The Su family held more secrets than Gu Qianying had initially realized. While she hadn't paid much attention to them at first, she now understood she had overlooked many things.
"Are these things you're speaking of achieved through the suffering you're currently enduring?" Gu Qianying asked, her brow furrowed. The man shook his head.
"Forbidden arts do exist, but how they are achieved is merely my speculation. To uncover the truth, we must seek answers at the old Su family estate."
This was all Su Xuanlin knew. He looked at the woman before him. Though it was their first meeting, she had given him the courage to reveal everything and a sense of trust.
The weight of these revelations pressed upon Gu Qianying's mind. She had come to the Southern Yi Kingdom merely to find young Gu Nian, yet here she was, entangled in a web of such profound mystery. She met Su Xuanlin's gaze, seeing both hope and sorrow in his eyes.
After careful consideration, she made her decision. "I will uncover the truth of this matter. It seems I must visit the Su family estate."
Hearing her words, a hint of tears welled in Su Xuanlin's eyes. "There are a few places in the old estate where the forbidden arts might be kept. I will draw them for you."
He quickly fetched a brush and paper, but before he could finish drawing the layout, the sound of guards reached them from outside.
"Search inside, leave no corner unchecked."
The words were clear, and Gu Qianying's heart leaped. "This is bad. It's the Grand Tutor Su and the Empress's people. That voice belongs to his head guard."
With that thought, Gu Qianying urged Su Xuanlin to stay put while she prepared to leap out. However, the dark guards moved with astonishing speed. Some had already scaled the rooftops to intercept her. Just as she was about to spring from the room, several figures burst in.
"Miss Gu, you should hide."
Hearing the commotion outside, Su Xuanlin quickly pulled open a nearby wardrobe. Gu Qianying looked in his direction and noticed a recessed section behind the wardrobe, filled with tools like hoes and hammers. With no time to ponder their purpose, she offered a word of thanks and concealed herself within.
As Su Xuanlin, limping, pushed the wardrobe back into place, the door was kicked open.
"Search thoroughly, miss no corner."
The only speaker among the intruders was a palace guard. The other two who rushed in were clad in black. Su Xuanlin recalled Gu Qianying's words: she had been secretly imprisoned by the Empress. He reasoned that even if she escaped now, the Empress would not dare to deploy palace guards to track her. This thought brought him some relief, believing that if she could survive the night, she would likely escape safely the next day.
The commotion outside drew the attention of those who could still move, and they gathered at the entrance to observe, unaware of what was happening.
"Have you seen a woman wearing white, with a tightly cinched belt, who is skilled in martial arts appear here?"
After a thorough search, the guards found no trace of Gu Qianying and proceeded to question those inside the rooms. Su Xuanlin, like everyone else, shook his head, indicating he had not seen her. The head guard's gaze was stern. He then had a man dragged forward.
"Are you certain you saw her appear here?"
The man, missing an arm, gasped in pain as he was roughly pulled. "Sir, how could I dare lie to you? I saw the woman you described when I came out to take charge earlier. People rarely come to a place like this, let alone a woman." He glanced around, his eyes meeting Su Xuanlin's. He seemed about to speak but reconsidered.
Gu Qianying, hidden behind the wardrobe, heard the conversation clearly. "Is that so? The person hasn't escaped, and we can't find her, but she's right here. What do we do?" The leader's words carried a veiled threat. A nearby guard stepped forward with a suggestion.
"Sir, I believe that woman has simply hidden herself somewhere. Why don't we withdraw and set fire to this place? That will surely draw her out."
Upon hearing this, the men from the cold palace who had come to investigate knelt down, seeking a glimmer of hope. "Sir, if you burn this place down, we will all perish. While this is the cold palace, we are still subjects of the Empress."
These words indeed reminded the leader. He narrowed his eyes at the man who had offered the suggestion, pondered for a moment, and then turned to leave. The people in the courtyard followed him out. Just as everyone began to relax and prepare to return, an order suddenly came from outside.
"Surround this entire place. The Grand Tutor has ordered that if she will not come out, then burn her to death within the cold palace."
Those who had not yet entered the rooms heard this clearly and cried out, wanting to escape. However, as the courtyard gate was sealed, their pleas were of no avail. Gu Qianying emerged from behind the wardrobe. She could not let these people perish because of her.
"Miss Gu, don't go out. Come with me." Seeing her movement, Su Xuanlin quickly stepped forward to stop her, pulling her towards a room. At the same time, the men imprisoned there who were still able to move followed them.
After the recent commotion, it was evident to everyone in the room that this woman was the one the officials were searching for. However, she was now being protected by Su Xuanlin. Su Xuanlin held a significant position among them, and his actions caused some confusion.
"Brother, who is this? What are you doing?" This room held their secrets, and seeing Su Xuanlin bring a stranger here made them uneasy.
"This is Miss Gu. She is being pursued by Grand Tutor Su and the Empress, all because of the forbidden arts. Therefore, we must help her escape."
The term "forbidden arts" was apparently no longer a secret among these men. When they learned that Gu Qianying, a woman, was willing to help them uncover the truth, and that the people outside clearly intended to kill them, they all knelt down after some deliberation.
"What is this?" Gu Qianying started to speak, but Su Xuanlin grasped her arm, preventing her from uttering a word.
"Miss Gu, we have suffered such humiliation in this place, yet no one has ever cared for us. Even if someone knew some secrets, they never thought to help us. You are the first and the only one. No matter the outcome, we will do our utmost to protect you." His voice choked with emotion as he, along with the others, bowed to Gu Qianying.
Entrusted with this responsibility in a time of crisis, Gu Qianying had not expected such trust from these people. However, since they had chosen to believe her, she would not back down. "Very well, I will investigate this to the end." With her promise to everyone, Su Xuanlin felt a sense of peace.