Mingzhi Mountain was surrounded by guards, and Jiu Yue cautiously made her way down in the darkness.
Now that the rain had stopped, she had encountered several groups of guards carrying torches as they combed the mountain.
Using their light and snippets of their conversations, Jiu Yue successfully figured out her bearings… only to belatedly realize something.
How was the cave where they had taken shelter so far from that cliff? They had nearly circled half of Mingzhi Mountain!
No wonder it had taken her so long to find Wen Shuang’s body…
And no wonder the emperor’s men had taken this long to track them down.
Jiu Yue: "…"
Ahem.
She nonchalantly rubbed her nose, pretending nothing had happened, and continued her descent.
Sima Qing had already been found, and most of the attention on the mountain was now focused on whether the regent was truly dead or not, which took some pressure off Jiu Yue.
Without stopping, she ran all the way back to Prince Ping’s Mansion.
Prince Ping had gone to Mingzhi Mountain, and no one would have expected anyone to dare break into his mansion at night. So, the hidden watchers in the estate didn’t notice a strange figure quietly crawling through a dog hole.
Though dawn had yet to break, the Mute Girl’s room was lit by candlelight.
Puzzled, Jiu Yue slipped inside and turned to see the Mute Girl polishing a dagger by the candle.
Sensing Jiu Yue’s arrival, the Mute Girl turned her head and watched as she approached.
"You’re up this early?" Jiu Yue finally had a chance to rest. She let out a sigh and plopped down beside the Mute Girl.
Tonight’s exertion had been a bit excessive.
But the Mute Girl was stunned by her disheveled appearance, and upon closer inspection, she noticed wounds of varying sizes on Jiu Yue’s limbs.
Even without gestures, Jiu Yue understood what the Mute Girl wanted to ask.
"Don’t worry, just minor injuries." Jiu Yue poured herself a cup of tea and gave a brief explanation. "Prince Ping sent me to assassinate Sima Qing this time. I just escaped, and he’s still on Mingzhi Mountain."
The Mute Girl looked momentarily shocked before her expression twisted with conflict.
Jiu Yue tilted her head. "What’s wrong?"
The Mute Girl poured another cup of tea and began writing on the table with water:
[I only have one question.]
Jiu Yue nodded, watching as she continued:
[Will you still avenge the princess?]
Jiu Yue paused.
Though she had always regarded Prince Ping as her enemy, she had never spoken of this to the Mute Girl.
This was the original owner’s promise—so the reason for the original owner’s betrayal lay with the princess.
"Of course I will." She snapped out of her thoughts and smiled at the Mute Girl.
The Mute Girl’s lashes trembled as she brushed away the dampness at the corner of her eye. With shaking hands, she wrote again:
[That’s good.]
[I thought… you had forgotten.]
Forgotten your oath, returned to the murderer’s side, and become his killing blade once more.
Jiu Yue patted her back reassuringly. "Don’t worry, Prince Ping won’t live much longer."
The words comforted the Mute Girl, and her emotions steadied.
The human skin mask Mo Jin had delivered last time wasn’t kept in Jiu Yue’s current room—who knew if Prince Ping might one day barge in on a whim?
To be safe, she had hidden it in the Mute Girl’s rundown courtyard.
Now, she retrieved another mask and carefully applied it in front of the mirror, even having the Mute Girl inspect it for her.
Only then did Jiu Yue fully relax.
When the Mute Girl pulled out a medicine bottle, Jiu Yue smiled gratefully and tugged her down to sit.
"I told you, they’re just minor injuries." Jiu Yue waved it off.
But the Mute Girl stared at the gruesome wound on her exposed calf and insisted on treating it.
Jiu Yue couldn’t refuse. Besides, she’d need an excuse for the wounds healing later anyway, so she stopped resisting and obediently flipped onto her stomach on a long bench.
The Mute Girl, who had originally intended to take her to the bed: "…"
Silently, the Mute Girl lifted Jiu Yue’s skirt, revealing a lash wound as long as a forearm, its edges raw and flesh exposed. The innermost layer of fabric had fused with the scabbed blood, and the slightest tug would reopen the barely closed wound.
Beyond that, Jiu Yue’s limbs bore numerous scrapes, the deepest one at her neck—so fine the Mute Girl had initially mistaken it for a red thread!
This… this was a minor injury?!
Her eyelid twitched violently, and she hurried to fetch water to clean the wounds first.
But by the time she returned, Jiu Yue was already pouring medicine onto her injuries—like sprinkling seasoning on a dish.
The Mute Girl: "…"
Wordlessly, she dumped the water. When she came back again, she saw Jiu Yue casually pick up the dagger from the table.
"This is a good blade." Jiu Yue ran her fingers over the hilt’s intricate patterns, studying it closely.
But the Mute Girl suddenly seized her wrist, tightening her grip on the dagger.
She wrote on the table with deliberate strokes:
[This is the murder weapon.]
Jiu Yue froze, her gaze darkening.
The regent had been assassinated, his fate unknown. Imperial physicians streamed toward Mingzhi Mountain like a river.
The emperor was grief-stricken, but to provide his uncle with better conditions for recovery, he returned to the palace with his consorts and ministers, leaving only guards and physicians stationed on the mountain.
Prince Ping naturally returned as well.
Barely holding back until he reached his mansion, Prince Ping burst into laughter the moment he entered his courtyard. Mei Wuchang had just emerged from the shadows when Prince Ping grabbed him excitedly.
"Hahaha, Wuchang, I’m overjoyed!" Prince Ping could hardly contain his exhilaration. "Sima Qing is finally going to die! The last obstacle in my path is gone, hahaha…"
With Qi Mingchuan alone, he stood no chance!
Over the years, Prince Ping had already removed more than half of the officials who sided with Qi Mingchuan. The rest, loyal to Sima Qing, had been purged by Qi Mingchuan’s own paranoia.
Now, half the court was on his side—what could Qi Mingchuan possibly use to oppose him?
Hahaha, what a fool! If not for Sima Qing stepping in to take that arrow for him years ago, Qi Mingchuan would have died long ago!
Prince Ping’s spirits soared. On the way back, he had even planned an excuse to visit Xiao Chi in the northwest.
Xiao Chi was Qi Mingchuan’s last shield, yet the emperor feared his growing influence… How could Prince Ping not be thrilled?
Mei Wuchang: "…"
But Mei Wuchang couldn’t share his joy. His expression was grave. "Your Highness, Jiu Yue is severely injured."
Prince Ping’s laughter died. "Jiu Yue is back?"
Mei Wuchang nodded. "She’s been unconscious for three days. She only woke this morning."
Prince Ping exhaled in relief and hurried to Jiu Yue’s courtyard.
At that moment, Jiu Yue was busy applying special effects.
The lash wound on her leg needed no embellishment—it healed slowly and still looked gruesomely impressive, clearly real.
But the lighter injuries had mostly mended and no longer looked severe.
She diligently smeared blood on bandages, painted bruises on her arms, legs, and face, then stashed her tools away. Just as she was about to lie back down, footsteps sounded outside.
"Perfect timing—help me sprinkle some medicine, will you? My leg hurts when I twist around." Jiu Yue flopped onto the bed and casually turned her head, holding out the medicine bottle to Mei Wu—
Huh? Not Mei Wuchang.
It was Prince Ping.
