The Empress's No.1 Lackey

How can this be called Gu Huo!?

Inside the private room, the water in the copper hot pot was already boiling, the scalding steam gushed out, obscuring the face of the actual controller of the Kuangfu Society's sub-branch.

Zhao Douan squinted his eyes and looked at the other person, at that moment, an involuntary feeling of "conviction" arose in his heart.

"Thud thud—"

Suddenly, someone knocked on the room's door, and the voice of a waiter came from outside:

"Sir, would you like more water?"

This abrupt sound broke the atmosphere of the room.

Zhao Douan's eyes cleared from confusion, and he calmly said, "No need."

Outside, separated by a door, the waiter holding a long, pointed iron kettle responded and turned to leave.

"How do you feel about it?"

The middle-aged man was slightly annoyed by the waiter's interruption but still patiently asked.

Zhao Douan quietly scrutinized him, then suddenly smiled sarcastically, uttering only two words:

"Just this?"

The middle-aged man was taken aback.

Zhao Douan burst into cold laughter, "I had thought that the so-called State Preceptor might have some clever words, not wanting to waste my precious time, yet you spoke only this basket of nonsense."

The middle-aged man wanted to speak.

Zhao Douan interrupted him:

"Dead rabbit, cooked dog... What Buddha, what setup... After going around in circles, it's just these six ancient words. Do you think, with such trite rhetoric, you can stir my heart? Make me fearful? Drive a wedge between me and Your Majesty? Are you even worthy?"

The middle-aged man's expression stiffened, and he fell silent.

Zhao Douan leaned forward, bracing his hands on the desk, slightly rising, adopting an oppressive posture.

Their faces suddenly drew close, his face's coldness and murderous intent no longer concealed:

"I am very disappointed. Perhaps in your view, relying on the so-called Gu Huo power, coupled with what appears high-level but is just the 'commonplace' conspiracy rhetoric, you can deter me..."

The middle-aged man interjected, "But the possibility I mentioned exists, do you deny it?"

Zhao Douan sneered softly, their faces coming even closer together, his voice dropped low:

"I believe. But... As long as you traitors exist, how could I be abandoned?"

What he didn't say aloud was:

When the Kuangfu Society and the Eight Princes fall, he should have enough power to protect himself.

Indeed, that's only the worst plan; if empress is considered... it's a whole different world.

In a sycophant's logic, there is no such word as 'defeat.'

"Do you think so?" asked the middle-aged man.

His expression calmed, wanting to say more, but Zhao Douan suddenly stood up, distancing himself.

His words stuck in his throat, as he suddenly felt a slight chill at the center of his brow, like a raindrop hitting it.

A delicate flying dagger skimmed over the steam of the hot pot, delivering itself into the palm of the elegant man ahead.

The middle-aged shopkeeper's brow now bore a bloody hole.

At the moment, a stream of thick, scarlet blood, like a slender, narrow waterfall, poured out from the center of his brow, merging into the bone soup bubbling in the hot pot.

The boiling bone soup gradually calmed, and the tofu in the pot also stained red.

The light dimmed in the sub-branch agent's eyes, losing vitality, slumping back.

The body lay against a high-backed chair, his eyes filled with confusion.

Zhao Douan stood by the window, overlooking the bustling street outside, left hand held behind his back, right hand slowly closing in front, squeezing the Golden Crow Flying Dagger, and he softly muttered:

"Noisy."

At the exact moment the middle-aged shopkeeper died, Zhao Douan distinctly sensed that his somewhat dusty soul was suddenly wiped clean, regaining clarity.

He was slightly startled, then realized, was the Gu Huo's power truly gone only now?

And just before, even though he maintained his exterior, his soul had unknowingly been "contaminated."

"Drive! Drive, drive!"

On the street, the sound of galloping horses approached in the distance, Ma Yan and Haitang racing towards him.

With sharp eyes, the two saw each other from hundreds of meters away.

Without hesitation, Ma Yan, accompanied by Haitang, directly stormed into the restaurant.

Under the astonished eyes of the patrons and staff below, they rushed to the private room, pushed open the door, and saw the body by the hot pot and Zhao Douan standing with his back to them.

"Ahh—" the female detective exclaimed, instinctively clutching the handle of her knife.

Ma Yan's expression changed slightly: "What happened?"

Zhao Douan turned around, calmly recounting everything that had just occurred.

Haitang was stunned, staring incredulously at the body, she said, "So, the acting agent of the Kuangfu Society in the Capital came here seeking death?"

Zhao Douan shook his head, seriously saying, "He is not the agent."

"Then who is he?"

"He is that Demon Path, the Great Yu State Preceptor," Zhao Douan calmly explained.

At this, even Ma Yan showed a puzzled expression.

Zhao Douan scanned the two, patiently explaining:

"In my previous conversation with him, I purposely probed him. This man, when talking about the Second Prince seizing power and about the late Emperor, the tone and demeanor he used didn't resemble a leader of rebels, but more like the Demon Path defending himself.

Consider, someone who could be trusted by Zhuang Xiaocheng to lead in such a critical place as the Capital should be utterly loyal; would he really speak so sharply, even with a hint of mockery and disdain, about Jian Wen and the late Emperor?"

Pause for a moment, Zhao Douan continued:

"However, what truly convinced me was that this person had already died before he came to see me."

He pointed at the congealed bloodstain.

Haitang, with her extensive forensic experience, immediately understood:

"A freshly killed person would have thin, fresh bloodstains, but this person's blood is too thick... This is characteristic of a dead person!"

She raised her face, adorned with a teardrop mole, and exclaimed in shock,

"Are you saying the Demon Path might have killed this rebel first, then used some Evil Skill to possess the body to meet with you?"

Zhao Douan sighed,

"That's the only explanation that makes sense. It explains why an ordinary rebel spoke with such mesmerizing influence. Hmph, I felt something was off when this man entered.

However, perhaps because it was merely possession rather than the Demon Path himself arriving, I wasn't enchanted...

Well, in fact, I'm still not entirely sure if I'm still under the influence."

Ma Yan looked at him for a while and declared firmly,

"You're fine. With your level of cultivation, it's difficult to control you. Most importantly, any magic dissipates upon the death of the caster—it's been verified before. If you're still worried, later on you can meditate on the 'Six Chapters Scripture' to check for yourself."

Is that so... That's a lesson learned...

Zhao Douan's tension eased. His experiences with Evil Mages were few, and he dared not be lax against these sinister magics.

Ma Yan stepped forward and examined the corpse closely, his expression grim,

"It seems the situation is worse than we anticipated. The Demon Path can move while possessing a corpse and perform enchantments. This makes capturing the main body even more difficult."

Haitang furrowed her brow and said,

"If the Demon Path wasn't lying, then it's clear he has already started manipulating the Kuangfu Society of the Capital. But why would he kill this proxy? Just to gain a puppet he could possess?"

A chill ran up her spine, an instinctive dread and revulsion towards such casually murderous control.

Ma Yan exhaled and scoffed,

"Evil Mages are ostracized by the upright sects because they worship perverse deities, warp their minds, and act capriciously. Their deeds are often driven by mood, and they never care about the reasons for their killings; they kill whenever they want."

His tone carried an unsurprised demeanor about the National Master using murder and possession to his advantage.

It's like dealing with a group of psychotics; you can't use the logic of sane people to figure them out.

At that moment, the following Jinyi Captains also arrived and surrounded the tavern, causing a commotion below, and the patrons were terrified.

Ma Yan took a deep breath and said,

"I'll handle the follow-up to this incident, and later, I need to inform His Majesty of this new ability of the Demon Path. You should go back first."

Zhao Douan nodded, took a few steps, and then suddenly said,

"I think we should not just react passively. Taking the initiative might work wonders. Since the Demon Path has already made contact with the Kuangfu Society, we might track its origin starting with the rebels."

With those words, Zhao Douan walked downstairs and left.

The two following him were left frowning in deep thought, but without any clue.

...

Lihua Hall.

"Sir!"

Inside the hall, subordinates were taking advantage of the lunch break to play cards.

Seeing Zhao Douan return caught them off guard; they all stood up, either hiding their cards behind them or tossing them under the table, playing innocent.

Though the government office had issued orders to pursue the National Master, Lihua Hall, as an oddity among the Nine Halls, preferred to follow commands rather than announce them.

Without Zhao Douan's orders, everyone was too lazy to move, choosing to slack off instead.

"Stop slacking, how is the progress on what I instructed you to do?"

Zhao Douan pretended not to see and sat authoritatively in the main seat.

Qian Kerou seriously said, "Targets are being monitored. We're holding back as per your orders, ready to catch the big fish."

Hou Renmeng also spoke, "The Divine Monarch is cooperating well. Sir, you are formidable. With your first move, you've gotten this rebel to comply completely."

During these days, Zhao Douan was preparing to clear out the Capital's rebels.

Initially, it was to meet the year-end targets, aiming to capture Zhuang Xiaocheng and advance further.

However, the sudden return of the Gu Huo National Master disrupted the original plan.

"Don't wait any longer; let's net them tonight,"

Zhao Douan commanded coldly, "I'll take action personally. Arrange it immediately."

He feared that the fish he was finally tracking would be devoured by that mad Demon Path.

Even the proxy says kill and kills... such a lunatic must not be analyzed with logic.

The group was stunned, then all re-energized, their faces flushed with excitement:

"Yes! Your command! We'll set up defenses immediately!"

Finally, there was action; they had been so restless, eager to kill.

Zhao Douan caressed his sword hilt, eyes gleaming fiercely as he looked out at the decaying pear tree in the courtyard:

"National Master? Bears a grudge? Hah, I want to see just how capable you are."

The whole Capital was on defense, but he was determined to take the initiative, to settle everything in one go.

"Someone come, accompany me to the Imperial Prison," Zhao Douan said as he stood, a cold breeze swirling around him, a smile appearing on his face:

"I've raised her for so long; it's time to take her out for a walk."

...

Inside a dimly lit cell in the Imperial Prison.

Yun Xi, curled up on the bed and deep in sleep, suddenly shivered:

"Achoo!"

The young girl, a disciple of Zhuang Xiaocheng, opened her eyes, looking bewildered, "Who is talking about me?"