Caught in the Act

The stars shifted as night deepened. Fine snow drifted once more across a pitch-black, moonless sky. With a faint click, the heavy gates of the inner courtyard slipped open from within and shut again in an instant. A dim inscribed lantern flickered briefly, as though short-circuiting. A sheer, silken veil of black substance shrouded Xu Yuan from head to toe. Not a shadow of a person could be seen as he walked, moving as ghostly and ethereal as a passing yin ghost. This was one application of Xu Yuan's black mist intent-soul. When expanded, the black mist intent-soul could form a "simplified Dao domain" to combat foes; when contracted around his body, it could conceal his aura, his physical form, and even his sense of presence. A remarkably useful technique, especially the latter. Once his cultivation reached greater heights, he might even be able to pull off the kind of stunts seen in the adult videos of his past life. Xu Yuan walked leisurely toward Xiangqin Court, a trace of weariness lingering in his eyes and brow. This afternoon, no sooner had he and Ran Qingmo stepped foot back into the inner courtyard than Lou Ji dispatched people to deliver the investigation files regarding the Qin family. Except the files were brought in by carriage. Two full carriages packed with dossiers had made Xu Yuan's scalp tingle with dread, but in order to dig out useful information, he could only bite the bullet and pore over them scroll by scroll. That review had taken the better part of a day. Ran Qingmo had paused her cultivation around the hour of Hai, telling Xu Yuan that she was heading back to the guest quarters to rest. Did that big block of ice actually need rest? Not in the slightest. Even Xu Yuan didn't need to sleep these days, let alone Ran Qingmo, who was already on the verge of Dao fusion. Old geezer Ran Jianli had probably taught the ice block some things she never should have been taught. Still, today's circumstances were special, so Xu Yuan hadn't insisted on keeping her around. After sneaking out of the inner courtyard, because the estate was so ridiculously vast, Xu Yuan's trek to Xiangqin Court felt very much like that old joke from his past life about needing to drive a car just to use the bathroom at home. What was more, the Lakeheart Pavilion where Ran Qingmo stayed happened to sit right between the inner courtyard and Xiangqin Court. Deliberately taking the long way around meant Xu Yuan had to spend a full half-hour on foot. There was no helping it; moving too quickly might give away his qi dynamic. For tonight's clandestine affair, caution was paramount. That said, Xu Yuan wasn't genuinely overly worried. After all, the big block of ice was a good girl; she wouldn't randomly probe the outside with her intent-soul or origin qi. And even if she did probe, the soul mist around him would provide some shielding. What Xu Yuan actually feared most was Lou Ji meddling. His aura-concealing methods were completely useless against that older woman, and ever since daytime, she had been doing everything she could to ruin his fun. Truth be told, Xu Yuan could understand her motives. Lou Ji was an unapologetic hawk within the Prime Minister's Manor—the sort of hawk who wanted to drape an imperial robe over him. For that very reason, she was one of the senior figures who most strongly advocated breaking up the underground palace remnants, unwilling to see them become a future liability. Xu Yuan, however, had no desire to walk down the path she envisioned. Even if the underground palace remnants might eventually become a threat, the prerequisite was first winning the upcoming war. If they couldn't win, whatever was said now was entirely moot. Through the series of events over these past few years, the Prime Minister's Manor had grown far stronger than in any timeline of Cangyuan. The protagonist of the story had been killed, and Old Man Luo had surrendered intelligence on numerous resource-rich secret realms, simultaneously weakening enemy factions and bolstering the manor's wartime reserves. The events in Shengshan County had allowed the manor to reach into Xize Province through the Wanxiang Sect. Not to mention the massive spoils reaped from the complete victory against the Barbarians. As long as the war on the Northern Border was concluded and they carved up the output of the three northern provinces' sects with the imperial clan, the Chancellor's Manor's power would expand even further. The Chancellor's Manor truly was formidable—so formidable that even the imperial family and the Sect Alliance had to yield before its edge. Yet an elusive sense of unease had always lingered in Xu Yuan's heart. As Xu Yuan came to understand more and more of the world's affairs, his memories of the manor's inexplicable late-game collapse in his previous life's Cangyuan grew increasingly vivid. Across the tangled timelines of Cangyuan, the manor's campaign from Di'an City all the way to the Southern Border took at least seven years, and at most over a decade; yet in every single timeline without exception, being pushed back from the Southern Border all the way to Di'an took less than a year. When it came to scheming for the realm, Xu Yuan couldn't match his old man, but he could amass more bargaining chips for his father's board. To the manor, the underground palace remnants were a chunk of high-grade refined iron. Chopping it into scrap to reinforce the manor's other blades would make them heavier, but forging this single piece of refined iron into a complete blade of its own would undoubtedly prove far deadlier. Making his way to Xiangqin Court without hindrance, Xu Yuan briefly got his bearings and walked briskly toward Xiao Bai's courtyard. There was no curfew in the manor. Even deep into the night, lights shone in most of the courtyards of Xiangqin Court, because aside from a handful of scribes with truly dreadful aptitudes, the rest were basically Body Fusion experts who could keep going around the clock, all twelve two-hour periods. As he drew closer to Xiao Bai's courtyard, Xu Yuan grew increasingly tense. It wasn't any sort of jitters from approaching home, but rather because Lou Ji's courtyard was only about a hundred zhang away from Bai Muxi's. If he went over, Lou Ji would hear him without fail. If she was in her courtyard, that was. Thump, thump. Treading soundlessly on the snow, when he was just a hundred zhang from Xiao Bai's courtyard, Xu Yuan unconsciously came to a halt, his heart accelerating slightly. Even from afar, he could see the inscribed lantern lit in that older woman's courtyard, its soft gleam radiating far across the dark, silent, snowy night. Damn it. Lou Ji was actually staying in her courtyard tonight. In other words, she had already discovered his arrival. Going forward was bad, but retreating was no good either. After standing in place for a while, Xu Yuan was astonished to see the inscribed lantern in Lou Ji's courtyard go out. At the sight, Xu Yuan let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. It seemed she had tacitly accepted his choice after all. With that thought, Xu Yuan smiled faintly and stepped up before the courtyard gate. Sweeping it with his spiritual vision, he found the protective ward turned off. Xiao Bai had clearly left the door unlocked for him. Pushing the gate open, he had barely stepped onto the slate path dusted with a thin layer of snow when the door to the room creaked open. Instantly, a slender, radiant silhouette was cast upon the snowy ground... Tap, tap... tap. Inside the pitch-black, elegant residence, a seductive fragrance drifted in the air. At the center of the room sat a desk, behind which a curvaceous, graceful shadow rhythmically tapped her fingertips against the dossier before her. Gazing through the tightly shut lattice window at the swirling snowflakes outside, Lou Ji had a touch of helplessness in her eyes. The underground palace remnants... From her observations over the past several days, everything the Bai girl did had a sharp sense of purpose, and she knew full well how to tailor her attitude depending on her own station and the identity of whoever stood before her. On a personal level, she actually quite liked the girl's disposition. She had ambition, competence, immense drive, and the willingness to pay any price for what she wanted. However, that appreciation was strictly as a subordinate. If Changtian were willing to hand the girl over to her to train, and if she could withstand the trials, Lou Ji might even cultivate this underground palace Priestess as her successor. But as Changtian's concubine, Lou Ji felt nothing but revulsion toward this girl named Bai. Changtian was a sentimental person at heart. Even if everything right now was purely transactional, familiarity over time would inevitably breed affection, and in the future, he was bound to develop feelings for this woman and hesitate. That was actually fatal. Bai Muxi's chameleon-like adaptability would drive her to keep pushing boundaries, and even if she crossed the line, someone of Changtian's temperament would most likely not bring himself to put her to death. Based on this, Lou Ji felt that even the Li family's fiercely overbearing Wuyuan posed less of a threat than this Priestess surnamed Bai. Because that girl Li Qingyan understood boundaries. As domineering as she was, she possessed her own pride and would never exploit Changtian's nature to overstep her bounds. Thinking of this, Lou Ji raised a slender finger and gently massaged her brow with a mild headache. Ran Jianli's disciple had far too detached a temperament to ever suppress Bai Muxi, to say nothing of the Saintess of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion—it was already an accomplishment if she wasn't played for a fool by this woman. A faint irritation stirred within her, but as a thought crossed her mind, a smile suddenly tugged at the corner of Lou Ji's lips. She thought of the Li family girl. Changtian wouldn't execute the Bai girl, but Li Qingyan was a different story. If Bai Muxi pushed her luck too far, Li Qingyan wouldn't care in the slightest—she would kill her without hesitation. When that time came, Lou Ji could lend a hand from the shadows to keep Changtian in the dark. If all went well, it would actually promote internal stability within the manor. With that thought, Lou Ji suddenly let out a self-deprecating breath. She realized she was being overly idealistic. The endless flurry of investigation dossiers all declared that a clash between the imperial family and the Chancellor's Manor was imminent. Small skirmishes had already erupted on the Northern Border, and that woman Li Qingyan would most likely be an enemy. Which meant that if the Bai girl truly dared to overstep, in the end, she—the older sister—would still have to be the villain... "Sigh..." With a soft sigh, Lou Ji cast a glance toward the closed courtyard where Bai Muxi resided. Since Changtian had already made up his mind regarding the underground palace remnants, things would just have to remain as they were for now. Her mind settled, Lou Ji slowly rose from her seat. She had stayed in the manor tonight simply to see Changtian's choice. Now it was time to head to the Institute of Natural Philosophy to assist Jiang He and Luo Xiran in converting the extracted Boundary Void Stone into a teleportation array. She had lingered in Di'an for far too long. Once this matter was settled, she had to set out as soon as possible to investigate Wanyao Valley. The horrific plague driving people mad in the Northern Border was very likely just a test of their medicine; getting to the root of it required a personal investigation... Amid these thoughts, Lou Ji flashed outside her courtyard. In a few leaps, she approached the edge of the Prime Minister's Manor. Just as she was about to use her soul key to pass through the manor's boundary array, her emerald eyes glanced toward Lakeheart Pavilion. Hm? Why was Ran Jianli's disciple walking toward Xiangqin Court? Should she warn Changtian? "..." After considering it for a second, Lou Ji chuckled and shook her head, putting aside the urge to stay behind and enjoy the drama. With a single flicker of motion, she vanished on the spot. I hope Changtian doesn't get the wrong idea... Snow drifted before the doorway. Xu Yuan gazed at Bai Muxi in her thin, white garment. Lightly powdered, her face was delicate and lovely, her lips like rose petals, her bright eyes shimmering like spring waters. Beneath the translucent silk robe, a midriff-baring dudou halter top wrapped tightly around her sinful curves, offering a direct view of her flat, fair stomach. Their gazes met for a moment. Blushing crimson, Bai Muxi averted her eyes. Xu Yuan lightly adjusted his brocade robe, the corners of his lips curling as he looked at this white ensemble he hadn't seen before. "Where's the purple dress you bought today?" At his question, Xiao Bai straightened her posture and curtsied respectfully. "Young Master's gift was too precious; Muxi wanted to preserve it. That is why I went out again today to purchase this plain attire. If Young Master dislikes it, I shall change immediately." The style of the dudou seemed specially tailored, fitting loosely rather than constricting. With every rise and fall of her movements, an expanse of snowy cleavage trembled gently. Xu Yuan really had no idea how this little green tea minx, unfamiliar as she was with Di'an, had managed to find a clothing shop like that. Suppressing the thought, Xu Yuan shook his head and pointed inside. "It's freezing with the snow outside. Let's talk inside." At those words, Bai Muxi stepped aside at once to let Xu Yuan enter first, but he waved his hand dismissively. Seeing this, Xiao Bai turned around, gracefully gliding into the room. The hem of her white silk robe was slit high. With each step, the fair skin of her thighs peeked out. Her slender legs were encased in over-the-knee white silk stockings, cinched just enough to create a delightful trace of pressure, while the flesh tone of her calves showed faintly through the gaps in the stockings' pattern. White. This snow-pure color suddenly reminded Xu Yuan of a certain other woman who also favored plain white clothes—and the silk stocking that succubus Su had left for him in Jingjiang Prefecture. The moment he sat down inside, the inscribed lantern went out, plunging the room into pitch darkness beneath the moonless night. With his vision gone, the faint floral scent of a woman instantly filled his senses. Before he could speak, in the very next instant, Xu Yuan felt a pair of slender arms gently encircle his neck from behind. A supple, voluptuous body pressed softly against his back, her orchid-sweet breath brushing against his ear and sending a ripple of goosebumps down his skin. Whoa. She really knows what she's doing. Xu Yuan reached up and caught the woman's boneless, slender wrists. With a sharp twist of his body and a tug forward, a soft gasp escaped the tender form behind him as she tumbled directly into his arms. Snap. With a snap of his fingers, the light flared to life. Bai Muxi's bright eyes were dewy, her cheeks flushed crimson. As if by instinct, her arms shielded her chest, causing a noticeable deformation from the pressure... "..." "..." Knock, knock, knock. "Master Bai, your courtyard gate is open. May I come in? There is something I'd like to ask you." "..." Xu Yuan's pupils shrank to pinpricks. "..." Bai Muxi's fists clenched tight in an instant. The familiar voice rang outside the door. After a heartbeat of stunned silence, Xu Yuan scrambled off the half-bared Bai Muxi. He stared at the door, a single thought flashing through his mind: I am so screwed. Wait, no, it's not over yet. Ran Qingmo wouldn't casually use her intent-soul to probe someone else's room. Thoughts racing, Xu Yuan glared at Xiao Bai, who was still lying there stiff as a corpse. He methodically threw his brocade robe back on and chose to speak first: "Didn't you go to rest? Why did you come looking for Bai Muxi so late?"