Outside the imperial court, the night air was calm and cool.
Bai Zihan walked down the marble steps of the palace. The faint moonlight traced his figure-cold, composed, and calm.
He had finished his "business" with the Emperor. Now that his purpose was complete, he had no reason to linger.
And Bai Zihan thought that it was a good opportunity to investigate the Second Prince when the Emperor was busy with Sun Yaoqing.
His steps led him toward the guest hall within the palace compound, where the Bai Clan members awaited.
But the moment he stepped into the hall, his brows furrowed.
Normally, a soft, familiar voice would greet him the instant he appeared.
Yet this time-silence.
No hurried footsteps rushing to greet him.
His gaze swept across the courtyard like a blade. The Bai Clan members who noticed his arrival quickly straightened and bowed.
Bai Zihan's eyes flicked over them.
The one nearest to him blinked in surprise, clearly confused.
"Luo Qing? Didn't the Young Master ask her to come to you?"
Bai Zihan's pupils narrowed.
His expression, calm moments ago, darkened instantly. A chill rippled through the air as killing intent leaked from him unconsciously.
He asked softly-but the edge in his tone made the Bai Clan member's blood run cold,
The Bai Clan Member could tell Bai Zihan was truly angry this time.
The man swallowed. His earlier confusion vanished, replaced by nervous
"A... a palace maid, Young Master," he said. "She said you had ordered it personally and that Luo Qing was to follow her immediately."
For a heartbeat, silence.
Then Bai Zihan's qi exploded.
The ground cracked beneath his feet as Qisurged. His voice, low and sharp, cut through the courtyard like a sword.
The man didn't dare hesitate. He quickly pointed toward the eastern side of the palace.
"That way, Young Master-the maid led her toward the eastern corridor."
Before he could say another word, Bai Zihan was gone. His eyes had turned razor-sharp, filled with unmistakable killing intent.
A streak of light tore through the hall, the air trembling in his wake.
The remaining Bai Clan members looked at one another, alarmed.
"What's going on? Why did the Young Master suddenly rush off after just returning?"
The Bai Clan member who had been questioned clenched his fists, his expression grim.
"Something's wrong" he said quickly, already sprinting after Bai Zihan. "Luo Qing might've been kidnapped!"
That sentence was enough to convey the severity of the situation-and to explain why Bai Zihan had vanished so suddenly.
The rest of the Bai Clan erupted into motion, surging after him like a storm. They knew Bai Zihan.
If Luo Qing-someone he cherished-was harmed in any way... Check latest chapters at Nove1Fire.net
Then tonight, not even the imperial palace would remain standing.
They also knew this wasn't a simple matter.
Whoever dared to touch Luo Qing had to be someone of high standing, since only nobles were allowed within the inner palace.
Some worried it was a trap set by someone from the Falling Star Empire.
Others, however, pitied whoever had dared to provoke Bai Zihan.
Their ending was predetermined the moment they dared to mess with what was Bai Zihans.
After all, apart from his parents, Luo Qing was the person Bai Zihan spent the most time with.
Many servants had come and gone under his command-some dismissed, others punished-but Luo Qing had remained.
This didn't necessarily mean he favored her openly, but one thing was clear: Bai Zihan cared for her.
He had once dismissed several servants for bullying Luo Qing and assigning her work that wasn't hers.
That single incident had been enough for even the Bai Clan's disciples to treat
Luo Qing with respect, despite her being a servant.
Especially because Bai Zihan rarely cared about anyone.
Perhaps Luo Qing was more important to Bai Zihan than even the other
Disciples of the Bai Clan.
And the Bai Clan members were well aware of that fact.
In any case, this was now an emergency. They prepared themselves as though for war-because that might not be far from the truth.
On the other hand, Bai Ren remained seated, sipping his tea calmly.
Unless it concerned Bai Zihan's safety directly, Bai Ren didn't intend to interfere.
After all, if every problem was solved for him, there would've been no point in sending Bai Zihan away in the first place.
The Palace Guards and Servant watched all the commotion but stood still.
They were well-aware about their own standing and Bai Clan. Even if they want to stop the Bai Clan, they can't.
Bai Zihan ran at full speed, his figure flashing through the night corridors.
He knew this could be a scheme-either an attempt to lure him out or to threaten him.
(Could this be the Second Prince? Or Elder Shuhai?)
He tried to speculate but quickly dismissed it.
Rather than wasting time guessing, he spread his spiritual sense, searching for any trace of Luo Qing.
He wasn't particularly skilled in tracking, and he almost thought that it was useless until-
He heard it faintly from ahead.
And standing before the door was a palace maid-the same one who must have
Bai Zihan's figure blurred. In less than a second, he was in front of her.
The maid froze, eyes widening in terror.
"T-This is the Fifth Pri-"
She didn't even finish her sentence.
His killing intent hit her like a physical blow, and the palace maid collapsed unconscious before she could utter another word.
He didn't even spare her a glance. She was insignificant.
Bai Zihan kicked open the door-and his eyes went cold.
Inside, a bloated, pig-like bastard who could only be the Fifth Prince had Luo
Qing by the wrist, his greasy face twisted in lust.
"Looks like you have a death wish!"