The night wind poured in from ahead, stirring Xiao Yun's robes.
He stood on the Flying Sword and was just about to leave when his mind suddenly stirred, and his Spiritual Sense spread downward like invisible ripples.
Deep within the Star Luo Imperial Palace, in a remote courtyard, there was an extremely unusual fluctuation of energy.
That fluctuation was very faint, as if suppressed by something, and it had only appeared for an instant, but Xiao Yun's Spiritual Sense still caught it clearly—sharp, fierce, keen as a saber or sword being drawn from its sheath.
Xiao Yun stopped the Flying Sword in midair, and his awareness followed his Spiritual Sense toward that secluded courtyard.
The secluded courtyard was not large. Its walls were mottled, and several clumps of wild grass grew in the corners.
The few rooms in the courtyard were all very dilapidated, with crooked doors and windows. Many roof tiles were missing, and moonlight leaked through the gaps, casting mottled patches of light and shadow on the ground.
A dozen or so people stood in the courtyard—a group of maids dressed in fine clothes. At their head was a young girl with golden hair and strange eyes. She was not very old, only seventeen or eighteen, and her appearance was beautiful, but her gaze carried a viciousness that did not match her age.
Seven or eight maids surrounded her, also dressed in fine clothes, their faces wearing fawning smiles.
The one surrounded in the middle was a white-haired girl. She was thin, her clothes were patched, and she was curled up on the ground, both hands protecting her head. Her body trembled slightly, and the exposed parts of her forearms were covered in bluish-purple marks.
"Little slut, did you think hiding in the Firewood Room would make everything