One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

The accommodation arranged by Gao Lian was a three-story old villa near Central Avenue. The house was quite old, with withered vines climbing the exterior walls, and the windows were in the Russian style, carved with intricate patterns. The interior was very comfortable, with solid wood floors, a fireplace, heavy curtains, and the heating was on full blast; it was so hot that you wanted to take off your coat as soon as you entered.

Gao Lian arranged two rooms on the third floor for Nie Lingfeng and Chen Duo, with windows facing Central Street. It was completely dark by now, and the neon lights on the street were all lit up. The Russian-style buildings looked particularly dreamlike under the lights, and the street was bustling with people.

"You all rest first, I'll go arrange the surveillance and manpower," Gao Lian said. "We'll discuss the plan in detail tomorrow."

"Okay, Brother Gao, you should get some rest too." Nie Lingfeng nodded.

Gao Lian left. Nie Lingfeng closed the door, walked to the window, and looked at the street scene below. Chen Duo, holding a panda plush toy, sat on the sofa by the fireplace, quietly watching the fire.

"Nie Lingfeng," she suddenly spoke, "that Gao Lian... is he trustworthy?"

Nie Lingfeng turned to look at her: "Why do you ask that?"

"I sensed it," Chen Duo said. "When he speaks, his eyes dart to the left. Master Rongshan said that this is a sign of lying or nervousness."

Nie Lingfeng raised an eyebrow. Chen Duo's observation skills are quite impressive.

"He might not be telling the truth about some things, but he shouldn't be an enemy," Nie Lingfeng said. "Since Chairman Zhao asked him to cooperate with us, it means that at least at the company level, he is trustworthy. However..."

He paused, then sat down opposite Chen Duo and lowered his voice: "His men, however, are a different story."

Chen Duo looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Just now in the car, when Gao Lian mentioned the limited manpower, his eyes flickered for a moment," Nie Lingfeng said slowly. "As the head of the Northeast region, the number of people he can mobilize is definitely more than just the few he mentioned. Moreover, during dinner, he took a phone call, and although he lowered his voice, I heard a few words—'fish,' 'bait,' and 'net.'"

He paused, a cold glint in his eyes: "He's using us as bait to lure the people from Bihe Mountain. That's fine; I'm planning to do the same. But the question is... why is he keeping it from us? Is he afraid we'll disagree, or... does he have a mole among his men whom he doesn't trust, so he's keeping it from us too?"

Chen Duo thought for a moment and said, "A mole."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Because he was very nervous," Chen Duo said. "He spoke quickly, drank a lot of water, and kept tapping his fingers on the table. What was he worried about?"

Nie Lingfeng laughed and ruffled her hair: "Alright, you've observed quite closely. Let's give him a hand, find the mole, and then we can use that as bait."

"How do we pull it out?"

"Let's play along." A sly glint flashed in Nie Lingfeng's eyes. "Isn't he going to use us as bait? Then we'll cooperate and put on a show. But how we put on the show is up to us."

Gao Lian arrived early the next morning, bringing two other people with him.

One was a lean man in his early thirties, wearing a black leather jacket, with sharp eyes, holding a tablet computer, and walking with a brisk pace; he was clearly a capable field operative. Gao Lian introduced him as Xiao Liu, responsible for intelligence analysis and surveillance.

The other was an elderly man in his fifties, with gray hair, dressed in a simple Zhongshan suit, holding a compass in his hand. He had a gentle gaze, but his aura was very strong, like an old scholar. Gao Lian introduced him as Old Wu, a feng shui master and one of the heads of several old families in Northeast China. He was very knowledgeable about dragon veins and formations.

"These two are trustworthy brothers," Gao Lian said. "Xiao Liu is in charge of the technology, and Lao Wu is in charge of the feng shui. With their help, our plan can be more thorough."

Nie Lingfeng glanced at the two of them, then nodded with a smile: "Thank you both for your hard work."

"Of course," Xiao Liu said politely. "Mr. Nie, please feel free to ask if you need anything."

Old Wu nodded without saying anything, but took the compass and walked around the room, seemingly sensing something.

The four sat down and began to discuss the plan.

Gao Lian's idea was simple: to use the Fish and Dragon Society's expedition in Harbin to create an "opportunity" for the holder of the leech pill to appear. Specifically, he would spread the word that a clue to a "Tang Dynasty Zhenguo Stele" had been discovered somewhere in the Songhua River, and then send people to "investigate" it, waiting for the leech to appear.

"There are several places along the Songhua River where there are indeed legends of national steles in history," Gao Lian said, pointing to the map on his tablet. "Let's choose one, spread the word, and then lay an ambush. If that guy Hiruma dares to come, we'll make sure he doesn't leave alive."

Nie Lingfeng looked at the map without saying a word. Chen Duo sat next to him, fiddling with the ring on her finger, seemingly uninterested in the discussion.

"Brother Gao, how should we release the news?" Nie Lingfeng asked.

"I'll arrange it," Xiao Liu said. "I have a few informants with connections in the underworld. Have them 'accidentally' leak it out, and the people in Biheshan will definitely hear about it."

"What about the men who were lying in ambush?" Nie Lingfeng asked again.

"I have twelve brothers under my command, all of them skilled," Gao Lian said. "Add me, you, Miss Chen Duo, and Old Wu, and that's sixteen people, enough. We'll split into four groups and ambush from four directions. Once they arrive, we'll surround them from all sides, and they won't be able to escape even if they have wings."

Nie Lingfeng nodded, seemingly satisfied: "The plan is good. But Brother Gao, I have a question."

"you say."

"How can you be sure the holder of Hirumaru will actually come?" Nie Lingfeng looked at him. "If he realizes it's a trap, or if he doesn't care about the National Monument at all, then we've all worked for nothing."

Gao Lian laughed: "Brother, you don't know this. Those bastards from Bihe Mountain have a morbid obsession with the Zhenguo Stele. The fact that they couldn't find it back then is a thorn in their side. Now, as long as there's even the slightest clue, they'll definitely come. And..."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "I have bait in my hands that they have no choice but to come."

"What bait?"

Gao Lian took out a cloth bag from his pocket and carefully opened it. Inside was a palm-sized, dusty, stone-like object. But upon closer inspection, one could see extremely fine, almost invisible runes engraved on the stone.

"This is..." Nie Lingfeng's eyes narrowed.

"A fragment of the Zhenguo Stele," Gao Lian said slowly. "When my master and his companions found the Zhenguo Stele at the bottom of the Songhua River, it was already broken. Most of the fragments were secretly preserved, but my master kept this small piece as... a memento."

He pushed the fragment to Nie Lingfeng: "To ordinary people, this is just a stone. But to those who understand feng shui and formations, it's a priceless treasure. As long as we release the aura of this fragment, the people of Bihe Mountain will definitely be able to smell it. They... will definitely come."

Nie Lingfeng picked up the fragment and examined it carefully. Sure enough, there was a faint but extremely pure "Qi" aura on it, as heavy and steady as the earth. Moreover, the edges of the fragment had clean breaks, as if it had been cut by a sharp weapon.

"This is... cut into pieces with a knife?" he asked.

"Hmm." Gao Lian's eyes were cold. "It's Hiruma. Back then, the Hieiyama ninja found the National Monument and wanted to use Hiruma to cut the array on it. But they underestimated the power of the National Monument. Although the monument shattered, the array remained intact, and Hiruma was instead cracked. That's why Hiruma hasn't appeared for seventy years—it's recuperating."

Nie Lingfeng understood. So Hirumaru's appearance in this world this time was not only for revenge, but also for... repairing himself. And the best "material" for repairing Hirumaru was the fragment of the National Stele.

"This bait is substantial enough." Nie Lingfeng returned the fragments. "Then let's do as Brother Gao says. When do we make our move?"

"The night after tomorrow," Gao Lian said, "tomorrow we'll scout the location and set up an ambush. We'll move in at 10 p.m. the night after tomorrow."

"OK."

With the plan finalized, Gao Lian left with Xiao Liu and Lao Wu to arrange the details. Nie Lingfeng saw them to the door, watched the three of them go downstairs, then closed the door, his smile fading.

"Chen Duo," he turned and said softly, "did you figure it out?"

Chen Duo raised her head, her clear green eyes sparkling: "That Xiao Liu, there's something wrong with him."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"When he was talking, his fingers were constantly tapping on the tablet, as if he was typing," Chen Duo said. "But the tablet screen was black; it wasn't turned on. He was... hiding something."

Nie Lingfeng laughed: "Anything else?"

"When Gao Lian took out the fragment, his eyes lit up for a moment, then he quickly lowered his head," Chen Duo continued. "He was... memorizing something."

"What should I remember?"

"Remember what the fragments looked like, remember what Takasaki said, remember... the plan."

Nie Lingfeng nodded, walked to the window, and watched Gao Lian and the other two get into their car and leave. The car started and disappeared around the street corner.

"The mole is Xiao Liu," he said slowly. "Gao Lian knows it too, but he doesn't say anything because he wants to use a counter-strategy to lure the mole out with false information. But we have to help him out and make the act... more convincing."

"How do I do it?"

Nie Lingfeng thought for a moment, then took out his phone and sent a message to "Eagle":

"Investigate the recent communication records, whereabouts, and financial transactions of Liu Zhen, the intelligence agent of the Northeast branch. Focus on whether he has had contact with foreign forces, especially Japan. Urgent, results within two hours."

"Received." Eagle replied quickly.

Nie Lingfeng put away his phone and said to Chen Duo, "Come on, let's go out for a walk. We've come all this way to Harbin, what's the point if we don't stroll down Central Street?"

Chen Duo's eyes lit up: "Shall we go buy candied hawthorns?"

"Buy as much as you want."

Two hours later, Nie Lingfeng and Chen Duo sat in a café on Central Street, with two cups of hot chocolate and a bunch of snacks in front of them—Madier popsicles, grilled red sausage, sweet and sour pork (takeout), and a giant candied hawthorn stick filled with various fruits that Chen Duo had specifically requested.

Nie Lingfeng watched Chen Duo nibble on a candied hawthorn, sugar crumbs sticking to the corners of her mouth, her eyes crinkling into crescents, and couldn't help but laugh. This girl's obsession with sweets is just unbelievable.

Just then, my phone vibrated. "Eagle" had sent me an encrypted file.

Nie Lingfeng clicked on the link and quickly browsed through it. The more he read, the colder his expression became.

The file contained detailed records of Xiao Liu over the past three months. Sure enough, there was a problem.

Communication records show he had an encrypted overseas number, making calls once a week for no more than three minutes each time. His movements indicated he repeatedly "carried out missions alone," but the locations always overlapped with the areas where the Hieiyama Ninja Clan operated. Financial transactions were even more telling—three additional overseas remittances totaling $500,000 appeared under his name. The remitter was a shell company registered in the Cayman Islands, but tracing the source ultimately led to… Japan.

"The evidence is conclusive," Nie Lingfeng said in a low voice.

He thought for a moment and then made a phone call to Gao Lian.

"Brother Gao, where are you?"

"At the branch office, assign personnel." Gao Lian's voice was somewhat noisy. "What's wrong?"

"There's something I'd like to discuss with you privately," Nie Lingfeng said. "Is it convenient? I'll come over now."

Gao Lian was silent for a few seconds: "Okay, come on over. I'll send you the branch address."

After hanging up the phone, Nie Lingfeng said to Chen Duo, "Come on, I'll show you the 'luxury' of the Northeast branch."

Chen Duo nodded, stuffed the last bite of candied hawthorn into her mouth, and then looked longingly at the uneaten roasted sausage on the table.

"Take it all out." Nie Lingfeng knew what he was doing and had the waiter pack up all the food before heading out the door.

The Northeast branch isn't in the city center, but in a suburban area that looks like a logistics park. A sign hangs at the entrance that reads "Northeast Local Specialty Wholesale Market," and the place is filled with large trucks, with workers carrying boxes in and out—it looks like an ordinary warehouse.

But Nie Lingfeng could sense that there were at least five layers of security here. There were visible sentries, hidden sentries, electronic surveillance, array formations, and even several heavy firepower points hidden inside the shipping containers.

Gao Lian was waiting for them at the door. When he saw the takeout bag in Nie Lingfeng's hand, he smiled and said, "Oh, you even brought food? Perfect, I haven't eaten yet."

"Brother Gao, you've worked hard. Here's a treat for you." Nie Lingfeng handed it over with a smile.

The three entered the warehouse, making several turns before finally entering an elevator disguised as a cold storage room. The elevator descended and stopped on the third basement level. The doors opened, revealing a vast, technologically advanced underground space. A large screen displayed a map of the entire Northeast, various surveillance footage, and dozens of staff members busily working, with the sounds of telephones, keyboards, and walkie-talkies filling the air.

"Wow, Brother Gao, that's impressive," Nie Lingfeng exclaimed.

"It's nothing, nothing compared to headquarters." Gao Lian said modestly, but his expression was smug. "Come on, let's talk in my office."

The office wasn't large, but it was very clean. Gao Lian closed the door; the soundproofing was excellent, and the noise from outside disappeared instantly.

"Speak, what is it that you have to say in person?" Gao Lian asked.

Nie Lingfeng didn't speak, but pushed his phone over, revealing a file sent by "Eagle" on the screen.

Gao Lian took the phone, glanced at it a few times, and his face darkened. He read it slowly and carefully, his expression growing increasingly grim with each page. Finally, he slammed the phone down on the table and forced out two words through gritted teeth:

"Scrap!"

Nie Lingfeng looked at him calmly: "Brother Gao, you already knew, didn't you?"

Gao Lian didn't deny it, but lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

"I know. But I have no proof." His voice was hoarse. "Xiao Liu has been with me for eight years; I trained him myself. Three months ago, his younger brother, who was studying abroad, was kidnapped. The kidnappers demanded he provide inside information about the Northeast branch, or they would kill him. He... gave in."

He paused, his eyes filled with pain: "I know he's let down his brothers and the company, but he was forced into it. His younger brother is only nineteen, still in school... What can I do? Arrest him directly? Then his brother will surely die. Don't arrest him? If he continues to leak information, the company will suffer even greater losses, and it might even kill more people."

"So that's why you kept it from us, trying to turn the tables on us?" Nie Lingfeng asked.

"Yes." Gao Lian nodded. "I deliberately let him know about the 'Fragment of the National Stele' so he could pass it on. The people from Bihe Mountain will definitely come when they get the news. At that time, the people I arranged will be lying in ambush in the real trap, not the place he thought it was. As long as we capture the people from Bihe Mountain, we can force them to find out the whereabouts of his brother, and then... we'll deal with him."

He looked at Nie Lingfeng, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Brother, I know what I did was against the rules. If you think it's inappropriate, you can report it to the company, and I'll accept the punishment. But Xiao Liu... he doesn't deserve to die. His brother is even more innocent."

Nie Lingfeng was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Brother Gao, I understand your strong sense of loyalty. But have you considered what would happen if your plan went wrong, what if the people from Bihe Mountain didn't follow your script, what if... they acted first and harmed innocent people?"

Gao Lian didn't say anything, he just smoked heavily.

"So, we need to change our plan," Nie Lingfeng said. "We can play along, but we can't rely on you alone to act. We need to make the mole believe that we've completely fallen for the trap. Then, when he's passing on the message, we... intercept him."

"Hijacking?"

"Yes." A cold glint flashed in Nie Lingfeng's eyes. "Isn't he going to spread the news that the 'Fragment of the National Stele' is somewhere on the Songhua River? Let him spread it. But the news that's spread will be embellished by us. The real ambush location is somewhere else. And..."

He paused, then added, "We need to give Xiao Liu a chance to redeem himself. Let him 'accidentally' discover that the people from Bihe Mountain plan to kill him and his brother after they succeed. Then, he'll naturally know which side to stand on."

Gao Lian's eyes lit up: "Brother, are you confident?"

"Eighty percent," Nie Lingfeng said, "but I need your cooperation, Brother Gao, to put on a show."

"What play?"

"An insult scene," Nie Lingfeng laughed. "The fiercer the better, the more realistic the better. Ideally, everyone in the branch should know that you've fallen out with me because I questioned your plan and thought it was too risky. Then, in a fit of anger, I took Chen Duo and went solo, no longer cooperating with you."

Gao Lian was taken aback, then understood: "You're trying to... lure the snake out of its hole?"

"Yes." Nie Lingfeng nodded. "When Xiao Liu finds out we've fallen out, he'll definitely think our opportunity has arrived and will be even more proactive in passing on the message. And Biheshan, knowing about our internal strife, will also feel more at ease and be bolder. At that time, our opportunity will come."

Gao Lian thought for a moment, then slapped his thigh: "Alright! Let's do it! But brother, you have to be careful. Those bastards from Bihe Mountain are cunning. If you go it alone, they might target you first."

"I couldn't be happier," Nie Lingfeng laughed. "I was worried they wouldn't come."

The two discussed some details, including the content of the fake news, the choice of ambush location, the manpower arrangement, and how to "inadvertently" let Xiao Liu know that Biheshan was going to kill him.

Finally, Gao Lian stood up, took a deep breath, and a fierce expression appeared on his face:

"Alright, then let's... begin the performance!"

He flung open the office door and yelled at the outside:

"Nie Lingfeng! Don't you dare push your luck! This is my territory, and it's none of your business to tell me what to do! If you want to work, great; if not, get out!"

The sound was so loud that it could be heard clearly throughout the entire underground space. All the staff stopped what they were doing and stared in disbelief.

Nie Lingfeng slammed his hand on the table, stood up, his face ashen.

"Gao Lian! You think I wanted to come to this dump? If it weren't for Chairman Zhao's orders, I'd have left long ago! Fine, you're so great, do it yourself! Chen Duo, let's go!"

He grabbed Chen Duo and stormed out. Chen Duo cooperated, keeping her head down and following closely behind him, looking frightened.

Gao Lian cursed from behind, "Get lost! Get lost now! Don't let me see you again!"

Without turning his head, Nie Lingfeng pulled Chen Duo into the elevator. The elevator doors closed, shutting out the noise outside.

Inside the elevator, the anger on Nie Lingfeng's face vanished instantly, replaced by a playful smile. Chen Duo looked up and asked softly:

"Is the performance over?"

"Not yet," Nie Lingfeng said. "The main event is about to begin. Let's go find a place to 'get angry'."

After leaving the logistics park, the two found a decent-looking hotel nearby and checked in. Nie Lingfeng specifically chose a high-floor room with windows facing the logistics park.

After checking in, he opened the curtains a crack and used binoculars to observe the logistics park. Sure enough, less than half an hour later, he saw Xiao Liu drive out and head towards the city.

"The fish have come out of their holes." Nie Lingfeng put down his binoculars and said to Chen Duo, "Let's go, follow them."

The two went downstairs, hailed a taxi, and followed Xiao Liu's car at a distance. Xiao Liu was very cautious, driving around the city several times before finally entering a seemingly ordinary Japanese restaurant.

Nie Lingfeng and Chen Duo sat down in the coffee shop across the street, ordered two coffees, and stared at the entrance of the Japanese restaurant while drinking them.

About twenty minutes later, Xiao Liu came out, his face somewhat pale, but his eyes held a relieved ease. He got into his car and drove away.

Nie Lingfeng didn't follow, but instead looked towards the Japanese restaurant. A few minutes later, a middle-aged man wearing a kimono and carrying a food box came out, looked around, and then walked in another direction.

"This is the real deal," Nie Lingfeng said in a low voice. "Chen Duo, you wait here, I'll go take a look."

"Be careful," Chen Duo whispered.

"rest assured."

Nie Lingfeng got up and followed silently.

The man in the kimono walked slowly and steadily, as if taking a stroll. He crossed several streets and finally entered an old residential area, stopping in front of a tenement building. He looked around, then went upstairs.

Nie Lingfeng hid in the shadows, watching the building. The building was old, with peeling paint and windows mostly covered with newspaper, making it look abandoned. But he could sense several wisps of "qi" within the building, cold and gloomy, like venomous snakes lurking in the dark.

The stronghold of the Hieiyama ninja has been found.

Nie Lingfeng didn't want to alert the enemy, so he quietly retreated and returned to the coffee shop.

"How is it?" Chen Duo asked.

"Found them." Nie Lingfeng nodded. "But don't rush to act. Let's wait until they bite before wiping them all out."

He took out his phone and sent Gao Lian an encrypted message:

"The fish has taken the bait, location confirmed. Proceed as planned."

A few seconds later, Gao Lian replied:

"Received. Tomorrow night at 10 PM, north bank of the Songhua River, abandoned dock. My men are in position. You over there... be careful."

Nie Lingfeng put away his phone and looked out the window.

As night deepens, the lights of Harbin gradually come on.

A deadly trap has been quietly set up to kill both the mole and the outsider.

We'll close the net tomorrow night.

(To be continued) (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧