Chapter 167: Chapter 142: Banquet Turmoil, a Fateful Mix-up, a Ploy Backfires (3)

After the Musicians’ performance, the next act was a shadow puppet show. The artisan was highly skilled, carrying a wooden box as he quickly took the stage.

The male and female Musicians retreated. After leaving the Imperial Palace, their faces slowly transformed.

The faces of Yang Jian and Luo Ying were revealed.

“As expected of you, my lady. Such a brilliant plan.”

Lu Mingyuan praised her via voice transmission.

Just now, if Luo Ying hadn’t flicked a Stone, invisible to the naked eye, at that Palace Maid’s calf, things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.

Luo Ying transmitted back coolly, “It was just a little trick. So many years have passed, but Luo Qiufu’s obsession with cleanliness still hasn’t changed. As long as we dirtied her dress, we’d get our chance to go on stage and completely ruin the relationship between Princess Jin Wu and the Eighth Prince. And if possible, it wouldn’t be bad to make that bitch suffer a little.”

Lu Mingyuan broke out in a slight sweat.

’These two sisters really know each other inside and out. I bet they even know what color underwear the other is wearing.’

“Lord Ying, what’s our next move?”

Luo Ying instructed, “It’s simple. Next, Luo Qiufu will definitely go to the Ambassador’s Guest House in the Imperial City to change. And you can rest assured, with the speed she changes, it’ll take her at least a few incense sticks’ time. You go take care of the General at the entrance.”

Lu Mingyuan cupped his fist solemnly. “Yes.”

…

The path led out of the vermilion palace gates, beyond the Imperial Palace, and toward the guest house on the north side of the Imperial City.

The guest house was rather magnificent, a large manor in its own right.

Arriving at the entrance, Luo Qiufu looked at the middle-aged General still following her and demanded, “General Yun, this princess is going to change. Are you planning to come in as well?”

“This humble general was being presumptuous!”

The middle-aged General quickly cupped his hands and apologized.

“Just wait.”

Luo Qiufu tossed out the words and stepped through the doorway.

Atop the eaves, two figures stood.

“We’ll split up. This is a Dream-Entering Purification Talisman. It will allow you to take care of the Guards at the entrance and ensure that when they wake up, their memories will be gone, replaced by the dream I’ve prepared. I’ll bypass the on-duty Cultivators, sneak into the guest house, and take care of Luo Qiufu. We’ll meet up later.”

“Alright.”

Lu Mingyuan took the Talisman and agreed without hesitation.

In an instant, Luo Ying’s figure transformed into a streak of rainbow light and vanished before his eyes.

Lu Mingyuan, for his part, threw out a handful of Talismans. Countless rays of light instantly shot into the minds of the Guards at the entrance, sending them all into a dream state.

Even the middle-aged General, a Sea-Viewing Realm cultivator, was no exception.

Seeing this, Lu Mingyuan couldn’t help but marvel. ’What a powerful Dream-Entering Purification Talisman.’

The Dream-Entering Purification Talisman was a type of advanced Magic from the Taoist Sect. The caster could directly create an Illusion Realm, drawing the target deep within it to launch a higher-dimensional assault on their Divine Soul.

The ones he just used were a weaker version that didn’t seriously harm the Divine Soul. It merely induced a dream state and played back a specific set of memories.

The main point was to be silent and traceless, ensuring that after they completed their mission, no one would be the wiser.

That was why all the Guards before him had fallen into a deep sleep, their bodies frozen in place.

To avoid leaving any clues, Lu Mingyuan snapped his fingers, summoned a group from the Blood Shadow Legion, and had them pull all the Guards underground, replacing them.

His own face then rippled and changed, transforming into the likeness of the middle-aged General.

…

However, things did not go so smoothly. After sneaking into the guest house, Luo Ying released her Spiritual Sense, trying to find which room Luo Qiufu was in.

But the moment she released her Spiritual Sense, it was immediately blocked and completely absorbed.

’It’s actually Insulation Divine Stone.’

Luo Ying looked astonished.

She hadn’t expected that, in order to protect the privacy and safety of foreign envoys, the guest house would actually be fitted with Insulation Divine Stone, a material often used in setting up Arrays.

She slowly landed on the ground. Looking at the vast manor with its hundreds of rooms, she had no idea how to begin her search.

「At this very moment.」

Inside an antique, elegant room, Luo Qiufu rummaged through the wardrobe but couldn’t find a single suitable outfit for tonight’s grand banquet.

The one she was wearing was already the most suitable, the result of careful selection.

’Forget it, I’m not changing.’

Luo Qiufu sighed.

She glanced at her long dress and steeled her resolve.

SHIING!

Drawing the Long Sword from the room’s rack, she lopped off the stained hem of her dress with a single strike.

She then rolled up the severed edge, stitched it with a needle and thread, and gave a twirl in front of the Copper Mirror. The effect was surprisingly good. Satisfied, she saw her long dress had transformed into a skirt with a different kind of hem.

After finishing, she slowly walked out of the room and down the stairs.

At that exact moment, Luo Ying was just stepping out of an empty room, her face dark.

The two just missed each other by several floors, one above and one below.

Lu Mingyuan waited at the entrance for a while and happened to see Luo Qiufu walk out. She possessed a pure and beautiful aura—exquisitely gentle, noble, dignified, and elegant. ’As expected of Lord Ying,’ he thought. ’The disguise is perfect.’

’She’s practically identical.’

He chuckled softly and said, “That was pretty quick. Let’s go, my lord.”

’My lord?’

“Hm… huh?”

Luo Qiufu turned her head and gave him a strange look.

’He’s not calling me “Your Highness” anymore?’

“What’s wrong? Let’s get going, or the banquet will be over soon,” Lu Mingyuan asked, looking back.

Luo Qiufu nodded, not thinking much of it at first.

However, Lu Mingyuan didn’t notice anything was amiss and continued leading the Shadow Warriors toward the Imperial Palace, speaking as they walked:

“How do you plan to handle the talk with the Eighth Prince, my lord?”

Luo Qiufu said flatly, “What is there for me to say to him?”

Lu Mingyuan frowned. “Nothing to say? Then how are we supposed to drive a wedge between the Eldest Princess and the Eighth Prince?”

Luo Qiufu’s lazy expression froze. She tilted her head to look at him, as if she had just overheard some earth-shattering secret.

’There’s something wrong with this man.’

’Something very wrong.’

’Could it be that he’s already…’

She pondered for a moment. ’I can pretend I don’t know anything for now.’

So she said with a gentle smile, “What I meant was, we maintain a cold attitude and give the Eighth Prince the cold shoulder for a while to make him angry and embarrassed. Not that we say nothing at all the entire time.”

Although it sounded like a forced explanation and Lu Mingyuan found it strange, he still nodded slightly. “Oh, so that’s what you meant.”

“After the mission is complete, you know where to rendezvous, right?” Luo Qiufu asked casually.

Lu Mingyuan nodded leisurely. “I know. The old spot.”

Hearing this, Luo Qiufu’s fist clenched.

She secretly relaxed it, then asked again:

“Do you think the Eldest Princess can trace us?”

“Probably not. We’ve been so covert this time, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“What do you think of the Eldest Princess as a person? Does she deserve to die?”

“My lord, why are you asking this kind of question again? She’s… alright, I suppose. It’s all for you to decide, my lord.”

Luo Qiufu’s fist clenched again.

On the way, she wracked her brains, trying to figure out how to interrogate him for information.

But no matter how she asked, it would be too easy to expose herself.

The other party was very cautious and wouldn’t reveal any detailed information.

Questions like “Who are you?” or “Where are you from?” were completely out of the question, and trying to probe indirectly was also a hassle.

For now, all she knew was that their side was targeting her and the Eighth Prince, Lu Yunqing.

’I should find a way to ask him directly.’

Putting the bigger picture first, Luo Qiufu decided to deal with this guy before anything else. She said softly, “Follow me somewhere first.”

The two dismissed the Shadow Warriors—who were already on their side anyway—and arrived at a long corridor outside the Imperial Palace.

Hearing this, Lu Mingyuan also sensed that something was wrong. He asked, “Lord Ying, shouldn’t we go to the Imperial Palace first? That was the plan you laid out.”

“Luo Ying?”

A name, long sealed away, reached Luo Qiufu’s ears, filling her with shock, disbelief, and a surprising surge of joy.

Then, Luo Qiufu took a golden rope from her sleeve. With a gentle toss, it flared with brilliant Golden Light and instantly trussed Lu Mingyuan up completely.

Seeing this, Lu Mingyuan was first astonished. He struggled for a moment, completely bewildered. His entire body’s Primordial Qi was sealed, and his expression was one of utter confusion.

“My lord, what are you doing?”

“You’re one of Luo Ying’Er’s people?”

Luo Qiufu didn’t bother with pretenses, asking directly with a placid expression.

’Luo Ying’Er…’

Lu Mingyuan’s pupils shrank, and then an expression of utter shock appeared on his face.

He seemed to have realized something.

’The woman in front of me isn’t Luo Ying, she’s the real Luo Qiufu!’

’No wonder the resemblance was so striking—it was the real person all along!’

’Then where did Lord Ying go?’

Luo Qiufu narrowed her eyes. “I don’t care who you are. Now that you’ve fallen into my hands, you will listen to me obediently.”

“And obediently tell me everything you know.”

’Listen obediently?’

’Those familiar words.’

’Could it be…’

Lu Mingyuan inwardly cursed.

’I’ve become a servant with four masters.’

…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep