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Chu Qingzhi and Tang Jinghong emerged from the shadows, immediately aware of the presence of hidden mechanisms in their surroundings.

These mechanisms were impressively sophisticated, activating silently and eluding even their sharp eyes.

“This faction must be backed by a mastermind,” Chu Qingzhi commented as they headed towards the spot where their targets had disappeared. The people they were tracking had turned a corner and vanished without a trace.

Tang Jinghong agreed, “And the effort put into setting up these mechanisms suggests they’ve done this before.”

The two of them reached the turn, finding themselves in a rockery, an unusual thing for a regular forest, typically seen in the back gardens of affluent households for aesthetic purposes.

Standing at the edge of this rockery, Chu Qingzhi checked the location of “Nine.” He was moving swiftly through an underground passage. Time was of the essence; beyond a certain distance, her divine sense would lose track of him.

Focusing on the rockery before them, Chu Qingzhi and Tang Jinghong began their search. The area was extensive and seemingly without order, making it challenging to discern any patterns.

They found several potential mechanisms within the rockery, but all turned out to be wrong.

Chu Qingzhi then moved to the center of the rockery and released her divine sense, covering every inch in search of the mechanism. This wide-ranging use of her divine sense was taxing, something she normally avoided unless necessary.

Despite her efforts, the mechanism eluded her, and “Nine” reached the limit of her divine sense range, almost slipping away from her watch.

Just then, a bird flew by, prompting Chu Qingzhi and Tang Jinghong to realize their oversight – who said the mechanism had to be within the rockery?

Quickly, they retraced their steps, searching along their original path. Their new approach soon bore fruit. Near a pine tree, they spotted an unusually conspicuous stone that seemed ordinary at first glance.

Chu Qingzhi stepped lightly on the stone, hearing no sound, but saw another stone shift its position.

“Jinghong, let’s go,” she called out.

Together, they approached the site. At the same time, “Nine” completely moved beyond the maximum range of Chu Qingzhi’s divine sense, evading her watch.

Damn it!

A large hole appeared in the ground, and Chu Qingzhi quickly dove in, with Tang Jinghong following close behind.

Once inside, the rock silently shifted back, plunging the tunnel into darkness. Unaffected by the lack of light, Chu Qingzhi and Tang Jinghong, using his keen senses, pursued swiftly. Fortunately, the tunnel had only one path.

As they chased, Chu Qingzhi extended her spiritual sense again, trying to relocate “Nine.”

Meanwhile, “Nine” and his group were already exiting the tunnel. They moved swiftly and in sync, quickly vacating the passage.

Chu Qingzhi was unable to re-establish her lock on “Nine.”

Soon, Chu Qingzhi and Tang Jinghong reached the exit, finding themselves in a barren area with no visible mechanism to open the way.

Having expended her divine sense twice in quick succession, Chu Qingzhi felt weary…

Tang Jinghong, noticing her state, suggested a brief rest while he searched for the mechanism. Fortunately, this time, they found a keyhole, “Qingzhi, there’s a keyhole here.”

The keyhole, located on the exit door, was easy to miss but also noticeable upon closer inspection.

Chu Qingzhi looked up, noticing the keyhole resembled the shape of the key “Nine” had assembled previously. Concentrating, she used her spiritual energy to form a key.

Tang Jinghong took the key, inserted it, and to their surprise, it worked. The exit door slowly moved aside, revealing the way out.

“Let’s go,” Chu Qingzhi said with a smile, leading the way.

Tang Jinghong followed, observing the surroundings. They discovered the exit was actually a dry well in a deserted courtyard, which had a peach tree laden with luscious fruits.

Seeing Chu Qingzhi eyeing the peaches, Tang Jinghong swiftly climbed the tree, picked the largest peach, washed it, and handed it to her, “Here, eat this.”

Chu Qingzhi accepted the peach with a smile, then climbed to the rooftop to resume her search for “Nine.”

From the rooftop, her gaze swept across the distance, and she spotted “Nine” again. “Jinghong, follow me.”

Tang Jinghong, unable to see as far as Chu Qingzhi, took her word for it and followed without question.

Her divine sense once again locked onto “Nine,” which put her somewhat at ease. She took a big bite of the peach.

Tang Jinghong, now able to see “Nine” and his group, silently admired Chu Qingzhi’s abilities. How had she spotted them from so far away?

Chu Qingzhi offered the peach to Tang Jinghong, “Try it, it’s sweet.”

Tang Jinghong, captivated by her bright eyes, found it impossible to refuse. He took a small bite, “It is sweet.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and continued the pursuit.

In the Imperial Study at the palace, the young emperor sat at his desk, deeply engrossed in state documents. The night had deepened, but the study remained brightly lit.

Suddenly, the emperor called out, “Li Fei, brew me a strong tea.”

Li Fei, the personal eunuch, entered and bowed, “Your Majesty, the Internal Affairs Department has procured a new type of incense said to be revitalizing. Would you like to try it?”

Without looking up, the emperor responded, “Light it.”

Li Fei set up the incense in a burner and lit it. Initially, the scent seemed unpleasant, but once lit, it transformed into an invigorating aroma that also lifted the mood – a truly remarkable incense.

Thin wisps of blue smoke filled the study…

Taking a deep breath, the emperor felt revitalized, “This incense is excellent, reward them,” he instructed.

Li Fei, smiling, replied, “As you command, Your Majesty.”

At the Prime Minister’s residence, the butler entered the study, “My lord, it’s getting late.”

The Prime Minister was also dealing with government affairs. His ideals were different from the Emperor’s, but he was not a treacherous minister who would bring disaster to his country and the people. He would still do his job well.

He looked up, took a deep breath of the newly acquired incense, and felt his spirits lifted, “Let’s wait a bit longer.”

The butler quietly withdrew.

Several other ministers had also experienced a boost in their spirits after switching to this new incense.

“Nine” led his group through twisting alleyways and finally pushed open the rear door of a large mansion, entering it.

Tang Jinghong’s gaze sharpened, “Qingzhi, this is the home of the Minister of War.”

Chu Qingzhi was taken aback, “Could it be that the ‘Yun’ faction is indeed colluding with the Minister of War?”