The two individuals looked rather suspicious, having sat there for a long time before anyone else entered.
Ji Mian slowed down her eating pace and cocked her ear to listen to the conversation between the two behind her.
“Isn’t this the Xuanwu Sect? They just changed their sect master, and it seems she has some personal grievance with the Empress. I heard that after her audience in the palace a few days ago, Her Majesty suddenly claimed illness and stopped holding court.”
…
Lin Qingye sat without moving, reaching out to press down on the hand Ji Mian was using to pick up her cup. Her earlobes twitched slightly.
She set down her chopsticks, her expression changing slightly.
“Let’s go. The government soldiers are coming.”
Ji Mian tried to listen along like Lin Qingye, but she heard nothing at all. Feeling a bit dazed, she obediently stood up, put on her veil, and blended into the crowd.
Not long after they left, a squad of soldiers clad in armor broke through the door to search the place.
The one leading the group stepped into the center, raised the Empress’s token in her hand, and barked sternly at everyone present.
“We have heard rumors discussing state affairs here, and we are acting on orders to search the premises.”
This was likely just an excuse; their whereabouts had probably been leaked the moment they entered the city.
Huo Ran was currently caught in a difficult position beyond her control. Since the city was full of the Xuanwu Sect’s informants, finding them was merely a matter of time, not difficulty.
Lin Qingye hid Ji Mian in a dark alley next to a pile of debris. When slipping inside, she pried open a wooden plank amidst swirling dust and ash. Ji Mian covered her mouth and nose, suppressing a low cough that she couldn’t seem to stop, which left the rims of her eyes slightly red and her pupils glistening with tiny tears.
Her breathing suddenly turned somewhat hurried. Lin Qingye’s gaze drifted, refusing to spare even a flicker of peripheral vision for Ji Mian as she stared straight ahead. In the narrow space, Ji Mian fancied she could hear their intertwined heartbeats pounding heavily, carrying an indefinable, ambiguous undertone.
Ji Mian swallowed hard out of nervousness, turning her head away to avoid looking at Lin Qingye. She grew so bored she started counting the tiny black dots on the wall.
A long while later, Lin Qingye finally stood up and parted ways with her. A thin layer of sweat had formed where their bodies had pressed together, feeling surprisingly cool when the breeze swept past.
“The people of the Xuanwu Sect know our whereabouts. If we want to seize the initiative first, we must go see the Empress tonight.”
The Red Sand state seal was no longer in Huo Ran’s hands, so that letter bearing the private seal was most likely sent by Huo Ran herself, likely acting as a plea for help.
Lin Qingye stepped back, wiped the sweat from her brow with a handkerchief, lowered her gaze in thought, and then pulled out another clean handkerchief to hand to Ji Mian.
In the dead of night amidst a chorus of insect chirping, Lin Qingye led Ji Mian to scale the palace roofs of Liuxia City. The tiles on the roof were unexpectedly slippery, and patrol guards roamed about in groups.
Failing to secure a stable footing on a particularly tricky tile, Ji Mian slipped, her foot twisting as her field of vision threatened to flip upside down.
Lin Qingye lunged forward directly, minimizing her voice as she pressed her entire weight against Ji Mian.
Ji Mian opened her mouth to express her thanks.
Lin Qingye turned her head away, placed a single finger to her lips, and then carefully pried open a rooftop tile.
Inside the room, candlelight blazed brightly. Huo Ran rested her head on one hand while holding a memorial in the other, flipping through it gently and occasionally dipping a vermilion brush to jot down a few notes.
Seeming somewhat drowsy, she curled her fingers to massage her temples before whispering for the surrounding maidservants to withdraw. She then picked up a kettle of boiled water to brew tea.
With her sharp eyesight, Lin Qingye immediately spotted three teacups being set out.
“The night wind is fierce. Why not come down and sit a while?”
Lin Qingye chuckled softly, pulling Ji Mian down with her as they vaulted through an open window and slipped stealthily inside.
“The Demonic Cult Master certainly has unique ways of doing things.”
Ji Mian took a seat across from Huo Ran, while Lin Qingye stood by her side.
“Speak your mind.”
“Did Qin Yihui send you?”
“What conditions did she offer you?”
“The Li Sheng Sequence.”
Huo Ran let out a hum of laughter, a smile blooming across her stern face as she picked up a cup of tea and took a sip.
“The Xuanwu Sect has maintained a garrison within Red Sand territory for a long time. Over the years, their influence has steadily expanded, and they have gradually harbored rebellious intentions. I failed to notice it in time, allowing them to exploit a vulnerability, and now my authority has been hollowed out.”
“My letter seeking reinforcements this time also stems from a desire to forge an alliance with the Demonic Cult. However, your Palace Master Cui does not seem to want a bilateral peace talk.”
Cui Li’s stance had always been rather ambiguous; stubbornly provoking a war, it remained unclear what kind of scheme she was running.
“As for the assassination attempt, I apologize. In an emergency, one must resort to expedients, and I truly had no other choice. The young sect master of the Xuanwu Sect came looking for me, claiming I held something she wanted. When I said I did not, she locked me up. Now, the internal politics of Red Sand have been thrown into utter chaos by her.”
Maintaining an outward appearance of calm, Ji Mian mirrored the other woman by taking a sip of the tea. The taste was somewhat unpleasant; ever since her bout with illness, any tea she drank carried a faint metallic sweetness, reminding her somewhat of the taste of blood.
“What do you intend to do?”
“Naturally, to regain my freedom. If you help me, the debt I owe will be a personal favor to you. When both sides clash in battle later, I will call a halt for your sake.”
This condition was far too alluring to the present Ji Mian. Treating it as a private friendship, she could use this layer of personal favor as cover when operating behind the scenes.
Without giving a direct response, Ji Mian abruptly shifted the topic.
“Does Your Majesty recognize someone named Huo Wanyin?”
Huo Ran’s expression flickered with a flash of panic.
“What do you mean?”
“Do you know the name of the person the Xuanwu Sect sent to assassinate me?”
“Where is this person right now? Is she doing well?”
“She is in Huaxi, and her condition is probably not great. Since you harbor feelings for her, why not go find her and check on her?”
The tea in Huo Ran’s hand suddenly tasted even more bitter, and the Empress appeared somewhat melancholy under the flickering candlelight.
“Red Sand has not been peaceful these years. It is not that I do not wish to see her, but that I cannot.”
…
The two of them groped through the dark to find an inn, checking in under forged identities. After finishing her bath in the room, Ji Mian was drying her hair with a cloth when she heard a few gentle taps at the door.
She opened the door and let the visitor in.
Lin Qingye had also finished bathing not long ago. Her black hair was unbound unlike its usual styling, trailing down with faint wisps of moisture, and her white robes were slightly damp from the water, giving her the appearance of a beauty fresh from a bath and making her features look all the softer.
“My master has already reviewed that medicinal prescription.”
Lin Qingye produced a slip of paper with the formula written on it.
“This substance is both medicine and poison. It can barely suppress the original toxins within your body, but it easily triggers emotional fluctuations and destabilizes your internal energy. Over time, you might gradually lose your five senses, which can be fatal. However, in the short term, it can preserve your life safely.”
“That cup of tea today—did it taste wrong? Has your sense of taste already gone awry?”
“I just couldn’t taste the flavor of the tea; other things are still fine, it doesn’t affect much.”
Ji Mian took the small slip of paper, feeling its weight to be immensely heavy. Every single stroke hit her heart with a heavy thud.
She didn’t even know who had sent this medicine.
“Furthermore, the poison in your body may have a cure. It only requires a specific medicinal guide; take it for a period of time according to the condition and recuperate slowly, and you can recover at least seventy percent of your martial prowess.”
“Where is that medicinal guide located?”
“Deep within the Red Sand territory, rumored to be a valley in the southernmost parts. My master’s description wasn’t entirely detailed; we’ll only know what it looks like once we get there.”
Ji Mian sighed, her mind growing heavy with worries once more.
“I understand. You should head back first. We still need to discuss plans for rescuing Huo Ran tomorrow.”
Lin Qingye stared into Ji Mian’s eyes. It was as if candlelight was blooming within them, making her look somewhat forlorn.
“Rest early. Good night.”
It was a restless night. Having just recovered from a severe illness, Ji Mian’s body remained frail, making it difficult for her to fall asleep as night deepened. Tossing and turning in bed, she unconsciously slipped into another dream.
“Hey, little ice cube.”
“I have a name.”
“But this nickname sounds so nice.”
“Are you still heading over to the estate today?”
The little ice cube was wiping her small iron sword, responding nonchalantly.
“Mother didn’t call me over today.”
The little ice cube stared at the bone-deep wound on her wrist. Even though it was wrapped layer by layer in cloth, blood continued to seep through, dyeing the outer bandages red.
Knowing she couldn’t hide it, this fretful little fellow had naturally spotted it right away.
“How did you get hurt?”
“It looks so painful.”
“Accidental, already bandaged, it’s fine.”
“Then I’ll share some good food with you, so it won’t hurt as much.”
…
Ji Mian’s caravan consisted entirely of armed personnel, capable of serving as a small elite troop. Carrying Jian Xiyan’s invitation letter, they encountered virtually no resistance or checks. The banquet was a public affair, and whoever was looking for Jian Xiyan was someone else entirely—certainly not Huo Ran herself.
Fearing they would draw too much attention while lurking in Liuxia City, they continually rotated between different inns. Five days later, the caravan finally entered the city. Ji Mian slipped in alongside them, donning clothing similar to Jian Xiyan’s and entering the palace disguised as the Jade-Faced General.
The palace walls were vermilion, looking as though fresh dye had just been applied without a single gap, and the glazed tiles gleamed with a layer of gilded gold.
Stripped of her weapons, Ji Mian was led all the way to a waterside pavilion. Water rippled along the artificial rockery before spilling part of its stream onto the blooming water lilies in the pond, blazing a vibrant red like a cluster of wild flames contrasting against the verdant green pool water.
Amidst overlapping layers of screens, she spotted a figure standing with her back toward her. The person’s frame was somewhat slender, and an azure brocade robe appeared excessively loose on her. To call her a woman might be stretching it, so when the person turned around at the sound of movement, her face was covered by a mask.
The mask concealed only her eyes, revealing a pair of cherry-pink lips.
A pretty copper bell was tied around her waist; as she shifted her body, the wind carried a crisp, melodic chime that swept away weariness like a cool breeze, instantly pacifying the inexplicable agitation in her heart.
“I am the new sect master of the Xuanwu Sect.”
Ji Mian mirrored the other person’s movements by taking a seat inside the pavilion, feeling a nameless sense of bizarre familiarity in her heart.
The girl didn’t chat with her about much, just idle talk. Yet Ji Mian never actually caught sight of Huo Ran; right up until she was escorted out of the palace by this person, she still hadn’t figured out the other party’s intentions.
The girl seemed unusually familiar with her preferences, right down to the tea and pastries laid out before them being the exact varieties she loved.
Right as she was about to leave.
She said:
“It’s getting late, Sister. See you in a bit.”