Lishui Palace.
Atop the waterside pavilion.
As time passed, the golden glow of the setting sun gradually turned orange-red, then dimmed until it finally sank beneath the horizon.
Night fell afterward, and a crescent moon rose, spilling silvery moonlight over the lake.
As gentle breezes swept past, silver scales rippled across the water.
Atop the pavilion, Jiang Ning remained motionless as a boulder, his body giving off only a hazy glow that stood out in the darkness.
The entire island was silent, without a chirp from bird or insect.
Outside the island, the palace maids and guards stationed nearby or making their rounds occasionally looked toward the central island, instinctive awe welling up within them.
Before long.
The moon hung high, its cool light spilling over the earth and shrouding Lishui Palace in a gauzelike veil of radiance.
Within the palace, lush greenery flourished, and flowers and trees competed to bloom.
Specks of green light dotted every corner of the palace-fireflies flitting through the air.
Under the moonlight, they added a touch of dreamlike beauty.
Time continued to flow slowly.
The Royal Capital outside the palace gradually fell asleep as well.
Once the moon passed its zenith, Jiang Ning slowly opened his eyes.
Whoosh-
He exhaled a breath of stale air. The gust shot several yards like a sword, stirring ripples across the water.
Then he raised his head to look at the sky.
"It's about time to head back!" he murmured, then rose.
Crackle-
As he stretched his muscles and bones, his entire body crackled, and his blood and qi surged.
The next moment.
His figure vanished.
Marquis Dongling's Residence.
In a side courtyard.
Creak-
The loosely closed window suddenly opened, then fell shut.
"Who's there?" A woman's cool voice rang out in the dim room.
"Me!" Jiang Ning