The main streets of the prefecture city were silent at three in the morning, save for a few patrols weaving through the alleys. No other souls were to be seen.
Huo Qiyuan, clad in black robes embroidered with golden pythons, landed softly on the rooftop of a tall building. His long silver hair cascaded behind him. Even in the dead of night, he seemed to radiate a light, like a fallen star, exuding a cool, aloof, and detached aura that drew people in yet deterred any attempt at familiarity.
Behind him followed Leng Qi, also dressed in black. As Leng Qi turned his head, a faint blue light emanated from his left eye, making him appear like a grim reaper emerged from the darkness, both dangerous and shrouded in mystery.
A while later, several more teams, using eagles as cover, appeared on the streets of the prefecture city. They moved stealthily, hiding as they went, eventually concealing themselves around the refugees held as hostages, awaiting orders.
Meanwhile, the two figures moved like phantoms in the night, traversing the rooftops as if on level ground. Before long, they arrived at another large compound about a hundred meters away. Unlike other places with their tightly shut doors and dark, lifeless facades, this courtyard was brightly lit, and the surrounding guards were exceptionally vigilant. Guards stood at intervals, and patrols passed every fifteen to twenty minutes. Leng Qi even spotted several hidden groups lurking in the shadows around the compound's perimeter.
After identifying a vulnerability in the compound's defenses, the two infiltrated through a corner and finally located Xu Zhipeng, fast asleep, in a large suite on the east side of the courtyard.
Leng Qi gently pushed open the door. The room was so heated, perhaps by a multitude of charcoal braziers, that a wave of warmth accompanied by a pungent, lewd odor immediately assailed their nostrils the moment the door opened. Huo Qiyuan quickly retrieved two masks from his sleeve, and each of them put one on, blocking the nauseating scent. After donning his mask, Leng Qi turned and quietly closed the door.
They crossed the spacious living room, dozens of square meters in size, and proceeded towards the private bedrooms within. Precious furnishings and ornaments were scattered throughout the rooms. The sheer wealth of this household suggested that they must have been among the foremost affluent families in Sian Prefecture. It remained a question whether this fine courtyard was a gift from the original owner to appease Xu Zhipeng, or if Xu Zhipeng had taken a liking to it and forcibly requisitioned it with his men.
Leng Qi, equipped with a high-tech bionic eye, could clearly see everything around him without any external light source. Huo Qiyuan, however, had to rely on external aids. He pulled out a pair of blue-light glasses and put them on. These were specially prepared for him by Su Muqing before his expedition, and they were a black-tech product from the future mall within his spatial dimension. Once worn, they were invisible to outsiders, yet the wearer could clearly perceive all surroundings. Furthermore, upon designating a specific item, detailed information about it would be instantly transmitted to the wearer's brain via sensors, providing timely intelligence and acting as a danger monitor.
Upon reaching the bedroom, their eyes were first drawn to a conspicuously large, carved four-poster bed, entirely crafted from golden nanmu wood. The sheer size of this bed alone was comparable to the living space of a poor household. A large carpet was spread in front of the bed, seemingly an expensive import. Four intricately carved bronze braziers stood at the carpet's corners, emanating a warm, orange glow from the burning charcoal within. There was no trace of smoke in the room, suggesting the braziers were fueled by premium smokeless charcoal.
Truly, "While the vermilion gates reek of wine and meat, the road outside is lined with the bones of the frozen dead." The Great Yu Dynasty had been in decline for years, yet the lives of these wealthy individuals and officials remained as extravagant as ever, seemingly unaffected.
Leng Qi stepped forward and lifted the silken bed curtain, then averted his eyes with a hint of disdain. Three other people were sleeping on the bed. Besides Xu Zhipeng, whom they were looking for, there were two scantily clad women. Their slender arms were wrapped around Xu Zhipeng's waist, the three of them sleeping so deeply they seemed dead.
Leng Qi dropped the curtain and then nodded towards Huo Qiyuan. Huo Qiyuan took two steps forward, glanced casually, and then looked away. The entire prefecture city, along with the refugees fleeing from surrounding areas, numbered at least several hundred thousand people. They lacked food and warmth, surviving each day on thin, watery porridge. Without any heating, they could only huddle together for warmth to avoid freezing to death. Yet, Xu Zhipeng, the commander of Sian Prefecture, not only enjoyed the finest food and drink but also had beautiful concubines by his side. He was truly an ignoble, drunken, and effeminate general, indulging in such decadent living even during wartime.
Seeing Xu Zhipeng like this, Huo Qiyuan couldn't help but sigh. He had once been ordinary, but because he was honest and obedient, he was able to learn by his father's side. In just a few short years, a once honest and simple soldier had transformed into someone who disregarded human life and only sought pleasure and indulgence – a complete waste!
Huo Qiyuan tilted his chin. Receiving the silent command, Leng Qi stepped forward and quickly pressed the pressure points of the two women, rendering them unconscious. With the women dealt with, Huo Qiyuan gestured towards Xu Zhipeng, signaling Leng Qi to wake him.
Leng Qi smirked and drew a specially made dagger from his waist, then leaped lightly onto the large bed. At that moment, Xu Zhipeng, who had been sleeping soundly, suddenly jolted awake as if sensing danger. The darkness of the room severely impaired his vision. By the time he registered his surroundings, his vision was blocked by a silver glint. A gleaming, sharp blade was now positioned directly above his eye, a mere hair's breadth away from his pupil. Even a slight acceleration of Xu Zhipeng's breathing at this point could have pierced his pupil.
Xu Zhipeng carefully held his breath, cold sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead. The extreme fear left him unable to control himself, and a warm wetness spread from his lower body, visibly soaking the blanket. Such an accident in the dark might go unnoticed by others, but not by those who possessed night vision, either through a bionic eye or specialized glasses. Even the slightest change was visible to them. However, they could never have imagined that a dignified third-rank general of the Great Yu Dynasty, who had once fought on the battlefield with the late prince, would be so easily terrified into wetting himself. It was utterly laughable!
Leng Qi withdrew his dagger. Just as Xu Zhipeng was about to cry out, he pressed his acupoint to silence him. Then, he roughly pulled him up from the bed, quickly bound him, and threw him onto the carpet. With his hands and feet tied and his voice silenced, Xu Zhipeng landed with a thud after being thrown by Leng Qi, colliding with one of the braziers. The sharp, protruding iron corner of the brazier struck his waist fiercely, causing him to grimace in pain.
“General Xu, long time no see.” Huo Qiyuan sat casually on a nearby chair, looking down at the disheveled Xu Zhipeng at his feet, reeking of urine and contorted with pain from his waist.
The sudden voice sent a fresh wave of cold sweat down Xu Zhipeng’s body, who was already in agony. Though Xu Zhipeng couldn't clearly see the face of the person speaking, the moment he heard the voice, his eyes widened in shock and he froze. He stared fearfully at the source of the voice in the darkness, his mouth agape as he tried to scream.
“Ah! Ah…” He might not remember the voices of others, but how could he forget this one? It was Huo Qiyuan! How was this possible? He should have died three years ago; he couldn't possibly still be alive… Could it be Huo Qiyuan’s ghost, returned for revenge? Yes! It must be so. Huo Qiyuan was dead; he couldn't possibly be alive…
The inherent yin and extreme cold of the Ice Mint Grass poison were incurable. Even those with profound internal energy could only temporarily suppress it, their ultimate fate being death. Wearing his night-vision glasses, Huo Qiyuan could clearly see the shifting expressions on Xu Zhipeng’s face. First, there was extreme disbelief, then confusion mixed with a hint of guilt, and soon after, profound fear and regret.
Noticing his expression, Huo Qiyuan raised an eyebrow. “General Xu, your expression is quite amusing. It seems you’ve already guessed who I am?” As he spoke, he removed his glasses and set them aside. Then, he took out a powerful flashlight from his sleeve and shone it directly at Xu Zhipeng.
Blinded by the strong light, Xu Zhipeng’s eyes began to water. Huo Qiyuan casually placed the flashlight aside. Reflected by the light bouncing off the wall, Xu Zhipeng could finally see the two individuals before him. Both were dressed in black robes; one of them had white hair. Behind the white-haired man stood a strange figure whose eyes emitted blue light. Apart from their peculiar appearances, their faces were covered from the nose down.
Huo Qiyuan reached up and removed his mask, revealing a handsome, sculpted face. Although his appearance had changed due to the Ice Mint Grass poison, the fundamental resemblance remained. Those who knew him well or saw him frequently could still recognize his identity. This was why he had worn a mask the entire time when he encountered Huo Qixiao in the no-man's-land, and why Chu Ruoqiao had recognized him so quickly during the encirclement.
Upon seeing the face of the man sitting before him, Xu Zhipeng opened his mouth again. Sensing his desire to speak, Huo Qiyuan lightly flicked his fingers, sending a thin stream of energy to release his silenced acupoint. After all, their purpose here today was to end Xu Zhipeng's life. Thus, whether his scream would attract others at this point was of little consequence.
“You… are you truly Young Master…?” Xu Zhipeng asked with difficulty, finding that he could finally make a sound.
“Young Master… So you still remember that I am your Young Master? How did my father treat you back then? And how did you repay him in the end?” Huo Qiyuan maintained a calm and composed expression as he spoke, but within him, hatred and murderous intent were steadily growing.
“I… I…” Xu Zhipeng stammered for a long time but could not articulate anything coherent.
“Thinking back now, it was you who delivered the news of Father King’s incident. Coincidentally, the fierce general of the Eastern Yao Kingdom, who had been stalemated with us for so long, suddenly mobilized his troops for a large-scale invasion! It seems your master behind the scenes had reached some agreement with the Eastern Yao Kingdom, didn’t they?” This was something Huo Qiyuan only later realized through solitary reflection. He had been defeated on the battlefield and subsequently disappeared. As a result, the Great Yu Dynasty ultimately lost the war against the Eastern Yao Kingdom, suffering an unprecedented and devastating defeat! To quickly quell the situation, the Great Yu Dynasty sent envoys to proactively seek peace talks with the Eastern Yao Kingdom, eventually paying a large sum of gold and jewelry, and even ceding two cities. Looking back now, the compensation paid at that time must have been the agreed-upon reward for the mastermind and their counterpart.
Seeing his continued evasive and unwilling expression, Huo Qiyuan lost his patience. Leng Qi stepped forward, pressed Xu Zhipeng’s acupoint to silence him again, and simultaneously drew his dagger. With a swift movement, he sliced through Xu Zhipeng's palm, cleanly severing three segments of his fingers. As the saying goes, "the ten fingers are connected to the heart." While the pain of severed fingers is not life-threatening, precisely because it is not fatal and most people are conscious when their hands are injured, the clear, sharp pain can be easily perceived. Just like Xu Zhipeng now, who was trembling all over from the pain, writhing helplessly on the ground, his fear of being unable to scream or call out was truly tormenting.
Seeing Leng Qi raise his right hand again, blood still visible on the dagger's blade, Xu Zhipeng hurriedly knelt and incessantly kowtowed to Huo Qiyuan, begging for mercy to avoid further torment. After all, whether he faced it head-on or cowered, the outcome was death. Why prolong the agony with unbearable torture before his end?
Leng Qi released his silenced acupoint. Xu Zhipeng, sweating profusely from the pain and with trembling lips, recounted the events of three years ago and everything else he knew, omitting nothing.
…Twenty minutes later.
Having confessed everything he knew, Xu Zhipeng fell silent. Huo Qiyuan said nothing more, turning and walking towards the door. Leng Qi followed, dragging the thoroughly bound person. As they exited the bedroom, Huo Qiyuan immediately fired a signal flare into the sky. Simultaneously, Leng Ren and his team, who had been lying in wait around the captured refugees, surged out with lightning speed and subdued the snoring young soldiers.