In the bitter cold of the twelfth lunar month, the first heavy snow arrived.
A figure in a Golden Flying Fish Uniform stood beneath the eaves, holding out his palm to catch the snowflakes.
It was his tenth day in Jiangnan.
Sixteen days of the one-month deadline had passed.
"Boss, I've failed you." Water Skimmer looked dispirited, his voice steeped in guilt.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard had infiltrated every walk of life in Jiangnan, used their boss's fearsome reputation to absorb the Misty Rain Tower's intelligence network, and rooted out some White Lotus Cult spies, yet they still could not uncover any useful information.
It was not that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was incompetent. Rather, the White Lotus Cult and Jiang Wuyuan shared their resources and information, giving them complete control over Jiangnan's intelligence channels and leaving the Embroidered Uniform Guard utterly on the back foot.
Beside him, Iron Palm, Fathead Fish, and the other trusted subordinates could barely contain their fury. They spat bitterly:
"Now they're cowering and afraid to show themselves? A pack of depraved, cowardly beasts!"
It was suffocating!
They longed for a head-on battle. Even outnumbered, they would rather die fighting than endure this torment.
Day after day passed, and they were beginning to despair!
Jia Huan turned around and said heavily:
"To the yamen. We'll discuss our next move!"
With that, he strode into the government offices.
Everyone followed close behind.
Jia Huan sat at the head of the room and spoke with deliberate emphasis:
"At present, we have only two options."
"First, like Jiang Wuyuan, Jiang Wuji needs the hearts of twins to sustain his cultivation of 'Sun Moon Eight Desolations, I Alone Reign Supreme.' Begin investigations everywhere immediately and trace where young twins are being taken."
His trusted subordinates answered in unison:
"We