Arriving in the jungle beneath Tian Road, she was just about to leap upward when a very familiar voice came from above: "Here, she can't escape even if she had wings!"
It was Sophie Sun!
"Does that mine really have only one exit?" another voice asked.
This voice belonged to Grace Wan.
"Of course! There’s no other way out," Sophie Sun replied. "By now, the air inside should be gone. Even if she’s not dead, she’s barely hanging on!"
"Miss Sun really knows how to get things done," Grace Wan said, sounding especially pleased.
"You’re pretty clever yourself!" Sophie Sun answered. "But with her cultivation so high, how did you manage to track her without being noticed?"
Grace Wan chuckled. "That’s because I planted a Tracking Rune in her body! I know her every move!"
"Tracking Rune? I didn’t expect Lady Blue Moon to know that kind of magic!"
"Oh, just a little bit," Grace Wan replied modestly.
...
Both groups chatted happily and left together...
Only now did Grace realize it hadn’t been a coincidence.
They had known all along that she’d gone into the mine!
They’d already joined forces to kill her...
Grace Wan thought she was trapped underground, so she probably wouldn’t bother tracking her for now.
She had to hurry and find Bianca Whitefan (Shannon)! She needed her help to remove the talisman from her body...
...
Imperial Advisor's Manor.
Bianca Whitefan (Shannon) was helping Grace remove the talisman.
Cutie Pie curled up on the table, watching.
Leon Zane sat quietly on the other side, saying nothing.
Grace thought Leon Zane was acting a bit strange.
She’d barged into his manor in the middle of the night, disturbing his sleep—he ought to be full of complaints and all sorts of annoyance.
But right now, he just sat there, quietly watching Bianca Whitefan (Shannon) remove the talisman from her, without saying a word.
"All done!" Bianca Whitefan (Shannon) pulled a ball of ghostly red light from her body and snuffed it out.
"Will Grace Wan be able to sense it?" Grace asked.
"She won’t be able to sense you anymore. She’ll probably assume you’re dead," Bianca Whitefan (Shannon) replied.
Grace nodded. "I didn’t expect her to know how to use talismans! Is she a Rune Master too?"
Bianca Whitefan (Shannon) shook her head. "She’s not a Rune Master... If I’m right, she activated the Protective Talisman inside her, gained some talisman power, and then used a few ready-made talismans she had lying around. That’s how she pulled it off."
"Her Protective Talisman is ridiculously strong. Even Evan Xiao couldn’t hurt her," Grace said. "Do you have any ideas?"
Bianca Whitefan (Shannon) thought for a moment. "With my current cultivation, I can’t remove the talisman from her body."
Grace frowned.
"But I can set up a magical array. If we can lure her into it, her Protective Talisman will be temporarily disabled," Bianca Whitefan (Shannon) said.
"Got it! Thanks, Bianca Whitefan (Shannon)!"
Bianca Whitefan (Shannon) shook her head. "Go wash up! I’ve already told the servants to heat water. Just look at how filthy you are!"
Grace nodded and looked at Leon Zane. "Imperial Advisor, I’m sorry for disturbing you!"
Leon Zane glanced at her. "What good is just saying sorry? You have to compensate me."
"How should I compensate you?" Grace asked.
"You woke me up and ruined my beauty sleep! If I lose my looks, I’ll mess up my matchmaking prospects. So, you owe me a wife!"
"A wife, huh?" Grace’s eyes lit up. "That’s easy! The Zhu family has plenty of girls—you can have as many as you want! I’m sure they’d all be interested in a brilliant and heroic Imperial Advisor like you!"
"I’m not interested in those ordinary girls!"
"So who do you have your eye on? I can help you win her over!"