Shadow Pavilion

Another aide reported, "The East Palace is heavily guarded, making it difficult for our people to get close. However, according to reports from our informants, the Crown Prince has been keeping to himself lately. Aside from handling daily government affairs and meeting with a few select officials, he has not left the East Palace."

"It is just that... Princess Xue Ke invited Tang Yuehua, the mistress of the Moonlight Pavilion, into the palace to teach her the day before yesterday. Today, the Crown Prince had a brief conversation with Tang Yuehua in the Imperial Garden."

"Tang Yuehua?" Prince Xue Xing's brows furrowed tightly. "That woman from the Clear Sky Sect... What is she doing in the palace? What did the Crown Prince say to her?"

"The content of their conversation is unknown. At the time, only the Crown Prince, Tang Yuehua, and a guard were present. But according to a palace maid who observed from a distance, the Crown Prince's expression was gentle, as if they were just making small talk, and Tang Yuehua's etiquette was impeccable. There was nothing unusual to report."

Prince Xue Xing tapped his fingers on the table unconsciously. Tang Yuehua... The Clear Sky Sect... The Crown Prince suddenly reaching out to her—is it a coincidence, or is he intentionally trying to win her over?

If it is the latter, what is the Crown Prince planning? Is he using the influence of the Clear Sky Sect to stabilize his position? Or... has he sensed something?

The more he thought, the more alarmed he became. The severed head on his bedside that night, the Crown Prince's recent "docility," Tang Yuehua's entry into the palace... These fragments pieced together in his mind, yet they formed no clear picture, leaving him with only the feeling that an invisible net was tightening around him.

"Keep a close watch on the East Palace, and the Moonlight Pavilion as well!" Prince Xue Xing gritted his teeth. "Additionally, send men to investigate who Tang Yuehua has been in contact with before and after entering the palace, especially... whether she has any dealings with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"

"Yes!" The aide acknowledged the order, then hesitated for a moment before adding, "Your Highness, how should we handle the families of those five... men? They have repeatedly inquired about their whereabouts."

A cold light flashed in Prince Xue Xing's eyes. "Give them a pension and tell them they unfortunately died in the line of duty while on a secret mission, and that their bodies have been buried on the spot. If anyone asks too many questions..." He made a throat-slitting gesture.

The aide felt a chill in his heart, bowed his head, and agreed.

After his confidant retreated, Prince Xue Xing sat alone in the dim secret chamber, cold sweat trickling down his back. For the first time, he felt that he might have provoked an opponent far more terrifying than he had ever imagined.

That opponent was hidden in the shadows, capable of placing a head on his bedside without a sound, and equally capable of calmly laying out plans even while the Crown Prince was under house arrest.

"No... I cannot sit here and wait for death." Prince Xue Xing stood up abruptly, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "I must find stronger allies... or create a larger chaos to muddy the waters completely!"

He walked to the corner of the secret chamber, opened a hidden compartment, and took out an ancient-looking black token. The front of the token was engraved with a hideous ghost head pattern.

Staring at the token for a long time, the struggle on Prince Xue Xing's face grew more intense, eventually hardening into the grim resolve of a desperate gambler.

Deep within the Imperial Palace, in the elegant courtyard where Tang Yuehua resided.

Under the candlelight, she sat alone at her desk with a music score spread out before her, yet she had not turned a page for a long time. The Crown Prince's words in the Imperial Garden during the day echoed in her ears like a demonic chant.

"Lingering traces of cold, sinister Soul Power... a group of spirit masters skilled in stealth and assassination..." Her fingertips felt icy.

Was the Crown Prince implying that the killer came from an assassination organization? Or... was he guiding me to associate this with a force that holds an old grudge against the Clear Sky Sect?

She could not help but recall an old affair from many years ago. At that time, before the Clear Sky Sect had gone into seclusion, they had clashed with a mysterious organization known as the "Shadow Pavilion."

That organization operated in secrecy, excelled at assassination, and possessed Soul Power with a cold, sinister attribute. Later, the Shadow Pavilion was besieged by multiple parties and vanished, but rumors persisted that its remnants had gone underground.

If this was truly the work of the Shadow Pavilion's remnants, framing the Crown Prince to incite conflict between the Imperial Family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, or even the Clear Sky Sect... Tang Yuehua's heart tightened.

Did the Crown Prince mention it today specifically because he suspects a connection between the Clear Sky Sect and the Shadow Pavilion? Or does he want to use my voice to lead the trail toward the Shadow Pavilion, thereby clearing himself of suspicion?

She rubbed her temples, feeling a wave of exhaustion. In this palace, every word could hide a sharp blade, and every step was like walking on thin ice.

The Crown Prince's thoughts were deep and unfathomable, Prince Xue Xing seemed to harbor hidden anxieties, the Emperor's attitude was ambiguous, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was watching like a tiger stalking its prey... She felt as if she were at the center of a whirlpool, where the slightest carelessness would lead to total ruin.

"Brother..." she whispered softly, worry clouding her eyes. Her brother must already know about her entering the palace. Given his temperament, how would he react? Would he wait and see, or...

A faint sound of something cutting through the air came from outside the window—extremely light, yet it did not escape Tang Yuehua's perception. Her expression sharpened; she instantly suppressed all emotions, regained the composure of the Moonlight Pavilion's mistress, and walked slowly to the window.

In the night, a blurred black shadow swept across the palace wall like wisps of smoke and vanished in the direction of the East Palace.

Tang Yuehua stared into that darkness for a long time before gently closing the window.

"A mountain storm is coming," she whispered. The candlelight flickered in her calm eyes, reflecting a bottomless pool of darkness.

Prince Xue Xing's thumb repeatedly rubbed the black token engraved with the hideous ghost head. The icy touch helped steady his racing heart, yet it also brought a deeper chill.

The Shadow Pavilion—a name almost forgotten by the continent, along with its grim and sinister legends, surfaced in his mind.

Many years ago, when the Clear Sky Sect was at its peak, they had formed a blood feud with the Shadow Pavilion over a secret treasure.

The two sides fought a shadow war for years. The Shadow Pavilion's methods were ruthless and secretive, causing the Clear Sky Sect no small amount of trouble, until it finally enraged Tang Chen, who united several forces to nearly wipe them out root and branch.

The survivors fled underground, swearing revenge. The token in Prince Xue Xing's hand was a keepsake left behind by a high-ranking member of the Shadow Pavilion before fleeing, in exchange for sanctuary, promising that the holder could use this token to demand one favor from the Shadow Pavilion.

This matter was extremely secret; even Emperor Xue Ye was unaware of it.

"You forced my hand first..." Prince Xue Xing whispered, his eyes bloodshot.

The unfathomable nature of Crown Prince Ye Yang, the terrifying warning on his bedside, and the relentless pressure from the Ministry of Justice all made him feel suffocated.

He needed a sharper, more concealed blade to muddy the waters completely, or even... to make certain people shut up forever.

Prince Xue Xing quickly hid the token back in the secret compartment, his mind made up. He could not contact the Shadow Pavilion himself, but he could pass the message and the deposit through an intermediary—a death soldier who was absolutely loyal and had no apparent connection to him.

"Target: Ning Fengyuan, an external deacon of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Location: West Market of Heaven Dou City. Time: Noon, three days from now."

Prince Xue Xing wrote his requirements in a secret letter. Ning Fengyuan was Ning Fengzhi's cousin and was responsible for some of the sect's industries; his status was significant enough, but he was not a core member.

Killing him would be enough to enrage the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect once more, directing the finger of suspicion toward a "hidden force still active and targeting the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect," thereby diverting attention from the investigations into the Crown Prince and the Imperial Family.

At the same time, in the ensuing chaos, there might be an opportunity to create some "accidents" for the Crown Prince.

He could already see the scene: Ning Fengyuan's blood splattered on the street, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in a fury, and Heaven Dou City gripped by panic.

Only a greater state of chaos would allow a frightened bird like him to find a chance to hide again, or even strike back.

East Palace, Star-Gazing Terrace.