In the Ning King's mansion, a petite figure darted through a corner like a phantom.
Just then, two young servants walked by, one after the other.
Suddenly, a strange cold wind blew from behind Xiao Jin. He spun around abruptly, and a tiny figure, like a specter, flashed before his eyes, making his legs go weak and his body prickle with fear.
Xiao Jin's lips trembled as he called out to his companion.
"Er Leng, did someone just pass by us?"
Er Leng stopped upon hearing him, turned, and said speechlessly to Xiao Jin, "Where? Did you see wrong? This is the path to the King's courtyard. Every corner here is guarded by hidden guards and sentries. The security is extremely tight; not even a fly could get through..."
But before Er Leng could finish speaking, a small, eerie figure flew past them, sending shivers down their spines.
Immediately after, a swiftly flying leaf severed their throats. Then, their bodies were swept away by a mass of thick black mist. By the time they vanished, not a trace remained, nor did anyone notice that anything unusual had occurred at the scene.
Following this, the petite figure quickly drifted into the Ning King's courtyard and slipped into the Ning King's study.
Huo Ying searched the Ning King's study thoroughly, combing through nearly every corner, but she couldn't find the Thousand-Year Warm Jade that the Dark Night Pavilion's master was looking for.
Thus, she proceeded to the Ning King's bedroom to rummage through it. As a result, she scoured the entire room but still did not find the so-called Thousand-Year Warm Jade.
Huo Ying had previously heard about the characteristics of the Thousand-Year Warm Jade. When a person with an injury approached it, it would emit an energy that would slowly help heal the wound until it was completely mended.
Even if there was a wooden or iron plate between the Thousand-Year Warm Jade and the injured person, one could still feel that energy.
Suddenly, a flicker of light flashed in Huo Ying's large eyes, and she thought of a plan.
She then took out a dagger from her sleeve pocket, cut her finger, and searched the Ning King's room once more.
As a result, when she reached a certain corner of the room, she found a stream of white mist seeping continuously from a crack in the wall, reaching the injured spot on her hand.
"Heh! So this is where the Ning King hid the Thousand-Year Warm Jade. No wonder I couldn't find it."
After discovering the place where the Ning King kept the warm jade, Huo Ying quickly removed the stone blocking the hidden compartment in the wall. Then, she took out the small wooden box from the hidden compartment and immediately opened it for a look. A crystal-clear white jade, square in shape and without any carvings, appeared before her eyes.
"Heh heh, I finally found you!"
A sinister smile reappeared on Huo Ying's plump little face.
Subsequently, she took the warm jade and quickly left the Ning King's mansion.
...
In the imperial palace, Jinghua Hall.
The Ghost Valley Master, also clad in night-traveling attire, arrived at the palace where Concubine Jing resided.
A note left behind by Liu Ruyi stated that the current Emperor's Imperial Seal had been stolen by Concubine Jing. She suspected that the Imperial Seal was currently still in Concubine Jing's possession.
However, he had not anticipated that Concubine Jing, who had always appeared to be detached from worldly affairs, harbored such a grand scheme, plotting for her son's throne for over a decade. Her schemes were far more terrifying than those of the Empress.
Concubine Jing was currently taking her people to attend the old woman's birthday banquet. Therefore, for him, sneaking into Concubine Jing's palace was a simple matter.
He slipped into Concubine Jing's sleeping quarters and quickly searched her entire palace, but found nothing, which greatly disappointed him.
Thus, the Ghost Valley Master continued to search within Jinghua Hall, but in the end, he still could not locate the whereabouts of the Imperial Seal.
At this moment, he cursed Concubine Jing incessantly in his mind: "That stinking old woman Concubine Jing, who knows where she hid the Imperial Seal."
Once he becomes the Son of Heaven, he will surely torment this Concubine Jing thoroughly. Otherwise, he would not be able to vent his anger from searching for the Imperial Seal tonight.
He had once heard that many concubines in the current old emperor's harem, due to the lack of the old emperor's favor for a long time, could no longer bear the loneliness and had committed adultery with guards.
And among all the old emperor's beauties, the one who was best maintained and most beautiful was the owner of Jinghua Hall, Concubine Jing.
Therefore, after he becomes the emperor of Tianwu Kingdom, he would definitely play with Concubine Jing for several days.
"Hahaha..."
As he thought of playing with Concubine Jing after becoming emperor in the future, he felt extremely pleased with himself.
However, he still needed to find the Imperial Seal first before he could be happy.
Next, the Ghost Valley Master searched everywhere, even under the bed in Concubine Jing's chamber, but he still found nothing.
Enraged, he gathered his inner strength and struck a certain lamp post in Concubine Jing's sleeping quarters with a palm strike. The lamp post moved from its position. Then, with his sharp eyes, he discovered a Tai Chi diagram beneath the lamp post.
Curiously, he walked over and touched the Tai Chi diagram. He discovered that the eyes of the Yin and Yang fish on the Tai Chi diagram could be pressed. Subsequently, the Ghost Valley Master pressed both eyes of the Yin and Yang fish. A small door immediately opened at a spot near the mural, and he hurried through the small door.
After passing through the small door, he discovered that Concubine Jing's secret room was something else entirely. The furnishings were complete, with a lotus pond and a spacious white jade bed. The white jade bed was partially enclosed by hanging pink gauze curtains, giving it a mysterious aura. And the Imperial Seal he was searching for was on the white jade bed.
Upon seeing the Imperial Seal, the Ghost Valley Master impatiently rushed over to confirm its authenticity. With an excited expression, he picked up the seal and examined it repeatedly. Finally, he confirmed it was the real Imperial Seal.
This was because, as a child, the Ghost Valley Master had secretly sneaked into the former emperor's imperial study and stolen the Imperial Seal to play with. Later, the former emperor caught him playing with the Imperial Seal, which scared him into dropping the Imperial Seal onto the floor, causing a small piece to chip off.
Later, because of this incident, his mother was executed by the former emperor to take the blame for him. He, in turn, was neglected by the former emperor and cast into a corner of the harem, left to be bullied by the concubines, palace maids, and eunuchs.
The Ghost Valley Master's eyes welled up with tears as he recalled this incident.
His mother's premature death back then was all due to his ignorance, disobedience, and childish playfulness.
After a moment, the Ghost Valley Master collected himself, embraced the Imperial Seal, and immediately left Concubine Jing's sleeping quarters.