Elder Palace's Hidden Hand Entered the Northern Territory, and Iron Furnace Town Began to Descend into Chaos

Gray Stone Post lay thirty li north of Iron Furnace Town.

It was called a post station, but it had long since fallen half into ruin.

After the trade routes of the Heaven Dou Northern Territory declined, only a few dilapidated stables, an old well, and two or three households scraping by on hot soup and fodder remained.

Early in the morning, just as dawn broke.

A cargo wagon draped in gray cloth slowly approached from the direction of Iron Furnace Town.

Its wheels creaked over the frozen dirt road.

Tie Qing sat on the driver's bench, pale-faced, both hands clenched tightly around the reins.

A woman sat inside the carriage, holding an iron casket in her arms.

Inside the iron casket were the keys to the North Mine Secret Warehouse, along with part of the Crossbow Blueprint.

At the very bottom of the carriage sat half a crate of Star Sand Cold Iron.

Tie Qing had not spoken the entire way.

Only when he saw Gray Stone Post's weathered wooden sign did he murmur, "Sister-in-law, can we really leave?"

The woman lifted a corner of the curtain and warily swept her gaze across the post station.

"Whether we can leave depends on whether the person receiving the goods comes."

Tie Qing's throat tightened. "What if the one who comes isn't one of us?"

The woman looked at him. Her voice was low, yet ruthless.

"Then give him the goods and keep your lives."

Tie Qing's face turned even paler.

"Old Tie will kill us."

The woman sneered. "Old Tie is still keeping the furnace fire for Tang Hao. If he wants to die in Iron Furnace Town, I won't stop him."

"But you're only twenty-two. I don't want to see you become another charred skeleton beneath the Old Mine