This was Xinping Temple. Though it was not far from the Capital City, returning before dawn on nothing but his own two legs would be difficult—and easily noticed.
The sun had just exploded across the night sky; a Great Demon had died, along with armored soldiers strewn all over the ground. If he were discovered, what would the consequences be?
Even with his misgivings, Su Ziji had no choice but to turn back and say, "Miss Zhou, your Giant Eagle truly is excellent. Could you lend it to me? It only needs to take me back to my residence."
Zhou Yao looked at Su Ziji, her expression complicated. Only after a long while did she nod. "All right."
She opened the door and waved toward the sky from the corridor.
The two of them must have had some means of communication. At that single wave, the eagle descended and stood obediently in the corridor.
"Thanks!" Su Ziji hurriedly jumped onto its back, took the two Foxes with him, and immediately left without even looking back, as if she were a ferocious tiger.
Zhou Yao watched as Su Ziji brought the two Foxes onto the Giant Eagle. Then it spread its wings and flew away. She gazed after it thoughtfully until the black speck vanished into the distance, only then withdrawing her eyes.
Returning to her room, the warm orange candlelight flickered twice, illuminating half the wall.
Zhou Yao returned blankly to the couch and instinctively opened a Daoist scripture, yet she could not read it. After a long while, she raised a hand and looked at her familiar, slender jade fingers. Confusion once more surfaced on her face.
"Who am I?"
Why had she said those things just now?
Had it come from herself, or was someone else controlling her,