Chapter 531: Chen Yan's Killing Intent

In the dim execution chamber, the scent of blood mingled with the iron rust of the instruments and spread everywhere.

Yuanzhou slowly raised his hand to his temple, let out a long sigh, and said with unmistakable regret, "Alas, what a pity!"

As the words fell, his brows knit, regret churned in his eyes, and his voice carried a hint of unwillingness: "How could we let such a big fish slip away…."

Even if Gao Changjing is only a concubine‑born son, he is still a prince of the Qi State!

He is also the core figure of their infiltration in Chang'an!

His value far exceeds that of Li Shengchang…

Shen Junli heard this, shrugged helplessly, spread his hands and said, "There's nothing we can do! We can't stir up the grass and scare the snake…"

"Gao Changjing acts with extreme caution, his guards layered around him; we can only watch from afar in secret, unable to get too close and expose our movements, yet must guard against him noticing any change—any slip would ruin our efforts…"

"Now that he seized the chance to escape, it was unexpected yet understandable."

Gao Changjing is exceedingly perceptive, and has taken the three‑burrow trick to its utmost.

His base in Chang'an's ghost market keeps shifting, and locating it has taken a lot of time.

Beside them, Chen Yan remained silent, standing with his arms folded, his gaze heavy on the ground.

Yuanzhou's conversation with Shen Junli reached his ears, yet it seemed unheard, and he fell into deep contemplation.

A sealed fragment of history flashed clearly in his mind, and he muttered, "If I recall correctly, the historical Yuwen Hu's campaign against Qi suffered setbacks, losing countless troops, leading to a great clash that indeed confronted him…"

In the battle of Mangshan back then, Gao Changgong wore a mask and led the charge, becoming famous in a single battle, and inadvertently forged the unprecedented fame of the Prince of Lanling!

Recalling this, a chilling ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, the deep gaze roiling with resolve, and he made an irrevocable decision in his heart: "He must not live any longer!"

He, Chen Yan, is a filial son!

Whether or not they're the same person, for a good father, they must be eradicated!

Li Shengchang's body was riddled with wounds, his clothes soaked in blood.

His exposed skin was covered with gruesome wounds, flesh and blood blurred, and even a slight movement drew excruciating pain.

Listening to the dialogue, he suddenly lifted his head, coughed up a mouthful of dark‑red froth, blood droplets sliding down his mouth corner onto the cold floor.

He glared fiercely at Chen Yan, fire of defiance burning in his eyes, his hoarse voice dripping with scorn: "My young master this time merely fell unwittingly into your treacherous scheme!"

"Had you not set the trap, arranged things in secret, and relied on your tricks, how could you have succeeded!"

Having said that, he strained his neck, surveyed the assembled, and though his breath was weak, his tone remained hard, every word laced with harshness: "Next time, Zhou State, you won't have such luck!"

"My young master will rise again; then he will crush your Mingjing Si and annihilate your Zhou State's statehood—just you wait!"

The air in the execution chamber was already stagnant, and Li Shengchang's hoarse harsh words were abruptly cut off by a disdainful voice.

Li Kailan, standing nearby, curled his lip at the remark, a blatantly contemptuous smile tugging at his mouth corner.

His gaze swept over the blood‑splattered Li Shengchang on the rack, his tone dripping with sarcasm that nearly overflowed, each word sharp as he retorted, "Your lord is merely a defeated subordinate of my master!"

"If he hadn't run so fast, he would already be a foot‑stool prisoner, and you wouldn't have the chance to spout such words here."

"What right do you have to be so arrogant!"

As a covert operative of Qi State who has stirred the clouds, no one knows the extent of his master's methods better than Li Kailan…

With a flick of a finger, Qi State would plunge into chaos!

As soon as the words fell, Yuanzhou cast a sideways glance at Li Shengchang, a half‑smile of mockery in his eyes, and leisurely said, his tone leisurely yet lethal, "That's the logic! Gao Changjing's lucky escape this time was merely a bit of fortune…"

"If he dares set foot in Chang'an again, my master can lay a heavenly net and earth net, seize him firmly, let him taste the rack, and keep you company—wouldn't that be perfect?"

"Delusional!" Li Shengchang, provoked by their mockery, had his eyes turn Red Eyes, his neck locked, teeth chattering, nearly biting his gums to bleed.

Ignoring the searing pain of his wounds, his chest heaving, he suddenly widened his blood‑spattered eyes and shouted with all his strength at the two, "My young master's wit reaches the heavens; you can never match it!"

"He will never give you any chance to exploit again; you must stop day‑dreaming!"

Li Shengchang's voice, driven by extreme anger, grew even more hoarse, as if rubbed with sandpaper.

Spitting blood‑scented droplets with his roar, they splashed onto the cold floor, instantly staining a small patch dark red.

Yet even so, the stubbornness in his eyes and his trust in Gao Changjing remained unchanged.

Shen Junli listened to the dispute, his brows slightly furrowed, and turned to look at the ever‑silent Chen Yan.

At this moment, Chen Yan still stood with his arms folded, the low Air Pressure around him unchanged, his profound eyes a deep void, inscrutable.

Shen Junli stepped forward, bowed slightly, and respectfully asked, "Sir, what should be done with Li Shengchang?"

His words hung in the air as his gaze unintentionally swept over the barely‑living Li Shengchang on the rack, carrying a hint of inquiry.

The clamor in the execution chamber abruptly ceased due to the request.

Everyone's eyes focused on Chen Yan, awaiting his decision.

Chen Yan snapped out of his heavy thoughts, his gaze flicking over the gritting‑tooth Li Shengchang on the rack, his brows subtly furrowing, then he spoke in a deep voice, "Throw him into the prison that holds Qi State's traitorous assassins…"

He paused, then added, "Feed him well every day, take careful care, don't let him die!"

That way they can reunite.

Previously, those Qi State traitorous assassin assassins, Chen (himself) did not kill, but instead locked them together in the Mingjing Si Great Prison…

After all, keeping them in hand will always be of great use!

"Yes, Shuyi understands," Shen Junli immediately bowed respectfully in response.

He turned toward the two embroidered‑clad envoys behind him, dressed in Xuanse Jinshen, and shouted, "Take them away!"

"Understood!" the two embroidered envoys replied in unison, their voices resonant, then strode forward, one on each side, seizing the wounded Li Shengchang on the rack.

Li Shengchang's wounds were tugged, pain causing his whole body to convulse, yet he still refused to bow his head.

As they dragged him out, his gaze locked onto Chen Yan, as if to engrave his image into his very bones.

In the instant he was dragged past Chen Yan.

Li Shengchang suddenly broke free of the envoys' slight restraints, thrust his neck forward, his scarlet eyes glaring at Chen Yan, his hoarse voice full of resentment and venom, continuing his harsh words: "Chen Yan! You despicable scoundrel, using treachery against my young master—what kind of hero are you!"

"My young master will eventually crush Mingjing Si, shred you to pieces, and make you see!"

"Zhou State, prepare to be overthrown by my Qi State!"

"Noisy!" Yuanzhou, irritated by the clamor, saw that he still dared to speak wildly at this moment and stepped forward immediately.

He raised his hand and delivered a hard slap across Li Shengchang's face.

"Ah!"

The crisp sound of the slap rang out together with Li Shengchang's wail.

He was already frail, and the slap caused blood foam to spill from his mouth again.

His cheek instantly swelled red, and his head was knocked to one side.

Yuanzhou let out a cold snort and shouted angrily, "Shut your mouth!"

"Even in this situation you still blurt out such words—do you really think our Mirror Department is a place for you to run wild?"

Before the words finished, he pulled a wooden plug wrapped in cloth from his chest and, seizing the instant Li Shengchang opened his mouth in a howl, thrust it forcefully into his mouth.

It sealed his subsequent roars and curses tightly.

Li Shengchang could only emit a muffled "wu‑wu", his eyes wide with resentment and unwillingness, but he could no longer utter a complete sentence.

In the end he was dragged by the embroidered‑clad envoy, stumbling out of the interrogation chamber, the heavy footfalls and clanking chains fading away, disappearing at the dim corridor's end.

Shen Junli stepped forward, his gaze landing on Chen Yan, and bowed respectfully, saying, "Sir, we just examined some useful items…"

Chen Yan heard this, slowly turned, standing with his hands behind his back, his posture still upright, his deep eyes revealing little emotion, and gave a faint nod, "Speak."

Shen Junli chose his words carefully, organized his thoughts clearly, then bowed and reported, "It was a hasty retreat, so the Hidden Agent, outposts, and spies we placed in Chang'an did not have enough time to conceal or relocate…"

"Oh?" Chen Yan's eyes suddenly brightened, the previously solemn expression gaining a hint of interest, clearly stirred by the news.

He looked at Shen Junli, his tone carrying some praise, and immediately decided, "Junli, the whole matter is now entirely your responsibility."

Shen Junli heard this, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, bowed solemnly, and said with resonant force, "Sir, rest assured! Shuyi will strike with thunderous force, ending it in one fell swoop…"

"No fish will slip through the net!"

Chen Yan gave a slight nod, as if recalling something, lightly patting his forehead, and added, "Oh right, draft the warrant immediately and post a notice to capture Gao Changjing."

"Tomorrow it must be posted throughout Chang'an's streets and alleys!"

As the words fell, he turned to Li Kailan beside him and commanded in a deep voice, "Kailan, this matter is now yours to handle."

"Shuyi obeys!" Li Kailan stepped forward, clasped his fists, bowed respectfully, and replied.

Chen Yan waved his hand, his tone casual, "Everyone go handle it!"

"Obey!" the crowd answered in unison, their voices loud.

Then they turned and left the interrogation chamber in order, each to prepare the relevant matters, their footsteps gradually fading.

In the Mirror Department's courtyard, night was as black as ink, a waning Can Yue hidden behind clouds cast a faint glow, illuminating the Shiban path in mottled patches.

Chen Yan stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, gazing into the heavy night, a hint of contemplation in his brows, murmuring softly, "Gao Changjing…"

"His purpose in entering Chang'an must be to stir up the city's winds and clouds, incite court disputes, then covertly wreak havoc on the people's livelihood, shaking Great Zhou's foundation; he won't leave easily…"

Thinking of this, Chen's eyes suddenly flashed with a Dark Hawk's cold light, the corner of his mouth curving into a half‑smile, "There's a way to finish that guy!"