Go and capture those thirty-six fierce villains.

Attendants led the way.

Qin Ning received a second-class retainer's waist token from the beardless servant.

This brand is lighter than the one Feng Hanying gave him, and the two are also made of different materials.

After registering his name and other basic information, Cheng Feng explained to Qin Ning in his slightly high-pitched voice.

Second-class retainers received a monthly stipend of 20 taels of silver and had free access to the first to third floors of the Prince's mansion's library. A designated area within the mansion was allocated for their residence.

However, given the numerous rules within the manor and the risk of accidentally offending important figures, most retainers had their own private residences in the inner or outer city.

Unless summoned by the prince, they generally do not easily set foot in the Prince Su's residence.

"I will stay inside the manor, so it will be more convenient for me to treat the young master's illness every day." Qin Ning came here for two reasons: first, to ensure his safety, and second, to gather information about the dangerous creature. If he could stay inside, he would naturally not go outside.

Cheng Feng covered his mouth and chuckled: "Qin Xingzhen is so thoughtful, he will surely be highly valued by the Prince in the future. Someone, take Qin Xingzhen to the Hall of Heroes."

Qin Ning exchanged a few polite words with the other party, then bowed and took his leave.

They had only walked a few steps after leaving the house.

He pretended to clutch his stomach, feigning an urgent need to urinate, and went to the outhouse to retrieve a Bagua plate, stuffing it into his sleeve.

The Prince's mansion is very large, and there is a Bagua compass there. By taking the opportunity to walk through it, one might be able to step into the area within a mile of where the evil spirit is located.

They walked for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

The Bagua compass remained completely still.

When Qin Ning arrived at Qunying Courtyard, a young maid dressed in a light green silk dress was already waiting outside the gate. Upon seeing Qin Ning, she immediately came forward to greet him.

Her face flushed, her voice shy, and she lowered her head as she asked, "Is the person who came Qin Xingzhen?"

"It's me, young lady. What brings you here?"

"Her Highness the Consort has learned of your merit in saving His Highness the Crown Prince and has been rewarded with the title of retainer. She has specially ordered me to wait here and invite you to come over."

What excellent information... The image of that beautiful woman's melancholy flashed through my mind. It seems that although she said she didn't want to see the prince, her heart and eyes had never left him for a moment.

"Please lead the way, Fan."

This concubine had previously promised a reward, but it's unclear what it will be...

As Qin Ning walked and pondered, the Bagua compass in his sleeve suddenly became hot as he passed a red wall.

However, it didn't last long; after turning a corner, the Bagua compass returned to calm.

Did I just brush past that monster?

Qin Ning looked up at the little maid who was two steps ahead of him and had been glancing at him several times out of the corner of her eye along the way.

"Young lady, this road doesn't seem to lead to the garden. Where are we headed now?"

Suddenly called out by name, the maid's shoulders trembled slightly. She composed herself before saying, "Qin Xingzhen, the place you went to before was Her Majesty's private garden. Now that it's getting late, Her Majesty has already returned to her palace to rest. We are now heading to Yunyin Palace."

Qin Ning nodded: "I will be living in the manor from now on, and I'm not very familiar with the place yet. Would you be so kind as to help me with some introductions?"

"Great!" The little maidservant said excitedly, standing beside Qin Ning with a flushed face, "We came from the Qunying Academy, passing by the dining hall and training ground used by the guests along the way. Over there is the Tingsong Academy, and over there is the Guanxing Garden..."

She pointed east and poked west, and soon introduced what Qin Ning wanted to hear.

"Behind that large red wall was the young princess's residence, and further ahead..."

The Prince Su's mansion was truly enormous; so enormous that even after the two arrived at the Yunyin Palace, the little maid hadn't finished introducing the buildings within.

Standing at the entrance of the palace, Qin Ning smiled warmly: "You've had a long journey. I will be staying at the Qunying Courtyard from now on. If Sister Qingbi has any headaches or fevers, feel free to come and find me."

The little maid's face turned even redder, and her round little chin almost touched her chest.

"It's nothing, Qin Xingzhen, there's no need to be so polite."

Another person led Qin Ning into the hall.

The room was brightly lit by candles and elegantly decorated. In the corner were several bronze incense burners, from which wisps of fragrance wafted, filling the entire hall along with the candlelight.

The beautiful woman, now dressed in a light purple cross-collar dress, was in high spirits, playing with her white cat on a soft couch. Seeing Qin Ning enter, she didn't look up, but softly gave him a command.

"Please take a seat."

There were strong, burly old women in the hall who brought a chair for Qin Ning.

"You're not bad. From now on, your salary as a retainer will be doubled, and you can choose one medical book and one martial arts manual from my private treasury to treat the young master's illness properly." The concubine said with a hint of approval after teasing the white cat.

"Giving me this stool is unnecessary..." Qin Ning, who had just sat down, stood up and thanked him with clasped hands.

He didn't particularly care about doubling his salary, but the latter...

It's understandable that I was given medical books while pretending to be a seventh-rank acupuncturist. But martial arts manuals... Could it be that because I attacked that Physician Dong, this concubine misunderstood that I'm pursuing a path of both medicine and martial arts?

"Those who are not born with extraordinary talent are already as difficult as ascending to heaven to achieve anything in cultivation. You are so young and you have already reached the seventh rank of acupuncture. You should focus your mind more on cultivating your medical skills."

"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty."

After this conversation, the beautiful woman fell silent.

The empty hall remained silent for a while before she said with a touch of melancholy, "Your Highness, have you mentioned me?"

Seeing the other person's appearance, Qin Ning sighed softly in her heart.

He felt that to compete for favor, one first had to be favored; only then could one compete. But judging from Prince Su's attitude, and considering the rumors he'd heard from Huang Mu, this concubine before him was hardly vying for favor.

It's a completely unrequited love, and it's also very complicated.

"His Highness called your name."

"What did you call me?" the beautiful woman asked quickly.

"Manyin".

Upon hearing this, the beautiful woman's face blossomed into a smile, her gaze lingering on him: "He called me by my nickname... what else did he say?"

Qin Ning recalled for a moment and honestly replied, "The prince said that this little girl, Manyin..."

As soon as the words "little girl" were uttered, Qin Ning immediately fell silent. The candlelight under the gauze curtains in the hall flickered, and an invisible, terrifying aura permeated the air.

No, what did I say... He held his breath, staring silently at his toes, thinking to himself that the concubine in front of him was too emotionally unstable.

"He still treats me like a child...he still..."

Perhaps remembering that there were other unrelated people present, the beautiful woman only muttered this sentence to herself, her voice cold and stern: "I am tired, you may leave."

Several feet away from the Cloud Sound Palace, Qin Ning let out a long breath.

He decided to come to this place less often in the future.

The beautiful woman's emotions were as unpredictable as the weather in the mountains; one second the sky was clear and blue, the next there was thunder and lightning.

Dealing with people like that is exhausting and terrifying.

After calming herself down, Qin Ning silently calculated her gains for the day on her way back to the Academy of Heroes.

The right to freely enter and exit the first to third floors of the Prince's Palace Library... There should be books there introducing the cultivation paths of various schools, which is exactly what I need right now.

I wonder if there's anything about the ominous creature.

The malevolent spirit in the Prince's mansion is suspected to be in the residence of the young princess.

It's inconvenient for a mere retainer like myself to enter and leave the women's quarters. This matter can't be rushed; we must proceed slowly.

Hmm, and there's also the medical book and martial arts manual that the concubine promised me. Each cultivation path has its own unique qi circulation route. I wonder if I'll be able to cultivate them after I get them.

Tomorrow I'll go to the library first, then go and get the medical books and martial arts manuals.

......

Beian City, the garrison of the Sichen Guard.

"My lord, there's been news about the person and the fox you're looking for."