Chapter 76 Leaving the Courtyard

She gently picked Honghong up and settled onto the bed with the little bird resting comfortably in her lap. Honghong remained fast asleep as Xue Yao absentmindedly stroked her soft feathers.

"Look at you," she murmured with a helpless smile. "The whole world could collapse, and you’d probably sleep through it."

Honghong didn’t react in the slightest.

Xue Yao sighed and leaned back against the wall before closing her eyes, hoping sleep would come if she stopped thinking.

Well, it didn’t. The moment she closed her eyes, Lie Lang’s face appeared in her mind again. ’What was that supposed to be? He rushed in here, pinned me to the wall, stared at me like I was about to explode, then left without saying a single word. Did he come to threaten me? To scare me? To make sure I was still alive? Don’t tell me he really came all the way here just to look at my face... No, that’s impossible. He’s strange, but surely not that strange. Then what was it? Ugh... why is he so difficult to understand?’

She rolled onto her side, then onto her back again before staring at the ceiling with a tired expression. ’Forget it. Every time I try to understand that wolf, I end up with more questions than answers. Thinking about him isn’t helping me sleep anyway. I’d rather think about roasted chicken than him.’

She closed her eyes once more, determined to ignore everything that had happened that evening, but the silence only made her thoughts louder. Before she knew it, she was replaying every moment again...from the Dragon Golden Fish, to the apology by the pond, to the way he’d looked at her just now. ’No... I definitely don’t understand him. Not even a little.’

Time passed without her noticing. She turned over so many times that even the bed sheets now looked like they had been used for more than a week without smothering it out.

Xue Yao opened one eye just in time to watch Honghong move slightly in her arms. "You are getting better, aren’t you?" she mumbled with joy, earning absolutely no response.

By the time she admitted defeat and sat up, the room had already begun to brighten with the pale gray light of dawn. She stretched lazily before glancing toward the other side of the bed, only to realize the clone had vanished completely.

There were no broken pieces or traces of spiritual energy left behind, as though it had never existed in the first place. "So it really does have a time limit, or did Little Ancestor take it as he left," she murmured to herself. "That must be it as I didn’t notice it earlier when I returned."

A faint rustling sound drifted in from beyond the rear wall of the courtyard. Xue Yao immediately became alert, though this time she wasn’t nervous. Instead, the corners of her lips lifted into a small smile. ’Right on time.’ With a single thought, Honghong disappeared into the Beast Taming Space. "Stay there for now," she whispered before quietly slipping outside.

Little Ancestor was already waiting beneath the wall. Unlike the day before, he wasn’t grinning proudly or waving both arms to get her attention. His ears flicked once as he cautiously looked around the courtyard, making sure none of the servants were nearby.

Satisfied that the coast was clear, he reached into his sleeve, took out the small wooden figurine, and activated it. Soft silver light flowed from the treasure and gradually gathered into a familiar figure until another Xue Yao stood silently before them, looking so identical that even the faint bruise around her neck and wrist had been copied perfectly.

Xue Yao walked around the clone once before shaking her head. "I can never get used to this," she whispered, though she couldn’t deny how useful it was.

Together, they carried the motionless figure back into the room. She tucked it beneath the blanket, adjusted the pillow until it looked as though someone was sleeping naturally, then stepped back to inspect her work from the doorway. After studying it from several angles, she nodded with satisfaction. "It should fool them for a while."

Little Ancestor put the figurine away before handing her a neatly wrapped cloth bundle. "Wear these," he said quietly.

Xue Yao stared at him for a moment longer. She could feel his emotions, he was still mad from the previous night.

Xue Yao accepted it without asking any questions and disappeared behind the folding screen. By the time she stepped back out a short while later she was in simple dark hunting clothes, sturdy boots, and a leather belt fastened securely around her waist.

She rolled her shoulders a couple of times before looking down at herself. ’Much better. I can actually move in these. If I’d gone climbing mountains dressed like yesterday, I’d probably trip over my own sleeves before seeing a single beast.’

Little Ancestor looked her over from head to toe before giving an approving nod. "You look like one of the hunters now."

"Let’s hope everyone else thinks the same," Xue Yao replied as she tied back the last loose strand of hair. ’And let’s hope nobody remembers what the Alpha’s runaway Royal Concubine looks like from a distance. That would really ruin the mood.’

"We should get going now." Little Ancestor said curtly.

"Sure." Xue Yao replied, glancing at him. She bit her lower lip wondering if she was truly wrong for reacting the way she did the previous night.

But she couldn’t bring herself to say anything more. The two of them climbed onto the courtyard wall using the tree branch as their anchor. Little Ancestor climbed out first before XueYao followed closely behind him.

Little Ancestor jumped down before turning back to offer her a hand. Xue Yao took it, carefully lowered herself to the ground, and landed beside him without making much noise. At almost the exact same moment, the first cry of a crow echoed across the fortress, and the faint glow of dawn began to spread over the distant mountains.