Inside Wanchun Hall, the brocade curtains hung low, and the flickering candlelight cast a warm red glow.
Emperor Yongzhao slowly raised his face. The hostility between his brows had eased slightly, but his pitch-black eyes remained fixed on the crumpled pile of clothing in his hands.
That scent…
His nostrils flared, and his brows furrowed.
It was gone?
A sudden emptiness filled his heart.
Unwilling to give up, he buried his face deep in the clothes once more, inhaling forcefully.
But all that filled his lungs was the nauseating stench of blood…
It was gone.
The scent that could instantly soothe his restless urges had truly disappeared.
His five fingers suddenly tightened, digging into the fabric as though he wanted to tear it apart.
He couldn’t understand it.
Palace regulations were extremely strict, and the searches conducted before the selected maidens entered the palace were thorough. There was absolutely no possibility of secretly bringing in any outside objects.
The scent of ink on that maiden was extremely faint. Presumably, she hadn’t touched a brush or ink since entering the palace.
The ink scent was faint, yet that other fragrance had been remarkably strong…
What method had she used to bring that object into the palace?
And how exactly had that object been made?
Suddenly, another, far more terrifying possibility flashed through his mind—
Could it be that the rebels had already discovered his secret?
No! Impossible—
If those Yan rebels had known, they wouldn’t have come here to throw their lives away tonight.
Emperor Yongzhao recalled his disgraceful behavior that night, the way he had lost control and desperately sought that scent.
The anger he had suppressed surged up once more.
His pent-up frustration erupted into a vicious punch against the pile of clothing.
The fabric crumpled beneath his fist.
Still unsatisfied, he seized the clothes and hurled them aside—
The candle flame immediately caught the fabric, setting it ablaze and swallowing it whole.
The dancing firelight made his eyes appear even darker.
Ugly, greedy, and driven by the most primitive desires.
How was that any different from a beast?!
He stared at the flames, wishing he could flay alive the disgraceful version of himself that had been exposed tonight!
And that humiliating side of himself, the one he had desperately tried to conceal, had actually… actually been witnessed by someone else!
That selected maiden…
The terror in her eyes had been genuine. She didn’t appear to be working with the Yan rebels.
But if she wasn’t their accomplice, then who had sent her as a pawn?
The flames gradually weakened, and his earlier fury seemed to drift away with the thin wisp of bluish smoke.
Now, his only remaining lead was that selected maiden.
Emperor Yongzhao let out a cold laugh.
Judging by her timid, trembling appearance, she probably had no idea what was happening. She was likely nothing more than a disposable tool, meant to be discarded once she’d served her purpose.
And whoever was using her was undoubtedly still hiding somewhere deep within the imperial palace!
If his secret had already been discovered, wouldn’t that make him a fish on a chopping board, helplessly manipulated by someone else’s hands?!
Emperor Yongzhao clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white and cracked audibly. The veins on the backs of his hands bulged.
No matter what, he had to find out exactly what that thing capable of soothing the demons in his mind was!
And then…
A sharp glint flashed through his eyes.
He would seize it and keep it firmly within his grasp!
Only then would he no longer be at anyone else’s mercy!
The candlelight flickered slightly.
A dark figure knelt before his couch.
“Reporting to Your Majesty,” the figure said in a trembling voice. “The assassin… was rescued halfway through our pursuit. The person who rescued her possessed extraordinary swordsmanship. It appeared to be someone from the Heavenly Sword Sect.”
Emperor Yongzhao didn’t even raise his eyelids.
The Yan rebels had extensive connections with the martial arts sects. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have resurfaced so quickly.
“This subordinate is incompetent and has failed to carry out Your Majesty’s command. Only death can atone for my failure!”
Before he had even finished speaking, the dark figure drew a dagger and, without the slightest hesitation, thrust it toward his own chest.
Clang—
Emperor Yongzhao merely swept his sleeve casually.
A powerful gust of wind struck the dagger, knocking it from the man’s hand.
The smell of blood mingled with sweat emanated from the shadow guard’s body, seeping into Emperor Yongzhao’s nostrils.
He frowned impatiently, his agitation growing even stronger.
“That woman’s identity is suspicious. She must have impersonated a selected maiden from another family to infiltrate the palace. Investigate whose identity she assumed. Anyone connected to her shall be treated as an accomplice of the Yan rebels. Kill them without mercy.”
The shadow guard kowtowed, retrieved his dagger, and turned to leave.
“Wait.”
It was entirely within his expectations that the Yan rebels would have someone supporting them from behind the scenes.
What concerned him far more was the selected maiden carrying that peculiar fragrance.
Emperor Yongzhao fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
“First, investigate who resides in the sixth room in the southwest corner of Chuxiu Pavilion. Within half an incense stick’s time, I want to know everything about her.”
The dark figure flickered and instantly vanished from the hall.
Before half an incense stick had burned away, the figure reappeared.
A dossier was respectfully presented to Emperor Yongzhao.
Once his task was complete, the shadow guard melted back into the darkness.
Emperor Yongzhao unfolded the dossier.
Written in neat, elegant characters was the name “Song Ying”—
Sixteen years old, a native of Liaozhou. Her father, Song Yuchang, was a wealthy merchant under the jurisdiction of Liaozhou Prefecture. He dealt in silk, satin, grain, and rice, owned a hundred qing of fertile farmland and more than ten shops within the prefectural city, and possessed considerable family wealth…
From her family background to three generations of relatives, not a single detail had been omitted.
A native of Liaozhou…
Liaozhou bordered Yanzhou, where the Yan rebels were entrenched.
Who could say this wasn’t another force harboring sinister intentions under the banner of “restoring Yan”?
After finishing the dossier, Emperor Yongzhao closed it.
Judging from the records alone, the maiden came from a respectable family, and there was nothing suspicious about her.
But—
The more flawless something appeared, the more it resembled a carefully constructed disguise.
Emperor Yongzhao casually placed the dossier beside his couch.
Suppressing his suspicions, he rose and walked toward the entrance of the hall.
He hadn’t slept all night, yet instead of feeling tired, he was faintly exhilarated.
The sky was beginning to brighten, and the first rays of dawn fell upon the white stone steps outside Wanchun Hall.
Eunuch Runde was kneeling on the steps, his body slightly hunched as he waited respectfully.
The morning bell had not yet sounded, and it wasn’t time for the palace servants to begin their duties.
A trace of surprise crossed Emperor Yongzhao’s face.
Before he could speak, Eunuch Runde kowtowed and offered his greetings.
“This old servant pays his respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy lasting peace and good health. Last night… there was quite a commotion in the palace. This old servant was truly worried, so I took the liberty of coming here early to wait for Your Majesty.”
Hearing this, something stirred faintly in Emperor Yongzhao’s heart.
He had been about to tell the eunuch that there was no need to go to such trouble in the future. Even without being summoned, he could simply enter the hall to attend to him.
But just as the words reached his lips, he remembered the disgraceful state he fell into whenever his madness took hold…
At that thought, he swallowed the words.
His expression turned cold and stern once more.
Then he issued an order in a deep voice.
“Pass down my decree. The selected maiden of the Song family is hereby promoted to Palace Medicine Attendant. Bring her before me immediately. Bring all her belongings as well. Search everything thoroughly. There must be no mistakes!”
The nauseating stench of blood still lingered in his nostrils.
Last night… that selected maiden seemed to have gotten some of the assassin’s blood on her, too…
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Have her… come before me with some blood still on her.”
*
Song Ying followed closely behind Eunuch Runde, taking one careful step after another.
She only dared to stare at her own shoes as she walked.
The guards following behind her were no pushovers.
She didn’t dare look back, much less raise her head, for fear of inviting trouble.
Emperor Yongzhao had appointed her as a Palace Medicine Attendant…
That sounded somewhat better than being dragged outside and beheaded.
At least, for the time being, her life was safe.
…But if she was only safe for now, what about the future?
In the original novel, the author had made Emperor Yongzhao incredibly difficult to kill. His combat abilities were practically off the charts.
If it hadn’t been for the plot eventually requiring his death, making him realize that he harbored unusual feelings for the heroine, only for him to stumble upon the male and female leads in an intimate, provocative scene, he wouldn’t have descended into madness and taken his own life in despair.
So, Emperor Yongzhao was someone she could rely on for protection, but only temporarily.
If she wanted to survive, she would still have to find opportunities to improve her standing with the heroine.
And when necessary, she would decisively abandon the dark side and join the righteous one!
Although… she hadn’t even managed to get close to Emperor Yongzhao yet, there was certainly nothing wrong with planning ahead.
While her thoughts wandered, they arrived outside Wanchun Hall.
Eunuch Runde said nothing more.
He merely stepped aside and gestured for her to enter.
Immediately afterward, the two guards carrying a chest containing all her belongings walked past her and headed straight toward the layers of bright yellow brocade curtains.
They lifted the curtains and disappeared inside.
A short while later, they emerged empty-handed and withdrew from the hall.
Their footsteps faded into the distance.
The palace doors closed from the outside.
The enormous hall instantly fell into dimness, leaving Song Ying kneeling alone in its center.
Towering pillars surrounded her. Ornately carved beams and painted decorations were partially concealed in the shifting light and shadows, creating an almost suffocating sense of oppression.
Song Ying bit her lower lip tightly, desperately trying to keep herself from trembling.
She knew she hadn’t yet secured Emperor Yongzhao’s protection.
If she wanted to stay alive, she couldn’t afford to make even the slightest mistake in anything she said or did from this point onward!
Song Ying, quick! Think!
Why had he specifically brought you here from Chuxiu Pavilion?
Surely it couldn’t be because your face made his food taste better?!
Why had he kept you alive?
What exactly made you valuable enough to keep?
Emperor Yongzhao…
Those eerie golden eyes of his last night, along with the frenzied aura radiating from his body…
And the fact that he could still detect the faint scent of ink she’d picked up a month ago…
That was definitely not the condition of a normal person!
All the signs pointed to one thing.
His five senses had undoubtedly been in a state of extreme disorder at the time!
Emperor Yongzhao…
Could he actually be a Sentinel in this world, a world where the very concept of “Sentinels and Guides” didn’t exist?!
Song Ying’s heart began pounding uncontrollably.
Based on her experience in her previous life, Sentinels possessed senses and combat abilities far beyond those of ordinary humans.
But because of this, they were also extremely vulnerable to external stimulation, which could lead to mental instability and send them into a violent frenzy.
They required mental guidance from Guides to maintain their stability.
Emperor Yongzhao’s bizarre behavior matched the characteristics of a Sentinel perfectly!
But… if he really was a Sentinel, then what was his spirit form?
It was true that Song Ying had been a plant-type Guide in her previous life.
That was why she had been born with a high degree of empathy and keen powers of observation.
But she didn’t have a spirit form in this world!
This was supposed to be a purely historical romance novel.
So far, she hadn’t discovered anything resembling the concept of “spirit forms.”
Then how on earth had she managed to provide Emperor Yongzhao with mental guidance last night?
No matter how hard Song Ying thought about it, she couldn’t figure it out.
But immediately afterward, another possibility occurred to her—
If Emperor Yongzhao really was a “Sentinel” in this world, then according to the usual setting, the ratio of Sentinels to Guides was severely imbalanced…
Wouldn’t that mean her status was actually higher than Emperor Yongzhao’s?!
If that were true, she would finally have the qualifications to sit at the negotiating table.
At the thought, Song Ying unconsciously straightened her back.
However, just as she finished encouraging herself, from behind the brocade curtains—
Her entire wooden chest came flying out!
Immediately afterward, Emperor Yongzhao swept aside the curtains and stormed out, heading straight toward Song Ying in a towering rage!
Nothing!
He had turned everything she brought upside down and inside out, searching from top to bottom!
There was nothing!
Not a single object capable of soothing his mind and soul!
Had she hidden it?
This woman actually dared to make a fool of him!
Killing intent surged within Emperor Yongzhao.
He wanted nothing more than to seize her by the throat immediately and interrogate her properly!
But just as he approached her, carrying an overwhelming fury—
A familiar scent entered his nostrils once more.
His footsteps involuntarily slowed.
In an instant, that faint fragrance overwhelmed the stench of blood and put a stop to his relentless, restless urges.
The object… wasn’t among that pile of miscellaneous belongings.
The object… was on this woman!
Emperor Yongzhao crouched down.
His tall figure cast a broad shadow, completely enveloping Song Ying.
He examined her carefully, inch by inch.
Her palm-sized face was so fair that it almost appeared translucent.
Her round eyes were half-lowered, her thick eyelashes trembling slightly.
Her gaze darted nervously across the floor, not daring to meet his eyes, while her small, rosy lips quivered.
Seeing her like this, more than half of the inexplicable anger in Emperor Yongzhao’s heart gradually dissipated.
His gaze fell upon the dark red stains on the hem of her skirt and the cuffs of her sleeves.
Suddenly, he wondered whether her fragrance would become even purer if those filthy stains were removed.
Song Ying had not only noticed that Emperor Yongzhao’s pupils had changed color, but she could also clearly sense the transformation in the terrifying aura surrounding him.
From the overwhelming fury with which he had swept aside the curtains…
To the chilling killing intent as he charged toward her…
And then to the hesitation in his footsteps and the gradual calming of his emotions…
These roller-coaster-like emotional changes only strengthened her earlier suspicion—
This bastard was definitely a Sentinel!
And there had to be something about her that could soothe him!
Now, what she needed to consider was no longer how to cling tightly to this powerful man’s protection.
Since she possessed such an important bargaining chip, what she should really be thinking about…
Was how to turn the tables, seize the initiative, and gain control over the supreme ruler standing before her!
“Heh.”
Suddenly, a chilling chuckle sounded above Song Ying’s head.
Her entire body jolted, and she abruptly raised her eyes.
Emperor Yongzhao was still crouching in front of her.
His expression revealed neither happiness nor anger.
But tiny flecks of crimson had gathered in those pitch-black eyes, making his gaze sinister and icy.
A killing intent even more intense than before surged toward her once again!
Emperor Yongzhao slowly rose to his feet and looked down at her.
“Someone, take her away and have her washed clean.”
An icy chill instantly crept up Song Ying’s spine.
She thought she finally understood what Emperor Yongzhao intended to do to her.