Outside the back hall, Princess Yongchun hopped around the courtyard, chasing butterflies. Inside, Zhu Lingyun shivered under the covers. In a corner of the side hall, Bai Li remained silent, quietly protecting the steamed bun in her arms and enduring the blows. It hurt a lot, but someone had told her that everyone gets tired, even the officials.

In less than fifteen minutes, Xuan Su, her portly figure panting heavily, stopped. She said viciously, “Considering you’ve been relatively obedient in the past, and this is your first offense, I’m giving you a way out. If there’s a next time, it won’t be just a simple beating! Clean up all this food on the floor. If I come back tonight and see any grease, I’ll beat you again!”

The nuns left, and Bai Li struggled to her feet, leaning on the wall. Getting up pulled at her wounds, making her gasp in pain. She raised her hands and meticulously tidied her hair into a bun, then slowly moved to clean up the food on the floor.

When Bai Li left the side hall, Zhu Lingyun rushed out from the back hall, crying as she examined her. “Sister, are you alright? Don’t antagonize them; they’ll beat you to death!” Princess Yongchun, in the courtyard, suddenly interjected, “They can’t kill us, they can’t kill us.” Bai Li looked at her. “Why?” Princess Yongchun gave a foolish laugh. “The moment we stepped into Jingyang Palace, we already died. We are merely relics left in this world from the past; those who have died once won’t die a second time.”

Bai Li paused for a moment. She walked to Princess Yongchun, helped re-tie her messy hair, and gently asked, “Are you hungry? I have steamed buns.” Princess Yongchun lowered her head, looking at the butterfly resting on her fingernail. She raised her hand, bringing the butterfly closer to Bai Li. “Look, Brother Zhuo Yuan has come to see me. Quick, say hello to Brother Zhuo Yuan.” Bai Li hummed, smiling and waving to the butterfly. “Hello there.” Princess Yongchun laughed hysterically. “He flew all the way from Lingnan to see me, isn’t that amazing?” “That’s truly amazing,” Bai Li said, taking a steamed bun from her sleeve and putting it into Princess Yongchun’s hand, then handing another to Zhu Lingyun. “Eat.”

Zhu Lingyun secretly examined her. “Sister, are you alright?” Bai Li smiled. “I’m fine.” She also tidied Zhu Lingyun’s hair. “Don’t let your hair get messy, or they’ll think we’ve given up.”

Bai Li returned to the back hall, quietly sitting on the communal bed, watching the daylight slowly fade. First, the orange-red sunset illuminated the golden roof, then night enveloped the land.

At dusk, Chessboard Street outside the palace gates was as bright as day. Palace lanterns hung high in front of Daming Gate; red gauze lanterns adorned the eaves of taverns and tea houses; green lanterns hung high from the eaves of bookstores; and vendors selling late-night snacks carried white paper lanterns. For a time, the flickering lights were like stars, which is how Chessboard Street became known as the Lantern Market. In Jingyang Palace, however, it was already time for lights out.

Xuan Su sat on the edge of the communal bed, glaring sideways at Bai Li. “Aren’t you going to fetch the foot-washing water?” Bai Li remained seated. Xuan Su pulled a ruler from under her pillow and sneered, “It seems you’ve truly grown rebellious bones. Today, I’ll have to pull them out of you.” Bai Li nodded. “No, I’ll go now.”

She turned and went to the side room. When she returned, she was carrying a basin of boiling water, which she threw at Xuan Su’s head. Xuan Su was startled and quickly pulled a nun in front of her to block. Even so, her two arms were scalded by the hot water. The nun who was hit screamed in agony. Xuan Su shrieked like a pig, watching the skin on her hands turn crimson, a burning sensation searing into her. “They’ve gone utterly mad! Beat her, beat her hard!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Bai Li had already squatted down in a corner of the back hall, allowing them to punch and kick her. Seeing this, Xuan Su shrieked, “Drag her out!” A group of nuns pulled Bai Li out of the corner; she could only curl up, protecting her vital organs and head. At one point, she felt that one of her ribs must have broken. But someone had told her that a broken rib wasn’t too serious as long as it didn’t pierce the heart or lungs, at least better than a broken leg or arm.

Amidst the punches and kicks, Xuan Su turned to glance at Zhu Lingyun, then looked down at Bai Li underfoot, provoking her. “You’re so willing to protect her, but did she protect you?” Bai Li gritted her teeth and remained silent. At some point, Bai Li fainted.

Someone cautiously asked, “Is she dead?” Xuan Su’s heart jumped, but she feigned composure. “So what if she’s dead? People have died in Jingyang Palace before; what’s one more? Enough, stop hitting her. Go get me some ointment!”

When Bai Li awoke again, she was lying on the communal bed. The candles in the back hall had been extinguished, and the air was filled with the scent of wound medicine. In the darkness, she heard a low sobbing sound. Turning her head, she saw Zhu Lingyun lying beside her, wiping away tears.

Zhu Lingyun choked out, “Sister, I’m so useless. I didn’t dare to help you just now…” Bai Li took a deep breath. She felt her chest expand as air entered, and a searing pain began to radiate from her broken rib. She let out a long breath and whispered, “It’s alright. Fear is human nature.”

Zhu Lingyun quickly said, “Sister, I won’t cause you any more trouble. Starting tomorrow, I’ll memorize the Taoist scriptures diligently, work hard, and never be delicate again.” Bai Li remained silent.

Zhu Lingyun added, “Sister, let’s not anger them anymore. Just give in; they really will beat you to death.” Bai Li still did not speak.

In the long silence, Zhu Lingyun whispered, “Sister, do you think anyone will save us? The Liu family is gone, and the Empress Dowager, for some reason, has never visited Jingyang Palace… Didn’t you and Brother get to know a swordsman named Liang Gou’er from the martial arts world? And all those martial arts heroes Father helped in the past, will they find a way to clear Father’s name?” Bai Li said, enduring the pain, “Probably not.” Zhu Lingyun asked, confused, “Why?” Bai Li softly said, “Lingyun, the world of martial arts is no more.”

Zhu Lingyun then asked, “You and Brother also met that young apprentice from the imperial medical academy, what was his name, Chen Ji, I think? If he later joins the Imperial Academy of Medicine in the capital, will he have a chance to come to Jingyang Palace to help us?” When Bai Li heard that name, she suddenly froze. She felt as if someone had punched her heart; the pain was like it was carved onto her very being, hurting with every beat. Bai Li softly said, “Lingyun, we can only rely on ourselves.”

Zhu Lingyun pleaded, “Sister, then let’s not antagonize them anymore. Let’s just live peacefully here in Jingyang Palace.” Bai Li looked at the vaulted ceiling and beams of the back hall. “Lingyun, there are only two choices: either leave here alive or die here. I fear neither.”

With that, she painfully propped herself up, pulled out a chopstick she had hidden at noon from her sleeve, and with slight force, broke it in half, leaving a sharp wooden splinter. The next moment, enduring the agonizing pain in her ribs, she held the broken chopstick and ran towards Xuan Su, stepping on more than ten nuns on the communal bed. Cries of pain erupted from the communal bed as the nuns she stepped on curled up like shrimp.

Xuan Su groggily opened her eyes, only to see Bai Li’s figure striding towards her. She cried out in alarm, “You!” Bai Li suddenly lunged, plunging the broken chopstick into Xuan Su’s right eye. But the chopstick, which should have pierced her skull, was blocked by Xuan Su’s hands and could go no further. “Aaaah!” Xuan Su shrieked hysterically. “Kill her, kill her for me! I’m going to kill her!”

Bai Li jumped off the communal bed, pulled open the vermilion lacquered doors of the back hall, and ran barefoot outside. Under the moonlight, she ran across the cold blue bricks, escaping through the main hall of Jingyang Palace. But this time, no one would lead her by the reins through the narrow ‘line of sky’ passage.

Just as Bai Li was about to cross the threshold of the main hall, the side hall door suddenly swung open, and a Taoist scripture flew out, striking her calf directly. Bai Li fell to the ground, old and new wounds screaming in agonizing pain. She lay on the ground, turning to look at the open door. Reverend Xuan Zhen, holding a whisk, calmly walked out of the door and stood beside her.

Only then did Xuan Su and the others catch up. Upon seeing Xuan Zhen, their expressions changed instantly, and they all knelt down in unison. “We did not intend to disturb your serene cultivation, Reverend. Please forgive us!” Xuan Zhen lowered her head, quietly observing Bai Li, who lay unable to get up on the ground. She said with a compassionate expression, “The sage says, ‘To the good I would be good; to the not-good I would also be good.’ This means we should treat good people kindly, and we should also treat those who are not good kindly. Xuan Su, your handling of affairs has been unjust; you have not treated others with kindness nor repaid grievances with virtue. You must cast away the malevolence in your heart and enlighten yourself.”

Xuan Zhen calmly said, “Slap your own face.” Immediately, Xuan Su, ignoring the blood on her face, began to slap herself painfully until her cheeks swelled, splattering blood.

Xuan Zhen looked at the blood splattered on the blue bricks and calmly added, “Bring this defilement before the Three Pure Ones and slap your face again.” Xuan Su gritted her teeth and slapped herself again. Suddenly, she lowered her head and spat blood into her palm, mixed with a molar. She subconsciously glanced up at Xuan Zhen, and seeing the latter’s cold expression, quickly swallowed the tooth with the blood.

At this point, Xuan Zhen no longer tormented her. She turned to Bai Li. “The Princess has been repeatedly admonished but remains unrepentant, harboring great evil. It seems an external demonic root has entered her body and must be removed.” Xuan Su, trembling, stammered, “How should it be removed?” In the main hall, before the statues of the Three Pure Ones, Xuan Zhen calmly stated, “The mouth and tongue are the gates for expression, and the roots of right and wrong. Pull out her tongue.”

Xuan Su froze, subconsciously turning to look at the statues of the Three Pure Ones. Xuan Zhen looked at her. “What?” Xuan Su hastily said, “We will immediately remove the external demonic root for her!”

Xuan Zhen turned and walked into the side hall, saying without looking back, “Xuan Su, this is the last time. If there’s a next time, you know the consequences.” “Understood!” Xuan Su stood up, wiped the blood from her face with her sleeve, and ordered her people to drag Bai Li towards the back hall.

Just then, someone outside Jingyang Palace exclaimed, “What a lively scene!” Xuan Zhen suddenly stopped at the side hall door. Xuan Su abruptly turned to look and saw a woman in black, with her hands clasped behind her back, stepping lightly into Jingyang Palace.

The woman glanced at Bai Li on the ground and tutted in surprise. “How did Jingyang Palace become like this? You don’t look like you’re cultivating your minds at all, do you?” Xuan Su froze. “Jiao Tu?”

Jiao Tu stepped into the main hall with a smile, casually taking out a silver needle from her sleeve and pricking Xuan Su’s chest. Xuan Su wailed and fell to the ground, convulsing. Xuan Zhen turned around and softly asked, “The Twelve Zodiacs have honored us with their presence; forgive our failure to welcome you properly. However, affairs within my Jingyang Palace do not seem to fall under the jurisdiction of the Twelve Zodiacs, do they?”

Jiao Tu did not explain that she was no longer one of the Twelve Zodiacs. She merely feigned surprise. “Is it that the Secret Service’s fearsome reputation isn’t strong enough, or who gave you the courage to speak to me like that?” As she spoke, she took out more than a dozen silver needles from her sleeve and flicked them at all the nuns. In an instant, everyone collapsed, sweating profusely from the pain.

Xuan Zhen frowned. “What are you doing?” Jiao Tu smiled and said, “Someone asked me to look after Princess Bai Li. I just received a promotion thanks to him, so naturally, I must do my best to help him.”

Bai Li froze. Jiao Tu leaned against the doorframe, looking down at Bai Li with interest. “Oh?” She saw the half-chopstick, stained with blood, still clenched in Bai Li’s hand, as if she was seeing Chen Ji holding a blood-stained piece of broken porcelain that night. “You two are quite alike, aren’t you!”

Xuan Zhen frowned. “Do you know what kind of place my Jingyang Palace is? How dare you act so brazenly before the Three Pure Ones!” Jiao Tu ignored her and looked up at the Three Pure Ones in the main hall. “What kind of place is Jingyang Palace? Let me think… Hmm, this is a place that harms people. Xuan Zhen, back then, to avoid being buried alive with the late Emperor, you escaped here with the Empress Dowager’s help and suffered greatly. Princess Yongchun, unable to find love, was imprisoned here and driven mad. Xuan Su was banished here just because she accidentally broke a beloved item of a certain concubine. By rights, everyone here should depend on each other, so why do you turn around and harm others, and even do so with increased viciousness?”

Xuan Zhen calmly said, “Everyone in Jingyang Palace is an immoral woman; I am merely disciplining them.” Jiao Tu smiled. “Xuan Zhen, I am not a reasonable person, and I never debate with anyone. You only need to remember one thing: not a single hair on Princess Bai Li’s head can be harmed in your Jingyang Palace, or I will find a way to turn all of you into human pigs. Do you understand? If you’re unconvinced, try saying ‘no’ right now.”

Xuan Zhen remained silent. Jiao Tu no longer paid attention to her. Instead, she crouched down in front of Bai Li and said with a smile, “Princess Bai Li is truly beautiful. It’s such a pity for you to suffer in a place like this.”

Bai Li hesitated for a moment, then quietly asked, “Why are you helping me?” Jiao Tu thought for a moment, then said teasingly, “I have no connection with the Princess, so of course, I’m not helping you out of sympathy.” Bai Li softly said, “Chen Ji.”

Jiao Tu chuckled. “That boy may speak heartlessly, but how can he escape a woman’s eyes? I used to think he betrayed Prince Jing, but now that I think about it, there might be another story. Having seen so much deception in Wunian Mountain, encountering something beautiful like this occasionally feels fresh. Princess, live well. I also want to see if he can save you from here.” Bai Li remained silent.

At this moment, Xuan Su and the others’ pain subsided. Xuan Zhen glared sideways at them. “Go to the back hall.” Jiao Tu pointed at the group of nuns and asked Bai Li with interest, “Who bullied you the most severely? I’ll help you break her arm, a small punishment.” Xuan Su’s face changed, and she instinctively stepped back. “Reverend, save me!” But Xuan Zhen, holding her whisk, remained silent. Jiao Tu looked at Xuan Su and smiled. “It seems it’s you.” Xuan Su exclaimed, “Princess, there is no mortal enmity between us!” In silence, Bai Li looked at the vermilion palace wall outside Jingyang Hall. Behind her, Xuan Su’s wails began again.