The Empress's No.1 Lackey

"We must rescue Lu Zhengchun. However, although we have many people, most of them are from the Martial World and not adept at direct combat with government troops. Rushing in recklessly will only lead to defeat."

"So?" Qi Yuchun pressed on, somewhat anxious as he needed to kill Zhao Douan to wash away the shame of his previous defeat at Hu Ting.

The Grand Tutor was about to speak but suddenly paused, looking into the distance.

A society member hurried along the winding corridor, stopping at the pavilion:

"To the Grand Tutor, Commander Qi, Immortal Master Ren... Old Five at the Prisoner Camp has sent a message. It's from your disciple, Yun Xi."

Zhuang Xiaocheng's eyes lit up: "What did she say?"

The messenger replied, "Yun Xi said she suspects there are a few problematic individuals. She mentioned that following your instructions, she's been keeping an eye on the nearby prisoners..."

As they spoke, the messenger handed over the intelligence provided by Yun Xi.

Zhuang Xiaocheng took it, unfolded it, and found a list of suspicious individuals. Several names on the list were those he already suspected to be court spies.

And at the very top of the list, the first name was:

"Wu Ling."

Zhuang Xiaocheng's eyes deepened as he clenched the letter into a ball, murmuring:

"He does have issues! I always suspected it. Master Gu Huo died at Zhao Douan's hand, so how did Wu Ling manage to escape? Gu Huo Demon Path would rather die dragging someone with him...

Later, there was a suspicion of leaked information in the Hu Ting assassination... Fortunately, I never truly trusted him, so I never let him know the location of the headquarters."

Qi Yuchun's expression darkened: "Wu Ling has issues? I'll go and apprehend him."

"No need!"

Zhuang Xiaocheng shook his head and said calmly:

"This is not the time to alert the enemy. Didn't you ask me how to respond? Issue the order to disperse the prisoners from the grape garden into various units waiting within Feng City boundaries. Divide the people at the foot of the mountain into several teams, and seven days later, act on my command. As for Wu Ling... humph, let him lead the raid on the execution ground."

"Are you really planning a rescue at the execution ground?" Ren Kun asked, puzzled, looking at this old fox.

Zhuang Xiaocheng merely smiled: "Illusions and reality alternate, Zhao Douan wants to play a game of chess with me, and I can't let him down."

Qi Yuchun and Ren Kun exchanged glances, unable to fathom the old fox's thinking.

"Oh, don't send out all the prisoners. In seven days, bring those on this list back to the mountain,"

Zhuang Xiaocheng picked up a pen, wrote a note, and calmly slid it across the chessboard with his finger, reflecting:

"We must always retain some usable people."

The two lowered their gaze and saw Yun Xi's name prominently among the still-wet ink strokes on the paper.

...

...

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

The news that Feng City was going to execute Lu Zhengchun had already spread widely, and in a few days, many prominent people from nearby towns, especially those from the Martial World, had rushed to Feng City.

It's not that they were so eager to watch the spectacle, but rather that Lu Zhengchun had been entrenched in the Marine Road for too long, with almost all local forces having some interests connected to him.

Now,

the court openly declared that Zixiao Palace was colluding with the rebels, placing a sword above the heads of those leaders with good relations with Lu Zhengchun.

Who knew whether the abruptly arriving "Yama Zhao" would involve them?

Accusing them of being Lu Zhengchun's associates?

So, to protect their own interests, local families, Martial Arts world figures, scholarly families, and officials of all ranks... upon hearing the news, rushed to Feng City, seeking an audience with Yama Zhao, and those who couldn't see him turned to Magistrate Luan.

Distancing themselves from Lu Zhengchun, Zhao Douan also generously invited these people to watch the execution with him.

"Kill the chicken to warn the monkeys. Surely, among those local forces seeking me out, many have ties with the rebels. But it doesn't matter. When His Majesty learned there were traitors in the court secretly aiding the Eight Princes, he chose pardon over thorough investigation. Though my capacity for forgiveness is not as vast as His Majesty's, I understand the concept of gaining more allies through virtue."

When Zhao Douan sat listening to the reports in a rocking chair in the courtyard of the inn, he remarked as such.

"Tell Luan Cheng to inform these people that I only punish the chief culpable and do not engage in implicating others."

"Yes."

When Yama Zhao's promise was conveyed, the family heads of local forces, anxiously waiting outside Golden Fortune Inn and the county government, breathed a collective sigh of relief.

They all scrambled to secure spots to watch the execution, fearing unclear allegiance.

...

...

In no time, the day of the execution arrived.

Morning, Golden Fortune Inn.

As the first rays of dawn shone through the door crack into the hall, Zhao Douan descended the stairs and saw Haitang and others waiting.

Today, Zhao Douan donned his official robe, and the Jinyi from the Imperial Court also wore their uniforms with swords hanging at their waists.

Lang Shiba and Ji Yue, on the other hand, maintained their usual attire, standing out conspicuously.

Gongshu Tianyuan, after some hesitation, chose not to wear the priest robe, as he claimed it was inappropriate to represent the Heavenly Master Mansion in such matters.

"We might face a tough battle today. Has everyone eaten well?" Zhao Douan jested, glancing around at everyone.

Hou Renmeng patted his belly and, along with Shen Juan, Qian Kerou, and others of the direct lineage team, chuckled: "Don't worry, sir, we've been holding back for a while."

"Good," Zhao Douan said with high spirits, smiling broadly, "let's head out with me."

Haitang suddenly looked at Gongshu Tianyuan: "Is Priest Jin Jian not coming with us?"

The Fifth Disciple of the Heavenly Master Mansion replied with an "Oh" and said indifferently: "My junior apprentice-sister is quite sleepy at the moment, let her rest. No worries, after she advanced to the Worldly Realm, she can use the magic 'Water Moon' to travel, almost rivaling the Escape Technique. If needed, she can arrive quickly."