Chapter 176: Nightly Probe of the Qin Manor to Seek the Source of Secrets

"Sir, wise!" the shadow guard's spirit was lifted, "The Qin family is huge and influential, many people envy them. With you taking the lead, we can surely gather a large group!"

"Go ahead." the Black Judge waved his hand, "Remember, I want absolute control. Those fence-sitters are just temporary pawns."

"Yes!" the shadow guard received the order and quietly withdrew.

The Black Judge stood alone in the darkness, his face hidden in shadow beneath his hood.

Qin Family, Zhang Jun, Lin Xue, Yin Yang Jade Pendant, Shennong Cauldron…

All of this must be grasped in hand, for the "Venerable One"'s grand plan!

The night in the capital appears calm on the surface, but underneath it's all whirlpools.

The Qin Family Manor has become the eye of the storm, with all factions watching. Inside there's a mysterious messenger whose life or death is unknown; outside, the Black Judge is rallying allies, sharpening his knives.

A greater storm is brewing.

On the roof, Zhang Jun and Lin Xue exchanged glances, both feeling the thorniness of the situation.

"What now?" Zhang Jun asked, "The clue's cut off; for now there's nothing to be done with the Qin family."

Lin Xue gazed toward the Qin Family Manor; there was utter silence, as if nothing had just happened.

"That messenger, we can't attend to him now; first look after ourselves, hurry to grow stronger."

"The Black Judge hit a wall at the Qin family; he definitely won't give up." Zhang Jun felt a heavy heart, "Future troubles will only grow; we must be extra careful."

Lin Xue hummed, then looked again at the silent Qin Family Manor: "That messenger, we can't attend to him now. First look after ourselves, hurry to grow stronger."

She paused: "However, we can't completely ignore it. Since someone inside the Qin family wants to contact us, it shows there's still a chance. We must find out who it is and what they want."

"What do you mean?" Zhang Jun looked at her.

"Let's go to the Qin family again." Lin Xue's decision was swift: "Taking advantage of the Black Judge just leaving, when the Qin family's inner and outer defenses are tightest, also when chaos is most likely to breed mistakes, there might be an opportunity."

Zhang Jun's heart skipped: "Go back now? That's like walking into a trap! The Qin family is surely as tight as an iron bucket!"

"The more dangerous the place, the easier it is to be overlooked." Lin Xue analyzed, "Moreover, the jade pendant can help us. It has some unclear connection with the Shennong Cauldron."

Zhang Jun looked at the half-piece of faintly glowing jade pendant in Lin Xue's hand, recalled the brief and weird transmission just then, gritted his teeth: "Alright! Let's do it! Better than wild guessing here! But we agreed: if anything feels off, we withdraw immediately!"

"Mm."

The night was thick and impenetrable, perfect for sneaking.

The two again activated the Breath-Concealing and Form-Changing technique, their bodies merging into darkness, becoming two wisps of smoke, silently moving toward the Qin Family Manor.

The Qin Family Manor's defenses now are even stricter than when the Black Judge came.

The number of sentries and hidden posts more than doubled, the air filled with a killing, tense atmosphere.

In many places faint energy fluctuations from active formations could be seen; any slight movement would trigger an alarm.

"Holy shit, this defense is so tight even a fly couldn't get in?" Zhang Jun lowered his voice, a bit stunned.

Lin Xue didn't speak, just gripped the Yin Yang Jade Pendant tighter.

Sure enough, when approaching certain specific areas, the jade pendant emitted an extremely faint halo.

That halo could interfere with part of the formation's sensing, allowing them to slip through the gaps at the formation's nodes.

But this thing isn't a universal key.

Some ancient, immensely powerful killing formations the jade pendant can't handle; they must rely on the two's exquisite body techniques and keen danger sense, carefully detouring.

Several times, patrolling guards almost brushed past their hiding spot, the gusts even fluttering their clothing.

Zhang Jun's heart was about to jump out of his throat, sweat beading on his forehead.

Lin Xue remained calm throughout; each dodge, each concealment was precisely frightening.

The two narrowly avoided danger as they bypassed the front yard and main building complex, gradually penetrating the rear of the Qin Family Manor.

This area is relatively secluded, but the guard strength hasn't weakened; rather, it's more concealed, giving an impression of lax outside but tight inside.

The further they went, the clearer the sensation from the jade pendant in Lin Xue's hand became.

That intermittent source of intent seemed just ahead not far.

Finally, the jade pendant's guidance stopped before an inconspicuous secluded villa.

This villa is small, its walls mottled, the door shut tight, around it there's not a decent guard, only a few crooked old trees swaying sparse leaves in the night wind.

"Here?" Zhang Jun couldn't quite believe it, "It looks too ordinary, not even a gatekeeper."

"Something's off." Lin Xue frowned, "The aura here is very strange, isolated by something. The jade pendant's sensation is a bit blurred."

Zhang Jun focused his senses; sure enough, an invisible barrier enveloped the villa, completely cutting off inner and outer auras. Had it not been for the jade pendant's earlier clear guidance, they likely would have just passed it by.

The two exchanged a glance, then approached more cautiously.

Going around to the villa's rear wall, they found a concealed corner; Zhang Jun reached out and lightly tapped the wall to probe.

Lin Xue then released several strands of Profound Yin Qi, like invisible tendrils, carefully sensing movements inside.

The courtyard was utterly silent, with not a sound or energy fluctuation.

The two scaled the wall and entered, landing in a courtyard overgrown with weeds.

The courtyard isn't large, with three main rooms and two side wings, all dilapidated, as if uninhabited for a long time.

They cautiously examined each room one by one.

The main rooms were empty, the side wings held only some discarded junk.

Just as Zhang Jun thought they'd come to the wrong place and was about to retreat, Lin Xue suddenly grabbed him, looking toward a storage room piled with firewood and broken farm tools.

"Inside." she whispered.

The two darted into the storage room.

The room reeked of thick dust and mildew.

Lin Xue walked to a corner where an old firewood pile stood; the jade pendant's sensation was clearest here.

She swept aside the firewood and debris, revealing a stone slab whose color slightly differed from the ground.

The slab's edge had an extremely fine seam.

Zhang Jun stepped forward, his fingers lodged in the crack, he secretly exerted internal strength, gradually applying force.

"Click—" a very faint sound of the mechanism turning.

The blue stone slab lifted silently, revealing a dark opening.

A mixture of faint medicinal fragrance and a special aura long sealed in dust drifted out from the opening.

A narrow stone staircase spiraled downward into darkness.

The source of the transmission is down below!

The two met each other's gaze, seeing solemnity and determination in each other's eyes.

Without hesitation, Lin Xue went ahead, Zhang Jun behind, and the two flashed into the secret passage.

The stone slab behind them slowly closed, sealing away all secrets once more.

The secret passage was narrow, allowing only one person to pass; the stone steps were steep and slippery, the air stagnant.

The farther they went down, the clearer the faint medicinal fragrance became, mixed with a barely perceptible smell of blood.