His fingers tightened on the soft palm.
Qin Jiujiu hadn't paid much attention at first, but feeling that he wasn't letting go anytime soon, she forcefully tried to pull her hand away. Perhaps he had been engrossed in his pinching, as she easily managed to break free.
The young man looked at her hand resting by her side, his eyes suddenly deepening, heavy as ink, impossible to dispel.
"Xie Jing?"
Unaccountably sensing his displeasure, Qin Jiujiu felt a sense of danger. She turned to leave.
"I'm on duty, so I'll be going now. See you later!"
Xie Jing watched her retreating back, his expression growing increasingly somber.
The vibrant flower on her left shoulder was about to bloom, becoming more mysteriously alluring, and also more dangerous...
The words spoken in Xiliu City echoed again in Xie Jing's ears.
His gaze was profound, and demonic energy faintly surged around him.
"My lady, you've finally returned. The Consort is well again and looking for you!"
Upon returning to Yaoju, Qin Jiujiu was stopped by a palace maid who informed her that Ruoyao had been searching for her after recovering from her illness.
But the Consort was clearly possessed by a nine-tailed fox. Just a few days ago, she wasn't in her chambers, and now she had returned to the imperial palace so quickly?
She dared to come back?
"Alright, I'll go now!" Where the palace maid couldn't see, Qin Jiujiu turned and took out the demon-capturing bell given to her by Xie Yun from her Qiankun bag.
"Dingling~" The bell shook violently, indicating strong demonic power.
This demon-capturing bell was given to her by Xie Yun that night, along with his protective treasure – the Jianchi.
It was a small wooden ruler, and she didn't know its true efficacy.
Qin Jiujiu transferred the wooden ruler into her sleeve, then put the demon-capturing bell away.
Holding the communication talisman, Qin Jiujiu moved her lips, and the talisman transformed into a sentence – the nine-tailed fox had returned.
The characters flashed with white light, brightening and dimming before disappearing.
"Greetings, Consort!"
"My lady, Jiujiu is here."
Ruoyao stood behind a screen. Qin Jiujiu could vaguely see two figures standing within, one naturally Ruoyao, and the other her personal maid, Su.
This Su was also extremely suspicious.
Qin Jiujiu had observed her for some time. She was either always by the Consort's side or disappeared without a trace. In any case, this person was very suspicious.
After all, from the Qin family in Shangyang Town onwards, Qin Jiujiu had encountered more than one nine-tailed fox. Therefore, it wouldn't be surprising if this Su was also possessed by a nine-tailed fox.
"In a couple of days, I will accompany His Majesty to the Divine Temple. You will come along."
Was it just for this matter?
She had already bribed that eunuch, and her name was on the list. However, as a palace maid by the side of Noble Consort Yao, it would be more reasonable to accompany her.
Qin Jiujiu quickly agreed, "Yes." On the surface, she showed no unusual signs, as if the person before her was merely the Consort she served.
"You may leave," it was Su's voice.
The figure behind the screen did not move. The Jianchi in Qin Jiujiu's hand, which had been cold, became hot, almost scalding.
A divine artifact was a divine artifact; even when not summoned, it would react to the presence of demonic energy.
Qin Jiujiu quickly left the room. Although she knew Ruoyao's true identity, the situation was still unclear, and she couldn't act rashly.
***
A few days later, Qin Jiujiu indeed followed His Majesty out of the palace.
The imperial procession was naturally grand. In the vast stream of people, Qin Jiujiu felt a dull ache in her waist, especially her legs, which were too tired to stand upright.
Although the Divine Temple was within the imperial city, it was still some distance from the palace.
Therefore, the procession, which had departed in the morning, did not arrive until the afternoon.
The words "Divine Temple" gleamed in the sunlight, as if gilded, looking majestic and solemn.
Qin Jiujiu suddenly thought of Zhongnan Temple. It should have looked like this originally, but after Su Ming arrived in the Shengqi Kingdom, it had fallen into decline.
She imagined that from now on, the Divine Temple would be bustling with visitors.
"His Majesty has arrived!"
The vermilion lacquered gate of the Daoist temple slowly opened, revealing its interior.
As a lady of the Consort, Qin Jiujiu was close to the Emperor. On this trip, the Emperor had brought the Empress, Noble Consort Ru, and Noble Consort Yao.
Noble Consort Yao, as the Emperor's favored consort, had her own carriage but was in the Emperor's carriage.
It was naturally inconvenient to bring too many people on an outing. This time, Noble Consort Yao had only brought Su and Qin Jiujiu, so they were currently in the Emperor's carriage, at the front of the procession.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Everyone below the imperial carriage knelt down. Only the figure in imperial yellow stood tall at the entrance, a smile on his face.
"Su Ming, you have performed this task admirably. I am very pleased!"
Qin Jiujiu, bowing low, stealthily glanced towards the Emperor.
A burning gaze suddenly shifted to her, making her feel anxious, as if she had fallen into a tiger's mouth.
"Your Majesty, please step inside."
The figure in imperial yellow then entered, followed by the Empress and others.
Everyone stood up. After Qin Jiujiu stood up, she first looked towards Su Ming. The person beside him was not present at the moment.
Ruoyao's gaze finally shifted away from her, and Qin Jiujiu felt a slight relief. The nine-tailed fox's gaze made her feel inexplicably uncomfortable.
Strictly speaking, this Divine Temple was located on the outskirts of the imperial city.
There were two mountains on the outskirts of this imperial city. Zhongnan Temple was located on Zhongnan Mountain, hence its name.
This Divine Temple, having replaced the former status of Zhongnan Temple as the imperial Daoist temple, was located on another mountain. The name "Divine Temple" was enough to show the Emperor's enthusiasm for seeking immortality and enlightenment.
He even deeply believed in it.
That man should clearly not be someone who sought gods and worshipped Buddha.
"System, is Sheng Huaizhi involved in something?"
"The host's conjecture requires evidence. Please find clues yourself!"
"What use are you to me?"
The system pouted. Its primary mission was not to interfere with the host's tasks...
It was only there to alter the plot at crucial moments...
The system disappeared again, and Qin Jiujiu was rather accustomed to it.
"Your Majesty, please come to my palace to rest for a moment..."
On this trip, the Crown Prince remained in the imperial city to oversee state affairs, and the imperial entourage was to stay at the Divine Temple for two days.
It was said that the Emperor was visiting the Divine Temple, but perhaps it was not as simple as it seemed.
Seeing Ruoyao's demeanor, the Empress's expression remained unchanged, but Noble Consort Ru, the birth mother of the First Prince, showed disdain.
Looking at this woman, it reminded her of that bitch Yun Yaoyao from years ago!
After the Emperor left with Ruoyao, her expression became even more unpleasant. Gazing at their retreating figures, she suddenly said, "When I first saw this Noble Consort Yao, I thought she had come back to life!"
The Empress's gaze immediately shifted to her face.