The other party said nothing and continued raising his hand to attack.
An Jue no longer asked questions. He gradually gained the upper hand, but when his opponent saw that he could not defeat him, he changed his tactics. One of the Twin Yue Axes carried a biting chilling swordflash as it swept toward Jiang Yiyun.
She had watched for quite some time and had gained some understanding of that weapon, so she easily received the attack.
“What a lively place this is. This seat can hardly bear to disturb it.”
The three were greatly startled, and the battle abruptly ceased. From the tone of the voice, Jiang Yiyun knew who had arrived.
What was astonishing was that no one knew when the newcomer had arrived; he had come without making the slightest sound.
“You vile dog, what are you doing here?”
Unable to control her emotions, she cursed as soon as she opened her mouth. Her former composure had completely vanished.
“Heh, the name ‘vile dog’ truly does not suit my appearance. Miss, could you change the way you address me?”
“Stop wasting words.” With that, she drew her sword and thrust it forward.
This strike showed clear improvement, greatly delighting Gu Hanjue as well. After all, in his inner heart, he had been looking forward to meeting this woman before him again.
After several exchanges, the two paused briefly. Gu Hanjue smiled and said, “Why have you come to the forbidden grounds of the imperial palace today? Could it be that miss cannot stop thinking about me?”
He considered himself fairly self-controlled, yet whenever he saw the woman before him, he could not help wanting to tease her to her face.
The two exchanged blows back and forth, leaving the other two nearby unsure how to intervene.
Although this place was deserted and abandoned, strangely enough, it still alarmed the imperial palace guards. Footsteps drew near, and there were quite a number of them; torches flickered faintly in the distance.
The four, still embroiled in battle, temporarily ceased fighting.
Jiang Yiyun exchanged a glance with An Jue, and they both understood: they could no longer remain here. The four fled in different directions.
What puzzled Jiang Yiyun was why Gu Hanjue had fled as well. Who in the imperial palace would dare stop him? Even if he were discovered, no one would dare convict him of anything.
There was no time to think further, so she hurriedly searched for a concealed place.
Avoiding pursuit was not difficult for her. After about the time it takes for one incense stick to burn, she looked all around and listened quietly to the movements nearby. Discovering that there seemed to be no one within a wide area, she returned to Huanming Palace.
Even such caution was insufficient when someone was more capable than she was—for example, Gu Hanjue, who had been silently following her from the shadows...
Meanwhile, the person wielding the Twin Yue Axes had instantly vanished into the dark night when the guards were alerted, but discovered that An Jue had been following close behind. It seemed he was not fleeing, but pursuing him.
The vast imperial palace was like a maze. Combined with its high ridges and upturned eaves, layered and crisscrossing above them, it put their qinggong to an even greater test.
Neither of them was lacking in qinggong. He could not shake him off, yet he could not catch him either.
After an unknown amount of time, the person in front stopped. The person behind maintained the same distance and also ceased his pursuit.
After a moment of silence, An Jue asked, “Who are you, exactly?”
“Surely you have not formed even the slightest guess?” the person finally said.
A trace of emotion appeared in An Jue’s eyes. “You... are Tu Chong.”
He had already guessed the other party’s identity. The man called Tu Chong slowly removed his mask, revealing a face all too familiar to An Jue.
Unlike An Jue’s sharply defined features, Tu Chong’s face was gentler, and the moonlight made his skin appear even fairer.
He offered a long-awaited greeting: “Long time no see, senior brother.”
An Jue stood stunned for a long time.
“I knew it. Senior brother would never forget me.” Tu Chong gave a wicked smile and spoke with deep emotion.
The two stood atop separate roof ridges, their rustling black-clad attire lending them an even more mysterious air.
Jiang Yiyun was having no easy time of it. She had just evaded the guards’ pursuit and search, only to return to Huanming Palace and coincidentally encounter the empress dowager.
Who could have known that Huanming Palace would be so lively today? Forces from every side had gathered there. This usually dilapidated and desolate place had unexpectedly gained a trace of human presence.
She swore that if there was a next time, she would calculate an auspicious time before coming here, then burn a stick of incense.
When she saw the empress dowager quietly approach from not far away, she was deeply shocked. After thinking it over, she realized that what her master had said was indeed true.
This place was openly called forbidden ground, yet to some people it was a hiding place for secrets. Surely every kind of shameful dealings within the imperial palace left traces here.
The empress dowager walked calmly toward the place alone.
She wore black cloaks, revealing a captivating face. She was the empress dowager, yet the title seemed extremely unsuitable for her.
Although she was no longer in the bloom of youth, she was not yet forty and remained a peerless beauty. After some careful grooming, with an apricot-shaped face, peach-like cheeks, vermilion lips, and jade-like features, she possessed an utterly graceful bearing.
Jiang Yiyun hid in the shadows, guessing that the empress dowager must be waiting for someone.
Sure enough, before long, someone approached lightly, looking all around as he walked, afraid of being discovered.
The empress dowager said to him, “Why have you only just arrived?”
The man had his back to Jiang Yiyun, preventing her from seeing his face clearly for the moment, but his figure was extremely familiar.
“What is it? Were you so anxious to see me?” the man said with a laugh.
Hearing his voice, Jiang Yiyun became even more certain that he was someone she had met before. She simply was not familiar enough with him to recall who he was at once.
The empress dowager cast a sidelong glance at the man before her and said with some displeasure, “A large number of guards were dispatched just now. Did you not know?”
The man was unconcerned. “And what of it? This place is still perfectly quiet. It was probably some wildcat or a pair of amorous mandarin ducks that accidentally alarmed them. Even if that were truly the case, it could not have happened here. Not to mention people—even a ghost would not be found here. Who would have the courage to come?”
Jiang Yiyun scrutinized the man. He wore an embroidered uniform with a broad sash, and the jade crown on his head was clearly worth a fortune. He was evidently some high-ranking official or powerful nobleman in the imperial court.
The empress dowager clicked her tongue. “Enough. What exactly did you come to see me about today?”
The man chuckled and replied, “It is nothing. I merely missed you, so I asked you to come here.”
“What?” The empress dowager looked incredulous. “You came here at such risk merely to see me once? Are you insane?”
“For the sake of seeing a beauty, I would naturally risk death to come here. Ever since I saw you, I have been a madman. Since then, when have I ever not been reckless?”
The information contained in their exchange was too shocking. No one could fail to see that the two had an illicit relationship, and Jiang Yiyun, hidden in the shadows, was equally astonished.
“You really have gone too far. Do not do this again.” The empress dowager suddenly grew angry and, after speaking, swept her sleeve and prepared to leave.
The man blocked her path. “You truly are heartless. If you had not received my full support back then, would you have the glory and prosperity you enjoy today?”
Seeing his attitude change, the empress dowager gave a cold laugh. “Likewise. Your position in the imperial court today—do you really have no idea how much I supported you behind the scenes?”
Seeing that the empress dowager had also become angry, the man realized that continuing would tear their relationship apart. He therefore smiled and said, “Heh heh, since we are both on the same boat, why must you be so heartless?”
Jiang Yiyun’s attention was entirely focused on their conversation and the man’s identity, so she failed to notice that someone had quietly come up behind her.
The person shifted slightly to the side. Jiang Yiyun only needed to turn her head a little farther to see his face.
The empress dowager did not wish to remain any longer, so she said, “Since we are on the same boat, we should consider one another. It would be best for us to meet less often from now on. One must be cautious to sail a ship for ten thousand years.”
The man blocked her again. “Since you are already here, why hurry to leave? An opportunity like this is hard to come by.”
The empress dowager said, “Move aside. Do not block my way.”
“Hmph.” The man snorted coldly. “What, are you planning to burn the bridge after crossing it? You and I have long been unable to escape this entanglement. Since when have you become so timid? You and I began our affair when the former emperor was still on the throne. We have done it countless times in secret. What is there to worry about now?”
Jiang Yiyun had just shifted her body when she heard those words. Her heart jolted, and, losing her footing, she made a sound.
Suddenly, a cold yet slender hand clamped over her mouth. Then her arms were forced behind her back and bound tightly.
“Who?” The man was greatly startled. He looked all around—and his face was revealed.