Night fell, at an inn beside an official road.

Xiao Jingzhao stood by the window, watching the night descend like a black curtain, his heart aching.

Inside the house, the food on the table had gone cold.

There were light footsteps outside the door, and his hands, which were tucked into his sleeves, clenched into fists.

Sensing someone enter the room, he asked without turning his head, "Has any news been sent back?"

"Reporting to Master, there is no news at the moment."

The person who came in was Xiang Song. He glanced at the untouched food on the table and advised, "Master, your health is of utmost importance. If the young lady comes back and sees you like this, she will be heartbroken."

Xiao Jingzhao had no appetite. After leaving the city, he personally led a team to chase after the suspects for nearly a hundred miles to the north, but they did not find anyone suspicious.

Exhausted, both men and horses had to stop and rest.

Xiang Song waved to the guards outside, signaling them to take the food out and reheat it.

After the guards left, Xiao Jingzhao turned around, walked to the table, picked up the map, and looked at it again.

No official road leading to Sang Kingdom was missed, and no inn or restaurant along the way was overlooked.

He frowned in thought, wondering what he had overlooked.

A moment later, he looked up and said, "Quickly send out the message and thoroughly investigate all the temples and empty houses along the way."

Xiang Song suddenly understood. "Your master is wise. I will go and pass on the order right away."

Xiao Jingzhao had been running around all day without eating or drinking, and he guessed that the thugs would find a place to rest no matter what.

Fearing inspection by government officials, people from inns and taverns would naturally seek out secluded places to travel.

Xiao Jingzhao also knew that the Sang people had robbed envoys from several small countries on the border.

If Su Huai-ren hadn't rushed to the post station to deliver the message, the Sang people would have succeeded.

After learning that the people of the Sang Kingdom were going to attack them, the people of those small countries used a diversionary tactic to safely bring the seeds back.

The only one who suffered was the envoy, who was beaten up by the people of Sang.

With Jiang Shuyue gone missing, Xiao Jingzhao naturally focused his suspicions on Sang Guo.

He had already dispatched men at full speed to the border of Sang Kingdom to keep watch, and he was confident that the Dark Guard would be able to block the path of the bandits before they could get there.

He was extremely anxious, knowing he couldn't afford to collapse at this moment. After the guards heated up the food and brought it in, he ate it hastily and then went out again with his sword.

"Master, where are you going? You've had a long day, so get some rest and recharge your energy so you'll have the strength to search for Miss Jiang again tomorrow." Xiang Song quickly followed.

"I am uneasy and cannot sleep peacefully. Qinglian Temple is not far from here. I need to go and ask Master Huiyuan for a divination."

Xiao Jingzhao's biggest worry right now is Jiang Shuyue's safety. Master Huiyuan is a psychic and fortune teller, and he's completely lost. He hopes Master Huiyuan can give him some guidance so he can find Yueniang as soon as possible.

Xiang Song understood his master's feelings. He couldn't calm down for a moment and couldn't eat or sleep until he found Miss Jiang.

The two had just come out of the stable when they encountered Xiangyang, who was coming from the west.

"Any news?" Xiang Song and Xiang Yang asked each other almost simultaneously.

As soon as they finished speaking, both of them looked dejected.

Xiao Jingzhao said to Xiang Yang, "We're going to Qinglian Temple. You stay here and receive all the messages coming back from various places."

"Your subordinate obeys, Master. Please return quickly."

As Xiang Yang watched the Emperor and Xiang Song's figures quickly disappear into the vast night, his heart clenched.

The master looked exhausted, his nerves were on edge, an expression he hadn't shown since the days when he was fighting on the frontier.

In the capital, Qiuju couldn't sleep that night either. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could think about was the image of her young mistress being tied up.

When the maids and servants in the manor saw that she hadn't gone with her mistress, no one asked why, and everyone clearly seemed a little uneasy.

Unable to sleep, Qiuju simply sat up cross-legged and prayed, hoping that the Bodhisattva would bless her young lady to return safely.

In the neighboring courtyard, Du Wenru and Lin Miaoshou had been sleeping in the same bed every night since they got married. Lin Miaoshou told her that the Empress Dowager was about to return to the palace and that he would not be going home tonight.

Having grown accustomed to the presence of Lin Miaoshou at night, she found it difficult to sleep alone, tossing and turning in bed all night.

Lin Miaoshou was not in the palace at this time.

Today, he went out of the palace and searched all four city gates. He found that there were also checkpoints at the city gates. After returning home, he went to Jiang Shuyue's grain shop.

He guessed that the other party kidnapped Jiang Shuyue for the seed. Since Jiang Shuyue couldn't carry it with her, there was only one place where he could find the other party's trace: the grain shop.

If she agrees to give the seeds to the other party, someone will inevitably come to the grain shop to pick them up.

Lin Miaoshou gave the shopkeeper and employees a holiday, and everyone assumed it was the owner's idea, so they all went home happily.

At night, Lin Miaoshou lay on a sack in the warehouse. He closed his eyes, but listened intently to the sounds outside, preparing to trap the fish in a barrel.

As night fell, the only sounds outside were the passing of the night watchman.

...

They sped along, and by the time Xiao Jingzhao and Xiang Song arrived at the foot of Qinglian Temple Mountain, it was past midnight.

The two tied their horses to a grove of trees at the foot of the mountain, and then used their light-footed skills to gallop up the mountain.

Ancient trees lined both sides of the mountain road, and moonlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, adding a touch of mystery to the quiet night.

A mountain breeze gently rustled the copper bells hanging from the eaves, producing a clear and melodious sound that echoed in the quiet night sky.

Occasionally, a nightingale's cry would drift from the woods, its mournful sound like it was searching for a lost mate, sounding particularly desolate.

Both of them possessed profound internal strength, and in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they appeared inside the main hall of Qinglian Temple.

Inside the main hall, oil lamps flickered and shone in the breeze, illuminating the entire space. Beneath the solemn Buddha statues sat an offering table, the incense burner on which had long since been extinguished.

A faint sandalwood scent lingered in the air.

Xiao Jingzhao glanced around the main hall and waved his hand, "Go to the meditation room at the back."

The two arrived at Master Huiyuan's residence with ease, and through the window, they could see that the lights were still on inside.

Xiao Jingzhao raised his hand to knock on the door, when he heard Master Huiyuan's voice coming from inside.

"Please come in, esteemed guest. The door is not bolted."

Xiao Jingzhao and Xiang Song were utterly shocked. Master Huiyuan was indeed incredibly powerful; he had actually predicted that they would come to his door late at night to seek divination.

Xiao Jingzhao did not hesitate and pushed open the door to enter.

Exhausted from the long journey, Xiang Song simply sat down on the steps outside the door, holding his long sword, to catch his breath.

Xiao Jingzhao entered the house with a gust of night wind. Seeing that the oil lamp in the room had dimmed, Xiao Jingzhao closed the door behind him.

Inside the room, Master Huiyuan sat cross-legged on a prayer mat. When Xiao Jingzhao entered, he clasped his hands together, chanted a Buddhist prayer, and then raised his hand in a gesture of invitation, indicating that Xiao Jingzhao should sit on the prayer mat opposite him.

Master Huiyuan had the privilege of not bowing to the Emperor, so Xiao Jingzhao strode over.

He asked eagerly, "Master, you know about Yue Niang's disappearance, don't you?"