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Jing Yi and Jing Er were busy preparing materials for disguises.
Since their lady had been under their watchful eyes the entire time, the absurd notion that she had become a completely different person never even crossed their minds. They were merely puzzled about what kind of dream she had had and what kind of mysterious object she had obtained.
In this era, the master-servant relationship was deeply ingrained, especially for shadow guards who had been instilled with unwavering loyalty since childhood. They were essentially death soldiers, following only their lady’s orders and disregarding anything else outside their duty.
Xie Zhizhi spotted some simple peasant clothing, pulled out a set, and dressed herself first. “Let’s disguise ourselves as peasant women. A man’s height, weight, and physical features are harder to alter and easier to expose.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw the two obediently nod before performing a face-changing technique on her. Her originally delicate and elegant appearance was transformed into that of a sallow-skinned, freckled peasant woman. The technique was even more miraculous than makeup.
Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she asked curiously, “But you didn’t disguise yourselves earlier. How did you get out?”
She hadn’t left alone but had brought them along for a reason—mainly because of the difference in how divine powers awakened after natural disasters in this world…
With them around, she could learn more about this world.
Jing Yi, who had already changed into a new set of clothes, was tidying up the scattered belongings in the carriage as she answered, “Because someone helped us. The general fought on the battlefield for twenty years, and there are still people in the court who support him. Our mission is to protect you, my lady.”
So that’s how it was.
Xie Zhizhi had them disguise her as well.
“Do you know who sent those men in black?”
Jing Er searched the corpses scattered across the grassy ground but found no identification. She shook her head. “There are no marks on them. The mastermind is very cautious. But they had poison in their mouths, and their killing techniques were swift and ruthless, much like assassins.”
Assassins?
Xie Zhizhi was puzzled. Why would assassins be after her?
“Forget it for now. Let’s return to the city first and investigate later.”
She carefully recalled the plot of the book.
If those men in black were assassins, they were at most third-rate, not particularly skilled. The original host’s enemies wouldn’t have been able to afford top-tier assassins, so who had the motive?
At this moment, it never even crossed her mind that the mastermind could be someone from the palace.
She would investigate later—sooner or later, the culprit would slip up.
Before long, the three of them packed up. The carriage was only damaged at the top, so they discarded it and kept the seating board, turning it into an open-air cart, which better suited their peasant disguise.
Three plainly dressed, head-wrapped, sallow-faced women left the small forest, heading toward the imperial city.
They soon arrived at the city gates.
The journey had taken less than an hour, and news of Xie Zhizhi’s escape hadn’t yet spread, so the guards weren’t particularly strict.
Using the excuse of visiting relatives, along with a travel permit that Jing Er produced, they successfully passed through the gates and entered the imperial city.
Xie Zhizhi applauded their caution and decided to head to the general’s manor first.
“Younger sisters, let’s find a place to park the carriage.”
Jing Yi and Jing Er had been close to the original host since childhood, almost like sisters, so they readily accepted this form of address with joy.
The carriage navigated through the streets toward a more secluded area.
The entire imperial city was under a dark and dreary sky, with few people moving about. Jing Yi steered the carriage toward a remote cottage in the mountains, far from any neighbors, making it a convenient hideout.
Jing Er shyly lowered her head. “Big Sister, I… I can carry you with my lightness skill.”
Xie Zhizhi nodded in satisfaction. Having a powerful martial artist call her “Big Sister” felt pretty good. Maybe she should upgrade it to “Elder Sister.”
Joking aside, she stayed vigilant, scanning the surroundings before nodding again. Jing Er then wrapped an arm around her waist and took off.
Meanwhile, Jing Yi stowed the carriage in the cottage’s backyard—this was a property they had purchased beforehand for emergencies.
She quickly caught up with them.
Under the cover of twilight, three figures moved swiftly through secluded alleyways, leaping between rooftops with remarkable lightness skill.
Xie Zhizhi watched the scenery flash past below, her heart pounding.
Wow, so this is what it means to “flash by in an instant”!
She had to learn this!
The general’s manor wasn’t too far from the palace, separated by two streets. At this moment, the sky had darkened as if it were night, and a strong wind was blowing.
She pulled her headscarf tighter to keep it from being blown away.
From her inherited memories, she knew that she was the only one residing in the vast general’s manor.
Her extended family consisted of her father’s cousins and nephews, who were all third-rank officials. Some sided with the Left Prime Minister, while others aligned with the Right Prime Minister. The younger generation had never gotten along with her.
The founding emperor of the Daxing Dynasty had established strict laws—anyone who committed a serious crime would have their entire clan executed, exiled, or implicated.
This time, even her distant relatives wouldn’t be spared.
Of course, the prime ministers would sever ties to avoid opposing the emperor.
That was none of her concern.
The general’s manor might be implicated, but it wasn’t entirely its fault. The emperor likely wanted to use this opportunity to eliminate the prime ministers’ pawns as well.
They were on their own now.
Jing Er carried her through the air, landing swiftly in a small grove, where they entered the manor through a hidden passage that led directly to Xie Zhizhi’s room.
Jing Yi perched on a tree outside, observing the surroundings. Only guards and servants were present, and for now, all was peaceful.
“My lady, if you’re looking for a map, perhaps you should check the general’s study,” Jing Er suggested.
“Alright, I’ll take a look later.”
Xie Zhizhi wandered around the original host’s bedroom, then stopped in front of the dressing table.
Suddenly, she noticed another figure beside her.
A figure that looked exactly like her.
But translucent.
A soul!
She was seeing the original host!
She blinked, thinking she was hallucinating, but the original host was still there, smiling at her.
Turning her head calmly, Xie Zhizhi said softly, “Jing Er, leave the room for a moment.”
Jing Er obediently nodded, stepping outside and closing the door.
The original Xie Zhizhi was now just a faint shadow. As she stood before her, she spoke in a gentle tone, “I know how I died. But I’m not sad. Don’t be afraid—I won’t harm you. You are strong, and I hope you can survive in this world. I must go now. From the moment you arrived, this body became yours. My mission is complete. Farewell.”
Xie Zhizhi was stunned.
What did she mean by “mission complete”?!
Before she could ask, the transparent figure tapped her forehead, flooding her mind with hidden memories—completely integrating her with the original host’s past.
The next moment, the original host’s soul gradually faded until it disappeared entirely.
The entire process took less than a minute.
It all sounded so mysterious, but given Xie Zhizhi’s easygoing nature, if she couldn’t figure it out, she wouldn’t dwell on it.
Standing before the dressing table, she recalled a secret passage hidden here.
In the finely crafted bronze mirror, she saw her own reflection.
So this was what she looked like in ancient clothing.
Not bad.
She moved the dressing table aside.
Jing Er knocked on the door. “My lady, what are you doing?”
“There’s a secret passage here—it leads to my father’s study.”