The next morning, Mu Heng, under the guise of handling palace affairs, accompanied Ye Ziling to Jiuling Palace.
As aerial patrols checked for departing flying ships, the two rode horses, accompanied by a contingent of disciples.
Their horses' hooves pounded the path, galloping swiftly. It wasn't until midnight that the rapid hoofbeats swept through like a torrential downpour, leaving behind hoofprints of varying depths.
Ye Ziling, with her whip in hand, suddenly spotted a human figure on the ground. Her mind went blank, and without a second thought, she pulled back sharply on the reins.
The horse reared back and neighed, shattering the night's tranquility.
Fortunately, the person on the ground was merely startled, leaning back and falling.
The youth on the ground had very fair skin, with long, clear eyebrows and eyes that held a luster akin to a jade's polish.
He was exceptionally beautiful, dressed in a torn Miao ethnic costume, with silver bells tied to his feet that chimed crisply with his panicked movements.
Ye Ziling remembered that passing through the mountain beside them led to the gathering place of the Miao people.
She had no intention of getting involved in Miao affairs and could have simply ridden past. Yet, for some reason, she stopped.
Perhaps it was because he looked somewhat familiar, or perhaps the youth's battle-worn appearance was too stunning; her gaze lingered on him for a moment.
"Bold one, who dares to block the path to Jiuling Palace? Move aside at once!" a disciple behind her shouted angrily.
Seeing that the youth was still not moving, Ye Ziling was about to turn her horse around when he once again spread his arms, blocking the way.
"I... I am from the Miao region. My family was tragically killed by bandits. I heard this is the only path to Jiuling Palace, so I waited here. I beg the Palace Master to take me as a disciple, to give me a chance to avenge my parents..." The youth awkwardly cupped his hands in a greeting.
Ye Ziling's usually cold face broke into a smile. She cast a condescending glance at the youth and asked with amusement, "How did you know I am the Palace Master?"
"I... I was just taking a gamble," the youth stammered, trembling slightly. He glanced at her timidly, then lowered his eyes, his earlobes flushing slightly.
"What if I hadn't stopped in time? Weren't you afraid of being trampled to death?" Ye Ziling said, smiling playfully.
Even she wouldn't have dared to make such a huge gamble. If he had ended up as a casualty beneath the hooves, he would have lost any chance to avenge his parents.
"I..." The youth hesitated, unable to speak further, and didn't look up at her again.
Ye Ziling moved past him ruthlessly.
The youth, however, did not give up and continued, "It's alright if you don't take me as a disciple... If I could serve the Palace Master, it would also be my honor."
Ye Ziling offered no response. The inconsistencies in this act were too numerous, and she had to be wary.
"I can play the qin, the xiao, paint... and also make poisons..."
Make poisons?
Ye Ziling grew curious. She stopped her horse, her eyes flickering slightly. "Mu Heng."
"Yes, Palace Master," Mu Heng, who had been watching the spectacle from the side, immediately perked up. "What is your command?"
"The matter is yours to handle." With that, she spurred her horse onward and disappeared into the night shortly after.
Mu Heng: "..."
Mu Heng glanced at the youth. The youth, his small face deathly pale, had already walked up to his horse and was respectfully cupping his hands.
Mu Heng could only grumble inwardly, why was everything his responsibility?
Truly, minor officials had the most trivial matters to deal with!
The Grand Hall of Jiuling Palace.
"What nonsense is this? Do you know who we are?" Two masked men stood in the hall. After waiting for several days, they hadn't met the person they were supposed to see. A nearby attendant couldn't help but curse.
"Your Excellencies, the Palace Master is currently traveling. You may speak with our Vice Palace Master if you have any matters," a disciple replied politely, cupping his hands.
"What Vice Palace Master? My master is not worthy of meeting your Palace Master? Believe it or not, I'll cut you down!"
As one of the masked men was about to raise his saber to strike the disciple's head, a bee's stinger shot out, sending him stumbling back several steps and falling to the ground.
The hall door opened, and a woman veiled in a veil slowly advanced. She casually walked past the two men, reclined lazily on the main seat, and gestured for the disciples to withdraw.
"And who are you? Call out your Palace Master! Otherwise, I'll cut you down as well!"
Ye Ziling played with the fan in her hand, raised her eyes, and glanced at the two, offering no reply.
A gust of eerie wind blew past, and another man wearing a wolf-head mask stepped forward. He was clad in black robes, his eyes as cold and aloof as if they lacked focus, his deep, dark gaze filled with serenity. His black hair cascaded around his ears, and his ear stud emitted a faint blue glow.
"You must be the true master of Jiuling Palace, correct?" Jing Mo tilted his head slightly, slowly drawing back his sleeves. A glint of light flickered in his eyes, as deep as a secluded pool.
"Master, she looks no more than twenty. How could she possibly be the Palace Master?" the attendant beside him continued his insolence, casting a sidelong glance at Ye Ziling with a crooked mouth.
A sharp gust of wind swept by, and several bee stingers flew from Ye Ziling's sleeves, piercing the attendant and causing him to collapse on the ground, instantly losing his life.
Jing Mo's eyes turned cold, yet he forced a smile. "The Palace Master's reprimand is well deserved."
Ye Ziling's strength was not to be underestimated. He had come to discuss cooperation, and it was best not to anger this lunatic.
"Oh, Jing Mo, how have you been? I accidentally killed your subordinate, hope you don't mind?" Ye Ziling's eyes crinkled with a deep smile, though her heart remained undisturbed.
Ye Ziling had long guessed the purpose of his visit.
The King of the Demon City was also a ruthless individual. Cooperating with him was akin to walking with a tiger; she wasn't that foolish.
The man offered an obsequious smile. "A mere personal subordinate, killing him is nothing. What does it matter?"
"Oh, then what if I said I wanted your life?" Ye Ziling said unhurriedly.
Jing Mo's face darkened, then he grinned, "Does the Divine Maiden Tu Yao not wish to ascend to the Celestial Realm to avenge her people and seek justice for herself? Killing me, wouldn't that be a loss?"
"I recall you saying the same thing to me more than a decade ago." Ye Ziling's eyes suddenly turned cold, the memories of the sky collapsing flooding her mind.
Jing Mo only cared about his own interests. He was one to burn bridges after crossing them, ungrateful – she had seen it all.
Cooperation?
In essence, it was merely mutual exploitation.
Now that the Demon City was sealed, Jing Mo could not stir up much trouble. Leaving him here would only be to use her identity as leverage, which would likely lead to disaster.
"When did the Divine Maiden Tu Yao become so hesitant?" the man's deep, ethereal voice echoed around. Ye Ziling leaned against the main seat, put down her folding fan, took out a silver hairpin, and played with it in her hand, a playful smile on her lips. "I forgot to tell you, your hundreds of minor demons also met their end at my hands."
The woman's fingers were like scallion roots, and her mouth was like a ruby. Her every move and smile captivated the soul.
"If it means luring out the Divine Maiden, then those people are not worth mourning," the man's eyes held a wicked glint, and his five fingers beneath his sleeve clenched suddenly.
Abruptly, the smile on his face froze. He sprang into the air, spinning in mid-air.
His long sword swung, and blinding sword light shot upwards, lunging towards Ye Ziling.
The silver hairpin in Ye Ziling's hand transformed into several strands of silk, binding his long sword layer by layer. With a sudden pull, the sword in the man's hand clattered to the ground.
She arrived with the wind and struck him with her palm. Jing Mo, unable to evade, clutched his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Divine Maiden Tu Yao, as skilled as ever," the man sneered coldly.
Ye Ziling's gaze sharpened. Like a swift wind, she passed before him, her five fingers grasping, and a wolf-head mask appeared in her hand. The man's face was instantly revealed.
That face, like an eagle in the night, was proud and aloof yet undeniably commanding.
Jing Mo, clutching his chest, was about to thrust his sword at her when she knocked him down with another palm strike.
A faint palm print appeared on his chest, and black blood flowed onto the ground. The man looked up at her, his eyes filled with malice. "What... what did you do to me?"
"Just a蛊毒 (gu poison), why are you panicking?" Ye Ziling feigned ignorance, a slight smile on her lips.
Jing Mo knew he was no match for her. He revealed his true form and fled the scene.
Ye Ziling did not pursue. Anyone poisoned with蛊毒 was bound to die sooner or later.