The presence atop the rooftop suddenly intensified — and then, just as inexplicably, departed.

Emperor Ji looked out toward the exterior and furrowed his brow. “They… appear to have encountered something urgent.”

Zhan Luori set down his cup, rose from his seat, walked to the window, and glanced outside.

Though the figures were already gone, the trace of tension from just moments ago still lingered around his heart even now.

He had never encountered anyone so formidable — so formidable an adversary.

A presence like that — had it not been for the fact that another person with slightly lesser martial arts was accompanying her, he would never have detected it at all.

Emperor Ji also let out a breath of relief. If the person from earlier had truly descended, who could say what the present situation might have become.

But what exactly had they encountered, that they left in such urgent haste?

Just a moment ago, that person had clearly been about to come down.

Had she not intended to descend, she would not have allowed her own presence to become detectable — and he likely would never have sensed her at all.

Zhan Luori’s gaze drifted instinctively toward the inner chamber.

Within the inner chamber, behind the curtained bed, a figure sat cross-legged.

Quietly and still, she appeared to be cultivating — or perhaps lost in thought.

What had just transpired seemed to have nothing to do with her whatsoever, and yet he seemed to sense that they had been mere moments away from two supreme martial arts masters coming to blows.

“Reverend, I must apologize for summoning you here these past days and disturbing your peaceful cultivation.”

Emperor Ji cupped his fist toward her and said, “However, for the time being, I ask that the Reverend continue to remain in the manor, as a precaution.”

The Reverend within remained absolutely still, with no reaction whatsoever — as though she had entered a profound meditative state.

Yet Emperor Ji knew that whatever they said, the Reverend could hear.

Zhan Luori couldn’t help stealing a few more glances at her.

This Reverend was truly peculiar. After the Ninth Imperial Uncle had invited her here, she had simply sat behind the curtained bed in the inner chamber without pause — it was impossible to tell whether she was cultivating.

Nearly a month had passed. Each day she ate only one meal and went out only once to relieve herself.

No words, no interaction with anyone. Apart from sitting cross-legged, she paid no attention to any matter outside.

When she sat in meditation, her presence — just like that “Mistress” on the eaves just now — became entirely imperceptible.

An ordinary person could not sustain such a life, yet the Reverend managed it with apparent ease.

He had no idea where the Ninth Imperial Uncle had found such a remarkable person of the world — but then again, all extraordinary people tended to have their share of peculiar habits.

So although Zhan Luori was curious, he did not dare to inquire.

“Senior Emperor Ji, did you manage to make out why they left so abruptly?”

The person with the slightly inferior martial arts atop the roof had clearly been reporting something — but the distance was too great, and that person’s inner energy was no shallow matter either. Though he had listened with great attention, he had not had a single chance to make out the words.

Emperor Ji shook his head. That woman’s martial arts were not below his own — at best, the two could fight to a draw. So when she was reporting to her mistress up on the roof, he could not catch even half a clear sentence.

Zhan Luori felt a pang of helplessness.

The Ninth Imperial Uncle had already been away for nearly a month. At this point, no one had any idea where he and Feng Jiu’er and the others were.

Since they had departed Phoenix City, all trace of them had vanished. Not even a single piece of new information had been sent back over all these days.

That said, since neither of them had heard anything — perhaps the Reverend…

“Reverend?” Zhan Luori looked again into the inner chamber, and was immediately struck dumb.

The Reverend who had been sitting behind the curtained bed all this time — where had she gone? Why was there no trace of her to be found?

Emperor Ji was also startled, and immediately propelled his wheelchair inside.

But behind the silk curtain of the inner chamber, there was already no sign of the Reverend.

“Where is she?” Zhan Luori lifted the curtain — and still saw no shadow of the Reverend whatsoever.

“At this hour, she would not normally go out.” Each day, her single outing was always at midnight.

Nearly a month, and that habit had never changed.

So why had today been different? Had she gone to eat, or to relieve herself?

Yet why was there a faint unease in his heart — a feeling that once the Reverend left this time, she would not be returning any time soon?

“My lord — Your Highness!”

Yu Jingfeng came rushing in from outside in frantic haste, and without even time to knock, threw the door wide open.

“What could possibly cause such a fright?” Emperor Ji’s expression darkened.

Yu Jingfeng was the most capable and dependable aide at His Highness’s side. To carry on like this — what sort of conduct was that?

“The Reverend — the Reverend, she—” Yu Jingfeng looked at the two of them, then looked at the inner chamber’s curtained bed. Indeed, there was no sign of the Reverend.

Then the figure he had seen just now was unquestionably the Reverend herself.

“What has happened to the Reverend?” Emperor Ji asked urgently.

“She rode one of the horses from the stables and left the manor.”

“Why?” The matter was not yet concluded — and those figures from the rooftop just now, no one knew when they might return.

That “Mistress” alone, with a martial prowess so formidable it defied calculation, was absolutely beyond the ability of anyone presently in this manor to withstand.

The Reverend was gone. If that “Mistress” returned without warning, what were they to do?

The fact that the Ninth Prince was not in the manor — that secret was on the verge of being exposed.

“Could the report that person made just now have been overheard by the Reverend? Could something have happened on the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s side?”

Zhan Luori was now equally alarmed.

Ever since the Ninth Imperial Uncle had sent someone to summon him here — and he had inexplicably been made to disguise himself to look like the Ninth Imperial Uncle — his nerves had not had a single moment’s rest.

Unless it was a matter of the utmost importance, the Ninth Imperial Uncle would never have someone impersonate him.

He had later learned, upon asking, that the Ninth Imperial Uncle intended to accompany Feng Jiu’er in leaving the Bei Mu nation. That news had left him unable to eat or sleep soundly.

Leaving the Bei Mu nation — a matter of such enormous gravity, and yet the Ninth Imperial Uncle had not thought to consult anyone about it.

Though, of course, knowing the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s temperament — this sort of thing would never be discussed with anyone. That much was certain.

But it was simply too reckless. What if word leaked? What if those factions united and launched an assault on Phoenix City?

“What do we do now? Should we send someone to bring the Reverend back?”

Yu Jingfeng was deeply regretful. He had watched with his own eyes as the Reverend departed — why had he not thought to try to stop her?

But that truly could not be held against him. Who could have known that the Reverend, who had been sitting in meditation for so long, giving every impression of deep contemplative stillness, would suddenly decide to leave?

He had not been able to react in time, which was why he had stood there watching her go without knowing to step in and stop her.

But then again — even if he had gone forward to block her way, as long as the Reverend had decided to leave, how could anyone have stopped her?

With so many people in the entire manor, the truth was that Yu Jingfeng had only ever seen the Reverend speak to the Prince.

Aside from His Highness, in the nearly a month since the Reverend had come to the manor — when had she ever exchanged so much as a word with anyone else?

What were they to do now?

“Do not panic. Do not lose your footing.”

Emperor Ji raised a hand in a calming gesture. After a moment of contemplation, he said, “If the Reverend is determined to leave, it is beyond our power to stop her — and even less possible to bring her back.”

A peerless master such as she — it was always at her own choosing when she wished to be found. Ordinary people hoping to locate her was no simple matter whatsoever.

Going in pursuit was out of the question. But why had she left in such haste — what could her purpose possibly be?