She had inquired beforehand about which room Gu Nan Yi was staying at. Gu Nan Yi actually just lives in the same section as her but this part of the palace was rather peculiar with complicated corridor design. In order to get to Gu Nan Yi’s room, she will need to go around a palace wall.
She walked quietly and hurriedly dashed behind a pillar when she suddenly saw a figure darting past. It turns out to be a young eunuch, walking briskly. Judging by the direction, he is also heading toward Gu Nan Yi’s courtyard.
Feng Zhi Wei stared at the eunuch’s steps, her eyes flashed–this is someone who knows martial arts, and not just a little bit either.
A eunuch with martial art skills, out and about late at night instead of attending to his post, what is he up to?
Feng Zhi Wei kept her breathing slow and light.
The eunuch walked a few steps, then stopped suddenly, stood still, and waited.
The moonlight shone faintly as the palace gate ahead slowly opened. Someone was walking across the palace road, walking with his hands resting behind his back.
The flower garden is planted on both sides with tall magnolia trees. The dews on the luxuriant purple magnolia flowers are hypnotizing under the moonlight. The man came walking leisurely among the mesmerizing flowers, his robe fluttering in the night breeze, as elegant as the magnolia and as captivating as the moonlight.
A few of the large purple magnolias fell in the wind into his lapel. Lackadaisically, he caught them with his hand. In the moonlight, his movement and nonchalant gaze are enough to rob any beholder of their breath.
Under the moonlight, in the midst of blooming flowers, Ning Yi strolled in.
That young eunuch had already retreated into the shadows of the corner wall about ten steps away. He stood respectfully, with his head bowed, eyes lowered, his gaze falling squarely on the tip of his shoe.
Ning Yi cast a glance over at him and at the nameplate on his waist “Is this Little Chengzi? It’s so late, where are you going?”
“Your Highness,” The eunuch seemed to be on very familiar terms with Ning Yi as he replied with a low laugh, “My master couldn’t sleep again tonight and sent me to go get some sleep aid pills from the Imperial Physicians Department. As Your Highness knows, there is a side entrance over here that connects straight to the Imperial Phyisicans Department. This way is secluded with very minimal security checks along the way. This servant was lazy so I chose to come this way.”
Seemingly preoccupied with something on his mind, Ning Yi listened half-heartily and nodded “Don’t wander around this late at night. Next time, send a message out and I will send someone to deliver it to avoid any trouble. But it would need to wait until it’s my turn to be on duty.”
“It was precisely because Your Highness is on duty that my master sent me out…” the eunuch chuckled.
“Then go.” Ning Yi turned to look in the direction of the Imperial Physicians Department and waved his hand.
The eunuch bowed again and left. Feng Zhi Wei frowned– from the direction this little eunuch was heading, it seemed that he would still be passing by Gu Nan Yi’s place. Moreover, now that he has permission from Ning Yi, then no one else would stop him.
Worried that she would be discovered by Ning Yi, she had hidden far away in the shadow behind the corridor thus she did not hear the conversation between the two clearly. The only thing she could tell was that the two seemed quite familiar with one another and the direction Ning Yi had looked was the direction of the Imperial Physicians Department, which was also the direction where Gu Nan Yi is at.
It is not abnormal for a prince to know a eunuch. However, for a prince to know a eunuch who is also a good fighter, and then allow this same eunuch to wander around in the palace in the middle of the night… that’s a bit rare. A prince who was out by himself in the middle of the night without anyone accompanying him happens to meet a eunuch who knows martial arts and allows him to wander around in the palace, now, that’s very rare.
If something is out of the ordinary then something must be amiss. Based on Feng Zhi Wei’s knowledge of Ning Yi, even if things weren’t out of the ordinary, anything that happens around him will have some mischief nine times out of ten. Is just that something…is not the sort that is discernable by most people.
Feng Zhi Wei’s started to worry and was tempted to follow the eunuch but didn’t want to be seen by Ning Yi. She is also wondering why Ning Yi would come all the way over here in the middle of the night. Could he be looking for her? That would be bad then…
Under the moonlight, standing among the magnolia trees, Ning Yi raised his head and looked toward the direction of her place.
Feng Zhi Wei’s heart tightened, her mind trying to figure out how she can go back to her room without being discovered. Before she can make her move, Ning Yi suddenly held up a clenched fist to his mouth and started to cough quietly. The cough kept going as Ning Yi slowly backed up a step at a time until he was leaning against a tree.
Feng Zhi Wei stared at him intently. His face was hidden in the shadow of the tree, so it was difficult to discern from his expression if he was in pain. The only thing she could see was that his head was lowered as the deep muffled sound of one cough after another kept on coming. Feng Zhi Wei frowned. Judging by the sound of the cough, it seemed like he had suffered an internal injury.
When was he injured? She had noticed that he looked listless during the court proceedings but he often has a lethargic air about him anyway so she didn’t think too much of it especially since he was sharp as usual and asked all the right questions at all the right times. Yet, judging by his cough now, it appears that he was injured, not lightly either.
She squatted there, and hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should go back while he is preoccupied with the coughs? Once he comes over, then she would have the opportunity to give him some of Zong Chen’s medicine. She has a lot of good medicines.
Just as she was about to make her move, Ning Yi suddenly stood up straight. Feng Zhi Wei thought he would be heading to her place but who knew he just looked toward her room’s direction again before walking away and coughing all the while.
Among the flowers and trees under the moonlight, he kept on coughing but his back was straight and he didn’t look back.
The flowers and trees behind the long corridors rustled. Feng Zhi Wei stood up from among the flowers in somewhat of a daze. The expression in her eyes was complicated as she stared at Ning Yi’s retreating figure.
Pulling her gaze back, she immediately started across the long corridor without hesitation. Since Ning Yi is not heading to her place, then she will naturally continue on with her plan.
After thinking for a moment, she took out a handkerchief and covered her face. She made her way through the corridors and courtyards. She did encounter a few groups of patrolling guards but she was able to easily slip past them.
The courtyard Gu Nan Yi is in was all quiet. Other than one young eunuch who was dozing off by the door and was even snoring when Feng Zhi Wei walked by him, there were no other servants around.
Feng Zhi Wei brazenly head straight for the main bedroom since she knew with Gu Nan Yi’s peculiar temper, he would naturally not allow any servants to linger close by.
Feeling a chill before she even got close to the room, Feng Zhi Wei’s heart sank, and quickened her steps. Silently approaching the door, she raised a hand to push it open.
*Shua*
Crystal blinding white lights accompanied by several sharp weapons headed straight for her eyes the moment the door was cracked open.
Whatever they were, they came extremely fast, slicing through the air with a hissing sound!
In an instant, it was like ten dazzling small daggers, but upon closer inspection, they were actually someone’s ten very pampered long fingernails!
The person hid behind the door and attacked the moment the door was cracked open. The attack was so fast and vicious that Feng Zhi Wei didn’t have time to blink before that dazzling light arrived in front of her face.
Feng Zhi Wei abruptly fall backward, with a big back bend, and her long hair cascaded down to the ground. As she fell, her leg kicked up, landing hard on the man’s wrist.
There was a muffled bang as the man’s wrist was kicked away but the man just used the momentum to spin around, his ten dagger-like nails struck again…aiming straight for Feng Zhi Wei’s crotch.
Feng Zhi Wei was annoyed and embarrassed – this person is too vicious! The person must’ve thought she was a man.
She didn’t get up but used the kicking motion to spin 360 degrees and turned herself around like a windmill. While avoiding that shameless stab, Feng Zhi Wei jerked up her knee at the same time aiming at that person’s chin which was lowered as the person had tried to stab her.
The two of them exchanged three attacks, each attack vicious in their own way, each attack more merciless than the previous one.
That person gave a low chuckle and praised, “Good response!” He turned around, twisted his waist, ten fingers shot out, and made a grab at her chest.
Feng Zhi Wei was furious! This attack of claws is really never-ending!
Blocking the claw attack, Feng Zhi Wei turned her own hands and also attacked the other person’s chest!
That person was taken aback, surprised that his opponent would also use this sort of shameless attack. Seeing Feng Zhi Wei’s claw attack is about to arrive, he immediately lep back onto the bed where Gu Nan Yi is sitting in deep meditation with his eyes closed.
Horrified when she sees the person raise a hand to strike towards Gu Nan Yi’s head, Feng Zhi Wei lep to block the attack. The person was feigning the move though, and just waved his hand over Gu Nan Yi’s head with a laugh before grabbing a gold bag from his waist. The moment he had the gold bag in hand, the person turned, ran to the window, kicked it open, and jumped out of it.
Feng Zhi Wei wasn’t planning on giving chase at first since she is only concerned about Gu Nan Yi’s safety. However, it looks like the person had stolen something from Gu Nan Yi. There are not many things Gu Nan Yi carried on him, so anything that is actually on him is bound to be very important and must not fall into others’ hands. She cast a quick glance at Gu Nan Yi, and saw that he is in deep meditation, his body emitting frigid cold air, obviously in the middle of using his internal energy to expel the cold poison from his body. Knowing she should not interrupt him no matter what, Feng Zhi Wei gritted her teeth, and jumped out of the back window as well.
All text copyright @ www.Ninja-Reflection.com
Amazing as always, thank you ninja! I love your choice of words.
I wonder whether ningyi feels this way because of the flute he played?
His injury? Yes, it came from playing the flute. Feng Zhi Wei was locked deep underground so in order to transmit it that far and that long, he took some internal damage.