Chapter 44: Escape (4)

Pen, Ink, Paper, and Inkstone were all momentarily stunned. They flew toward "Changge Yue" in the cold pool, brushing aside the disheveled hair covering her face. "Sibao! How could this be possible?!"

Having been rescued from the water, Sibao was half-dead. Zui Qingfeng, who had come along to watch the spectacle, clutched his stomach and laughed without a shred of decorum. "Sibao, diagnosing pulses? Hahahaha! And gynecological, at that! You’re going to be the death of me!" Everyone knew that among the secret guards, Sibao was the only one who couldn't even diagnose his own internal injuries, let alone take a pulse! The funniest part was that everyone had actually believed him!

Feng Shang’s gaze darkened, his eyes deep and bottomless. When Zui Qingfeng met his stare, his laughter came to an abrupt halt. "That... actually, it wasn't funny at all."

Feng Shang let out a low grunt and soared upward. However, just as he emerged from the deep bank of the Bishui Cold Pool, a guard collided with him. "This subordinate deserves to die! This subordinate deserves to die!"

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Feng Shang’s eyes. "Seal off the Nine Gardens! Start searching, now!" At this moment, his mind was filled with the image of that damned woman's smug, triumphant smile.

He could practically hear his own teeth grinding together.

As the guard hurried away, Feng Shang paused, a sudden thought striking him—the faint, lingering scent he had caught on Changge Yue earlier. "That guard just now... damn it!"

Feng Shang reached for his chest; sure enough, the Taihu Pearl King was gone. His eyes narrowed, a strange, inexplicable amusement flickering within their dark depths.

Meanwhile, Changge Yue was clinging to the wall of an outhouse like an octopus, her small hands tenderly stroking the warm Taihu Pearl King she had just acquired.

"Little thing, I nearly met the King of Hell for your sake." Thankfully, heaven never closes all paths; she had managed to swipe a skin mask from Sibao earlier. With that thought, she tucked the pearl away as if it were a precious treasure.

That pervert must have realized by now that she had made off with the pearl. Just imagining Feng Shang’s expression was enough to make her feel incredibly satisfied.

Her scheme hadn't been particularly clever, but everyone had their blind spots. Because she had tricked Sibao, the pervert naturally assumed she was desperate to flee as far as possible. He would never have guessed that she was lurking right at the exit of the deep bank, waiting like a hunter for his prey, daring to commit such a reckless theft.

Changge Yue looked triumphant, though she couldn't help but worry about how to get out. "This place doesn't seem to be inside the Zhenbao Pavilion anymore," she muttered, pouting slightly.

Just then, a patrol passed by. Changge Yue clutched her stomach and stepped out of the outhouse, calling out to the person at the end of the line, "Hey buddy, what’s going on?"

Seeing her emerge from the latrine, the man assumed she had an upset stomach and replied, "I don't know, it seems a prisoner escaped. The Ninth Young Master is furious."

Apart from a few members of the Prince Feng estate, not everyone in the Nine Gardens knew Feng Shang hailed from the Northern Desert; they only knew him as the esteemed Ninth Young Master.

Changge Yue nodded, blinking her lively, innocent eyes. "With defenses as tight as ours, how could a prisoner possibly escape?"

The guard puffed out his chest with pride. "That's right! Even the Great Court of Justice in Jincheng isn't as heavily guarded as our Nine Gardens. My cousin told me the entire place is built upon a grand formation—it’s unpredictable and ever-changing. Without someone familiar to lead the way, you can't walk out."

Changge Yue silently committed this to memory, though she feigned skepticism. "I haven't read much, so don't try to trick me. How could a single formation possibly cover the entire Nine Gardens?"