“It’s nothing. Don’t you think…”
Under Qiujv’s shining gaze, Xunian continued sincerely, “That huge rock looks a lot like the head of that bald Palace Eunuch who always urges us to wash vegetables.”
“…It really does look a bit like him.”
Qiujv looked at the massive stone and had to admit it was true. Now she was convinced—Xunian was not one of the Players.
She said to Xunian, “Let’s go back.”
As she spoke, she reached out to take Xunian’s hand, but Xunian unconsciously dodged her.
“Qiujv, why did we come here in the first place?”
Xunian followed her back, her eyes filled with confusion, curiosity, and puzzlement.
After all, from Xunian’s perspective, she had been dragged to the Imperial Garden by Qiujv, done nothing at all, and now they were just heading back—it was only natural for her to have doubts.
Xunian felt that once she cleared this round, she could go claim the Best Actress award.
Qiujv sighed in response to her question, “To tell you the truth, Sister Nian…”
Xunian tilted her head, listening closely.
“Every so often, Outlanders appear in this world. These people possess extraordinary knowledge. Just a few words from them can change the entire dynasty…”
Xunian looked utterly unconvinced. “Qiujv, don’t talk nonsense. How could there be such amazing people?”
Qiujv knew she wouldn’t believe it. She pulled something out of her pocket, and before Xunian could get a good look, pressed a switch right in front of her.
“Click.”
A small flame flickered from the tip of the tiny object. The faint firelight reflected on Xunian’s pale, slightly surprised cheeks.
Wasn’t this…
A…
Lighter.
Xunian scooted back a little, pretending to be frightened, eyeing the lighter in Qiujv’s hand with great caution.
She summoned every ounce of her acting skill. “Th-this… what is this?”
“This is a Divine Relic left behind by those Outlanders!”
“Divine Relic?!” Xunian cried out with a blank expression.
A Divine Relic… turns out to be just a lighter.
Xunian nearly burst out laughing. The corner of her lips couldn’t help but rise a pixel, but she forcibly pressed it back down.
Qiujv lowered her voice and continued, “It’s said that if you can find one Outlander, you can get ten taels of Gold Ingot as a reward.”
So, someone wanted to catch the Players.
“Gold Ingot?! Then… how can we tell if someone is an Outlander?”
Xunian also lowered her voice, as if afraid someone else might hear, her eyes full of longing for gold.
“Someone told me, just recite what’s on this paper. If anyone can respond with the next line, that person is an Outlander.”
Qiujv showed Xunian a sheet of paper in her hand. The light yellow paper was delicate and tough, smooth as jade—it was clearly no ordinary paper.
On the paper, written in ink:
[Odd changes remain unchanged, symbols look at quadrants.]
[Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine, Neon.] (Qing Hai Li Pi Peng, Tan Dan Yang Fu Nai.)
[Imperial Nectar Wine, one hundred eighty-one cups.]
[The Heavenly King covers the earth tiger, the Pagoda suppresses the river demon.]
The handwriting was a bit messy, but still legible.
It was even quite detailed, with special notation on how to read the second line.
Xunian held the paper, feeling the smooth texture beneath her fingers, thinking.
It seemed that the mastermind behind catching Players held a noble status.
Offering a reward of ten taels of Gold Ingot, using this high-grade rattan paper—an ordinary person couldn’t produce such things. Most likely, it was a renowned figure.
Xunian had memorized all the rules. She hadn’t forgotten Rule Three.
[Rule Three]: Please find all the Players.
In other words, Players would also use the rules’ hints to seek out other Players.
They’d know the secret phrases modern people used to recognize each other—and even know how to pronounce “Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron…”
Clearly, the mastermind was a Player of high status.
So far, Xunian had encountered two people with great authority—one was the Empress, the other was that “Madam” who wanted her dead.
Still not enough.
It seemed she needed to interact with more people of high status to figure out who was truly behind the hunt for Players.
Xunian returned the paper to Qiujv, quietly warning, “Don’t show this to others carelessly. It’s dangerous.”
“Alright.” Qiujv nodded solemnly.
Xunian hesitated for a long moment, then finally voiced the question in her heart, “Qiujv, why do you think I’m an Outlander?”
Qiujv, exposed, gave an embarrassed laugh and replied awkwardly,
“It’s your aura… it’s not like ordinary people.”
Just standing there, Xunian stood out from everyone else.
Her skin was a shade paler, her face finely sculpted, with a tall nose and a cool, ethereal presence, like a fairy untouched by mortal dust.
She didn’t look like a simple person at all. Qiujv had guessed she must be someone important the first time she saw her.
Not like a human?
Xunian misunderstood what Qiujv meant.
Maybe it was because she’d spent too long with a strange duke’s daughter that she was becoming less and less human?
If someone discovered she was a Player, that wouldn’t be good.
So, Xunian decided to learn how to act like a normal person.
Talking like this, the two of them returned to the palace maid’s quarters.
They lived in a big shared room—nearly twenty palace maids squeezed into one chamber.
The two tiptoed back to their places, laid out their bedding, and lay down.
Xunian didn’t really mind the environment here. Although it was a bit damp, it was still better than the group chat rental she used to stay in.
She lay on her back, staring at the moonlight shining in through the window, thinking about how to act more human.
Qiujv, meanwhile, was still thinking about how to find a Player and make a fortune, never realizing that the living, breathing ten-tael Gold Ingot was right beside her.
If she caught Xunian, she’d get ten taels of gold.
Just like that, she missed her chance with a walking ten-tael Gold Ingot.
As Xunian thought and thought, she gradually drifted off to sleep.
Qiujv also soon fell asleep, dreaming of gold bars.
A night of good dreams.
After they both fell asleep, outside the window, a figure clad in black, seeing they were asleep, quietly stepped back a few paces. His footsteps were so light they were barely audible.
After stepping back a few steps, he paused slightly, then pushed off with his feet and soared into the air, landing lightly on the roof beam.
Soon after, the dark figure melted into the thick night and vanished without a trace.
……
Empress’s Palace.
Inside the lavish Main Hall.
Candle flames flickered. In the dim yellow glow, a pale beauty was bent over her desk by the window, writing, a thin blanket prepared by her Nanny draped over her shoulders.
It was the Empress herself.
Her slender hand lifted the writing brush. The tip swept across the paper, leaving delicate, elegant small script—neat and lovely.
Suddenly, the candle beside her wavered even more fiercely.
Barely perceptible footsteps stopped outside the window.
The Empress seemed to sense something, glancing outside, then continued writing her calligraphy as if nothing had happened.
“Madam.”
At some point, a person had appeared outside the window, dressed all in black, bowing respectfully.
The Empress nodded, waiting for what he had to say next.
The man in black spoke. After the Empress heard him, she put down her brush, frowning slightly.
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