As dusk fell, just when people were preparing for bed, an inexplicable chill permeated the streets.

The long, snow-covered street bore only scattered hoof prints, its emptiness giving it an otherworldly feel.

Two *li* from the inner prison, in a dimly lit alley south of the city, Liang Mao’er was dozing on a broken basket. Liang Gou’er, holding the Liang family’s long saber and with a dry, yellow blade of grass in his mouth, leaned against the wall, utterly bored. “Hey, kid,” he grumbled, “how much longer do we have to wait?”

Yu Dengke furtively peeked out of the alley. With his back to Liang Mao’er and Liang Gou’er, he said without turning, “Just a little longer. It’ll be another quarter of an hour until *hài shí*. Once it’s *hài shí*, we’ll be safe. Brother Gou’er, stay still under the eaves where there’s no snow; someone else will be patrolling soon.”

Liang Gou’er let out a sarcastic laugh. “Safe? How can it be safe to rescue someone from the Eunuch Faction’s inner prison?”

Just then, Yu Dengke, who was on lookout, turned and waved them over. “Quick, quick, quick! Someone else is coming, hide!”

With that, he stepped onto the snow-free ground under the eaves and quickly slipped himself into a broken basket.

Liang Gou’er turned, covered Liang Mao’er’s mouth, and swiftly picked him up, hiding them both behind a pile of broken baskets.

Outside the alley, the rhythmic thump of horse hooves on snow, *thump-thump-thump*, drew steadily closer, like the drums of death.

One breath, two, three… ten breaths later, a Jie Fan Guard, wearing a conical hat and an outer robe, rode past the alley. His long saber was tucked horizontally behind his waist, and his sharp gaze swept into the alley. He remained still for a moment, confirming there were no footprints in the snow, before riding off to patrol elsewhere.

Liang Gou’er released his hand, and Liang Mao’er silently gasped for air. Yu Dengke also pushed open the broken basket, letting out a relieved sigh on the ground, his legs trembling.

Liang Gou’er turned to Yu Dengke. “You’re just a kid from a family of dock porters, and your legs are trembling like that. Yet you dare to plunge into this trap, this ‘dragon’s pond and tiger’s den’?”

Yu Dengke looked startled and uncertain. “Is this a trap?”

Liang Gou’er started counting on his fingers. “This morning, I pretended to be a pedestrian and strolled around. Not only are there Jie Fan Guards patrolling sporadically, but who knows how many secret agents and other Jie Fan Guards are hidden in the alleys within a one-*li* radius of the inner prison. Beyond that, there are also troops from Luocheng’s Military Affairs Department, fully prepared for battle, ready to provide support at any moment. The Eunuch Faction is clearly waiting for people to walk into their trap, so they can take the opportunity to wipe out all remnants of Prince Jing’s faction.”

He looked at Yu Dengke and sneered, “Anyone with a bit of sense would notice this is a trap with a careful look. But you fools insist on walking to your deaths.”

Yu Dengke glanced back at him. “Aren’t you going too?”

Liang Gou’er impatiently retorted, “Do you think I want to go? I’m being coerced and lured by you! If you ask me, everyone has their own destiny; why must we save anyone? After all these years, aren’t there enough stories in the *jianghu* of sworn friends turning against each other after a life-saving act? Friends are temporary; one’s own life is what truly matters!”

Yu Dengke felt a little wronged. “We were so close back at the medical hall! You even said we’d drink together when we were old!”

Liang Gou’er’s expression froze, and his voice softened. “Anyway, let’s get this straight: As long as I help bring the Young Master and Young Mistress out of the inner prison, my job is done. After that, I’ll take Mao’er and flee. As for whether you can get the Young Master and Young Mistress out of Luocheng, that’s not my business.”

Yu Dengke grumbled, “Alright, alright.”

Liang Gou’er looked puzzled. “Aren’t you worried you won’t be able to get out? All four city gate garrisons have now been replaced with elite troops from the Longevity Army. Even manure carts entering and exiting the city have their lids opened and are poked seven or eight times. Just this afternoon, a remnant of the Liu family was caught and killed while hiding in a manure cart. He let out a mournful gurgle before dying, and ‘golden liquid’ even poured into his mouth. What do you think he gained from that? He might as well have chosen a quicker death…”

Yu Dengke imagined the scene and felt a shiver of disgust.

Liang Gou’er cheerfully continued, “Even if you manage to rescue the Young Master and Young Mistress from the inner prison, how will you get them away?”

At that moment, a calm voice suddenly came from behind the three. “Brother Gou’er needn’t worry about that.”

Liang Gou’er turned to look. From the depths of Wangchun Alley, a figure slowly emerged from the darkness, gradually becoming visible.

Liang Gou’er turned around, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the masked figure. “Why are you dressed like that? And you’re severely injured… How can you save anyone in this state?”

Chen Ji casually replied, “With a Great Official of the Seeker Realm like you, we can. By the way, Brother Gou’er, what cultivation path allows one to tattoo Buddha patterns on their body, making the Buddha’s Dharma-body appear behind them?”

Liang Gou’er was startled. “You fought Han Tong… Did he injure you? He cultivates the Hidden Python path. He tattoos patterns on his body using a mixture of heart blood, clover juice, and gold-flecked Hui ink, contemplating them daily. Ordinary people only dare to tattoo pythons; it’s said that tattooing dragons, tigers, Buddhas, or immortals can easily lead to losing one’s mind during contemplation, which is why it was originally called Hidden Python.” He continued, “Several people practice this path; when they meet, they fight each other to the death. I remember there used to be two near Grand Secretary Liu; they were killed by Heavenly Steed recently.”

Chen Ji nodded. “Understood. What’s the situation near the inner prison?”

Liang Gou’er explained, “There’s a Jie Fan Guard unit stationed near the inner prison, about two hundred strong. How do you plan to get in? Let me be clear, I can’t fight that many, and there are high-ranking officials hidden among the Jie Fan Guards. If you haven’t figured out how to deal with them, I advise you to turn back.”

Suddenly, Chen Ji raised a hand, signaling him to be silent.

Liang Gou’er was slightly startled. The next moment, a swift horse came treading on snow from afar, and the secret agent on its back intermittently blew a copper whistle. “Magpie,” one blast—it was the Secret Service’s signal to gather troops.

A short while later, horses galloped along the long street outside the alley. Chen Ji and the others hid themselves well in the shadows under the eaves, watching as teams of Jie Fan Guards, wearing conical hats and outer robes with long sabers tucked horizontally behind their waists, galloped past, heading east.

Once the night grew quiet again, Liang Gou’er suddenly looked at Chen Ji. “What did you do to draw away the Jie Fan Guards from here?”

Chen Ji did not answer.

Liang Gou’er frowned in thought. “If they were just capturing ordinary people, they wouldn’t need so many Jie Fan Guards. Unless it’s a Great Official of the Seeker Realm… But in Luocheng, the only Seeker Realm individuals are me and that person named Feng. Wait, did you use Han Tong as bait? As far as I know, he has no grievance with you…”

Chen Ji calmly replied, “It’s what he ought to do.”

Liang Gou’er scrutinized Chen Ji for a moment, then finally sighed. “You’re becoming a bit unscrupulous. Don’t end up with the whole world against you; you’ll regret it endlessly.”

Chen Ji shook his head. “It’s not important.”

Liang Gou’er looked at him with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty. “When you save them later, you won’t sell me and Mao’er out, will you?” Chen Ji replied expressionlessly, “No.”

With that, he took out a piece of gray cloth from his embrace and handed it to the three. Just as he raised his hand, he was seized by a fit of coughing. He pulled off his own mask and coughed up a mouthful of blood at the base of the wall.

“Chen Ji, are you alright?” Liang Mao’er asked with concern. Chen Ji wiped away the blood from his lips. “I’m fine.”

He lightly leaped onto the gray tiles of the roof, then lowered himself and reached out, pulling Yu Dengke up as well.

Liang Gou’er followed suit, pulling Liang Mao’er onto the roof, muttering, “You want to cross over the rooftops to avoid leaving footprints in the snow so no one will find you, but let me warn you, further ahead, there are still Secret Service agents hidden in every alley. You won’t be able to avoid them.”

Chen Ji calmly led the way forward. “I have my own way.”

The low, gable roofs, with their ridges like sharp mountain ranges, stretched out before them. A Jie Fan Guard stood in the shadow of a small alley, his hand resting on his waist saber like an armored statue. He pulled his conical hat lower and closed his eyes to rest, waiting for his prey to walk into the net.

The Jie Fan Guard had just closed his eyes when his right ear beneath the conical hat twitched slightly. He instantly opened his eyes, his gaze shooting out.

In the alley, a tabby cat was stepping on the snow, slowly walking in, looking left and right as if searching for food.

The Jie Fan Guard’s sharp gaze softened slightly. He thought for a moment, then took out a piece of flatbread from under his robe, broke off a small piece, and held it in his palm as he squatted down.

The tabby cat let out a timid meow, hesitated for a moment, then slowly approached. It swallowed the flatbread and rubbed against the Jie Fan Guard’s palm.

The Jie Fan Guard smiled and broke off another piece of flatbread.

Not far away, Chen Ji listened to the tabby cat’s meows but continued walking without stopping, leading Liang Gou’er to turn and head in another direction. He meticulously avoided every place where he heard a cat meowing.

The group weaved and leaped among the gray, mountainous rooftops, steadily approaching the inner prison.

Liang Gou’er, masked with gray cloth, had a look of doubt in his eyes. Where had all the Jie Fan Guards hidden in these alleys gone? How had they managed not to encounter a single one?

Also, there seemed to be many wild cats in this residential area.

Just then, Chen Ji suddenly lowered his body and raised his right fist.

Liang Gou’er bent down and moved closer, and the two of them used a roof ridge for cover, stealthily peering out.

Chen Ji whispered, “The iron door on the side of that residential house ahead is the inner prison. The passage behind the door leads underground, connecting to an underground river.”

Liang Gou’er frowned. “How do we get in? If we use a saber to cut open the iron door, the nearby Jie Fan Guards will definitely hear the commotion!”

Chen Ji picked up some snow from the rooftop, rubbed off the bloodstain on his cheek, then turned to Liang Gou’er. “You wait for me here.”

Liang Gou’er, hidden behind the roof ridge, watched Chen Ji lightly leap from the eaves, landing silently in the snow like a civet cat.

Liang Gou’er frowned. “What’s this kid going to do?” Yu Dengke shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Then, they watched as Chen Ji walked directly to the iron door and knocked three times. Liang Gou’er suddenly tightened his grip on his saber’s sheath.

The next moment, a small window on the iron door slid open. A jailer inside asked, puzzled, “Lord Chen, why are you here?”

Chen Ji flashed the waist token in his hand. “I have a prisoner to interrogate. Open the door.” The iron door swung open.

Just as Chen Ji was about to strike, the jailer quickly retreated into the passage, disappearing into the darkness of the inner prison.

Chen Ji moved to pursue, but a supervisory arrow shot out from inside the door. He barely dodged it by turning sideways, but the arrow cut a shallow blood mark on his cheek.

The next moment, the jailer blew a clear copper whistle. “Magpie,” one blast—Assembly!