Li Zhao had now moved into the dormitories of Wen Long Academy after his mother's death, Madam Li was glad to be rid of him in the mansion. In Wen Long Academy the boys and the girls would be separated into their own large shared dormitories averaging 8 students to a room. An Hao on the other hand had converted the nursing station into her own personal room filling the shelves with her huge collection of medical manuals which the school agreed to, to make brewing medicines and studies convenient for their medical prodigy.
Li Zhao came by and knocked on the door quietly, then hearing no movement, went in to see the room empty.
Li Zhao was not surprised, ever since An Hao and him became intimate, he instinctively felt he could locate An Hao by feeling, it was like he had become entangled into her aura. His instincts told him she was somewhere in the city center, even before he reached her room. He snuck out of Wen Long Academy, into the dark streets as he walked forward trying to feel where his instincts would lead him, a dark figure came out of the corner. Li Zhao turned around to find Yang Bei.
Yang Bei surprised asked "Li Zhao?"
Li Zhao nodded then asked "Have you seen An Hao?"
Yang Bei was a little stunned, he had been out here also hoping he would bump into An Hao again.
Yang Bei walked forward "You are looking for An Hao? I haven't seen her"
Li Zhao nodded and was about to continue walking before Yang Bei called out "May I ask why are you searching for her?"
Li Zhao looked annoyed "It's none of your business"
Li Zhao then continued forward.
Yang Bei followed at a little distance behind
Li Zhao turned around "Why are you still following me"
Yang Bei smiled "If you are searching for An Hao late at night like this then I must help"
Li Zhao saw how Yang Bei looked at An Hao and was suspicious of his intentions "You can go home, this is none of your concern"
Yang Bei walked closer to Li Zhao "I insist, if she is in danger, two eyes are better than one"
Li Zhao looked at Yang Bei and reluctantly agreed.
Li Zhao's instincts pointed him towards the imperial palace.
Yang Bei was kind of clueless to where Li Zhao was going but just followed behind as he respected Li Zhao enough to have good reason for heading this way.
When they came upon the large palace walls, he could see a large building with an intricate tiled arching roof behind it in the distance. Li Zhao pointed to the building telling Yang Bei, "I know she is in there"
Yang Bei looked at Li Zhao confused "That's the imperial library"
As they walked along the wall they reached a large closed gate with two imperial guards in front.
The guard looked to them and yelled "Hey! what are you boys doing out so late? You better go home now!"
Li Zhao and Yang Bei bowed and Li Zhao asked "We are looking for our friend, would you happened to have seen a beautiful girl about this height walk by tonight"
The guard smiled, thinking this must have been a matter of the heart, the drama of youth. "No we haven't seen anyone, you boys better go home, the girl will come find you when she is not angry anymore" looking at the two handsome boys, thinking most likely the girl would come back to them.
The guard then sighed to himself thinking how nice it must be to be young and handsome again.
Li Zhao and Yang Bei looked at each other then back to the guard and nodded in agreement to appease suspicion.
They both then ran further down the wall until the guard was out of sight. Yang Bei then pointed to a grand ancient tree that had branches high enough to reach the top of the wall. "You think An Hao could have entered from that tree?"
Li Zhao knew the wall was too tall for even their own lightness kung fu to climb but with the tree it was possible to hop over from a top branch, however as far as he knew An Hao couldn't perform lightness kung fu, "An Hao lost her internal chi when she was young, she can't do lightness kung fu"
Yang Bei confused "Are you sure? I had met her last night by accident and she suddenly left in an instant, it could only be possible if she had great kung fu"
Li Zhao looked at him suspiciously "What do you mean you met her last night?"
Yang Bei then explained how he was walking late at night similar to tonight and ran into An Hao being stalked by some creep, and how he saved her, skipping over any details regarding how An Hao caressed his lips and pressed against him from behind. ..."An Hao just suddenly vanished in an instant, I jumped onto the roof to look for her but she was gone, her lightness kung fu must have been on a another level than mine"
Li Zhao thought to himself, had An Hao been keeping her internal kung fu hidden all this time? He to had felt the weird internal energy coming from An Hao, but he chalked up to the non marital arts kind that was cultivated from her intense studying of medicine.
Just then a shadow could be seen running across the roof of the Imperial Library.
As Li Zhao turned his head to look, Yang Bei also focused on what he was looking at and saw the faint black figure running across the tile arches.
Li Zhao pulled out a cloth from his pocket and tied it around his face to cover his features.
Yang Bei looked at Li Zhao in concern whispering "What are you doing!..This is the Imperial Palace!"
Li Zhao ignored him and ran up the tree and hopped across the wall.
Yang Bei, unsure where this feeling of loyalty was coming from also tied a cloth around his face and ran up the tree and hopped over the wall landing beside Li Zhao in a crouched position.