Chapter 43: Grandmaster Li Xiao

“If your third master knew that you’re still practicing your hidden weapon skills after entering the capital, she would surely be delighted.”

Hearing this familiar voice, Tan Qingjiu spun around sharply, joy lighting up her face. “Sixth Master!”

A figure stepped out from beside her bed. Tonight, the moon was large and round, its silvery glow revealing the newcomer’s appearance in clear detail. His head gleamed under the moonlight, and he wore a monk’s robe.

Though clad as a monk, his remarkable features could not be concealed. His refined visage lent an alluring air to his gentle expression.

Had Shen Yingjue been present, he would have recognized him at once—the very man they had recently seen at the palace: Li Xiao, Grand Master of Qingning.

Tan Qingjiu, after calling out to him, couldn’t help but scrutinize Li Xiao from head to toe. “Sixth Master, you’ve hidden yourself too well. If I hadn’t happened to see you leaving the Golden Hall when I entered the palace today, I would never have guessed that my sixth master is actually the Grand Master of Qingning.”

Li Xiao’s lips curled into a gentle smile as he climbed through the window. “It’s just an identity—nothing but illusion.”

“I heard you were coming to the capital and knew we would meet sooner or later. I left it for you to discover; consider it a surprise.”

“A surprise? More like a shock,” Tan Qingjiu said, showing a rare girlish charm before her master. “Sixth Master, you have no idea. When I saw you emerge from the Golden Hall earlier, I was so startled I nearly called your name.”

Li Xiao lowered his gaze, laughing softly. “And what if you had? At most, people would know I am your master.”

Tan Qingjiu was aware that Li Xiao and her other masters were dissatisfied with her insistence on entering the capital alone, unwilling to seek their help, determined to avenge herself. She cleared her throat lightly. “A fine blade should be reserved for the crucial moment. My six masters are my secret weapons. Since they are secret, I cannot reveal them at the start.”

“Only by unveiling them at the most decisive moment can I truly astonish everyone.”

She winked at Li Xiao. “So I must ask Sixth Master to play along, yes? If I ever need your help, I won’t hesitate to ask.”

“Just remember your words,” Li Xiao replied, strolling to the table and sitting down. He raised his eyes to Tan Qingjiu, fingering his prayer beads absentmindedly. “What’s going on between you and Shen Yingjue?”

“I heard Shen Yingjue asked His Majesty to marry you?”

Tan Qingjiu shook her head. The matter of Shen Yingjue’s poisoning was his secret; she chose her words carefully. “Xingyou is always meddling. When he saw the imperial notice posted, he went up and tore it down for me.”

“I had no choice but to go along—so I was forced to treat Shen Yingjue.”

“When I arrived, he was having an attack, so I used acupuncture to suppress it. Perhaps he realized I could ease his pain, so he mentioned marriage. It was nothing but a joke.”

That was indeed something Tan Xingyou would do. Li Xiao watched Tan Qingjiu for a moment, weighing the truth of her words.

“Do you not care for Shen Yingjue?”

Tan Qingjiu looked puzzled. “Why should I? We’ve only met three times. He’s merely my patient.”

Li Xiao finally relaxed, his expression softening. “Shen Yingjue is not as simple as he seems. He is dangerous. You’d do well to keep your distance.”

Tan Qingjiu was surprised; earlier, Shen Yingjue had advised her to stay away from Li Xiao. “Why do you say so, Sixth Master?”

“Intuition.” Li Xiao narrowed his eyes. “I’ve investigated Shen Yingjue before, but found nothing. Though his past is fraught with events, it’s suspiciously clean. Born and raised in the Cold Palace, later fell ill, then confined to Prince Duan’s residence by the Emperor. He rarely leaves, has no close friends.”

“But precisely because it’s so clean, it feels wrong.”

Li Xiao reached out to tousle Tan Qingjiu’s hair, his manner especially gentle. “Be obedient and keep your distance. Don’t make me worry.”

Tan Qingjiu instinctively dodged. “I’m not Xingqi or Xingyou, Sixth Master, you’re petting the wrong person.”

Li Xiao chuckled, but his ears caught a faint, crisp sound. His gaze suddenly grew cold, and he repeated quickly, “Be obedient. I have matters to attend. If you encounter anything in the capital, come to me. Understood?”

“Understood.”

As soon as Tan Qingjiu finished speaking, she saw Li Xiao’s silhouette flicker and vanish out the window. Her smile faded slightly.

Keep your distance from Shen Yingjue?

Since their first meeting, she had sensed secrets lurking within Shen Yingjue.

Her sixth master said Shen Yingjue’s history was too clean.

Clean?

Tan Qingjiu pressed her lips together; that word seemed impossible to associate with Shen Yingjue.

But his affairs had little to do with her.

Their relationship was simply one of mutual benefit.

Tan Qingjiu turned and lay back on her bed…

In the distance, not far from the Cloud Garden, two dark figures darted between rooftops, fleeing swiftly.

Behind them followed a man, his handsome face illuminated by moonlight—Li Xiao.

Li Xiao moved with extraordinary speed, closing the distance of several dozen meters in just a few leaps. He caught up with the two men ahead, swiftly flinging his prayer beads to loop around their necks and yanking them back.

The beads tightened around their throats, choking off their breath. Stumbling, they were seized by Li Xiao.

Under the moonlight, the face that was usually gentle and jade-like now showed a chillingly ruthless expression. “Speak—who sent you? Why were you sent?”

The two men’s faces turned crimson, terror filling their eyes.

They had overheard Tan Qingjiu’s conversation with this man and knew he was Li Xiao.

There was only one monk named Li Xiao in the capital.

Having uncovered his secret, it was unlikely they would escape alive.

They shook their heads rapidly, refusing to speak.

“Not talking, are you?” Li Xiao’s voice was icy and menacing. “Then die.”

“Ah!”

“Ah!”

Two terrified screams pierced the night, alarming the household staff.

“Who’s there?”

No one answered, save for the frantic fluttering of startled birds.

“Over there!”