Before long, palace attendants came to announce that the meal had been prepared, and invited everyone to move to the side hall for dinner.

After the anxious ordeal of dining with the Emperor, Consort Yi, and the rest of the party, the young women were at last informed that they were free to wander and enjoy themselves at the various scenic points throughout the imperial retreat — but they must by no means cross the perimeter established by the Imperial Guard, lest they become lost in the mountain without a way back.

At this news, the young women scattered in every direction — some went to soak in the hot spring, others to the scenic viewing platform to take in the view, still others to the music hall to listen to the musicians play. Each found their own amusement and was thoroughly content.

Qin Yao had no great interest in soaking in the hot spring alongside a crowd of others. She had been jostled about in the carriage all day and was already somewhat weary; having just eaten a full meal in the side hall on top of that, her head felt foggy, and drowsiness rolled over her in one wave after another. She had no energy whatsoever to think about hot springs — all she wanted was to fall into bed and sleep blissfully…

Seeing that Wang Yingning and the others were all debating whether to go listen to the musicians first or soak in the hot spring first, and that no one was paying her any attention, Qin Yao quietly slipped back to her bedchamber to wash up and retire for the night.

No sooner had she thought to ask a palace attendant to prepare water, however, than Pei Min followed her in. “No wonder I couldn’t find you anywhere — I never expected you to have sneaked back to the bedchamber.”

Caught up in the excitement of her companions, Pei Min was in high spirits, her eyes bright and glimmering. “Just now, Princess Kangping and the others were talking about going to a natural spring in the small grove behind the rear hall. They said the spring flows down from the clear mountain stream at the summit, and the water is cooler and more refreshing than the pool at the rear hall — just the thing to soak in and escape the heat in weather like this. After talking it over, they decided not to bother with the rear hall pool after all and headed off to the grove instead. Ah-Yao, it’s still early — don’t go to sleep yet. Come with us to the grove for a soak, won’t you?”

Qin Yao looked at Pei Min with mild suspicion. “The small grove?”

She had only heard of hot springs in the imperial retreat when they arrived — no one had mentioned a spring behind the grove.

Pei Min settled in beside Qin Yao and explained patiently: “The spring in the grove is a natural flowing spring — perpetually steaming and never-ending, flowing all year round. It is precisely because of this spring that this mountain earned the name Yuquan Mountain. The hot spring pool at the rear hall is merely fed by channeled water from the natural spring with firewood heated beneath it, steaming away with all that heat — what’s enjoyable about that? The Yuquan spring in the grove is far more nourishing and restorative for the body.”

She then shook Qin Yao’s arm and said, “Ah-Yao, it’s so lively out there, everyone is having fun — and here you’d be all alone in the bedchamber sleeping. Just thinking about it seems dull. Come with me.”

Unable to hold out against her, Qin Yao relented. “All right, all right. You go ahead — I’ll tidy myself up and come along.”

Pei Min, delighted that she had finally persuaded Qin Yao, smiled as she rose and headed out. “I’ll be waiting for you!” she called back from the doorway.

Qin Yao had no choice but to get up and tidy her hair in the mirror, then change into a fresh set of clothes. Once she had everything in order and was just about to head out, she suddenly remembered that she would need to remove her outer garments when soaking in the spring, and her compass would have nowhere to be concealed — it might draw suspicion. She decided to take it out from her robe and hide it under the pillow.

But when she reached into her robe, she found it completely empty. There was no compass to be found. After a moment of blank confusion, it dawned on her — when they had set off that morning, she had absentmindedly handed yesterday’s changed clothes and the compass together to Caiping, and had never brought it with her at all.

After a short while, Qin Yao’s mind settled, and she thought: Yuquan Mountain had served as an imperial retreat for many years — even if there were mountain spirits or wild demons lurking here, they would have long since been swept clean by the capable and extraordinary individuals kept by the imperial house. The compass would have had no use here anyway.

With that thought, her mind finally put at ease, she made her way out of the bedchamber and headed toward the small grove at the back of the imperial retreat.

Along the way, she passed palace attendants moving in procession, each carrying bright-colored lanterns that illuminated every corner as clearly as broad daylight.

She had not walked far before she came to a secluded and quiet spot, when a voice behind her suddenly called out: “Yuanzhen Daoist.”

The words reached Qin Yao’s ears like a clap of thunder, and she froze.

“So it really is you.” Steady, unhurried footsteps approached from behind.

Before Qin Yao could turn around, the person had already walked briskly around and stood before her.

Qin Yao looked up — it was the Duchess of Lu Guo.

The Duchess studied Qin Yao’s face carefully and gave a slow nod. “When I saw you at the academy earlier and thought your face seemed familiar, I began to suspect. I simply never would have guessed that the young Daoist who helped rid my household of that malevolent presence was actually a woman — and moreover, that she had been selected to study at Yunyin Academy.”

Although her expression remained as stern and commanding as ever, her eyes held a faint warmth.

Having been recognized by the ever-perceptive and capable Duchess of Lu Guo, Qin Yao was not particularly surprised — though a storm of internal conflict was inevitable, as she wavered between denying and admitting the truth. After a long moment of deliberation, she finally abandoned any thought of fabricating a story to deceive the Duchess and honestly said, “Your student did not intend to conceal it.”

The Duchess nodded and regarded Qin Yao with gravity. “Last time, when that malevolent presence entered my household, it was thanks to you that things were resolved — you saw through the creature’s disguise and saved the life of both the Duke and Sanlang. I previously went to Qingyun Temple intending to thank you personally, but your master said you were not at the temple, so I had to let the matter rest. Now that I have found you, I must extend my gratitude.” With that, she bent into a deep and formal bow toward Qin Yao.

Qin Yao was startled and quickly moved to help her up. “Subduing demons and expelling evil is a matter of duty for those who follow the Dao — there is no need for such ceremony, my Lady.”

The Duchess slowly straightened, her expression solemn. “That day, had it not been for Weijin’s quick thinking in inviting you to our household to deal with the malevolent creature, the Duke and Sanlang would likely have long since been claimed by that demon. Had such a tragedy truly come to pass, it would have been a complete and utter catastrophe for every soul in our household. And so the kindness you have shown to the Lu Guo household, to each and every one of us, is something this old woman does not dare forget.”

Qin Yao, moved by the Duchess’s remarkable restraint — she had not pressed into asking why Qin Yao had become a Daoist, and every word she spoke remained perfectly within bounds — could only reply, “Your Ladyship overstates things. It was merely a small effort. Has the Duke’s health fully recovered?”

The last time she had seen Jiang Sanlang was at the Duke of Wei Guo’s evening banquet. Though Jiang Sanlang had become considerably thinner, his color had been much improved compared to when the fox spirit had preyed upon him, and clearly his foundations had not been deeply harmed. Yet she had never received any news of the Duke himself.

The Duchess had just parted her lips to speak when a maidservant came rushing up from behind. “My Lady, Consort Yi is asking for you at the rear hall. She has invited you to join her in the hot spring for a chat.”

The Duchess’s expression returned to its former composed serenity. “Understood. I’ll come right away.”

She turned to Qin Yao. “We can speak further another day.”

Qin Yao stood in place and watched the Duchess depart before turning once more and heading toward the grove. She hadn’t yet reached the pool when she heard, from not far away, the bright and clear sounds of young women laughing and playing.

“Ah-Yuan, Ah-Yuan, don’t just sit on the edge of the spring — come on in!” It was Princess Kangping’s voice, which rose above all the others in laughter.

A few more steps forward, and she saw that the trees in the grove were hung all around with colored glass lanterns. A warm, misty stream wound its way out from the dark depths of the grove; at its widest point, curtains of fabric had been erected on either side, forming a complete screen around those bathing within. Through the flickering light, she could make out blurred silhouettes moving behind the hangings, accompanied by the sounds of a crowd of people at play.

When Qin Yao drew near, the palace maidservant standing watch outside had already been given her instructions and promptly lifted the curtain to admit her.

Once inside, Qin Yao discovered that this Yuquan spring was quite wide — large enough to hold several dozen people with room to spare. The spring water was clear and cool, flowing continuously without cease. Where it came from and where it was headed remained unknown. The section where the young women had gathered was merely one stretch of the spring in its entirety.

“Ah-Yao, come on in!” Wang Yingning and Pei Min called out with smiling waves.

Qin Yao smiled and responded, making her way to the side where she shed her outer robe and half-sleeved jacket. Clad only in her chest-binding garment and underpants, she slowly stepped down into the water. Properly speaking, soaking in a hot spring called for complete undress, to allow the water to absorb fully into the skin — but Qin Yao was, after all, an unmarried young woman, and her face had not yet grown thick enough to bare herself before others. Fortunately, all the women in the spring were dressed in their undergarments, so Qin Yao hardly stood out.

Qin Yao swam over to Wang Yingning and Pei Min and exchanged a few words with them. When she turned her head, however, she found the Princess Consort of Lan in the spring as well, her expression sullen, staring blankly at some undetermined point.

Not wanting to be recognized, Qin Yao quietly shifted to conceal herself behind Wang Yingning. When she saw that the Princess Consort had taken no notice of her at all, she relaxed and stole a glance at her, feeling a vague sense of strangeness — the makeup on the Princess Consort’s face seemed to be growing ever more youthfully pink and bright. Though she was indeed young — only seventeen or eighteen — she was, after all, a princess consort by rank, and this sort of ingenuously girlish style of makeup was entirely ill-suited to her station.

And why had she not gone to soak in the rear hall hot spring pool? Why was she here mixing in with Princess Kangping and the rest of them?

She was still mulling this over when she suddenly felt something ice-cold brush past her beneath the water’s surface. She startled, then caught herself, and quickly looked down — but there was nothing at her feet at all. The cold sensation had already faded in an instant, until it was no longer perceptible.

Qin Yao remained still and sensed her surroundings for a moment. The others went on chatting and laughing as before, the spring water continued its ceaseless flow, and nothing seemed amiss. She furrowed her brow slightly and reluctantly set the unease aside for now.

Xia Yuan sat at the edge of the spring, idly trailing her straight and slender legs through the water. She was not looking at the spring — her gaze was fixed quietly on Qin Yao. Seeing Qin Yao’s lovely face, her fine and slender figure, her snow-white skin gleaming like pure crystal in the light of the glass lanterns, something pricked inside Xia Yuan. She said abruptly, “Kangping, Ah-Qi — we’ve been cooped up in the academy grounds for so long, it’s been ages since we’ve been out in the city. Once the academy lets out for the break in a few days, shall we go to Zhaixing Tower to pick out some jewelry?”

Princess Kangping was puzzled. “Didn’t we just buy a lot of jewelry recently? Isn’t the hairpin in your hair a new one you just got?”

Chen Yuqi smiled and said, “The Princess is only half right. It’s true Ah-Yuan has been adding quite a few pieces lately — but the apricot blossom pin in her hair isn’t one she bought for herself. Someone gave it to her.”

At these words, all the young women simultaneously looked toward the hairpin in Xia Yuan’s hair. Even the Princess Consort of Lan gave a slight start and began to study the pin with careful eyes.

“Who gave it to her?” Princess Kangping said bluntly.

Chen Yuqi glanced at Xia Yuan and said with a smile, “Why, naturally it was—”

Xia Yuan’s face flushed red. She made as if to clap a hand over Chen Yuqi’s mouth. “Don’t talk nonsense.”

Chen Yuqi laughed and dodged aside. “All right, all right, I won’t say it, I won’t say it. Still, East Sea cold jade is far too rare and precious — even a shop as grand as Zhaixing Tower or Runyu Studio might only come by a palm-sized piece of it in a year, enough to fashion perhaps two hairpins at most. We’d only need to go to those two shops and ask who purchased an East Sea cold jade pin, and we’d know in no time. I for one want to see who put such thought and care into this — and was generous enough to spend so lavishly.”

Xia Yuan huffed, “Trust you to be clever. I won’t let you go and ask.”

The others, their curiosity piqued, swam over to Chen Yuqi and pressed her with questions from every direction.

In the midst of all the laughter and teasing, the Princess Consort of Lan — who had not spoken a word throughout — suddenly scooped a handful of water, turned, and swam toward the bank, calling out, “Nanny Li, bring my clothes. I’m going back to the bedchamber to rest.”

Nanny Li acknowledged the order, fetched the clothes, and after a moment walked to the edge of the spring, bent over, and extended a hand as if to help the Princess Consort up.

Just then, however, Chen Yuqi and Xia Yuan’s playful scuffling grew too lively — unable to endure Chen Yuqi’s tickling, Xia Yuan’s body pitched sideways and knocked against Nanny Li’s lower leg.

And then the Princess Consort of Lan cast Nanny Li a meaningful glance. Nanny Li gave the faintest nod, and her lower leg shifted — barely perceptibly.

A sharp cry of surprise from Xia Yuan — and her hairpin flew off as if by some mysterious force, striking the ground with a sharp ring and shattering into pieces.

Only then did the Princess Consort of Lan’s expression ease. But she swiftly arranged her face into an expression of dismay and exclaimed, “Oh dear, what is to be done about this?”

Nanny Li dropped to her knees with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly. “This servant deserves death, this servant deserves death.”

The expression on Xia Yuan’s face shifted instantly from sunshine to storm. She stared at the shattered hairpin, long and unspeaking. All the other young women were startled by the sudden turn of events; they looked back and forth between Xia Yuan and the Princess Consort, and the spring fell so quiet that a falling needle could have been heard. No one dared to speak.

Qin Yao had been watching with rapt interest when she suddenly felt the cold intensify beneath the water. An ice-cold hand, chilly as frost, closed around her ankle. Her expression changed at once. Without thinking, she channeled her energy and drove a powerful strike downward into the water.

The hand gripping her ankle recoiled as though scalded, and instantly released her, moving away to the side.

Qin Yao immediately dove beneath the surface — and just barely glimpsed something flash before her eyes, vanishing at speed into the darker depths of the spring ahead. Without a second thought, she dove after it in pursuit.

Above, the other young women’s attention remained fixed on the Princess Consort and Xia Yuan. No one noticed the faint ripples that rose briefly on the surface of the water and then smoothed back into stillness.