The courtyard was filled with a chilling breeze, and the smell of decaying wood assailed the nostrils.
The ground was covered with dead yellow leaves. The once - charming flower - lined path was now overgrown with weeds. The sounds of various insects mingled together. The moonlight poured down, but instead of illuminating the courtyard clearly, it cast a gloomy tint over it.
If an ordinary person saw this courtyard, their first reaction would probably be that it was haunted.
But Shen Qing curled her lips into a playful smile and stepped into the courtyard.
As soon as she entered, the door slammed shut as if someone had pushed it hard.
However, this noise didn't scare Shen Qing. She walked along the overgrown path deeper into the garden. There were bamboo groves on both sides of the path. When the wind blew, there was a rustling sound, occasionally mixed with the tinkling of bells.
She hadn't walked far when she felt a chill on her back. She quickly turned around, but there was no one behind her.
Shen Qing's expression remained calm as she continued walking forward. But as she walked, a white figure drifted by, like a ghost walking in the night.
Shen Qing still showed no reaction, as if she hadn't seen the white ghost, and walked straight deeper. The ghost seemed unwilling and flitted in front of Shen Qing a couple of times.
Shen Qing still pretended not to see the thing playing tricks and walked quietly on her own way.
The ghost seemed extremely angry and instantly revealed its true form. A horribly - looking face suddenly loomed large in front of Shen Qing.
It was a hideous female ghost. She stared with wide - open eyes, with two trails of blood - tears running down. Her tongue was sticking out long. If an ordinary person saw this female ghost, they would surely faint from fear.
But Shen Qing just smiled helplessly and said, "Your Royal Highness the Princess, have you had enough fun?"
The female ghost was stunned for a moment and blurted out a question, "How do you know I'm the princess?"
Then, as if realizing her slip - up, a look of panic flashed across her big eyes, and she tried to float away quickly.
But Shen Qing noticed the female ghost's intention. She gathered her spiritual power on her feet and stomped lightly. Immediately, the surrounding scenery changed rapidly.
The once desolate and terrifying courtyard turned into a gorgeous and delicate small yard. The dilapidated, overgrown road became a delicate path paved with blue bricks and pebbles.
The bamboo groves on both sides turned into lush peach trees, and rare and exotic plants were clustered under the peach trees.
The dilapidated houses in the distance became buildings with golden - lacquered roofs and glazed decorations, surrounded by flowers and brightly lit.
A daintily - dressed woman was sneaking away with her back to Shen Qing.
Seeing that the illusion she had set up was broken by Shen Qing's simple stomp, she turned around awkwardly, scratching her head one moment and touching her nose the next, pretending to be very busy.
"You... You really do have some skills. Not only did you break my illusion, but you also saw through my identity. It seems... You're even better than the national master."
Shen Qing performed a standard earthly courtesy to the princess and smiled, "Your Royal Highness flatters me. You went to so much trouble to invite me here. It can't be just to set up an illusion and scare me, right?"
"You wanted to see how capable I am and whether I'm qualified to cooperate with you."
The princess lifted her chin proudly and then affectionately pulled Shen Qing to sit on the noble - lady chair set up in the courtyard.
But the princess seemed unaccustomed to such intimate contact with outsiders. She didn't know where to put her hands and feet, and she didn't dare to look Shen Qing in the eye when speaking.
"You don't have to keep calling me 'Your Royal Highness the Princess'. I know that in the eyes of you outsiders, my status as a princess is not that significant."
"Moreover, you don't seem much older than me. Just call me by my name. My name is Yuan Zhao. What's your name?"
Shen Qing was a bit surprised. She always thought that people from the royal family were high - and - mighty, especially the royal princesses, who were usually spoiled and arrogant.
Who would have thought that the princess in front of her was so approachable? This changed some of Shen Qing's stereotypes about the royal family.
Furthermore, earthly women usually valued their privacy. Even the daughters of peddlers and commoners wouldn't easily tell their names to others. But Princess Yuan Zhao directly told her name instead of her title.
This showed that the princess trusted Shen Qing completely.
"My name is Shen Qing. You can just call me Shen Qing."
"Shen Qing..." Yuan Zhao whispered Shen Qing's name, and then her cheeks turned rosy.
She was born cute, with a pair of big, round and lively eyes. There were two dimples on her cheeks when she smiled. She looked like a sweet pastry.
But Shen Qing didn't judge people by their appearance. She could see what was hidden beneath Yuan Zhao's surface. Yuan Zhao... didn't seem as simple as she looked.
"Shen Qing, you've been to the prison. Did you see... see..." Just as the words were about to come out, Yuan Zhao suddenly seemed unable to open her mouth.
Shen Qing knew who she wanted to ask about, but she still wanted to tease the princess, "The head of the Ling family is in good spirits, but a bit self - pitying. The eldest young master of the Ling family clearly told me the process of the Ling family being arrested and imprisoned."
Yuan Zhao stared with wide eyes, eager to hear the news of that person from Shen Qing's mouth. But Shen Qing stopped after saying just this much.
Yuan Zhao frowned anxiously, and her small face seemed to be scrunched up, "And then! What else! You've mentioned all the young masters of the Ling family. What about their sons? What about Ling Yunchuan?"
Finally, Shen Qing heard the name Ling Yunchuan from Yuan Zhao's mouth. Now Shen Qing could confirm that the person Ling Yunchuan had mentioned was Princess Yuan Zhao.
Seeing Shen Qing's slightly smiling eyes, Yuan Zhao knew that she had revealed her little girl's secret. She blushed with embarrassment but still stubbornly waited for Shen Qing to speak.
Shen Qing thought for a while and then told Yuan Zhao the real situation of Ling Yunchuan that she had seen.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, anger immediately appeared on Yuan Zhao's face. She clenched her fists and pounded hard on the tea table beside her.
"Damn it! That Yuan Tongtian treated him like this just because he knew about my relationship with Yunchuan. There are chains through his shoulder blades... How much pain he must be in... This must be the old Taoist's idea!!"
"I really wish I could skin and dismember Yuan Tongtian to relieve my hatred a little bit!"
Yuan Zhao's small face was full of ferocity. When she knew that her beloved one had been treated like this, she was heart - broken and couldn't control herself.
Then she turned around and tightly grasped Shen Qing's hand. Shen Qing could feel Yuan Zhao's hand trembling slightly.
"Shen Qing! I know this is very difficult, but I'd like to ask you. Please, please rescue everyone from the Ling family. I know you can do it!"
Shen Qing was puzzled, "Yuan Zhao, you've only met me for the first time. How do you know that I can definitely rescue the Ling family?"
This was also something Shen Qing had always wanted to ask. They had never met before, but Yuan Zhao could precisely arrange for the black - clothed men to kidnap her from a group of people and bring her here.