Chapter 390: Any Unusual Movement?

Xiao Er used his left hand to swing Tuan Tuan from behind to his chest, his right hand swiftly drew a dagger from his waist, he lay on the ground and cautiously lifted his head to look around inside the tent.

The tent was empty except for a few candles burning slowly.

Xiao Er's heart finally settled.

He hurriedly stood up, squatted on the ground, held Tuan Tuan squatting before him, and whispered close to her ear: "Miss, hurry and search, absolutely do not stand up; there are candles in the tent, outsiders can see the shadows."

After saying that, he hid behind the map stand beside the tent door, perfectly aligning his silhouette with the stand's support, and peered out through the curtain gap.

Tuan Tuan took out the talisman Chu Yuan had given her, unfolded it and held it in her hand, crouching low as she approached each object inside the tent one by one.

The National Preceptor said that once near the formation's eye, the talisman would react.

No reaction from the screen, the hanging armor, nor the bed…… Tuan Tuan crawled to the side of the table.

Suddenly, Xiao Er lightly tapped the stand twice; Tuan Tuan rolled over and ended up beneath the table's curtain.

"Whoosh!"

The heavy curtain of the imperial tent was lifted.

A middle-aged person resembling a eunuch entered, heading straight for the desk!

Xiao Er's palm, gripping the dagger, faintly sweated.

If this old eunuch discovered the miss, he would slit his throat with one stroke!

What's the formation's eye compared to the miss's importance!

The eunuch walked to the table, carefully gathering the teapot and cups onto a tray, then withdrew respectfully.

Tuan Tuan watched him disappear through the gap beneath the curtain, hurriedly crawled out, and waved at Xiao Er.

Xiao Er gave her a gentle smile, made a gesture meaning "keep searching."

Tuan Tuan nodded, then climbed onto the chair.

This table is really tall, about the same height as the tables in the Guozijian.

In an instant, she recalled the students of her external class, wondering whether they were studying well.

How are my disciples doing?

Huh, the talisman in her hand lit up—right here!

Tuan Tuan grew excited; at last she had found it!

But there are so many things on the table— which one is it?

She held the talisman and approached the desk's four treasures of the study, the brush holder……

As the talisman neared a book, its light suddenly intensified!

Tuan Tuan opened that book, and inside lay another talisman!

So the formation's eye is you!

She opened her embroidered pouch at the waist, took out a small shard of bronze mirror, loosened her grip, and murmured: "Let this formation be reversed!"

A faint light flashed, the shard vanished, the talisman in the book blazed bright then dimmed, returning to its original state.

Done!

Tuan Tuan felt a huge weight lift from her heart; just as she was about to close the book, she noticed a small black lump lying at the table's corner.

She picked it up and saw it was an old ink ingot almost used up, with a tiny dragon head carved on its tail.

This ink ingot looks well‑used, its edges smoothed, and it clashes with the other brand‑new, shiny items in the tent.

It's almost used up; he surely wouldn't want it anymore? The instructors at the Guozijian wouldn't keep such a short piece of ink.

She happily picked up this treasure, slipped it into her embroidered pouch, closed the book restoring its former appearance, and climbed down from the chair.

Tuan Tuan crouched-walked to Xiao Er, spread her little arms, Xiao Er squatted down, letting her climb onto his back.

Xiao Er pressed his ear against the tent wall, listening; outside it had already grown quiet.

He peered through the curtain gap; the palace guards outside stood in strict formation, sealing the entrance, his heart tightened—time was short.

He produced a stone commonly found here and flicked it toward the tent roof.

The disturbance caused by the wild boars had ended; under the soldiers' pursuit, several boars fled, only two were caught, their four legs bound as they lay on the ground.

The soldiers before the imperial tent returned to their posts, no longer paying attention.

At this moment, on the chessboard before the two armies, the most intense phase before the endgame had arrived.

Every piece placed affects the whole situation.

Gongsun Chi's forehead beaded with sweat, Xiao Yuanhang's breathing grew slightly heavy.

Both stared fixedly at the chessboard before them.

"Pop!"

Gongsun Chi placed a white stone, lifted a black one, curled his lip: "Prince Ning, you've lost."

Xiao Yuanhang gazed at the board, his expression unchanged: "Oh, is that so?"

He slowly let his black stone fall: "Your Majesty, until the final move, one cannot declare victory."

With one stone placed, the whole board lives.

That isolated black stone unexpectedly resonated with several black stones on the periphery already regarded as discards, instantly carving out a fresh expanse of life from what appeared to be an iron‑clad white position.

Even in dire straits, there may still be hope.

Thus, both sides returned to a state of equal strength, locked in mutual struggle.

Draw!

Gongsun Chi's face twitched.

He stared at the board for a long while, then suddenly reached out, his wide sleeve sweeping across the board surface.

"Clatter——!"

All the pieces on the board scattered and flew apart, rolling across the floor.

"My chessboard," Gongsun Chi slowly rose to his feet, looking at Xiao Yuanhang, "there has never been a draw."

He turned around, his dark cloak billowing in the night wind.

"Return to camp!"

Xiao Yuanhang gazed at his retreating back, did not speak to detain him, and the expression on his face did not change at all.

Gongsun Chi, it's only a draw, and you want to overturn the chessboard.

If you win this battle, I cannot foresee whether the eternal peace you speak of can truly be realized; but if you lose, I expect you will cause an upheaval that turns heaven and earth upside down.

But if you have already lost, what can you still do?

Or perhaps you still have a hidden move?

Tuan Tuan, have you come out?

The Ninth Prince has already gone to meet you; please make sure you return safely!

Lu Qi lay prone on the top of the tent, taking in everything below.

Hearing a "puff" sound from inside the tent below, the two iron lotus seeds in his hand shot out instantly, snapping the rope binding a wild boar on the ground in an instant.

The wild boar scraped the ground and jumped to its feet; in the panic, the newly freed wild boar charged wildly through the camp, running around like a headless fly.

"Ouch! This beast! It's really strong!"

"Why didn't you tie it up properly!"

"Alright, hurry up and catch it! Just don't let His Majesty see it, or else we'll all be in trouble."

The soldiers began again to surround and intercept the fleeing wild boar.

The imperial guards before the Imperial Tent turned their heads in unison again, unable to help bursting into laughter, and once again gathered together to watch the spectacle.

Xiao Er heard the commotion outside suddenly become chaotic; seeing the imperial guards' backs turned toward him from a gap in the curtain, he slipped out of the main tent silently and darted into the shadows.

Lu Qi had already flipped down, protecting Xiao Er and Tuan Tuan as they retreated from the place they had entered, out of the main camp.

Xiao Ran, with a dozen or so people, was anxiously waiting outside; as soon as he saw them come out, he immediately went up to meet them: "Go! Quick! The endgame is near up ahead!"

When the group returned to the darkness of the drainage ditch, the Main Camp behind them remained brightly lit, as if nothing had happened.

Gongsun Chi walked into the main camp: "Any movement?"