Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 745: The Other Side of the Little Sister-in-Law

“Then do you know where the Laundry Courtyard is?” Song Qingshu asked casually, treating a dead horse as if it were still alive—after all, the Laundry Courtyard was probably the most secretive place in the Jin Empire. A eunuch, no matter how high his status, was unlikely to know about it.

However, to Song Qingshu’s surprise, the eunuch actually nodded. “This servant knows.”

Now it was Song Qingshu’s turn to be shocked. Was his luck really this good? Had he actually found a needle in a haystack? In truth, it was pure coincidence—had he captured any other eunuch, even one of higher rank, they would not have known about the Laundry Courtyard. But this particular eunuch, Xiao Xingguo, happened to be the head of the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau, and the Laundry Courtyard was nominally under his jurisdiction—though he had no idea what truly went on there.

“Take me there,” Song Qingshu quickly composed himself and said in a low voice.

“Yes,” Xiao Xingguo replied woodenly, bowing and gesturing. “This way, my lord.”

Song Qingshu frowned. If a passing guard saw them like this, wouldn’t his cover be blown? He immediately ordered, “Walk ahead and lead the way. Don’t look back. Act as if I don’t exist.”

A trace of doubt flashed across Xiao Xingguo’s face, but he still nodded and bowed. “Yes.”

Song Qingshu silently followed behind. Strangely, they barely encountered any patrolling guards along the way. He secretly nodded to himself—this Laundry Courtyard was indeed well-hidden. If he had searched the palace on his own, he might not have found it even in several years.

After winding through numerous paths, they finally arrived at a secluded palace hall. Xiao Xingguo stopped and said, “My lord, this is the Laundry Courtyard. But this servant cannot enter.”

Song Qingshu grunted in acknowledgment, then swiftly tapped Xiao Xingguo’s pressure point, rendering him unconscious. He hid the eunuch among the artificial rock formations nearby before turning his attention to the Laundry Courtyard, which was now shrouded in the darkness of night.
Judging from the route they had taken, this place was within the Cold Palace grounds. The eerie atmosphere, coupled with the dim yellow lights of the hall, made it seem even more mysterious.

Taking a deep breath, Song Qingshu lightly tapped his toes against the ground and soundlessly slipped inside. The moment he entered, he was startled—though from the outside it appeared to be just another Cold Palace annex, the security inside was incredibly tight. While there were few visible guards, the shadows of trees, artificial hills, and roof beams concealed countless hidden sentries. If his martial arts had not reached such a refined level, he might have been deceived by this deceptive calm.

Now on alert, he maneuvered through the area with ease. As he investigated, he noticed that most of the rooms were occupied by women. He assumed they were concubines who had been cast into the Cold Palace and paid them no further attention, not even bothering to examine their appearances.

Finally, he found a room without windows—or rather, the original wooden windows had been nailed shut, replaced with a few small ventilation openings.

Guards stood at the entrance. Song Qingshu knew better than to act rashly. With his skills, breaking in would be easy, but without knowing the situation inside, alarming the enemy could put Song Yuanqiao and the others in danger.

First, he found a hidden corner, then used the “Gecko Climbing the Tree” to scale the wall, peering through a ventilation opening. The space inside was significantly larger than it appeared from the outside—likely due to the excavation of a massive underground chamber. Unfortunately, from this angle, he could only see a few solitary cells resembling prison rooms, with no way to discern the full layout.

This put Song Qingshu in a dilemma. The only entrance to the room was the main door, and the ventilation openings were too small for anything larger than a rat to pass through. The door was guarded, and there were likely more guards stationed inside as well. Sneaking in without detection seemed impossible.

Just then, his ears twitched. He twisted his waist, propelling himself several feet into the air. Pressing his hands and feet against the corridor beams, he suspended himself in the shadows.

Soon, the sound of footsteps echoed from around the corner. Song Qingshu held his breath and shrank deeper into the eaves’ shadows.

“They still refuse to talk?” A familiar female voice rang out.

Song Qingshu frowned. He had heard this voice before, but how? He had just arrived in the Jin Empire’s capital—he shouldn’t know anyone here. His confusion was quickly resolved as a delicate yet imposing young woman appeared at the corridor’s bend, accompanied by a squad of fully armed guards.

Song Qingshu was astonished—it was Wanyan Ping, whom he had just seen at home that afternoon!

However, he was soon even more perplexed. Though this girl looked exactly like Wanyan Ping, her demeanor was utterly different. That afternoon, she had seemed like an arrogant yet somewhat pitiful young lady. But now, dressed in a fitted black leather top and tight sheepskin trousers that accentuated her long, slender legs, with a whip coiled at her waist, she exuded the aura of a fearsome dom!natrix. This stark contrast caught Song Qingshu completely off guard.

The guards behind her seemed terrified of her, keeping their heads bowed as if awaiting punishment. The leading soldier cautiously responded, “Princess, they refuse to speak no matter what.”

Wanyan Ping snorted. In a flash, her whip was already in her hand. A sharp crack echoed through the corridor, followed by a deep, bloody gash across the soldier’s face.

“How many times have I told you? Inside the Laundry Courtyard, you are not to call me ‘Princess.’ You are to call me ‘Chief!’” she said coldly.

“Yes, Chief!” the guards answered in unison. The injured soldier, blood streaming down his face, did not even attempt to wipe it away.

Song Qingshu clicked his tongue in astonishment. He had thought this little girl was just a rose with thorns, but it turned out she was a fiery chili pepper! Now, he finally understood why Wan Yan Gebi had mentioned learning about the Laundry Courtyard from Wanyan Ping—because she was actually a key figure within it!

As he pondered this, Wanyan Ping had already reached the main door. The guards at the entrance recognized her instantly and, without question, opened the door for her. Their fear was evident—they kept their heads lowered, staring at their feet, not daring to meet her gaze.

A thought flashed through Song Qingshu’s mind. With a light push against the beam, he drifted down like a wisp of smoke, silently slipping in behind the group of guards.

Not a single person noticed anything unusual!

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