A shrill, eerie flute sound rang out suddenly—almost identical to what he’d heard in his dreams. Yu Wang instinctively covered his ears.
But he quickly realized that while the sound was sharp and unpleasant, it didn’t disrupt his inner energy or cause the dizziness and agitation like before—perhaps because the target wasn’t him.
Yu Wang lowered his hands, focused on the direction of the flute, and continued pursuing westward.
A fierce wind roared through the courtyard, where brothel thugs lay sprawled unconscious all over the ground. Lanterns had rolled everywhere. When Yu Wang arrived, he saw a woman standing atop a rock garden, lifting her long skirt to reveal white silk trousers underneath—he paused in surprise.
She pulled off the straps securing a longsword to her outer thigh. The cold blade flashed from its scabbard like an upside-down river of stars and struck toward a man in plain clothes standing on the roof.
So this was the “Miss Hong” Qinghe had mentioned? Her swordsmanship was indeed fierce… and oddly familiar. Yu Wang suddenly recalled the female assassin who had severed Wei Jun’s arm at Lingguang Temple—wasn’t she built just like this?
“He is my concubine.”
“He’s a pitiful man, and we have some karmic bond. He sees me as his savior—how could I watch him die without helping?”
Those words echoed in his ears. Now Yu Wang was certain: the female assassin, the black-clad figure who had snuck into the manor, and this courtesan “Miss Hong”—were all one and the same: Su Yan’s personal guard, Jinghong Zhui.
Come to think of it, women’s clothes suited him better than men’s. Might as well castrate himself and become a real concubine, Yu Wang thought, sarcastically.
On the other side, to dodge the sword strike, Fuyin leapt backward, his shoes scr*ping two deep grooves across the roof tiles as shards flew. As he retreated, he channeled all his inner power into one finger pressed against the crane-bone flute.
The flute, treated with secret medicines, was harder than metal and could amplify sound vibrations—it was Fuyin’s signature weapon. At full strength, no sound could be heard, yet the falling leaves and shattered tiles in the area were instantly crushed into fine powder under its invisible force—
Jinghong Zhui drew his sword back in defense, but the shockwave still sent him flying several meters. Blood trickled from his ears.
Yu Wang didn’t go to help. Instead, he deliberately shouted, “Can you handle it? If not, I’ll take over.”
Jinghong Zhui’s hairpins had scattered, his hair and skirts whipping in the wind. His long hair surged like black waves. He said coldly, “No need. Go catch that pimp—he’s the contact.”
During the fight, the pimp had already slipped back inside with the unconscious madam, attempting to escape through a secret passage.
But he was held back by the unconscious madam. Just as he triggered the mechanism, Yu Wang kicked the door open and entered. In a panic, the pimp pulled out a wrought-iron staff from under the bed and swung it at Yu Wang.
In terms of skill, he could be considered second-rate in jianghu. His “Soaring Serpent Staff” technique was swift and relentless, dense as a storm of blows, striking upward with precision.
Unfortunately, Yu Wang was well-versed in spear techniques, and compared to that, the staff was like a child playing in front of a master. In just a few moves, he broke through the pimp’s guard, seized the staff, and pressed its tip against the man’s throat. “Still not surrendering? Answer what you’re asked truthfully, and maybe I’ll spare your life.”
Seeing no way to escape, the pimp begged for mercy: “Your Excellency, I really don’t know anything—I’m just a doorkeeper.”
Yu Wang didn’t buy it. He tied the man up and tossed him into a corner. “I don’t have the patience to interrogate you. Later, I’ll let the North Surveillance Bureau work on you. I guarantee even your ancestors will spill their secrets.”
The pimp turned pale with fear and started banging his head against the wall.
Yu Wang said, “You tried to flee with an unconscious woman in tow—seems like deep affection. If you kill yourself, I’ll send this brothel keeper to the torture hall instead.”
Left with no choice, the pimp began answering honestly. He said Linhua Pavilion was a secret stronghold of the Hidden Sword Sect in the capital. He had been stationed there for years, living with an aging brothel keeper who could no longer sell her charms. Later, she took over recruiting courtesans and running the brothel business, which served as even better cover. He had always kept his identity hidden, so the brothel keeper didn’t know the truth. She thought he was just a useless lazy man, often cursing and resenting him—but still willing to feed him. That’s why, when disaster struck, he couldn’t bear to abandon her.
“What’s that?” Yu Wang pointed to a dark opening in the wall behind the bed.
“It’s a hidden mechanism—leads to a secret tunnel.”
“Where does the tunnel lead?”
“To… the Mingtang.”
Yu Wang was stunned.
Mingtang was a temple of the Son of Heaven, a grand ceremonial structure built by past emperors to meet vassals, issue decrees, and offer sacrifices to Heaven. It was said, “The Son of Heaven constructs the Mingtang to commune with spirits, move Heaven and Earth, correct the seasons, and guide the people.” For someone to call some shady underground lair by that name—utterly brazen.
He let out a mocking laugh. “What kind of rat hole dares call itself the Mingtang?”
He continued questioning: “That flute player outside—did he go into the tunnel for something? Or to meet someone?”
“That I really don’t know,” the pimp said. “I’m just the doorkeeper. My only job is to let in people carrying the Seven Kill Token. The rules are strict. Even if I wanted to know more, I wouldn’t dare poke around! Please, Your Excellency, spare me and the lady. We’ll leave the capital immediately and cut all ties with the Hidden Sword Sect and the Seven Kill Camp!”
Yu Wang had heard of the Hidden Sword Sect. It was said that the assassins who attempted to kill the Crown Prince were from that sect. The emperor was furious and ordered a purge, wiping out a centuries-old martial clan overnight.
But the “Seven Kill Camp” and the “Seven Kill Token”—those he had never heard of.
Perhaps that martial wanderer, Jinghong Zhui, knew more.
Yu Wang was just about to go outside and check on the fight when the roof beam shook violently. With a thunderous crash, the roof and walls collapsed.
Turns out Jinghong Zhui and Fuyin’s battle had destroyed most of the building.
From outside came cries of “Earth dragon’s turning over!” and “Run!” The brothel folk, seeing a house collapse without warning, clearly thought it was an earthquake.
With all the noise, there was no need to set off fireworks to alert the others. Seeing that the remaining half of the building was about to collapse too, Yu Wang grabbed the pimp and the brothel keeper—one in each hand—and strode out of the room.
He had just stepped into the courtyard when Fuyin, unable to hold his ground any longer, crashed through the roof and fell.
Fuyin landed arms shielding his head, rolling a few times across the debris-strewn ground, and happened to stop near the opened secret passage. Taking the chance, he dove in.
Immediately after, Jinghong Zhui, sword flashing like lightning, followed him into the passage.
The remaining half of the house couldn’t hold any longer. It completely caved in, burying the tunnel entrance in rubble and wreckage.
Shen Qi arrived with Su Yan in tow, flying over with qinggong. Su Yan, panting, asked, “Where are they?”
Yu Wang pointed at the pile of debris behind him. “Under there.”
Su Yan’s face changed. He cried out “Ah Zhui!” and was about to rush over. Shen Qi held his arm firmly and stopped him. “You can’t dig through that, and it might collapse more. Jinghong Zhui has solid martial skill—he won’t be buried that easily. He’ll get out on his own.”
Yu Wang added, “There’s a hidden passage inside. If he chased after Yin Fu, he probably won’t be coming back up any time soon.”
Su Yan frowned. “They know we’re watching and they’re hiding in the dark. We don’t even know what’s in the tunnel. We can’t let Ah Zhui face that alone—we need to dig out the entrance and send people down.”
Seeing how urgent his tone was, Shen Qi’s heart twisted with jealousy and resentment. He sneered, “Didn’t he boast about how great his swordsmanship is? Cutting through a tree as easily as slicing tofu—what’s there to worry about?”
Su Yan immediately realized Shen Qi was still bitter about what happened with the Plum Immortal Spring—how Ah Zhui had ambushed and wounded him at a critical moment. He sighed and gently patted Shen Qi’s hand. “Qilang, if you want to settle the score with him, don’t you need him alive first?”
Yu Wang had intended to keep acting magnanimous, but that “Qilang” ruined it. Sourly, he muttered, “I’m the fourth prince—how come no one ever calls me ‘Silang’?”
Su Yan snapped at him, “Your Highness, stop making snide comments. Why don’t you go down there and help Ah Zhui yourself?”
Yu Wang shrugged—clearly not planning to help.
Enraged, Su Yan rolled up his sleeves and was about to wade into the wreckage to find the hidden passage. Shen Qi thought about knocking him out again but worried Su Yan would throw a fit when he woke. Left with no choice, he said, “You stay here. I’ll go dig.”
Yu Wang gave Shen Qi a mocking look: spineless.
Su Yan, seeing that not only was Yu Wang refusing to help but also mocking them, held back his fury and said, “Your Highness, since you’re fine, you may as well leave. No need to eat dust here. We can handle our own affairs.”
Yu Wang sensed the tide turning. Su Yan’s attitude had just softened a bit, but now he was shutting him out again. If anything happened to Jinghong Zhui, there’d be no chance to repair that rift. So he compromised: “Yin Fu is from my household. It’s only right I clean up my own mess. I’ll go summon my guards to clear the rubble and locate the entrance.”
Su Yan’s expression finally looked a bit better.
Shen Qi shot Yu Wang a mocking look in return: spineless coward.
Behind them, the old procuress suddenly jolted awake. She sat up dazedly, and when she saw the ruins, she let out a shriek: “Who the h*ll knocked down my house?! Which dog-boned b*stard did this?! If I catch him, I’ll tear his dog bones out and use them to rebuild my place!”
Then she turned and saw the pimp tied up like a dumpling, and cried out, “Oh you old b*stard, did you get honey-trapped by some celestial fairy?”
She rushed to untie the ropes around him, but Yu Wang stopped her. “He’s involved in a major case. He has to be taken to court.”
The old procuress was alarmed and pleaded to Yu Wang: “Dear guest! Don’t mess with this dumb village turtle of mine. If it’s because the hong-girl won’t serve you, I’ll strip her myself and tie her to the bed for you to do whatever you want.”
The image of Jinghong Zhui stripped and tied to a bed… was so horrifying it defied imagination. Yu Wang shivered in disgust and barked, “Shut up!”
Su Yan turned his face away, unable to bear looking at Yu Wang’s expression.
Shen Qi sneered. “Old crone, go clear out the building. The North Surveillance Bureau will be taking over soon.”
The moment she heard “North Surveillance Bureau,” the old procuress turned deathly pale. She scrambled up and ran a few steps, then staggered back with difficulty, crying, “Officer, he’s just a worthless old turtle! He doesn’t have the guts to commit crimes. Please look clearly into this!”
Shen Qi waved her off impatiently.
She glanced once more at the pimp, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief as she walked off.
But in just a few moments, she came running back again.
Shen Qi was bent over lifting a main beam from the ruins. He snapped, “What now?!”
The old procuress’s legs gave out and she dropped to the ground, voice trembling: “Outside—outside, the place is surrounded by officers. They say they’re here… to catch johns.”
Su Yan blurted out, “Catch johns?!”
“Yes! Lately, men from the Patrol Division have come by every few days, saying they’re searching for officials violating the anti-prostitution laws. But each time, a bit of money would send them off. Tonight, I don’t know what happened, but a whole crowd showed up out of nowhere and blocked the entrance, not letting customers leave. They said someone reported an official soliciting prostitutes and they want to catch him red-handed. I begged and pleaded, even tried giving them money, but nothing worked. What now…”
She was growing more and more frightened. “Some of our regulars are officials—county magistrates, department heads… The highest-ranking one is a Hanlin scholar! If they get dragged out, my brothel will have to pay a massive fine. What am I going to do!”
Suddenly, she looked at Shen Qi. “You just said you’re with the North Surveillance Bureau? You’re not one of them, are you?”
Shen Qi’s face darkened. “Watch your mouth. I didn’t come here to wh*re.”
Su Yan was starting to feel that this anti-prostitution raid had come at too perfect a time—something didn’t feel right. Could it be someone higher up was unhappy with him and wanted to use the law as a cover to teach him a lesson?
…Was it the emperor, or the little prince?
If it was one of them, then he probably wouldn’t be publicly shamed, given his status as a censor and his clean reputation. He might even escape the punishment of sixty cane strokes.
But if they held this baseless charge over his head from now on to control him—wouldn’t that be a huge injustice?
He hadn’t even touched a courtesan’s hand—how was this fair?!
Yu Wang, looking composed, smiled at Su Yan: “Don’t worry.” No matter what, this couldn’t touch members of the royal family. At worst, he’d invoke his status and take Su Yan with him. No one would dare stop him.
But Su Yan had another idea. He slapped his thigh and said, “Perfect! We were just short on manpower. Let them come help dig!”
—
In the end, the anti-prostitution squad was really put to work by Lord Su as manual labor.
The official reason: “North Surveillance Bureau and the Dali Temple are jointly investigating a case. Two brave officials went undercover and discovered suspicious activity in this brothel. The suspect fled into a secret tunnel, and we now need the Patrol Division’s assistance to clear the entrance.”
Commander Wang Ci of the Western Patrol Division was so stunned he could barely speak. When he saw Yu Wang present as well, he immediately complied and ordered his men to start clearing the debris.
Before long, the entrance to the secret tunnel was revealed.
Several soldiers holding torches went in to scout. Su Yan followed to investigate, with Shen Qi and Yu Wang trailing behind. The soldiers covered the rear.
Commander Wang remained outside with the rest, awaiting updates.
—
The walls of the secret tunnel were rough and unadorned, clearly meant only as a passage. The group walked along its winding path for about two or three li. In the torchlight, the passage suddenly opened up into an expansive hall.
The hall was laid out like a temple’s main sanctuary: a statue in the center, an offering table, shrines along the walls, rows of meditation cushions on the ground. On the far wall, there seemed to be a huge, indistinct mural. Su Yan squinted toward it—the pattern looked oddly familiar…
“That’s the so-called ‘Mingtang’ the pimp mentioned?” Yu Wang asked.
Before they could get closer, the soldiers with torches entered the hall. Just as they stepped in, the hall exploded.
The explosion echoed in the enclosed space like thunder. The walls shook violently, dirt and stone flew everywhere, and smoke filled the air.
Su Yan was blown off his feet. Something slammed into him midair, and everything went black as he lost consciousness.
Who knows how long had passed when he coughed awake. He couldn’t see a thing. It was pitch black, and he felt someone lying on top of him—and someone else beneath him.
A faint light flared as Shen Qi struck a firestarter and sat up from above him, coughing and softly calling out, “Qinghe… Qinghe!”
“I’m fine,” Su Yan gasped. “Thanks to you shielding me. Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay,” Shen Qi said, though he subtly pressed his ribs, clearly in pain.
Su Yan reached down to check the person beneath him. Bringing the firestarter closer, he saw it was Yu Wang—still unconscious, blood streaming from a gash on his forehead where he’d hit a stone.
He realized that during the explosion, both Shen Qi and Yu Wang must have protected him with their bodies. Grateful, he quickly tore a clean cloth from his inner shirt and bandaged Yu Wang’s wound.
Yu Wang groaned and gradually woke. Feeling the bandage on his forehead, he said hoarsely, “Looks like the hall had gunpowder planted in advance. Whoever set this up clearly intended to destroy the place if it was ever exposed.”
Shen Qi said, “Just now, by the torchlight, I caught a glimpse—there seemed to be other doors in the walls of the hall. Perhaps there’s more than one tunnel, and this hall was the convergence point. Unfortunately, it collapsed. Who knows where those other tunnels lead—could they be to other strongholds of the Seven Kill Camp?”
Su Yan recalled, “I saw on the far white wall, there was a massive symbol. It looked like… an eight-petaled blood lotus?”
Yu Wang said, “In any case, the hall has collapsed. We can only turn back. If we’re lucky and the passage we came through hasn’t caved in, we can still retrace our steps. Otherwise, we’re trapped here.”
Su Yan thought it over—there really was no better option. He sighed, “Pity those soldiers. Blown to pieces, not even their remains can be retrieved.”
The two of them helped him to his feet. Su Yan felt dizzy and had ringing in his ears, gagging from the aftereffects of the blast.
Shen Qi and Yu Wang said at the same time, “I’ll carry you.”
Su Yan waved his hand and, after catching his breath, wiped his face with his sleeve. “I can walk. Just help me along a bit.”
But as soon as he took a step, several pages of paper fluttered from his robe hem. He held up the fire-striker for a better look—they seemed to be fragments of scripture that had blown onto him after the explosion. Su Yan stuffed them absently into his inner robe, then with an arm on each of his companions, slowly made his way back.
Luckily, the tunnel they came through hadn’t fully collapsed. In a few spots, there were still gaps just wide enough for a person to squeeze through sideways.
Eventually, they emerged from the passage—back through the ruined entrance into the courtyard of Linhua Pavilion.
The surviving soldiers straggled out one by one, less than half their original number.
Commander Wang of the Western City Patrol saw their soot-covered faces and was shocked. “Are the two Lords unharmed—ah! Your Highness is injured!”
Yu Wang waved him off. “Just a flesh wound. No need for a fuss.”
Su Yan was worried. “Ah Zhui… I hope nothing happened to him…”
He suspected his bodyguard had followed Fuyin into the tunnel and encountered a key figure inside the hall—someone who, sensing a threat, detonated the explosives to protect their identity and destroy the evidence.
Such ruthless decisiveness. Collapse the hall to block other passages and bury any pursuers alive. As for the carefully constructed hidden base—just blow it up. Sacrificing a pawn to protect the king, nothing more.
Judging by the timing, they must have left just before Su Yan and the others entered the tunnel.
But where was Ah Zhui now? Was he safe?
Su Yan thought hard, but there was no way to contact him. They could only wait for Ah Zhui to break free and come back. Meanwhile, he ordered the Garrison to monitor all areas within two or three li of Linhua Pavilion, in case the underground collapse affected the surface.
Just as he finished giving orders, a panting soldier rushed in to report to Commander Wang:
“M-My Lord… it collapsed…”
“What collapsed? Speak clearly!” Commander Wang pressed urgently.
“Baizhifang… the ground caved in, a massive pit. Many houses collapsed, countless dead and injured…”
Baizhifang was within the West Garrison’s jurisdiction. Commander Wang turned pale. “A sudden sinkhole?!”
Su Yan frowned. “Most likely a chain reaction caused by the explosion underground.”
Before he finished speaking, they saw a flash of brilliant light in the southwest sky—like a fireball rising from the ground. A deafening boom followed, as loud as ten thousand thunderclaps.
For a moment, it felt like the heavens and earth were crumbling. The ground beneath their feet shook violently.
Soldiers were thrown to the ground in chaos. Su Yan was shielded by Shen Qi and Yu Wang and didn’t get flung into a nearby rockery.
Commander Wang clung to the rockery, almost in tears. “Baizhifang is where the Ministry of War’s Gunpowder Bureau is! It’s over, it’s over—the stockpiled gunpowder exploded!”
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