Chapter 112: The Subtle Net

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Secondly, such a formidable demon dragon—none of them saw exactly how the masked man struck. There was only a flash of white light, and that great beast seemed to bow its head in submission, treating the masked man’s words as divine decree.

They dared not offend a person like him in any way, nor did they wish to.

“If you are willing, follow them and go together. There will be a peaceful and harmonious place for you to live. When time permits, you will be taken to the Demon Realm.

If you do not wish to, you may leave now, but never again be caught by these vicious mortals. The Demon Realm is chaotic as well; find a place to hide, do not harm living beings, and refrain from committing wanton acts of killing.”

“Thank you, Great Immortal.”

“Don’t call me Great Immortal. I have a grudge with the realms. If we meet again,” Jiang Lan thought of the wind, the element of a Xun hexagram, then said, “Just call me Young Master Wind.”

“Thank you, Young Master, for your great kindness.”

Yun Hao escorted Jiang Lan to the city surface, only about two streets away from Inspector Li Qin’s place. Originally, Li Mo and Yun Hao insisted on taking her farther away, but Jiang Lan would not allow it. She had calculated that her chance of survival was near the cluster.

“Aunt—Young Master, why not go with Mo’er to Brother Chi Feng’s place? Your injury doesn’t look as minor as you claim.”

“It’s nothing serious. You should leave quickly!”

“Auntie is fine now; let’s go quickly! Who knows if that Kui Dragon will wake up? Staying here would only cause trouble. Let’s go, Auntie~”

Yun Hao, now in human form, tugged at Li Mo, pulling her away with all his might.

Jiang Lan leaned against the wall to support herself, watching the tall and short figures walk away. Unable to bear the severe pain any longer, she collapsed heavily.

In her daze, she seemed to see a carriage approaching her. A man stepped down from it, but she could not clearly see his face, only the silver fox fur coat draped over him.

He came closer, crouched down, and his lips moved as if he was speaking something.

She could hear nothing at all. The only thought in her mind was: Is the chance of survival him? Had she miscalculated?

If she was wrong, after taking the dead soul away, she would have to visit Jing Yan at the Nightshade Pool in the Underworld and ask what kind of teachings these were! But she was too weak now, barely able to keep her eyes open.

Even her other senses slowly closed as she sank into a deep sleep.

Then came a wave of warmth; she was wrapped in something soft and fluffy. Ning Ren wanted to curl up and did so, even rubbing her face contentedly, emitting a satisfied purr.

Gu Yue looked at the curled-up figure in his arms, holding the mask in his right hand, reflecting on the past without a word.

Outside, the dawn chorus asked, “Young Master, where shall we go now?”

“To the private garden.”

“Yes.”

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The carriage moved slowly down the street, completely different from earlier—it drifted as if a phantom merging with the night.

“Dou Ge, is that the same carriage from before?”

Wu Jing quickly covered his mouth, “Walk faster.”

Just a few strides later, they had already lost that carriage.

When Jiang Lan woke, she found her clothes intact, but underneath they were tightly wrapped in layers of medicinal bandages, emitting a strong herbal scent. Yet the mask on her face remained.

Touching the mask, Jiang Lan muttered several times, “Thankfully, thankfully.”

She quickly got out of bed and folded the quilt neatly.

Jiang Lan found a piece of paper nearby, wrote two characters on it, pressed it down with a vase, then jumped out the window, preparing to escape.

Just as she opened the window, her eyes met those of a man repairing orchid branches under a tree in the courtyard.

Jiang Lan wanted to pull back her left foot quickly, but it was already too late.

The man noticed, then saw the golden scissors walking over. “Young Master, are you alright?”

Jiang Lan withdrew her leg, “I’m fine.”

“It’s still early. Would you like to have breakfast together?”

Jiang Lan was momentarily disoriented, and before she realized it, she had already accepted the invitation.

Leaning against the window, watching the man walk toward the door, his flowing black hair behind him, Jiang Lan thought, “Does the great Young Master Gu truly not recognize me, or is he pretending not to see? Or perhaps he deliberately avoids revealing his identity as the heir?”

She shook her head sharply and rubbed her flat stomach, “The earth loves a grand meal above all.”

Looking at the plain porridge and vegetables on the table, Jiang Lan’s initial enthusiasm immediately waned. She was so hungry she could swallow a whole ox—how could she eat only vegetarian food?

Glancing at the person beside her, dressed in a white cloud-patterned silk robe, his hair tied with a translucent jade hairpin, his complexion pale and sickly—this luxurious ailment, inherited from birth, truly forbade greasy food.

Resigned, Jiang Lan summoned the courage to face the meal again.

The man beside her seemed to read her thoughts and explained, “After a major illness, greasy food must be avoided; lighter dishes are better.”

Jiang Lan nodded embarrassedly and scooped a spoonful of pure white tofu. The tender morsel slid down her throat smoothly, very different from the tofu she usually ate—the fragrant softness and subtle aroma warmed her entire being.

Gu Yue beside her glanced sideways several times at the stack of white jade tofu.

Unconsciously, Jiang Lan drank three bowls of porridge during breakfast. If not for Gu Yue’s reminder not to overeat, she felt she could have managed another bowl.

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Having tasted the delicious food, Jiang Lan had to thank Qing Li for her clever mind.

Afraid that her usual inconvenient iron mask might have a mechanism, she pressed the raised corner, folding the part below her nose away; otherwise, she would have no chance to enjoy such a meal.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Young Master. I take my leave.”

Jiang Lan cupped her hands and thanked him, then swiftly slipped away.

She carried no valuable items—she had even discarded the jade she once wore at her waist when she cast a divination spell. She couldn’t very well offer a talisman as payment for food.

Besides, Young Master Gu might not look favorably upon her; who knew if he cared at all?

Comforting herself thus, Jiang Lan was soon led out of the residence by a tall guard. Once outside, she donned a black robe taken from Gu Yue’s attendant, pulled the hood over her head, and disappeared around the corner.

In the courtyard, at dawn, Li Ming bowed to Gu Yue and reported, “Young Master, we protected you covertly, but the Heir’s martial skills are extraordinary; no one could keep pace. However, judging by the defense at the Wei Duke’s mansion, the Heir has safely arrived.”

“You did not see it with your own eyes?”

“The Wei Duke’s mansion is heavily guarded, especially the Heir’s mountain breeze residence. Approaching unnoticed was impossible; once our presence was detected, we dared not get closer.”

“That was my oversight,” she said, looking around and realizing no one else was nearby. “In the future, it is sufficient to operate outside; no need to disturb others.”

“Young Master, shall we depart now? If we delay, someone may discover your unauthorized return, and then there’s the matter with Young Master Ming Zhao…”

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

~~

In another mansion in the imperial capital, Chen Shou sat crosswise all night, smiling ever more brightly at the shredded flowers spread across the table.

Opposite him floated a piece of paper containing a confidential report about the Crown Prince’s return to the capital.

“The real show is just beginning~”

Chen Shou gazed at the scattered petals, their intricate weaving resembling a fine net enveloping the entire city.