Chapter 406: Breaking into the Empty Gate

The old Daoist only glanced at it once and didn't speak again.

He only needed to do his job as a guard and a fighter; other matters were naturally arranged by An Ziyang.

An Ziyang didn't say much either, took the old Daoist around the square, pointed out several important places, took the old Daoist to a tent to rest, and then returned to the square to continue working busily.

This busyness lasted until sunset.

Wanggong Factory was a place that couldn't see fire and couldn't light lamps at night, so it had to stop work at sunset. The Embroidered Uniform Guards, Xiaoling Guards, and Tang Men disciples left one after another along the secret passages, leaving only An Ziyang and Mei Qinghe here.

The two had been arranged by Li Miao to be here for a few days, and although they didn't have much contact because of Mei Qinghe's personality, they had now cultivated some tacit understanding.

Mei Qinghe sat cross-legged in the center of the square on her own.

An Ziyang followed the secret passage and returned to the Prefectural Yamen where he had fought with the old Daoist during the day.

This Prefectural Yamen was separated from Wanggong Factory by a distance, and An Ziyang deliberately left Embroidered Uniform Guards at the gate to guard it, counting as a lure. If the Eastern Depot came to investigate and made a commotion here, Mei Qinghe could also be prepared at Wanggong Factory.

After An Ziyang returned here, he first sent his subordinates to restore all the traps used during the day, then ate some food, rested for a while, and it was late at night.

When the moonlight fell on An Ziyang's face through the cracks in the window, he slowly opened his eyes, got out of bed, put on his clothes, and pulled a huge box from under the bed.

An Ziyang opened the box.

As soon as it was opened, a strange fragrance rose from the box, and the moonlight illuminated countless hidden weapons that emitted cold light and strange shapes. There were also several jars, from which rustling sounds constantly came.

He took seven or eight things from the box, patted them on his body, and they vanished, then walked out of the room carrying the box and sat at the stone table in the middle of the courtyard.

An Embroidered Uniform Guard brought wine and water, placed them on the table, and bowed before leaving.

The courtyard fell silent.

Only An Ziyang remained, leaning against the box, sipping wine.

Half an hour passed like this.

On the roof on one side, a wail suddenly rang out.

"Ah! Despicable!"

Thud.

A figure in night clothes rolled off the roof, hit the ground, and reached out to pull the iron caltrop stuck in the sole of his foot. As soon as he reached out, a blue-purple color flashed across his face.

His head tilted, and he lost his breath.

An Ziyang glanced at him and sipped his wine.

"Junior Brother!"

Another man in black shouted at the corpse on the roof, then turned to look at An Ziyang and cursed angrily.

"An Ziyang, you running dog!"

"Return my Junior Brother's life!"

Before the words fell, this person suddenly leaped from the roof, crossing several yards like a flying bird, his short sword stabbing straight at An Ziyang, shortening the distance to a few feet in an instant!

But he heard a "pfft" in mid-air.

The person froze, and before he could make any reaction, his arm fell off his shoulder, and the short sword also fell to the ground with a clang.

"What means! He clearly didn't make a move!"

He was horrified in his heart, didn't hesitate, turned his body with a somersault in mid-air, and after landing, rushed toward the gate, not forgetting to find some words to cover his retreat.

"We'll meet again—"

Pfft.

First, a sharp pain at the neck, and then his vision inverted.

His head fell to the ground, his lips moved, and at the last moment before his vision darkened, he saw a few drops of blood in mid-air, flowing slowly along an extremely thin transparent thread, and then falling onto his headless cavity.

"So... that's how it is..."

The head on the ground closed its eyes.

An Ziyang placed his wine cup on the table, stood up, and scanned

"Since blood has already been shed, stop hiding." "Don't you know that I, An Ziyang, am a direct disciple of the Divine Thief Sect? Aren't you ashamed to be skulking around in front of me?"

He said this with extreme certainty, as if he were convinced that someone would come to break into the empty gate tonight.

The old Daoist was, after all, a man of the Dao, acting in a straightforward manner. He did not know how much trouble his impulsive probing during the day would bring. Hundreds of catties of lime powder, along with that booming, exploding cesspool, had already attracted countless gazes.

Sure enough, before An Ziyang's voice had even faded, a sneer came from the roof.

"Truly impressive, worthy of being a capable general of the 'Four Seasons Pacification Envoys'."

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—

Hearing only the sound of fluttering robes, more than a dozen people leaped down from the roof and stood in the courtyard. All were dressed in night-traveling clothes and masked, wrapped from head to toe, revealing absolutely nothing of their identities.

One of them bowed leisurely toward An Ziyang.

"Greetings, Battalion Commander An."

An Ziyang squinted at him and said.

"I won't ask about your identity or your master's lineage. I assume you wouldn't dare admit it anyway; if I were to recognize you, you would likely have to commit suicide to escape punishment."

The man smiled and said.

"Many thanks for your understanding, Battalion Commander An."

"We certainly wouldn't dare offend the tiger's might of Lord Li. The grandeur of the Mid-Autumn Moon-Viewing Banquet is still fresh in our memories."

An Ziyang let out a cold laugh.

"Knowing fear, yet you still dare to break into my Embroidered Uniform Guard's empty gate?"

The man spread his hands.

"Men die for wealth, birds die for food. Battalion Commander An, you have vast family assets and have latched onto the towering tree that is Lord Li; naturally, you cannot understand us poor wretches."

"However, conversely, since we are willing to throw our lives away here for a mere pittance, I assume Battalion Commander An would not want to trade lives with us poor wretches, would you?"

An Ziyang, however, had no intention of showing them any respect. He picked his ear, flicked his fingernail, and then squinted with a sneer.

"I truly cannot understand the thoughts of you poor ghosts."

"Anyway, your lives aren't worth much, and you don't need to think too much when doing things. If you die, you die; I suppose that is why you fools live such easy lives."

"Speak up. Breaking into our Embroidered Uniform Guard's empty gate—what do you want? If it's something worthless, I, the Battalion Commander, will bestow it upon you as if giving alms to beggars."

The man's face flushed red, and he was nearly driven to a breakdown.

He took a deep breath to suppress his anger, but his tone was no longer as polite as before.

"Hand over the Xuanlan cultivation method, and we will leave of our own accord."

An Ziyang frowned.

"What cultivation method?"

The man sneered.

"Battalion Commander An, stop playing dumb."

"It has already spread throughout the Ordinary Jianghu that the foundation of Lord Li's extraordinary Wu Gong lies in this long-lost Nature Cultivation method! And this cultivation method is hidden right here in the capital, within the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

"At a time like this, Battalion Commander An, why are you, a capable general of Lord Li, hiding here? What is worth you guarding it personally?"

"The old Daoist who broke in during the day must have been aiming for the Xuanlan cultivation method! He just happened to pave the way for us!"

He laughed wildly in triumph.

"How about it, Battalion Commander An, did I guess correctly?"

"Hand over the Xuanlan cultivation method!"

An Ziyang looked at him and clicked his tongue.

"Truly... there is much joy in being brain-dead."

(End of chapter)