You don't want your secret to be revealed by others, right?

``` The night wind quietly weaved through the surroundings, carrying a whiff of blood, causing the flames of the torches outside the estate to flicker slightly. Inside the courtyard, a slightly emaciated young man stood in front of a house. Under the pale moonlight, it was evident that his body was covered in fresh blood, with his face also stained with blood. From this angle, only Baili Fengzhi and Vice Commander Chu could see inside the courtyard. To ordinary people, this faint light might not reveal much, but the two of them saw everything clearly and recognized the young man at once—he was Xia Lie who had vanished three months ago! Xia Lie's figure appeared slightly unsteady as he walked to the front courtyard door, lifting a hand weakly and beckoning to Baili Fengzhi, "Commander Baili, come over here to the courtyard door." "Sir?" Vice Commander Chu couldn't help but look towards Baili Fengzhi. The situation seemed eerily strange, and it was not yet certain that this person was indeed Xia Lie. At least as a martial cultivator, based solely on the heartbeat, breathing, and other signs, he couldn't distinguish whether it was true or false. "The aura of vitality is indeed that of Xia Lie." Baili Fengzhi spoke softly and without hesitation, she walked towards the courtyard door. Everyone's aura of vitality is unique. Although with advancements in the cultivation realm the aura can grow more powerful and robust, its essence remains unchanged—it is the most unique existence of a person. Of course, she also knew that an aura of vitality could be faked. But that would entail either some unusual divine skills or some extremely precious treasures. Therefore, she still needed to observe more to be certain. "Yes, I'll come right over." The dark red cloak danced in the night wind, with silver armor pieces clinking gently against each other. Baili Fengzhi, with her long legs, moved with a graceful gait that covered the ground quickly, taking only a few steps to reach the front courtyard door. The two were only about ten feet apart, separated by just the threshold of a courtyard door. Baili Fengzhi briefly surveyed Xia Lie, then knelt on one knee, respectfully saying, "Please forgive my transgressions, Princely Heir. The Prince entrusted me with your safety, and I failed my duty, only locating you today. Please punish me as you see fit!" "Hmm?" Xia Lie frowned at Baili Fengzhi and couldn't help saying, "Baili Fengzhi, what the hell are you talking about? Have you lost your mind? What's this about a Prince and a Princely Heir?" Suddenly, as if he just realized something, his face turned cold, "Are you testing me? You don't believe me?" Upon hearing this, Baili Fengzhi let out a slight sigh of relief. Apart from her, only Xia Lie knew that she was a Prince. The others present, even if they saw the marvel of the bloodline awakening moments earlier, could not immediately determine whether it was the Prince or the progeny of the Prince, or even perhaps someone of lower status. The root of the Xiahong family's bloodline, the first generation, is naturally the God Emperor. His progeny, that is, the Prince, is the second generation, whose awakening could cause a marvel throughout the entire Yong Realm. The progeny of the Prince, being the third generation, also present a tremendous marvel for their bloodline awakening, capable of causing a natural marvel over a whole province. Even the Fourth Generation Awakening could influence an entire county, and though its power is lesser, those among the common mortals who have never witnessed it might find it difficult to discern. That's why she tested him in such a way. If the person disguising as Xia Lie was unaware of the secret that Xia Lie was a Prince, seeing her kneel so respectfully immediately might deceive him into thinking it was true. And this demeanor, this tone... it was indeed indistinguishable from Xia Lie's. "I'm sorry." Baili Fengzhi immediately lowered her head a bit, saying, "I only wished to prevent an imposter from usurping your identity, hence the test. Please do not blame me." Xia Lie's expression darkened as he looked at her, "Pretending to be me? Commander Baili, do you plan to continue testing me?" Having said that, he suddenly, in a fit of anger, strode briskly over to Baili Fengzhi and seized the collar of her war robe. He sneered coldly, "Come on, you want to verify the truth, right? I'll let you check as you please now. Should I strip naked and hang up so you can inspect every inch? Huh?" The surrounding personal guards' expressions shifted slightly upon seeing this. Their esteemed commander was being grabbed by the collar and loudly rebuked by someone, and although the person was a distinguished member of the Imperial Family, it still made those who shared their pride and disgrace somewhat uncomfortable. Yet Baili Fengzhi was not angry, instead she simply bowed her head and said solemnly, "I know my mistake, please forgive me." "Forgive you?" Xia Lie suddenly slapped Baili Fengzhi across the face, with a sharp "smack" echoing through the quiet night. The auras of the surrounding personal guards shifted at once. But beneath her silver mask, Baili Fengzhi's eyes remained unaltered as she raised her head to look at Xia Lie, softly speaking, "My Lord, please be careful with your hand." Xia Lie instantly released her collar, and the hand that had slapped her began to tremble, his face twisting with pain. The slap had landed on her hard mask. "Good, very good." Xia Lie pointed at her face, his chest heaving with anger, "Do you have any idea what I've been through during this time? It took you so long to find me? And now you dare to treat me like this?" The surrounding officers and soldiers fell silent as cicadas in winter, and even filled with dissatisfaction, none dared to speak out. Baili Fengzhi spoke slowly, "I admit my guilt, please punish me." With a cold hum, Xia Lie glared at her and said, "I know you won't agree to reveal your mask and be slapped. Are you going to continue with your test?" ```