From the Qin Dynasty onwards, he eked out a living among the heavens.

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Situation—The Return Journey

"What do you want?" Madam Mingzhu finally asked. Her voice was still languid, but the morning light illuminated her expression in every detail. In her eyes, which were usually filled with calculation, there was now only a calm that had been seen through.

Xu Huang did not answer immediately. He walked to the window and pushed it open halfway. The morning breeze rushed in, dispersing the lingering fragrance of orchids and the ambiguous atmosphere left over from last night.

From here, one can see the layered, upturned eaves of the royal palace, and further still, the myriad smoke rising from the homes of Xinzheng city. Beyond that, the blurred outline of mountains fades into the horizon. That is the border of Korea, and also the edge of the chessboard where seven kingdoms vied for supremacy.

"How long do you think South Korea can hold out?" He didn't turn around, his tone as indifferent as if he were asking about the weather.

Lady Mingzhu leaned against the rosewood table, her eyebrows twitching slightly at his words. She had expected him to ask for intelligence, secret formulas, or her spies in the palace—all predictable demands. But his question concerned the survival of Korea. That was a far too significant question, leaving her momentarily speechless.

"Young master, that's quite a bold question." She picked up the jade cup on the table; the wine inside had gone cold. She swirled it but didn't drink. "I'm just a concubine; I can't concern myself with matters of the court."

"You know better than anyone what's going on in the court." Xu Huang turned around, leaning against the windowsill. The morning light shone from behind him, casting his face in a half-light and half-shadow. "Ji Wuye's military power, Bai Yifei's border troops, Fei Cuihu's finances, and your own intelligence network—the Four Fiends of the Night occupy four vital lines of Han's lifeline."

You can't possibly not know how much of South Korea's wealth is left. So I'm not testing you, I'm asking you a question. How long do you think South Korea can hold on?

Lady Mingzhu fell silent. She slowly placed the jade cup on the table, the bottom of the cup making a very soft, crisp sound.

After a long silence, she finally spoke, her tone no longer languid, but filled with a thin layer of solemnity: "Since you've asked to this extent, young master, I won't mince words. Since the founding of the state of Han, deep-seated problems have seeped into its bones. Ji Wuye holds considerable military power, but those troops are used to suppress the court, not to defend against enemies."

Bai Yifei's 100,000-strong border army was touted as elite, but half of its rations and pay were diverted by Fei Cuihu to fill his own financial hole, leaving only enough to maintain daily garrison duties—enough to not be able to fight a single major battle.

"King Han An," she paused, a smile that was hard to decipher as either mockery or sorrow playing on her lips, "you should know him better than I do what kind of person he is."

"The Zheng Guo Canal of Qin has been under construction for three years." Xu Huang's tone remained calm, as if he were talking about an old matter unrelated to himself. "The Guanzhong Plain is fertile for thousands of miles, and the granaries of Bashu are overflowing. Wang Jian is training troops in Longxi, and Meng Tian is reorganizing the army in Lantian. Once the Zheng Guo Canal is completed, Qin's grain supply line will be able to run directly from the heart of the Central Plains to the outside of Hangu Pass."

"At that time, Korea's location would be a battleground, surrounded by powerful neighbors: Zhao to the north, Chu to the south, Wei to the east, and Qin to the west. It would have no strategic depth, no way to retreat, and no natural defenses."

"Young master is telling me that the state of Korea is doomed," said Lady Mingzhu.

"I'm not telling you that Korea is doomed." Xu Huang walked back from the window and sat down opposite her at the rosewood table, looking at her across the table. "I'm telling you that your secret arts, the foundation of Nightfall, Bai Yifei's border troops, and Ji Wuye's military power are all worthless in front of Qin's iron cavalry."

"All these years you've been in the palace, working for Bai Yifei, controlling the King of Han, gathering intelligence, and paving the way for him. But where does the road you paved lead? If Han falls, can Nightfall still exist? Can Bai Yifei still guard the border troops and be his local tyrant? Can Ji Wuye still dominate Xinzheng? None of them. Han's shell is shattered, and none of you parasites living in it can escape."

Madam Mingzhu's fingers slowly tightened inside her sleeve, her nails digging into her palms, causing a slight pain.

"So, you've come here not to investigate a case, nor to see me. You've come to show me a way out?"

"Not really. I'm just curious, curious whether you, the succubus who holds the reins of the night, have ever thought about your own way out."

Xu Huang picked up the empty glass of wine on the table, took a sip, and placed the empty glass back on the table. "It seems today that you are not. You are smarter than I thought, and also more foolish than I thought. You are smart because you are very clear about South Korea's situation, and foolish because you have never considered your own situation."

Lady Mingzhu sat at the table, her eyes lowered as she gazed at the empty jade cup. The morning light illuminated the remaining fingerprints on the rim of the cup, clearly visible—some of her purple flower juice, and others of his faint fingerprints left the night before when he picked up the wine glass. The two marks overlapped on the same rim, like a silent metaphor.

"You will continue to be Lady Mingzhu. Your status, everything you've built in this palace, I will not touch." Xu Huang stood up, straightened his wrinkled cuffs, and walked towards the palace door. He paused for a moment at the door, without turning back.

"Next time I come, I hope to hear your answer from your own mouth. Not for Bai Yifei, not for Ye Mu, but for yourself. The game between the seven kingdoms is still long. Korea's dead end may not be your dead end."

He pushed open the door, and the morning light poured into the hall, casting his long shadow on the bluestone floor. Then he stepped over the threshold and disappeared into the orchid bushes outside the hall.

The morning light shone over the high walls of the palace, turning the bluestone slabs of the palace path a pale gold. Xu Huang followed the route he had come from, leaving the inner palace, passing through several palaces, and then, in a secluded spot, climbed over the high walls and landed back in the streets and alleys of Xinzheng outside the palace.

The streets were not yet fully awake in the early morning; the breakfast stalls had just set up their stoves, and wisps of steam rose, carrying the aroma of cooking and rice porridge. He walked through the gradually bustling street, heading towards the Zilan Pavilion in the south of the city.

The lights were still on in the main hall of Zilan Pavilion. It wasn't that they forgot to turn them off; they hadn't been turned off since he left last night.

Nongyu sat before the zither table, the zither covered with a brocade cloth, and the Purple Lightning Sword Case resting beside it. She didn't play the zither, but simply sat quietly. From the moment Xu Huang left until now, she hadn't returned to her room. Zi Nu sat with her for most of the night, and in the latter half of the night, she leaned against the table and closed her eyes briefly. The injuries on her shoulders hadn't fully healed, and she slept very lightly.

Han Fei did return to the Sikou Mansion, but rushed back before dawn. He was currently sitting at his desk, flipping through a scroll of bamboo slips. Zhang Liang was also there; he had arrived before daybreak that morning, saying that his spies outside the palace had reported unusual activity in the direction of the inner palace last night, with the Imperial Guards patrolling at least twice as frequently as usual. However, seeing Nongyu sitting quietly at the zither table and Zinu leaning against the table with her eyes closed in rest, he didn't ask any questions, but simply sat down beside her and waited quietly.

Wei Zhuang leaned against the window, his Shark Tooth Sword lying horizontally on the windowsill. He was in the exact same position as last night, without moving an inch.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs. Everyone looked up.

As Xu Huang stepped into the main hall, he was greeted by five pairs of eyes. Han Fei looked up from the bamboo slip, Zi Nu opened her eyes, Nong Yu stood up, Zhang Liang put down the silk in his hand, and even Wei Zhuang turned around from the window.

"You're back." Han Fei put down the bamboo scroll, his tone carrying a very thin layer of tension that only he himself could perceive.

Nongyu walked up to Xu Huang, said nothing, but simply took his hand. Her hand was cold, the kind of cold that comes from waiting all night under the lamp. She held it for a while, feeling the warmth of his fingertips, before gently letting go.

"As for Madam Mingzhu," Han Fei began, but was interrupted by Zi Nu.

"Let him sit down first." Zi Nu pushed a cup of hot tea in front of Xu Huang, her gaze sweeping over him. He was unharmed, his robes were wrinkled, there were a few dark purple water stains on the cuffs, and the ties on his collar were tied backwards.

Her gaze lingered on the buttoned-up collar of her dress for a moment, then shifted away without saying a word, simply pushing the teacup forward another half inch.

Xu Huang took the teacup, drank a sip, and sat down at the table. Nongyu sat down beside him, no longer holding his hand, but simply placing her fingertips lightly on the back of his hand.

"The identity of Lady Mingzhu has been confirmed. She is the Tide Demoness, Bai Yifei's cousin. She has been in the palace for many years and has been controlling the King of Han using her family's secret techniques. The pottery vase in her bedchamber is exactly the same as the one Tianze threw to Wei Zhuang. The craftsmen of Huoyu Manor are indeed in the hands of Ye Mu."

He paused, then added calmly, "I've found out the method to control Tianze; it's not in the palace. The antidote is in Bai Yifei's Snow Robe Fortress."

A moment of silence fell over the main hall. Han Fei put down the bamboo slips, Zhang Liang looked up, and Wei Zhuang turned around from the window. Everyone understood the weight of this news. The antidote was in Bai Yifei's Snow Robe Fortress, which meant that to obtain it, they had to confront the Blood Robe Marquis, the strongest of the Four Fiends of the Night.

"I'll go." Wei Zhuang's voice was as cold and hard as ever. He picked up the Shark Tooth Sword from the windowsill, his icy gaze falling on Han Fei's face. "The deal with Tianze can't be delayed much longer."

"Once I get the antidote, I'll go straight to Tianze for the second deal, exchanging it for Honglian. Tianze is the deposed crown prince, and I am Guigu Hengjian. I'll go; he won't refuse."

"Snow-Clad Fortress is Bai Yifei's stronghold, where the White Armor Army's most elite personal guard is stationed." Zhang Liang spoke very quickly. "The Blood-Clad Marquis himself is the Nightfall's strongest fighter, guarding the border year-round, and his strength is unfathomable. Brother Wei Zhuang, please be extra careful on your journey."

Wei Zhuang's cold gaze lingered on his face for a moment. He didn't answer, but simply slung the Shark Tooth Sword over his shoulder and turned to walk towards the hall door. When he reached the door, he paused, but didn't look back.

"Two days. I'll bring the antidote back in two days." With that, he disappeared into the morning light outside the door.

"After we get the antidote, how will we negotiate with Tianze?" Zhang Liang asked.

"A hostage exchange. The antidote for Red Lotus, an equal exchange." Han Fei tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "Tianze wants to break free from the shackles of Nightfall more than anyone else. He'll definitely agree to this exchange for Red Lotus."

"Last time on the banks of the Wei River, he traded the Hundred Poison King for the Crown Prince, one for one. This time we traded the antidote for the Red Lotus, also one for one. He only believes in equal exchange."

"We need to choose a good location for the transaction." Zi Nu unfolded a map of the outskirts of Xinzheng City. "Tianze said last time that he would decide the time and place, but this time it's different. We have the antidote, so the initiative is in our hands."

The transaction must take place within terrain controlled by the quicksand, to prevent Tianze from backing out after obtaining the antidote.

"He wouldn't dare to go back on his word," Han Fei said. "Tianze has been bound by the shackles of night for so long, and once he has a chance to break free, he won't risk it. But it's right to be on the safe side, so the transaction will take place at the ferry crossing on the south bank of the Wei River."

"The area is open and has a wide field of vision, so the power of Tianze's chains and the death aura of the Corpse-Driving Demon will be greatly reduced in the open area."

Zhang Liang nodded and added, "Although Tianze agreed to the deal, his hostility towards Korea won't disappear because of the antidote. After exchanging the antidote for the Red Lotus, he won't owe us anything anymore."

"At that time, his revenge against Ji Wuye will accelerate, and the Nightfall's counterattack will be even more fierce."

"That's a matter for later." Han Fei stood up, straightening his cuffs. "But Honglian must be rescued first. As for the rest, we'll deal with whatever comes our way. Everyone," he solemnly cupped his hands to the crowd in the hall, "I entrust Honglian to you all."

The main hall fell silent again. Nongyu gently traced a circle on the back of Xu Huang's hand with her fingertips, then looked up at him.

"How did things go with you at Madam Mingzhu's last night?" Her voice was soft and her tone was indifferent, as if she were asking about something completely ordinary.

"Smoothly." Xu Huang picked up his teacup and took a sip, his tone equally calm. "Everything that needed to be discussed has been discussed. Everything that needed to be investigated has been investigated."

"That's good." Nongyu lowered her head, drew a circle on the back of his hand with her fingertip, and didn't ask any more questions.

As dawn broke outside the window, the hustle and bustle of Xinzheng City continued as usual. In the main hall of Zilan Pavilion, everyone received their orders, and a rescue operation revolving around Snow Robe Fortress, the antidote, and Red Lotus was quietly unfolding in this seemingly peaceful morning light.