The mad princess forces love upon him, and the aloof imperial advisor trembles every night.

Inside lay a dark brocade pouch, its satin surface dull and devoid of any patterns.

He took it out, flicked the rope with his fingertips, and pulled out a piece of paper as thin as a cicada's wing.

The flickering candlelight illuminated the few characters on it, their powerful strokes penetrating the paper.

"First, the Prime Minister's mansion, after extorting gold, ensured that all male members would be childless and without descendants."

Second, the items that were cut were sealed in a box and given to the Third Prince, Chu Xuanjing, to collect the remaining payment.

III. Within the Imperial Palace – Capture the Sixth Prince, Chu Xuanlang, and the Fifth Princess.

Mei Shiliu leaned closer and caught a glimpse, her pupils contracting slightly. Then, a near-fanatical smile curved her lips as she murmured:

"That's more like it... After wearing the facade of gentleness and humility for so long, I almost forgot that in the heart of my master, there has always been a knife that scrapes away the marrow and cuts flesh."

Cangming lit the paper with the candlelight, watching the flames lick the words, turning them into curled ashes.

His lips seemed to be slightly upturned, but there was no warmth in his eyes, only a desolate coldness.

"The physical appearance is nothing but a facade." His voice was like shattered jade, cold and penetrating to the bone. "To address the root cause, one must dig it up completely, remove all the rotten flesh, and scatter the bones to ashes—only then can it be considered clean."

As the embers fell, he threw the brocade pouch into the fire pit, whereupon the black satin was instantly charred and twisted.

"Pass on the order."

He turned and flicked his sleeves, his robes billowing without carrying a speck of dust, yet his voice, like an arrow tempered with frost, pierced the silence:

"The four classes of Chi, Mei, Wang, and Liang, assemble immediately."

The night outside the window was as thick as blood.

His last half-sentence was as light as a sigh, yet every word pierced to the bone:

"Follow me—on a night visit to...the Prime Minister's residence."

————The Prime Minister's Residence————

Pei Wenzheng paced back and forth in the hall, his footsteps almost leaving dents in the bluestone floor.

Three hundred elite soldiers have been dispatched; news should be forthcoming by now.

His palms were sweating, but he forcibly suppressed the unease—she was just a woman, no matter how powerful, could she be a match for the sword that the Pei family had honed for ten years?

But there's been no news since.

There was no movement.

Not even a scream was heard – that's the most terrifying thing.

"Father."

The eldest son, Pei Yu, stepped into the hall, his brocade robe gleaming a dark blue in the candlelight.

His face was handsome, but a layer of gloom lingered between his brows and eyes—a premonition that had never dissipated since the day of the palace banquet.

"Father, why did you send out three hundred assassins?" he asked, his voice low.

Pei Wenzheng turned around and looked at his most proud son—the eight hundred elite warriors were all forged by Pei Yu from among ten thousand people over ten years, and were the sharpest blade of the Pei family.

Ever since the princess returned from her light-footed skill banquet, she has become a different person, sending people north every day to dig deep into the ground to find out the princess's secrets.

He was being too cautious, he thought.

No matter how fierce a woman is, she is still a woman.

"Your aunt..." Pei Wenzheng began, revealing the Empress's conspiracy in detail.

With each word he spoke, Pei Yu's face paled a little more.

Finally, he slumped into the chair, his fingers gripping the armrests, his knuckles turning blue and white.

"Father!" Pei Yu's voice trembled. "My aunt is confused after losing her son, how could you... Why didn't you discuss such a serious matter with your son?!"

Pei Wenzheng argued, "You have not been in the mansion recently, and those assassins were all trained by you personally; each one is worth ten."

"No matter how powerful Chu Qingyue is, she's still just a woman. Most military generals are brave but lack strategy; one man can't fight four hands. She's doomed..."

"Father!" Pei Yu interrupted urgently, "You've been careless!"

Pei Yu took a deep breath, his temples throbbing. "How can you be so certain that Chu Qingyue is just a 'woman with martial arts skills but no talent'?"

He took two quick steps in the hall, then suddenly turned around:

"Ever since the victory celebration, my son has felt uneasy. In the past two weeks, I've sent people north to dig deep into the ground to investigate her seven years in the Northern Underworld—do you know what they found?"

"During her seven years in Beiming, she always led the 'Death Camp' in sieges and battles. Those who captured the city were richly rewarded; those who failed—"

Pei Yu spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Beheading and displaying the head to the public."

"So her soldiers, in every siege and battle, pounced like hungry wolves, because retreating meant certain death."

"She uses troops like a spider weaving a web, and is extremely skilled in assassination and surprise attacks. When she strikes, she annihilates everyone. And this is just... the tip of the iceberg that her son painstakingly uncovered."

He raised his eyes, a dark undercurrent surging within them: "My judgment of her is—her mind is as deep as an abyss, her methods as sharp as a blade; even the most cunning old fox in court might not be half as good as her!"

"Father, do you really think someone like that would be completely defenseless, waiting to be assassinated?"

Cold sweat beaded on Pei Wenzheng's forehead, but he forced a smile and said, "Even if we fail, there's no evidence..."

"Evidence?" Pei Yu almost burst out laughing, but the laughter was more pathetic than crying.

"Father, she is now the Princess... the one who has rendered meritorious service in destroying a country... the one who protects the nation."

"With her military achievements and titles, if she... really dies..."

"Even if the emperor dislikes her, for the sake of the people and the morale of the Beiming army, Your Majesty must conduct a thorough investigation."

"If she doesn't die—"

He stared into his father's eyes and said, word by word:

"Given her personality, she would never go so far as to appeal to the emperor."

"She would first behead our entire household, then carry our heads to the emperor to file a complaint."

"So... what we should be thinking about right now isn't success or failure, or evidence, but how to survive tonight!"

Dead silence.

The wind howled outside the hall, like the cries of countless wronged souls.

Pei Wenzheng finally panicked: "Then now..."

"Escape." Pei Yu uttered this word, as if all the strength had been drained from his body.

"Let's go to the secret room first."

"I just brought three hundred elite soldiers to protect the mansion—if we can survive tonight, I'll negotiate with her tomorrow and see what she wants...?"

He turned and called out into the shadows:

"Dark One!"

No one answered.

"Where is Dark One? Dark Two—!"

"Smack."

Something was thrown into the hall and rolled to Pei Yu's feet.

It was a blood-soaked body—or rather, it had once been a human.

His limbs were twisted at bizarre angles, and his chest rose and fell slightly, proving that he was still alive, but that face...

It's Dark One.

Pei Yu's blood froze.

A figure slowly stepped in from the shadows outside the door.

He wore black robes and a mask, and his aura was so faint as to be almost nonexistent, as if he were merely a wisp of soul formed from the night.

Cangming stopped in the hall, lowered his eyes to look at the pool of blood and flesh on the ground, and spoke calmly:

"Young Master Pei, is this the one you're calling for?"

Pei Yu's Adam's apple bobbed as he forced himself to steady his voice:

"You are... the Ash Snow Pavilion?"

"Hmm," Cangming responded softly, as if discussing the weather.

He took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve; it was made of white jade and was exquisitely crafted.

He uncorked the bottle, bent down, and slowly poured the liquid from the bottle onto An Yi's head.

"Sizzle—"

White smoke rose.

An Yi's body convulsed violently, and a scream that was not human-like came out of his throat—the sound was so sharp that it pierced the eardrums, but it was swallowed up by the muffled sound of corrosion in the next second.

Flesh and blood dissolved, tendons and bones turned to water.

Moments later, only a pool of dark red blood remained on the ground, not even bones were left.

Cangming straightened up, put the empty bottle back into his sleeve, and slowly walked to the main seat to sit down.

Her posture was as elegant as if she were receiving guests in her own study.

"Greetings, Your Excellency," he said, even nodding slightly.

"I left in a hurry today and only took the cheapest bone-dissolving medicine—but it seems to be working."