The sun sank below the horizon, and the fiery clouds, like raging flames, burned across the sky before slowly dimming and disappearing.

Wearing a bamboo hat, Chen Ji stood beside a pastry shop just outside Cuiyun Alley. He feigned interest in selecting pastries, all the while carefully observing the alley from the corner of his eye.

The steward of the Chen Residence stood at the entrance, shouting, “Quick, quick, get that box onto the carriage! Lord Liu’s soldiers could arrive at any moment; we can’t let them take anything cheaply!”

Two servants carried a large box out of the residence. As they crossed the threshold, one stumbled, causing the box to fall open and spill its contents: gold, silver, and precious items scattered across the ground. A ‘phoenix coronet with blue floral ornaments’ was particularly conspicuous.

The steward’s face contorted in anger. Cursing, he lunged forward to quickly gather the scattered valuables back into the box. “You fools! If you damage anything, your lives won’t be enough to pay for it!”

Chen Ji counted out twelve copper coins from his sleeve and handed them to the shopkeeper. He then began to chew on a golden-fried twist bread from a paper bag, his expression blank as he watched the alley.

Just then, heavy hoofbeats echoed from a distance.

Chen Ji turned his head and saw Zhang Xia, mounted on Zaozao, galloping swiftly and turning into Cuiyun Alley like a clap of thunder. He subtly lowered his head, hoping to avoid being recognized.

Zhang Xia reined in her horse in front of the Chen Residence and watched the steward and others with curiosity. “What are you doing?” she asked.

The steward replied awkwardly, “We heard there’s trouble with soldiers in the city, so we’re quickly packing our valuables to move elsewhere, lest they be plundered by unruly troops.”

From atop Zaozao’s saddle, Zhang Xia raised an eyebrow. “Lord Chen and my father are currently under house arrest at the yamen, and instead of finding a way to rescue them, you’re packing your valuables first?!”

The steward of the Chen Residence grimaced. “Miss Zhang Er, you jest. How can powerless servants like us possibly rescue anyone? All we can do is safeguard our master’s valuables.”

Zhang Xia snorted coldly. “Suit yourselves!”

With that, she rode to the front gate of the Zhang Residence in Cuiyun Alley, handed the reins to a servant, and swiftly entered.

The alley originally contained twelve residences. Later, after Zhang Zhuo and Chen Liqin arrived in Luocheng, they successively purchased and combined several properties, gradually reducing the number of aristocratic households to just four.

Unable to locate Jin Zhu and therefore unable to leave Luocheng, Chen Ji had come to consult Zhang Zhuo on a strategy. However, the Liu family had acted even faster, directly confining Zhang Zhuo and Chen Liqin under house arrest at the yamen, leaving them unable to move.

He turned to leave, but then he saw a dense column of cavalry galloping towards them from the end of the long street.

This cavalry troop was entirely different from the earlier elephant-armored infantry. Each rider wore heavy black armor, iron helmets adorned with white plumes that swayed in the wind, and a black lacquered face mask beneath their helmets that obscured their features, giving them an air of chilling ferocity and formidable presence.

These were the Tiger-Armored Cavalry, maintained by the Liu family.

Chen Ji stood his ground. He watched as the cavalry troop, holding their spears inverted, rode brazenly into Cuiyun Alley, ruthlessly dispersing anyone in their path.

A servant spread his arms, blocking a horse’s path. “What are you doing? This is the Luocheng Vice Prefect’s residence! You can’t act so recklessly here!”

A Tiger-Armored Cavalryman spurred his horse forward and, without a word, impaled the servant with his spear before riding over the body. The steward was terrified to his core and quickly scrambled to hide.

The leader of the armored cavalry halted his horse before the gates of the Chen Residence. Without even a glance at the scattered gold and silver, a cold voice emanated from beneath his face mask: “Search the premises. Take all of Zhang Zhuo’s and Chen Liqin’s family members; leave them alive!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the Tiger-Armored Cavalry split into two groups: one charged into the Zhang Residence, and the other into the Chen Residence.

Chen Ji hesitated for a moment, then immediately dropped the twist bread he was holding, turned, and departed.

He made his way to the narrow alley behind the Zhang Residence, gazing up at its tall gray-tiled, white-washed wall. In the confined space, he sprang off the opposite wall, using the momentum to effortlessly vault over the high barrier into the Zhang Residence.

Inside the courtyard, screams and wails erupted ceaselessly. Servants, maids, concubines, and relatives scattered in every direction, creating a scene of utter chaos.

Chen Ji crouched low behind a rockery, observing discreetly. He saw a flash of crimson being pursued by an armored cavalryman into the inner quarters; it was Zhang Xia.

Chen Ji closed his eyes and thought for a moment. When he opened them again, he had already slipped silently through the night.

In the inner quarters, Zhang Xia fled, constantly glancing back in panic. The black-armored warrior pursuing her, despite his heavy armor, was running even faster.

Left with no other option, she desperately darted into a covered building.

Zhang Xia spun around to shut the door, then dragged an octagonal table from inside to brace it.

Before she could even catch her breath, the black-armored warrior outside delivered a heavy kick to the door. With a resounding crash, the door flew open, and Zhang Xia was knocked to the ground by the table she had used to brace it!

She looked up in terror to see the black-armored warrior standing solemnly outside the doorway. Moonlight streamed into the room, illuminating only his dark silhouette.

Zhang Xia feigned composure and declared, “According to Article 1, Scroll 18 of the Great Ning Law, all traitors, whether principal offenders or accomplices, shall be executed by slow slicing! Grandfathers, fathers, sons, and brothers, including those of different surnames like uncles and cousins, shall all be beheaded!”

The black-armored warrior paid no heed, his face mask obscuring any expression. Holding his spear inverted, he stepped over the threshold, advancing on her step by step.

Zhang Xia continued, her voice trembling, “For all those who commit treason, mothers, daughters, wives, concubines, and sisters shall all be sold into slavery at the pleasure quarters! And anyone who knows of such treason but fails to report it shall receive one hundred strokes of the cane and be exiled three thousand li!”

The black-armored warrior’s footsteps did not falter, and his shadow gradually crept over Zhang Xia’s face.

Just then, however, he suddenly noticed something unusual in his moonlit shadow…

On closer inspection, dark shadows seemed to slowly writhe on either side of his shadow’s head, as if two hands were emerging from beside his own.

No, someone was behind him!

The black-armored warrior instinctively moved to raise his spear and swing it around, but it was already too late.

Chen Ji reached out from behind, gripped the warrior’s neck, and twisted forcefully. A sharp crack of bone echoed, and the black-armored warrior’s body went limp, collapsing to the ground.

Chen Ji gently lowered the black-armored warrior to the ground. Still reeling from shock, Zhang Xia whispered, “Chen Ji, what are you doing here?”

He explained softly, “I came to discuss something with Lord Zhang and happened to see Lord Liu’s private army storming the Zhang Residence.”

“So you came in to save me?” Zhang Xia asked.

“No.”

Zhang Xia paused, bewildered. “Huh?”

As he spoke, Chen Ji lifted the black lacquered face mask from the corpse. Beneath it was a young, somewhat naive face, no more than twenty-one or twenty-two years old.

He stood up and began to unfasten his outer garments, taking them off one by one until only his white undershirt remained.

Zhang Xia, bewildered and uncertain, asked, “What are you doing?!”

Chen Ji didn’t reply. He simply knelt down and began to strip the armor from the corpse.

Zhang Xia immediately understood and helped him strip the black-armored warrior of his heavy armor: helmet, shoulder guards, body plate, breastplate, front plate, armguards, and leg guards, laying each piece carefully on the ground.

She asked with concern, “You’re going to blend in with them? What if you’re exposed?”

Chen Ji explained, “Only by blending in with them can I find an opportunity to rescue Lord Zhang. He is an important figure, smarter than either of us, and knows better how to navigate this military upheaval.”

He picked up an armguard to put it on. However, Ning Dynasty armor was complex; a single armguard alone required three straps to fasten.

Zhang Xia pursed her lips, then finally mustered the courage to pick up the body armor. “You’re putting it on incorrectly,” she said. “You must put on the body plate first, then the breastplate, the front plate, the armguards… Open your arms; I’ll help you.”

Chen Ji stood still and spread his arms.

Under the moonlight, Zhang Xia suppressed her fear, her fingers trembling slightly as she helped him don each piece of the armor.

As she fastened the armor’s straps, she asked, “Chen Ji, why aren’t you afraid?”

Chen Ji calmly replied, “I am afraid too, but fear is useless.”

Zhang Xia then asked, “Once you’re in, what’s the plan?”

Chen Ji considered for a moment. “There’s no plan,” he said. “I’ll just follow them; where we end up is not something I can control.”

Zhang Xia murmured in acknowledgment.

Silence descended upon the room, broken only by the metallic rubbing of armor plates.

Moments later, Zhang Xia stepped back and surveyed Chen Ji. Once satisfied, she said, “It’s on.”

Chen Ji picked up the helmet from the ground and put it on. “Stay hidden in this room,” he instructed, “and absolutely do not go outside. Once Lord Liu’s private army has withdrawn, climb out the back window and go around to the rockery in the southwest corner. There’s a spot there you can use to climb out of the residence. Remember to change your clothes; yours are too conspicuous.”

With that, Zhang Xia watched as Chen Ji fastened his black lacquered face mask, gripped his spear inverted, turned, and strode away. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

However, Chen Ji hadn’t gone far after stepping outside when he saw a troop of black-armored warriors approaching from the distance.

As they drew closer, the leader’s voice, muffled by his face mask, rumbled, “What took you so long? Did you find any of Zhang Zhuo’s family members in that covered building behind you?”

Chen Ji silently tightened his grip on his spear and replied in a muffled voice, “No.”

The black-armored warrior opposite him fell silent, his eyes behind the mask seemingly fixed intently on him.

The black-armored warrior looked at Chen Ji, then at the covered building. “Are you certain?” he pressed.

“Certain.”

The black-armored warrior sneered. “Step aside,” he commanded. “I’ll take a look.”

With that, he shoved Chen Ji aside by the shoulder and led over ten black-armored warriors towards the covered building, their black iron armor clanking.

Chen Ji’s eyes slowly hardened. The corpse inside the covered building hadn’t been disposed of in time. If they entered, they would surely discover both the body and Zhang Xia, and he would lose his only chance to infiltrate Lord Liu’s private army.

Chen Ji silently counted the backs of the black-armored warriors: one, two, three, four… There were twelve of them; he couldn’t possibly kill them all.

At that critical moment, a rustling sound came from the flowerbed outside the covered building, and the tall bushes began to shake.

Immediately, all the black-armored warriors raised their spears and roared, “Who’s there? Come out!”

A flash of red bolted frantically from the flowerbed and sprinted wildly into the distance.

Chen Ji froze. How had Zhang Xia appeared there?

Wait, this girl must have heard the commotion outside and, fearing that the black-armored warriors would discover the corpse inside and compromise his plan, she secretly slipped out the back window to divert their attention entirely.

Chen Ji took a deep breath and joined the black-armored warriors in pursuing Zhang Xia. They fanned out across the courtyard, with its numerous rockeries, to surround and intercept her.

Zhang Xia ran, glancing back over her shoulder, and eventually, in a seemingly desperate dash, she ran directly towards Chen Ji!

When they met, Chen Ji seized her hands and twisted them behind her back, shouting loudly, “I’ve caught her!”

Then, before the black-armored warriors could converge, he lowered his voice and asked, “Aren’t you afraid of death?”

Zhang Xia, her back to him, lowered her gaze. “You must find a way to save my father,” she pleaded.