Witch, don't do anything reckless!

Night fell.

Tianxuan Division is located behind the alleyway, in front of a small courtyard.

The willow catkins stopped moving.

Li Chuqiu looked up and realized that the two of them had returned to Tianxuan Division at some point. Ahead lay an elegant courtyard, the residence of this Deputy Commander Liu.

Liu Xu glanced sideways at Li Chuqiu, who had been following behind and escorting her back, and remained silent for a moment before saying, "We've arrived."

His tone was neither warm nor cold, revealing no particular emotion.

However, it was clear that this Deputy Commander Liu did not seem to have any intention of inviting Li Chuqiu in for a drink.

Li Chuqiu naturally understood: "Since the deputy commander has arrived home safely, I will take my leave now."

"Um."

Liu Xu gave a soft "hmm" and stepped to the front of the courtyard. Maids were already waiting outside to welcome their young mistress back.

Li Chuqiu stood outside the street until Liu Xu's figure completely disappeared before turning away and leaving.

……

"Miss, who was that just now...?"

In the courtyard, Xiao Cui greeted her young mistress as she returned to the courtyard, when she caught a glimpse of a figure standing outside on the street.

It looks like a man?

...Does it look somewhat familiar?

Xiao Cui couldn't help but ask softly.

Liu Xu did not answer Xiao Cui's question. Instead, she walked outside the room and pushed the door open to go back inside.

Xiao Cui was left standing at the door. After thinking carefully, she suddenly remembered... wasn't that man outside the same one she had seen the young lady during the day?

Miss even asked her to help with Qianli Xiuyin...?

As if a certain possibility had occurred to her, Xiao Cui's eyes widened. Could it be that her young mistress was experiencing romantic feelings...?

Are you in a relationship?

inside the room.

Ignoring Xiao Cui's speculations and shock outside the door, Liu Xu walked to the table, lit the candle on it, and the dim light illuminated her delicate and aloof face, which appeared slightly pale, cold and weak.

She sat down cross-legged and closed her eyes.

A chilling aura slowly swirled around her, circulating throughout her body before finally entering it.

After a long while, Liu Xu opened her eyes, a hint of worry appearing in them.

The aftereffects of the forbidden technique were too severe. Not only were her injuries not yet healed, but she was also severely overtaxed. Even with proper care, it was unlikely she would recover in less than a month.

But right now, undercurrents are swirling in Yuhua City. The death of Prince Jing's heir remains unsolved, and there are also restless demon forces and trouble in the capital...

Xu Jinghong wasn't entirely wrong. She came to Yuhua City from the capital for two reasons: first, to gain experience and prove herself; and second, she did indeed harbor some thoughts of escaping...

In the capital, the current emperor's health is deteriorating, and the struggle for the crown prince continues. Her father, as the head of the Tianxuan Division, is facing unprecedented pressure.

As a direct descendant of the Celestial Master's Mansion, she was naturally inevitably drawn into it.

Liu Xu had no interest in these things and didn't want to get involved. Rather than staying in the capital and being constantly bothered, she'd rather find a place to cultivate in peace.

As if remembering something, a chilling glint appeared in Liu Xu's eyes.

Then, silence gradually returned.

From a young age, she was highly regarded by her master, who imparted all his knowledge to her, making her the youngest genius in the Heavenly Master's Mansion and the most talented in martial arts among the younger generation. She might even... surpass her senior uncle.

Liu Xu was in a daze. She had never met that senior master, but she had grown up hearing about his deeds since she was a child... Every time her senior master was mentioned, her master would be heartbroken.

On one hand, she denounced her senior uncle for giving up his promising future for a woman, calling him utterly useless. On the other hand, she angrily cursed the fox spirits of the fox clan for being vulgar and shameless, only knowing how to use their beauty to seduce men.

And let her learn from this experience.

...Liu Xu really wanted to tell her master that she was a woman and would definitely not be seduced by the beauty of the fox demon clan.

Of course, men wouldn't either.

Liu Xu had always believed this; her resolve was firm, and she wouldn't be easily swayed. Her master also trusted her completely, allowing her to go down the mountain alone for training.

Until that night...

The scene from that night resurfaced in Liu Xu's mind, along with that handsome face that she knew all too well.

At that moment, Liu Xu's breathing became erratic. She almost subconsciously glanced around, and only after confirming that no one was around did she suddenly breathe a sigh of relief.

But then, an increasing unease arose.

...Her Daoist heart was in turmoil.

Liu Xu lightly bit her lower lip, and a complex emotion, indescribable, surfaced on her pale, stunning face.

When did you realize that?

It was probably during the night she killed the Blood Demon... Her consciousness was affected by the Blood Demon, and the scene from that night appeared in her mind, almost causing her to fall victim to its attack.

At that time, Liu Xu realized that her Dao heart had been severely affected.

Liu Xu, who had cultivated her Daoist heart steadily since childhood and had never experienced setbacks, realized for the first time that she was not as composed as she thought...

She couldn't turn a blind eye, nor could she completely forget the 'shameful' scene from that night.

Unless it is...

Kill him?

Once he's dead, no one will know her 'secret' anymore. That way, she won't have to worry anymore...

The thought resurfaced, and a sharp killing intent flashed in Liu Xu's eyes.

But then, it vanished without a trace.

Killing him would certainly stabilize her Dao heart. But how could she continue cultivating her Dao if she indiscriminately killed innocent people?

At this moment, Liu Xu was lost in confusion.

What should I do?

If she doesn't kill him, those nightmarish images keep replaying in her mind, and she's been having recurring dreams about it lately, dreams filled with the scene of her lost in passion, kneeling and prostrating herself on the ground...

Then, kill him?

Liu Xu sat there, motionless, for a long time. Suddenly, memories of her master's teachings flashed through her mind…

"Xu'er, the path of cultivation is fraught with peril, like rowing against the current; you cannot afford to slacken your efforts in the slightest. If you encounter difficulties you cannot face in the future, the best thing you should do is not to run away, but to confront your fear head-on!"

"Only when you confront difficulties and fears can you find the weakness and ultimately break through... This is your path, a path that leads forward without hesitation!"

Her master's words echoed in her mind in a daze.

After a long while, Liu Xu's thoughts returned to normal. In her clear, cold eyes, it seemed as if she had made up her mind about something.

……

On the other side, after returning the willow catkins, Li Chuqiu slowly walked back.

He never expected that tonight's celebratory banquet would turn into an opportunity for him to be alone with this Deputy Commander Liu...

To be honest, judging from our interactions tonight, this Deputy Commander Liu seemed perfectly normal, didn't hold a grudge about what happened that night, and even seemed to value him quite a bit.

That's true. What kind of status does he have? He's a direct descendant of the Celestial Master's Mansion. Such a big shot should not be bothered by trivial matters. How could he still remember such a small thing from several days ago?

...Isn't it just that she was drugged by a vixen, became infatuated with him, and her image was ruined in front of him, and she even took the initiative to lick his fingers?

They probably forgot about it a long time ago.

Why would anyone fuss over such a small matter?

With that thought in mind, Li Chuqiu was completely relieved.

Now that he has been promoted and has the support of Deputy Commander Liu, his future is indeed bright in a sense.

...As expected, it's still better to be a kept man!

While reflecting on the task Liu Xu had given him, Li Chuqiu seemed to be deep in thought.

Clearly, Liu Xu, like him, had doubts about the mysterious Princess Consort of Prince Jing.

On that day, Li Chuqiu only had a brief encounter with the Crown Princess, and her only impression of her was... cold!

There was also an indescribable oppressive aura, something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

Very assertive.

It feels somewhat familiar.

Aside from that, he hadn't had time to examine the situation closely when he was caught, and there were no other clues. Now, Liu Xu has asked him to investigate the Crown Princess's background and find a way to get close to her...

This put him in a somewhat difficult position.

Even if she were promoted to the rank of Envoy, the Prince Jing's residence was not a place that Li Chuqiu could enter and leave at will, let alone the residence of that Crown Princess.

It's very difficult to get close enough to investigate.

Thinking this, Li Chuqiu suddenly pictured a beautiful, youthful, and furtive long-legged girl in her mind...

Just as she was thinking, Li Chuqiu paused.

There's a demonic aura!

Li Chuqiu, who was extremely sensitive to auras, looked up and saw several dense demonic energies suddenly streak across the dark and silent night. Several figures could be vaguely seen rushing past.

And among them, there is a familiar, vibrant color.

Li Chuqiu immediately recognized her as... a demoness?

Chu Wanqing?!

is her.

Having spent several nights entangled and battling with that enchantress, Li Chuqiu was extremely familiar with and sensitive to the aura emanating from her.

How could this vixen appear so brazenly in the night sky over Yuhua City in the middle of the night?

Also, how come there are so many demons?

The demonic aura vanished in an instant, but the departing figures seemed to be... locked in combat?

Chase?

Fighting?

Li Chuqiu's heart tightened, he gripped the sword at his waist, and concealed himself in the darkness, quickly giving chase.

...The demon race was killing each other, and he reaped the benefits... Li Chuqiu knew this all too well!

The demon's residual aura was extremely faint. If Li Chuqiu hadn't been so perceptive and familiar with the demoness, she wouldn't have been able to follow the residual aura closely.

Before long, Li Chuqiu arrived at a familiar place.

He stopped and looked up, where a familiar mansion came into view.

Prince Jing's Mansion.

At this moment, outside the Jing Prince's Mansion, the gates were deserted, white cloths hung, and the atmosphere remained shrouded in grief. The guards of the Jing Prince's Mansion were patrolling at the gate, maintaining a tight security, and a chilling atmosphere permeated the air.

The auras of those demonic creatures completely disappeared when they reached this vicinity.

Where have you been?

Li Chuqiu's gaze sharpened as she stared at the Prince Jing's residence in the distance, a slight stirring in her heart.

To say there's no connection would be truly unbelievable!

Liu Xu was right; there was something wrong with the Prince Jing's residence.

There might be a mole, or...

Just then, a familiar voice rang out from the side: "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Li Chuqiu turned her head and saw a familiar figure.

Xu Jinghong.

"Lord Xu?!"

Li Chuqiu was also somewhat surprised to see Xu Jinghong, "What are you doing here?!"

"Stop talking, I've discovered a monster..."

Xu Jinghong gritted her teeth and said irritably, "I almost suffered a great loss."

Only after listening to Xu Jinghong's explanation did Li Chuqiu understand what had happened.

Not long ago, Xu Jinghong and Li Chuqiu were drinking at a restaurant, and he originally planned to go to the restroom and come back. But when he was halfway through urinating, he suddenly sensed a demonic aura emanating from outside the restaurant.

Upon closer inspection, they discovered that a demon was hiding among the people in the restaurant.

Xu Jinghong immediately pulled up his pants and chased after it. Unexpectedly, the demon reacted quickly, realizing Xu Jinghong's intention and turning to run away.

How could Xu Jinghong let this go?

He didn't even bother to notify Li Chuqiu and Liu Xu... After all, one of them couldn't cultivate, and the other was still injured, so they couldn't help at all.

Xu Jinghong relentlessly pursued the demon. The demon initially didn't want to get entangled with Xu Jinghong, but seeing that Xu Jinghong was chasing after it relentlessly, it finally got angry and revealed its true form to fight Xu Jinghong.

"I didn't expect it to be such a powerful demon, with the strength of a sixth-level high-grade demon. It's a bit troublesome and difficult to deal with!" Xu Jinghong was clearly somewhat taken aback.

Li Chuqiu glanced at Xu Jinghong, noticing his disheveled appearance but unharmed state: "Lord Xu, you won?"

"Of course, how could I possibly care about a mere high-grade sixth-realm demon?"

Xu Jinghong was proud, but then said angrily, "But these demons are really all scoundrels, so cunning. When they can't beat someone, they resort to dirty tricks... I almost fell for their trick, and they got away!"

"But how could I let him go? I chased him all the way here..."

As Xu Jinghong was speaking, she suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Li Chuqiu: "By the way, what are you doing here? Where is Deputy Commander Liu?"

"It's been sent back."

Li Chuqiu spoke up: "I sensed the aura of demons fighting, so I quietly followed them. I didn't expect it to be here..."

"You encountered a monster too?"

Xu Jinghong was startled and looked up at the Jingwang Mansion in front of her, thoughtfully remarking, "There is indeed something wrong with this Jingwang Mansion."

"How so?"

"These demons could not have come here by chance, and there was that demoness we encountered last time... There's probably someone in the Prince Jing's mansion colluding with these demons."

Xu Jinghong wasn't stupid; such an obvious situation made it hard not to be suspicious.

It seems that the Prince Jing's residence has been infiltrated by the demon race.

"Does Lord Xu know who this is?"

"How am I supposed to know that?"

Xu Jinghong shrugged, but his eyes were more serious than ever before.

Is someone in Prince Jing's mansion colluding with demons?

This is no small matter; once it is investigated, the consequences will be enormous.

The relationship between the imperial court and Prince Jing's mansion is currently extremely hostile. If this is confirmed, and someone in the imperial court uses this as an excuse to cause trouble, it could trigger considerable turmoil.

"Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that someone is deliberately trying to frame the Prince Jing's Mansion."

Xu Jinghong stared at the gate of the Prince Jing's mansion ahead: "No matter what, we have to investigate."

"How do I check?"

"Of course, we should go to Prince Jing's residence to investigate."

Li Chuqiu glanced at the heavily guarded Prince Jing's residence not far away: "It's so late, can we still go in and investigate?"

Although it could be done under the pretext of the Tianxuan Division handling a case, it was a bit too much of a fuss to do it so late at night.

"Who said we were going through the main entrance?"

Xu Jinghong whispered, "If the Jingwang Mansion is indeed colluding with demons, we mustn't alert them. Follow me!"

As he spoke, Xu Jinghong led Li Chuqiu around the main gate of the Prince Jing's mansion, avoiding the patrolling guards, and quietly arrived at the other side of the wall.

Immediately afterwards, Xu Jinghong took out two talismans from his pocket and stuck one of them on Li Chuqiu's body.

"Walk."

Before Li Chuqiu could react, Xu Jinghong grabbed his shoulder, leaped over the wall, and landed silently in the courtyard.

Li Chuqiu: "?"

They just brute-forced their way in like this?

No, do you really think the experts in Prince Jing's mansion are all blind?

"..."