Cold mountains slowly turned deep green and autumn waters flowed day by day.

In the blink of an eye.

Another month had quietly slipped through her fingers.

Without realizing it, autumn of that year had already arrived.

During these days, Jiang Zirou had thought the Third Prince had only come by chance that one time.

What she had not expected.

Was that in the short span of a single month that the Third Prince actually came to the Sutra Repository Pavilion seven or eight times.

Fortunately, each time he came, the Third Prince would bring Jiang Zirou some snacks and pastries carefully prepared by the palace chefs.

Because of that, Jiang Zirou did not feel that this brother by blood was disturbing her cultivation.

That afternoon, a little guest she had not seen for quite some time once again appeared in Jiang Zirou’s line of sight inside the Sutra Repository Pavilion.

“Big sister, do you know where babies come from?”

The Seventh Imperial Grandson was three years younger than Jiang Zirou.

Yet he was a full head shorter.

He looked tiny, tilting his chubby face up as he stood before Jiang Zirou, staring at her eagerly.

“Where babies come from… why are you asking that?”

Jiang Zirou could not help wanting to pinch his cheeks.

But she suddenly remembered that this was inside the imperial palace with guards watching everywhere.

So she quietly moved her little hand up to her lips and gave a light cough.

“A-ye (father) said my mother is going to give me another little brother or little sister… Mm, it would be great if it was a little brother, then we could go horse racing and play cuju (football) together in the future… Right, big sister, do you know how to play cuju?”

Without waiting for Jiang Zirou to answer.

The little fatty fiddled with his fingers and continued talking to himself.

Jiang Zirou shook her head.

Indicating that a dignified Grandmaster expert had no interest in kicking a leather ball around with a little brat.

As for where babies came from…

Jiang Zirou pondered for a moment, pressed her lips together and replied with a rather serious tone.

“Of course, I know where babies come from! At night a big bird comes and delivers the baby, placing it into the mother’s belly.”

“Then where does the big bird come from? And how does it carry the babies?”

“That you will have to ask your A-ye.”

Jiang Zirou sighed softly.

She wondered why little brats always had so many strange questions.

Hearing Jiang Zirou’s answer.

The Seventh Imperial Grandson nodded as if he understood yet did not understand. After playing with his fingers for a while, he put on his hat, waved goodbye to Jiang Zirou and under the guidance of the nearby guards left toward the depths of the palace.

* * *

A few days later.

The familiar golden nanmu carriage returned to the front of the Sutra Repository Pavilion surrounded by guards, eunuchs and palace maids.

As usual, the Third Prince spent the entire morning in the Sutra Repository Pavilion.

Demon and Monster Record

Near noon, Jiang Zirou handed him this ancient book the Third Prince had been searching for.

The Third Prince carefully accepted it.

After turning two pages, he gently closed it again.

“Jiang Zirou… do you think demons and monsters truly exist in this world?”

The Third Prince’s fair and handsome face was filled with exhaustion.

His eyes were completely bloodshot.

“Since Grandmasters exist in this world, martial experts who cannot be judged by common sense, then the existence of creatures like demons and monsters is not entirely impossible.”

If it had been a month earlier.

Jiang Zirou definitely would not have answered such questions that went beyond her station.

However, after spending the past month with this nominal older brother.

On some matters, Jiang Zirou would now try offering her own thoughts and views.

With the experiences of her previous life and the years of extensive reading in the Sutra Repository Pavilion.

On many issues.

The way Jiang Zirou analyzed problems and the conclusions she reached often made this future emperor’s eyes light up.

“I see, is that so?”

The Third Prince nodded.

Then he removed the jade bracelet from his wrist and placed it into Jiang Zirou’s hand.

“This jade bracelet was a gift from Father Emperor to me. Today I am passing it on to you. It is an imperial token. With this bracelet on you, no one in the palace will dare treat you with disrespect.”

“Hm?”

Jiang Zirou was about to decline.

But the Third Prince had already taken her right hand and gently slipped the bracelet onto her wrist.

“See, it suits you very well. By the way, three days from now I will go to the back mountain to hold a memorial for our ancestors. If you have time, come along with me.”

* * *

Three days later.

Jiang Zirou and the Third Prince rode in a carriage to the back mountain behind the imperial capital.

After new rain on the empty mountain, the late-autumn air was cool.

Although it was already autumn, the scenery on the back mountain was still quite beautiful.

The trees were lush and a small bridge arched over a murmuring stream.

The air carried a fresh, natural fragrance.

Because the Third Prince was still not the emperor.

This memorial could only be considered a private event. It was not large and not many people knew about it.

The two of them travelled along the mountain path.

Only a few eunuchs and guards followed at their sides.

When they reached the summit.

A massive palace hall appeared before them.

Jagged rocks surrounded the area and in a clear pool various weapons were submerged. Their cold, gleaming blades were coated with a faint, blood-like dark red.

Upon arriving here.

A pressure emerged from nowhere and settled on everyone present. The surrounding temperature seemed to drop noticeably.

Some of the young eunuchs serving nearby began to shiver.

“Imperial Younger Sister, do you know who is buried within this hall?”

“Hehe, this is the first time I have called you ‘younger sister’. If you do not mind, we can address each other as brother and sister in private.”

Jiang Zirou froze.

Her gaze toward the Third Prince grew gentler, but she still did not address him as older brother.

Although she had already guessed the answer in her heart, she still shook her head.

“I do not know.”

“Our Imperial Granduncle is buried here.”

“The Old Prince… wasn’t he in seclusion?”

Jiang Zirou had not expected that the Old Prince, who had been hailed as the number one in the world and War God of the Central Plains, had already passed on.

“Perhaps.”