"Who are you? Do you have a pass?"
Even palace maids and eunuchs couldn't enter and leave freely; they all needed passes issued by the head eunuchs and female officials.
Feng Fei's face paled with nervousness, and she lowered her head, remaining silent.
Xuan Yuan Qingli, however, remained composed, glancing contemptuously at the guard.
She shoved the token in his face and shrieked, "Are you blind? You dare stop the Fourth Prince's people? If you ruin His Highness's important business, even killing your entire family wouldn't be enough to bear the responsibility!"
The guard was furious but dared not show it. Looking at the two strikingly beautiful girls, he had no doubt about their identities.
Everyone knew the Fourth Prince was a womanizer, and his maids were all chosen for their beauty.
He often bullied men and women outside.
These two, so beautiful and young, must have been maids the Fourth Prince had recruited from outside.
Seeing her arrogant and domineering manner, it was clear that no one in the palace, except for the Fourth Prince's men, acted like this.
The guard felt like he had swallowed a fly, but he didn't dare to ask a single question and quickly let them pass.
"Hmph, you're smart enough to know your place."
Xuan Yuan Qingli glanced at the guard with contempt, perfectly embodying the role of a dog relying on its master's power, and then led Feng Fei, who hadn't dared to utter a word the entire time, out of the palace gate.
By this time, it was almost dark, but Xuan Yuan Qingli still didn't dare to relax. She handed the Longevity Lock to Feng Fei: "Take out a few gold soul coins."
"Okay!"
Feng Fei quickly took the Longevity Lock, used her soul power to take out five gold soul coins, and then handed the Longevity Lock and gold soul coins to Xuan Yuan Qingli.
"Your Highness, where are we going?"
Her voice trembled slightly. Thinking of how she had treated the Fourth Prince, she didn't know if the Fourth Prince was still alive.
If they were captured and taken back, she and His Highness would only face death.
"Don't call me Your Highness anymore.
From now on, you'll be called Xuan Yuan Qingfei, and I'll be called Xuan Yuan Qingli.
We're siblings from commoner backgrounds, understand?"
Xuan Yuan Qingli stuffed the longevity lock and gold soul coins into his pocket, instructing as he walked.
"Yes, I understand!"
Although the two had relied on each other for many years and their relationship was almost like siblings, Feng Fei still remembered the difference in their status, and felt a little apprehensive about pretending to be siblings with His Highness.
Not far from the palace gate, a luxurious four-horse carriage suddenly approached.
The carriage bore the swan clan emblem, indicating the other party's royal status.
"Li, Li'er, it's His Highness the Crown Prince!"
Feng Fei whispered in Xuan Yuan Qingli's ear.
"Yes, don't be nervous."
Xuan Yuan Qingli led Feng Fei to the side, making way for the carriage, and bowed deeply, avoiding looking directly at the emperor.
This behavior was very appropriate for their status; palace maids would naturally give way to the Crown Prince and pay their respects with great deference, not daring to look directly at his face.
The carriage passed by without stopping, but Xuan Yuan Qingli still keenly sensed a gaze falling on him from inside the carriage.
The gaze paused briefly before moving on, indicating the carriage hadn't recognized him.
He watched the carriage disappear into the distance, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
At this point, judging by the timeline, his beloved elder brother Xue Qinghe should have already been killed.
The person he had just seen was actually Qian Renxue, the young master of the Spirit Hall.
Before this, she had also killed Xuan Yuan Qingli's other two adopted brothers.
Fortunately, Xuan Yuan Qingli posed no threat, so the imposter Xue Qinghe naturally wouldn't harm him.
Furthermore, to cultivate a friendly and kind image, this Crown Prince was the only person in the palace who showed him kindness.
If she looked closely, she might recognize him.
Xuan Yuan Qingli shook his head and smiled. He was currently disguised as a palace maid, timidly keeping his head down.
How could the Crown Prince possibly give him a second glance?
"Young Master, the Crown Prince has seen us.
I was terrified just now."
"Don't be afraid.
She won't care about insignificant people like us.
Even if she recognizes us, she might not care."
Xuan Yuan Qingli quickly left the palace with Feng Fei and arrived at the bustling street outside.
He found a carriage, handed over a gold soul coin, and said, "Get out of the city as quickly as possible.
We have urgent business."
"Alright, you two, hold on tight."
The driver didn't care about the two little girls' background.
He would take passengers as long as they paid.
If he questioned every unusual customer, he would be dead by now.
Heaven Dou City is the most prosperous city on the Douluo Continent, without exception, even surpassing Star Luo City.
Every street is over ten meters wide, and the main thoroughfares are dozens of meters wide, with a smooth surface, allowing carriages to travel quickly.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the southern city gate, seeing the hundred-meter-high city walls and the gate itself, ten meters high and wide.
It wasn't completely dark yet, the gate wasn't closed, and there were no guards stopping or checking people.
Clearly, the avalanche's destruction hadn't been exposed, or rather, news of the arrest hadn't reached the city gates.
Xuan Yuan Qingli and Feng Fei left the city unharmed.
After walking half a mile, they got off the carriage and said to the driver, "Drive the carriage to Blazing City in the south tonight and deliver a letter to Huo Wu at Blazing Academy.
Bring back a reply, and that gold soul coin will be yours."
The driver was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry, Miss, I will personally deliver the letter to Huo Wu.
But where will I find you after I bring back the reply?"
"Don't look for me.
You keep it. Someone will come to you for it."
"Okay, Miss, wait for my good news."
The driver was afraid that Xuan Yuan Qingli would change her mind.
One gold soul coin was enough for a family of three to live on for several months.
This one delivery was equivalent to more than half a month's income for him.
After Xuan Yuan Qingli finished writing the letter, the driver hurriedly drove the carriage towards Blazing City, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
"Li'er, you know people from Blazing Fire City? Is that Fire Dancer your friend?"
Feng Fei was bewildered.
His Highness had never left the palace; how could he know people hundreds of miles away?
Xuan Yuan Qingli led Feng Fei eastward, saying, "I don't know any Fire Dancer. This is just a feint.
If we didn't say that, the coachman might have slipped away and returned halfway, not giving us enough time."
"Your Highness, you're so clever! Is this what people call a feint? Blazing Fire City is in the south.
The carriage is leading the pursuers south, so we should head north.
Why are we heading east?"
Although Feng Fei was clever, she still couldn't quite grasp His Highness's thinking.
"You think this way, and the pursuers think the same way, so the north will be more dangerous.
Heading east is better."
Xuan Yuan Qingli only needed to delay for a day or two.
Then he could easily hide in some corner, making it as easy as finding a needle in a haystack.
After walking for a while, it was completely dark.
Nighttime wasn't suitable for travel, but to get as far away from Tiandou City as possible, he still didn't plan to stop.
"See if there's anything for lighting or food in here,"
Xuan Yuan Qingli said, handing over the longevity lock again.
Feng Fei looked through it for a moment, then her face lit up with joy: "There's a soul-guided crystal lamp, and all sorts of pastries and snacks—things I've never seen before."
"That's good then."
Xuan Yuan Qingli felt relieved and immediately had Feng Fei take out the food.
After they had eaten their fill, they activated the crystal lamp with their soul power.
The colorful lights illuminated their path, and the two continued eastward.
(End of Chapter)