"Yes, Master."

Just like yesterday, Yan Shaoheng used his lightness skill to leap up from the cliff.

Yan Shaoheng did not restore the pit he dug yesterday to its original state, since no one can enter this place yet, and the Reversed Qimen Formation is not something anyone can just break into.

Yan Shaoheng opened the stone door again along the secret passage. With a creak, a bookshelf in the study directly opposite the bedroom was opened, revealing a door. Yan Shaoheng walked out from inside.

When Qiu'er saw the Second Prince of Yan emerge from the secret passage, she said, "This servant takes her leave."

They closed the door for the two of them.

Chen Jingshu jogged forward and hugged Yan Shaoheng. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and with a pull of his right hand, he hugged her even tighter.

Chen Jingshu was embraced, her soft hair was blown by the wind, like little claws gently scratching her chin. Yan Shaoheng did not dodge, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"What time did you leave yesterday?"

"As dawn was approaching."

"The Second Prince said yesterday that he would tell Jing Shu a story, but he hasn't told it yet. Will the Second Prince go back on his word?"

Yan Shaoheng smiled, a dazzling smile playing on his thin lips.

She gently flicked Chen Jingshu's nose. "Silly girl, of course not. Shall I continue explaining to Jingshu?"

"Okay." Before Chen Jingshu could finish speaking, she was easily picked up.

"You can't make me stand up and tell stories like this."

Chen Jingshu thought something was about to happen again, her cheeks instantly flushed, and she lightly punched Yan Shaoheng's chest.

"Hate."

"Why are Jing Shu's cheeks so rosy? I didn't say I was going to do anything. I just felt that it was getting dark and chilly, and I was worried that Jing Shu might catch a cold from standing here. Could it be that Jing Shu is thinking about something embarrassing?"

Chen Jingshu became increasingly embarrassed by what was said and punched Yan Shaoheng several times.

He pretended to be angry and said, "I'm not talking to you anymore."

Chen Jingshu was placed on the bed, and Yan Shaoheng held her tightly, ignoring her soft struggles and greedily taking in every inch of her beauty.

"I know I was wrong. Please forgive me this time, Jing Shu. I'll tell you a story now."

Chen Jingshu already adored Yan Shaoheng, and the two rarely saw each other, so how could she possibly be angry with him in the limited time they had together?

"Okay, then I forgive you."

"Once upon a time, there was a man named Ji Yuan whose family fell into poverty. By chance, he obtained a book. He never imagined that the secret manual that the four kingdoms would fight to the death for would be obtained so easily by him. That book was 'The Way of Mechanisms'."

"This manual, like the Cloud Piercing Spear, has always been a legendary treasure. No one has ever seen it, and it is said that even if you obtain this manual, it is impossible to learn the mechanisms and algorithms within it, because this book can only be understood intuitively and cannot be explained in words. In other words, even if a master of mechanisms explains the secrets of this book to you, it will be useless if that person does not have the aptitude for it."

"Therefore, this book has never been discovered by the world. Perhaps even if it is discovered, people do not know that it is the 'Mechanical Path'. But Ji Yuan was just lucky enough to discover this book by chance."

"At first, Ji Yuan did not know that this book was the 'Mechanical Path' that people had been searching for. He only found the patterns inside interesting, so he kept it. Later, he discovered that the patterns inside seemed to come alive and appeared vividly in front of him. Those patterns involuntarily flooded into his mind."

"In this way, Ji Yuan memorized all the mechanisms and algorithms on the 'Mechanical Path' and was able to use them flexibly. Later, he became the famous mechanical master Ji Yuan in the four kingdoms."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jingshu suddenly stood up. "I know! I know this person. It seems he used to live here. My father said that the late emperor wanted him to serve as an official in the court, but he refused."

Yan Shaoheng pulled Chen Jingshu into his arms. "Yes, you're talking about him. Ji Yuan's reputation soared, and he later took on a young apprentice. The four kingdoms vied to have him come to their countries to assist in governing, but he refused them all. By chance, Ji Yuan met a prince in the Yan Kingdom and felt that he was the same kind of person as him, so he also took him on as an apprentice."

"Jing Shu, so now you know why I'm so familiar with this place?"

Chen Jingshu sat up abruptly, took a deep breath, and looked at Yan Shaoheng with shock in her eyes.

"So, you are the prince's disciple that Master Ji Yuan took in the Yan Kingdom?"

"That's how it is. That disciple was me. Later, I also developed a special fondness for this Qimen formation, so my father agreed to let my master take me as his disciple. My father always thought that having a disciple who was a prince would allow him to keep my master in Yan. Unfortunately, my father was too arrogant, and my master soon took me and my senior brother away from Yan."

"My master led the two of us on a journey through the beautiful landscapes. Later, I learned that my master did not want to settle in any country because he had a beloved person, who was one of the late emperor's concubines."

Chen Jingshu hugged Yan Shaoheng. It turned out that his master, like them, also had an insurmountable gap in their social status.

"Master met the woman he had longed for in the Moon Kingdom. It was a pity that she was already married, but Master did not mind. He believed that as long as she still had him in her heart, she would be willing to leave with him."

"The truth is just as Master thought. The Imperial Concubine did indeed always miss Master and had inquired about Master's whereabouts many times, but all her efforts were in vain. Due to pressure from her family, she had no choice but to enter the palace as a concubine. Since then, Master has stayed in the Yue Kingdom."

"What happened next?" Chen Jingshu grabbed Yan Shaoheng's sleeve, eager to know their fate, because she felt their experiences were so similar to their own.

If they also have a happy ending, does that mean that she and Yan Shaoheng will also have a wonderful future?

"Later, Master settled in the Moon Kingdom. Although the Emperor of the Moon Kingdom wanted to give Master an official position, Master declined it all, but promised that if the Emperor of the Moon Kingdom needed him, Master would step forward to help him solve his problems."

"To thank my master, the Emperor bestowed this place upon him, and my master designed this courtyard himself. The secret passage I took this time was designed by my master. There are many paths in this secret passage. I will personally take you to see it another day. After you have seen it, you will naturally marvel at the wonders of my master."

It turned out that Yan Shaoheng had used more than one secret passage. Chen Jingshu felt a sense of excitement when she thought of this. "Great!"

"This place is too complicated. Even I cannot remember it all. The mechanisms and algorithms used here are all exquisite. Even a skilled person who is proficient in mechanisms may not be able to get out of here."