The vermilion railings stood in orderly rows, and the green tiles rose and fell in uneven lines.
A cluster of red bananas leaned in beneath the corridor from beyond the beauty-rest rail. When the wind passed, they swayed with graceful poise.
Pei Ling followed behind the guard at an unhurried pace.
The two had just passed through a moon gate when he suddenly asked, "Did the master say what he wanted me for?"
The guard replied, "To answer Young Master, the master didn't say. This subordinate doesn't know the details either."
At that, Pei Ling nodded slightly. The guard might be unwilling to tell him, or the matter might be important enough that the master hadn't let a word slip. It was entirely possible the man truly knew nothing.
After turning it over in his mind, he asked, "Besides me, is anyone else going?"
This time, the guard said, "Young Master Meng and Miss Xiang'e are also going."
Miss Xiang'e?
Hadn't she gone missing last night?
As for that "Young Master Meng," Pei Ling had no clues at all and couldn't judge who he was.
Still, besides himself, the ones who had entered the Land of Fortune left behind by Zhou this time were the Crimson Powder Bride, "Yu," and Tan Nu. If that "Miss Xiang'e" was the Crimson Powder Bride, then who was the remaining "Young Master Meng"—"Yu" or Tan Nu?
Or could it be that the other young master and young miss in this household weren't "Yu," Tan Nu, and the Crimson Powder Bride?
Thinking this, Pei Ling continued, "Has anything unusual happened in the household recently?"
The guard shook his head. "To answer Young Master, no. Everything in the household is normal."
As they spoke, they passed through several more courtyards.
Along the way, trees and plants