Qingqiu.
An isolated island in the lake.
Beneath the dim night sky, magnolia blossoms opened like the moon, their hazy radiance veiling the little building tucked among the uneven branches and leaves.
At that moment, the doors of the little building were tightly shut.
Kongmeng's embroidered skirt pooled on the ground as she stood alone before the entrance. After glancing around, she gathered her thoughts and raised a hand to knock—not too hard, not too softly.
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound carried clearly through the night.
Then Kongmeng spoke, her voice gentle and even. "A clear song blows beneath the bright moon; the flying pendant returns to the jade capital."
As soon as the words fell, she formed one profound magic seal after another. Invisible ripples instantly spread from her, interweaving into a net through the surrounding void and shielding her body and soul completely.
At the same time, Kongmeng focused her mind and remained on high alert.
The lake breeze stirred the magnolias; grasses and trees swayed across the island. Moisture mingled with the scent of wood, forming a fresh fragrance that swept for miles.
The night was peaceful. All was still.
After waiting a while without anything unusual happening, Kongmeng's brows knitted. Nothing had happened, which meant the current problem with Qingqiu had nothing to do with knocking—or those two lines of verse.
Their investigation here had yielded nothing once again...
Now it all depended on whether Mogui, inside the building, had discovered anything.
Creak!
Just then, the door abruptly opened from within. A figure in an ink-colored dress appeared before Kongmeng. It was Mogui.
Mogui glanced outside, her brows furrowing as well. "Nothing happened inside the building."
"Did you notice anything unusual outside?"
Kongmeng shook her head. "Everything was as usual. I found nothing."
Mogui was just