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The abbot tacitly left the meditation room. He was indeed a master, not sticking his nose into things he shouldn’t.

“Jinghong, the Yongxin Hall is one end of the secret passage…” Chu Qingzhi pointed on the map, moving her finger for quite a while before stopping at a location outside the imperial palace.

“This is the moat.” Tang Jinghong’s gaze fell on the spot where Chu Qingzhi’s finger stopped. After careful thinking, he said, “Next to the moat, there’s a stone as big as a bed. The location is quite secluded, just where your finger is pointing. It’s suitable as the exit for the secret passage.”

Curious, Chu Qingzhi asked, “Such a big stone, hasn’t anyone been curious about it?”

Tang Jinghong said, “Of course, someone tried to push that big stone before, but the late emperor said it was an auspicious stone. He issued an edict to keep people away, saying that it was to protect the country’s fortune. So, the big stone has never been touched ever since.”

Chu Qingzhi commented, “The late emperor was quite smart.”

Having met the late emperor, Tang Jinghong agreed, “The late emperor was indeed smart, but he passed away early. Otherwise, the Dating Dynasty wouldn’t be in such chaos.”

Chu Qingzhi said, “Everyone is coveting the throne. How can it not be chaotic?”

Tang Jinghong’s gaze focused on the map. Suddenly, he had a thought. “Qingzhi, you are skilled in drawing. Can you help me with something?”

Chu Qingzhi nodded, “Of course, what do you need?”

Lowering his voice to ensure only Chu Qingzhi could hear, Tang Jinghong said, “I’ll find an old piece of paper, and you help me draw a part of the map. Aren’t they after this map? We’ll give it to them.”

Understanding Tang Jinghong’s intention, Chu Qingzhi said, “You plan to use a ruse?”

Tang Jinghong nodded. “Yes.”

Chu Qingzhi praised, “Smart.” She said, “Jinghong, go and ask the abbot for a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. I have a way to make the paper old.”

Tang Jinghong said, “Okay, wait for me for a while.”

Soon, Tang Jinghong returned with a brush, ink, paper, inkstone, and a few candles. After lighting all the candles, he let Chu Qingzhi start drawing.

“Brother, all the people we sent out are gone.”

The man addressed as brother frowned, “No news at all? How could that be?”

His subordinate stammered, uncertain how to explain. Finally, he mumbled, “Just like that, gone.”

The man glared at his subordinate. “Take me there.”

His subordinate hurriedly said, “Yes.”

Behind a large tree, a person was sitting against it. The man approached for an examination, finding the person lifeless. There were no injuries, just dead.

“Is he poisoned?”

“No, if it were poison, they would usually vomit black blood. They showed no symptoms, just seemed to have fallen asleep and died.”

Regardless of the reason, killing so many of their brothers at once was unforgivable!

The man’s expression turned fierce, “Go, set up an ambush on a must-pass route. If Tang Jinghong and his people can’t find the map, we won’t either. If they find it, we’ll just snatch it from them.”

“Yes, brother.”

Chu Qingzhi drew the map, making half of it true and half false. The palace hall she drew was close to the corner of the cold palace, with fewer guards. Placing the secret passage there would make it more believable. Then, she drew an imaginary secret passage.

Putting down the brush, Chu Qingzhi said, “Jinghong, do you see anything that needs modification?”

Tang Jinghong carefully examined the map, “It’s perfect. No need for any changes.” Afterward, he couldn’t help but praise, “Qingzhi, your drawing skills are even better than those renowned artists.”

Chu Qingzhi chuckled, “If you need help in this aspect in the future, you can always find me.”

Tang Jinghong smiled, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Don’t mention it.” Chu Qingzhi waved her hand over the map, and a burst of light emanated from her palm. The map visibly aged until it looked exactly like the one they had found.

Tang Jinghong watched in fascination. Every time Qingzhi used her special ability, it felt magical to him.

Chu Qingzhi withdrew her hand, “It’s done, Jinghong.”

“Qingzhi, will you hurt yourself when doing this?” Tang Jinghong had wanted to ask this question for a while, but he hesitated due to concerns. Now that their relationship had improved, he couldn’t resist asking.

“No, don’t worry.” Chu Qingzhi was a bit nervous. She had been looking for an opportunity to tell Tang Jinghong her secret, but she hadn’t found the right time. Additionally, she had concerns. Despite Jinghong’s open-mindedness, he was still a person from ancient times. What if he couldn’t accept concepts like soul possession or transmigration?

Tang Jinghong was reassured. He put away the map and, with Chu Qingzhi, returned to their courtyard.

“There are still two hours until dawn. Qingzhi, go get some rest. I’ll wake you up in the morning.”

Chu Qingzhi nodded, approached Tang Jinghong, and hugged him, “Good night.”

As Chu Qingzhi stepped back, Tang Jinghong reached out, embraced her waist, kissed her, and then let go. “Good night.”

Chu Qingzhi pursed her lips and smiled before returning to her room.

Tang Jinghong stood on the spot and waited for Chu Qingzhi to enter the room and close the door before leaving.

As the sun rose, the sleeping earth gradually awakened. Birds perched on branches chirped incessantly.

A young monk shook his head and swayed toward Tang Jinghong’s courtyard. When he reached the courtyard door, he widened his eyes to peek inside. “Huh? Not awake yet?”

It wasn’t that they hadn’t woken up; Tang Jinghong was in the kitchen preparing breakfast, and Chu Qingzhi had gone to the back mountain to collect medicinal herbs. From the front, the small courtyard seemed quiet.

Chu Qingzhi had initially gone out to get some fresh air but unexpectedly found many medicinal herbs growing on the cliff. Some of them were useful for their cattle, so she decided to pick them.

Tiannan Temple occupied four mountains and had stood for thousands of years, an absolute feng shui treasure land.

The three surrounding mountains were all precious, but they are extremely steep, making it impossible for ordinary people to pass through. Consequently, no one usually ventured there to collect herbs.

If someone were to approach the mountains, they would witness a fairy-like young woman leisurely placing herbs into a basket.

In a short time, Chu Qingzhi collected a full basket of herbs and even found some wild fruits. She wasn’t sure about the taste of the wild fruits, but they looked appealing.

Chu Qingzhi was not greedy. She picked a basket of herbs and returned.

As she approached the courtyard door, she happened to see the young monk peeking around. She stopped, cleared her throat twice, “Ahem, ahem.”

The young monk immediately turned around, seeing Chu Qingzhi. He offered a big smile, his round face turning into a smiling bun, adorable as can be. “Miss Chu, how come you’re here?”

Chu Qingzhi also smiled at the young monk.. “Why are you here?”