“Little Mu, you already know that I’m not from Jade Water Immortal Kingdom, but from Southwind Immortal Kingdom, right?”
Mu Xinlian nodded. Of course she knew that.
A Nascent Soul cultivator was already a high-level combat asset in the cultivation world, a solid pillar of strength. Moreover, He Wanyi had always presented herself to the outside world as a rogue cultivator. Rogue cultivators might enjoy freedom, but they usually lacked cultivation resources.
To form a Nascent Soul alone under such conditions required either exceptional talent or extraordinary willpower.
Generally speaking, rogue cultivators were weaker in combat than those from families or sects at the same realm, but they were usually lone wolves with no ties, carefree and unrestrained.
Local powers would therefore actively befriend or even recruit powerful rogue cultivators. At the very least, they would avoid provoking them unless there was a deep grudge.
He Shu was a perfect example of this. Jade Water Immortal Kingdom had taken the initiative to absorb her into their system.
“So what does Young Miss mean?”
Mu Xinlian transmitted her reply, somewhat confused.
He Shu closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her heart was racing.
“Hua Yanyun has kept me isolated and away from outsiders because she discovered I’m a spy sent by Southwind Immortal Kingdom. He Wanyi is not my real name. Everything she has done to me these past days has been to extract the intelligence in my head.”
Hearing this explosive revelation, Mu Xinlian’s beautiful eyes widened into perfect circles. She stared at He Shu in disbelief, her right hand nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.
She quickly transmitted back, “Eh? Eh? Young Miss… you’re joking, right?”
Mu Xinlian knew in her heart that something like this could not possibly be a joke, so she completely believed He Shu.
Mu Xinlian’s reaction was exactly what He Shu had expected. She nodded and continued transmitting.
“As a spy, once Hua Yanyun has wrung out every last bit of value from me, my fate will be miserable. Southwind Immortal Kingdom should already know I’ve been captured by now. I can’t just sit and wait for death. You’re the only one here who can come and go freely, so I need your help.”
Mu Xinlian bit her lip. She felt lost and didn’t know how to choose.
She had never imagined she would suddenly be dragged into a political struggle. She had thought Hua Yanyun treated He Shu this way because of some peculiar personal hobby. She never expected the reason to be so complicated.
After thinking for a while, Mu Xinlian still nodded.
He Shu was definitely going to escape. Whether she succeeded or not, Mu Xinlian would be held accountable by Hua Yanyun. She was only a Foundation Establishment cultivator; she would most likely be stripped of her position for abandoning her duties or even thrown into prison.
Seeing that Mu Xinlian had made her decision, the weight in He Shu’s heart finally lifted. What she had just done was essentially tempting—or even threatening—Mu Xinlian into betraying Jade Water Immortal Kingdom.
A pang of guilt rose in He Shu’s heart toward Mu Xinlian, but right now only Mu Xinlian could help her break out of this dead end.
“Don’t be afraid, Little Mu. I won’t abandon you. When the time comes, I’ll take you with me when I escape Jade Water Immortal Kingdom and return to Southwind Immortal Kingdom.”
As she spoke, He Shu used her free right hand to pat Mu Xinlian’s arm reassuringly.
Mu Xinlian had already made up her mind long ago. Even if He Shu hadn’t promised to take her along, she would still have chosen to help. But He Shu’s promise made her resolve even firmer.
Mu Xinlian transmitted back, “If Young Miss hadn’t saved me from the beast tide back then and raised me for three years, how could I be standing here talking to you? No matter what, I trust Young Miss and am willing to help you.”
“So what does Young Miss need me to do?”
Warmth filled He Shu’s heart at Mu Xinlian’s words. She unconsciously gripped her hand a little tighter.
“I need you to contact the other Southwind spies without attracting anyone’s attention, establish a temporary communication channel with them, and then tell me Southwind Immortal Kingdom’s response.”
Mu Xinlian nodded. “Mm, understood. Please explain in detail, Young Miss.”
“Among Hua Yanyun’s harem there is another Southwind spy. His name is Shen Qingci. He’s at the third layer of Golden Core and is one of the male pets Hua Yanyun keeps.”
He Shu then transmitted an image of Shen Qingci directly into Mu Xinlian’s mind using her divine sense.
Mu Xinlian’s small mouth opened slightly in shock. After receiving the image, she found it hard to believe.
She wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to describe a man as beautiful, but that was the first thought that came to her mind.
It was a face so exquisite it was almost delicate. Long teal-green hair tied in a high crown cascaded down to his waist, with side locks reaching his chin. His indigo eyes were as clear as the sky, sparkling with tiny points of light.
His figure was well-proportioned and androgynous. He often wore a white brocade robe that, paired with his soft, gentle features, could easily make people mistake him for a young lady from some noble family.
Mu Xinlian knew Hua Yanyun had unique tastes and loved women most of all. She also knew Hua Yanyun kept male pets in the palace.
She had assumed the name Shen Qingci would belong to a dashing young master with a folding fan, but she never imagined Hua Yanyun would be deranged enough to collect male pets who blurred the lines between male and female.
“Young Miss… this person is really a man?”
Her voice carried a note of uncertainty as Mu Xinlian transmitted the question to He Shu, her eyes asking for confirmation.
“Exactly. Just as you thought—he is indeed a man, just exceptionally refined-looking. Almost all the male pets Hua Yanyun collects are this type.”
“Hua Yanyun has countless concubines, but only a handful of male pets. Every month, without fail, he goes to First Grade Residence to drink during those few days at the end of the month. That is one of the channels for meeting other Southwind spies.”
Simply exchanging messages was not safe. Certain important intelligence had to be passed through in-person meetings.
And in-person meetings required a code phrase—the fastest way to confirm one’s own people. Each Southwind spy had a different code.
“Shen Qingci’s code is ‘Southwind Knows My Intent, Clear Frost Hence Fills the Branches.’ You say the second half after he says the first. Understood?”
Mu Xinlian nodded to show she remembered.
“Are all the Southwind Immortal Kingdom spies’ codes poetic lines? Then what’s yours, Young Miss?”
Mu Xinlian scratched her head, curious about the question.
“Yes, and I was just about to tell you. All Southwind Immortal Kingdom codes begin with ‘Southwind Knows My Intent.’ Each person’s is different. Mine is ‘Southwind Knows My Intent, Moon Sets and Frost Fills the Sky.’”
Mu Xinlian nodded. She met He Shu’s gaze for a moment, then the two released their interlocked left hands.
He Shu’s eyes moved past Mu Xinlian to the several exquisite wooden boxes stacked beside the cage. Each box contained one of the custom outfits Mu Xinlian had ordered. There were seven boxes in total; one of them already held the dress He Shu was currently wearing.
“Take out all the clothes you brought back and put them in the wardrobe.”
He Shu instructed Mu Xinlian. She wanted to give her some time to process everything they had just discussed through sound transmission.
Unwilling to return to the cage, He Shu simply sat on the chair and watched Mu Xinlian’s busy figure, her straight, slender calves swinging gently.