Night falls.
This evening, the Imperial Capital is even more lively than during the day.
The Bodhisattva parade from Yuanjue Temple starts from the inner city, with monks carrying a three-zhang tall Suru Base, moving along the streets by the Jade River. Following the procession are countless people holding incense sticks, chanting the Buddha's na, forming a andering dragon of fire.
The outer city is even more crowded, with people selling cornelian cherries, chrysanthemum wine, and Chongyang Cake, along with those carrying goods, pushing carts, and setting up stalls, squeezing the entire street until there is no space left.
So people bought cornelian cherries and pinned them to their lapels, while children holding wooden windmills weaved through the crowd, causing adults to scold them repeatedly.
Only Taiye Pond has quieted down.
Two carriages stop not far from Taiye Pond, and after the drivers confirm there's no one around, they knock on the carriage door.
The curtain lifts, and four n step out one by one, all wearing bamboo hats, dressed in black, with hand crossbows at their waists, indistinguishable from spies in appearance.
Inside the carriage, Bai Li, clad in a Daoist robe, quietly watches as Lü Qi and the other three descend, checking each other's attire for any flaws.
Lü Qi turns back, clasps his fists at Bai Li and says, "Gang Leader, please wait a mont. If all goes well, it will only take the ti of one incense (thirty minutes) for us to return with the old Gang Leader."
Bai Li lifts his eyes to them, "The Ritual Supervision's inner prison is not that simple. If things beco undoable, prioritize preserving yourselves."
The n checking their hand crossbows pause for a mont.
The leader, nad Chen Huainan, is the oldest of the Cao Guild's Four Beams and Eight Pillars, forty-three years old this year.
He lifts his head, glances at Bai Li briefly, and then lowers it again, saying, "Gang Leader worries too much. We're certainly no ragtag team."
Inserting the crossbow arrow back at his waist, he continues calmly, "Our Cao Guild hasn't been idle these years. We've tested the inner prison's reliance on waist tags rather than people many tis. Our tags are genuine. Once the doors open, the remaining task is simply to kill our way in, then kill our way out."
A slender and tall one nad Zheng Zhou nods, speaking softly, "Gang Leader, we've figured out the shifts of the Jiefan Guard, the Spy Departnt's patrol routes, the distances between the gates in the inner prison, and how long it takes for reinforcents to arrive if sothing happens. There's nothing special about this Eunuch Party's inner prison. Didn't soone manage to raid the inner prison in Luocheng City last year...? We were licking blood from the knife's edge with the old gang leader before you were even born."
As Chen Huainan and Zheng Zhou echo each other, Lü Qi's expression changes. Just as he's about to speak, the last of the Four Beams and Eight Pillars tugs at his sleeve.
Chen Huainan adjusts his attire, removes his bamboo hat, revealing a face weathered by river winds over decades, his wrinkles crisscrossed like a dried-up riverbed: "Please forgive , Gang Leader. Zheng Zhou and I followed the old gang leader across the country since we were fifteen. We can't help but say sothing wrong when worried... It's just that you're quite young, yet too cautious. When the Cao Guild started, didn't we co through every ti on the edge of the knife? If everyone was as afraid as you, we would have been devoured long ago. You're still young, it's best to wait here quietly. Nothing will happen."
Bai Li looks at Chen Huainan and Zheng Zhou, then at the silent Lü Qi and Tian Kuang.
The ritorious figures of the past are now harboring private intentions. The complexity of the Cao Guild at this mont is sothing even Han Tong himself would struggle to unravel.
The Cao Guild is headless; anyone's rise to power would et resistance, but the Wen Family still holds favor and authority. As long as Bai Li steps forward after assuming the na Wen Baili, no one will openly object at least.
And Bai Li is young and vulnerable, making it the right ti to exercise imperial control over the feudal lords.
At this mont, Tian Kuang mutters under his breath, "If not for Chen Ji, that Eunuch Party, how would the old gang leader end up in the inner prison? In these two days, the gang leader has been out and about with that Eunuch Party, and today even cooked a al for them personally, which really confuses us."
Lü Qi's face changes, "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Tian Kuang sneers, "Did I say sothing wrong?"
Bai Li slowly speaks, "I was rely giving a kind reminder just now. Since you've all prepared, go and return quickly. I'll be here to support."
The four exchange a look, adjust their bamboo hats, and walk deeper into Taiye Pond, lowering their hat brims.
At the artificial hill outside Qionghua Island, the four tense up together as a Spy Departnt sentry erges from behind the hill with a crossbow aid, "Who goes there?"
Chen Huainan raises the waist tag in his hand, "Hai Dongqing Zhang Yin from under ng Ji's banner, here on official business in the inner prison."
The sentry steps forward and looks at the ivory card, noting the twelve-character inscription, "Imperial Inspection, Major matters reported for judgnt, Minor matters resolved imdiately." He rubs the ivory card's texture, recognizing it as old ivory excavated from northern permafrost.
The engraved cloud patterns on the card are impeccable.
The sentry steps back and clasps his fists, "Please, my lords."
Lü Qi and others walk towards the inner prison, feeling relieved but maintaining a tense front. The four reach the iron gate of the inner prison, where Chen Huainan steps forward and knocks in a particular rhythm.
The small window on the iron door opens, and a spy inside asks coldly, "For what purpose?"
Chen Huainan replies in a deep voice, "Lord ng Ji sent us here to interrogate the major criminal, Li Muzhe. Open the door."
The spy inside observes them through the small window, then says with suspicion, "Lord Prisoner has ordered that the major criminal Han Tong is currently detained in the inner prison. Only those from the Spy Departnt Sheng Gate or Jiefan Guard households may enter. What, didn't Lord ng Ji tell you?"
Chen Huainan and Zheng Zhou exchange a glance, hesitating.
Tian Kuang and Lü Qi also exchange a glance. Tian Kuang steps forward and calmly continues, "We're here solely for Li Muzhe. What relation does Han Tong have to this? Lord ng Ji urgently needs Li Muzhe. Open the door quickly."
The spy inside laughs coldly, "Stop using Lord ng Ji to pressure . This inner prison listens to Lord Prisoner, and even Lord Xuan Snake needs to co personally for major criminals, let alone Lord ng Ji? If you want to interrogate Li Muzhe, tell your Lord ng Ji to co in person!"
With that, the spy slams the small window shut with a clang.
Tian Kuang was about to go forward and knock on the door to argue, but Chen Huainan and Zheng Zhou hurriedly pulled him away.
All four returned to the carriage, Tian Kuang struggled free with eyes full of anger: "You two are not sincerely trying to rescue the Gang Leader!"
Chen Huainan took off his bamboo hat and said leisurely: "If we weren't sincerely trying to rescue the Gang Leader, why would we co here? Do you think the inner prison is like a painted boat on your Cao Guild waters? This is a dragon's pool and tiger's den!"
Tian Kuang took a step forward: "Zhang Yin is the person you placed beside ng Ji, why didn't he tell you about the inner prison being sealed by Prisoner?"
Chen Huainan patted the dust off his clothes: "Prisoner sealing the inner prison could only have happened in the last few days, so he hasn't had the chance to inform yet."
Lü Qi chid in sternly: "You two clearly knew we couldn't get into the inner prison, you just put on a show of coming here to tell the others you risked your lives for the old Gang Leader, boosting your Jianghu prestige!"
Chen Huainan squinted slightly: "What nonsense are you spouting? Am I not risking my neck by coming here? Don't bla just because we couldn't rescue the old Gang Leader."
Tian Kuang rebuked angrily: "Do you think taking that Zhu Baili back will win people over? Without the old Gang Leader, you still won't be able to hold Zhang Zhan and Li Zi Yi in check; they'll conspire with the Eight Great rchants and sooner or later hand the Cao Guild over to the Eunuch Party and the Dog Emperor! If the old Gang Leader hadn't saved you from the officers back then, you wouldn't even be as good as a dog now, how dare you forget your debts?"
Chen Huainan tossed his bamboo hat into the carriage, sneering at Tian Kuang: "You, as one of the Eight Pillars of the Cao Guild, I am one of the Four Beams, since when is it your turn to shout at ?"
Tian Kuang rolled up his sleeves: "Then try your hand at it!"
Chen Huainan scoffed: "Do you, an Innate Official, dare to lay a hand on ?"
Lü Qi stood by Tian Kuang's side, while Zheng Zhou stood by Chen Huainan.
Just when it seed the four were about to brawl outside Taiye Pond, Bai Li's weary voice suddenly ca from the carriage: "Enough."
Bai Li's grasp suddenly released, forcefully separating the four. Chen Huainan tried to stand firm, but his boots dragged two marks through the cobblestones and still couldn't stop himself.
The four abruptly looked at Bai Li, Chen Huainan murmured: "Seeking Dao Realm?"
He then glanced at Lü Qi: "She... the Gang Leader is a Seeking Dao Realm Official, why have you never ntioned it?"
Lü Qi was also astounded: "I just found out as well."
Chen Huainan's expression was uncertain, the Cao Guild had deep foundations, having two of the Four Beams as Seeking Dao Realm isn't surprising... but this one here is only eighteen.
An eighteen-year-old at the Seeking Dao Realm...
Bai Li sighed: "The Cao Guild has fallen into disarray; we cannot afford any more internal strife."
Tian Kuang quickly clasped his fists toward Bai Li: "Gang Leader, I was reckless with my words earlier; I will sever a finger when we return. But now the old Gang Leader must not be abandoned; I hope the Gang Leader has another plan."
Bai Li remained silent, stepping down from the carriage, quietly gazing at the deep, dark Taiye Pond, for the mont at a loss for a solution.
Just then, footsteps could be heard from afar.
She turned to look, seeing soone with a bamboo hat and a black cloth over their face. The person was slender, yet upon raising their head, the eyes beneath the hat were unmistakably familiar.
Chen Ji.
Chen Ji ca to Bai Li's side and, after a long silence, said: "Don't worry, I'll rescue him."
Before Bai Li could speak, he was already heading into Taiye Pond's depths, Bai Li lingeringly watched Chen Ji's back, having thought that after parting in the morning, who knows when they would et again.
Lü Qi asked beside her, puzzled: "Gang Leader, who is that..."
Bai Li gave no answer.
When Chen Ji reached the rockery, a hidden spy from the Spy Departnt appeared again: "Who goes there?"
Chen Ji raised an ivory card, his pace unbroken, not explaining his identity.
The hidden spy, upon clearly seeing the ivory card, his pupils shrank rapidly. For a mont, he was unsure if he was seeing things or if it truly was that legendary ivory card.
Before he could ask further, Chen Ji had already brushed past him, leaving only two calm words: "Step aside."
The hidden spy hesitated briefly, then retreated behind the rockery.
Chen Ji went straight to the inner prison door, knocking in a pattern of three long and two short.
A small iron window opened, the Spy inside spoke coldly: "Didn't I just say, if you want to interrogate Li Muzhe, have your own ng Ji co personally..."
The words stopped abruptly.
The Spy stared in shock at the ivory card before him, unable to speak for a long ti. The card was engraved with a yin and yang fish, beside it was inscribed with Open Door, Sheng Gate, Rest Gate.
The Three Auspicious Gates.
The Spy's expression turned to terror: "Lord Binghu!"
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