Whoooosh...
Dusk deepened as torrential rain fell on a school in West City. A dozen or so pupils who could not easily get home sat properly in the School Dormitory, doing their assignments for the day.
In the teacher's resting room beside the classroom, Nangong Shaofeng stood at the window dressed as a scholar, gazing toward Jade Resonance Tower, his hands clasped tightly behind his back.
The elderly former Fist Champion, Liu Qiansheng, wore white robes and was also dressed as a teacher. Holding a cup of tea, he tapped his fingers lightly against it, sending tiny ripples across the tea.
"From making our move to escaping the Capital City, we'll have a quarter of an hour at most. Are you certain the preparations elsewhere are foolproof?"
Nangong Shaofeng turned and sat down beside the tea table. Though his brow was heavy, his voice remained calm.
"The gate official at Kaiyuan Gate has been bought off. Most of the guards have been transferred away, and a hundred traps have been laid along our escape route. Xiao Yuan and the others are already poised to move at their respective positions. As long as Cao Aning gets close to Cao Qiansui and successfully frees him, White-Haired Truth-Listener, Eight-Armed Ksitigarbha, Ye Jingtang, and even the gate guardian in the palace will have to rush over to reinforce them. At that point, only a handful of Imperial Guards will remain at the Marquis of Yunning's Residence. A quarter of an hour will be enough to rescue His Majesty and flee far beyond the city."
Holding his teacup, Liu Qiansheng considered this briefly.
"Cao Qiansui is a few years younger than me and has been imprisoned underground for ten years. Are you certain he can put the whole city on a war footing?"
Nangong Shaofeng