As he spoke, he looked down at the small, thin figure of his daughter in his arms. Her large, empty eyes were staring at the pages of the petition on the table, seemingly unable to quite understand the meaning of the words written on them. Song Xuanwei reached out and gently touched the top of her head; her hair was so sparse that he could feel the ridges of her scalp.
"I'll write the report." He raised his head, his gaze resolute. "Before tonight, the secret report will be sent to the palace through the Imperial Guard's secret reporting channel. If the Snow Empress needs my cooperation in anything else, tell her to contact me anytime."
Yin Wujou nodded, gave a few more instructions on the details of his daughter's accommodation, and then got up to take his leave. As he walked down the wooden stairs, the shopkeeper looked up at him from behind the counter, asked nothing, and simply pushed a copper coin back onto the counter. It was the same coin Yin Wujou had just given him, with the red string already untied and the coin facing up.
Yin Wujou put away the copper coins, pushed open the door of the inn, and left. The morning sun had completely dispelled the thin mist, and more and more people were coming and going on the dirt road. In the distance, the commands of the Imperial Guard' garrison could be heard. He took a deep breath of the earthy air, turned around, and walked towards the city.
Meanwhile, in the teahouse in the northeast corner of Chongwen Ward, Mu Canglan had changed into a drab gray short jacket and was sitting by the window on the second floor, with a pot of tea and two plates of snacks in front of him. He seemed to be casually watching the flow of people on the street below, but in fact, his eyes were always fixed on the middle-aged manager behind the teahouse counter who was fiddling with an abacus.
Zhou Jing's confession states that the manager of Chongwen Ward Teahouse is the messenger between Meng Qi and the twelve secret agents, and all secret messages are relayed through this person. All Mu Canglan needs to do is keep an eye on this person and record who he contacts today, what he hands over, and what messages he transmits. As long as enough witnesses and physical evidence are collected, Meng Qi's messengers and informants will have nowhere to escape.
After waiting for about half an hour, the teahouse gradually filled up with customers. Mu Canglan saw the manager behind the counter take out sealed letters from a drawer and hand them to a short man wearing hemp clothing and a straw hat. The man took the letters and left the teahouse without saying a word, turning into the deep alley of Chongwen Ward. Mu Canglan got up, put down the tea money, and followed, keeping a distance of about ten zhang, using his full spiritual sense to perceive the man's aura and trajectory.
The man in hemp clothing weaved through the streets and alleys, twisting and turning, until he finally stopped in front of a house in a secluded alley. He knocked three times, twice lightly and once heavily, and someone inside opened the door and let him in. Mu Canglan memorized the location and features of the house, then turned back to the teahouse to continue his stakeout.
In one morning, the teahouse owner sent out four letters, each to a different contact person dressed in different attire, to be delivered to four different locations in the city. Mu Canglan followed each one, noting down their addresses and characteristics. By the time he returned to the teahouse at noon, he had accumulated a densely written tracking record in his sleeve.
In the late afternoon, the teahouse owner suddenly left the counter, changed into a clean blue long robe, and went out. Mu Canglan immediately put down the tea money and followed him out. He saw the owner walk through three streets and alleys and finally enter a grand gate with a plaque that read "Meng Mansion" on the door.
Mu Canglan's pupils contracted slightly. He stopped in the shadows of the wall across the street, watching as the shopkeeper was led into the courtyard by the gatekeeper of the Meng residence. He came out about an incense stick's time later, his hands empty, clearly having handed the letter to Meng Qi.
He noted down the time and details, then turned and quickly left Chongwen Ward, heading towards the Bell and Drum Tower in the city. It was still more than an hour before nightfall, but Mu Canglan had a vague sense of foreboding. How would Meng Qi react after receiving the letter? Had he already realized Liu Yanzhao and Zhou Jing's failure and was preparing to flee?
As dusk fell, Yin Wujou Mu Canglan arrived at the Bell and Drum Tower one after the other. Snow Empress was already waiting on the eaves of the tower. She had changed into a clean white robe, and the tears on the shoulders and hem had been repaired, with neater stitches than before. She listened to Mu Canglan's report on the whereabouts of the Chongwen Ward teahouse manager and to Yin Wujou's relay of Song Xuanwei's promise, and nodded slightly.
" Song Xuanwei's report will be submitted to the palace tonight. We still need to organize a complete chain of evidence." She took out another handwritten copy of the case file from her bosom and handed it to Yin Wujou. "This is what I organized this afternoon. It includes a summary of the old files from the Spirit Vein Bureau, a copy of the original secret letter from the Southern Frontier, an explanation of the origin of the Meng family's secret chamber token, the paralysis record of the Xuan Abyss Workshop's armory, and a comparison table of Liu Yanzhao and Zhou Jing's testimonies. All the materials are arranged chronologically. After Song Xuanwei's secret report is sent to the palace, if the Emperor inquires, this case file can be submitted as official supporting evidence."
Yin Wujou took the case file and quickly flipped through it. Although the paper was a bit thin and brittle, the handwriting was neat and the entries were clear. The source and acquisition method of each piece of evidence were clearly marked. He secretly admired Snow Empress's meticulous work, but couldn't help but take another look at her. This woman had hardly slept these past few days, traveling to three different places, capturing two enemies, breaking through enemy lines and destroying the warehouse, and contacting her old subordinates. She still managed to find time in her busy schedule to organize such a meticulous file. It was as if she was using one day as three.
"This isn't over yet." The Snow Empress seemed to read his mind, casting her gaze towards the silhouette of the Meng residence in the twilight to the west. "As for Meng Qi, the teahouse manager sent a secret letter this afternoon. If Meng Qi has already discovered Liu Yanzhao and Zhou Jing's capture, he's highly likely to take action tonight—either destroying evidence beforehand, transferring his family and belongings, or fleeing altogether. We can't let him get away."
"You're planning to make your move tonight?" Mu Canglan asked. "Should we just storm the Meng residence and arrest them?"
"No, we won't break in." Snow Empress shook her head. "The defenses in the inner courtyard of the Meng residence are even tighter than last time. Song Xuanwei gave me detailed information about the Meng residence's defenses. The inner courtyard has been reinforced with six interconnected sensing arrays and twelve guards with cultivation levels above the seventh level. Forcing our way in would be like alerting the enemy. If we push Meng Qi too far, he might destroy the tokens and evidence, and all our previous efforts would be in vain."
She turned her gaze to Yin Wujou: "Your senses are the sharpest. Tonight, sneak out to the outskirts of the Meng residence and keep an eye on Meng Qi's movements. If he leaves the residence, follow him wherever he goes; if he doesn't come out, report back before dawn. Mu Canglan, go to the Hundred Herbs Hall in the south of the city to get a batch of tracking powder from that poison master. If Meng Qi really escapes, sprinkling the powder on his clothes will allow you to track him for several days. I will be on guard at the Bell and Drum Tower tonight to provide backup."
The three finished their tasks and dispersed. Dusk completely sank into darkness, and the lights of the capital city lit up one after another, outlining a dense array of points of light against the night sky. Yin Wujou moved quickly along the shadows of the streets and alleys, arriving at the branches of the old locust tree outside the Meng residence in less than half an hour. He chose an observation point that overlooked the main gate of the Meng residence and could also observe the movements inside the courtyard walls, using his full Spiritual Power to sense every movement inside the Meng residence.