Chapter 19: with translation of chapter title

Creaking, with the grating sound of sore teeth, the heavy gate was pushed open; a fine horse stepped out, a scarlet robe draped over his silver armor, his snow-white hair bound by a simple hairpin. The man waved his hand to stop the soldiers who wanted to follow, spurred his horse and left the manor, entering the deserted streets of Xinzheng at night. The clopping of hooves fell unevenly; the man suddenly lifted his head, watching a flying shadow glide past under the bright moonlight, then, somewhat puzzled, narrowed his eyes and lowered his head.

"This kind of sharp gaze…." Zhou Shuo sat under the eaves, raised his head to look at the bright moon in the sky, recalling the gaze he had just seen through the Eagle Eye technique—the gaze of that Blood-clad Marquis was very sharp. Although he hadn't noticed himself, the Marquis probably sensed someone was watching. If it weren't for their different cultivation paths, that fellow would likely be a Martial Saint of the Flesh-and-Spirit Unity level.

"A piercing cry!" In the clear night sky, the snake-eagle rode the wind, folded its wings, and descended.

"Here." Zhou Shuo took two elixir pills from his sleeve, made the snake-eagle eat them, then clapped his palms, closed his eyes, shifted his perspective, and with a flap of his wings according to feeling, instantly soared into the night sky. Bai Yifei's spiritual sense was too powerful; tonight I'll first go check the imperial palace.

Zhou Shuo set his target, turned his wings, and directed his body toward the spot in the city where the lights were most concentrated. The night of the Han palace was clear and cold, and also quite easy to debate; the place where the lights were brightest and most concentrated was the king's bedchamber. As the ruler of a state, they strive to live under the light's illumination, even in sleep.

The bedchamber was silent, with not a trace of extra sound; the guards outside were all quite formidable, each breath exuding rhythm. Zhou Shuo landed on the eaves, listened for a long time but saw no movement, and grew somewhat vexed. Just as he was about to fly away, a person stepped out from the bedchamber.

"Lady Mingzhu." A suppressed voice came.

"The king has already retired; you guards, keep watch well. I must go fetch some incense, lest the fragrance run out in the later night and displease the king." A voice both alluring and dignified sounded low.

"Yes." The guard officer's voice was kept low, for fear of startling the King of Han inside.

"How interesting, what luck to run into a tide-woman demon all at once." Zhou Shuo cocked his ear to the sound, gazed upon the procession of lights slowly walking out of the palace, focusing on a purple figure in the troupe. From the figure illuminated by the lights, she was a very beautiful woman; indeed, without even a hint of beauty, no matter how deep her enchantment arts, how could the King of Han fail to be inseparable from her?

Zhou Shuo spread his wings and flew into the night sky, looking down from above upon the torch-bearing procession leaving the bedchamber and arriving at a solitary palace; then Lady Mingzhu entered with her two personal attendants. After a while, when Lady Mingzhu emerged with her entourage, the torch-bearing procession returned to the bedchamber.

Watching the departing procession, Zhou Shuo flew down to the palace window, reached out and pushed the latch, but it wouldn't open—apparently it had been sealed from inside. Still, this posed no difficulty for him; he spread his wings, circled the palace, and easily found an open vent through which he flew inside.

Inside the palace were row after row of medicine cabinets; this was a medicine hall. Zhou Shuo hadn't expected that, flapping his wings as he flew back and forth between the cabinets, he glanced at the labels on them—all were precious medicinal herbs: blood-tonifying, qi-tonifying, nourishing form and securing kidneys, calming the mind and soothing the spirit. That old thing, the King of Han, really fears death!

"Hmm, this fragrance!" Zhou Shuo flew a circuit inside the room and suddenly caught a whiff of a scent that reaches straight to the soul, capable of making one feel at ease and calm the spirit; yet beneath this soothing tranquility, something else seemed to lurk.

The medicine cabinets were all sealed, so little scent escaped from within. Zhou Shuo flew to the windowsill table in the room, where a scale, bottles and jars, and medicine spoons lay; that soothing aroma came from those bottles and jars.

"Somewhat interesting." Zhou Shuo sniffed each bottle and jar in turn, involuntarily narrowing his eyes. Although the aroma was somewhat mixed, he could be certain that a hint of hormone was mixed among these scents. Lady Mingzhu's medicine hall—I happened to find this place first. Should I go tell Wei Zhuang and the others, then push the plot along, or just forget it? Better to let things take their course, lest I cause some mishap; I just need to be able to act at the crucial moment.

Everything in the world has its own trajectory; meddling recklessly will bring unforeseen consequences. Zhou Shuo doesn't want Nongyu to meet with any mishap—after all, he currently has only Li Kai as a usable subordinate—so he'd rather let everything continue on its original course. As for himself, he'll just skirt the edges and intervene at the critical moment.

The night passed quickly. Zhou Shuo no longer let the snake-eagle roam wildly in avatar form; instead he stayed aloft over the royal palace, keeping watch throughout except for meal times, focusing on Lady Mingzhu and Bai Yifei. His efforts did not go unrewarded: over in Tianze, things were also heating up, and the next morning a crimson figure appeared around the palace, heading straight for Lady Mingzhu's medicine hall.

Zhou Shuo landed on the eaves of the medicine hall, sensed the three people inside, and clicked his tongue. The three people presently in the medicine hall, aside from Bai Yifei and Lady Mingzhu who were in conference, were the one who had sneaked into the palace—Nongyu. That girl was indeed clever, having followed the scent of the pottery jar here, but her mind lacked a thread; she blithely eavesdropped on others' conversation, unaware that she had already been spotted.

Bai Yifei and Lady Mingzhu held a secret discussion; they had originally intended to talk about important matters, but sensing the extra presence in the medicine hall, they didn't get far. Even so, it was enough to startle Nongyu, for Lady Mingzhu called Bai Yifei "cousin."

One is a prominent noble of Han, the other a favored lady of the deep palace; on the surface they have no relation whatsoever, except that a very few know they both belong to the Night Veil, and no one knows that these two actually share a familial tie.

Bai Yifei's martial prowess was extraordinary; upon discovering the third person inside, he immediately ceased conversation, left the medicine hall with Lady Mingzhu, then executed a returning spear thrust that precisely blocked Nongyu at the medicine hall's doorway and seized her. The Blood-clad Marquis moved only a single finger, and the lovely girl's face fell limp.

"I never expected the maid beside Lady Hu to be like this." Lady Mingzhu, her purple skirt flowing, looked down at the fallen black-clad maid, unable to hide her surprise and realization.

"Lady Hu, of Fire Rain Mountain Villa." The blood-clad Bai Yifei hooked his finger slightly, and a red object shot forth from Nongyu's clothing. Zhou Shuo stood on the eaves, watching the items Nongyu carried on her person, and couldn't help but smirk—this girl was truly addle-brained, wearing black nightclothes in broad daylight and even carrying precious items on her person.

"Fire Rain Agate—looks like this girl's relation to Lady Hu isn't shallow!" Lady Mingzhu watched the flying red item, her expression shifting slightly. Lady Hu indeed hailed from Fire Rain Mountain Villa and was Nongyu's aunt; though she didn't know this connection, she could guess a bit.

"Send her to my manor." Bai Yifei played with the agate ornament in his right hand.

"Do you intend to use her to blend fragrance?" Lady Mingzhu looked at her cousin playing with the flame-like agate ornament, her expression flickering between a smile and not, then she glanced at the girl on the ground, and an imperceptible pity flashed in her eyes.

"Just do as you said." Bai Yifei looked at the agate pendant in his hand, turned his back with hands behind him.

Zhou Shuo stood on the eaves, his gaze never leaving Lady Mingzhu, fixed solely on her—this palace favorite was quite capable; she summoned two personal attendants and gave them orders. Soon two palace guards rushed in, placed Nongyu into a box, and sent her out of the Han palace by cart, swift and efficient. Naturally, Zhou Shuo followed from above, looking down the whole way.

The cart carrying Nongyu was transported all the way from the royal palace to the Bai manor. Zhou Shuo quietly descended, watching Nongyu being taken into the most inconspicuous room of the residence; as for Bai Yifei, he had already been waiting inside. Women are of many uses to this Blood-clad Marquis, but he first wants to ask the things he wishes to know.

Just as Nongyu was being brought into the Bai manor, Zhou Shuo arrived in his true form at the Purple Orchid Pavilion, found Wei Zhuang and Zi Nu, informed them of Nongyu's situation, but the outcome was somewhat unexpected to him.

"We already knew this; the moment Nongyu lost trace in the palace, we received the news." Zi Nu's eyes seemed like deep water.

"The disciples of the Seven Absolutes Hall have already dispersed to the Bai manor; whether she can return alive depends on her alone!" Wei Zhuang's face remained as cold as ever.

"I understand." Zhou Shuo looked at the man and woman who spoke little, wanted to say more but could only nod. Actually this situation isn't surprising; Nongyu is lodged within the Quicksand, which is an assassin organization. No matter how lofty its goals, one thing never changes: this place demands detachment from personal feelings.

"By the way, you're quite resourceful—you actually managed to surveil Bai Yifei without a sound or sign. Did you gain any useful intelligence?" Zi Nu lifted her eyes.

"I've only been watching for two days." Zhou Shuo glanced at the hopeful Zi Nu, shook his head. He suddenly felt a bit weary; from obtaining the Gate of Transmigration to now, although he's had smooth sailing, he likewise seems utterly ordinary. Today, regarding the Nongyu affair, he also feels quite powerless; the Bai manor is garrisoned by the White Armored Army, and even his soul can only infiltrate via an avatar, daring not to manifest outright.

He is still just an ordinary person; Zhou Shuo can recognize his own greatest flaw. As an ordinary person, he has obtained an extraordinary opportunity, yet the path he has taken always carries a mundane flavor, for he is merely a small figure, with caution paramount. Saying Nongyu's mind lacks a thread, in truth he also lacks the courage to go all out; that step is not something he can simply cross.