Yin Wujou gazed at the profile of her face, a complex emotion welled up within him. This woman, usually aloof and taciturn, ruthless in her actions, would do something so meticulous and almost tender when no one could see her. He knew how precious the Formation-Breaking Talisman was; the Snow Empress only had two in total, yet she had given them to an enemy she had just subdued without hesitation.
"Is his daughter still alive?" Yin Wujou asked.
"Alive. Liu Yanzhao is keeping her alive to restrain Song Xuanwei; he won't kill her easily." Snow Empress withdrew her gaze. "Tonight at midnight, we'll break into the Zhou residence's cellar. You're responsible for guarding the exit outside to prevent Liu Yanzhao from escaping through the secret passage. I'll go down and capture him."
Yin Wujou nodded in agreement.
The two waited quietly atop the Bell and Drum Tower until the night was deep and still. The city lights went out one by one, and the moonlight was obscured by the clouds. It was the perfect time of day for a surprise attack. Snow Empress was the first to leap down from the high building, her white robe blending into the night like a wisp of frost. Yin Wujou followed closely behind. The two walked through the streets and alleys one after the other, and in less than a quarter of an hour, they arrived at the old house in the northeast corner of Chongwen Ward.
Snow Empress scaled the wall and entered, while Yin Wujou guard outside the side gate, his Spiritual Power fully activated as he sensed every movement within the courtyard. He heard the muffled sound of the wooden cellar door being flung open, followed by a series of hurried footsteps and a short, explosive burst of Spiritual Power colliding, but it only lasted for less than three breaths before falling silent.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Snow Empress's figure emerged from the courtyard wall, with a middle-aged man in a black brocade robe tucked under his right arm. The man's face was deathly pale, his eyes were closed, and his Spiritual Power was completely sealed, leaving him unable to move like a sack of rice trapped in his arm.
"Success." Snow Empress threw Liu Yanzhao to the ground. "The secret passage in the cellar has three branches, all blocked. He only had two guards with him, both crippled."
Yin Wujou crouched down to examine Liu Yanzhao's face closely—it basically matched the portrait Yun Su drawn in the dossier. However, ten years had passed, and the man's temples were slightly gray, his face was thin, and his eyes had a bluish-gray tinge from years of darkness. Even so, the air of someone who had long held a high position remained. Even with his Spiritual Power sealed and him lying on the ground in a sorry state, his brows were still furrowed, revealing resentment and sinister intent.
"What do we do next?" Yin Wujou asked.
"Take him back to the old ancestral hall for interrogation." Snow Empress grabbed Liu Yanzhao by the back of his collar with one hand. "We'll extract from him the exact locations of the Puppet Armor, the complete list of personnel at Xuan Abyss Workshop, and the contact information for all the spies in the court. Only after we have this information will we have the confidence to expose the whole affair head-on."
Liu Yanzhao suddenly opened his eyes, a cold smile creeping onto his lips, "You won't get anything out of me. I've been operating for ten years, each pawn working independently, completely unaware of the others. Kill me, and those Puppet Armor will still enter the city and launch their attacks on schedule. You think capturing me means you've won? My trump card has never been with me."
Snow Empress stared at him expressionlessly for a moment, then suddenly raised her hand and gently pressed on the back of his neck, causing Liu Yanzhao to faint again. She turned to Yin Wujou: "He makes sense. The activation mechanism of the Puppet Armor might be controlled by a certain subordinate. Even if Liu Yanzhao is captured, those hundred Puppet Armor will still activate at the scheduled time. The most urgent task is to destroy Xuan Abyss Workshop and cut off its source."
Yin Wujou pondered, " The Xuan Abyss Workshop requires a token for entry, and we happen to have one that we obtained from the Meng family. However, the workshop is located deep within the Falling Rosy Clouds Mountain Range, filled with miasma and featuring complex terrain. With just the two of us..."
"Therefore, we need manpower."
Snow Empress carried Liu Yanzhao through the night, like a white ghost sweeping across the undulating rooftops of the capital. Yin Wujou followed closely behind, and the two of them passed through the secret passage one after the other, returning to the abandoned old ancestral hall outside the city.
The candles in the ancestral hall had long since burned out, leaving only a few wisps of smoke swirling in the darkness. The Snow Empress tossed Liu Yanzhao onto a dilapidated wooden couch in the corner of the hall, then took out three silver needles from his sleeve and pierced three vital acupoints—between his eyebrows, his chest, and his dantian—into him. This was an ancient method used by the Spirit Vein Bureau to seal cultivation; once the needles were inserted, even if Liu Yanzhao possessed extraordinary abilities, he could only lie there like a mortal.
"I'll be right back." Snow Empress straightened up and glanced at the sky outside the window. "Before dawn, no matter what happens, do not leave the ancestral hall. If anyone approaches this place, crush the communication talisman I gave you."
Yin Wujou nodded, watching her disappear into the night once again.
The former leader of the Southern Frontier Rogue Cultivator Alliance Mu Canglan. Ten years ago, he was a powerful figure on par with the Spirit Vein Bureau, leading the Seventy-Two Caves loose cultivators of the Southern Frontier. At the height of his power, he could even rival the imperial court. Later, the Spirit Vein Case broke out, and Mu Canglan was implicated and forced to disband the alliance. The Seventy-Two Caves disintegrated, and he himself disappeared without a trace, hiding his identity. Rumors circulated that he had long since died in some unknown valley, but the Snow Empress knew that he was still alive—hiding in an inconspicuous tavern in the western suburbs of the capital, making a living by brewing wine.
When Snow Empress arrived at the tavern, it was the hour of Chou (1-3 AM). All was quiet except for the occasional tinkling of the wind chimes on the eaves. She raised her hand and knocked on the door three times, paused for a moment, then knocked twice more, and then three more times. This was the secret code they had agreed upon years ago, unchanged for ten years.
A series of dragging footsteps came from inside the door, and then the door was pulled open a crack, revealing a weathered face. The face was regular, with high brow bones, deep-set eyes, and temples as white as frost; it was Mu Canglan. When he saw who was standing outside the door, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he almost dropped the door in his hand.
"Snow... Snow Empress?" His voice was hoarse, trembling with disbelief, "You're not dead?"
"You're not dead either." Snow Empress squeezed through the doorway. "Let's talk in private."
The tavern's interior was extremely simple, with a low table, two bamboo chairs, and an unopened jar of rice wine. Mu Canglan lit an oil lamp and carefully examined Snow Empress by its dim light. Ten years ago, Snow Empress was still a naive young girl, but now her brows had gained a sharper and more composed air, though her eyes remained clear and sharp, like two daggers tempered with frost.
"I thought you died in the purge during the Spirit Vein Case." Mu Canglan poured her a bowl of hot tea. "Back then, the Spirit Vein Bureau collapsed completely. I heard that you led a team to break through the encirclement but were surrounded and wiped out."
"That was false information released by the imperial court." Snow Empress picked up her teacup to warm her hands, her tone calm. "I withdrew with the files and evidence, but I took a route no one knew."
Mu Canglan sighed and sat down on the bamboo chair opposite him, "You don't come here unless you have a reason. With your personality, not showing your face for ten years, and then suddenly appearing at my door tonight, it must be something extremely important."
Snow Empress took out the Xuan Abyss Workshop token from her sleeve and placed it on the table. "Do you recognize this?"
Mu Canglan picked up the token and examined it closely, his expression gradually becoming solemn. He checked the inscription on the front and the spirit code on the back over and over again, his fingertips tracing the intricate patterns for a long time. Finally, he put down the token and looked up at Snow Empress with an extremely complex gaze.
"Where did you get the Xuan Abyss Workshop's token?"
"The Secret Chamber of the Meng Family Mansion."