The tower stood seven stories high, perched on the southern bank of Chao Lake.

Calling it a lake was almost misleading, as this was an endless expanse of wetlands as far as the eye could see.

From the top, you could see the water glittering with ripples, islets scattered like stars, and hundreds of birds gliding over sandbars. Life pulsed everywhere.

It was no wonder Chao Lake Tower was packed shoulder to shoulder with idle sightseers coming in droves just to climb high and take it all in.

After climbing up, He Lingchuan frowned to himself.

Not only are there crowds of tourists, but there’s even a teahouse on the fourth floor!

Visitors could drink tea, admire the view, listen to storytellers, and meet friends. Sit down at a table, and the cool lake breeze would sweep in, cutting the seventh month’s heat in half.

Because it was so comfortable, every one of the ten tables was full, with not a single seat to spare.

No wonder Mr. Mai had chosen this place to do business. The constant flow of travelers and tea-drinkers makes it the perfect cover.

He Lingchuan thought again of the message he had deciphered.

It only gave time and place, but no recognition code or passphrase.

This meant that Mr. Mai and the other party already knew each other. They did not need a code to confirm identities.

That was a problem, as that meant that he could not just impersonate anyone.

And if the other party waited here and did not see Mr. Mai, they would know something was wrong, and they would then leave quickly.

With this being the case, how was he supposed to pick Mr. Mai’s accomplice out of the massive crowd before him?

“My lord?” The Baishajue magistrate had noticed He Lingchuan staring outside the tower for a long time.

“Is it always this crowded?”

“Uh, yes. It’s one of our local famous sights.” The magistrate thought He Lingchuan was in the mood to tour. “The tea cakes here are a local specialty. Many people buy them to take home as gifts.”

“Have them set a table in the corridor. We’ll drink tea.”

The teahouse did as instructed, setting up a square table for them in the outer corridor on the fourth floor, and brought tea, fruit, and snacks.

The tea cakes were good, but He Lingchuan liked the dried sweet potatoes even more. These were peeled sweet potato pieces, steamed three times and roasted three times. They tasted fragrant and sweet, soft and chewy, perfect with tea and conversation.

County Magistrate Tian had come in nervous, but seeing He Lingchuan now warm and mild—no longer needling him like the day before—he let out a long breath and became twice as attentive.

Yesterday, when He Lingchuan first arrived, he had to give the magistrate a firm “welcome.” Otherwise, an old fox like this would assume He Lingchuan was young and easy to push around, and would nod along while doing whatever he pleased.

Today was not the time to keep the harsh tone. A bit of reassurance now would make the magistrate even more compliant, so that he would cooperate properly afterward.

This was exactly the kind of “handling subordinates” tactic He Chunhua used all the time. He Lingchuan had spent years at his side, and he had absorbed plenty.

Being an official came with endless tricks of the trade.

Sitting here with the breeze brushing his face and the view opening wide, even his chest felt looser, as if something inside him had unfolded.

Such a fine moment, such a beautiful scene, and yet there were always people in this world determined to ruin it.

He Lingchuan sipped his tea slowly, thinking, What are the odds that Fu Songhua, the man Zhongsun Mou had caught, is actually the real culprit?

And yet, there had been no word of Mr. Mai at all. That rat still seemed to be at large.

If Fu Songhua was the mastermind, then the Chao Lake Tower deal would be canceled; it would not happen.

If he was not, then perhaps Mr. Mai and whoever stood behind him had already fled, and the Chao Lake Tower meeting would not happen either.

Round and round it went. If the transaction maintained by coded messages had no reason to exist anymore, why should He Lingchuan bother with it at all?

Hm, but is it really that simple?

He lifted his head now and then. The tower itself was grand, its stone carvings intricate. It was clearly built with great labor and expense. But after years of wind and sun, a large slab near the top had fallen away, exposing the mud plaster beneath.

He pointed upward and said, “That’s not very sightly.”

The Baishajue magistrate looked up. “Ah! I meant to send people to repair it, but Old General Ling said he wanted to donate the repairs, and then he kept delaying. That’s why it’s like this.”

He Lingchuan rubbed his chin. “This is a famous scenic spot with countless visitors every day. Leaving it like that is ugly and unsafe.”

“Yes, yes.” The magistrate had no idea where this was going and could only agree.

This special envoy manages things a little too broadly, doesn’t he? He’s so young, yet so full of meddling.

He Lingchuan only mentioned it in passing, not pressing any further, and started asking about local customs and sights instead.

When the atmosphere finally began to ease, He Lingchuan dropped a line as if casually, “By the way, what’s the Touring Commissioner been doing these days?”

“Interrogating the case, I suppose?” The magistrate thought a moment. “I heard he’s turned down quite a few visits and banquets.”

* * *

Three more days passed, and Zhongsun Mou prepared to depart north.

Someone else came seeking an audience. He exhaled in irritation.

The visitor had brought materials, thick stacks of them.

Zhongsun Mou motioned for his guard to take them, then said, “Don’t keep coming here. Too many eyes.”

“This is the last batch. My master wishes you a smooth journey.”

With no choice, Zhongsun Mou piled the materials on his desk and began verifying them volume by volume.

Before returning to Lingxu City, he had to ensure the accounts were airtight. He could not allow any mistakes, nor leave a single crack.

Fu Songhua had been captured six days ago. The safest move would have been to escort him north immediately, to avoid trouble brewing in the dark.

However, Zhongsun Mou could not do that.

He had to examine the evidence word by word, line by line.

Once he returned to Lingxu City, countless sharp eyes would scrutinize these materials repeatedly, perhaps they would even be presented before the Lord Emperor himself. Just thinking of that made pressure crash down on him like a mountain.

The people and the evidence were all being brought back by him, Zhongsun Mou. He had to make sure nothing went wrong, because if it did... His eyes ached from reading. He was about to call for another cup of cassia-seed tea when a guard reported, “The Crown Prince’s Special Envoy He Xiao and the Baishajue magistrate request an audience!”

Zhongsun Mou’s expression shifted. So that kid’s finally arrived.

He had known that the so-called Crown Prince’s special envoy was in Baishajue, but he had ignored him. And the other side had real patience, holding out until now before coming to his door.

Zhongsun Mou put away the case files. Only after he stepped into the courtyard did he say, “Let him in.”

He Lingchuan strolled in, a tiger pacing at his side. County Magistrate Tian followed behind.

“Not a bad view you have here. You can watch the lake right from the window.”

“I’m busy.” Zhongsun Mou did not exchange pleasantries and did not bother with a friendly face. “What do you want?”

“I heard Lord Zhongsun performed a great service and captured the spy who murdered the eastern imperial eagle courier!” He Lingchuan smiled as if delighted. “I had to hurry to come and see for myself.”

This wretch has been sightseeing around Baishajue for days. Hurry to come, my ass! Zhongsun Mou gave a faint sneer. “Yes, the evidence is conclusive, and the criminal has been caught. The Special Envoy can go back and report to the Crown Prince now.”

“Then I must ask, what exactly is the criminal’s identity?” Even if Fu Songhua isn’t the real culprit behind the courier case, he has to be someone significant. Otherwise, how could Zhongsun Mou drag him back as a trophy and expect Lingxu City to accept it? If Zhongsun Mou dared grab some random nobody to substitute as the culprit, he’d probably see how the Lord Emperor dealt with him.

“Fu Songhua is a man of the State of Tao. Twelve years ago, he was promoted to a deputy commander under Hong Chenglue, who was brave in battle. Ten years ago, he assassinated Zhang Guangyi, Lingxu’s Inspector of He Province, and fled. He Province hunted him for years without success, until he fell into our hands here six days ago.”

He Lingchuan heard a familiar name and blinked. “From that history, he sounds like nothing more than an assassin. How did he become a spy?”

Considering He Lingchuan at least held the title of Crown Prince’s special envoy, and considering that they stood on Chiyan soil, Zhongsun Mou forced down his impatience.

“He was originally a Tao spy. The assassination of Inspector Zhang was also an assignment. You don’t understand Lingxu’s court affairs. Zhang Guangyi’s death had a huge impact at the time. It directly changed the Lord Emperor’s decision-making. This time, Fu Songhua lay low for years and struck again to disrupt our army’s operations on the eastern front.”

“He’s Mr. Mai’s superior?”

“Exactly.”

“And how did you verify that?”

Zhongsun Mou could not help but laugh. “I’ve assembled a full set of evidence, solid as a mountain. Do I need to read it to you page by page, line by line?”

“That would be fine.” He Lingchuan’s gaze kept drifting toward the study. “Better than fine.”

Zhongsun Mou’s smile vanished. “Enough, Special Envoy. Don’t play games. The captive has confessed, the dossiers have been sealed, and they are not to be reopened lightly. There’s no point in you standing here. Go back, tell Fushan Yue the good news, and collect your reward.”

He Lingchuan’s expression also sobered. “If Fu Songhua’s goal in killing the courier was only to delay intelligence, then why did he send his subordinate, Mr. Mai, to kill monsters across Chiyan and harvest beads?”

“To drive a wedge between the monster clans and the authorities, and to stir up trouble. That’s standard spy work,” Zhongsun Mou answered blandly. “Otherwise, what do you think they do all day? Stay in Beijia long enough, and you’ll see that they worm their way into any crack they can find, always looking to make waves.” He continued calmly, “Those beads are materials for refining Crimson Jade Pills. They will be submitted to Lingxu City as evidence as well.”

Crimson Jade Pills? Aren’t jiang beads used to refine the elixir of youth? He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow. “Lord Zhongsun neatly waves away a massive case with a few sentences, impressive. However, the Crown Prince ordered me to personally interrogate the main culprit personally. Where is Fu Songhua?”

“Fu Songhua is to be escorted back to Lingxu City for trial. He has nothing to do with you from here on out.”

Footsteps sounded outside, many of them. Zhongsun Mou immediately sensed something wrong and stepped back. His guards moved up at once, hands on their sword hilts.

“If we can’t talk it through, then we show our cards.” He Lingchuan gave Jiao Yu a look.

The tiger suddenly threw back its head and roared!

The tiger’s roar shook the air for miles. More than a hundred men surged into the courtyard at once, surrounding Zhongsun Mou’s group in a tight ring.

Outside, there were more rapid clatters, the sound of heavy boots pounding the ground. Clearly, far more troops were waiting on standby.

A commanding officer strode in and saluted He Lingchuan. “Lord Envoy!”

It was Chiyan’s garrison stationed fifteen kilometers outside Baishajue. When Jiao Yu went out to run He Lingchuan’s errand, it had also used the special envoy’s token to borrow them.

It was not many, only about five hundred men.

Fushan Yue had said the token could mobilize troops, and he had not been joking about that.

Tension snapped taut in an instant. The Baishajue magistrate happened to be standing right in the middle, and sweat was now pouring down his back. “My lords, my lords, if you have something to say, then please just talk things through!”

I can’t afford to offend either side. Why does it have to come to this?

What cursed luck have I run into? Why has my luck been so bad lately?

A side room opened. Two guards, alarmed, stuck their heads out. When they saw the standoff, both froze.

Zhongsun Mou bellowed, “Get back inside!”

The guards obeyed and moved to shut the door, but they were a beat too slow.

The tiger launched itself forward in a flying pounce. With a single swipe of its paw, the doorboard splintered.

This was an inn, not a fortress. A wooden door had no defense to speak of.

Against the paw strike of a tiger monster—a slap with nearly two thousand kilograms of force behind it—it was already doing well not to explode into kindling on the spot.