Entering Qingyuan Pool last time was very easy because of the eunuchs' negligence.
This time was different. Before she even got close, Xi Xizhi saw two eunuchs standing on either side of the door.
Although they were yawning constantly, they still diligently kept watch.
Xi Xizhi hid in the darkness, sneaked to the nearby bamboo grove, leaned on a bamboo stalk, and looked towards the gate of Qingyuan Pond.
Apart from the lanterns shining brightly at the gate, the rest of the place was pitch black.
Qingyuan Pond has only one entrance.
It seems I'll have to use some 'tricks' to get in!
Xi Xizhi picked up a small stone and shot it in the opposite direction, hitting the bamboo opposite her, causing the bamboo to sway violently...
The two eunuchs perked up. "There's some noise. Let's go check it out."
The night was pitch black, and there wasn't a single light coming from the bamboo grove. The two eunuchs didn't dare to go alone, so they carried lanterns one after the other and slowly walked over to check.
Taking advantage of this free time, Xi Xizhi exerted all her strength and rushed into the Qingyuan Pool. As soon as she stepped into the Qingyuan Pool, Xi Xizhi's energy doubled, and wisps of spiritual energy surrounded her body.
Perhaps because the spiritual energy in her body had been depleted, Xi Xizhi's perception of spiritual energy was more acute than before. Strands of spiritual energy seemed to tangible, swirling around her, and the closer she got to the pool, the purer and more abundant the spiritual energy became.
Xi Xizhi took two deep breaths, looking completely absorbed. She walked closer to the pool and looked around. The moonlight shone on the water, creating shimmering waves. The golden phoenix fish swayed their tails, gazing at the shimmering moonlight, adding to their beauty.
Sitting on the light green lawn, Xi Xi gathered his energy in his dantian, relaxed his whole body, and absorbed spiritual energy.
The spiritual energy poured into the pool suddenly changed direction, surging wildly into Xi Xizhi's body in a way that was invisible to mortals.
Whenever Xi Xizhi cultivates, she is completely focused, oblivious to the surrounding noises and disturbances.
An Honghan, dressed in a dark blue bathrobe, followed Xiao Diao to the gate of Qingyuan Pond without any eunuchs or guards.
An Honghan was not a cultivator, but he had come into contact with monks and Taoists and had some knowledge of that kind of thing.
Seeing the little sable's unusual behavior, An Honghan smiled self-deprecatingly, realizing he had been kept in the dark for so long. No wonder the little sable could understand human speech; it turned out it had already developed spiritual awareness.
The two eunuchs searched the bamboo grove but found nothing. Just as they were about to return to guard the gate, they saw a figure walking towards them from a distance.
"Let's see how you hide now, wandering around here in the middle of the night! What do you think this place is? This is Qingyuan Pond. Be careful, or I'll report to Chief Steward Lin and have him take the law into his own hands and chop off your head." The eunuch spoke with some anger and rushed off in that direction.
Another eunuch rubbed his eyes and exclaimed, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
He knelt down, trembling with fear, grabbed the other eunuch, and forced him to bow.
An Honghan slowly turned around, his expression so cold it seemed capable of freezing anything instantly. Because Xiao Diao was hiding something from him, his mood was already bad tonight, and now someone dared to cross him. An Honghan turned to the eunuch and said, "You want my head? You've got some nerve."
Suddenly, An Honghan raised his right leg with lightning speed and kicked the eunuch violently.
An Honghan was skilled in martial arts, and his kick left no room for error, sending the man flying four or five meters away.
The eunuch bumped into the green bamboo, causing the bamboo leaves to sway and rustle.
The eunuch coughed up blood on the spot, convulsed a few times, and finally stopped struggling.
Another eunuch was so frightened that he dared not breathe, fearing that His Majesty would be angry and kick him again.
An Honghan glanced at him coldly, then turned away and walked towards Qingyuan Pond.
The eunuch, drenched in sweat, rushed to check on the other eunuch. He touched the man's breath with his finger, and staggered back two steps in horror—he was dead…
An Honghan walked into Qingyuan Pond with practiced ease. He stood not far away, watching the little ferret with its silvery-white fur sitting quietly in a ball without making a sound.
The reason for the existence of Qingyuan Pond is not as simple as people imagine.
An Honghan was an emperor, and he knew every detail of the palace. He knew things that others didn't, such as... the spiritual energy of Qingyuan Pool far exceeded that of other places because it had a spirit-gathering array at its bottom.
If Qingyuan Pool hadn't been built within the imperial palace, this auspicious place for cultivation would have long been occupied by demons and monsters.
In the quiet night, a gentle breeze blows, and then two or three chirps of insects break the stillness.
An Honghan did not make a sound to disturb him. He stood there for as long as the little sable had been cultivating, without changing a single movement, just like a sculpted stone statue.
After an unknown amount of time, as dawn broke, the little ferret, which had been immersed in cultivation, trembled, exhaled a breath, and stretched lazily as if enjoying itself.
"Finally finished cultivating?" An Honghan took a step forward, his heavy footsteps gradually approaching.
Xi Xizhi suddenly shuddered, thinking she was hallucinating, and picked at her ears.
"Have you finished your cultivation?"
The cold voice rang out again, and this time Xi Xizhi was absolutely certain it was An Honghan's voice. Startled, she turned around abruptly and looked tremblingly at An Honghan standing behind her...
An Honghan stared expressionlessly at Xiao Diao from his high vantage point, his resolute and handsome face as cold as ice that would never melt.
“I never repeat myself three times.” An Honghan did not bend down and pick up the little sable as usual.
This inexplicable thing made Xi Xizhi feel uneasy...
Xi Xizhi wouldn't be foolish enough to confront An Honghan head-on; she simply nodded and chirped...
I've cultivated enough.
Instead of feeling embarrassed about being exposed, Xi Xizhi was preoccupied with how to quell An Honghan's anger.
It certainly didn't want to end up like those eunuchs and palace maids...
Xi Xizhi jogged over and rubbed against An Honghan's trousers, adopting a clingy posture.
An Honghan remained unmoved, only looking down at it and asking, "When did you begin cultivating? Did anyone guide you?"
As far as he knew, the mink was only a few months old.
And it... was able to break through the spiritual aperture and understand human speech in such a short time? Was it due to its extraordinary talent, or was it guided by a master?
In fact, An Honghan's guess was off track. Xi Xizhi simply possessed memories from her past life, which was why she could understand human language. As for the expert... Xi Xizhi's master could probably be considered half an expert.
Xi Xizhi was afraid that An Honghan wouldn't understand, so she raised her hand twice...
"You've been cultivating for two months? That means you started cultivating the day you entered the palace?" It seems I was negligent and didn't notice anything unusual about the little sable.
"Who taught you?" An Honghan was quite curious about this question, because there are many reclusive masters in the world, and it is very difficult to meet one.
If we can acquire it and use it for the country, it will be a very beneficial thing.
Unfortunately, An Honghan's wishful thinking could not be realized in the end, because that master did not live in this world.
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