On the roof of the inner courtyard, Black Owl was holding the struggling and crying little female bandit, standing ready and occasionally using tiles to knock away the poisonous snakes and insects that had already climbed onto the roof.

When Shang Xiye saw him and the little bandit in his arms, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, he made it back in time!

"Black Owl, how is the Princess?" Shang Xiye asked before even landing.

"You finally deigned to show up. If we had waited for you, Xiao Yao'er would have been eaten by these insects and snakes long ago," Black Owl said unhappily.

"It was my oversight..." Shang Xiye did not refute, but descended from the roof and quickly cleared away a large number of poisonous snakes and insects that were about to climb up.

Upon hearing Shang Xiye's voice, Ji Fengyao turned back to look at him from Hei Xiao's arms, murmuring "Master, Master," and struggled even more urgently, wanting to get closer to him.

Hei Xiao and Shang Xiye both discovered her intentions at the same time.

Shang Xiye naturally stepped forward and reached out to take it, but Hei Xiao subconsciously pulled her back before letting go.

The young female bandit, like a drowning person finally finding a lifeline, immediately threw herself into Shang Xiye's arms, clinging tightly to his neck like a koala.

Although she was still trembling all over, she stopped struggling and screaming in terror.

She found a place that brought her peace of mind.

Although Black Owl knew that there were some things and some people he shouldn't have any expectations of, seeing the little bandit girl in his arms and in Shang Xiye's arms in such different states still made his heart ache slightly.

A sentence suddenly popped into his mind: "Farewell is just a turn away. You never know which turn will be farewell forever. Do you really still want to leave?"

Who said these words to him?

Why does it cause him such heartache and unease?

Ji Fengyao hugged Shang Xiye's neck tightly, making no attempt to hide her dependence, affection, and trust in him.

Although she was being squeezed so tightly that she could hardly breathe, Shang Xiye's heart felt as warm and swollen as if it were soaking in a hot spring, filled with sweetness and happiness.

His little one, in the end, only recognizes him.

Therefore, even if it means giving it your all;

He's willing to do anything to preserve this warm sense of belonging.

"Black Owl, you clear the way. The princess can't stay in this environment for long. Let's break out first." Shang Xiye didn't notice Black Owl's subtle abnormality.

Black Owl quickly snapped out of his reverie and nodded in agreement: "Okay, stick close to me."

Black Owl leaped onto the top of the wall and cleared a large open space with his palm strike.

Shang Xiye carried Ji Fengyao close behind, trying hard to control his numb steps to prevent himself from slipping and falling.

The guards outside the courtyard had prepared oil and torches and were gradually burning the area inside.

A foul, fishy, ​​and acrid smell filled the air, making one want to vomit.

Seeing Shang Xiye carrying Ji Fengyao out safely, Wuying quickly pushed over a wheelchair: "Your Highness, is the Princess Consort alright?"

"It's nothing," Shang Xiye said in a low voice, but the anger within was like a tsunami: "Immediately seal off the Prince's mansion, dig three feet into the ground, and massacre everyone in the blood!"

"It's probably too late to investigate now, and the people who did it may not all be from your palace," Black Owl warned.

“If there were no inside agents in the Prince’s mansion, outsiders wouldn’t have succeeded so easily. Whoever did it, I will take their life in the future; let’s clean up the Prince’s mansion first, so that at least the Princess can sleep peacefully in the future.” Shang Xiye rarely explained so much.

Black Owl nodded, turned and left.

Shang Xiye didn't ask where Hei Xiao went. He instructed Wu Shang not to let any other idle people get close to Hui Nuan Pavilion and then carried Ji Fengyao back to Mo Zhai.