Since the night of the fireworks, all sorts of strange things have been happening in Jinling City.
Some people have vanished into thin air, as if they had never existed in this world. Others have moved their entire families away, as if delaying their departure would cause Jinling City to transform into a man-eating demon and devour them whole.
Murong Ziheng was filled with unease day after day, wishing that Murong Shengrui would wake up sooner. However, Wei Wuji completely denied him any chance to see Murong Shengrui.
In the dead of night, a figure sneaked into the imperial palace and headed directly for the former Shou Kang Palace. After Shou Kang Palace was destroyed by a great fire, Murong Shengrui had rebuilt it according to his memory. From the outside, it looked no different from the old palace, but everyone knew that everything had already changed.
"You've arrived. I knew you would come here." A person walked out of the darkness, handsome and distinguished. It was none other than Murong Shengrui.
The newcomer stared at Murong Shengrui for a long time without answering. Murong Shengrui was not in a hurry. He looked at Shou Kang Palace and said, "Shou Kang Palace is still the same as before, exactly the same. Do you want to go in and take a look?"
The newcomer remained silent. Murong Shengrui led the way inside. "Follow me. After all, this is where you lived for many years. There are too many memories here, and you can't let them go."
"Your Majesty Yun, have you mistaken me for someone else?" The woman's voice was completely unfamiliar. Murong Shengrui turned his head, frowning slightly. He had thought the visitor was Xiao Man, but it turned out to be a complete stranger.
"Who are you? Why have you trespassed into Shou Kang Palace in the dead of night?" Murong Shengrui's tone was unreadable, but those who knew him well knew that he was already angered.
The woman clasped her hands behind her back, looking at Murong Shengrui with a smile. "Your Majesty Yun, since you chose to kill, why put on such a pretense now? If Empress Dowager Dugu were still alive, could you still hold onto your throne?"
Murong Shengrui narrowed his eyes, staring at the masked woman before him. He was certain he didn't recognize her, yet she had come straight to Shou Kang Palace, indicating she was connected to its former resident.
"You are A'Man's person."
The woman chuckled. "Your Majesty Yun, who do you refer to as A'Man?"
"The Blue Moon Empress, Xiao Man."
The woman's eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled. "Your Majesty Yun is truly amusing. You guard this empty palace while thinking of the Blue Moon Empress. Men are truly never satisfied, always wanting what's in another's bowl after spilling their own."
Murong Shengrui's expression grew colder. He struck out immediately. The woman, holding something behind her back, pressed a mechanism and fired several poisoned needles at Murong Shengrui, forcing him to retreat.
Murong Shengrui dodged the projectiles and pressed forward again, attacking the woman's face. The woman's martial arts were not bad, and she managed to exchange blows with Murong Shengrui. However, she was ultimately outmatched, and Murong Shengrui tore off the mask from her face.
Murong Shengrui stared at the woman before him and thought for a moment. "I have seen you before. You are a maid from A'Man's courtyard."
The one who had intruded into the Yunqi imperial palace was none other than Xi Yue. After leaving Nangong Yu's side, Xi Yue had been secretly following Xiao Man. Noticing that Xiao Man would often gaze at this palace distractedly, she became very curious and wanted to see what was so captivating about it.
"Did A'Man send you?"
Xi Yue remained silent. "His Majesty would never send me to do such a boring task. I just wanted to see what the residence of the once powerful Empress Dowager Dugu was like. Now that I've seen it, it doesn't seem like much."
"Not much?" Murong Shengrui's tone carried a dangerous edge.
"Indeed, not much," Xi Yue said calmly. "Such a desolate palace ended her life. I feel it was not worth it for her."
Murong Shengrui lowered his gaze, not speaking immediately, as if contemplating the truth of Xi Yue's words. After a moment, Murong Shengrui attacked. "Even if you are her person, it is not your place to comment!"
Xi Yue was prepared. She knew Murong Shengrui was vengeful and had deliberately provoked him to find his weakness. But she was too naive. If Murong Shengrui could be so easily exposed, he would not have become the King of Yunqi!
Just as Xi Yue was about to fall into Murong Shengrui's grasp, a hidden weapon struck Murong Shengrui's hand. Murong Shengrui cried out in pain, and immediately let go. Xi Yue, escaping danger, fled without hesitation. The dark guards were about to pursue, but Murong Shengrui stopped them.
Murong Shengrui looked at the hidden weapon embedded in his palm and then gazed into the distance. Xi Yue had already vanished without a trace, but he was inwardly pleased, for someone was still watching him, and this made him very happy.
"A'Man, you still care about me after all."
"Your Majesty, your wound..."
"It's nothing, just a superficial wound."
"Your wound has reopened." Wei Wuji was somewhat anxious. This injury had barely healed, and he had already run out, truly not caring for his own well-being. "Hurry and summon the imperial physician."
Murong Shengrui entered Shou Kang Palace, waiting for the imperial physician to arrive and bandage his wound. Despite being injured, his face was beaming with a brilliant smile, which left Wei Wuji feeling helpless.
"Your Majesty, the Manzhu Shahua have bloomed."
"I know."
"You should make plans soon." Wei Wuji reminded Murong Shengrui cautiously. Yunqi was currently facing internal and external threats. If Yusheng and Blue Moon attacked Yunqi simultaneously, and Dugu Man's remnants stirred up trouble from within, colluding with external forces, Yunqi would be in peril.
"Wei Wuji, who do you think can be A'Man's opponent?"
Wei Wuji was taken aback. The one from Blue Moon was meticulous, iron-willed, and quite ruthless. If there was anyone who could be her opponent, it would be none other than His Majesty.
"Only His Majesty."
"Yes, only I can be her opponent. Now that she is in Yunqi, this is a good thing for us."
"The rear is vulnerable!"
"Wei Wuji, has your brain been flooded?" Murong Shengrui reprimanded. "With her meticulous mind, would she allow her rear to be vulnerable? Without trusted individuals in place, would she dare to leave Blue Moon Bianjing so casually? Unless she wants to hand over the throne she has acquired."
"I am foolish, Your Majesty. It is just that Xiao Man is an outsider in Blue Moon. The other princesses have always been coveting the throne. If she leaves, won't those princesses seize the opportunity to cause trouble?"
"Is Blue Moon in chaos?"
Wei Wuji choked slightly. No, far from being in chaos, everything was in order, as if Xiao Man had been in Blue Moon Bianjing all along.
"Wei Wuji, never underestimate Xiao Man, nor women," Murong Shengrui said slowly. "When women unite, they are incredibly formidable. You should have witnessed this before."
Wei Wuji immediately fell silent, looking as if he had a deep secret. After all, Empress Dowager Dugu had gathered many exceptional women around her in the past, and while each of those women might not have been remarkable individually, when many women came together, they could create miracles beyond expectation!