Li Yuncong said, "Less talk, more work. Xiao Dezi is only close to Yuan Fu; he hasn't had much contact with outsiders. I'll keep Yuan Fu occupied elsewhere for a while. You'll have to handle the rest yourself."
Hu Xiaotian chuckled. "Thank you, Eunuch Li." He spoke in a pinched voice. Eunuchs all sounded more or less alike, and he had mastered that peculiar, affected intonation perfectly.
Li Yuncong asked, "What are you planning?"
Hu Xiaotian said, "I'll find out what's going on here first."
After night fell, Hu Xiaotian entered the secret passage through the hole beneath the Literary Sage Statue in the Library Pavilion. Too many people knew about this passage for it to count as much of a secret anymore, but fortunately, it connected the Purple Orchid Palace, the Palace Gardens Bureau, the Library Pavilion, and the Jade Pool.
Hu Xiaotian followed the secret passage into the Jade Pool. Since Long Xuan'en had successfully reclaimed the throne, security on Misty Mountain had grown noticeably more relaxed. Hu Xiaotian approached the waterfall and began climbing the cliff. Its face was smooth as a mirror and rose straight up, but with his superb climbing skills, he used both hands and feet to execute the Golden Spider Eight Steps, ascending to the summit of Misty Peak.
It was almost midnight, and the entire Spirit Firmament Palace lay shrouded in darkness. In the moonlight, he could see that its restoration was complete. The towering main hall stood like a lonely giant, its red bricks and green tiles reflecting a cold, clear gleam. North of the Spirit Firmament Palace stood the Cloud Temple, directly along the route from the waterfall.
Hu Xiaotian had entered the Cloud Temple once before, accompanying Long Xiyue to pay respects to her mother. He wondered whether it