Poisonous Goddess: I'm just lazing around in the mortal realm.

Zhou Jinghuai was taken to the study of the Imperial Guard by Hao Jing. He was anxious and restless, pacing back and forth in the room.

Before he could even finish his tea, he saw the man push open the door and enter, still smelling of blood. He quickly went up to him and said, "Shen Mu!"

"Why are you here? Weren't we supposed to meet tonight?" Shen Mu frowned slightly, noticing that it was still early outside.

Haojing closed the door and stood guard outside the study.

"The blueprints...the blueprints are gone." Zhou Jinghuai pursed his lips, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes.

"Aren't the blueprints just kept at your Zhou family's place?"

"Yes, but the blueprints and the key are both gone."

Zhou Jinghuai hadn't expected that someone seemed to have anticipated their thoughts, as the blueprints and keys had conveniently disappeared.

Shen Mu walked to the desk and sat down without saying a word, but his brows furrowed even more.

Why did someone take the photos so soon after they decided to steal them? Was it premeditated, or did they have informants around them?

Zhou Jinghuai turned his head and saw Shen Mu, who was not speaking, and then explained.

"I originally intended for Zhou Yong to just hand over the blueprints and keys to me, but I didn't expect that after searching the study for a long time, he would discover that they had already been stolen!"

He hadn't expected anyone to dare sneak into his place and steal the blueprints. If it was someone with the same idea as them, that would be fine, since their goal was to lure out the Taoist priest. But if the Taoist priest had stolen them himself, there was no way to get that person to show up now.

"No rush," Shen Mu interrupted him. Catching the person who stole the blueprints wasn't the most important thing right now.

"did you mean?"

"First, send someone to investigate who has visited Zhou Yong recently, and see if anyone has sneaked into the study."

"Send the Embroidered Uniform Guard?" Zhou Jinghuai was slightly taken aback. As soon as he said it, he realized that something was wrong. This matter could not be left to the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

“No, we can’t make a scene and let them know we know the key is missing. So we can only have your people investigate. I can’t do anything here for now.” Shen Mu leaned back, his voice a little hoarse. He hadn’t rested all night after interrogating the “criminal.”

“Okay, I’ll have them investigate first.” Zhou Jinghuai nodded, crossing his arms as he pondered, wondering who could have slipped in right under his nose.

Shen Mu remained silent for a long while before slowly opening his eyes and saying, "I'm afraid someone in the Embroidered Uniform Guard has leaked the information."

"I had guessed that too, but yesterday it happened in the study of your Shen residence!"

Zhou Jinghuai lowered his voice, his brows furrowed. The people in the Shen family were all brought from the God Realm by Shen Mu, so it was impossible for anyone to be colluding with the Demon Lord.

“That’s the key point.” Shen Mu lifted his eyelids to meet Zhou Jinghuai’s suspicious gaze.

Zhou Jinghuai couldn't help but be taken aback.

"You mean only people from the divine realm would collude with the Demon Lord?"

"I can't be sure, but it's highly likely. Otherwise, why haven't we been able to find the Taoist priest?" A barely perceptible flash of blood red crossed Shen Mu's cold eyes. Once he was filled with murderous intent, he always lost control.

"So what do we do now? Investigating the Shen family's people shouldn't be too difficult, right?" Zhou Jinghuai thought of Shen Mu's men, who were probably all from his godfather's side. This was Shen Mu's private matter, and he shouldn't interfere.

"Let's hold back for now." Shen Mu tapped his slender fingers on the table, pondered for a long time, and said, "Next month is the birthday of the Emperor of Nanyang. I'll have someone pick the lock on Mingyue Palace, and you can set it on fire during the palace banquet."

"Am I going alone again?" Zhou Jinghuai pointed to himself, his face full of astonishment. He always felt that Shen Mu always spoke so casually, but in reality, he was always doing things that could cost him his head at any moment.

Keep in mind that he was still injured; he was ambushed and injured a few days ago when he was acting alone.

"I can't help you here, otherwise I'm afraid I'll mess things up again." Shen Mu thought to himself that if his subordinates betrayed him, he couldn't show any emotion on his face right now. Otherwise, their plan would be ruined.

Zhou Jinghuai understood Shen Mu's meaning, but he was a little uneasy. He kept thinking that since the people from Xichen dared to attack him in the mortal realm last time, they might try to trip him up again this time.

For a moment, the two of them fell silent in tacit agreement.

"My lord!" Hao Jing knocked softly on the door from outside.

"Come in."

"Someone requests an audience with you." Hao Jing handed the token in his hand to Shen Mu; it was an exquisitely carved jade thumb ring.

"Let him in." Shen Mu didn't even lift his eyelids, his eyes fixed on the jade thumb ring in his hand.

"Then I'll go first." Zhou Jinghuai left, but as soon as he stepped out of the house, he saw a person wearing a heavy cloak, whose appearance he couldn't see, enter the study.

Before we knew it, early spring in March, with its lingering chill, had quietly passed by.

The Emperor of Nanyang seemed to have given up on investigating the assassination attempt at Fengyazhai, but the news that he had placed the Crown Prince and his foster mother, Consort Ning, under house arrest for three months still revealed the Emperor's attitude.

Perhaps Nanyang will soon have designs on the Western Regions.

However, the most important event in Nanyang right now is the birthday of the Nanyang Emperor, the Longevity Festival.

Because the Emperor of Nanyang mobilized the entire nation to build the Mingyue Palace altar, the national treasury was somewhat depleted. Duan Yuan specially decreed that this year's banquet would only be held in the palace.

During this past month, aside from regularly going to the palace to check Consort An's pulse, Thirteen had no idea about the Demon Lord's whereabouts.

The only thing she could do was stay in her own courtyard and work out her small frame. Pei Suisui would come to her courtyard from time to time to sit and bring her some snacks from Fengyazhai, and talk about the latest gossip and secrets in the capital.

What she heard most often was about the Third Prince's achievements in court that earned him praise from the Emperor, and the Fourth Princess's infatuation with Shen Mu.

But what intrigued her most was that the nightmare she used to have so often had had stopped for the past month.

The April wind, carrying a refreshing breeze, blew through Thirteen's courtyard.

She went outside, habitually walked to the southeast corner of the yard, lit sandalwood incense, and stood up to look at the small tree she had carefully planted, which was only about the same height as her.

"Sir, a young lady is outside the courtyard requesting an audience with you." The maid's voice pulled her back to reality. Thirteen paused, realizing that she had been in Nanyang for almost three months and knew no more than ten people, let alone anyone who could find her way here.

"Let her in." Thirteen clapped his hands and went inside to wash his hands.

When she came out again, she saw a graceful young woman waiting in the courtyard for a long time, but she was wearing a veil and her appearance was not clear.

"Is there something you need from me, Miss?" Thirteen asked tentatively.

The girl took off her veil, revealing a simple white dress, delicate features, and clear, bright eyes.

Thirteen was slightly taken aback. "It's you?"

"Greetings, Mr. Thirteen." The young woman curtsied to Mr. Thirteen, her demeanor no longer displaying the alluring and seductive charm she had shown at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion that day, but instead exuding a much more dignified air.

The guest was none other than Yi Sisi, the most beautiful courtesan of Zuixianlou.