Ye Ningjie gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. She was still in hiding, she was ready if she had to come out at any moment. Perhaps it was time to use what she learned from Duan Feng.
Her gaze continued to keep an eye on the two people in front of her. Zhou Yan seemed to be advancing further, pushing his sword closer and closer to the enemy's neck.
"What if I am here alone?" Zhou Yan asked.
The black-robed man smirked behind the mask. "Secretly sneaking into Xianqi Palace is a crime. If someone finds out about this, you won't be able to live freely anymore."
"Fuck it!" Ye Ningjie muttered coldly. "If you die, then no one will know!"
She darted out of hiding. Her white figure flashed in the darkness. Her sword was drawn out, then with lightning speed, it was thrown towards the black-robed man.
Whoosh!
The black-robed man immediately dodged to the side. It was then that Ye Ningjie took the opportunity to escape together with Zhou Yan.
"Go, hurry!"
She knocked on the door, then glanced back briefly. In the darkness, she could see the look in the black-robed man's eyes looked dark and cold. It was only a glimpse because after that she immediately dashed out of the ancestral hall.
The black-robed man did not pursue any further. He took the sword stuck in the wall, then moved to light the candle. The sword in his hand was a double-edged sword that looked very thin, slender, and graceful.
The sword aura was cold and sharp. On the hilt, there is a very small blue gem and silver carving that look beautiful.
He held the sword, then brought it in front of King Ye Tian's death memorial tablet. A slight smirk appeared on his lips. "Is she your daughter? She… seems very aggressive, doesn't she?"
His hand stroked the cold sword gently. "I could have taken her to the imperial palace, but you will not like the idea. So I will be more careful with her."
The man then bowed, paying homage. After that, he looked back at the silver sword that felt lightly gripped.
"Alright. I will keep this," he said and then walked away, leaving the candlelight burning without a friend.
***
Ye Ningjie and Zhou Yan managed to get out of Xianqi Palace without experiencing any battle. They used the path they had previously traveled and now they had arrived near the inn that they had rented.
Their breaths could be heard in unison. Ye Ningjie pressed her forehead which felt slightly throbbing, then asked, "Who is that person? Do you know?"
"No, I don't know." Zhou Yan shook his head. "He was wearing a mask and I couldn't see his face."
Ye Ningjie nodded. The man seemed quite foreign to her. They must have never met before.
What made her shudder a little was the intense look in his eyes. They only stared at each other for a split second, but the effect was more than that.
"Does that person have anything to do with my parents' deaths?" Ye Ningjie muttered to herself in confusion, but in the end, she shook her head. Perhaps that person was one of the imperial court officials assigned to oversee Xianqi Palace.
"What should we do now?" Zhou Yan asked.
"Let's go to Jin An city," Ye Ningjie said confidently. Now she had seen her parents' death memorial tablet. At least it calmed her down.
"What about your sword?"
Ye Ningjie took a deep breath. The sword was a precious sword because it was a gift from Duan Feng from the first time she lived in the mountains. However, it seemed she had to give up the weapon. After all, she had to be prepared to lose whatever she had.
"Leave it alone. If destined the sword will fall into my hands again."
She stared at Xianqi Palace for a while before finally deciding not to turn her head at all. She swiftly jumped onto the horse that was kept in front of the inn.
"Let's go!"
***
Jin An City is the most populous and busiest city of the many regions in the Baixi Empire. As the center of politics and government, the city was always full of tricks and intrigue.
Jin An City is both heaven and hell. Whoever lives there should be more careful in guarding their actions and words. People with different intentions, goals, and hidden thoughts are always on every side.
Living in the imperial capital became a whole new challenge, especially for a girl like Ye Ningjie who had always lived a solitary life in the mountains. She didn't know what the situation was there. She doesn't know who to avoid or who to approach.
Luckily Zhou Lin was kind enough to ask Zhou Yan to accompany her. The man told her many things along the way about influential officials and people. At least now she had an idea of it.
The city gate of Jin An looks very crowded. A group of soldiers stood guard there, just in case there was a commotion or something went wrong. People seemed to be going back and forth in and out of the gate, making the atmosphere even more crowded.
Ye Ningjie took a deep breath. She adjusted the position of her bamboo hat, then immediately steered her horse into the gate. The noise from the city streets immediately entered her senses.
Jin An City is simply amazing. Ye Ningjie couldn't help but smile at the number of merchants lining the streets. Large buildings are on the right and left, featuring many inns, shops, and restaurants of various qualities.
"Zhou Yan, where are we going to stay?" Ye Ningjie asked.
"At the Zhou family residence."
Ye Ningjie immediately turned her head to look at the man in confusion. "Your Zhou family? They're here?"
Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. He had indeed not been informed that the Zhou family residence was in Jin An city. His aunt, Zhou Lin, was also supposed to live there. However, for some reason, the woman preferred to cultivate the pavilion in Xianqi.
"Then .... Wow, you are from the capital city!"
Ye Ningjie was happy to know that. However, when she thought about the Zhou family, she felt a little worried. "Are they going to let me stay?"
"Don't worry. I will make sure you can stay there."
Despite her doubts, Ye Ningjie still nodded. "Thank you. You've helped me a lot."
"Don't say thank you. We are also doing this to repay the kindness your ancestors did to the Zhou family."
Ye Ningjie's brow furrowed. She didn't know much about her ancestry, let alone their relationship with the Zhou family in Jin An.
"What happened in the past?" She asked.
"Let's eat first. I will tell it there," Zhou Yan said.
"Alright!" Ye Ningjie nodded happily. She followed Zhou Yan to the famous big restaurant in Jin An city.
***
On the other hand, a general seemed to be kneeling obediently in front of Emperor Baixi. His gaze lowered without daring to look at the emperor. "Your Imperial Majesty …."
Huang Feiyu waved his hand. "Stand up!"
General Li immediately stood up obediently. Then he asked, "What did Your Imperial Majesty call me for?"
"About the search for King Ye's fifth daughter, how did it go?" asked Huang Feiyu. He looked at General Li with a deep look.
"Your Imperial Majesty, that woman has already left her master's residence. She likely returned to Xianqi, but until now—"
"Stop the search!" Huang Feiyu immediately cut off General Li's words without seeming to consider things any further. This made General Li raise his head to look at him. There was disapproval plastered on his face.
"Your Imperial Majesty, what if she's going to make a threat?"
Huang Feiyu narrowed his eyes. "Threatening or not, why should you be afraid? Wouldn't the Baixi army be able to hold off a woman? What do you think all of you are here for if not to protect the empire?"
General Li immediately lowered his head. "I don't dare."
Huang Feiyu snorted. "Go...."
"Then I will excuse myself." General Li gave a greeting, then slowly retreated to exit the room.
After the man left, Huang Feiyu leaned his back against the back of the chair. His hands rested on his head casually. His eyes began to close. A slight smirk appeared on his lips.
"Why go to the trouble of deploying an army if she herself is going to come here?"