Chapter 944: First Volume_Chapter 944: Night Owl's Bite Back, Blood Stains the Capital

First Volume_Chapter 944: Night Owl's Bite Back, Blood Stains the Capital

That very night, the entire Wang Du was urgently mobilized. Officials of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue hurried back and forth, arranging troop transfers and logistics support in rapid succession, while the Imperial Guard, led by Li Yu, rushed toward the Ye Xiao Zong Bu.

Normally, on the eve of a great war, no monarch would lightly purge his capable subordinates—especially a Spy Department that controlled so many secrets. After all, a rash move could easily provoke resistance and disrupt the entire war effort. Therefore, before a major battle, pacifying hearts and stabilizing the situation was the top priority.

But the Ye Xiao had repeatedly crossed the Northern Di King's bottom line, growing more and more outrageous, even daring to assassinate the Eunuch who delivered orders and Headquarters Officials, causing both political decrees and Military Commands to be blocked simultaneously. This damage was even heavier than the direct loss of soldiers on the Battlefield.

It was not that the Northern Di King was taking a risk—it was that the Ye Xiao had forced him into one!

As long as the strike was swift enough, seizing and executing core figures before the Ye Xiao could react, the situation could be controlled.

Unfortunately, reality was often brutally cruel. The Ye Xiao were, after all, a Spy Department, with eyes and ears everywhere. From the moment the Northern Di King summoned Li Yu, the factions within the Ye Xiao had already sensed danger. They knew the Northern Di King would not negotiate or weigh options with them, but would unsheath the butcher's blade without hesitation. Therefore, apart from the Imperial Party that followed Li Yu and the neutral faction, virtually all other factions reacted almost immediately.

This directly triggered internal strife and slaughter within the Ye Xiao. The Imperial Party could not tell who was a traitor and who was merely acting out of self-preservation, so anyone attempting to flee Headquarters was struck down by the Imperial Party with thunderous force.

The prepared against the unprepared—the other factions never expected the Imperial Party to act so decisively. In an instant, the entire Ye Xiao Zong Bu was shrouded in a bloody storm.

But the one-sided slaughter did not last long. The surviving Ye Xiao, each skilled in deadly arts, soon launched fierce Counterattack.

Moreover, the Imperial Party's policy of "kill the wrong ones rather than let any go" made them the target of everyone. Even those Ye Xiao who had originally had no intention of Zhen E now resolutely joined the siege against the Imperial Party. Though the Imperial Party was the strongest, they could not withstand attacks from all sides and soon suffered massive casualties.

The situation, once seemingly under control, instantly descended into utter chaos. Countless Ye Xiao seized the moment to escape, and those who remained had no heart to keep fighting—any chance to flee, they took it.

As more and more Ye Xiao fled, the Imperial Party regained the upper hand once more and launched indiscriminate slaughter against those who remained.

When Li Yu pushed open the Door of Ye Xiao Headquarters, he was stunned by the scene before him.

The entire Ye Xiao Headquarters seemed soaked in blood. An overwhelming stench of gore hit him, and corpses lay strewn everywhere before his eyes.

Before coming, Li Yu had already devised a plan: relying on the Imperial Party's advantage, he would stabilize the neutral faction and those Speculative Party members who were purely after profit. The neutral faction, though lacking Loyalty, had not committed capital crimes and could still be driven to contribute with a push, while the Speculative Party, though facing severe punishment, would not be dealt with in the short term.

Li Yu would gather all available forces to thoroughly purge the Jianxie and Chaotic Faction hidden within the Ye Xiao.

Unfortunately, plans could not keep up with changes—the scene he feared most had still occurred.

The instant the Northern Di King issued the Military Order, a chain reaction was set off. These Ye Xiao were all ruthless killers who would not sit and wait for death…

This fierce resistance and chaos made even a deeply scheming minister like Li Yu's head buzz with a Whirring Sound.

The entire Wang Du had clearly descended into chaos!

Li Yu knew that Lü Li's interception of Qin Feng would inevitably bring disaster, but he had not expected this catastrophe to strike so ferociously and with such Rapid Mobilization.

The moment the decision to attack Changshui County was made, Qin Feng would surely pour out everything he had to Counterattack.

And the chaos before his eyes was indeed Qin Feng's handiwork!

Long ago, Qin Feng had already begun Secret Infiltration into every aspect of Northern Di. He had merely been lurking in the shadows, waiting for his chance. Now that chance had come—all the hidden explosives Qin Feng had planted in Northern Di were detonated at once. This chaos and catastrophe was both unexpected and entirely logical.

Just then, the Imperial Party rushed over. Li Yu's face turned ashen as he demanded in a low voice: "Exactly how many got away!"

The Imperial Party Ye Xiao stamped their feet in anguish, sighing in regret: "The exact number is unclear, but a conservative estimate is at least fifty!"

Fifty people…

Li Yu's vision swam. The number sounded small, but one had to understand… these fifty people all held important positions within Ye Xiao Headquarters, and each one commanded hundreds of Ye Xiao beneath them. As a result, the number of rebellious Ye Xiao was incalculable. Worst of all, these Ye Xiao all held some Jiwei in their hands to varying degrees…

It's over! Completely over!

Li Yu clenched his fist, released it, then clenched it again. Never in his life had he felt so lost and conflicted. The timing of Qin Feng's strike was truly perfect.

Heavy snow sealed the mountains, and a once-in-a-century freeze caused the entire Northern Di's political machinery to respond sluggishly. Combined with depleted National Strength, the well-supplied, formidable Liang Kingdom North Border troops would naturally advance triumphantly. It was at Northern Di's most vulnerable moment that Qin Feng ignited these hidden explosives—the court was now on the verge of total collapse!

No…

He had to seize the last chance!

Li Yu turned and roared at the crowd behind him: "Go quickly and inform His Majesty and Grand General Chen! Launch an all-out assault on Changshui County at any cost! We must capture Qin Feng before the court collapses, otherwise… the peril of national ruin is at our doorstep!"

Capturing Qin Feng and using him as a hostage to threaten Liang and the Northern Border, buying Northern Di time to recover—that was the final chance. If even this chance could not be seized, then from the Northern Di King down to the Imperial Party, total collapse was inevitable.

Just as the entire Wang Du was under lockdown and everyone's nerves were stretched to the breaking point, Ye Xiao figures appeared at almost every residence of important Officials of the Six Ministries.

Despite the high-pressure searches under city-wide lockdown, many Ye Xiao were captured and beheaded on the spot.

But a large number of Ye Xiao core members still gathered their subordinates and, fighting for Survival, launched fierce Counterattack.

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works was preparing to head to Headquarters, but before he could leave, he was seized by Ye Xiao and dragged into a concealed blind spot in a corner. Without exception, every relative and servant by his side was slaughtered.

The leading Ye Xiao's eyes were chillingly cold: "Minister, now is the time to choose sides. If I were you, I would make the right choice—otherwise, your family's destruction is inevitable."

"Every piece of evidence of your corruption with lower-ranking Officials is recorded in my hands!"