"There are many things I can’t explain clearly in a letter, and right now the Imperial City is far too strict on couriers and undercover agents. I’m afraid sothing might happen, so for safety’s sake, I took the chance of coming out to perform and ca here in person to report to Lord Qin."
Gongsun Sanniang looked at Qin Tian and spoke in a low voice.
Qin Tian had Gongsun Sanniang sit down and asked, "Did sothing big happen?"
"Not exactly. It’s just that this ti all the city gates of the Imperial City have beco much stricter in their inspections. In the sky or on the ground, even if a single bird flies past, they’ll catch it and check it."
Gongsun Sanniang said, "Right now, the Fourth Prince has already taken control of the Imperial Forbidden Army Security Team."
The Forbidden Army Security Team was a troop responsible for maintaining order in the Imperial City, ten thousand strong, in charge of arresting criminals and, when necessary, checking those entering and leaving the city gates. Within the Imperial City, it wielded trendous power.
"After the Fourth Prince gained control of the Forbidden Army Security Team, that team beca his weapon for eliminating dissidents. And the Soul Suppressing Hall, as an institution directly under the Ice Emperor, struck directly at Long Yin. With the Forbidden Army and the Soul Suppressing Hall working in tandem, even so nobles have to undergo extrely strict inspections when they enter or leave the city."
"This ti when I ca out, I relied on the pretext of going to the South State to perform in the South State Governor’s residence. Even the ritual gifts were all inspected. Luckily they didn’t search my person. If this thing fell into their hands, it would probably stir up another bloody storm, and they would definitely investigate who leaked the information."
As Gongsun Sanniang spoke, she took out two lists and handed them to Qin Tian. "This is the list of Long Yin mbers who were captured. This is the list of Dragon Clan undercover agents who were captured. To gain this intelligence, I sacrificed two top-grade maids... Lord Qin, I don’t know, what use do you have for these lists?"
She looked at Qin Tian, sowhat puzzled. "These people will definitely all be tortured to extract confessions, then used, and in the end they’ll all be killed."
Qin Tian quickly unfolded the lists. On the list of Dragon Clan undercover agents, there was no na of Ice Bird Leng Yu, but on the list of Long Yin mbers who were captured, he did see the na Xu Junwei!
Qin Tian was instantly stunned!
Seeing Qin Tian’s expression suddenly change, Gongsun Sanniang thought sothing had happened and asked, "Lord Qin, what is it?"
Qin Tian took a deep breath and said, "Nothing. Sanniang, have you had any news from the Ice Emperor’s side lately?"
Gongsun Sanniang thought carefully and said, "Recently the Ice Emperor seems to be trying to support the Fourteenth Prince, and has appointed several trusted officials of the Fourteenth Prince... Mm, aside from that, the Ice Emperor and the Fourth Prince are getting along peacefully. At least on the surface there hasn’t been any conflict."
"Then lately, has the Ice Emperor had any dealings with the Soul Suppressing Hall?"
"Oh, several high-ranking officials of the Soul Suppressing Hall went to have an audience with His Majesty several tis in a row so ti ago, probably after they captured that group of Long Yin rebels... I guess they went to the Ice Emperor to claim credit. Other than that, I don’t have any other useful news about the Ice Emperor."
Thump!
Gongsun Sanniang’s words made Qin Tian’s heart suddenly sink.
Qin Tian realized that the tis when the experts of the Soul Suppressing Hall went to have audience with His Majesty basically coincided with the tis when the Ice Emperor sent three edicts in a row to Qin Tian!
In other words, within three days after the high-level mbers of the Soul Suppressing Hall had an audience with His Majesty, the Ice Emperor, under the guise of rewarding Qin Tian, issued three edicts in a row, summoning Qin Tian to the capital!
"The Ice Emperor could never suddenly make such a big move. He must have been provoked by sothing... Could it be... Teacher Xu confessed, and the Ice Emperor learned my identity?"
An uneasiness began to rise in Qin Tian’s heart.
But he also couldn’t figure it out. The Ice Emperor hated Long Yin most of all. If he knew that Qin Tian was Long Yin, why hadn’t he simply sent troops to wipe him out directly?
Could it be that he was wary of Qin Tian’s several hundred thousand troops, and wanted to summon Qin Tian into the Imperial City and kill him without lifting a finger?
Thinking about it, that was highly possible.
Qin Tian’s expression grew solemn. He didn’t believe Xu Junwei would sell him out.
"Sanniang, among what you know, does the Soul Suppressing Hall have any extrely powerful torture thods? Ones that can make a person who’d rather die than talk confess?" Qin Tian thought for a mont and asked Gongsun Sanniang.
"The Soul Capturing Technique."
Gongsun Sanniang blurted out, "As far as I know, the Soul Capturing Technique is a spell drawn from the Demon Clan that controls a person’s mind and spirit. Once soone is controlled, no matter how tight-lipped you are, it’s very hard to withstand the guidance of the Soul Capturing Technique. In the end, people of the Soul Suppressing Hall can easily obtain whatever they want to know."
"Does the Soul Capturing Technique succeed a hundred percent of the ti?"
"That I don’t know, but I’ve heard that the success rate is very high. Previously, whenever the Soul Suppressing Hall used this move, it was tried and true."
After listening to Gongsun Sanniang, Qin Tian fell into deep thought.
He felt that things were becoming sowhat dire.
"I have to go back to the Imperial City with you," Qin Tian said.
Gongsun Sanniang was stunned. "Lord Qin, if you go back now, it’ll be far too dangerous! Whatever it is, let do it for you. You mustn’t take the risk..."
"This is sothing you really can’t help with. I have to do it myself."
Qin Tian decided to make a trip to the Imperial City. He had to know whether Xu Junwei had already confessed, whether the Ice Emperor already knew his identity. This matter was far too important!
Seeing that Qin Tian’s attitude was firm, Gongsun Sanniang said, "Very well. Then do you need to cooperate in any way?"
"I want to know where those people of Long Yin are being held."
"Hiss... Lord Qin, you want to rescue Long Yin? These people are traitors. Wherever they’re imprisoned, they’ll be under the heavy guard of top experts from the Soul Suppressing Hall. It’s absolutely impossible to get them out!"
"You’re talking too much."
"...This slave knows her mistake."
Seeing how extrely serious Qin Tian’s expression was, Gongsun Sanniang actually felt a trace of fear emanating from him. She hurriedly said, "This slave shouldn’t have asked too much. However, I also don’t know exactly where those Long Yin rebels are being held. But, as far as I know, the Soul Suppressing Hall has a total of three prisons in the Imperial City: the East Gate Prison, the West Gate Prison, and the North Gate Prison. These three prisons are all secret prisons of the Soul Suppressing Hall. I have their specific locations, and I guess those people are locked up in one of these three."
Gongsun Sanniang told Qin Tian the locations of the prisons, and Qin Tian silently morized them.
He had Gongsun Sanniang leave first, while he made so preparations, handed over the affairs of the West Capital to Zhou Yang and the others, then disguised himself once again and headed for the Imperial City.
When he reached the West Gate of the Imperial City, Qin Tian could clearly feel that inspections at all the various city gates had beco much stricter.
In disguise, Qin Tian easily slipped past the inspections at the gate.
After entering the city, he planned to go directly to the Soul Suppressing Hall’s West Gate Prison to observe and probe the situation.
Walking past a bustling marketplace, Qin Tian saw ahead on a plaza hundreds and thousands of commoners gathered to watch, and over a thousand Imperial Forbidden Army soldiers maintaining order.
In the middle of that plaza, six prisoners were bound all over with True Qi Gold Ropes, covered in wounds. Beside each of them stood a swordsman. Judging by the scene, they were about to be beheaded in public!
"Hm?"
Originally Qin Tian had intended to withdraw his gaze, but at the instant he turned his head, his eyes stopped on one of the prisoners!
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