Feng Zhiwei etched into his hand: Okay. Minnan has many mountaineer forests, and many tribes live deep in the mountains. Masters of divination, witchcraft, beast and insect taming. There are not many of them and they rarely leave their mountain, but whenever they come down something strange happens. There are many legends from every dynasty. The Chang Family has been in Minnan for a long time, it is not strange that they have found talented tribes people. I don’t recognize this Minnan Poison Eye Insect, what species is it?

  Chunyu Meng wrote back: We are in a cellar icehouse. There was a group of people sending ice to the Long Xi Commissioner at the post house yesterday. They stored their ice here, protecting the place.

  Feng Zhiwei nodded; the ice explained the water on the ground and the coldness in the air, but what could they do about the standoff? If that thing chose to stay here forever, then would they have to stay here forever as well?

  No wonder the group of assassins had so decisively retreated without finding their “Royal” they had that much faith in their secret weapon.

  She wrote into Chunyu Meng’s palm again: Have you looked at the Minnan Poison Eye Insect?

  Chunyu Meng replied: His Highness stopped me. I haven’t seen it.

  Feng Zhiwei nodded and fell into thought. How could they drive this damn thing off? They could not look at it and did not know its exact location, and it was so small. If they attacked and missed, the thing would retaliate with the venom from its claws. How would they block that?

  These problems were probably why Ning Yi had chosen to remain still.

  Feng Zhiwei admired Ning Yi’s willpower — the icy water’s cold cut to the bone. She had just come in out of the sea of fire and she was already shivering, and Ning Yi had been completely drunk and powerless just the day before. Today, he had to sit here in the freezing water for who knows how long; where did he get the strength to stay still?

  As Feng Zhiwei ran over the problem in her head, her sleeves shifted and the two Pen Monkeys clambered out. They looked around the cellar, shivering slightly from the cold. Feng Zhiwei eyed them, suddenly thinking about how the two little creatures had quietly sat in her sleeve pocket even while fire burned all around her — clearly, they had been unafraid of the blaze.

  Beasts unafraid of fire were rare, and she had already known the Pen Monkeys had a fascinating background. They were children of the vast, mysterious mountains of Minnan and had been the beloved pets of the Shou Wu Chieftain. Were they just simple pets?

  Soundlessly, Feng Zhiwei turned her arm and aimed the little creatures at the Minnan Poison Eye Insect.

  The two Pen Monkeys followed her movement and looked up, spotting the pair of beautiful eyes. With a sudden cry, the two shot off her arm and flashed forward.

  The green eyes immediately turned towards the golden flash, and as the squeaking cries filled the cellar, the insect began to rapidly blink its eyes. The light of its eyes was like a sparkling ghost fire as it whistled a deep, threatening roar.

  The two Pen Monkeys ignored the things posturing, separating in midair and curving to the sides to flank the enemy.

  The green eyes began to blink crazily as the creature waves its claws, shooting off grey missiles. Feng Zhiwei listened intently and could hear the grey missiles emitting a “Weng Weng” noise, as if they too were alive.

  But these living missiles all avoided the Golden Pen Monkeys, and then the Pen Monkeys were upon the insect, leaping forward and tearing into it with their claws.

  The Poison Eye Insect screamed, but it could only retreat; it moved like a frog, jumping off the table and leaping away. The two Pen Monkeys hounded it for a few steps, but when the thing had fled the icehouse, the monkeys turned and returned to Feng Zhiwei’s hand.

  Clearly, the Pen Monkeys and the Poison Eye Insect were wary of each other — Feng Zhiwei was happily surprised; she had only wanted to test the Pen Monkeys to see if she could come up with a plan, never expecting things to work out so well.

  Chunyu Meng called out in happiness, his smile on his voice as he asked: “Where did you find such wonders?” But before Feng Zhiwei could answer, the guard was already rushing over to the cellar door.

  Ning Yi slowly turned around: “You’re here?”


  The door opened and light came flooding in. Ning Yi’s eyes wavered, and then his fluttering lids shut and he collapsed; Feng Zhiwei had no time to think and immediately rushed forward to catch him, the Prince’s robes soaked icy wet and his sweat drenching through all the layers of his collar.

  “Chunyu, come and carry His Highness.” Feng Zhiwei turned and called Chunyu Meng as Ning Yi stirred in her arms.

  The Prince grabbed her sleeve and brought it to his nose, chuckling quietly as he spoke: “Such heavy stench, of blood and smoke.”


  Feng Zhiwei lowered her nose and sniffed, smiling back as she replied: “Also sticky sweat and monkey stink.”


  Ning Yi smiled again, asking: “Is it more your blood, or someone else’s?”


  Feng Zhiwei helped maneuver Ning Yi onto Chunyu Meng’s back and casually replied: “Take a look for yourself.”


  Ning Yi smiled wanly, his deathly pale face setting off the dark brilliance of his iris, black like an abyss undisturbed for a thousand years. Water below and flame above were reflected in those eyes, unable to touch his calm.

  Feng Zhiwei turned away, focusing entirely on the other side of the door. “Since the monster fled from injuries, the assassins will know that they failed. They might return, so we cannot stay even a minute longer. We must leave, now.”


  “Where to?” Chunyu Meng replied.

  Feng Zhiwei thought for a moment — little Stupid Gu had probably gotten lost again. “My side has been attacked as well, and I’m afraid that the survivors won’t be able to protect us. We must find His Highness’s team; three thousand guards will be more than enough for our safety.”


  “No.” Ning Yi interrupted, “There are traitors.”


  Feng Zhiwei paused, thinking. Ning Yi had left her team because of a unplanned disagreement; he must have sent a messenger to notify his team of his decision and order a rendezvous; if there were no spies in their teams, how were the killers so certain that he was in this post house?

  If they returned to the main team now, they might very well be walking straight into a trap; if they returned to her team, they would only invite calamity upon the survivors. The targets were definitely her and Ning Yi, and without incentive they would not intentionally find trouble for the rich young masters of Qing Ming.

  Feng Zhiwei hesitated for a moment before saying: “Then the local government? We can show the seal and ask for men to escort us.”


  “It won’t work.” Ning Yi immediately replied, “Have you forgotten? We are in Long Xi, and the wife of the Long Xi Commissioner is cousin to Marquis Chang. Shen Xuru could only become commissioner of Long Xi because of his wife. If we went to the local government, we would definitely be walking into a trap — our faces might already be posted in the Yamen as ‘Foreign Pirates’.”