"We do. The Demon Sect’s Blood Prison Vehicle," Jiangg Youfei said, her lips curving into a half-smile.
"Anything else? Do you have one from the Daoist Sect?" Li Qingxian asked.
"I can use Sleeve Universe, if you’re not afraid of tumbling around and vomiting inside my sleeve," Jiangg Youfei said.
Li Qingxian glanced at Jiangg Youfei’s wide sleeve. Her arm was fair and delicate.
"Forget it, I’ll just take the sedan chair. Uncle Zhou, if anything happens to me, remember to bury me with my parents!"
"Don’t worry. I’ll dig the grave myself."
"Uncle Zhou, always so handsome and sweet-tongued!" Li Qingxian said irritably.
"Heed my summons, swift as law’s command!" Jiangg Youfei beckoned with her hand. The white-flowered red sedan chair rapidly shrank until it was palm-sized, and she tucked it into her sleeve.
Zhou Chunfeng gazed at the slender, petite Jiangg Youfei, sighed, and said, "Be extremely careful."
Jiangg Youfei bent her knees in a slight curtsy, then turned and walked away.
"Zhou Henn, I’m counting on you," Zhou Chunfeng said.
Zhou Henn gave Zhou Chunfeng a fist-and-palm salute, then turned and followed Jiangg Youfei.
As Jiangg Youfei stepped outside, she passed a hand before her face, and a white veil materialized, covering her features and leaving only her eyes visible.
Stepping out of the Night Guard Office, Jiangg Youfei tapped the ground lightly with the toe of her white shoe. Her body, graceful as a swan, soared diagonally toward the rooftops.
With a light tap on a rooftop, Jiangg Youfei soared through the air. After drifting for several hundred meters, she touched down on another roof before launching herself toward the South City Gate.
Beneath the bright moon and the night sky, Jiangg Youfei soared above a sea of lights and rolling rooftops. Her white robes fluttered, making her look like a Fairy gliding over water.
Zhou Henn followed not far behind, his gaze occasionally sweeping across the Divine Capital.
Curious onlookers climbed walls and scrambled onto roofs, exclaiming in awe that the Moonlight Fairy had descended upon the Capital City.
The few other night-fliers who were out stopped after a few bounds, choosing instead to gaze from afar at the Moonlight Fairy, who looked as if she were riding the wind itself.
One bold expert shouted, "Which Fairy has graced the Divine Capital with her presence?"
Zhou Henn boomed, "The Night Guard Department is on official business! All others, stand clear!"
The rooftops cleared in an instant.
The two left through the South City Gate. Using their Lightweight Skill, they traveled swiftly for over twenty li until they reached Yuya Mountain. There, they ascended to Qingxiao Temple, which was nestled amongst the trees.
They entered through a side door and passed through the plaza before the main hall. They continued through the Divine Hall in the second courtyard, the Miscellaneous Affairs Courtyard in the third, and the Cultivation Field in the fourth, before finally reaching the residential quarters at the very back.
Walls, trees, and paths divided the rear residence into several smaller courtyards. After walking for a short while, they entered one, and the space suddenly opened up before them.
A sheer, gray-black cliff face rose before them. A brilliant white waterfall, about a zhang wide, cascaded down into a dark, circular pool with a constant rushing sound.
By the side of the pool stood a small, red-lacquered pavilion. A plaque above its entrance bore the two words "Luoyu Pavilion."
Beside it stood a small, two-story building with red walls and green tiles, high-hung lanterns illuminating it.
Two Daoist priestesses in dark blue robes hurried out from the entrance to greet them.
"The Saintess has returned," they said, their faces wreathed in smiles. One was a girl of fifteen or sixteen, the other a Daoist nun in her thirties or forties.
Zhou Henn stopped at the courtyard entrance.
"Sister Fangg, Xiaoya, this is General Zhou Henn," Jiangg Youfei introduced.
"Greetings, General Zhou." Their eyes fell on the Elephant Head Shining Copper Breastplate on Zhou Henn’s chest, and their demeanor became deeply respectful. It was the uniform of a Senior Fifth Grade Military Officer.
Jiangg Youfei said, "General Zhou’s official rank is Fifth Grade, but his Cultivation reached the Fourth Grade long ago. Do not take him lightly."
"Yes."
"Also, a... nephew of Uncle Zhou’s will be staying here tonight." As she spoke, Jiangg Youfei made a tossing motion with her right hand, and the white-flowered red sedan chair landed on the ground, expanding to its full size.
"I was suffocating in there!" Li Qingxian exclaimed, pushing aside the door curtain and stepping out. "It’s all bright red on the inside and pitch black on the outside. I’m never riding in that thing again."
"This is Li Qingxian, a Night Guard," Jiangg Youfei said casually.
"Greetings, Mr. Xiaoli." The two Daoist priestesses sized up Li Qingxian in unison, looks of surprise on their faces. Ever since Jiangg Youfei had taken up residence here, no man had ever stayed overnight.
"Sister Fangg, arrange lodging for General Zhou and give him a Qingxiao Token," Jiangg Youfei ordered.
"Yes." Sister Ling then led Zhou Henn away.
"Saintess, would you like to wash up?" Xiaoya asked with a grin.
The tension on Jiangg Youfei’s pretty face eased. "Tonight, you and Sister Ling can rest outside," she said. "Qingxian and I have important matters to discuss."
"Oh... In that case, I’ll take my leave." Xiaoya’s face was a mask of curiosity as she glanced between the two of them before departing.
Li Qingxian scanned his surroundings, taking in the waterfall, the pool, the pavilion, and the flowerbeds. He smiled and said, "Sister Youfei, you really know how to pick a spot. The view from this Luoyu Pavilion is magnificent. I wouldn’t trade it for the entire Capital City."
"Follow me upstairs. I’ll disguise you." Jiangg Youfei glided toward the small building, her white skirt swaying with her lotus-like steps.
Li Qingxian followed behind Jiangg Youfei into the main hall on the first floor, ascended a winding staircase to the second, and entered a room.
The parlor was tastefully elegant, decorated in a palette of white, cyan, and gray. A red carpet covered the floor. In the center sat a sandalwood daybed, with smoke curling from a nearby incense burner. Behind it hung a scroll painting titled "Seeking Plums in the Snow," which depicted a slender, petite girl raising a delicate hand, her fingertip just brushing against a blossom’s core.
To the sides stood a bookshelf and a curio cabinet, the latter filled with a dazzling, yet orderly, array of porcelain and Jade Artifacts.
With a single glance, Li Qingxian could tell the furnishings in this room far surpassed anything in the Chunfeng Inn.
A beaded curtain hung over a side entrance, obscuring the view into the boudoir within. Through the beads, he could faintly make out layers of an opulent, goose-yellow, cloud-patterned bed canopy—a display of luxury completely at odds with the parlor’s understated elegance.
Li Qingxian was taken aback. ’Investigating violations of sumptuary laws is one of the Night Guard’s main jobs. Unless permitted by the Imperial Court, commoners are forbidden from using colors like goose-yellow, bright yellow, brilliant yellow, and black. Could that canopy have been a gift from the Empress Dowager?’
"You..." Jiangg Youfei hesitated for a moment. "Follow me into my chambers, but don’t touch anything. I’ll apply your disguise at my vanity."
"Alright." Li Qingxian followed the white-robed girl, pushing aside the beaded curtain. With a soft clatter of beads, he entered her chambers.
A delicate fragrance immediately washed over him.
"Sister Youfei, what perfume do you use? It smells amazing," Li Qingxian said, taking a sniff.
"Perhaps it’s just my rouge and powder."
"This scent isn’t like those tacky perfumes. It’s very unique." Li Qingxian’s eyes darted around the room.
Jiangg Youfei sighed. "No wonder Uncle Zhou can’t handle you. This is a lady’s private chamber. Even if you’re still young, you shouldn’t be so restless."
"Oh." ’For a seasoned old lecher, I’m already being remarkably well-behaved,’ Li Qingxian thought.
"Sit," Jiangg Youfei said, pointing to the round stool in front of the vanity.
Li Qingxian sat down. With a flick of her right hand, Jiangg Youfei produced a Luminous Pearl out of thin air. It hovered high above, flooding the room with brilliant light.
Li Qingxian squinted, taking a moment to adjust.
"Sit up straight. Don’t move and don’t speak unless I give you permission." Jiangg Youfei looked down at the seated Li Qingxian, her expression frosty.
Li Qingxian looked up at Jiangg Youfei’s small, fair face and broke into a happy smile.
’What a flippant, silly boy,’ Jiangg Youfei sighed to herself.
She took out a mask as thin and translucent as paper. "This is an Illusion Mask," she said. "It will seep into your skin. You’ll feel a slight prickling at first, but it will fade quickly."
Li Qingxian said nothing, only gazed at Jiangg Youfei with sparkling eyes. ’No wonder they call her Fairy Qingcheng,’ he thought. ’She’s stunning from a distance, but up close, she’s absolutely flawless.’
"Head up," Jiangg Youfei said.
Li Qingxian tilted his head back. Jiangg Youfei leaned over and applied the sheet-like Illusion Mask to his face, smoothing it out bit by bit with her fingers before carefully adjusting the edges.