Night fell, and a streak of blue infiltrated the Fifth Prince's courtyard. The youth's high ponytail flickered as he slipped into a pitch-black courtyard.
It was not the Fifth Prince's sleeping quarters.
Xie Jing stared at the dark room before him, a hint of anger brewing in his eyes, which he suppressed without outburst.
The door was also locked.
This second vexing matter darkened his expression further. Xie Jing circled around to the other side.
"Creak~"
The window opened with a slight push, and Xie Jing easily leaped inside.
Darkness met his gaze; there was not a speck of light in the room.
Yet, in such an environment, Xie Jing could move unhindered. His senses sharpened, and following his memory from the previous night, he walked to the bedside.
But there was no movement!
He could not hear Qin Jiujiu's breathing, nor could he sense her presence. His heart sank, and Xie Jing quickly exited the room.
She hadn't returned!
He had intended to settle the day's score with his little Jiujiu—she had promised not to glance more than necessary at the Fifth Prince, but she not only looked but even engaged in such intimate gestures…
If they weren't constrained by the need for discretion, the Fifth Prince would have ceased to exist within the palace walls long ago!
And he dared to call her Little Jiujiu!
Recalling that Qin Jiujiu's last known destination was the Empress's Palace, Xie Jing headed directly there.
"Who goes there?"
As the night deepened, the palace guards' patrols increased. Xie Jing had shed his guard uniform and was wearing his own clothes, making the journey to the Empress's Palace less straightforward than his arrival.
He was quickly noticed.
He turned back. Concerned for Qin Jiujiu's safety, the emotions he had been suppressing were on the verge of erupting, showing the first signs.
A slight provocation would unleash the bloodthirsty factor hidden within him, and naturally, none of these people would survive.
"Xie Jing, you must calm down! Listen to me, or I won't talk to you anymore…"
The scarlet hue in his eyes began to deepen, but a delicate, soft voice suddenly echoed in his ears. The scarlet gradually receded, and Xie Jing's eyes returned to their usual deep pool.
Little Jiujiu would be angry! If he killed someone!
A group of guards advanced toward Xie Jing, their vigilance piqued. They all instinctively tightened their grip on their swords; the person before them appeared formidable.
Merely approaching him made them break out in a cold sweat.
They had all killed before and were acutely sensitive to murderous intent.
"What is your purpose here?"
They stopped before Xie Jing, and their leader questioned him.
Xie Jing remained silent, and they subtly showed signs of preparing to attack.
If they struck first, then even if he killed them, it would count as self-defense, wouldn't it?
It wouldn't be a violation of their agreement!
With this thought, Xie Jing's frustration began to dissipate, replaced by a joyful anticipation of bloodshed.
"What are you doing? Brother, I'm just asking for directions…"
A commotion drew everyone's attention. The leader called out to someone not far away, "What's happening over there?"
"Report, Commander, someone is trespassing in the Empress's Palace!"
This was the necessary path not far from the Empress's Palace.
The commander then said, "Bring them here!"
Soon, someone arrived with individuals in tow. Xie Jing's expression changed, showing obvious surprise, but the youth's change of demeanor was fleeting; he quickly regained his composure.
"Who are you?"
The same question.
Xie Jing frowned impatiently. Bai Qianluo, naturally, noticed this. A sycophantic smile played on her lips as she explained to the person addressed as commander, "I am a Taoist priest who treats the Empress. I have something important to attend to in the Empress's Palace! This person is with me; he's terrible with directions and somehow got lost here…"
The commander scrutinized Bai Qianluo from head to toe. His attire indeed resembled that of a Taoist priest, and it wasn't uncommon for priests to enter and exit the imperial palace, especially recently with priests frequently attending to the Empress.
"You may proceed."
With the commander's permission, Bai Qianluo and Xie Jing were allowed through, and they openly entered the Empress's Palace under their watchful eyes.
"Miss Bai, how did you know I was here?"
"Jiujiu is missing. The last place she went was the Empress's Palace. I guessed you would definitely come here to find her!"
Upon hearing this, Xie Jing's already grim expression turned even more sinister.
"Where did she go?"
Xie Jing asked coldly.
Bai Qianluo shook her head, her face also etched with anxiety. "This Empress's Palace is shrouded in strangeness. Moreover, for the past two days, your elder brother and I have been searching for the trace of the great demon within, but we've been continuously interfered with…"
This meant they had not found the cause.
Had Qin Jiujiu met with misfortune?
Xie Jing dared not think further and strode ahead.
He couldn't sense Qin Jiujiu's summons, the bell hadn't rung, and there was no trace of the Qiankun bag.
He had clearly placed a tracking charm on the Qiankun bag.
The more this was the case, the more violently Xie Jing's murderous intent surged. If they couldn't find the source of the strangeness, why not bloodbath the Empress's Palace, bloodbath this entire imperial palace?
He clenched his fists, letting the killing intent surrounding him run rampant.
[You're right! Killing is the answer! Kill them, and your little Jiujiu will return to your side…]
A deep voice enticed him.
Xie Jing's body gradually became shrouded in demonic energy. Bai Qianluo's Qingjue Sword suddenly reacted, as if sensing the demonic energy emanating from Xie Jing.
Bai Qianluo naturally noticed the abnormality in Xie Jing. She saw the youth before her with his fair skin, a hint of dark energy shrouding his brow, and his eyes completely scarlet—the prelude to his descent into demonhood.
"Xie Jing!" Bai Qianluo exclaimed.
But Xie Jing could no longer hear her. His mind was filled with that deep voice—as long as he killed them, Little Jiujiu would return to his side, and from then on, no one would dare disturb them!
This was a fatal temptation for Xie Jing.
Because of Bai Qianluo's voice, he shifted his gaze to her.
[This woman wants to stop you! She's here to harm your Little Jiujiu! Kill her quickly!]
Xie Jing looked at Bai Qianluo, his eyes shifting from a dazed state to one filled with murderous intent.
He gathered demonic energy in his hand and struck at Bai Qianluo without mercy.
She had not expected Xie Jing to suddenly attack her, nor did she expect his demonic energy to be so powerful. This single palm strike sent tremors through her internal organs.
Bai Qianluo was struck down, and immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Xiao Jing!"