– Why are you even healing him ? Qing Chan muttered under her breath, already facing away from them as she hurriedly left.

Xian wasn't sure if Lady Qing Chan was talking to herself or not, even though with his enhanced hearing he heard her perfectly. Anyway, he didn't know how to answer. Though he had just knocked a guard out with a flying kick, even cracking his jaw, he felt compelled to heal him. Ever since he spent some time with Chen Yu, actually, ever since he met the Lysanian soldier, his very first friend, something had changed in him. He felt a little more human. Obviously, he had never learned from Soon-Yi how to be compassionate. When raising him, she had always been strict, demanding and cold. Even her scolding could just curdle the blood of any man. These few days away from his foster mother and away from his duties, he felt he had m.a.t.u.r.ed a little. He hoped so.

He recently discovered that it was rewarding to heal someone, even if he was the one who hurt him in the first place. The guard was still unconscious, and he would probably still be a little incapacitated as Xian didn't give his all in the healing spell, so the kick wasn't totally useless. As the recovery quickly proceeded, Xian examined the man with a growing curiosity and a slight disgust. He really hoped he wouldn't become such a burly and unrefined man once he reached a.d.u.l.thood, but somehow he doubted his body could change this much and he felt relieved.

Lady Qing Chan didn't wait for an answer as she hurried down the empty corridor. She wasn't expecting any, in any case. It had just been her way to look down on Wei Lin's close attendant and assert her authority. Being alone with her rival's trusted bodyguard might turn out to be dangerous for her. Sure, he helped her, but with a single kick he managed to take down the huge guard, even with his small and slender body. Was it due to this shining body of his ? Qing Chan couldn't do such an attack, not even half of it. She even wouldn't have been able to move the giant man in the slightest, had he tried to manhandle her.

Thankfully, he had always been respectful and she knew he was a loyal follower of Zhou Xi's. He was steadfast and, as per his master's order, had escorted her from the Imperial Palace to the Orchid Palace without harming her or even touching her at all. In a sense, she had been grateful to Zhou Xi. She wanted to believe it had been a sign that he still cared for her and trusted her a little. When he had shown up in the Imperial Palace earlier, he had been so tense that he had frightened her. Could he really believe that she had done such a despicable act as kidnapping Wei Lin ?

That it happened just the day she came back to the Palace couldn't possibly be a mere coincidence. It had to be a trap, someone intended to turn Qing Chan into a scapegoat and it made her blood boil with wrath. She was itching to catch the real culprit and prove her innocence. She knew there wasn't many people she could trust with this mission and truthfully, she was restless and couldn't stay idle while her life was at stake. However, she was aware that she was being reckless and this hot-blooded behavior was truly unlike her calm and dignified usual self. Somehow, she felt it was closer to her real self, the one she discovered during her stay at the temple. Now she was upset and offended, she couldn't help it. Her thirst for revenge was bottomless.

Qing Chan shot a discreet glance towards Xian who was standing up reluctantly. What on earth had she been thinking when she ordered him to come along with her ? She knew his maid identity was a fake but it would probably not be enough to compel him to obey her instead of Wei Lin. What if he tried to kill her in order to silence her ? Or worse, what if he believed, like Zhou Xi and most of the Imperial court, that she was behind Wei Lin's kidnapping ? Surely her death would be a very painful one, or he would torture her for hours on end. He was so strong, faithful and single-minded, the exact type of people Qing Chan couldn't handle. Just how would she manage to talk him into helping her ? She clenched her hands into fists to prevent them from shaking and headed ahead as fast as she could. Maybe she could shake him off and he would go back to what he had been doing, shining brightly and whatever.

Of course, she knew it was her fear speaking and she needed to cool her head in order to think clearly. If there was a slight chance that he would help her, she should grab this opportunity. She was desperately in need of support right now. How could she achieve anything and seek revenge all by herself ? And truth be told, wishing for him not to follow when she ordered him to was plainly stupid and contradictory. Naturally, her wish didn't come true.

Qing Chan turned her head once more to look behind her and almost cried out, startled. She hadn't heard any noise but the glaring light that was far away only a moment ago was now just behind her. Most of all, she was upset because this so-called knight in shining body always managed to throw her off balance. In this aspect, he resembled Wei Lin and Qing Chan hated it. She resolutely ignored him and kept on hurrying forward blindly.

Xian was familiar with this part of the Orchid Palace but she was not. It had been a long time since she stayed here and she was, in fact, lost. However, how could she admit being lost in what was supposed to be her home, or at least her husband's ? This only added to her anxiety. Even if she felt a little relieved to see where she was, thanks to Xian's light, she didn't know her way in this maze, so she simply stopped in her tracks and turned towards her silent companion.

– Where now ?

Qing Chan knew she should be more polite and pleasant when talking to him and asking him for a favor but she was so tense she simply couldn't do it. Surprisingly, Xian remained expressionless and serious, and calmly answered back with a question.

– Where do you want to go ?

She shouldn't have been taken aback. She wasn't thinking properly due to all the tension.

– Obviously, I want to go outside of the Palace. I need to meet with someone. I'm sure he can help me prove my innocence !

For a split second, a surprised expression appeared in the depth of his eyes but was quickly concealed. The only sign left was an appealing fluttering of his eyelashes. Once again, Qing Chan was caught off guard and averted her eyes to hide her embarrassment. Her seething anger receded a little, replaced by a different emotion but her anxiety didn't calm down. She would have been so ashamed if he caught her staring. In her heart, she had to admit that he was an attractive kid. Even though she herself was a beauty, she was sure he hadn't put a sliver of all her efforts to look good. Life was so unfair !

– First, we need to disguise ourselves. Our clothes make us too conspicuous. Are you fine with anything ?

– Yes, whatever. We need to hurry.

Xian just nodded and carried her without a sound to the maid's quarter. Such speed and flawless movements, Qing Chan was in awe and couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. However, she remained quiet. She didn't bother to struggle, even though it was a shameful situation. Hopefully, everyone was asleep and no one would see them in such a compromising pose.

In a snap, they were hidden in an almost empty room and Xian gently put Qing Chan down. She surmised it was his room but couldn't see any personal item at all. Curious, she had been discreetly inspecting the room for a moment and when she faced him again, he was handing her a nondescript dark garb, very much like the one he was wearing. It seemed light and comfortable. She was elated, she always hated the sophisticated multi-layered outfit she had to wear everyday and even worse for the elaborate and fancy dresses she couldn't even put on by herself. She had never dreamed of cross-dressing. The simple attire she wore at the temple suited her perfectly. But, once she was clad, she had to concede that it was the best. She had never felt so free in her movements. Both were of the same height, the clothes fitted Qing Chan to a T.

She followed him as fast as she could but her body was not enhanced like his and moreover, as her health had always been poor up to recently, she never exercised much. She felt exhausted after a few minutes of running and couldn't jump here and there like he did. So, most of the time, he simply carried her and it didn't even cost him much effort. She let him bring her to the most deserted place of the Palace and once on the roof, she closed her eyes tightly so as to avoid being fainthearted due to her fear of heights. Lastly she firmly clasped her hands on her mouth to stop herself from screaming as he leaped from the roof directly to the other side of the wall. They were outside and it didn't take them long but the trip was so intense and scary that Qing Chan felt the urge to relieve herself. Thank God she hadn't disgraced herself while she was in his arms !

Qing Chan was still a little light-headed but was safe and sound outside of the Orchid Palace with Xian. For a moment, she wondered if he was this efficient for all of Wei Lin's requests, even the selfish ones. She felt a bit envious of her rival but when she saw his poker-faced expression turning slightly bored, she was about to lose her temper. As she was frantically looking for a sarcastic retort, she spotted his slender hand which was nervously fiddling with his sleeve. And she realized that he was still glowing and felt uncomfortable about it. Even with the additional layer of thick black clothes he had donned when they had been in his room, the bright shine couldn't be totally concealed. Moreover, he was starting to sweat profusely even in the middle of a rather cool night.

Seeing his restlessness, Qing Chan relaxed. She disliked being indebted to anyone, especially if it was someone related to Wei Lin. But now she knew how to make it even. While walking inconspicuously toward the Imperial Palace, or more precisely the Imperial Magic Academy on the Imperial Palace compound, she briefly explained that she wanted to meet with a powerful mage who had a close relationship with her family. She was pretty sure that he would help her and then she would be able to reach her other contacts, make her own inquiries regarding Wei Lin's disappearance and finally clear the charges against her. In addition, she would back Xian up if he wished to get rid of the light radiating from his body.

Qing Chan sounded so confident that Xian let himself be convinced. The news that both Wei Lin and Soon-Yi had gone missing had dealt a heavy blow on his mind. Even though he had realized that Qing Chan's plan relied a lot on this unknown mage and was full of flaws and risks, he didn't have any better plan. His instincts told him that he should go along with her. He had his own means to investigate on Lady Wei's whereabouts but the prospect of having this mage take care of his overflowing magic powers in the absence of Soon-Yi was highly appealing. He didn't know many mages and all of them either despised him or plainly wanted him dead, as the fire mage and water mage he had encountered lately. If this mage was powerful and with Lady Qing Chan's support, he might get rid of the excess of magic powers. It was now close to unbearable, Xian felt filled to the brim with magic elements and ready to burst.

Thankfully and unexpectedly, everything went smoothly and Qing Chan had easily secured the old mage's help by daybreak. His name was Cheng Hu and he was truly powerful and knowledgeable. He was the former Great Mage of Selnan and was second only to Soon-Yi in the entire Selnan Empire, now that she took his title and position. Unfortunately, he didn't own any ancient artefact from Aliker or any magic item as powerful.

The best he could do was to enchant a long strip of white cloth and ask Xian to wear it at all time as a headband. It merely absorbed the magic elements leaking from Xian's body, thus suppressing the glow. Unlike the medallion Soon-Yi gave him, this headband didn't deal with the root cause, only limiting the most visible symptom. Moreover, every ten to fifteen minutes, the headband emitted a strong blinding flash to disperse the magic elements in the atmosphere.

Anyway, it was better than before, better than nothing in any case. Xian thanked Cheng Hu profusely and with reverence. He didn't want to let his disappointment show at the risk of upsetting a powerful mage. He had long since realized that, even though Soon-Yi could be harsh, merciless and cruel, she was always somewhat lenient in the end. She had hurt him, sometimes badly, but she let him live and had never forsaken him whatever their situation and his bad behavior. She was indeed his foster mother, even if their relationship had sometimes been strained. Cheng Hu might not be so soft-hearted.

Xian cringed. He didn't know any word so far away from Soon-Yi's character and so ill-fitted for her as "soft-hearted". But, of course, nothing stated that it could be applied to the good-natured old Cheng Hu.

Just as Xian, Qing Chan and Cheng Hu walked out of the Academy, they spotted two riders coming their way, a woman and a man. It was unusual so early in the morning but this wasn't what triggered the following catastrophe. As soon as the pair saw the three of them, the woman screamed in a fury and galloped like a madwoman, ice spears appearing in the air out of nowhere.

Cheng Hu reacted immediately and shouted angrily while casting a few attacking spells. The other rider soon joined in and the academy ground became a battle field in a snap. Xian, as well, had recognized Soon-Yi without a doubt. He didn't know why she was so infuriated but he knew her very well and without further ado, he grabbed Qing Chan's waist and escaped as fast as he could.

They barely avoided the mages' wraths. Xian was running wildly and with his enhanced body, they were soon out of the dangerous area but the whole Imperial capital could feel the tremor of the fight. These were the most powerful mages of the Selnan Empire, and Soon-Yi was supported by Arthur Caucel who was also very strong and could not be so easily overlooked. Two against one, the odds were not in favor of Cheng Hu. However, the commotion and the damages inside the Imperial Palace compound quickly drew the attention of all the mages in the capital.

The three fighting mages were soon separated and confined in different room within the Academy's undergrounds. In these rooms, magic seals fueled by no less than a dozen mages each could restrain the furious mages until their anger died out. They couldn't downright imprison them as they were too powerful, highly respected and all three of them had an unparalleled and prominent status in the Empire.

Nobody knew how long they would be locked in. The only thing Xian knew for certain was that he was alone with Lady Qing Chan who had escaped the Palace. They had to somehow find Lady Wei and he would be fortunate if the whole Empire didn't chase after him for kidnapping the First Prince official wife just after the latter's favorite wife went missing. It seemed Xian was rather short on luck these days.

Xian felt a headache coming. How did he end up in this mess ?