Chapter 18 Divining with Unerring Accuracy

vilion, so naturally they could be trusted."Yes!" Ling Lian responded and hurriedly left Shallow Moon Courtyard.Soon after, Ling Lian returned and reported to Yun Qianyue: "Miss, Prince Yun Li isn't h...Chapter 18: Profound Insight

Yun Qianyue and Mother Yu Qingqing had agreed on their plans. One would head to Southern Xiang, while the other went towards Southern Liang.

Although Yun Qianyue had been to Southern Xiang twice before, she was still somewhat familiar with the path. Unlike the flat terrain of Heavenly Capital, Southern Xiang was mostly mountainous and hilly, making the journey quite challenging with natural cliffs and steep peaks.

Tianshan Tashuo's pace was impressive, but it was clearly much slower than when they had left Heavenly Capital towards Fenghuang Pass.

Yun Qianyue didn't rush to arrive at their destination. The King of Southern Xiang had just entered his final days, and Chancellor Qin and others had only recently left Heavenly Capital; they couldn’t possibly have arrived in Southern Xiang so quickly.

About a hundred miles beyond Fenghuang Pass and another fifty miles further on was the border city of Temple City, entering into Southern Xiang territory.

The moment she stepped into Temple City, there was an immediate change in climate. Along the way, the weather had been dry with cold winds, but now it felt moist despite being covered in snow. The snow didn’t feel as icy and instead gave a soft sensation underfoot.

Temple City boasted of a famous Heavenly Maiden Temple that was always bustling with activity throughout the year. Not only locals within hundreds of miles came to pray at this temple, but also people from distant countries traveled thousands of miles just for its reputation. Thus, despite being a small town, it thrived due to constant foot traffic.

The streets were crowded and busy, with variously dressed individuals walking about.

To keep her movements secret, Yun Qianyue had already changed her appearance to resemble that of her previous life before entering Temple City. She didn’t visit her own establishment, Drunken Fragrance Tower, but went instead to Rong Jing’s business, Jade Pavilion.

Arriving at Jade Pavilion, she saw a bustling scene outside its doors with wealthy-looking elders and elegant young ladies dressed in luxurious attire lining up in front of it. Unlike other stores, Jade Pavilion had a long queue outside.

Jade Pavilion was renowned not for its elegant decor but because the jewelry, calligraphy, pearls, jade, and other items on display were all unique and incomparable elsewhere. This attracted people from both north and south to favor this establishment specifically.

Yun Qianyue looked past the throngs of people towards the inside of Jade Pavilion where it was filled with patrons selecting jewelry, making even the smallest space crowded without room for more. Some had to wait outside, leading to a long queue stretching out.

While Yun Qianyue waited holding her horse, there were constant arrivals and departures but no reduction in numbers. She secretly thought it was no wonder Rong Jing could amass wealth rivaling the entire nation; even Emperor hated him for it yet couldn’t do anything about his prosperity. Just from managing this small Jade Pavilion alone, he earned a fortune daily.

She observed for a while then led her horse to the back courtyard of Jade Pavilion.

In the back courtyard, she tied up her horse and was just reaching out to knock when a little door opened inward. An elderly man appeared looking at her with surprise before his expression turned cautious as he asked, "Miss, are you..."

Yun Qianyue thought she had only changed her appearance and not her clothes; the old man’s sudden joy was clear. Could Rong Jing have already known about her coming to Southern Xiang so quickly She didn’t speak but reached into her bosom, taking out Rong Jing’s jade pendant and showing it to the elderly man.

The old man beamed, immediately kneeling down respectfully, "Subordinate greets Miss Yun Qianyue!"

Yun Qianyue put away the jade pendant with a smile. "I’m here to rest briefly and also drop off a letter for Rong Jing."

"Please come in," said the old man as he stood up, looking somewhat excited. He sized her up again before ushering her through the backdoor.

Yun Qianyue entered followed by the elderly man who whispered, "This morning I received a message from Master saying you would be arriving and instructed me to await your arrival. Since dawn, I’ve been waiting here and sent people to watch at the city gate. Just now someone there reported that a woman similarly dressed as you had entered the city. Seeing how similar she looked to you, I assumed it was probably you in disguise. However, upon seeing you just now, you didn’t seem like one who would be disguised, leading me to doubt it. Your skill at disguising is truly remarkable; even I couldn’t tell."

Hearing this, Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow. "He sent a message early morning knowing I was coming"

"Yes, Master sent word that you were on your way," the old man immediately affirmed.

Yun Qianyue paused silently, wondering if Rong Jing could be any more astute She felt somewhat speechless as he knew everything about her movements better than she herself did. Didn’t she decide to go to Southern Xiang at the last moment

"Master said that knowing Young Master Cang had left the capital and Lord Lan’s family also left, both heading towards Southern Liang, you would definitely change your route halfway through," explained the old man to Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue nodded, muttering to herself in her heart without saying another word.

The backyard of the Jade Pavilion was a small garden, extremely quiet and secluded; no matter how bustling the front yard might be, it couldn't be heard here.

Yun Qianyue was respectfully invited into a warm room by an elderly man. A stove had been lit inside the room, making it cozy and warm. Someone had already prepared meals, tea snacks, inkstones, paper, brushes, and ink for her use; there were even two sets of clothing with different colors than her current dress set placed beside the bed—one black and one lake green. She glanced at them briefly, thinking about how efficient Rong Jing was in handling matters.

"Young Master said that when you left the city, it was urgent and you didn't have time to prepare anything. He gave your dressing instructions to this old man, so I prepared everything as early as possible for you. Additionally, Young Master sent a letter to you." The elderly man explained one by one, handing Yun Qianyue a sealed letter.

Sitting at the table, Yun Qianyue reached out and opened the envelope. Inside was a piece of black ink paper with elegant handwriting flowing like clouds and water.

"If Aunt Qing were with you, I would worry less. Unfortunately, upon learning that Cang Ting and Lan Yi had joined forces to go south to Nanyang, I knew you must have gone separately from Aunt Qing to the Southern Frontier, which means my heart is troubled again. Yun Qianyue, tell me where exactly did I miss managing your affairs"

Yun Qianyue remained silent; she too was curious about what made him worry.

"After careful thought, there are three points that make me uneasy: Firstly, it's possible for peach blossoms to bloom in winter as seen with the one planted in my garden; Secondly, your illusionary transformation techniques can be harmful when overused; Thirdly, the Southern Frontier is full of venomous insects and curses."

Yun Qianyue stared at these three points. The first point left her speechless because she wanted to tell him that not everyone would plant a peach tree in winter; it was just something he did.

"These three factors cause me great unease, the rest can be disregarded."

“The King of the Southern Frontier is nearing his end. Prime Minister Qin has returned to claim the throne. As a descendant from the royal family, and given that some secret techniques were taken when they left years ago which Qin might know even if Ye Qian doesn't, you can imagine how dangerous it would be in the South Frontier. Thus, I naturally worry for your safety.”

“Since you made an appearance at the Peach Grove of the top ten noble families last time, Night Tianyi and Cang Ting have been keeping a close watch on Red Pavilion. No doubt they are also investigating it behind your back. You handed Wind Pavilion to Xi Yan Yue, who was severely injured in battle and has used it for dealings with imperial secret guards over the years; thus it is not as secure anymore. Therefore, when you arrived at Nanyang, you didn't go to Drunken Fragrance Tower of Wind Pavilion or Smoky Willow Tower of Red Pavilion but chose Jade Pavilion instead. During your journey, avoid anyone or anything related to Red Pavilion and Wind Pavilion, lest Night Tianyi exploits the chaos in the South Frontier to bring you and Red Pavilion out into the open. If my guess is correct, Cang Ting and Lan Yi will secretly head back to Nanyang after their trip to Nanyang.

Yun Qianyue narrowed her eyes. Night Tianyi using the chaos in the South Frontier to bring her and Red Pavilion out into the open Indeed possible.

"The jade pendant you wear represents me; use any of my properties as needed. I have sent Qing Ying out of the capital, if you travel slowly he will catch up with you somewhere around Silvery Moon City. With him there, I might feel more at ease."

The last point was: The matters in the South Frontier are minor compared to your life; Yun Qianyue, did you understand

Yun Qianyue lingered on this statement and couldn't help but smile. Seeing "Rong Jing" signed at the end of the letter made her feel warm inside. She folded the note after writing her name down and handed it to the elderly man.

The old man saw that Yun Qianyue only replied with two sentences when Rong Jing wrote a whole page, and couldn't help but say: "Miss Shallow Moon, write more! The young master is worried about you!"

Yun Qianyue waved her hand. "These two phrases are more effective than anything else I could say; he will feel at ease."

The old man then left with the letter.

Gazing at the table filled with a variety of dishes, soups, chicken, duck and fish, she shook her head when she saw there was no alcohol. She picked up her chopsticks.

After eating, she took off the purple smoke Luo that she had been wearing and changed into a black silk robe. She paired it with a cloak made of the same shade of black silk. Walking to the mirror, she looked at herself; in her previous life, this was her favorite color because it was convenient for night travel, but now she found herself unaccustomed to it.

After getting ready, the old man said that he had already passed on her letter to his master. She nodded and left through the back door.

The morning when she left Phoenix Pass was too early, so by now she had only traveled a short distance to Temple City; it was still early as the sun was high in the sky.

Yun Qianmo mounted her horse and left Jadeite Studio.

The next city south of Temple City is Huazhou City, followed by Silver Moon City, then Purple Moon City, and finally Fen River City. After Fen River City lies Southern Frontier's capital city.

Rong Jing’s letter said that Qingying had been sent to follow her and would meet up with her at Silver Moon City; therefore, she wasn’t in a hurry to travel. Arriving at Silver Moon City before dark was sufficient.

After leaving Temple City, Yun Qianmo did not rush but rode slowly. The distance between Temple City and Huazhou City is approximately one hundred miles, while the distance from Huazhou City to Silver Moon City is two hundred miles. In other words, she was three hundred miles away from Silver Moon City. However, there’s a Black Mountain Ridge in between Huazhou City and Silver Moon City; this ridge has dense forests and rugged terrain where bandits and wild beasts frequently appear. Therefore, travelers usually pass through it cautiously with companions. If Yun Qianmo took her time to walk slowly, she would still have enough daylight left before reaching the city.

The further south she went, the more humid the climate became.

Around noon, Yun Qianmo arrived at Huazhou City and entered after presenting the pass that had been used for years.

Evidently, Rong Jing had already issued orders to all his businesses and secret agents in Southern Frontier. Hence, she was immediately greeted by a young man dressed in rough clothes who led her into Jadeite Studio again.

Yun Qianmo thought that such treatment meant she was under constant surveillance; it would be impossible for her to get distracted!

After resting and eating at Jadeite Studio, Yun Qianmo left Huazhou City toward Silver Moon City.

The name Black Mountain Ridge aptly describes the ridge's appearance: a vast expanse of blackness with black camphor trees and evergreen pines. A narrow road winds up the mountain, barely visible like a thread amidst peaks reminiscent of some places' Heavenly Gorge peak.

Due to steep terrain and dense foliage, plus the snow-covered path melting in the sun’s warmth, it was quite difficult for her; she had no choice but to dismount and lead her horse up the mountain.

Since meeting Yang Gong and Yang Po at Feng City who purified her extraordinary meridians, Yun Qianmo felt a profound clarity of mind. She could hear sounds from several miles around with greater precision.

The silence in Black Mountain Ridge was interrupted only by the sound of Yun Qianmo and her horse.

About halfway through her journey, she sensed slight movements in the forest ahead. Breathing shallowly, she continued walking without showing any reaction. Snowy Spirit started kicking nervously.

Yun Qianmo patted Snowy Spirit to calm it down; Snowy Spirit stopped and followed her lead.

A short while later, a centipede darted out from the bushes toward Yun Qianmo’s face at incredible speed. She opened her palm, gathering a ring of flame on her hand. This time, the flames were different: previously they formed a ball burning intensely and brightly in her palm, but now there appeared to be a layer of crystalline water around them; hence, the fire wasn’t as fierce, and she felt no scorching sensation. Of course, this was due to Yang Gong and Yang Po’s purification of her internal energy.

The centipede was instantly sucked into Yun Qianmo's hand. Just as she prepared to burn it, she remembered Luo Yu; once on the way to River Valley County, Ling Lian and Yi Xue destroyed a large scorpion, and Luo Yu lamented its demise. This centipede was so big that it could rival the scorpion, might not Luo Yu like this one even more So, she changed her mind and retrieved a wooden box from her bag prepared by the old man at Jadeite Studio to store the weakened centipede inside.

This wooden box served the same purpose as the jar used by Ye Qian to contain the King of Ten Thousand Curses; it was made from wood that allowed poisonous creatures to be subdued inside.

After placing the centipede in the box, Yun Qianmo sensed movement deep within the forest but ignored them and continued leading Snowy Spirit forward.

She didn’t encounter any trouble after crossing Black Mountain Ridge.

Yun Qianmo remounted her horse to head towards Silver Moon City.

As she walked for a while, she felt someone following behind. She did not look back and kept walking leisurely; the person remained at an appropriate distance.

This is how it was, with no more words exchanged, they reached Silvermoon City.

Beyond the city walls of Silvermoon lay a river named the Silvermoon River. The climate in Southern Frontier was warmer compared to Divine Capital, hence, only thin ice had formed on the water's surface. A layer of frost covered the river, creating an effect of clear and translucent ice chunks.

Yun Qianmo recalled a poem that described the Princess of the Southern Frontier, Ye Qian, which was named after this Silvermoon River. Legend had it that many years ago, when someone fell into the water, Ye Qian jumped from atop the city wall to rescue them. Thus, there arose the widely spread saying, "Silver moon dots rouge, a single red dot amidst thousands of rivers."

One was referring to the beauty of Silvermoon River and two, it highlighted Ye Qian's superb lightness kung fu.

Like Huazhou City, she handed in her credentials and entered the city. Just as expected, someone quietly greeted her.

Seeing this person approaching her, Yun Qianmo sent a secret message through voice transmission: "Someone is following me; there's no need to come over. I won't be staying at Jadesilk Inn today but will pick an ordinary inn instead. Keep watch on my back and report any entry records after me once you find them."

The person immediately stopped in his tracks, silently nodded in understanding, and retreated.

Yun Qianmo led her horse into the city.

Silvermoon City was larger than Temple City and Huazhou City. It could be considered as the most prosperous city other than Imperial Capital within Southern Frontier territory. The true Southern Frontier region lacked the chaotic mix of foreign merchants seen in Temple City and Huazhou City, instead showcasing a more authentic local flavor. Although it was winter, compared to Divine Capital, its clothing style appeared bolder and more open.

Yun Qianmo bypassed Drunken Fragrance Tower, Willow Smoke Tower, and Jadesilk Inn before settling at a place called Ascension Cloud Tower on the bustling main street.

The innkeeper cheerfully welcomed her. After sizing her up, he asked, "Miss, how many people are you with Our inn happens to have two rooms vacant right now; all others are occupied. It's lucky that you arrived early or we would be fully booked."

"What day is it today Is there really so much traffic" Yun Qianmo asked casually as she entered the city, sensing many people entering Silvermoon City. She had visited twice before but never seen such a high influx of visitors.

“There’s nothing special going on; this area has been particularly crowded over these past two days,” said the innkeeper.

Yun Qianmo nodded, confirming her guess was right. Various factions had likely heard about Southern Frontier King's imminent death and were flocking to Southern Frontier despite official news not being released yet.

"Miss, how many people are you with" the innkeeper pressed again.

“Oh, there’s another friend of mine. I’ll take both rooms.” Yun Qianmo handed over the reins to her horse.

"Alright then! Two upper-class guestrooms for two guests," said the innkeeper cheerfully. Seeing she didn't speak further, he asked, "Is this your first time in Southern Frontier"

“How do you know it’s my first visit” Yun Qianmo raised an eyebrow.

"Your face looks very unfamiliar to me. I can recognize almost everyone who comes and goes," the innkeeper replied.

"Yes, this is indeed my first time here." Yun Qianmo smiled, remembering that she usually disguised herself as a male when traveling but now had taken on her previous life's appearance—something never used before in Southern Frontier territory.

“Follow me,” the innkeeper led the way after securing the horse.

Yun Qianmo followed him inside. The two rooms were located on the third floor, offering a view of people passing by on opposite streets from their window position. The room was beautifully furnished and undoubtedly top-notch accommodation. After paying her fee and making arrangements, she stayed put as the innkeeper departed.

Having eaten, Yun Qianmo sat by the window observing the street scene outside.

A short while later, an elderly man dressed like a merchant entered with several attendants in tow. The elderly gentleman appeared to be around fifty years old; his attendants ranged between teenagers and their thirties. The innkeeper went out to deal with them. The elder glanced at the stables before leading his entourage out.

Yun Qianmo thought Snowy was tied up in the stables, wondering if these people could be those who had been following her.

Shortly after, a voice was transmitted through the secret sound transmission from outside, "Miss Shanyue!"

"Hm." Yun Qianyue responded.

"I am Moju. I am the messenger your lordship sent to Silvertown City; he is also the person who welcomed you at the city gates just now," the person explained their identity.

"Hmm." Yun Qianyue nodded, knowing that it was someone from Rong Jing's group. Outside of Sky Capital, everyone called Rong Jing 'your lordship.'

"I have found out who has been following you. It is the Southern Border Kingdom’s Marquis, accompanied by a few attendants; they are exactly those people who came here earlier but had no place to stay and walked out just now," Moju reported.

Yun Qianyue frowned in thought, "The Southern Border Kingdom's Marquis"

"Yes, this Marquis does not like court life. He holds the title of Marquis but never enters the court; he has been traveling outside for a long time and does not care about the politics of the Southern Border Kingdom. He only returns to the kingdom every three or five years, with an uncertain itinerary, so people almost forgot that there is another Marquis in the Southern Border Kingdom," Moju explained: "Recently, it seems like he has returned to the Southern Border Kingdom and happened to meet you. For some reason, he started following you. I have not yet investigated this thoroughly."

Yun Qianyue nodded, thought for a moment, and instructed, "Find me all the information about this Marquis."

"Yes!" Moju replied.

"Also, send someone to monitor his actions. It's best not to let him discover it," Yun Qianyue added another instruction.

"Yes!" Moju bowed in acknowledgment.

Yun Qianyue remained silent after that; when she no longer gave instructions, there were no more sounds from outside.

Sitting by the window, Yun Qianyue thought about how the queen consort of the Southern Border Kingdom had fallen ill and died when Ye Qian was very young. The king of the Southern Border Kingdom never remarried afterward, nor did any of his concubines give birth; therefore, he only had one princess—Ye Qian, whom he cherished like a treasure. She learned from Lin'er that the queen consort of the Southern Border Kingdom and the queen consort of South Liang were sisters. Even she herself forgot about the existence of another Marquis in the kingdom. What was this Marquis doing back at this time Was he here to help the Southern Border Kingdom

She could be sure that it was either this Marquis or his attendants who released the centipedes on Black Mountain Ridge, and she only narrowly managed to detect them because of her formidable martial arts skills. Clearly, those people were highly skilled in martial arts; hence, this Southern Border Kingdom's Marquis is not someone to be underestimated.

As night fell, Yun Qianyue got into bed.

Not long after she had just fallen asleep, there was a commotion outside with people talking. It seemed like three individuals were involved. Yun Qianyue did not get up to look.

Shortly afterward, the young apprentice came knocking on her door, "Miss, are you sleeping"

"What's going on" Yun Qianyue inquired.

The apprentice whispered, "Is your friend coming back There are three guests downstairs. All guesthouses in Silvertown City are fully booked. Could we ask for a favor to accommodate them temporarily One room can fit two or three people; if your friend comes and stays with you, could you give up that room so the downstairs guests can stay there"

Yun Qianyue remained silent for a moment.

"It's very cold outside. These three guests are important patrons who do not want to sleep in the barn. When traveling, it’s better to help others and help yourself," the apprentice continued to persuade her after receiving no reply: "We will refund your room fee when you leave."

"Who are those three people" Yun Qianyue got up from bed and walked toward the window.

The apprentice explained, "I don't know who they are either. They must be wealthy or of high status. You know that only rich or important people can afford to stay in this street," he added: "Our inn relies on patrons from all over the world; we try our best to accommodate them. So I thought it would be good if you could make a concession."

Yun Qianyue pulled back the curtains and looked downstairs, spotting three men leading horses—three young men she recognized as the current heads of the Hua family, Yi family, and Ling family: Ling Shengqing, Yi Yu, and Hua Qiu. Although she had only met them briefly when they were in the Ten Great Families, she still remembered their appearances clearly. Seeing them made her realize that these three major families must have already come under Night Tianyi's control. When Rong Jing originally planned to take advantage of Ling Lian, Yi Xue, and Hua Sheng, she had rejected the idea, saying it was possible that those three families were already within Night Tianyi’s grasp since he had bought off the Feng family, Huajia, Mojia, apart from Lan Family and Cang Family, there's no way Night Tianyi wouldn't use other methods to buy off other families. Indeed, these three families ended up under him. It seems that sending Blue漪and Cang亭to South Liang was indeed a strategy of confusing the opponents while secretly moving forces elsewhere, while he sent someone else to the Southern Border Kingdom.

“Miss, do you agree” The apprentice asked again.

"Why did you single them out and ask for this favor when you turned away several groups earlier" Yun Qianyue questioned.

The previous few groups were too large, and I simply couldn't accommodate them all. Now that your friend isn't here for this room, even if he does arrive later, you can share the space with him, and those other three can do the same, so I came over to inform you of it," the shop boy explained.

"Alright, I agree. My friend might not be able to make it in time. Let's allow them to stay for now!" Yun Qianyue said.

"Thank you on behalf of all three guests, Miss." The shop boy immediately ran off after hearing her words.

Yun Qianyue remained standing by the window and watched as the shop boy ran down to the trio below and chattered away for a moment. The three men then looked up at her room direction, bowed respectfully in unison, and followed the shop boy back upstairs.

She retracted her gaze just as she was about to walk away from the window when Mo Ju's voice sounded out. "Miss Qianyue, I've found information regarding the Southern Frontier State’s state brother-in-law. Shall I send it over to you now through your window"

"Alright!" Yun Qianyue nodded and opened her window.

A cloth bag was gently tossed inside from outside. She caught it with her hand, then closed the window again. With the candle already lit, she sat at the desk and opened up the bag by its light. A few sheets of paper fell out as she picked them up to look through them.

The Southern Frontier State’s state brother-in-law was named Du Yu, with the courtesy name Zi Jian. The origins of his family are unknown. It is only known that more than twenty years ago, King Nanjiang and King Nanshang ascended Heavenly Maiden Mountain for a worship service to the Celestial Maiden. Afterward, the two toured around Heavenly Maiden Mountain together and happened upon three siblings trapped by two fierce tigers. The siblings were already engaged in combat with the beasts, and one brother was protecting his two sisters while wounded himself. King Nanjiang and King Nanshang drew their swords to help them out, slaying the tigers in the process and thus forming a bond with the trio. Both of the young women had exquisite appearances and graceful movements that greatly moved the kings. After much negotiation, they obtained permission from their brother for one woman to marry into Nanjiang State as its queen while another married into Nanshang State as its queen.

The queen who entered Nanjiang State changed her name but didn’t change surnames; she brought her brother in with her and became the first commoner queen in Southern Frontier State’s history. As for the queen that entered Nanshang, she changed both her name and surname. She was welcomed into the palace as a daughter of the General House from Nanjiang State. Therefore, the fact that the Queens of Nanjiang and Nanshang were actually twin sisters remained unknown to everyone else. This perhaps also included King Nanjiang’s and King Nanshang’s considerations at the time: after all, both Southern Frontier States were vassal states under the Heavenly Holy Dynasty, so the news that the two kings are brothers-in-law would naturally be of concern to or even met with suspicion from the Emperors of the Heavenly Holy Dynasty. Thus, they deliberately kept it a secret.

The state brother-in-law of Southern Frontier State claimed he had no interest in politics and left Nanjiang shortly after his sister married into the royal family for an excursion elsewhere. He returned once to Nanjiang when Ye Qian was born three years later but then left again, returning five years later when the queen fell ill and passed away. After that, it took another five years before he came back again. During this time period, there were no records of him at all; Mo Ju’s information was simple and nothing further could be found.

Other than these basic details, what did his repeated excursions outside Nanjiang signify

Frowning, Yun Qianyue put down the paper to ponder over it. With even Rong Jing unable to uncover any information about this state brother-in-law, it could only mean that he was not someone to be trifled with.

After sitting still for a while longer, she burned all of her documents and got back into bed.

In the middle of the night, she heard some commotion coming from the room next door. Soon after, someone left their room. Sitting up straight, Yun Qianyue walked over to her bed as Ling Shaoqing, Yi Yu, and Hua Qiu headed down the stairs to lead horses out of the stable. She stood by the window for a moment before asking Qing Ying outside in a whisper, "Qing Ying, are you here"

"Reporting to Miss Qianyue! I'm here!" Qing Ying’s voice echoed from outside.

"Follow those three," Yun Qianyue instructed.

“Yes!”

Yun Qianyue watched out her window as the trio led their horses out of the stables and mounted them, then left. Once the hoofbeats faded into distance, she stood by the window for a long while until no more hoofbeats were heard on the street. Only then did she turn around and get back into bed.

At dawn, Yun Qianyue tidied up and carried her bag out of her room.

The shop boy saw Yun Qianyue leave and greeted her as he came over. "Miss, are you leaving"

"Yes," Yun Qianyue replied.

"I’ll get your money now!" The shop boy hurriedly walked to the counter.

“No need for it. Just remember this payment and don’t charge me next time when I stay here,” Yun Qianyue said, then left the inn.

The shop boy repeatedly agreed as he sent her off and rushed over to the stables to help lead Yun Qianyue’s horse.

Once she had the horse led over, Yun Qianyue mounted up and left the inn towards the city gate. After handing in her travel documents, she proceeded out of town. Not long after, Mo Ju's voice sounded out: "Miss Qianyue, the Southern Frontier State’s state brother-in-law is following you again.ty," Ling Lian returned after a short while and whispered to Cloud Qianyue.“When did he leave” Cloud Qianyue asked."This morning," replied Ling Lian."Which direction did he go" Cloud Qianyue frowned....