Chapter 20 – A Strange Fetish

On the official road, aside from the clatter of hooves and the rumbling of carriage wheels, the only other sound was Gong Xiurong’s laughter.

As the sun rose, more and more carriages and ox carts joined the road. Some were headed to distant towns, while others were bound for Jingtuo Temple to offer incense.

Normally, the Imperial Guards and Jinyiwei would be on the highest alert to ensure the Emperor’s safety. But today, no matter how hard they tried to stay focused, their minds kept wandering—because they couldn’t help but eavesdrop on Mu Nanjin’s inner thoughts.

【The Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards likes the smell of sweat on his soldiers. Every time training ends, he finds some excuse to scold or “inspect” them, just to get close enough to sniff their sweat. And he actually thinks it smells good! Hahaha, what a bizarre fetish.】

The Imperial Guard’s Chief Commander and the five unit leaders all turned, stunned, toward the Deputy Commander—whose face had gone as black as ink.

They’d always thought of him as a strict, no-nonsense officer. Who would’ve thought it was all just a cover for such a shameful hobby?

【Huh, so Deng Xingchao—the one who loves butting heads with the Left Division—turns out to be afraid of his wife? Tsk tsk, I really didn’t see that coming.】

The moment Kan Chaoyan and the others heard his name mentioned, they pricked up their ears. But to their disappointment, Mu Nanjin didn’t continue.

Still, learning that Deng Xingchao was henpecked was more than enough ammunition for the Left Division to tease him for the rest of his life. Let’s see if he dares to go against them again.

【Kan Chaoyan…】

The instant Kan Chaoyan heard his name in her thoughts, he immediately raised his voice and called out, “Mu girl! We’ve arrived at Jingtuo Temple!”

His interruption broke her train of thought.

【We’ve arrived, so what? Did he have to announce it like that?】

Captain Liu rode up beside her and lowered his voice. “Mu Nanjin, remember—the ones you’re assigned to protect are His Majesty and the Empress Dowager, not Young Master Gong.”

“Oh.” Mu Nanjin realized she had been riding alongside Gong Xiurong’s carriage the entire time. “Young Master Gong, I still have official duties to attend to, so I’ll be taking my leave here.”

Gong Xiurong looked at her solemn expression and couldn’t help recalling her earlier words. A smile tugged at his lips as he said, “You’d better keep your word. I’ll be waiting for you to bring the Emperor to save me—I’m quite looking forward to that.”

“Mm.”

Mu Nanjin returned to the Jinyiwei formation.

Soon, a man in a dragon robe descended from the imperial carriage. Though his appearance resembled the Emperor’s, anyone familiar with the real one could tell at a glance that this was an impostor.

Mu Nanjin muttered under her breath, “As expected, the Emperor isn’t in the carriage.”

Even the woman seated in the phoenix carriage wasn’t the real Empress Dowager.

The Imperial Guards remained perfectly calm—clearly, they were already aware that the “Emperor” and “Empress Dowager” were merely decoys.

“Up the mountain,” came the command.

The Imperial Guards led the way.

The “Emperor” and “Empress Dowager” walked in the center, with the Jinyiwei bringing up the rear.

Ordinary civilians kept their distance. Only after the royal procession reached halfway up the mountain did the others begin their climb.

Although Jingtuo Temple was built at the mountain’s peak, a long stairway of 1,320 stone steps led straight to its gates. For most people, the climb was exhausting—those in poor health couldn’t even make it halfway.

Tang Jingrui had worried that Mu Nanjin, being a woman, might faint halfway up the slope. But when they reached the summit, she wasn’t even out of breath. Her breathing was steady, calm—like a martial artist who had trained for years. He couldn’t hide his astonishment.

“Finally at the top.”

Mu Nanjin stretched lazily, her lips curving as her gaze landed on the grand temple gates.

【Assassins…】

She had barely thought the word when—swish, swish, swish!—hundreds of sharp sounds cut through the air as the Jinyiwei drew their blades in unison.