In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

After returning from the betrothal ceremony at the Xie residence, Cui Yutang went directly back to Liantang Residence.

He sat at his desk, his fingertips gently caressing a jade pendant in his hand, and he sighed softly in his heart.

I didn't see her today as expected.

The Xie family has strict rules, so it's best if she doesn't live there much in the future; otherwise, she might not even see them before the wedding.

While he was feeling depressed, Baoyu suddenly rushed in to report, her steps hurried and her expression flustered.

"My lord, Princess Yuzhen's maid Lingwei has come and says she has urgent business to discuss with you immediately."

"Let her in."

A maid dressed in a pink palace dress quickly knelt down at Cui Yutang's feet, her hair disheveled, and she held a small jade box in her hands.

"Young Master Cui, my princess has been imprisoned! She wants you to go and rescue Master Xuanji immediately, they say they want to burn him alive!" Her voice trembled, choked with sobs. "The princess was afraid you wouldn't believe her, so this is a token."

Cui Yutang was greatly alarmed and immediately took the jade box.

Upon opening it, a relic was found standing quietly inside, gleaming with a faint amber luster. This was the relic of Master Xuanji's deceased mentor, whom he had heard mention before.

Where is the master now?

"At the Great Ci'en Temple!" the maidservant cried urgently. "Vice Commander Zheng is leading men there, saying he's acting on His Majesty's orders to burn the Master on the spot!"

"Nineteen, come in."

A man in black flew into the room through the window in an instant, landing silently. Cui Yutang led him and Baoyu to the side and quickly gave instructions in a low voice.

"Nineteen, quickly gather the Xuanling Guards outside to meet me. Change into clothes and masks that can conceal your identities, and prepare a set for me and the Master as well. Also, prepare a hat and scarf for the Master. We cannot directly confront the people in the palace."

"Yes, Master." Nineteen quickly disappeared from the room.

"Baoyu, tell Father and Yige about this, then meet me using the code to avoid worrying them."

"Yes, Master."

Cui Yutang strode out, his clothes fluttering: "Get up, and as you walk, tell me what happened. Get to the point."

With that, he took the lead and walked towards the stable.

The maid quickly got up and followed, saying hurriedly as she ran.

"When Princess Yuzhen was with the master, the Ninth Princess found out. She immediately demanded the priceless 'Nine Dragons Bright Moon Pearl' from my princess as a way to keep quiet, and His Highness gave it to her right away."

"I intended to appease her first before making any plans, but unexpectedly, she went to complain to His Majesty the very next day! Upon hearing this, His Majesty was so enraged that he suffered a stroke and immediately ordered the princess imprisoned, and also dispatched the Right Imperial Guard to arrest the master!"

Cui Yutang became increasingly alarmed as he listened, and soon arrived in front of the horse.

He leaped and quickly mounted the horse, reined in, and looked down at the terrified and panting maid with a serious expression.

"Tell your princess that I will take care of the master's matter. Tell her to find her own way to survive and to be careful what she puts in her mouth."

As soon as she finished speaking, the black horse shot off like lightning, kicking up a cloud of dust, and disappeared from the maid's sight in the blink of an eye.

The maid quickly wiped away her tears and ran out of the Prime Minister's residence.

As the sun set, Cui Yutang, dressed in dark gray, led the Xuanling Guard's iron cavalry, breaking through the twilight and galloping swiftly towards the Da Ci'en Temple, startling a flock of birds on the empty official road.

Instead of approaching directly, they hid their horses in a nearby bamboo grove and used their lightness skills to get there.

When they arrived at the temple gate, they found it already surrounded by the Imperial Guards carrying torches.

The firelight illuminated the soldiers' cold armor, casting a chilling atmosphere over the entire temple. A general was shouting at the monks inside, demanding they hand over the person.

"How can you be allowed to act so presumptuously in this sacred Buddhist sanctuary?"

"We are acting under orders; search us."

"We'll go around from the back," Cui Yutang whispered.

He had learned martial arts from the monk Xuanling when he was young, so he was familiar with every corner of the Great Ci'en Temple. He led his men directly to the artificial hill near the monk Xuanling's meditation room.

It was the place where he used to hide because he was practicing martial arts too hard, and where he was caught by the monk Xuanling.

When he went inside, he saw that the two of them were actually there—meditating.

The monks Xuanling and Xuanji sat facing each other, their eyes slightly closed, their expressions serene, as if the vast army outside had nothing to do with them.

Cui Yutang was speechless for a moment.

"Two masters, are you planning to hide here forever?" he said in a low voice. "The Imperial Guards can turn the entire temple upside down; are you worried about not finding this place?"

"Isn't this what we've been waiting for?" Monk Xuanling calmly chanted a Buddhist prayer. "I calculated with my fingers and knew you would find me."

"How is Yuzhen?" Monk Xuanji's face was pale. He looked up at Cui Yutang with a dark look in his eyes, like an ancient lamp about to go out.

"I heard she's been imprisoned," Cui Yutang said. "As a princess, she shouldn't be in any open danger for the time being. But you're different." He then handed the clothes and cap to the monk Xuanji. "Change into these clothes and come with me quickly."

The monk Xuanji paused for a moment before slowly taking off his monk's robe and putting on the dark gray long robe.

After putting on the cap, he instantly transformed into a scholar who was powerless to even kill a chicken, but the vicissitudes and compassion in his eyes could not be concealed no matter what.

"Senior brother, I'm leaving." Monk Xuanji bowed, put his hands together, and solemnly performed a Buddhist salute.

"We will meet again in this life..."

"There may be dangers on the journey, so please take care of yourselves." After saying this, the monk Xuanling closed his eyes and said no more.

After the two disappeared behind the artificial hill, he slowly got up, dusted off his monk's robe, returned to his meditation room, and continued meditating and chanting scriptures, as if nothing had happened.

The gates of Chang'an had already been closed by then.

They went directly out of the city through the underground sewers. The sewers were dark and damp, the sewage was ankle-deep, and they smelled nauseating. But no one complained—everyone knew it was the only way out.

Horses were already waiting outside.

They didn't even have time to change their wet clothes before mounting their horses and galloping eastward.

The night wind whistled past their ears, carrying the fishy smell of the river and the scent of earth. They headed straight for Chang Le Post Station, the sound of their horses' hooves particularly clear in the quiet night.

"Master, you should go to Donglin City to lay low for now." Cui Yutang's voice was broken in the wind. "That's our Cui family's territory. People from the capital can't interfere there."

"Aren't you going back to the city?" asked the monk Xuanji.

"Master Xuanling said there would be dangers along the way, so I'll see you off first." Cui Yutang's voice was almost lost in the wind.

They had just arrived at Baqiao when the sound of arrows came from behind them, accompanied by the sound of the wind.