At twilight, the two figures arrived at their destination. Chu Qiao's face fell into a look of dismay as she took in the scene before her. They had passed a small village where the people were suffering from illness and extreme poverty, lacking food, water, and shelter.
A group of beggars approached Chu Qiao and reached out to her, their touch feeling electrified and causing them sharp pain. The beggars cried out, but Chu Qiao remained unmoved. She gently touched one of them and met their gaze. In that moment, the beggar transformed into a menacing witch, revealing that the old woman's appearance had been a disguise.
The old woman declared, "She cannot enter unless she passes the test." Viper brandished her long whip, ready to defend Mimi Gongzhu. Realizing it might be an ambush, Chu Qiao glared at Viper with fierce, accusing eyes, thinking, "Who dares to disguise this haggard old woman as a beggar to challenge me?"
The old woman kicked Viper, her strength suddenly increasing to that of ten men. Despite Viper's fierce resistance and skillful use of her whip, the old woman proved nearly unbeatable, countering every move even in Viper's shadowless fight.
As Viper was nearly struck in the head, Chu Qiao's instincts kicked in. She intercepted the old woman's punch, gripping her hand and locking eyes with her. The old woman felt a searing pain, as though her hands were being burned. Unable to pull away, her hands seemed to be glued to Chu Qiao's, turning red from the pressure. Chu Qiao showed no sign of releasing her grip, channeling her Wind and Cloud decree powers to further torment the old woman. Desperate, the old woman tried to use dust powder to distract Chu Qiao, but Chu Qiao's quick reflexes allowed her to catch it with her indigo scarf, protecting her eyes.
Forced to concede, the old woman handed a key to Chu Qiao. However, it was clear the key was part of a deception. Despite the old woman's pleas and attempts to mislead her, Chu Qiao refused to release her grip. She twisted the old woman's hand, demonstrating that even with the strength of ten men, she was no match for Chu Qiao's invincible power.
Viper shouted at the old woman, "Enough! Don't provoke her, or if she loses control, everyone within three meters will die!"
The old woman, acknowledging her defeat, reluctantly said, "Alright, you may pass." She then calmly walked away, pulling her cloak over her head and disappearing into the shadows.
"Who was that?" Chu Qiao asked Viper.
"She's the Skyshadow Master, the gatekeeper of Chu Jing Palace," Viper replied.
Chu Qiao, both angry and impressed, asked, "Where is Chu Jing Palace?"
"Mimi Gongzhu, do you have the key to unlock the secret door?" Viper inquired.
Chu Qiao wondered if the key was the one from the old woman's wrist. "I don't know. Was it the key from the old woman? I wasn't sure if she was testing me, so I didn't take it."
"Look at your wrist," Viper said.
Chu Qiao looked down, surprised to find the gold key on her wrist.
"Here it is," Chu Qiao said, handing the key to Viper. They used it to unlock the secret door, which had locks at the upper, middle, and lower parts. As the door creaked open, they were met with an uphill labyrinth covered in green tea leaves. For Chu Qiao, it was a new sight, but Viper was familiar with it.
Chu Qiao was suddenly hit with a sharp pain in her head and had to lean against the door for a moment before continuing. Viper cleared their path with her whip, cutting through wild vines that threatened to entangle them. As darkness enveloped them, the glowing whip provided light, guiding them through the labyrinth. The maze was filled with traps, but Viper expertly navigated the dangerous terrain, avoiding deadly pitfalls.
"Don't touch anything unless I tell you," Viper instructed.
"I won't touch anything," Chu Qiao replied.
After hours of winding through treacherous paths, Chu Qiao memorized the routes, following Viper through various challenges: evading arrows, swinging across gaps, crawling under obstacles, and sidestepping a bottomless pit.
"We're here," Viper said as they reached a stone-walled dungeon. The dungeon was unexpectedly fragrant, but the ground was scorched and cracked, with tiny purple flowers growing from the earth. Chu Qiao suspected the flowers were the source of the scent. As the fragrance began to make her dizzy, she yawned and nearly collapsed. Viper caught her just in time, realizing that the smell was subtly poisoning Chu Qiao.
"Mimi, use your scarf to protect yourself," Viper instructed, doubling her mask with her indigo scarf beneath the thin red mask that covered her nose and mouth.
The scarf, embroidered with plum blossoms and infused with plum blossom oil, could neutralize poisons when sniffed. Viper pressed the scarf to Chu Qiao's face, saying, "Plum blossoms are a friend in winter and a gift from the heavens."
As Chu Qiao inhaled the scent, she began to recover and stood up, her dizziness fading. She looked around in amazement, seeing an entirely new world that was starkly different from the Green Hills courtyard, Wei, or Yanbei. Memories of Xinger, her dangerous mission to Jile Pavilion, and the secret repository of the Eyes of God at Green Hills courtyard began to resurface. Although she couldn't remember everything, objects connected to her past triggered vivid recollections.
By the time they reached the inner courtyard of Chu Jing Palace through the secret passage, it was deep into the night, with the moon shining unusually bright. Chu Qiao was overwhelmed by the sights, feeling as if she was experiencing everything for the first time, even though she knew it wasn't. Emotions welled up inside her, and before she could speak, Viper drew her attention.
Viper coughed lightly and said, "This is the ruins of Chu Jing Palace. Get used to it; we have much to do tomorrow. I'll show you to your room."
Noticing the hint of tears in Chu Qiao's eyes, Viper asked, "Mimi, is something troubling you? You seem to carry a lot of sadness."
Chu Qiao replied, "I don't know; I just feel a lot of things happening here." Unable to hide her emotions any longer, she let her tears flow. She felt as though she was intruding in her own territory, a stranger in familiar surroundings. Chu Qiao didn't tell Viper that her memories were slowly returning, still fragmented and unclear. She recalled her mother, Lou He, riding a black horse and calling out, "Mom, Mom." Lou He's sad smile and her parting words, "Do not forget all the things I told you," echoed in Chu Qiao's mind as she faced her own unresolved feelings.
Viper was adjusting the royal Chinese mattress for the secret princess when a sudden cold wind swept through the room. She immediately knew that only two people could wield such weather-altering martial arts: herself or a fighter loyal to the prince of Yanbei, who was soon to be crowned king. Without hesitation, Viper grabbed her whip and slammed it against the window.
Chu Qiao spotted the intruder and called out, "Zhong Yu!"
Zhong Yu initially concealed her face with a light orange scarf but approached them, bluish feathers drifting down around her in the secret princess's diamond hall.
The Diamond Hall, named for its diamond-like shape, had a ceiling made of clear glass and rough diamond stones, crafted by skilled smiths. At night, it provided a view of the moon and stars, magnified as if through an instant telescope. The hall was also filled with forgotten secret passages.
Tension was real between Viper and Zhong Yu. Zhong Yu's fierce gaze was directed at Viper, while Chu Qiao, though pleased to see her old acquaintance, was puzzled by the conflict between them. Zhong Yu addressed Chu Qiao, saying, "A'Chu, the prince of Yan has searched for you everywhere. He won't declare himself king until he finds you. If you're dead, he'll settle for your bones. But we can't kill an innocent to present as your replacement. The prince, despite his wisdom, has succumbed to his darker desires for vengeance against Yan. Now let's go!"
Viper stepped in front of Zhong Yu and declared, "You can't take her. She is the Mimi Gongzhu, and Wu Dao Ya gave his life to protect her. He sacrificed his position as the leader of Yan's highest officials to defend her."
Zhong Yu, unphased, replied, "Viper, I don't trust you!"
"You must trust me this time!" Viper shouted back, her urgency clear.
"You never returned after the secret princess fell from the cliff, and you didn't report to Wu Dao Ya. Now you've taken A'Chu, the general of the Xiuli army. Prince Yan Xun is searching for her, and we must return her to Yanbei," Zhong Yu said with a cold, steady resolve.
"I don't have time to explain, Zhong Yu," Viper retorted. "But if you lay a finger on her, I will cut all ties with you and forget you as my eldest sister!"
A tense silence filled the air.