Ling Yao, accompanied by Yu Liu and Yu Shan, took a casual stroll through the imperial palace. Without any guards following, she headed towards a secluded courtyard mentioned by the Second Prince.
This was the residence of Eunuch Bai Xi. Previously attended by two young eunuchs, he had gone mad, supposedly from testing medicine for the Emperor, which affected his mind. The Emperor, in his benevolence, had granted him a separate courtyard to live out his days in the palace, an act of immense imperial favor.
The old gate creaked open with a muffled groan. The courtyard was silent, its desolate appearance exuding a sense of bleakness. The accumulated snow had not been cleared and had hardened into ice.
"Who's there!"
A sharp, impatient voice emanated from a room. A small, emaciated eunuch emerged, his eyes still heavy with sleep. Upon seeing Ling Yao and her companions, his gaze flickered, recognizing the arrival of nobility. He quickly shed his nonchalant demeanor and knelt on the ground.
"This servant, Li Gui, greets your grace."
"Where is Eunuch Bai Xi?"
"Eunuch Bai... he, he is in the room. Your grace... your grace, be careful. He is a madman and might harm you..."
Seeing Ling Yao walk towards the room, the young eunuch panicked. He stretched out his hands as if to block her, but dared not act. Finally, a cold glance from Yu Liu stopped him.
"Kneel here and do not move. If you dare to move an inch, your head will pay!" Yu Liu sternly warned, mimicking the manner of palace maids.
The young eunuch nodded repeatedly, terrified.
Upon opening the door, a foul stench filled the air. Ling Yao covered her nose, on the verge of vomiting.
Yu Shan quickly entered and opened all the windows. The cold wind blew in, slightly dissipating the odor, but making the room as cold as an ice cellar.
A person was bound to the bed, their face obscured by hair, their clothes filthy. It was impossible to tell who it was, only the slight rise and fall of their chest indicated they were still alive.
"Eunuch Bai Xi?"
How could it have come to this? Was this what was meant by imperial retirement?
Eunuch Bai Xi had once been a man of great prestige. When he was by her father's side, he served with utmost dedication, directing the numerous young eunuchs to manage the imperial palace with perfect order. He walked with his head held high, his face beaming with pride. Everyone bowed respectfully, calling out, "Greetings, Eunuch."
Even if he sometimes appeared overly fawning towards her father, it was merely the result of years of practiced smoothness. But Ling Yao knew he was the most loyal to her father.
He was an elder who had accompanied her father since childhood. Their relationship was far more than a simple master-servant dynamic.
Therefore, he had also been harmed by others.
He was the eunuch who valued cleanliness the most. Many eunuchs, due to their incomplete physiology, always carried an unpleasant odor. But Eunuch Bai Xi did not. This was because he bathed three times a day and changed his clothes three times, perfuming his garments with fragrant incense.
Her father had called him meticulous. Apart from Eunuch Bai Xi, no one else suited his needs. Because of this, Eunuch Bai Xi worked year-round without changing shifts, always by her father's side.
Some tasks could clearly be delegated to the eunuchs under his charge, but he simply did not trust them. He devoted twelve parts of his spirit to her father's affairs, day in and day out for ten years.
Yet, now he was covered in filth, bound here like an animal. He ate, drank, slept, and excreted on the bed. The quilt had turned into a block of ice. If she hadn't come, he would likely have frozen to death here in a few days!
If he was like this, was her father also like this?
A sharp pain pierced her heart. At this moment, her past hatred for the palace completely faded. What had happened? Everyone was suffering the same torment as she was.
She had already been pulled out of the abyss, but her family had not.
"Eunuch Bai Xi, I am Ling Yao. Who harmed you? How is Father?"
The person on the bed showed no reaction. Yu Liu used her saber to cut the ropes binding him and pushed aside the white, disheveled hair covering his face.
Bai Xi's face, emaciated to a skeletal frame, was revealed. His hollow eyes stared blankly at Ling Yao.
"Miss, step back." Yu Liu pulled Ling Yao back a step, primarily because she couldn't guarantee that the madman wouldn't lash out, and his eyes were truly terrifying.
"Ah—ah—"
Eunuch Bai Xi opened his mouth and let out two hoarse cries, like a worn-out bellows, broken and difficult.
"Miss, his vocal cords are damaged." Yu Shan, sensing something was wrong, examined him and said gravely.
Ling Yao gritted her teeth. "It must be those people, afraid Eunuch Bai Xi would reveal their conspiracy. Grand Tutor Lu, or Prince Ruan Nan, or perhaps they joined forces?"
Eunuch Bai Xi's hollow eyes flickered twice.
Yu Shan observed him further. "Looking at Eunuch Bai Xi's condition, could he also have been fed the Soul Devouring Gu?"
"Eunuch Bai Xi was inseparable from Father. How could those people let him go!"
"Miss, the airflow here is poor. Let's leave for now."
Eunuch Bai Xi was foolish, and nothing could be learned from him. Ling Yao nodded, her chest feeling heavy.
"Eunuch Bai Xi." Ling Yao looked at the weak, immobile man with red eyes. "Wait a little longer. When Father recovers, you will still serve him. Besides you, he cannot get used to anyone else."
Bai Xi stared with his hollow eyes, silent. Just as Ling Yao stepped over the threshold, she heard the sound of the bed board being tapped.
One, two, three. Three taps. Ready. Go find it.
Ling Yao instinctively turned back. Eunuch Bai Xi, like a simple-minded child, lay on the bed, waving his arms and making inarticulate "Ah—ah—" sounds.
"Miss, this is just a person's instinct. Don't look. He's truly gone mad." Yu Shan supported her as they left the room.
No, he wasn't mad. Eunuch Bai Xi was the most skilled at social graces and possessed a sharp mind. Her father had once said that if he were not a eunuch, he would surely be appointed Prime Minister, the head of all officials. He said he was like a lotus root, with a hundred minds.
He was feigning madness, deceiving everyone.
His seemingly random waving was, in fact, drawing a lotus.
The lotus was the symbol of the goddess, and also the symbol of the Phoenix Que Tower.
The three taps were a game he and Eunuch Bai Xi used to play.
When she was young, her father and the Grand Shaman would discuss important matters in the Phoenix Que Tower, and Eunuch Bai Xi would play with her. Hide-and-seek was her favorite game then.
Once hidden, three taps with a stone served as the signal.
One, two, three. Hidden.
What was hidden this time? What had Eunuch Bai Xi hidden in the Phoenix Que Tower?
"Take good care of the person inside. We will return in a few days. If you neglect your duties, I will have you beaten to death!"
Yu Liu sternly warned the young eunuch, who meekly agreed.
Ling Yao, however, had already bent down. "Look at me."
The young eunuch tremblingly looked up. The person before him was as beautiful as a celestial being. He had never seen such a noble lady in the palace. Who could she be?
"Tell me, who sent you here? Who harmed Eunuch Bai Xi?"
"This servant did not harm him. Eunuch Lu sent this servant. No one else was willing to come, and this servant had no money to give Eunuch Lu, so I was assigned here." The young eunuch replied blankly.
It seemed he was not specifically monitoring Eunuch Bai Xi.
Everyone probably thought he was truly mad.
"Has anyone else been here?"
"No. Ever since this servant arrived, no one has set foot here."
"Good. Take good care of Eunuch Bai Xi. Bathe him, change his clothes, cover him with a thick quilt, and serve him diligently. If you do not, you will die."
"Yes, yes, yes. This servant will surely do as you say. But, but this servant has no money. I cannot get thick quilts, and also, also food..."
"Give him money."
Ling Yao stood up. The astonished Yu Liu finally came to her senses and took money from her person, stuffing it into the young eunuch's hand.
Judging by the young eunuch's expression just now, he had been hypnotized!
Miss also knew hypnosis, and it was the most potent she had ever seen. There was no need for any tools. A single glance was enough to bewitch someone.