Xiao Xiao responded and quickly withdrew.
Due to the urgency of the situation, she personally led her men there. However, much to her surprise, when they arrived, it was already too late.
The maid planted beside Concubine Rui looked pale. "Aunt Xiao, just as you left, Concubine Rui sent someone to take that maid away."
Hearing this, Xiao Xiao's face fell. "How could it be so fast? Isn't Concubine Rui afraid that we'll come back?"
"That maid had served Concubine Rui for years and suffered a great deal. Maybe death was a relief for her."
Frowning, Xiao Xiao said, "Don't forget why the Empress Dowager sent you here. What you just said is inappropriate. If you don't know your place, don't blame me for punishing you next time."
The young maid realized her mistake and turned pale. She quickly knelt on the ground.
"Aunt, please forgive me. I'll never forget the Empress Dowager's kindness. I'll never pity others again."
Xiao Xiao was surprised that the maid still didn't understand her mistake. For someone planted beside others, stupidity could be costly.
She scolded angrily, "You fool! You're going to endanger the Empress Dowager. If you can't do this job, I'll replace you."
The young maid was so frightened that she kept apologizing. Xiao Xiao sighed and helped her up.
"I don't want this to happen again."
"I know I was wrong. Aunt, what should we do next?"
Xiao Xiao thought for a moment and made a decision. "Concubine Rui must need a new maid now. It might be tough. You've seen how she treats her maids. Are you willing to give it a try?"
The maid was excited. She knew this was Aunt Xiao's way of grooming her. If she could complete this task, she might gain the Empress Dowager's favor.
Without hesitation, she replied, "Thank you, Aunt, for giving me this chance. Don't worry. I'll never let you down."
Xiao Xiao got the approximate location. She didn't hold much hope when she rushed there, but the result was unexpected.
It seemed that even the God of Death couldn't take those who were determined to live.
Looking at the struggling figure on the mass grave, Xiao Xiao's eyes showed admiration.
"Only someone like this deserves to serve the master. Go and save her."
The shadow guards moved quickly. Just as several wolves were about to pounce on the maid, they intervened in time.
The maid heaved a sigh of relief but still looked warily at the sudden appearance of the black - clothed men. "Who are you? What do you want from me? I'm just a dying woman with nothing worth your while."
Her fearful eyes amused Xiao Xiao.
"You weren't this scared in front of Concubine Rui. Why are you so afraid of them? Is it because they've killed people?"
Hearing the familiar voice behind her, the maid burst into tears. Seeing Xiao Xiao, she felt as if she had seen a savior.
She immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed.
"Aunt Xiao, did the Empress Dowager send you to save me? Please, I don't want to die. If Concubine Rui knows I'm still alive, she'll surely kill me."
"Humph, you're quite self - aware and know how terrifying that woman is. But how do you know the Empress Dowager will help you? It's not worth her while to oppose the concubine for a mere maid."
The maid understood the hidden meaning in her words. She bit her lip and took out something from her bosom.
"Although Concubine Rui has hidden it well, and I don't know much after all these years by her side, this thing could be a great help for the Empress Dowager to bring down the concubine."
Xiao Xiao raised an eyebrow and took the ordinary jade hairpin from her hand.
At first glance, there was nothing special about the hairpin. She was annoyed, wondering if the maid was trying to deceive her.
"You think this useless thing can bribe the Empress Dowager? Do you really think the Empress Dowager is so easy - going?"
The maid knew that the special feature of the hairpin couldn't be seen from the surface. Fortunately, she had studied it carefully before.
She stood up, turned the hairpin over, and pointed to a hidden part.
"Aunt, don't you find it strange? Normally, this part of the hairpin should be curved, but it's flat and feels uneven."
Xiao Xiao had studied hair ornaments to help the Empress Dowager choose the right ones. Looking closely, she found it really was so.
Frowning, based on her years of experience as a killer, she had a hunch. She gently pressed her fingertip, and the hairpin made a sound.
She wanted to throw the hairpin away at first, as most mechanisms in hairpins were for assassination. But seeing the maid's expectant face, she forced herself to keep her hand on it.
Then, a wonderful scene appeared. No one knew what the designer was thinking, but there was a token hidden in the small hairpin.
However, the token looked strange. At least in all her years in this business, she had never seen anything like it.
Looking at the strange maple - leaf - shaped thing, she was puzzled. "Although the thing in the hairpin is amazing, it's not that special. If you can't prove your worth, I'll have to finish what Concubine Rui started."
After all, the maid had seen so many shadow guards. If she ran back and told Concubine Rui, it would be a threat to the Empress Dowager. She would never allow such a thing to happen.
The maid quickly said, "Look closely at the characters on the maple leaf. Doesn't it look like a newly - emerged killer organization in the Jianghu? Don't you remember anything?"
Reminded by the maid, Xiao Xiao looked at the character "Fan" on the maple leaf. Her mind raced, and she remembered a familiar name.
"Fan Zhen, a rising star in the Jianghu. He's extremely mysterious, and no one in the Jianghu has ever seen his face. He uses his surname as a token."