Chapter 99 Guanlan Palace
Mu Xi couldn't think of an excuse for a moment, but she had to insist on keeping Cao Pan'er, so she came up with a perfunctory idea: "That's easy to do. We can make Cao Pan'er disappear along with us and then come with me. In any case, we should keep her here for the time being."
"Let's do it this way for now." Mu Zhen's brows remained furrowed, indicating that he didn't think it was a good idea, but he was clearly not interested in the matter either.
Neither of them had any intention of doing anything, so they tacitly let it slide.
With the matter settled, Mu Xi and Mu Xun left Mu Zhen's study.
As soon as the two stepped out of the second gate, Mu Xun hurriedly appeared to be busy with something.
Mu Xi casually asked, "Are you going to start preparing for the birthday banquet?"
"Yes." Mu Xun had nothing to hide.
"Won't a grand birthday banquet for a 45th birthday arouse suspicion?" Mu Xi felt that this age was not suitable for a birthday banquet.
Mu Xun's expression suddenly turned serious: "Father's health is indeed failing, and the official reason for this birthday banquet is to bring good luck."
"A marriage to ward off bad luck? Although Father's complexion was not good just now, he spoke more fluently than before, which doesn't seem like..." Mu Xi always felt that Mu Zhen was exaggerating his own health, just like he always claimed to the outside world that the original body was weak and sickly.
Mu Xun shook his head: "It's true. Doctor Luo has visited more than once. It's a miracle that this birthday banquet was able to proceed."
"Ah..." Mu Xi was unsure whether to believe it or not, feeling lost.
At this moment, not far to the west, Madam Gao suddenly appeared in sight with two personal maids, seemingly heading towards the main gate of the Jun residence.
Mu Xi muttered casually, "Where is she going?"
Mu Xun casually deduced, "She's probably going to Guanlan Palace. The former Madam used to go there twice a month, but lately she's been going more and more frequently, going every few days. She says that Father is not in good health and she goes there to pray for him."
Upon hearing the mention of Guanlan Palace, Mu Xi immediately thought of someone: "That witch Wei Yu whom I asked you to investigate last time, has she made any further moves since then?"
Mu Xun sighed: "Ever since Wei Yu returned vomiting blood last time, she has been abandoned by the Imperial Preceptor. It is said that she has not been seen for a long time and has been locked up in Guanlan Palace, with no sign of her.
"I see..." Mu Xi had the idea of following Gao Shi. "Perfect, I haven't been to Guanlan Palace yet, so I might as well go and take a look."
"What are you going to do?" Mu Xun saw through Mu Xi's thoughts in an instant.
Mu Xi didn't hide anything: "Go and prepare a carriage for me, and find a clever driver. I'll go back and change my clothes now. If Madam Gao really is going to Guanlan Palace, we'll definitely meet her there. But if she's just using Guanlan Palace as an excuse, then we'll have to find out who she's actually going to see."
"After what happened last time, are you still suspecting that the Gao family is colluding with evil sorcerers?" Mu Xun hadn't forgotten about that matter.
Mu Xi turned around and quickly walked back to the east courtyard: "It's not doubt, it's certainty."
Mu Xun had no choice but to follow up: "Last time we couldn't find anything, and I said that maybe you were wrong. After all, none of us understand witchcraft, so how can you be sure that it was soul-capturing?"
That was indeed not "soul-stealing" but "soul-splitting," meant to scatter her soul and prevent her from ever being reborn. How could such viciousness be easily forgotten?
However, Mu Xi did not intend to reveal the matter of the spirit to anyone, and naturally could not explain it to Mu Xun.
He kept urging Mu Xun: "Why are you still following me? Hurry up and arrange the car and people, don't you have your own things to do?"
Mu Xun lowered his voice: "You don't need to go. Madam has always been followed by people. If she had been going to places she shouldn't have, she would have been caught long ago."
"Are your people reliable or not?" Mu Xi doubted Mu Xun's use of people, but trusted her intuition more. "I am determined to go to Guanlan Palace. Just make the arrangements."
Having no other choice, Mu Xun turned back and went in the opposite direction.
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The culture of witchcraft existed on the ancient continent of Yansheng, with murals recording it even before the advent of writing. The seven ancient goddesses were presumably all female, and those who served the goddesses were called witches, and were also women.
The Guanlan Palace is filled with witches.
When Mu Xi's carriage arrived at Guanlan Palace, in addition to the believers coming and going to offer incense, a group of two or three graceful witches walked into the palace. The one in the lead was particularly beautiful and stood out among the crowd.
Mu Xi saw him from afar through the car window curtain and felt that he looked familiar, but she couldn't recognize him at first.
Mu Xun, still worried, insisted on coming along and instead rode with him instead of on horseback. He immediately recognized her by her gaze: "That's Grand Priest Xian Jin, the disciple of the Imperial Preceptor Xian Ling. She was one of the people who came to the manor to summon your soul last time. Everyone says she will be the next Imperial Preceptor."
"Oh..." Mu Xi then remembered and asked, "Did Gao enter Guanlan Palace?"
"Wait a moment, let me double-check." Mu Xun said as he climbed out of the carriage.
On this trip, in addition to bringing his usual attendant Jiang Meng, Mu Xun will also be accompanied by two mounted guards.
Only then did Mu Xi have the mind to take a few glances at this most magnificent and grand wizarding palace in Yan Sheng.
The Guanlan Palace stands majestically in the southwest of Cangming Street, the most bustling street in Moyang City. The palace gate is over three zhang high, and its black exterior is tinged with vermilion red. It is inlaid with ninety-nine gilded copper nails arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper, overlooking all living beings.
Two ancient bronze mirrors hang at either end of the lintel, their surfaces dark red like blood. Below them stand two stone lions, their left eyes inlaid with red jade and their right pupils inlaid with lapis lazuli. They never close, day or night, to see the good and evil in people's hearts.
Its grandeur and scale are almost on par with the royal palace.
In the blink of an eye, Mu Xun lifted the carriage curtain: "I've confirmed that her carriage stopped on the west side. Judging by the time, she should have already gone to the main hall, but I don't know if she has finished offering incense."
“Then let’s go in too.” Mu Xi said, getting up from the carriage.
Mu Xun couldn't refuse, so he had no choice but to follow.
This time, Mu Xi didn't bring Tao'er and Zhe Lan with her, but instead brought Bao Fan.
Mu Xun took Jiang Meng with him, and had two other attendants, one to scout ahead and the other to watch over the carriage from behind, in addition to monitoring the movements of the Gao family's carriage.
Thus, Mu Xi appeared to be accompanied by four people.
Mu Xun, still worried, instructed, "If we run into them later, we'll say we've also come to pray for Father's well-being."
Mu Xi seemed completely unconcerned about observing the interior of Guanlan Palace, and said, "If your entourage keeps a close eye on things, how could we possibly run into each other?"
If they were to calculate the time, by the time they arrived at the main hall of Guanlan Palace—the Hall of the Goddess Yiguang—Gao Shi should have already finished offering incense and moved on to another place.
Guanlan Palace is divided into three sections, inside and out.
The first main hall, also known as the front hall, enshrines the sea god Jumang, who, according to legend, has a human face, a bird's body, and a fish's tail. He can go up to the sky and down to the sea and is in charge of everything at sea. The incense there is very strong.
Mu Xi disliked the crowd and kept walking, heading straight for the second level, not afraid of encountering the Gao family head-on.
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