Yanfu: Starting with the Six-Eared Macaque

The official's mind went blank for a moment, and he involuntarily looked up. A pair of deep black eyes came into view, instantly filling his entire field of vision, leaving no room for anything else.

"You have finished investigating this alley and found nothing unusual. Now, you need to go back and report to the leader," Chen Xing said in a soft yet penetrating tone to the officer, his voice carrying an irresistible power.

Then, Chen Xing gently snapped his fingers near his ear.

The officer blinked hard, shook his head, as if snapping out of a daze, sheathed his sword which was about to hit the basket, turned and left the alley without hesitation, shouting, "Boss, this side is fine!"

Chen Xing and his companion remained hidden in the shadows, waiting for the officials to finish their search of the surrounding area. As time passed, the noise gradually subsided and disappeared, and the officials slowly moved away.

"What a scoundrel!"

Once the officials had completely disappeared from sight, someone in the darkness spat and muttered a curse under their breath.

Chen Xing pulled Mo Chou close to the edge of the alley's shadow, walking very lightly as they cautiously made their way back to the inn.

The two evaded several patrols of soldiers, using the walls and debris as cover, and worked together seamlessly to quietly climb back into their room on the second floor, finally escaping danger for the time being.

Back in their room, the two immediately changed out of their blood-stained clothes.

Mo Chou changed into Chen Xing's spare clothes. Fortunately, she had practiced martial arts since childhood and was tall and agile. Although Chen Xing's clothes were a little loose, they did not look out of place.

Chen Xing then took out the Hearts card and drew three cards for himself and Mo Chou.

The playing cards transformed into a warm, flowing light upon contact with the skin, causing the wounds on both individuals to heal at a visible speed. Even the bruises gradually faded, and their fatigue was significantly reduced.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Just as I folded up the blood-stained clothes I had taken off and hid them under the bed, I heard heavy footsteps downstairs, followed by a violent banging on the door, and a fierce voice pierced the night.

"Search! Don't miss a single room!"

Mo Chou quickly opened the door a crack and glanced outside. She saw a group of soldiers carrying torches rushing into the inn's lobby, their shadows stretched long by the firelight.

She turned to Chen Xing and asked urgently in a low voice, "They're from Shuntian Prefecture, what do we do now?"

Chen Xing waved his hand to signal her to calm down, his mind racing with calculations.

He took out the "Beiyang Fleet" token and placed it on the table, then pointed to the bed, indicating that Mochou should take off her outer garment and sit on the bed.

She took off her outer garment, leaving only a plain inner garment, quickly took out the props she carried with her, smeared something on the corner of her eyes, instantly adding a touch of weariness and hostility, pretending to have just been woken up.

"Open the door! The Shuntian Prefecture is investigating a case! Open the door now!"

A moment later, urgent knocking sounded outside the door, and the official's shouts were filled with an undeniable arrogance.

Chen Xing composed himself, placed the token prominently on the table, flung open the door, and, mimicking the rough tone of a Beiyang military officer, angrily shouted, "Who the hell is it? Disturbing my sleep in the middle of the night, are you tired of living?"

"Shuntian Prefecture is investigating a case, unauthorized personnel please make way!" Upon seeing the door open, two officers tried to squeeze in without saying a word.

"Stop!" Chen Xing forcefully blocked the two men's path, his brows furrowed, his tone growing increasingly impatient. "What case are you investigating? The Shuntian Prefecture is investigating a case, and it's getting into the hands of our Beiyang Fleet?"

Upon hearing the words "Beiyang Fleet," the two officers immediately stopped in their tracks, stood frozen in place, and stared at each other, their arrogance instantly diminished.

"What? Don't you recognize it?" Chen Xing glanced at them, turned around, grabbed the token on the table, threw it in front of the two of them, and said in a deep voice, "Do you recognize this?"

"We know, we know!" The two hurriedly picked up the token, and after seeing the words and patterns on it, they quickly explained with smiles on their faces, "Please calm down, sir! Tonight someone attempted to assassinate Prince Chun. We were just following the Empress Dowager's orders to search for the assassin throughout the city. It was simply our duty, and we had no intention of offending anyone."

"So it was on the Empress Dowager's orders." Upon hearing this, Chen Xing symbolically cupped his hands in the direction of the Forbidden City, his tone softening slightly, "Then come in and investigate thoroughly, lest you delay the Empress Dowager's important business."

"Alright, alright!" The two officers quickly responded and entered the room, their eyes sweeping across the room. They briefly looked around the tables and chairs, and one of them fixed his gaze on Mo Chou, who was sitting by the bed, with a hint of probing in his eyes.

"No need, no need!" The officer quickly waved his hand, explaining with a fawning smile, "The orders from above are that the two assassins who escaped were covered in wounds. Your Excellency and Madam appear healthy and without any abnormalities, so they are definitely not the people we are looking for. We brothers will take our leave now, so as not to disturb your rest."

After saying this, the two officers hurriedly bowed to Chen Xing and quickly left the room, carefully closing the door behind them.

Seeing that the officials had really gone far away, a hint of surprise flashed in Mo Chou's eyes. She walked to the table, lowered her voice, and asked Chen Xing, "Are you really from the Beiyang Fleet?"

"No," Chen Xing replied honestly, reaching out to pick up the token on the table and playing with it.

"Then this token?" Mo Chou pointed to the instruction plate, her eyes full of doubt.

"I had a little conflict with a group of naval officers before, and I took it from them on a whim. I never thought it would come in handy now."

Chen Xing recalled how just a few days ago he was merely a waiter serving tea and water in a restaurant, but in just a few days he had become a wanted criminal accused of assassinating a prince, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

"That really is all thanks to this token." Having experienced the life-or-death ordeal tonight and witnessed Chen Xing's various miraculous abilities, Mo Chou did not ask any further questions, her tone full of relief.

"Indeed, thanks to it." Chen Xing looked at the token in his hand, smiled faintly, and put it away.

The two chatted for a long time afterward.

Most of the time, Mo Chou did the talking, while Chen Xing listened quietly.

She recounted her childhood bond with her brother Mo Mingxuan, the past of her parents dying as Boxers, and the hardships she had endured over the years in hiding, single-mindedly seeking revenge.

Knowing that Mo Chou was deeply saddened by the sudden death of her brother tonight, Chen Xing used his talent of "Psychology of the Mind" to deliberately steer the conversation, gently soothing her emotions and providing her with psychological guidance.

With the help of her talent, Mochou's outpouring became smoother. Although there was still sadness in her eyes, her tense expression gradually relaxed, and her condition improved significantly.

As the rooster crowed outside the window, the sky slowly began to brighten, and the east turned a pale white.

Chen Xing and Mo Chou exchanged a glance, ending their late-night conversation.

"Let's go, it'll be harder to leave if we stay any longer," Chen Xing said in a deep voice, looking at Mo Chou who had already packed up.

Mo Chou nodded, though there was reluctance in her eyes, she knew that this place was not a good place to stay, and silently followed Chen Xing away from the inn.

After leaving the inn, Chen Xing checked the direction and led Mo Chou toward Chongwen Gate.

He had heard that a few years ago, when the Eight-Nation Alliance attacked Beijing, they demolished parts of the city walls at Yongdingmen and Chongwenmen.

The defenses at these two gates are much weaker than at other city gates, making them the best option for leaving the city.