Mu Mu could be a stubbornly resolute person at times. Once he had decided upon something and felt it was worth doing, he would see it through no matter what.

Like now — to protect Feng Jiu’er, he had been using his inner energy every day to force himself to cough up blood in front of everyone, making himself appear this frail and weakened.

Ye Luosha had indeed been deterred from making any rash moves. But Feng Jiu’er naturally could not permit him to keep injuring his own body.

There was less than two days’ journey remaining until they reached Phoenix City. If they traveled for a full day tomorrow, passing through that stretch of no-man’s-land ahead, they would likely arrive around midday the day after.

“Tomorrow morning I’ll use silver needles to seal your pressure points and make your complexion appear even paler. But coughing up blood — that is absolutely not permitted from now on.”

As she settled Mu Mu down to sleep, Feng Jiu’er spoke with complete seriousness: “You are absolutely forbidden from using inner energy to force yourself to cough up blood. Did you hear me?”

If this continued, how could his body possibly hold up? Moreover, they would be arriving in Phoenix City very soon — there was no need to put himself through any more of this.

Mu Mu said nothing, only gazing at her in his calm way.

Feng Jiu’er had no way of knowing whether this man had actually listened or not. In any case, his stubbornness was no less formidable than the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s.

“I’m going to tidy myself up a little. You sleep first — I’ll be back shortly.”

Jiu’er made to leave, but Mu Mu suddenly sat up on the bed. “I’ll go with you.”

Jiu’er was a little exasperated. “Surely you don’t need to accompany me even when I’m using the outhouse?”

Mu Mu’s ears grew faintly warm, and he finally lay back down on the bed. “Two incense sticks’ worth of time. If you’re not back by then, I’ll come find you.”

“I’ll be back in one incense stick’s time.” She truly could not take much more of this! He was clingy to such a degree that even an infant only a few months old would have to yield to him.

Jiu’er turned and walked out of the room, intending to draw some water from the old well nearby. She had just reached it when, unexpectedly, she caught sight of a figure flickering past at the edge of her vision.

Cold Moon? What was going on? Had she not been kept under watch by Emperor Ji these past few days, forbidden from going out alone?

The direction she was heading was clearly toward the rear courtyard. Could it be that Cold Moon was trying to slip away through the back?

Feng Jiu’er’s heart gave a sudden jolt, and her brows furrowed immediately.

She absolutely could not let Cold Moon leave like this. She knew far too much — and having been bound by Emperor Ji for days on end, her heart must be overflowing with grievances by now.

Cold Moon at this moment — there was no way of knowing whose side she was on. Even if she truly had feelings for the Ninth Imperial Uncle, what if she bore a grudge?

Jiu’er set down the wooden bucket and quickened her pace in pursuit.

Cold Moon alone was not someone she needed to feel particularly threatened by. Although she had been occupied with caring for Mu Mu during this time, the inner cultivation method that Xue Gu had taught her before — she had been practicing it every single day.

The Cold Moon of today was no longer her match.

In the rear courtyard, Cold Moon was indeed making to leave. It was unclear how she had managed to free herself from the ropes Emperor Ji had bound her with, but one way or another, she had successfully escaped.

Feng Jiu’er took a stride forward. Cold Moon had only just slipped out through the rear courtyard and stepped onto the path leading up the back mountain when Jiu’er cut her off.

“Where do you think you’re going?” If she had not happened to go to the old well for water tonight and caught a glimpse of her by chance, this woman might truly have gotten away.

Carrying so many secrets — how could she be allowed to escape?

“What does it have to do with you?” Cold Moon let out a cold snort and immediately thrust a palm strike at her.

But she was far weaker than Feng Jiu’er had imagined. Jiu’er simply received the strike casually, and Cold Moon was knocked straight to the ground by the impact. Her mouth opened, and she nearly coughed up blood on the spot.

“You know too much. I cannot let you leave. Now come with me to see Elder Di.” Feng Jiu’er stepped forward.

Cold Moon scrambled back two steps on the ground, glaring at her with fury. “Feng Jiu’er, what makes you think you’re any better than me? You seduced the Revered One, and now you’re entangled with Mu Mu — and before that, you had that murky involvement with Nanmen Xu! Feng Jiu’er, you shameless woman — have you not even a shred of decency?”

“I only want to go find the Revered One and tell him every one of your crimes! What have I done wrong?”

Jiu’er had already closed the distance between them, and reached out to seize her.

Cold Moon cried out in fury, “Feng Jiu’er, you hypocrite! You bully me like this — you will come to no good end!”

“Whether I come to a good end or not is not yours to decide.” Jiu’er’s hand landed on her shoulder. Cold Moon tried to resist, but suddenly felt a sharp, searing pain shoot through her shoulder.

In an instant, she lost every last bit of ability to resist.

“Feng Jiu’er… do you really think you’ve already won against me?” Suddenly, a glimmer flickered in her eyes, and the corners of her lips curled into a peculiar smile that Jiu’er could not see through.

“You’re getting ahead of yourself. Why don’t you look at who is standing behind you?”

Someone was behind her!

Jiu’er spun around swiftly — and to her shock, she truly saw two white-clad figures drifting lightly down through the night air.

Such formidable martial arts, such extraordinary skill — an existence that even Jiu’er had been completely unable to sense. If not the Butterfly Mistress, who else could it be?

She had actually come. Was this a coincidence of timing, or had all of this been a trap from the very beginning?

Cold Moon wrenched herself free with a sharp tug, rolling twice across the ground before struggling to her feet.

She looked at the Butterfly Mistress, and said with a sly, chilling smile: “Mistress, I’ve lured her out. Mu Mu will likely sense that Feng Jiu’er is gone very soon. If you’re going to make your move, do it quickly!”

“Silence!” Hu Shuang gave her a cool, dismissive glance. She had always held women who schemed against others from behind in contempt.

Her voice was cold as she said: “It is not your place to tell the Mistress what to do.”

“Hu Shuang, why so cold toward someone?” The Butterfly Mistress was in remarkably good spirits tonight.

She stepped forward — you could not make out what manner of footwork she used, yet in the blink of an eye, she had already closed to within ten paces of Feng Jiu’er.

That lightness technique — it was simply extraordinary.

The Butterfly Mistress smiled warmly and said: “If it had not been for Cold Moon sending word, how would I have known that Feng Jiu’er had come here again? I simply came to catch up with an old acquaintance.”

She had not the slightest worry that this would alert Mu Mu. Had it not been said that Mu Mu had sustained a grave injury and was presently unable to use martial arts?

Feng Jiu’er turned to look at Cold Moon, her eyes blazing with fury. But Cold Moon only smiled and said: “So angry already? Did you not know that when the Revered One had my adoptive father escort you away that previous time, it was I who informed the Butterfly Mistress and had her personally bring you back?”

“Oh, right — to keep my adoptive father occupied and distracted, I even gave myself a sword wound. If you think about it, I owe you nothing. After all, I also suffered a considerable injury.”

“You madwoman!” So the last time she had nearly died at the Butterfly Mistress’s hands, it had all been engineered by Cold Moon.

Jiu’er bit her lip, and then suddenly raised her hand, flinging an invisible, colorless powder toward the Butterfly Mistress standing behind her.

“Mistress, watch out!” Hu Shuang immediately moved to stand before the Butterfly Mistress, shielding her.

When both of them looked up, they saw Feng Jiu’er lightly tap the ground with the tips of her feet, spring gracefully up onto the top of the high wall, and make to slip back into the courtyard.

Cold Moon cried out urgently: “Ye Luosha and Elder Shi and my adoptive father are all inside — she can’t be allowed back in!”