Chapter 256: Thunderous Sweep

The night was like ink, staining the flying eaves and brackets of Bianliangcheng.

The night watchman's clapper echoed in the empty street, carrying a faint urgency.

Inside the Inspection Bureau's temporary command hub, Qian Gui stood like a frozen statue, only the flames leaping in his eyes showing that his heart was far from the calmness on his face.

"My lord, all units are in position."

"A member of the Dark Blade team in black combat gear knelt on one knee, his voice lowered to a whisper yet ringing with metallic clarity."

"First Group, seal all known and suspected secret-channel exits on the west side of the palace city, seven in total."

"Second Group, control all passages around the abandoned cold palace courtyard, and have already found three concealed entrances."

"Third Group, assault team, thirty strong, all equipped with strong crossbows, short blades, fire starters, and smoke canisters, have reached the designated infiltration point and await orders."

"The detailed secret-channel maps provided by the Ministry of Works have been distributed to each team's commander."

"Furthermore… as you ordered, twenty elite troops were temporarily drawn from the Forbidden Army, led by Colonel Li Wu of the Emperor's personal guards, already waiting outside the palace gate… they… have received the Emperor's 'favor'."

Qian Gui lightly tapped his fingertip on the desk.

"Before the Emperor's northern tour, he granted me authority to act on the spot, and left me this 'generous gift'."

A flicker of complexity crossed his eyes.

"Tell Li Wu, his men are tonight's 'blade'."

"Target, the core node of the underground secret channels."

"Objective, leave no survivors, but obtain as much documentary evidence and seals as possible."

"If they resist… show no mercy!"

"Yes!"

The team leader received the order, his silhouette melting into the darkness outside like a ghost.

Qian Gui drew a deep breath; the air still seemed to retain the Emperor's solemn, trusting gaze before his departure.

A deadline of twelve double-hours hung over him like a sword suspended above.

But he knew, the moment had arrived.

Over at Fu'an, the monitors showed him unusually calm tonight, yet this calm felt like the lull before a storm.

According to Zhao Si's confession after his collapse and cross-checked clues from multiple sources, the Iron Crow Army likely, around midnight, would transmit new orders through the secret-channel node to the remaining forces inside the city.

This is the moment to cast the net!

He walked to the window and looked north.

At this moment, the Emperor should be racing day and night toward the even more bloody front in Jinzhou.

Bian Liang's festering sore must be cut out by his own hand!

"Pass the order!"

Qian Gui's voice was not loud, yet it carried unyielding resolve.

"Action!"

The order fell like a stone into a still lake, raising ripples that quickly spread to the dark world beneath Bianliangcheng where no daylight reaches.

On the west side of the palace city, beside an abandoned water gate half-overgrown with weeds and rubble.

Li Wu tightened his leather armor, feeling the power within him far greater than his usual vigor.

That was the 'grace' the Emperor personally bestowed on him and his elite troops before departing—four times the strength, speed, and endurance of an ordinary person.

Although its duration is limited and it will leave noticeable fatigue afterward, in this narrow-road encounter, this is the decisive factor between life and death!

He gave a hand signal.

Behind him, the twenty Forbidden Army elites whose breath had become long and sharp silently drew their weapons, loading the crossbow bolts.

On the other side, ten Dark Blade members, like cats melting into shadow, moved ahead silently, prying open the rust‑streaked iron gate to reveal a dark, mold‑smelling opening beyond.

"Advance!"

Li Wu gave a low shout and led the way, bending to slip inside.

Darkness instantly swallowed them all.

Only the occasional glow of a wind‑shielded lamp, its light half‑blocked by thick cloth, outlined the slick channel walls beneath their feet and the dripping arches overhead.

The air was foul, a mix of sludge, rotting matter, and something… a faint, strange taste like saltpeter mixed with blood.

The team moved silently along the wide main channel, their steps deliberately softened, yet in the absolute quiet they still sounded unusually clear.

According to the map, they needed to turn at the third junction ahead into a side channel marked 'Si Snake Way', which the old Ministry of Works clerk had noted as 'an abandoned secret passage of the former dynasty, possibly leading to the imperial gardens'.

"Stay alert."

Li Wu kept his voice low, his hand always on his sword hilt.

Along the channel walls, artificial hollows occasionally appeared, empty inside, yet in some corners lay fresh footprints and even a few strips of deep‑blue cloth out of place in this setting.

"My lord's deduction is correct—someone has been active here recently."

A Dark Blade member picked up the cloth strip, brought it to the lamp to examine closely, then held it to his nose to smell.

"There's… a faint medicinal smell, similar to that on the Iron Crow Army corpses we previously seized."

The team's mood grew heavier.

Going deeper, the ground began to slope downward, yet the channel's space gradually widened.

In some sections, crude stone chambers and hewn platforms appeared.

Suddenly!

The Dark Blade scout in the lead suddenly raised his fist, signaling 'light ahead, someone there'.

Everyone instantly held their breath, pressing against the damp channel walls.

Li Wu carefully poked his head forward to look.

Only then did he see that a hundred paces ahead the channel opened into a vast underground cavern.

In the center of the cave, several lamps emitting a faint blue light were lit, casting that space into an eerie glow like a ghostly realm.

Seven or eight figures dressed in black tight-fitting clothes, wearing crow-beak-shaped guards on their faces, gathered around a stone table, whispering about something.

On the stone table lay an open map, and beside it several opened boxes, inside which faintly visible blue crystals and some peculiarly shaped tools could be seen.

At the other end of the cave there was also a passage, leading who knows where.

"It's the Iron Crow Army! A key node!"

Li Wu's heart pounded, his blood rushing faster due to the "Grace".

He roughly estimated that their numbers were about the same as theirs, but they held the terrain advantage, and the faint blue light gave off an eerie feel.

"Prepare the crossbow bolts, take aim."

He slowly raised his hand, and the Imperial Guard and Dark Blade members behind him promptly readied their crossbows.

Just as his arm was about to swing down——

In the cave, a towering Iron Crow Soldier with his back to them seemed to sense something and suddenly turned around!

His eyes, an inhuman pallid white under the blue light, locked onto Li Wu's gaze!

"Enemy attack——!"

A shrill howl instantly shattered the underground silence!

"Fire!"

Li Wu hesitated no longer, bringing his arm down hard!

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh——!

Twenty crossbow bolts, whistling shrilly as they tore through the air, shot like a swarm of locusts toward the figures in the cave!

At such close range, with a sudden assault, four or five Iron Crow Soldiers screamed as they were hit by bolts and fell!

"Kill!"

Li Wu roared angrily, leading the charge like a tiger descending the mountain!

With fourfold strength bolstering him, each step he took left a clear footprint on the slick ground, his speed so great it left an afterimage!

"For His Majesty!"

"For Great Chen!"

The elite Imperial Guard roared in unison, following close behind like a bursting flood, surging into the cave!

"Stop them!"

The remaining Iron Crow Soldiers reacted instantly, seizing their weapons and fearlessly charging forward!

A nauseating "killing aura" rose from them, their movements swift and uniform, clearly elite veterans of a hundred battles!

Clang—clang—clang!

The explosive clang of clashing weapons instantly echoed throughout the underground space!

Sparks scattered in all directions under the blue light!

Li Wu faced off against the tall Iron Crow Soldier who had first spotted them.

He wielded a heavy spiked club, swinging it with a fierce wind and tremendous force!

Under normal circumstances, Li Wu doubted he could block it head-on.

But now he felt an endless surge of power within; his broadsword precisely deflected the heavy blow of the spiked club, he turned his wrist, and the blade flashed like a venomous snake straight for the opponent's throat!

That tall Iron Crow Soldier clearly hadn't expected Li Wu's strength and speed to be so terrifying; he hastily retreated, yet the sword's tip still sliced the flesh at the side of his neck, blood instantly staining his crow-beak guard.

"Die!"

Li Wu pressed his advantage, his sword sweeping forth like a violent storm, completely enveloping his opponent!

Fourfold efficiency meant not just strength and speed, but a comprehensive boost to neural reflexes and combat skills!

He seemed able to anticipate every move of his foe, each strike aimed straight at a vital point!

On the other side, the Dark Blade squad that had received the "Extensive Granting Eightfold Effect" displayed terrifying killing efficiency.

Their figures flitted unpredictably across the battlefield, cooperating seamlessly; often in pairs or trios, a single encounter was enough to fell an Iron Crow Soldier.

Even at close range, crossbow bolts remained deadly; short blades slit throats or pierced hearts, clean and swift.

From the outset, the battle was utterly one-sided!

The disparity brought by Ability Granting was amplified to the extreme in this cramped space!

Yet the Iron Crow Soldiers' ferocity exceeded imagination.

Even if riddled with arrows or pierced by swords, as long as they still had breath, they would frenziedly lunge forward, attempting a final attack with teeth or headbutts.

Such utter disregard for life and death, a mad frenzy, made even the battle-hardened Imperial Guard elite feel a pang of palpitation.

"Use fire oil! Smoke pots! Drive them out!"

Li Wu cleaved that tall Iron Crow Soldier in two with a single slash, then bellowed the order.

He noticed that deep in the cave, two Iron Crow Soldiers were trying to rush toward the unknown passage, seemingly intending to report or destroy something.

Several Dark Blade members immediately unfastened their waist pouches, splashing fire oil around, then tossed out fire starters!

Boom!

Flames erupted violently, spreading along the splashed trails, instantly illuminating more corners and cutting off the two's retreat.

At the same time, several smoke-emitting cans were thrown into the cave's depths, and a pungent fog began to spread.

"Cough cough..."

"Let's fight them to the end!"

The remaining three or four Iron Crow Soldiers, driven by fire and smoke with nowhere to flee, let out desperate howls and launched a final suicidal charge.

The outcome was without suspense.

Faced with an absolute disparity in strength and ample preparation, individual bravery and madness appeared utterly pale and powerless.

In the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the resistance inside the cave ceased completely.

More than ten Iron Crow Army corpses lay scattered on the ground, their blood staining the pooled water with an eerie hue.

The air reeked of strong blood, burnt fire, and a distinctive, uncomfortable killing intent mixed with a medicinal odor.

"Clear the battlefield, examine the corpses, collect all documents, maps, and crystal stones!"

Li Wu gasped for breath and gave the order.

Despite the continuous high-intensity bursts, even with the "Grace" supporting him, he felt waves of exhaustion wash over him.

He walked over to the stone table and picked up the map.

It clearly marked the main districts and palace layout of Bianliangcheng, as well as several hidden-channel routes highlighted in vermilion.

One point, repeatedly circled, was exactly where they were now!

Besides that, there were some incomprehensible symbols and a few short lines of Khitan script.

"We've found what the Marquis wants."

He carefully rolled up the map.

He then looked at the several boxes, which, besides the Nether Energy Crystal Ore, contained some talisman-like papers and a few small metal tubes that seemed to be used for sending signals.

"General Li, this passage..."

A member of the Dark Blade pointed to the unknown passage at the far end of the cave, looking inquiringly.

Li Wu fell into a moment's contemplation.

"Send a team in to scout fifty paces; if they find nothing, have them retreat immediately."

"We shouldn't linger here; we'll take our spoils and retreat the way we came!"

"Report this at once by pigeon post to the Marquis, and... present it to His Majesty of the Northern Patrol!"

"Yes!"

As Li Wu led his team, escorting the seized supplies back up through the abandoned sluice to the surface, the eastern horizon already showed a faint fish-belly white.

A new day had arrived.

And the filth beneath Bianliangcheng had been swept away by a thunderous force, eliminating a major source of corruption.

Qian Gui stood by the window of the Commander's hub, having received a pigeon-delivered message.

He unfolded and read it carefully; the tension of the night finally eased from his face, revealing a cold, relieved smile.

"Well done."

He murmured to himself, his gaze once again turning northward.

"Your Majesty, I have steadied a fragment of Bian Liang's foundation for you."

"The storms to come, I... will stand with you."

He turned and walked toward the desk.

There were still more matters that required his immediate attention.

The purge operation had only just begun.