Chapter 257: Han Ya Reveals His True Form

Morning sunlight pierced the thin mist that had not yet cleared over Bianliangcheng, falling on the solemn black tiles of the Inspection Bureau headquarters.

Qian Gui had not slept all night; the bloodshot in his eyes worsened, yet his spirit was in a state of excited tension.

Li Wu led his team back in triumph from the underground drainage, bringing not only over ten elite corpses of the Iron Crow Army, but also solid evidence and priceless intelligence.

That detailed map of Bian Liang;

Those Nether Energy Crystal Ore and signal devices;

Especially several letters written in cipher, which had been preliminarily decoded to reveal keywords such as "node," "purge," and "opportunity," on silk.

All of these are like keys, now opening a door to the core secrets of the Iron Crow Army.

And behind that door must stand the deepest-hidden mole, codename "Han Ya."

"My lord, all seized items have been registered and recorded, and the secret letters are being urgently decoded."

Li Wu changed into a clean uniform, but the fatigue and killing intent lingering in his brow had not yet faded.

"The node in the drainage has been removed; the remaining eyes and ears of the Iron Crow Army inside the city must now be deaf and blind."

Qian Gui gave a slight nod, his fingers tapping the thick dossier on the desk concerning Fu'an.

"Once they're deaf and blind, they'll become anxious and make mistakes."

"What we want is for them to jump out on their own."

He lifted his gaze, his eyes sharp as a blade.

"Pass the order: the details of last night's operation are to be kept strictly secret."

"But toward the inner palace, especially near the Imperial Wardrobe, we can 'unintentionally' leak some information."

"Just say… last night, bandits sneaked into an official residence west of the city; the City Patrol Bureau killed them, but the leader escaped, possibly blending into the inner palace's miscellaneous laborers, and is now under strict investigation."

"Yes, sir!"

The subordinate received the order and departed.

This is a move to scare the snake by stirring the grass.

If Fu'an truly is "Han Ya," under the dual pressure of the core node being dismantled and his own possible exposure, he will certainly act.

Either, he will try to verify the news and send out an alarm;

or, he will destroy any existing evidence;

or, he will prepare to flee.

No matter which he chooses, he will leave an indelible trace in the Inspection Bureau's net of heaven and earth.

Inner palace, Imperial Wardrobe.

Fu'an, as usual, directed the little eunuchs under him to inventory and distribute summer clothing materials to all palaces and courtyards.

His movements remained steady, his face bearing a humble and obedient smile, but if observed closely, one could see a trace of panic deep in his eyes that was hard to conceal.

After midnight last night, he received no further signals from the underground node.

This is highly abnormal.

According to the agreement, regardless of whether there were new orders, at three quarters past midnight each night a brief safety signal would be transmitted.

Moreover, starting this morning, the palace patrols have noticeably increased, and inspections have become much stricter.

Although the pretext is chasing fugitives, this coincidence makes his heart pound with fear.

"Master, this is the ice silkworm silk destined for Consort Shu's palace; please have a look."

A little eunuch presented a bolt of snow‑white cloth, holding it with both hands.

Fu'an glanced at it absentmindedly and nodded.

His thoughts had already flown to that remote abandoned courtyard of the Cold Palace, to the secret passage hidden beneath the well.

I must confirm the situation at the underground node!

I must relay the drastic changes in Bian Liang to the outside!

He drew a deep breath, striving to calm his racing heart.

He must not panic; the more critical the moment, the more he must stay composed.

He made an excuse to send the nearby little eunuch away, then returned alone to his duty room.

He closed the door, took from beneath the bed a hidden compartment a crystal shard only the size of a fingernail, its whole body a deep azure.

This is a life‑saving gift from the "Master," and also a one‑time emergency communication device.

Using it, one can forcibly send an extremely brief warning signal to a specific receiver.

But the cost is a severe drain on the user's vitality, possibly even causing immediate death.

Until now, he had never considered using it.

But now he feels that invisible net tightening relentlessly, already leaving him breathless.

He clutched the icy crystal shard tightly, his knuckles whitening from the force.

He hesitated.

Should he wait a bit longer, or send the alarm immediately?

Just as he wrestled inwardly, a hurried rush of footsteps and clanking armor came from outside the window.

Next came the choked cry of his trusted little eunuch.

"Master! It's terrible! The Inspection Bureau's people… the Inspection Bureau's people have surrounded our Imperial Wardrobe! They say they're searching for a fugitive!"

Boom—

Fu'an felt as if something had exploded inside his head!

Inspection Bureau!

Qian Gui, you mad dog!

He really did come to investigate!

Can't wait any longer!

A flicker of mad determination flashed in his eyes as he violently pressed the azure-blue crystal against his chest at the Tanzhong acupoint!

An icy, bone-piercing pain, as if ten thousand steel needles were simultaneously driven into his marrow, instantly swept through his whole body!

His entire body trembled violently, his complexion turning ashen at a visible speed, his lips losing all color.

Yet he clenched his teeth tightly, making not a sound.

He could feel his life force draining away like a flood released from a gate, being frantically sucked by that crystal.

At the same time, an extremely faint energy ripple, almost imperceptible, spread outward from him toward a specific direction.

Signal… sent out…

He weakly collapsed to the ground; the crystal fragment on his chest had lost all its luster, turning to powder.

At that moment, the door of the duty room was flung open from outside!

Qian Gui entered, clad in black robes, his expression blank.

Behind him were the wolf-like Inspection Bureau constables, and a pallid little eunuch being held up by two guards.

Qian Gui's gaze first fell upon Fu An, collapsed on the ground, his breath faint.

It fell on the blue powder residue on his clothing.

It fell on his rapidly deteriorating face, as if moisture had been wicked away by wind.

"Fu An, attendant."

Qian Gui's voice was icy, devoid of any emotion.

"Looks like there's no need for this marquis to search."

"You, the 'Han Ya'… have revealed yourself."

Fu An strained to lift his head, his scattered gaze meeting Qian Gui's; the corner of his mouth twitched into an ugly, mocking smile.

"Qian… Marquis Qian… well… well done…"

His voice sounded like a broken bellows.

"Unfortunately… too late…"

"Signal… already… sent out…"

"Master… will avenge… me…"

"You… will all… die…"

Qian Gui crouched down, closely examining this face rapidly heading toward death.

"Your master cannot even protect himself."

"As for you…"

Qian Gui's voice was like cold ice.

"You will die worthlessly."

He rose, waving his hand.

"Take them away!"

"All personnel of the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau, isolate and interrogate them all!"

"Search this place thoroughly, leave no inch unexamined!"

"Yes!"

The constables surged forward like tigers and wolves, lifting the immobile Fu An and dragging him out.

The captured little eunuch had already collapsed in terror, his trousers soaked, babbling incoherently.

"Spare my life, Marquis! Spare my life, Marquis! It was all my master… no, it was Fu An who made me do it! He had me throw things into the well near the cold palace! He also had me inquire about the changing of the guard at the palace gates! I, a lowly servant, know nothing!"

Qian Gui ignored the sobbing of this minor figure.

His gaze swept over this seemingly plain duty room that actually concealed hidden mechanisms.

Soon, the search yielded results.

In a hidden compartment beneath Fu An's bed, they found a small iron box tightly wrapped in oilcloth.

Opening the iron box revealed several sealed letters, a black jade seal engraved with a strange crow pattern, and a pinch of deep-blue powder emitting a strong chill and medicinal scent—refined Nether Energy Crystal Ore powder.

The handwriting on the letters matched exactly that seized from the underground node.

The contents were shocking, detailing the secret transmission of information about Emperor Chai Rong's condition, Chen Wen's movements, court discussions, etc.

Moreover, several letters were orders received from the "Master," instructing him to cooperate with the "Blood Moon" plan, create chaos within the palace, and seek opportunities to poison Chen Wen and his core members!

The evidence is overwhelming!

"Han Ya" Fu An has no room left for excuse.

Qian Gui picked up that crow seal; it felt icy cold to the touch.

He seemed able to sense the cold, ruthless organization behind this seal, which regards human lives as grass, and its mad will to manipulate the course of history.

"Marquis, Fu An… has stopped breathing."

A subordinate came forward to report.

"On the way to the dungeon, his vitality was exhausted; we couldn't save him."

Qian Gui nodded expressionlessly.

Transmitting a signal by burning one's life force is inherently a dead end.

Fu An's choice was within his expectations.

Dead, it's also clean.

But his final words, "Signal already sent out," still prick like a thorn in Qian Gui's heart.

This means that the "master" behind the Iron Crow Army likely already knows that the core node in Bian Liang has been removed, and that "Han Ya" has been exposed and killed.

The opponent's coming counterattack will likely be even more frenzied and reckless.

"Seal all the evidence here, together with Fu An's corpse."

Qian Gui gave the order in a deep voice.

"Announce the news of Fu An's execution and the list of seized exhibits we have confiscated in tomorrow's court bulletin, to be made known to court and countryside!"

He intends to use this to deter all who harbor ulterior motives!

At the same time, also inform His Majesty in the north that one of Bian Liang's internal threats has been eliminated!

The sunlight completely dispelled the morning mist, bathing the Inspection Bureau office in bright light.

But Qian Gui knew that the shadow beneath his feet had not fully dissipated.

Extracting the "Cold Crow" is only the beginning.

A more violent storm may be brewing.

He gripped the Crow Jade Seal in his hand, his gaze once again turning to the northern border on the map, where beacon fires blazed.

"Your Majesty, subject... I have not failed my duty."