You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

The autumn night is deep, the moon is hidden and the stars are few.

The gates of Qinfang Garden opened quietly, and a lone lamp swayed in the night breeze, illuminating Qin Shi's face, which was made even more charming by her careful makeup.

She wore a feathered satin cloak, her hair was slightly loose, and there was still a hint of languid spring in the corners of her eyes and brows. She personally carried a lantern and escorted Lu Zuo to the door.

"His Majesty……"

"The night dew is heavy with cold; Your Majesty must take care of your health..."

"Your Majesty, I will await your arrival again tomorrow."

Lu Zuo took the outer robe, casually put it on, grunted, and turned to step into the deep night outside the door.

The alley where the villa was located was already secluded, but now it was even more deathly silent, with only the faint whistling of the night wind passing through the eaves and the barely audible footsteps of the three people.

The lantern's glow cast swaying circles on the bluestone path, barely illuminating a few steps ahead.

After walking about twenty paces, just as you turn a corner, there is a small open space in front of you, which used to be the gate of a deserted courtyard.

A sudden change has occurred!

call out!call out!call out!

A sharp whistling sound suddenly tore through the silence of the night!

Dozens of cold glints flashed in the darkness, those were poisoned crossbow bolts, their pale blue light gleaming in the dim moonlight, weaving a net of death that instantly enveloped Lu Zuo and the two eunuchs behind him!

Assassination!

A well-prepared ambush!

Although startled, the two eunuchs reacted swiftly. Almost the instant the sound of something cutting through the air rang out, they moved, and a short blade and an iron ruler appeared in their hands. They swung them around like wheels, attempting to block the attack.

Ding ding ding!

The sound of metal clashing suddenly rang out, and most of the crossbow bolts were deflected, but one or two still managed to slip through the gaps in the defenses.

Just as the poisoned arrow was about to hit him, Lu Zuo lightly stomped his foot.

hum!

An invisible yet powerful and majestic energy erupted from him!

Like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating towering waves!

The energy had a viscous, stagnant, yet indestructible quality, as if it instantly solidified the air within a few feet around him into an impenetrable wall!

All the crossbow bolts that were fired within three feet of him, regardless of their origin, seemed to hit an invisible rubber wall, their momentum greatly reduced.

It was immediately drawn and deflected by the viscous energy, falling to the ground with a clattering sound, the eerie blue luster on the arrowhead quickly dimming.

Almost at the same moment the energy burst forth, more than a dozen dark figures darted out from the walls, rooftops, and shadows of the abandoned courtyard on both sides!

These figures varied in height and build, moved with the speed of a leopard, moved silently, and coordinated perfectly.

The moment they appeared, they pounced on us from all sorts of tricky angles!

The weapons in their hands were varied, including short daggers, curved swords, iron rulers, and strange claws, which gleamed with a sharp, cold light in the night, each move aimed directly at Lu Zuo's vital points!

Two more figures moved like ghosts, bypassing the front and rushing straight at the two eunuchs who were blocking the remaining crossbow bolts, intending to divide the battlefield and prevent rescue.

Faced with deadly attacks coming from all directions, Lu Zuo did not retreat but advanced, cutting into the middle of the three assassins who pounced on him first on the left like a fish, flicking his five fingers with his left hand!

Pop! Pop! Pop...

Three soft sounds, like popping a bubble.

Before the three assassins could even draw their weapons, they felt as if they had been struck by a heavy hammer at the Tanzhong acupoint in their chests. They groaned, their vision went black, and all their strength was instantly drained, causing them to collapse limply.

Lu Zuo's internal force, which was subtle and cunning, directly shattered their heart meridians.

The two assassins on the right were horrified to see their companion die instantly, but the attack had already begun and they couldn't stop in time.

One man swung a curved blade and slashed diagonally at Lu's left neck, while another man thrust a poisoned dagger straight at his lower back.

Lu Zuo didn't even look. He flicked his right sleeve backward, channeling his true power into the corner of the sleeve, making it harder than iron, and precisely struck the side of the curved blade.

Clang!

With a piercing screech, the curved blade was deflected by the immense force contained in the sleeve, causing the assassin's hand to split open and the long blade to fly into the air.

Lu Zuo's flicking sleeve was not yet finished; the corner of his sleeve, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, struck the Shenmen acupoint on the wrist of another assassin wielding a dagger.

"what!"

The assassin screamed, his dagger fell to the ground, and his entire arm went numb and powerless.

With a calculated move, Lu Zuo turned and closed in on the two men, his hands moving like butterflies flitting among flowers, seemingly gently pressing on their chests.

Bang!Bang!

With two muffled thuds, the assassin's chest caved in, he spat out blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, flew backward, crashed into the wall behind him, and slowly slid down, lifeless.

At this moment, the two assassins who had lunged at his eunuch had been swiftly dealt with; one had the short blade stuck in his throat, and the other had his skull shattered by an iron ruler.

In the blink of an eye, five of the dozen or so assassins had been killed.

The remaining assassins clearly hadn't expected their target's martial arts skills to be so incredibly high, causing a slight disruption in their coordination.

Lu Zuo moved again, like a ghost, leaving behind afterimages in the arena.

Whether with a finger, a palm, a sleeve, or a leg, every strike leaves an assassin groaning and collapsing to the ground, either dead or crippled.

His moves are concise, efficient, and ruthless to the extreme, incorporating the essence of various martial arts techniques, and every move he makes is a killing blow.

The assassins' combined attacks were as fragile as paper in the face of his absolute speed and power.

The assassins' combined attacks were as fragile as paper in the face of his absolute speed and power.

In less than ten breaths, the last assassin who tried to sneak up from behind was struck in the temple by Lu Zuo, his skull shattered, and he collapsed to the ground without uttering a sound.

The alley returned to silence, with only the strong stench of blood quickly spreading in the night wind.

There were more than a dozen corpses lying haphazardly on the ground, all of whom had been killed with a single blow.

Two eunuchs quickly stepped forward, cautiously scanning the surroundings to make sure there were no more ambushes, before whispering, "Your Majesty, are you alright?"

Lu Zuo dusted off non-existent dust from his sleeves and said calmly, "It's alright."

He walked to a corpse, used his toe to lift the black veil covering its face, revealing a face with a high nose, deep-set eyes, and dark skin, quite different from that of people from the Central Plains.

Upon examining a few more, the same pattern emerged.

"People from the Western Regions... Esoteric Buddhism?"

It really was them!

These guys are really well-informed; they even managed to find out my route when I left the palace incognito and set up an ambush here.

It seems that the influence of these Tibetan monks in the capital is deeper than he had anticipated.

"Clean up the bodies and check their bodies for clues."

Lu Zuo gave an order, then turned and walked towards the palace without lingering.

.....

Upon returning to the palace, Lu Zuo immediately summoned Pei Xuan, the envoy of the Imperial City Guard.

Pei Xuan rushed over and, upon entering the imperial study, saw the emperor sitting behind his desk with a somber expression.

He felt a chill run down his spine and immediately knelt down: "Your subject Pei Xuan pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"I was assassinated on my way back to the palace tonight." Lu Zuo got straight to the point, his voice calm, but it sent a chill down Pei Xuan's spine, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

"His Majesty!"

Pei Xuan abruptly looked up, his face deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down his face: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I deserve to die!"

"I failed in my duty of security, allowing a scoundrel to disturb His Majesty's presence! I deserve to die!"

He was filled with extreme fear.

When the emperor went out of the palace incognito, his safety was secretly partly protected and the road cleared by the Imperial City Guard. Now that such a blunder has occurred, his position as commander deserves to die a hundred times over!

"The thirteen assassins were all dressed as monks from the Western Regions. Their martial arts style was strange, and they should be members of the Tantric sect."

Lu Zuo ignored his apology and continued, "Not a single one survived."

Pei Xuan breathed a slight sigh of relief, but his nerves were on edge even more.

Tantric Buddhism!

These Tibetan monks actually infiltrated the capital and even ambushed His Majesty with great precision!

"Your Majesty, I will immediately mobilize all available manpower to seal off the nine gates and launch a city-wide search!"

"We will definitely find these audacious Tibetan monks and tear them to pieces!" Pei Xuan gritted his teeth, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

Even if the emperor was only startled by the assassination attempt, it was a major dereliction of duty by the Imperial City Guard and a great disgrace to Pei Xuan!

A city-wide search? That would only alert the enemy.

"Since they were able to infiltrate the capital and accurately track my movements, there must be someone secretly providing support and cover for them."

"The capital city has many Buddhist temples, and the incense is very popular. Believers from all directions come and go in a great variety of ways. It is a good place to hide one's dirty deeds and conceal one's whereabouts."

Pei Xuan immediately understood: "Your Majesty means... to inspect the Buddhist temple?"

"The focus of the investigation will be on all Buddhist temples in the city and its suburbs, especially those with thriving incense offerings, complicated backgrounds, or those where Tibetan monks stay."

Lu Zuo tapped his fingers lightly on the imperial desk: "Investigate thoroughly, both openly and covertly!"

"If anything is suspicious, it's better to arrest the wrong person than let one go!"

"Your Majesty, I obey! I will personally oversee the matter!"

"If I cannot eradicate these lurking spies of the Tantric sect, I will offer my head in return!" Pei Xuan kowtowed deeply, accepted the order, and left.

.....

The next day, the sky was overcast.

Pei Xuan changed into a silk robe like those worn by ordinary wealthy merchants, and led more than ten capable subordinates who were also disguised and were shrewd and reserved. They seemed to be casually strolling around the city, but in reality, their sharp eyes swept over the temples filled with the smoke of incense.

They visited several well-known temples, pretending to make donations or seek divination, chatting with the monks in charge of receiving guests, and observing the comings and goings of people and the layout of the buildings, but found nothing unusual.

These temples are mostly strictly regulated, the monks behave with propriety, and although there are many worshippers, they do not appear chaotic.

It wasn't until the afternoon that they arrived at Ciyun Temple, which is located in a slightly remote part of the western part of the city.

This temple is of medium size. It is not extremely popular, but it is not deserted either. The temple gate is simple and ancient, and the ancient trees in the courtyard are towering, giving it a rather secluded atmosphere.

Pei Xuan followed suit, donating a considerable sum of money for incense oil, claiming that his elderly mother had been ill for a long time and he had come to pray for her well-being.

The guest monk was a kind-faced middle-aged monk who led them to offer incense in the front hall and introduced them to several "profoundly learned" masters in the temple.

Pei Xuan gave perfunctory responses while secretly observing the situation.

He noticed that the monks at Ciyun Temple seemed to be "busier" than those at other temples. Monks often hurried towards the backyard, their eyes occasionally meeting, with a hint of barely perceptible wariness in their gazes.

There is a moon gate between the backyard and the front hall, which is usually ajar. However, if any pilgrim does not intend to approach, a monk will immediately step forward and politely ask them to leave, saying that "this is the abbot's place of quiet cultivation, and it is not convenient to disturb him."

Anything unusual must be sinister.

Pei Xuan lingered for a while longer, then used the excuse of changing his clothes to go to the outhouse, led by a young novice monk.

Along the way, he deliberately slowed down and paid attention to the path.

When he returned, taking advantage of the young novice's inattention, he swayed and disappeared from the young monk's sight like a ghost. With a few quick movements, he silently slipped into the backyard behind the moon gate.

The backyard was quieter than the front yard, with rows of meditation rooms neatly arranged and lush with flowers and trees, but monks were rarely seen walking around.

Pei Xuan held his breath and focused his mind, concealing his aura to the extreme, and probed each meditation room like a shadow.

Some meditation rooms were empty, while others had monks chanting scriptures in hushed tones; nothing seemed amiss.

As he approached the innermost meditation room, which appeared to be the abbot's quiet room, he paused slightly.

The door was tightly closed, but with his keen hearing, he could not hear any breathing or chanting inside.

He looked around, and seeing that no one was paying attention, he channeled a wisp of internal energy into his fingertips, gently loosened the not-quickly-locked door bolt, and slipped inside.

The meditation room was simply furnished with a bed, a table, a chair, and a bookshelf. A faded image of a Bodhisattva hung on the wall, and the incense burner still held warm embers. It seemed unremarkable.

But Pei Xuan's gaze fell on the maroon wooden bookshelf against the wall. There was a very faint drag mark on the floor, different from the other wear and tear marks.

He walked to the bookshelf and carefully examined it.

When your finger touches an inconspicuous lotus pattern relief on the side of the bookshelf, press it down slightly.

With a soft click, the bookshelf slid inward half a foot silently, revealing a dark hole in the wall behind it.

Stone steps lead downwards, and a mixture of musty smells and some indescribable fishy odor wafts faintly from the cave.

Hidden door!

Pei Xuan's eyes sharpened. He listened intently for a moment, and when he confirmed that there was no movement below, he ducked down and slipped inside, then quickly restored the bookshelf to its original state.

The stone steps are not long; they extend downwards for about two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) to reach the bottom.

Below was a narrow passageway, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. The walls were rough, and dim oil lamps were embedded in them. At the end of the passageway, a faint sobbing sound could be heard, like... a woman crying?

Pei Xuan's heart sank, and he quickened his pace.

At the end of the passageway was a heavy wooden door. He pushed it open gently, and the scene inside made his blood boil instantly!

This is an underground stone chamber, several times larger than the meditation room above, but it is divided into several cells by thick wooden fences!

Each cell held several women!

They looked terrified and haggard. Some huddled in a corner trembling, while others had blank, lifeless eyes. When they saw someone come in, they were so frightened that they shrank back and let out suppressed sobs.

At a glance, there were as many as twenty or thirty people!

"You bastard!"

Pei Xuan felt a surge of rage rush to his head.

A pure and tranquil Buddhist sanctuary?

Abbot's meditation room?

Such filthy and disgusting deeds were hidden beneath this place!

He suppressed his anger, walked to the nearest cell, pointed his finger like a knife, and with a forceful slash, the lock made of fine iron was severed!

"Don't be afraid! I'm from the government! I've come to rescue you!"

His gaze swept over a group of young women, whose faces were pale and whose hair was disheveled, but whose eyes still held a sliver of clarity: "You, what's your name? What are you doing here?"

The woman was about twenty years old, with delicate features, and said in a trembling voice, "I am Tang Wan, from Hangzhou."

"I came to the capital with my family a month ago, originally... originally to... arrange a blind date with the young master of the Lu family."

"When I reached Luoxia Mountain, thirty miles outside the capital, I was ambushed and killed by bandits... My family, guards... all died... I was kidnapped, blindfolded, and brought here..."

"Young Master Lu? Which Lu family?" Pei Xuan pressed.

"It's...it's the home of Lu You, the young master of the Ministry of Rites..."