“Achoo!” Early in the morning, Feng Jiu’er was jolted awake by two sneezes of her own.

First thing in the morning — who on earth was cursing her?

Rubbing her eyes, she went to turn over, only to discover she had been sleeping in the crook of a man’s arm, his hand still resting on her body.

Feng Jiu’er froze, then flew into a furious panic!

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, you hypocrite! You——” She turned her head, caught sight of the half-mask on his face, and instantly swallowed every word back down.

Jiu’er bit her lip, acutely sensing a thread of icy coldness seeping from that man — chilling in a way that defied description.

“Lord Sovereign, I——”

“When did you find out?” Di Wu Ya sat up, his eyes dropping to fix upon her.

Feng Jiu’er had no desire to admit anything. Was it too late to deny it now? “That — know, kn-know what? Lord Sovereign, you’re awake? Are you… hungry?”

Suddenly, her wrist was seized in his grip. Feng Jiu’er’s heart lurched in panic, and on pure instinct she thrust a palm outward.

“The true energy in your body was bestowed by this Prince. Are you certain you can harm this Prince?”

Those words made Feng Jiu’er’s striking force collapse back into nothing in an instant.

“Lord — Lord Sovereign, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I… I don’t know anything.”

Finished. She had just told him, right to his face, that she knew he was the Ninth Prince.

The Lord Sovereign of the Tianzon Sect — listed by the imperial court as a top-priority fugitive — was none other than the Ninth Prince, who held absolute power over the Bei Mu court. And she had dared to know this secret.

Feng Jiu’er felt as though storm clouds were massing directly over her head. This time, she was done for.

Would Ninth Imperial Uncle kill her to silence her?

“You should know that your talent for playing the fool is nothing but a joke in this Prince’s eyes.”

“But I’ve deceived no small number of people!” How dare he call her a joke! That was going too far! She refused to accept it!

“So you admit it?” Di Wu Ya narrowed his eyes. The all-consuming cold that radiated from him was enough to freeze the very air around him.

Feng Jiu’er shrank back, this time genuinely terrified. “Ninth Imperial Uncle…”

“Those who know this Prince’s identity, if they are not this Prince’s people — they are all dead.”

“I am your person! Ninth Imperial Uncle, I am your person!” Feng Jiu’er lunged at him, throwing both arms around his, “Ninth Imperial Uncle, I… I am your person!”

Sob, sob, sob — this was terrifying. These were absolutely not idle words; they were a real, unmistakable threat.

She was not someone who failed to grasp the gravity of things. A secret this severe had been discovered by her, and the likelihood of not being silenced was truly vanishingly small.

She was genuinely afraid, because she knew that no matter what, she could not possibly overpower Ninth Imperial Uncle.

Di Wu Ya looked down at her. The little girl’s fear in this moment was real — even if she loved playing the fool, she was no true fool.

“This name you call me, ‘Ninth Imperial Uncle’ — if it were to reach anyone outside, you would be dead without question.”

“I know — you are Lord Sovereign!” Feng Jiu’er raised her head to meet his gaze, and let out a long, fervent breath of relief. “I understand the weight of this matter.”

When all was said and done, the man before her was far more dangerous than any commander of the Longwu Army or the Imperial Guards.

Even if she fell into the Empress’s hands, she still felt she would have some chance of escaping.

But fallen into Ninth Imperial Uncle’s hands — if he wished to silence her, there was a one hundred percent, absolute certainty she would not survive.

It was not that she despaired; it was simply that this man was so overwhelmingly powerful it left no room to breathe.

“Remember the words you have spoken today.” Di Wu Ya tilted her chin up, making her look directly at him. “You — are this Prince’s person.”

She said nothing. She simply nodded.

If she did not want to die, what other choice was there but to nod?

Yet there was still one lingering question: “Being Lord Sovereign’s person — what would I need to… do?” Surely he would not have her go around killing and setting fires?