Ah, she remembered now.

She hated being touched even when she was Quiet Plum.

Once, a man tried to lay a finger on her in that world. She didn't feel anger back then. She just blasted the man's head off.

But right now, she couldn't do the same. Was that why she felt this bubbling fury? Was the discomfort of not being able to kill someone on the spot made her agitated?

'Qiaoqiao...'

Somewhere in her mind, she remembered a person softly calling that name.

'It's what your parents called you.' His lips had a faint curve as he told her.

Her mind started calming down at the simple memory of that person with pale snow eyes. Her vision focused and she saw Si Hai looking up at her, waiting for her to be sane again.

"You injured yourself." The kid version of Si Hai pointed out.

Huang Qiaoli looked at her bloody palms. Indeed, she fisted her hands too much.

Someone held a handkerchief in front of her. "Forgive me, miss... I- this one has mistaken you for someone else. Please forgive me."

She ignored Mao Zhu who was bowing. Si Hai did the same. They started walking away again.

Mao Zhu's face sank. Why had he gone insane after seeing this unknown woman? He did something irreversible. He only woke up when he heard the child calling the woman milady.

How could he mistake her for someone who had passed away?

He bowed even further.

"Miss... this one doesn't expect you to accept my apology but young miss has to accompany this one to the capital." Mao Zhu took out the golden medallion from his chest.

Huang Qiaoli's ears perked up upon hearing this. She paused.

Taking this as a sign of asking him why. Mao Zhu continued to explain. "What happened here is quite disturbing. Even if the young miss proved to be not part of this, we still need your cooperation to investigate."

Huang Qiaoli let her eyes wander at the gore around her. "Gentleman, even if I happen to be here, do I look capable of these things?"

At this, Mao Zhu and his group looked around too. It was true the horrendous scene could only be made by a wild beast. But the way the corpses were dressed was identical.

Mao Zhu's keen eyes could tell they weren't ordinary people. How could an animal slaughter them?

That just left these two suspicious. But then again, how could a frail woman and a child commit a massacre to this degree?

"With miss being someone who hailed from a foreign country, this situation cannot be ignored. We don't want misunderstandings to occur at a time like this. This one requests the miss to come with us."

Huang Qiaoli played around with the pros and cons inside her head. Currently, she had nothing to lose and she was also confident of Si Hai's strength. Furthermore, she had nowhere to go so this event might bring her a meeting with the main leads. That would be quite interesting.

She had to ask Si Hai one thing before she agreed. Exchanging glances would be suspicious at this point and Mao Zhu might take her away forcefully if she showed unwillingness. It was frustrating.

For one, she didn't feel killing intent from him like what the assassins emitted earlier. So if she harmed him, the Emperor would harbor hatred for her which could get complicated because she was still in Great Han.

Without a choice, she held Si Hai by the elbow and tried transmitting data to him like how infrared connectivity passed information from one electronic device to another.

If I enter the palace, can you get me out?

Si Hai was so shocked that he flinched and it was too obvious so he was compelled to say something.

"Milady shouldn't worry. If something happened to Milady, the senior will find it unforgivable." His sticky-sweet voice kind of irritated her.

The answer she got was vague. She was just asking if he could get her out. It could be answered with a yes or a no. But since he said not to worry, she'd accept it as a yes, totally ignoring the part about the 'senior'.

Mao Zhu assumed a more formal posture. "Worry not. This one won't hold the miss for long."

His tone went a notch lower. "May I ask what you're doing in this forest without your retinue? Perhaps, your young Ladyship is lost? These woods are very dangerous if I may say so."

Si Hai harrumphed, "Let us say da ren is right that we are lost. But does da ren1 think my Lady is someone you can afford to escort?"

Huang Qiaoli was watching their exchange quietly. She admitted that the fox was good at acting. Well, he better be because that was what he was doing all his life.

Mao Zhu swept a glance at the lady. If not for her distinct foreign features, she would be mistaken as a commoner not just because of being soaked under the rain. His eyes could tell that the fabric of her clothes wasn't that superior.

"This one needs to ask for the miss' identity. We shall contact your people once we're in the capital... ah, this one hasn't been introduced too. Surname Mao, given name Zhu. Captain of imperial guards' Panther unit."

Si Hai turned to 'his Ladyship' in a haughty manner but bent his body slightly once he was fully facing her, inadvertently showing off his expertise of being a noble's proper retainer. But in reality, he just didn't know what to reply to Mao Zhu.

Huang Qiaoli smirked. "I can't believe a lord of the imperial guards isn't inside the palace. But my name... only your Emperor is allowed to know."

Mao Zhu's men hissed. "Preposterous!"

But the maiden didn't even spare them a glance. Her golden eyes were only trained on their captain.

"What do you say, Captain Mao? You're holding me in custody but this lady can only speak with the dragon and the phoenix. Trust me, Lo- his Majesty will commend you for sending me to him."

She was about to say Long Yi Ran so she stopped herself. Saying the forbidden name might jeopardize both her and Si Hai. She had enough of living as a wanted person.

Beside the woman, Si Hai was already cursing inside his head. Why did she want to meet the Emperor this time? Didn't she know that the Emperor was one of the people who hired assassins to kill her? However, as his so-called master had already spoken, how could a servant like him oppose?

Mao Zhu stared at the mysterious woman. The rain hadn't abated one bit but it didn't faze her. It was the same stubborn behavior Hong Chun would display if she wanted something. No matter how he denied, her image never left Mao Zhu's mind.

The more he looked at this lady, the more crazy thoughts started to appear. But what did she mean that his Majesty would be glad if he brought her to him?

His mind was already going in an impossible direction and he couldn't help but hope against all odds. The unanswered questions in his mind since the day Hong Chun passed... could they be answered now?

Curling his hands into fists, he tried hard not to reach out and call the lady Chun mei again. If she really was...sigh.

"Meeting his Majesty isn't easy, miss. For now, let's get you out of this rain. This one will request an audience with his Majesty on your behalf at the soonest possible time-"

Huang Qiaoli scoffed. "If Captain Mao can't do it, there's no need to bother. Si--Xiaohu2, let us leave!"

She started walking away but the imperial guards who were mostly Mao Zhu's former comrades in war and were also part of the Mao clan's soldiers closed in on them. Si Hai who was suddenly named Xiaohu couldn't complain as he took on a defensive stance.

Huang Qiaoli's laugh pierced through the downpour. "Oh, seems like the Captain will resort to violence. And here I thought the captain is a gentleman."

Mao Zhu had a grim face. He didn't want to do this but he couldn't underestimate the kid who was with the lady. The way he was hauled earlier and the youth's kicks would leave bruises for sure. That small body housed explosive force.

"Forgive me but I can't let you go." As he spoke, several of his subordinates already started to close in.

Si Hai would be hard-pressed protecting Huang Qiaoli. However, the girl dropped yet another surprise as she produced a dagger from somewhere and parried the hit from one of the men.

As the imperial guards weren't ordered to harm the lady, the man wasn't prepared for what happened next. His lack of killing intent gave Huang Qiaoli the opportunity to read his movements.

Weak points. Oxygen intake. Heartbeat. Pressure points in his body. Joint movements. These were all used to map the man's possible routes.

The next thing he knew, the frail-looking lady was behind him with a dagger to his windpipe short of killing him.

Mao Zhu who witnessed everything firsthand clenched his jaw. The way the lady wielded her weapon showed inexpertise but the feeling she gave off was a hunter seasoned with years of murder.

"Now, I'm not saying this person is my hostage. But if you resort to violence, that doesn't mean I can't. Xiaohu, if anyone tries to come near you, kill them."

Her gaze fell on her former almost-fiance. "Don't wait for me to kill all of you." Her tone was flat but carried a weight heavier than the downpour of rain.