Feng Qianqian landed on a rooftop, recalling the location of the Prime Minister’s Mansion in her mind.
On the street, a team from the Patrol Battalion was on patrol.
Under Emperor Huiwen’s rule, the Great Zhou Kingdom enjoyed peace and prosperity, with no curfew in place.
The moon hung over the willow branches, and the streets were sparsely populated, mostly by those out for leisure.
Some headed to brothels, while others emerged from taverns.
Feng Qianqian used her Qinggong on the rooftops, swiftly leaping toward the Prime Minister’s Mansion…
In an elegant private room at Zui Xian Lou, the window was open, and two men of distinguished appearance were drinking.
One was dressed in black robes, wearing a horned ghost mask that concealed his face—he was Nangong Li, the Sovereign Lord of the Netherworld Hall.
The other was the Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo’s Mansion.
Su Zimo, Nangong Li’s cousin from his aunt’s side.
Now twenty years old, he shared a close bond with Nangong Li.
As they gazed at the vast starry sky, Su Zimo sighed, “What should I do? My mother is pressuring me to marry again, and she’s issued an ultimatum.”
Nangong Li gave him a peculiar look. “What’s so difficult about that? Just find someone suitable and marry her. Then Aunt won’t bother you anymore.”
Su Zimo glared at him. “Are you even my cousin? You have no sympathy at all.”
“I’ve made up my mind. If my mother keeps pushing me, I’ll become a monk.”
“Besides, you’re not married either, and you’re a year older than me. Why should I be in a hurry?”
“…”
The moonlight was like water, and a cool breeze blew outside, bringing a sense of comfort.
As they talked, both men instinctively looked out the window.
At that moment, a white figure flashed past the rooftop opposite them, leaping far into the distance in an instant. When they looked again, the figure had vanished.
Nangong Li frowned. [Such impressive Qinggong! When did the capital have someone with such skill? Could it be a spy from an enemy state?]
In a single leap, he sprang from the window, heading straight for the white figure.
“We came here to drink!”
Su Zimo sighed again. “Your leg is injured like that, and you’re still trying to play the hero and catch thieves? Tsk!”
Feng Qianqian wanted to reach Chancellor Feng’s mansion quickly but suddenly sensed someone following her.
She glanced back and frowned—a person wearing a ghost mask was chasing her.
Feng Qianqian felt indignant. [Why is he chasing me? Is he insane? I’m not a fugitive!]
Casually, she took out a butterfly mask and put it on, covering most of her face.
A smirk curled her lips. [Trying to catch me? No way!] She continued flying forward.
Nangong Li, too, felt a surge of competitiveness. He seemed to have encountered a formidable opponent, igniting his desire to conquer. He was determined to find out who this woman was.
In the quiet ancient streets and alleys, a masked black figure darted like a ghostly shadow.
Nangong Li’s Qinggong was exceptional; each step landed silently, with only the rustle of his robes in the wind betraying his presence.
Moonlight bathed the flowing white robes of Feng Qianqian, who wore a butterfly mask, as if she had descended from the moon palace, surrounded by a faint, ethereal glow.
Her toes lightly touched the ground, her movements graceful as falling leaves in the wind or swallows soaring through the clouds, gliding freely in the night sky.
She darted left and right, forward and back, weaving through the darkness, a mesmerizing sight.
As she ran, Feng Qianqian occasionally glanced back, her eyes filled with confusion.
She couldn’t understand—she hadn’t done anything wrong, so why was a master chasing her relentlessly in the dead of night…
Two middle-aged men were just leaving the tavern, staggering as they walked, their feet seemingly out of control.
Suddenly, a black and a white figure flashed swiftly above them.
A man in a blue robe pointed at the sky in fright, shouting, “Black and White Impermanence! Ghosts, ghosts!”
A man in gray robes looked around. “Where are the ghosts? I don’t see any. Brother Xu, you must be drunk and seeing things.”
The blue-robed man rubbed his eyes and looked around again, but the figures of the Black and White Fiends were nowhere to be seen.
He began to doubt himself, muttering, “Maybe I really am too drunk. There’s nothing there.”
Before he could finish speaking, the gray-robed man turned pale, his voice louder as he cried out, “Black and White Impermanence!”
With that, he turned and ran.
The blue-robed man looked up. “Ghosts!”
Instantly, all the drunkenness vanished. The two men fled in opposite directions, shouting as they ran, “Ghosts are coming! Black and White Impermanence are here to catch people! Run!”
The night was quiet, with not even a whisper of wind to be heard. Only the cries of “ghosts” echoed through the streets. Even those who hadn’t seen anything shouted and hurried home.
They decided: they could no longer go out at night!
In an instant, the once-silent streets became eerily lively…
After an unknown length of time, Feng Qianqian simply stopped running.
She slowly descended onto the roof of a four-story building. Her already ethereal white dress fluttered in the breeze, making her look like a celestial being descending to the mortal world.
Nangong Li stopped opposite her.
Facing the man, Feng Qianqian clenched her fists tightly, clearly prepared for battle.
“Who are you?
I have no grievances with you from the past, nor any recent grudges. Why are you chasing me in the middle of the night?”
The woman’s voice carried anger, yet it also revealed an unyielding resilience and domineering spirit.
Nangong Li’s eyes were as deep as a pool, seemingly able to see through people’s hearts.
Hearing this voice and tone, he suddenly felt a sense of familiarity: it was the little demoness. No, the little demoness’s voice was hoarse.
“I have my reasons for chasing you. Who are you?”
The man’s voice was low and powerful, each word seeming to carry immense weight.
Fury surged in Feng Qianqian’s heart, and she threw a punch at Nangong Li…
The two engaged in a thrilling confrontation in the narrow alley.
Nangong Li’s Qinggong was exceptional, his movements elusive. He didn’t attack proactively, only dodged.
The more he dodged, the angrier Feng Qianqian became. She grew stubborn, determined to subdue Nangong Li…
Nangong Li grew more and more excited as they fought: it had been a long time since he encountered such a formidable opponent. A faint smile played on his lips.
Suddenly, Nangong Li unleashed a deadly move, striking directly at Feng Qianqian’s Acupoint.
Feng Qianqian was startled and retaliated by slapping him with a punch, her eyes blazing with fury. “Looking for death!”