Chen An and Li Yin remained prone on the ground. After a sudden noise had stirred inside Li Yan's room, the sound quickly died away. Soon after, they both felt a chill run over their bodies; although the sensation faded within moments, neither dared to rise.
Master Ji then disappeared into the darkness outside QingShan Ai and headed straight for the military camp. His purpose was to track down two specific guards—one who had spoken with Chen An at the camp gate yesterday afternoon, and another, stationed at the North Gate, who had told Li Yin that "Lord Li left the city more than two hours ago." Since both Chen An and Li Yin were seasoned soldiers, they knew these guards well. Under Master Ji's careful questioning earlier, the two had spilled every detail about these men as if emptying the contents of a bamboo tube.
Before long, Master Ji reached the front of the camp. It was now the early hours of dawn. The camp's main entrance was tightly secured, and patrol squads marched in precise formation. Yet to Master Ji, the vast array of hundreds of thousands of troops seemed inconsequential; he moved through the camp as if it were empty. In fact, a single figure suddenly burst from the camp—a figure so agile that if anyone had watched closely, they would have seen him lift a man effortlessly in one hand before vanishing beyond the gates.
At that very moment, Feng Chuang slowly awoke with his whole body chilled. He opened his eyes, and for a brief second he thought he might be sleepwalking. He found himself lying in what appeared to be a dense forest. Above, slender shafts of moonlight filtered through leaf and branch. Turning around in confusion, he realized that everything was shrouded in darkness. He vividly recalled that after dinner that night, he'd joined routine training with the whole team and then had fallen asleep in his camp tent. Now, inexplicably, he was in a forest outside the camp.
Shaking his head to clear his disoriented mind, Feng Chuang muttered, "This must be a dream." But when he reopened his eyes, the same eerie scene remained. Even for a battle-hardened soldier like himself, fear began to take hold. Desperate for reassurance, he pinched his thigh—it hurt terribly. This was no dream.
Then a chilling, disembodied voice spoke in the darkness, "You don't need any further confirmation—it isn't a dream. Now, do exactly as I say and answer my questions honestly. That will suffice."
Feng Chuang felt a shiver run down his neck. Glancing into the gloom, he saw a tall figure clad in a flowing black robe standing motionless a short distance away. His voice trembled, "Who … are you?"
The figure replied, his tone icy and devoid of any emotion, "Not you. I am the one asking. Understand this: when I question you, if you lie, the consequences will be unpleasant."
"Yesterday afternoon while on duty, did Master Ji's disciple, Li Yan, ever step out of the camp?" the voice demanded.
Feng Chuang hesitated, shocked that someone had managed to bring him here to ask such a question. Despite his fear, he answered, "Yes… he did. Shortly after entering the camp, he left."
A sharp "ka" echoed, and then a piercing, agonized scream shattered the quiet night in the forest—startling birds into frantic flight. In what seemed like no time at all, the black-robed figure materialized right in front of Feng Chuang and, in one swift motion, broke one of his fingers.
Amid the relentless, low, and unchanging interrogation, more harrowing cries and desperate pleas for mercy echoed through the trees. After about half a minute, the figure—Master Ji—delivered a crushing blow to a soldier's forehead. The soldier's features were soon obliterated, blood streaming from every angle; yet, in a grim twist, he wore an expression that seemed almost relieved—as if death were a welcome release.
For the next half minute, Master Ji repeated his question in a variety of inhuman methods: "Has my disciple Li Yan ever stepped out of the camp?" After that period, he finally determined that "Li Yan did not, in fact, leave the camp."
Then Master Ji bent down and struck another soldier awake. Time was of the essence. More agonized screams rang out as the soldier was awakened—and then, after another half minute, Master Ji struck him on the forehead as well. The screams ceased abruptly.
Surrounded by towering, ancient trees, Master Ji stood silently. "So it appears Li Yan truly left the city—and did so from the North Gate. Yet another camp guard claims that no one left through the main door. Hmph, Marshal Hong has some cunning tricks indeed. The camp has only two exits; if nothing was seen at the main gate while Li Yan appeared at the North Gate, did Marshal Hong even deploy a tiger tally to force him out of the munitions depot?" Master Ji mused aloud. "Once someone exits through the South or North Gate, they must return by the same route. There is no alternative—unless, of course, Li Yan secretly re-enters through the North, which is nearly impossible. There is no doubt: Li Yan left the city yesterday, alone, on foot, in haste, deliberately avoiding Marshal Hong's grasp. That crafty little rascal—so cautious as to even feign imitation of my own calligraphy—has managed to shake off Marshal Hong by some means. Hmph… Marshal Hong has truly been outwitted."
Master Ji then deduced that Li Yan would no longer risk a covert return, for doing so would only increase the chance of capture. A trick famously known as "darkness beneath the lamp" requires impeccable timing; someone as shrewd as Li Yan would know precisely when to advance and when to retreat.
With that, Master Ji no longer saw the need for a citywide search. He had initially considered interrogating soldiers from Liu Chengyong's and Li Yan's hometown—but now, having obtained key eyewitness accounts of Li Yan's movements, everything was falling into place. Moreover, this spared the lives of Liu Chengyong, Li Shan, and Li Yu, for Master Ji, if he suspected anyone, was known never to show mercy.
"Now, the next question is: Where has that kid gone? Has he fled to the Li Family Village in Da Qing Mountain? Hmph…" Master Ji's voice was as cold as death in the darkest hour before dawn. His face, almost merging with the black night, revealed only a flash of glistening, eerie white teeth.
With a sudden motion, he was about to vanish into the void—but then he paused and concentrated deeply. "No, Li Family Village might be too obvious a target for him. That kind of death-defying bet is too rash for a child of his caliber. Among all the clues, two points stand out that might reveal his trail: first, why has Li Yan been stocking up on farming tools and clothes recently? And second, what is the meaning behind the extensive cultivation of those strange, exotic flowers?"
He remained rooted in place as time slowly passed. Gradually, the eastern horizon began to brighten, and the surrounding mountains bathed in a soft, blue haze. Finally, Master Ji stirred. Shaking his head, he murmured, "It appears that the tools and clothes are merely a method for him to soothe his own troubled state. After all, Li Yan grew up in a mountain village and naturally has an attachment—and even a possessive streak—toward both farming implements and city wares. But those exotic flowers… they seem peculiar. They might play a role in his escape plan. Precisely how? I must return and investigate further." With that, he set off toward the Strategist Mansion once more.
Meanwhile, in the city's military camp, chaos had broken out. Overnight, two soldiers had mysteriously vanished. Were they enemy spies? Did they slip away halfway through the night after being discovered? Or had enemy agents infiltrated the camp and abducted them? Tension gripped every unit. Among the ranks, one soldier—Liu Chengyong—felt that this occurrence was likely linked to Li Yan. After all, one of the two missing men was on duty alongside him that day. Though he dared not speak up, he suspected that perhaps Master Ji was involved. Otherwise, with such tight security, a few martial experts couldn't have snatched anyone in total silence. Reflecting on Master Ji's ghostlike tactics outside the city only made him more convinced.
Marshal Hong soon convened at the central command tent. Surveying his assembled officers, he declared gravely, "Lock the South Gate—no one in or out. Intensify checks at the North Gate, and thoroughly search every unit within the camp. Dispatch two battalions from each unit for a house-to-house inspection in the city. Publicly, claim that we suspect enemy agents have infiltrated, but do not divulge any information about the missing soldiers. Understood?" The officers responded in unison, "Yes, sir!" and hurried out. In moments, only a few strategists and Marshal Hong remained. Marshal Hong glanced at them briefly before dismissing them, "You may leave now." "Understood, sir," they replied.
After everyone left, Marshal Hong stood silent for a while, then muttered to himself, "So, you're really moving now? You're quick—if you've grown suspicious, then I suppose I must also deal with that kid."
Back in the Strategist Mansion's inner valley, Master Ji had returned. Fixing his cold, steely gaze on the two aides still kneeling on the ground, he exuded an aura filled with lethal intent. Slowly, he advanced and without a word commanded, "You two, now go." Having knelt for hours, Chen An and Li Yin snapped awake at his command. Horrified, they quickly kowtowed again, then struggled to rise unsteadily as they supported each other. They had no idea that earlier they had barely escaped death near the gates—a reprieve granted by Master Ji's temporary mercy. Master Ji paid little heed to their departure. Instead, he turned his attention to the myriad exotic flowers planted just a short distance from the stone house. He examined them carefully as he ambled along the winding path, pausing every so often to inspect a particular bloom.
As dawn slowly broke, the sun began its ascent while the shadows in the valley thinned. At last, Master Ji squatted before a solitary flower planted on the southern edge of the valley near the mountain's base. Though at first glance it appeared to be just another tall flower amid many, a closer look revealed that its surroundings were unusually barren—small gaps in the otherwise dense patchwork of blooms. He knelt beside it, studying it intently. Although the flower was taller than the others, its leaves were sparse, as if it were malnourished. Curious, he reached out and gently prodded its base. The flower toppled easily, suggesting it was loosely rooted. Beneath the fallen flower, he discovered a length of silk. His spirit soared as he summoned spiritual power to retrieve it. Carefully, he examined the silk—a small piece of black silk folded neatly into a square.