The night was as dark as ink.
The stench of blood still seemed to linger in my nostrils.
Lu Chen's figure rose and fell between the eaves and alleyways.
With each exertion, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through my ribs and shoulders.
He forced himself to push the < Shadow Demon Trace Steps > to its limit, and like a wisp of smoke about to dissipate, he sped towards the inconspicuous general store in the south of the city.
The grocery store had already closed, its wooden doors tightly shut.
Instead of going through the main entrance, Lu Chen went around to the back alley and, following the code Clerk Chen had given him, rhythmically knocked seven times on an inconspicuous little window.
After a moment of silence, the small window slid open silently, revealing a pair of wary eyes.
Upon seeing that it was Lu Chen, his eyes widened slightly in surprise, then he gestured for him to wait a moment.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the side gate to the backyard quietly opened a crack.
"Come in quickly," Clerk Chen's low voice came, tinged with a hint of nervousness.
Lu Chen slipped inside, and the door immediately closed behind him.
There were no lights on in the courtyard; only the moonlight outlined the shapes of the clutter.
Clerk Chen led him quickly toward a seemingly abandoned well in the corner of the courtyard.
Remove the disguise from the well opening to reveal the downward-facing steps.
Inside the enclosed room, the dim light cast a yellowish glow over the limited space.
Lu Chen took off his blood-stained outer robe, revealing a crisscrossing network of wounds beneath.
The spot on his shoulder where Ye Hong had struck him was a dark purple, and the broken ribs were swollen high, causing him excruciating pain with every breath.
He circulated his profound internal energy to barely suppress his churning Qi and Blood, but his face was still frighteningly pale.
After waiting for about half an hour, another hidden door in the secret chamber slid open, Sixth Prince, Xiao Jingyan, strode in.
He was still dressed in simple, ordinary clothes, but a deep gloom hung over his brows, and the dark circles under his eyes showed that he had also been up all night.
"Brother Lu, you..." Xiao Jingyan's pupils contracted slightly when he saw the injuries on Lu Chen's body. "The commotion at the west city warehouse... it really was you..."
Without wasting words, Lu Chen pushed the black-covered notebook in front of Xiao Jingyan. "Your Highness, please take a look at this first."
Xiao Jingyan took a deep breath, sat down opposite Lu Chen, and opened his notebook in the dim light.
The only sound in the sealed room was the rustling of pages turning.
As time went on, Xiao Jingyan's expression grew increasingly grim, and his knuckles turned white from gripping the book pages so tightly.
When he saw the records about " Blood Food " and the hastily and frantically written words " Blood Demon True Lord," his breathing suddenly quickened, and he slammed the notebook shut.
" Blood-Eyed Demon Wolf... Blood Demon Cult's secret technique... How dare they!" Xiao Jingyan's voice was filled with barely suppressed anger and a hint of trembling. "In the Capital City, right under the Emperor's nose, they've committed such an outrageous act! The Ye Family... they're severing themselves from the world!"
Lu Chen took a sip of the warm water prepared by Clerk Chen to moisten his dry throat before slowly saying, "The evidence is here. What does Your Highness intend to do? Will you report it to His Majesty immediately, or...?"
"No!" Xiao Jingyan categorically rejected the idea. He stood up and paced anxiously in the cramped room. "Brother Lu, you're oversimplifying things. This notebook alone can't shake the Ye Family's foundation, much less the people behind them."
He stopped and looked sharply at Lu Chen: "Are you aware that, taking advantage of their control over the tribute from Jiangnan, the Ye Family has been sending a steady stream of unusual creatures into the palace for the past six months under the guise of offering rare and exotic beasts for His Majesty's enjoyment?"
Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately thought of the Blood-Eyed Demon Wolf: "Your Highness means..."
"Nine out of ten of those so-called rare birds and beasts are demons created using the Secret Method of the Blood Demon Cult, just like the Blood Eye recorded in this notebook!" Xiao Jingyan's tone was as cold as ice. "And the one responsible for receiving, inspecting, and even arranging the destination of these tributes is none other than Liu Jin, the Grand Eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, the Chief Directorate of Ceremonial, and deeply trusted by the Emperor!"
" Liu Jin ..." Lu Chen repeated the name.
A powerful eunuch who could almost rival the Grand Secretary.
If he gets involved, the web is far larger and more terrifying than anyone can imagine.
" Liu Jin had cultivated his influence in the palace for many years, and his cronies were spread throughout the inner court."
"Without solid evidence, relying solely on a notebook of unknown origin, we will not only fail to bring him down, but we will also alert him and bring about our own destruction," Xiao Jingyan said in a deep voice. "We need a more complete chain of evidence, we need to know where these tributes were ultimately sent and what they were used for! We need to find evidence of direct collusion Liu Jin and the Ye Family, and with the Ghostface Organization!"
He walked up to Lu Chen, his eyes filled with complex emotions—admiration mixed with a heavy heart. "Brother Lu, you've broken through a thin veil, but you've also placed yourself at the very center of a dangerous vortex. The Ye Family will never let this go; their counterattack will be devastating."
Xiao Jingyan took out an object from his bosom; it was a palm-sized, cool-to-the-touch token.
The token is made of neither gold nor wood, and has a simple shape. On the front is a vigorous Chinese character "Qian" engraved, and on the back is a five-clawed dragon pattern looming in the clouds and mist. The dragon's eye seems to be inlaid with some kind of dark red tiny crystal stone, which glows faintly under the light.
"This is the Hidden Dragon Token." Xiao Jingyan solemnly placed the token in Lu Chen's uninjured hand. "It's not some grand military seal, but rather a collection of spies I've planted over many years. There are only about thirty of them, scattered throughout the Capital City's various social circles. They excel at infiltration, espionage, and tracking, and they also possess some special... skills. With this token, they might be able to lend you a hand in a crucial moment. As for how to contact them, there's a hidden mark on the back of the token; you can sense it by activating your True Qi energy."
Upon receiving the token, the cool sensation intensified, and there was even a faint, strange warmth attempting to penetrate along the meridians.
Lu Chen subtly used his internal energy to block the probe and put away the token. "Thank you, Your Highness."
The moment the token was put into his pocket, a strange thing happened!
The Hidden Dragon Token seemed to be activated by some force, suddenly becoming scorching hot!
A surge of heat, far more pronounced than before and carrying a hint of Savage Wilderness energy, forcefully pierced through his clothes and True Qi, heading straight for the depths of his Dantian!