Immortalis

Yin Residence 14

When Zhou Huai woke up, he was already in the inn.

He stared at the canopy of the bed for a while, then abruptly propped himself up: "Miss Yang! Are you alright?"

"She's in the next room."

The reply came from Shen Qingshi, who sat by the bedside, seemingly having regained consciousness long ago.

Perhaps due to training under Cao Zhao since childhood, the knockout drug used by the Zhaoming Guard had little effect on her. Moreover, the moment she saw Cao Zhao wearing a black mask, she knew what he would do next and immediately held her breath.

"Quick reflexes."

Not long before, as everyone was knocked out by the incense, Shen Qingshi got up from the ground and took the black mask handed to her by Cao Zhao.

Cao Zhao shackled the One-Eyed Daoist's hands and feet with iron chains and confirmed the others were unconscious before saying, "I didn't want to confront your friends, so I had no choice but to resort to this."

Shen Qingshi wasn't actually surprised by Cao Zhao's presence here.

After a moment's thought, she asked, "Is it because of the Cage Play?"

Cao Zhao said, "This matter involves too much. I can't let them leave Jingyang alive."

So, that big spender who threw money around...

Shen Qingshi's heart sank. They had likely overheard something they shouldn't have. If this were truly investigated, not only the One-Eyed Daoist but even Yang Wujian and Zhou Huai would...

"Don't worry, I won't touch the others for now."

As if reading her mind, Cao Zhao said, "After all, this daoist has some names in his possession. Now that the acolyte is dead and Xue Mingchang won't last long, you know about this matter but didn't hear the names. I'll pretend you never heard of the Cage Play. Later, you'd better remind your two companions not to investigate further."

Hearing this, Shen Qingshi replied, "It's fine. If Brother Cao needs to kill them, I can do it for you to eliminate any future troubles."

Shen Qingshi's tone was completely calm. Cao Zhao was momentarily taken aback, then laughed: "Indeed, no one in the Zhaoming Division compares to you in this regard. But you still have a mission and need their assistance, remember?"

Shen Qingshi immediately bowed her head: "Green Stone dares not forget."

Cao Zhao patted her shoulder with a smile: "Good. I'll take this person back first. There's something strange about him that I need to investigate. As for other matters... Earlier, when I was listening from the rooftop, that Yang Wujian and this One-Eyed Daoist seemed to be old acquaintances. You previously suspected her identity—why not let me help you verify it?"

"Was that person just now from the Zhaoming Division? Where did he come from? He followed us all the way without us noticing?"

Hearing that Yang Wujian was safe, Zhou Huai sighed in relief but also felt a chill run down his spine.

Although he had heard of the Zhaoming Division before, Zhou Huai had always thought that even if court officials had some martial skills, they could never be top-tier experts.

Until he saw that person in the Yin Residence—smiling like a tiger, tailing them all the way from the city without making a sound. Such lightness skill was far beyond ordinary people.

Shen Qingshi didn't speak. After a moment of silence, she stood up: "Since you're awake, stay put. That knockout drug is from the palace—very potent. It weakens muscles and bones for several hours. It's normal that you can't use your strength now."

She pushed the door open and heard Zhou Huai collapse weakly onto the bed behind her. Then Shen Qingshi pushed open the door to Yang Wujian's room next door—sure enough, the room was empty."So, Your Excellency, since you never intended to let me live, what did you capture me to ask?"

Baihe woke up in the Jingyang government prison to find Cao Zhao sitting not far away. His limbs felt weak and powerless—not just because of the shackles, but also due to the Bewitching Smoke he had inhaled earlier.

Recalling the tragic scene from before, he felt heartbroken but couldn't help letting out a cold laugh: "Not even sparing children that young—you Zhaoming Guards truly are well-trained dogs of the imperial court."

"Reverend, you should know that without your protection, they wouldn't have lived long anyway."

As the Bi'an Department Master in charge of interrogations, Cao Zhao was long accustomed to such provocations. He merely smiled in response.

"I suppose you martial artists should be more resilient than those frail civil officials. But since you're going to die either way, what I want to ask is simple. If you answer, not only will I not trouble you, but I won't trouble that Miss Yang either."

Baihe glared coldly at him: "What does Miss Yang have to do with this?"

Cao Zhao walked up to him: "Reverend, living far removed from court affairs, you might not know this—the Zhaoming Division excels at uncovering connections, no matter how well you hide them."

His words carried implied meaning. Baihe stared back at him for a long moment, thinking that although this man had a dignified appearance, his eyes concealed deep malice. Combined with the tiger-head gold token hanging from his waist, he truly was a smiling tiger that devours people without spitting out bones.

He scoffed: "I suppose you want to ask about Longevity Palace for your master?"

Cao Zhao also smiled: "Reverend is indeed clever. Those youths of yours all possess some martial skills—I suspect this must be the work of the Longevity Heart Sutra, am I right?"

"I am from Longevity Palace, but I defected fifteen years ago. If you want to extract the location of Longevity Palace from me, it's absolutely impossible. Nor can you use me to curry favor with your master."

Baihe stared coldly at him: "I know the Zhaoming Division has its methods, but I can tell you right now—even if you use all those methods on me, you won't learn anything more about Longevity Palace. Because I left Longevity Palace fifteen years ago."

After saying this, he expected Cao Zhao to immediately call for torture. Instead, the Bi An Envoy just shook his head: "Reverend, you misunderstand. I don't want to know where Longevity Palace is now—sooner or later, someone will investigate and tell me. There's no rush."

Baihe frowned at this: "Then what do you want to know?"

Cao Zhao smiled: "Reverend, you say you defected from Longevity Palace fifteen years ago. Coincidentally, what I want to know also concerns events from fifteen years ago. I wonder if you're aware—that year, you lost a young girl with a brand on her back? She was locked in a Black Iron Cage and tortured day and night, just to become medicinal ingredients thrown into the furnace flames?"

Upon hearing this, Baihe's face instantly turned pale. Before he could utter a single word, Cao Zhao looked at him with a knowing smile: "No need to speak, Reverend. I already know."

"You..."

Baihe was utterly horrified. Just then, commotion suddenly erupted outside the cell. A yamen runner rushed in to report: "Your Excellency, there's a fire outside!"

"If you ask me, that Xue Mingchang deserves to die—the subordinates he's raised are truly useless."

Cao Zhao snorted displeasedly and hurried out. The moment he left the cell, the same yamen runner quickly approached Baihe. When he spoke, it was Yang Wujian's voice.

He said: "I'm here to rescue you.""Do you know that I am the bait, and he is waiting for you to come."

Baihe could only hate how well he understood Yang Wujian.

Among the Ten Elders of Longevity, although he was the only one without Northern Desert bloodline, his loyalty and righteousness far surpassed others. Baihe said urgently, "Leave quickly! Your identity has been exposed the moment you came here."

"I know, but I can't leave you here waiting to die. You've given all your cultivation to someone else, haven't you?"

Due to the Bewitching Smoke, Yang Wujian couldn't use much internal energy and could only rely on brute force to slash. However, the fine iron shackles of the Zhaoming Division were extraordinary - after several strikes, not only were they not broken, but there wasn't even a notch left.

"I told you, leave quickly! Don't worry about me!"

"Back then, I even dared to release the Old Palace Master's Flesh Conduit. What's wrong with saving you now?"

As the two were arguing, someone behind them laughed and said, "Who would have thought? After the Longevity Palace disappeared for so many years, two actually delivered themselves to our doorstep?"

Yang Wujian turned around to see Cao Zhao already standing at the cell door with a smile. Seeing this, Baihe said, "Leave quickly! You're no match for him. If you really want to save me, you might as well end my life now. Anyway, I've lost all my internal energy, and I've taken too many tonic medicines over the past two years. Even if I get out, I won't live much longer."

"I..."

While Yang Wujian was still hesitating, Baihe said sharply, "Do you really have to watch me suffer endless torture at his hands before I die?"

"I'm sorry, Baihe."

Yang Wujian's heart felt as if being sliced by a knife.

But by now, he clearly understood that with his limited strength, it was truly impossible to take Baihe out. So, gritting his teeth, Yang Wujian thrust his long blade directly into Baihe's chest. Before twisting it, he heard Baihe whisper in an extremely low voice, "Don't look for the White-faced Guest, don't return to the Longevity Palace."

After speaking, Yang Wujian twisted the blade in his hand. Baihe lowered his head, already lifeless.

"I truly never imagined the Longevity Palace would be so loyal and righteous. Knowing how heavily guarded this place is, someone would still break in."

Only after Baihe breathed his last did Cao Zhao speak, as if Baihe's life held no meaning to him anymore.

He walked over as if strolling in a garden: "You just called him Baihe. Could it be that he's Elder Baihe, one of the Ten Elders of Longevity? In that case, young brother, why are you still wearing a mask to speak with me? Why not show your true face? Perhaps I might even let you go."

Yang Wujian could barely speak. His entire body felt cold, yet his hands were stained with his old friend's blood.

Fifteen years apart, and after reuniting with Baihe for only a few days, he had personally sent his old friend to his death.

For a moment, Yang Wujian even wanted to die here himself. After all, rather than falling into the hands of the Zhaoming Division and being forced to reveal the Longevity Palace's whereabouts, dragging down Mingshan and Gu Yun, it would be better to die here.

Anyway, from the day he practiced the Longevity Heart Sutra, he knew he wouldn't live a normal lifespan.

He absolutely couldn't fall into this man's hands!

Just as Yang Wujian slowly tightened his grip on the sword hilt, suddenly, with a loud bang, the entire prison cell was instantly filled with dense smoke. Yang Wujian thought it was Bewitching Smoke again and instinctively held his breath. Unexpectedly, amidst the chaos, someone suddenly grabbed his wrist and pulled him outward.

Who was it?

Before Yang Wujian could react, he heard Cao Zhao laugh behind him: "Another insider?"With that, the Tiger Head Long Saber in his hand rang out as it left its sheath, followed by a fierce blade edge slashing straight toward them!

Yang Wujian shouted "Be careful!" and the person holding him pushed him aside. Unexpectedly, Cao Zhao's saber came both swift and strange—it immediately changed from a slash to a slice. The newcomer couldn't dodge in time and took a solid hit on the shoulder, blood gushing out like a fountain, yet they didn't utter a sound.

"Run!"

Yang Wujian knew that although Cao Zhao was blind, the Zhaoming Guard possessed exceptional hearing and could likely track their location by footsteps. Gritting his teeth, he mustered all his strength to finally break through the drug's effects and draw a thread of inner energy. Though it wasn't much, it was enough to topple a torture rack several feet away. In the resulting diversion, Cao Zhao's saber changed direction, and Yang Wujian immediately dragged the person out of the prison.

The guards along the way had all been knocked out. By the firelight, Yang Wujian finally got a clear look—the newcomer was wrapped entirely in black clothing, revealing nothing but a pair of eyes.

Cao Zhao was still pursuing, but the newcomer seemed prepared. They struck a firestarter and threw it to the ground, where oil instantly ignited into flames several feet high, completely cutting off Cao Zhao's path.

"Get on the horse!"

Yang Wujian leaped onto the horse at the entrance, with the person close behind. The two galloped away urgently, finally shaking off their pursuers and arriving at a secluded corner in the city.

"We need to change clothes immediately."

Yang Wujian understood clearly—Cao Zhao, as one of the Four Envoys, wielded immense power. Having let them escape, he would surely order a city-wide manhunt. Fortunately, this black-clad figure had revealed nothing, and Yang Wujian himself had been disguised in male attire for the rescue.

As he removed the disguise from his face, the black-clad figure softly said, "So you really aren't a woman."

"And you have the nerve to say that about me? Miss Shen."

The moment he had seen the person's eyes after leaving the prison, Yang Wujian had known it was her.

After all, he would never mistake those eyes in this lifetime.

Since he couldn't hide it anyway, Yang Wujian immediately withdrew his posture, took off his outer robe, and folded the oversized inner garment into a woman's dress to wear.

By the time he had finished this entire process, Shen Qingshi, due to her injury, had only just removed her outer clothing. Her face was deathly pale: "Someone's coming. Find a place to hide."

Yang Wujian also heard the patrol team rushing toward them. Seeing Shen Qingshi already unsteady on her feet from blood loss, he pulled her behind a nearby haystack to hide and whispered, "How did you know I was in the prison?"

"You and that priest are old acquaintances. I knew you would go to save him."

As she spoke, Yang Wujian caught the heavy scent of blood on her and thought, Cao Zhao called it a household thief—turns out it really was a household thief.

He had initially suspected that Shen Qingshi had exposed Baihe's matter to Cao Zhao, but now it seemed Shen Qingshi was even crazier than he had imagined—directly attacking her own superior. No wonder she had to cover up so thoroughly.

Yang Wujian smiled bitterly inwardly and wanted to ask why she had come. But at that moment, the voice of Shen Qingshi in his arms grew increasingly faint: "Finding Longevity Palace still requires you... When I was young, I suffered greatly in that place. I want to know exactly why..."

After saying this, Yang Wujian felt a weight on his shoulder—Shen Qingshi had already fainted dead away in his arms.