice but to remove his brocade robe and exchange it with Gong Yin, casually tossing him a mask resembling himself.

People like them, when venturing out, always kept such items prepared for contingencies.

Gong Yin changed into his clothing and without another word swept out of the reed marsh. In mid-air, he laughed coldly, “You’re already at the end of your rope, yet dare to exchange moves with me!” He extended his palm with a sweeping wind force, causing a patch of reeds to fall with a rustling sound, looking much the same as the palm strike the brocade-robed man had just executed.

The brocade-robed man snorted coldly, also sounding like Gong Yin’s clear, cold voice. With a raised hand, reeds snapped and froze over with a layer of ice and snow. Flying snow filled the sky, striking directly at Gong Yin.

This move of his surprisingly carried some of Gong Yin’s spirit and essence.

Both being masters, they could still manage to imitate one or two classic techniques.

Not knowing if anyone was monitoring nearby, since they were acting, they might as well do it thoroughly.

The two “exchanged moves” once, each turning away. The brocade-robed man staggered as if injured, while Gong Yin charged directly toward his guard escort, reaching out to snatch a bundle from the chief guard’s saddle before racing forward.

The items the guards carried naturally included some important objects that couldn’t be stolen away like this. The guards immediately gave chase.

In a moment, a white figure shot up into the sky, seeming to hesitate briefly in mid-air before departing in the opposite direction.

The complete script needed no rehearsal—the choices of intelligent people were naturally similar.

The brocade-robed man raced swiftly through the wind, somehow always feeling something was wrong. He looked down at himself.

Only now did he realize that Gong Yin, who usually wore white clothes pure as snow, this time had garments that seemed unwashed for three days. They still appeared white, but the seams were completely filled with dirt.

The brocade-robed man paused, nearly falling from mid-air.

After a while, an angry snort came through the wind.

“What a loss!”

…

“Report! Kanglong army has suddenly appeared outside the city! They’re about to attack the city gates!”

“Report! A Chentie cavalry unit has suddenly appeared, opening the city gates and joining with Kanglong army—they’ve already entered the city!”

“Your Majesty! We must engage now, while they haven’t established their footing. There’s still a chance to break out of the city. We absolutely cannot wait for death within the city!”

“Transmit my orders—all forces contract and retreat into the inner palace, relying on palace walls for a desperate defense!”

“Your Majesty, this is the worst strategy! Going out now is still possible!”

“Are you the Queen or am I the Queen?”

“Your Majesty!”

“Defend!”

…

From atop the collapsed high hall, she gazed toward the tortoiseshell direction. Past and present intertwined, iron armies marched alongside blood and fire. Ahead, at the city gates, Kanglong and Chentie indeed had prior understanding—one attacking the city in time, the other opening the gates. Two elite forces like two sharp blades simultaneously stabbed toward her flanks.

She still had a chance to break through before the two armies completed their encirclement.

Yet she only stood silent on the hall roof, red robes flying, making herself into an unmoved, unspoken statue.

Gong Yin.

I am step by step entering a dead end.

Making this one mistake in my entire life—if I lose this time, I’ll have nothing left, perhaps not even my life.

Where are you?

…

He was racing frantically.

At the next intersection, Gong Yin dismissed half his attendants. At the intersection after that, another half of the guards left. By the time he approached the tortoiseshell border, not a single person remained beside him.

He needed to create the appearance of having returned to seek family secrets, lest hidden enemies, failing in one move, devise another to obstruct him.

On ordinary days, he wouldn’t mind slowly matching wits with anyone, but at this moment time was life itself.

That precious brocade clothing had accumulated another layer of dust, and the person wearing it had no time even to brush it off.

Near the tortoiseshell border approaching Chentie, the nearest road was rarely traveled because there was a Baipu River with Baipu groves nearby. This was a unique tree species to the tortoiseshell lands that never shed its leaves year-round. The trees grew a white fluff that was especially abundant in autumn and winter. This fluff looked like white flowers, clustering densely when blooming luxuriantly—quite beautiful—but once touched by this fluff, it would cause red, swollen, itching eyes and difficulty seeing, severely leading to blindness. Such trees were rare, found only at tortoiseshell borders. Many people used to take shortcuts through here, but after suffering losses, few passed this way. This area became an abandoned route that could only accommodate small units, which was why Jing Hengbo hadn’t used this path when leading troops across the tortoiseshell-Chentie border.

Gong Yin chose this route. He had no time.

At this moment, from another direction, another group was also racing toward this road.

Night was awakened by returning crows, and the sky gradually took on somber colors. A swift horse charged through the darkness, about to approach the Baipu grove.

Countless white fluffs danced slowly in the night sky, growing denser the closer to the grove. Gong Yin naturally had to avoid the grove and was planning to detour widely when his gaze suddenly focused.

Strange sounds came from within the grove.

Looking up again, he saw his chief guard hanging from the tallest tree in the grove.

The guard’s eyes were red and swollen, tears streaming down his face, yet he struggled to make no sound to avoid alerting his master. Seeing he was still discovered, he couldn’t help struggling repeatedly, signaling his master to flee quickly. In his struggles, fluff continuously fell, and his eyes visibly swelled like peaches, unable even to open.

Gong Yin reached out and reined in his horse.

He looked at the guard’s position, his eyes flashing with a moment’s hesitation, but ultimately stopped.

As soon as he stopped, the fluff that had been dispersed by his movement’s air currents immediately clustered toward him. Gong Yin tore off a strip of his robe hem and bound his eyes.

Then he leaped up, not plunging into the grove. In mid-air his body spun, and a ray of ice-snow light swept out from his waist, brilliant in the night sky like a disk, like a newly risen cold moon.

“Crack”—the tree holding the guard was severed, with a faint rumbling sound.

He shook his sleeve, and an ice-snow chain flew three zhang, wrapping around the guard’s waist to drag him out. As the guard was pulled free, a black line seemed to connect beneath him, apparently dragging something else, with clattering sounds and the continuous noise of creaking and wind-swept fabric.

Hearing the ominous sounds, he sent the guard far away with a strong motion and retreated himself. In this retreat, he suddenly felt objects behind him, though he was clearly still mounted on the road with nothing around.

A formation!

The guard’s position triggered a linked formation. He had seen this beforehand but had no choice but to act.

Having a formation was fine—no formation could truly trap him—but at this moment he couldn’t open his eyes, couldn’t judge directions, and could easily be trapped by the formation.

Every moment of delay meant another degree of danger for Jing Hengbo.

The opponent indeed had follow-up moves, never expecting to kill him with the formation, only seeking to impede his progress.

Gong Yin’s figure flashed like dancing snowflakes. Those fluffs, also like snowflakes, couldn’t touch him. But with ghostly shadows all around and stars shifting positions, he temporarily couldn’t escape either.

Time passed minute by minute, second by second. The moon traveled halfway across the sky.

His heart burned with anxiety.

Hengbo! Hengbo!

…

“Report! Kanglong and Chentie armies have formed an encirclement and are now advancing toward the palace city!”

“Your Majesty, occupy the rear palace now and break through from there to escape. Using the rear palace’s mountain advantage, there’s still a chance to exit the city via mountain paths!”

“No one is permitted to engage outside the city or leave their units without authorization. Just defend the palace walls. When necessary, I permit you to demolish Chentie’s royal palace and use anything available as weapons against the enemy!”

“Your Majesty! Even demolishing Chentie’s royal palace won’t stop the two armies’ encirclement. Please don’t be willful anymore—think of the lives of our ten thousand soldiers!”

“I will preserve them! I will also take this Chentie—trust me!”

“Grand Commander, you persuade Her Majesty!”

“Your Majesty, know that worldly affairs have many variables. Even if one wishes to manipulate the chess game, hidden dragons may secretly cause trouble. It’s better not to press yourself too hard.”

“I dare to believe—don’t you dare? Defend!”

Arguments, pleas, persuasion, anxiety… occurring every moment.

Amid everyone’s unease and suspicion, only she remained on the hall roof, never retreating under the sky’s wind.

Gong Yin.

I bear mountain-like pressure, I shoulder the soldiers’ life and death, I desperately indulge this once.

Only because deep in my heart, I still choose to trust you.

This is the last chance, for me, for you.

Where are you?

…

In Baipu grove, fluff and snowflakes floated together. Under the starlight, mist-like floating fluff and brilliantly glowing ice-snow flying stars swirled into a huge vortex, resembling a star cluster glowing brightly against the dark background.

In the night it appeared as a wondrous sight.

In the distance, another group equally hurrying along their journey all raised their faces, looking over with some surprise.

“Someone else chose the same route as us…” someone murmured. “But he seems to have encountered trouble.”

The two leaders, mounted on horses and both wearing blue cloaks—the man’s romantic, luxurious features held a lazy languor. Glancing at that ice and snow, he smiled gently.

“I knew he would definitely go…”

His voice was certain, yet seemed to carry regret.

Beside him, the blindfolded woman sensitively turned her head in all directions, sniffing, and said, “So cold.”

The man turned toward her with a smile, immediately removing his cloak to drape over her. She blocked him with one hand, saying impatiently, “Little Qi, don’t focus your thoughts only on your sister. When there’s a chance, just pester Little Boer more.”

Yélu Qi smiled, saying, “Isn’t this going to pester her?”

Yélu Xunru shrugged and suddenly asked, “Who’s trapped?”

Her hearing and sight were sharp—she had already detected the commotion ahead.

Yélu Qi glanced over casually, saying, “Your brother’s rival in love.”

Yélu Xunru smiled gleefully and called out loudly, “Excellent! Let’s go!”

Without another word, Yélu Qi followed his sister’s horse. But Yélu Xunru spurred her horse slowly, and after a few steps, stopped again.