Hu Xiaotian said, "The Dao rises a foot, but the demon rises ten. As for which of those two will prove the greater master, we'll have to wait and see." As he spoke, Hu Xiaotian suddenly thought of Quan Dean. Lately, Quan Dean seemed to have grown much quieter, and had not even taken the initiative to contact him. Was he secretly gathering his strength to launch an all-out strike against Ji Feihua? Or had Hu Xiaotian's closeness to Ji Feihua put him on his guard?
Despite his verbal reluctance, Hu Xiaotian could not turn a deaf ear to Wen Ya's summons. He left the Palace Gardens Bureau with Baobao. Before they departed, Shi Xuedong brought over two hand warmers. Hu Xiaotian kept one and gave the other to Baobao. The two walked side by side toward Bright Moon Palace. The snow had only just stopped, but the paths through the palace's inner grounds were already crowded with eunuchs sweeping them clean. Hu Xiaotian's fame within the palace was growing by the day, and many eunuchs stopped their work to bow as he passed.
When they reached Bright Moon Palace, they found that the path outside had already been swept clean. Wang Ren stood at the entrance with his hands tucked into his sleeves, craning his neck in anticipation. Seeing Hu Xiaotian and Baobao return, he hurried over and bowed. "Eunuch Hu, you're finally back. Her Majesty the Empress is here, and she was just asking about you."
Hu Xiaotian's heart gave a jolt. Empress Jian certainly seemed concerned about Wen Ya. If not for their shared hatred of a common enemy, how could one woman set aside her jealousy? Not daring to delay, Hu Xiaotian hurried into Bright Moon Palace, where he encountered Empress Jian's personal eunuch, Zhao Jinxi,