Deep in the quiet night, a gentle breeze brushed past, carrying the especially rich fragrance of lavender through the darkness. The main hall of the Bai clan remained brightly lit even now—perhaps, like the Gu clan, they too were dealing with family matters!

Had it not been for the fact that the war between Xichu and Xijing could no longer wait, Ziqing would truly have wanted to stay a few more months, just to see how the Bai clan would ultimately deal with this whole affair with Bai Feiyao!

Being born a daughter yet keeping a male companion—even with the Bai clan’s substantial wealth and standing, how would they ever find a suitable man to marry into the family in the future?

Still, as fascinating as the Bai clan’s marriage troubles might prove to be, they couldn’t compare to the excitement brewing over on the continent of Longyuan—especially since a certain wedding there was already drawing near!

Just the other day, word had arrived from Prince Baxian: Prince Nanzhao, worried that the Princess Imperial might be attacked amid the war between Xichu and Xijing, had earnestly requested that Great Zhou clear the way for the Princess Imperial of Xichu and escort her safely to Nanzhao, to attend the grand ceremony installing her as consort together with him!

It seemed Prince Nanzhao was utterly infatuated with Chu Feiyan. Thinking of this, Ziqing couldn’t help but recall that friend who could hardly be called a friend—Yelu Qianqian.

“What are you thinking about?” Seeing her drift off, Jun Beiyue asked helplessly.

At that moment, the two of them were sitting atop the highest roof of the Bai estate. Beneath the bright moon, the entire Bai residence lay spread out before them. The Bai clan truly lived up to their reputation as a family of vine arts—their estate was filled with countless gardens and courtyards, and none of them were ordinary courtyards either; they were all vast grounds, filled with towering trees both great and small, dense enough to be called forests.

Had they not been looking down from such a height, one might well have mistaken this estate for a manor hidden deep within a forest, rather than a forest concealed within a manor!

“It’s nothing. Why did you bring me up here to just sit around? Where’s the sacred mulberry tree?” Ziqing asked, puzzled, having assumed this fellow had already found the Bai clan’s sacred mulberry tree.

Jun Beiyue chuckled softly, laced his hands behind his head, and lay back, gazing up at the bright moon.

Ziqing eyed him suspiciously and lay down beside him as well. “Still not going to tell me?”

Who would have thought that Jun Beiyue would say flatly, “Qing’er, last night, you were so beautiful.”

At these words, Ziqing’s eyes shut instantly, a flush of embarrassment spreading from her ears across her entire face. Surely this fellow hadn’t lured her up here just for this! What exactly was he trying to do?

But for a long while, she heard no movement from Jun Beiyue at all, only sensing that he was right beside her—it seemed he had already sat up.

Ziqing’s brow furrowed, tense and awkward, but refusing to back down, she gritted her teeth and abruptly sat up as well. “Last night you were very…”

But before the rest of her words could come out, she caught sight of the breathtaking scene before her and was instantly stunned into silence!

In the pitch-black forest ahead—was someone setting off fireworks? Why was there no sound at all?

“Come!”

Jun Beiyue laughed, wrapping his arms around Ziqing and taking flight into the air. In an instant, their figures vanished into the darkness ahead!

Within that darkness, everything became remarkably clear—flowers were blooming!

Even a display of fireworks couldn’t compare to this.

There, on a great tree in the distance, blossom after blossom, glowing with a silvery-white radiance, unfurled slowly like lotus flowers, beginning from the point nearest the branch fork, opening layer by layer, ring by ring, spreading outward!

Seen from afar, it truly looked like fireworks blooming silently and soundlessly in midair, in the dead of night—except these fireworks didn’t vanish the instant they burst.

They lingered there, suspended in the air, resting on the branches, blooming with such intensity, radiant and dazzling, breathtakingly beautiful!

So fireworks, too, had a day when they could linger in the sky. Ziqing reached out unconsciously to touch them, only to grasp empty air—only then did she realize that tree of silver blossoms was still far, far away from them.

If she remembered correctly, this should be in the direction the Bai clan considered due south—a dense forest stretching all the way to the base of the southern mountains, filled entirely with towering ancient trees!

Which meant the sacred mulberry tree was hidden somewhere within this very forest!

“Right within this forest. On the fifteenth of the tenth month, the sacred mulberry tree blooms. On the fifteenth of the twelfth month, it reveals its true form. At all other times, it possesses an extremely powerful ability to remain hidden,” Jun Beiyue explained earnestly.

“Hidden?” Ziqing was even more confused. This was a tree, not a person—had it become some kind of spirit?

“Yes. It grows bark and branches identical to the surrounding trees, making it extremely difficult to identify. Within the Bai clan, likely only the Patriarch knows how to recognize it. I’ve been to this forest many times before. The Bai clan was in a hurry—within a two-mile radius, every single tree planted here is the same species, and the vines wrapped around them possess an extremely powerful sensing ability. The moment anyone draws near, they launch an attack, and their master is alerted immediately,” Jun Beiyue said flatly. Otherwise, if it weren’t for the fact that the tree was impossible to identify and the vines guarded it so fiercely, given his temperament, he would have been perfectly capable of digging up the entire forest!

Ziqing immediately grew excited—she certainly wasn’t afraid of vines. “Let’s go find it while we’re here! I’ll deal with the vines, you go find the tree!”

But just as she spoke, that entire vast expanse of fiery, silver blossoms suddenly extinguished all at once!

Though they weren’t real fireworks, their duration was still limited—nothing more than a fleeting, ephemeral bloom!

“It’s not that easy. The Bai clan’s grand ceremony at the end of the year will be our opportunity,” Jun Beiyue said with a smile, affectionately ruffling her hair as he prepared to leave—this was no place to linger.

But at that very moment, Ziqing suddenly released a fierce blade of wind out of nowhere. Jun Beiyue immediately became alert—someone was nearby!

“Be careful!” he said coldly, releasing Ziqing and immediately giving chase!

The figure fled at once—clad in black, face concealed, barely visible in the darkness. Jun Beiyue pursued relentlessly. The figure had clearly come from deep within the forest. Before long, Jun Beiyue and Ziqing had the black-clad figure surrounded from front and back!

“It’s you!” Jun Beiyue said coldly. He couldn’t see the face, but he recognized the fighting style—this was the very same black-clad figure who could exhale poisonous mist, the one he had encountered at Qinse Valley!

Who exactly was he, to know so much about the sacred mulberry tree? Was he also searching for the Solitary Isle? How much did he know about Ziqing?

The black-clad figure said nothing, seeming even more fearful of Jun Beiyue. He suddenly retreated toward Ziqing’s side. Ziqing watched coldly, letting him retreat, then suddenly kicked out viciously. The black-clad figure dodged frantically, appearing flustered—but both Ziqing and Jun Beiyue could tell that his retreat wasn’t because he couldn’t fight back, but because he chose not to. If he wasn’t fighting, what was he trying to hide?

Ziqing narrowed her eyes, her ten fingers flicking through the air, sending blade after blade of wind flying out. The black-clad figure dodged continuously. At the same time, Jun Beiyue closed in instantly, his sword pointed directly at the man’s throat!

He finally stopped, but Ziqing, behind him, didn’t. Two blades of wind struck his legs, badly wounding them. Only then did she withdraw her attack, darting forward without a single wasted word, reaching immediately to tear off his face covering!

But at that very moment, the black-clad figure suddenly exhaled poisonous smoke from his mouth. Jun Beiyue immediately held his breath and retreated, but he wasn’t alarmed—poison meant nothing to Ziqing, who was immune to all toxins!

Ziqing snorted coldly, one hand clawing straight for the black-clad figure’s shoulder, refusing to let him escape, ensuring the poison struck true. The corner of her lips curled into a cold smile as she let the white smoke billow around her, reaching out to rip off his face covering!

…