At that, silence fell completely outside the lodgings.
If the Chief Envoy of Xiqi returned inside, he would have a chance to pass word, switch people, and destroy evidence.
The Grand Preceptor's Residence did not give him that chance.
The Chief Envoy of Xiqi's Adam's apple bobbed.
The servants behind him did not dare move either.
In the end, the older servant went inside and brought out a roll listing the gate attendants.
The Registrar took it in the street.
The register was unrolled.
Qing San's entry was neatly written.
His birthplace, the date he entered service, the small relay gate he oversaw, his night shifts—it was all there.
But there was also an alteration under Qing San's name.
It should originally have read "receiving couriers from outside relay stations."
Someone had scraped away a layer and changed it to "odd jobs and hauling firewood."
The Relay Station Chief ran a fingertip over it.
"Freshly scraped."
The Registrar asked, "When was this changed?"
The Chief Envoy of Xiqi did not answer.
He could not.
The clerk, the gate attendant, the relay box, the courier slips, the list, the contacts outside the city, the altered register.
He could blame each one on his subordinates.
But every one of them came through the Xiqi Lodge's small relay gate.
Before Golden Turtle Island, Bi Xiao slapped the edge of the table.
"Satisfying."
"This time, there's no need to ask whether they admit it in their hearts."
Holy Mother Guiling sneered.
"The people, the papers, the box, the list—they're all out in the street."
"Let me see them try denying another one."
Zhao Xuan watched Chaoge's long street, but his voice was very low.
"This is what sows chaos in the mortal world."
"First, find out whose family has had no letters."
"Then, find