Chapter 217: Exploring the Secret Passage Again

Yan'er's little heart was pounding like a gong, clanging loudly, her mind filled with nothing but fear and unease.

If this matter were exposed, both she and Jun Jun Yiyi would face eternal damnation, with no chance of recovery.

But at this moment, she was like a little mouse trapped in a dead end, with no way to turn back.

She could only silently pray in her heart that Jun Jun Yiyi and that man would successfully complete their task.

I don't know how long passed before everything ended; Jun Jun Yiyi lay on the bed, her heart filled with fear and unease.

But soon, that feeling of unease was replaced by secret joy.

If she conceived a child tonight and claimed it was conceived on her wedding night, the child would only be about ten days late.

That wouldn't be an issue at all; everything would then fall naturally into place.

Feiyan's efficiency was truly extraordinary; in just a few days, she had uncovered almost everything about that masked person.

That person was indeed Gao Yuan, the adopted son of Prime Minister Gao!

Ten years ago, Prime Minister Gao's horse was startled, and Gao Yuan, then among the beggars, rushed out risking his life to save him, after which Prime Minister Gao adopted him as his son.

But Feiyan discovered that Gao Yuan had another identity.

He was actually the Second Imperial Prince of the Northern Kingdom, that elusive figure who showed his head but not his tail, named Princess Tuoba Ying.

If Feiyan hadn't coincidentally heard someone respectfully address him as 'Your Highness' while following him,

even by tracing the clues, she probably still wouldn't have found any leads by now.

Now that it was known Gao Yuan was actually the Second Imperial Prince of the Northern Kingdom, no one would believe he had been lurking in Emperor Tianqi all these years without some sinister purpose.

Princess Tuoba Ying colluding with Quan Quan Tianyi was definitely not a coincidence.

It now seemed that even Prime Minister Gao had been kept in the dark.

"But if that's the case, things have become complicated,"

Jun Jun Zijin said to Quan Quan Aoyu.

"It doesn't matter; since a Northern Kingdom Imperial Prince is secretly lurking in our Emperor Tianqi, we can just snap his neck."

Quan Quan Aoyu made a throat-slitting gesture, then continued:

"The Northern Kingdom is already at the end of its rope; if they act honestly according to the treaty, I might consider letting him live a few more days, but if he doesn't know what's good for him, don't blame me for taking him out early. As for my third brother... hand over the evidence of his crimes to Father Emperor for punishment."

Quan Quan Aoyu's eyes darkened slightly, and a meaningful smile curled the corners of his lips.

"Dan Dan, the Northern Kingdom is one of the dowries I've prepared for you; currently, it's just temporarily held in Princess Tuoba Hong's hands."

Quan Quan Aoyu's words warmed Jun Jun Zijin's heart, yet she couldn't help but chide playfully:

"That's an entire nation; you talk about giving it away as casually as handing over a piece of candy! However, this Princess Tuoba Ying, also known as Gao Yuan, cannot be killed yet."

Quan Quan Aoyu frowned slightly, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and after a moment of thought said:

"You're right; how the Northern Kingdom's troops entered our Emperor Tianqi silently must be clarified, otherwise the future troubles will be endless."

Just as they were speaking, Feiyan sent news that Prince Yi and Princess Tuoba Ying had entered that empty house in Chengnan and had not come out since.

Jun Jun Zijin raised an eyebrow and said to Quan Quan Aoyu:

"Mu Tou, that house is likely key; let's go and see what's really there. Now that we have this Phoenix Ring, moving around is much more convenient."

The two rode hard and fast to Chengnan; the empty house looked particularly eerie in the twilight, its broken walls and ruins casting long shadows in the setting sun's afterglow.

They stepped inside cautiously; the stone slab path beneath their feet was covered in moss, and every step was accompanied by a faint "creak."

Quan Quan Aoyu gently pushed open a tottering door; a "creak" pierced the silence, raising a cloud of dust.

They searched everywhere within the house, leaving no corner unexamined.

Jun Jun Zijin crouched down to carefully examine a suspicious mark on the ground; finally, she discovered some faint footprints seemingly extending toward the corner of the wall.

Following the footprints to the wall corner, Quan Quan Aoyu forcefully pushed a seemingly ordinary wall brick; the brick actually moved slowly, revealing a pitch-black hole, which was precisely the entrance to a secret passage.

Quan Quan Aoyu took out a night pearl the size of a baby's fist; instantly, the secret passage was illuminated brightly.

The two proceeded steadily along the secret passage; it was extremely long, winding and twisting, becoming increasingly damp and cold the further they went.

They turned seven times and twisted eight times, walking for about half an hour.

A heavy dampness permeated the secret passage; water drops constantly fell from the walls, emitting a crisp "drip-drop" sound.

Jun Jun Zijin gripped the dagger in her hand tightly; Quan Quan Aoyu walked beside her, both holding their breath and moving close to the damp walls.

After walking for roughly three-quarters of an hour, a turn appeared ahead; Jun Jun Zijin quickened her pace a few steps, reached the corner, and her gaze was suddenly attracted by a totem on the wall.

That totem was carved extremely intricately, with smooth lines, faintly emitting a mysterious aura.

"I've seen this totem before."

A look of surprise appeared on Jun Jun Zijin's face as she whispered:

"The time we rescued Mother Empress, there was also such a totem in the secret passage."

Recalling the previous experience, Jun Jun Zijin still felt some lingering fear.

Quan Quan Aoyu gently took Jun Jun Zijin's hand, the warmth of his palm conveying silent comfort.

"Since that's the case, we must be even more careful; we don't know what awaits us ahead."

Jun Jun Zijin gave him a calm smile:

"Now we have the Phoenix Ring space; hold me tight, and we can enter the space at any time; it won't be easy for others to discover us."

Quan Quan Aoyu nodded; the two adjusted their breathing and continued walking deeper into the secret passage.

The light of the night pearl swayed before them, stretching their shadows long and making them dance on the moss-covered walls.

As they walked, a faint sound of flowing water could be heard.

Jun Jun Zijin paused her steps, concentrated, and listened carefully,

"Could it be that there is a river down here?"

Quan Quan Aoyu frowned slightly, a trace of contemplation flashing in his eyes.

The two walked along the passage for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea when Quan Quan Aoyu suddenly stopped, lowered his voice, and said:

"Wait. There's something on this."

He leaned in to examine it closely. By the light of the night pearl, they discovered strange symbols carved into the cave wall.

Those symbols looked like some ancient script, or perhaps markings on a map.

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin steadied herself and, using the light of the night pearl, carefully surveyed the surroundings.

The stone wall was covered in fine patterns. She reached out to touch it, and her fingertips felt the uneven texture.

"This is..."

Just as Seeing Jun Jun Zijin was about to examine it closely, footsteps suddenly echoed from the distance again.

The two quickly hid behind a recessed section of the rock wall.

With a thought, Seeing Jun Jun Zijin stored the night pearl into her spatial dimension.

"Don't make a sound."

Quan Quan Aoyu whispered.

The footsteps grew closer, and the light of torches flickered at the entrance of the passage.

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin held her breath, feeling Quan Quan Aoyu's hand tightly grasp hers; warmth radiated from his palm.

Several figures in black robes carrying torches passed before them. Illuminated by the firelight, both clearly saw the token hanging at the man's waist!