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As the Empress's nails dug deep into the back of my hand, the dragon-headed armrest of Feng Zuo opened its mouth wide. The blood-stained sandalwood prayer beads suddenly hung in mid-air, reflecting the hidden constellation map of the twenty-eight lunar mansions in the ceiling's algae-patterned beams.
"Bring it back to me!" The Empress's hoarse voice shook the dust from the beams above. Three strands of silver hair tangled around my bleeding fingertip. Mu Zhao suddenly tore off his leather belt, and a half-embedded jade cicada with barbed hooks rolled out from the poisoned weapon pouch—exactly the missing design of the Official Seal from the Salt Well Secret Order.
The secret door behind the Nine Dragon Pillars made a faint clicking sound. Mu Zhao's cloak brushed past my ear as twelve Liuli Nails, reeking of blood, embedded themselves into the cracks of the stone door. As I stumbled into the dark passageway, I caught a final glimpse of the Liujin box by the Empress's pillow, seeping with Heiblood that mirrored Yin Ling's backlash.
"Southeast Xun Position, nineteen steps." Mu Zhao's Dao Qiao jabbed at my knee, just avoiding a bronze thorn that shot out from the Floor Tile. I tightened my blood-soaked sleeve and whispered, "Die cleanly!" The sound of mechanisms turning echoed above me as three glass lamps lit up in response.
A faint golden shimmer rose from the wall. Mu Zhao suddenly pushed me against the stone wall; as his Xiu Chun Dao sliced through the incoming poisoned arrows, his silver chain wrapped around my waist pendant, and the broken string where it snapped aligned perfectly with remnants of a Secret Letter from the Eastern Depot.
"Is Su Ge Lao still not speaking?" Mu Zhao's Armor scraped against the stone wall, sparks flying into the eye sockets of a Bronze Beast Head in the corner. My throat throbbed painfully as I spat out Heiblood: "This path is blocked!" Thirty steps away, a Jade Brick collapsed with a thunderous sound, revealing a Liujin ladder adorned with coral beads.
Mu Zhao suddenly seized my blood-stained silver chain at my wrist. Seven Cang Hai Ming Zhu refracted rainbow light between his fingers, illuminating a curled Jade Carving Suanni in the Dark Compartment above us—its sharp teeth clenching a Blood Edict that clearly bore the mark of thirty years' worth of secrets hoarded by the Former Emperor.
"Step back three paces!" Mu Zhao's fierce shout startled the sleeping phosphor. Just as my shoe tip lifted off the ground, what had been an Azure Brick beneath me revealed dense plum blossom seals—fragments of a trust letter written in blood by the Cao Gang Leader before his death.
At that moment, my Throat Bone crackled as I hurled my Palm Silver Hairpin towards the Bronze Beast Head. Before the clang of metal faded, a Bronze Chain hanging from above suddenly twisted into a snare for dragons. Mu Zhao's blade tip pried open my hair tie; Silver Thread patterns emerged in phosphorescent light, revealing remnants of an imperial edict from the new emperor.
"The fire is about to go out," Mu Zhao suddenly gripped my nape, his calloused palm brushing against Yin Ling's burn mark. I gazed at his blood-stained lips and whispered, "The lamp oil is running low." The Bronze Chain entwined with Blood Edict exploded in response, and three Liujin boxes rolled out from Yu Suan Ni's mouth.
Mu Zhao's Xiu Chun Dao slashed diagonally towards me. As I turned my head to dodge, Dao Feng severed Qing Si by my ear, nailing down a Golden Wing Gu King that had leapt out from within its box. At that moment when its abdomen split open, seven drops of venom scorched a Beidou-shaped hole in the Edict.
Suddenly, sounds of armor clashing echoed from outside the secret door. I grabbed the Blood Edict and stuffed it into an inner pocket; however, Mu Zhao’s cloak wrapped us tightly together like an inseparable cocoon. His Adam’s apple brushed against my bleeding earlobe: "People from the Ministry of War are investigating arms smuggling."
A foul scent wafted from deep within the passageway. I scraped silver needles against the back of the Edict and discovered it contained maps of Yan Well and secret tax accounts for Third Prince's Residence. Mu Zhao suddenly pried open my fingers holding onto the needle; his palm was bleeding just enough to fill in missing codes from Cao Gang’s secret orders.
"Be careful!" I suddenly shoved Mu Zhao aside. The last remaining Silver Hairpin in my hair pierced through an oncoming Bronze Puppet’s face; as its ruby tip cracked open, a rumbling sound erupted from within the stone wall’s layers as mechanisms turned. Mu Zhao’s Dao Qiao pierced through the puppet’s chest; a sheepskin scroll fell out, wafting with Dragon's Blood Incense specially made by Eastern Depot.
A metallic taste surged up my throat. Grasping Mu Zhao’s armored wrist, I stumbled to my knees; blood soaked into one corner of Edict where Xuan Niao An Yin was being drenched. Suddenly, Mu Zhao used his tongue to sweep away a Blood Pearl from my lips; his lips stained with Salt Frost brushed past my ear: "When you said to burn down the Edict, it was manifesting."
As sunlight streamed through cracks in the stone wall, we rolled out of the passageway at that final moment. I pressed against Mu Zhao’s blood-stained official robe; Gold Thread from Edict intertwined with silver chains around his neck, where half of a shattered glass pendant lay frozen inside purple chalcedony—a piece that had broken during my coming-of-age banquet ten years ago.
A tearing sound suddenly echoed from within Fengyi Palace’s inner hall. The Matron held up a golden tray that should have contained Edict but was empty; at its base lay flesh corroded by poison—exactly what had been tattooed on the back of that little eunuch who had shielded me from arrows in the secret passage earlier.
Mu Zhao’s Xiu Chun Dao had already been drawn three inches out of its sheath. My hand gripping Edict’s hidden pouch was cut by the Empress's Armor; where Blood Pearl dripped down, Han Baiyu Floor Tile revealed engraved words: "Xuanji must be punished," written in ink made specifically for Third Prince's Residence using Song Yan ink.
"Evidence has been stolen!" The shout of the Captain of the Guards echoed against the Dragon Pillar. As I turned my head, I saw Mu Zhao's blade glistening with the blood of that little eunuch, Throat. The crimson hue blended seamlessly with the ochre patterns on his official robe—those were the Tracking Symbols I had drawn on his Palm last night while investigating Yan Well.
The scent of blood from the Liu Jin Diaolong Zhu still lingered in the air as my Official Boots stepped onto the last step of the imperial staircase. The edge of the Edict cut into my Palm, and three drops of Blood Pearl fell onto the Azure Brick, forming a pattern that mirrored the seventeen flickering shadows cast by the copper bells hanging from the Eaves.
"Su Ge Lao arrives at a fortuitous moment." Minister of Revenue Liu Chang's Jade Tablet lay across my knees, its broken edge stained with the distinctive indigo glow of Pufferfish Poison. Suddenly, Mu Zhao's Xiu Chun Dao got stuck in a crack between the square bricks, its hilt, shaped like a dragon's head, biting down on the Dark Arrow Mechanism that was about to spring.
The pearls beneath Emperor Mian Liu rattled: "What do you think, gentlemen? How much will it take to deal with the Jiangnan Flood?" Liu Chang's black boots crushed the still-drying bloodstains on my skirt: "Eight Hundred Thousand Taels will suffice."
Throat twitched violently. I opened my mouth to say one million taels, but what came out was: "Three Taels of Broken Silver." As the Jade Paperweight brushed past my ear, Mu Zhao's Armor snagged my Jade Belt, and twelve Dong Zhu rolled into the crack of the Imperial Table marked with a Beidou Dark Pattern.
"Three Hundred Stone of Grain." I fixed my gaze on Liu Chang's robe as I corrected myself regarding his Salt Frost patch. Suddenly, fine sand fell from the coffered ceiling of Zi Chen Hall, and Left Minister Liu Chang slammed his Surprised Board onto the head of a Bronze Xiezhi Statue: "Impudence!"
Mu Zhao's blade suddenly lifted a half-torn ledger. The aged ink revealed fresh figures for Bo Yin under the light, and the Deputy Minister of Revenue's Private Seal matched perfectly with a crack in Liu Chang's Yu Jue at his waist. Fifteen Crimson Robed Officials simultaneously pressed down on their goldfish pouches at their waists.
"Investigate!" The Emperor's Jade Finger Ring shattered into two pieces. I pretended to stumble and knocked over an incense burner; from within the scalding Ashes emerged Seventy-Two silver needles with barbs—exactly like those used in last night's attack on Xuanji Pavilion.
Mu Zhao suddenly tore away my hairpin, and blood-stained silver threads formed a blueprint of the Third Prince's Mansion under the light.
Liu Chang swallowed hard: "I request a comparison with the Disaster Relief Silver Voucher." When the Chief Eunuch opened the Silver Box he brought, eighty Bao Chao spontaneously ignited, releasing an odd Sandalwood Smell from within the Ashes. My Throat felt sweet and nauseous: "Burn it all!" But Fire Tongue suddenly shot towards Panlong Pillar.
As Mu Zhao's cloak covered my head, he used a hidden blade in his boot to slice open a compartment in the Silver Box. Twelve ingots of Official Silver rolled down the imperial staircase, stamped with "Yongchang First Year Armory"—the mark of an abandoned warehouse destroyed by floods ten years ago.
"The Rebel Minister must be punished!" The shattered base of a teacup revealed a Three-Clawed Dragon Pattern. I knelt down, clutching my burning Throat as Xiu Zhong pierced through a hidden disaster relief ledger with poisoned silver needles; ink revealed Yan Yi's private Official Seal upon contact with poison. Liu Chang suddenly lunged toward Panlong Pillar, but three Iron Thorns pinned down his robe first.
Mu Zhao pressed his hilt against my lower back: "Speak about Third Prince’s filial piety." Before he finished speaking, twenty-six crossbow bolts flew through the window; their Arrowhead patterns were uniquely crafted by artisans from Third Prince's Residence using Nine Curved Loops Pattern. I tore off my pearl necklace and threw it at the candlestick: "It must be done!"
The copper crane candlestick toppled over. In the flowing wax oil emerged impressions of eight hundred acres submerged by water—Private Field Boundary Markers overlapping perfectly with records from Liu Chang’s Genealogy.
Suddenly, Left Minister of Court Duchayuan vomited black blood; half a land deed slipped through his fingers, bearing Xuanji Pavilion’s verification Vermilion Seal.
As Mu Zhao’s Boot Tip crushed the tenth crossbow bolt, an odor mixed with Bing Pian and Arsenic seeped from my inner garment’s hidden pocket. The last jade hairpin broke apart, revealing a Secret Letter—the handwriting matched that of Third Prince’s offering during Empress Dowager’s sixtieth birthday celebration titled "Eternal Longevity Poem."
"Take them to prison!" Fragments of an Imperial Edict flew out as it was torn apart by the Emperor. As I caught some gold flakes in my hand, my fingertips brushed against Internal Affairs Bureau’s specially designed Wavy Pattern—only Official Silver used during He Tu’s construction would bear such an anti-counterfeiting mark. Suddenly, Mu Zhao’s silver chain tightened around my wrist; gaps between its links revealed documents related to Third Prince’s Supervise Construction of Dams project.
In that moment of excruciating pain in my Throat Bone, I yanked off Mu Zhao’s Flying Fish Robe and Jin Kou. The gilded copper core exposed gaps in Cao Yun Account within Armory records under sunlight—these were precisely how much silver had been spent on repairing Dams by Yamen over these years. At that moment when twelve Jinyiwei kicked over Liu Chang, a Yan Yi Ticket floated out from his arms carrying scents commonly used in brothels.
"Seize the house." The Emperor turned the fragment of the Jade Finger Ring. As I reached out to take the imperial edict, my palm suddenly revealed a rotting spot the size of a coin—exactly where the Pufferfish Poison had contaminated the Bao Chao. Mu Zhao abruptly yanked my wrist, and as his tongue brushed over the wound, I heard the sixth beam on the roof creak as it shifted.
Liu Chang suddenly let out a sinister laugh as he gasped for breath. When the Minister of Justice pried open his jaws, half of a Black Jade Tiger Tally was stuck to bloody jade fragments, remnants of the Troop Command Token that had vanished from the Empress's Dark Compartment last night.
My earring was suddenly severed by a flying arrow, and as the pearl rolled beneath the Imperial Table into the Dark Compartment, a mechanism revealed half of a draft of the Edict written on the day ten years ago when the Former Emperor had suffered a stroke.
"Su Qing?" The Emperor's voice came through three layers of gauze. As I knelt, I caught a glimpse of Mu Zhao's Dao Qiao pattern cracking open, revealing a map that perfectly matched the distribution of river reefs in Cao Gang's secret orders.
My throat burned like fire, and as I opened my mouth to report on the Nitre smuggling case, what came out was: "I beg to retire..."
Mu Zhao suddenly snapped the silver chain from my hair. Thirty-six pearls fell onto the Gold Brick, their trajectory forming a map of the flow of embezzled silver from the Ministry of Revenue over the years. His bloodied fingertip traced over my palm wound, and as salt grains seeped into my flesh, they revealed a secret report from the day of the Third Prince's birthday banquet, detailing twenty gilded coffins being transported to the Ministry of Works' deputy minister's residence.
The Zi Chen Hall was suddenly plunged into darkness. The Firestarter ignited, and my blood from Xiu Zhong's Edict began to seep into the brick surface, forming prophecies of "Seven Days to Die," its ink akin to the poison Liu Chang had swallowed before half an incense stick burned out.
Mu Zhao's Dao Feng suddenly reflected purple spots emerging on my neck, shaped exactly like the last missing seal rune from my father's study's secret box.
The Ice Crackle Porcelain Cup still held Rain-Preceding Longjing that had yet to cool when the sound of gongs at midnight shattered Cao Gang's fog.
I brushed my fingertip over the raised Taotie Pattern on my waist token; my palm’s wound throbbed with sharp pain from salt grains. Mu Zhao’s Flying Fish Robe hem was stained with moss, damply clinging to my bare ankle.
"Third layer of Cargo Hold." His fishy fingers traced over the purple spots on my wrist; when his dark red cloak billowed up, it revealed gilded patterns of twenty gilded coffins. My throat constricted painfully; I opened my mouth to warn him about gunpowder, but my tongue first tasted the bitterness left by burning Nitre: "Quickly move away!"
The deafening explosion swallowed my words. Three hundred cargo boats trembled in unison as their compartments' Dark Compartment spilled out heaps of sea salt; beneath cracked salt shells oozed a pungent mix of Sulfur and natron. Mu Zhao suddenly pulled me toward a cargo box compartment; twelve Kongming Lanterns swept overhead, their lampshades adorned with Three-Clawed Dragon Patterns licking sparks.
"Change course to Songjiang Prefecture." I glared at Cao Gang Flag’s Nine Curved Loops Pattern and whispered. My throat felt like it was tearing apart; a sampan loaded with salt bags abruptly turned its bow, and from where its oars churned water sprang forth large bundles wrapped in oiled paper containing Black Powder. Mu Zhao’s Dao Qiao struck heavily against the mast base; three copper nails popped up as account books rolled in the Dark Compartment were blown open by river winds revealing yellowed corners.
The Cao Gang Leader’s Tiger Head Staff shattered against the deck just as my Xiu Zhong silver needle pierced through a Salt Bag. Mu Zhao suddenly shoved me into a bamboo basket filled with Sky Lanterns; burning Fuse erupted purple sparks beneath his boot. My throat surged with sweet blood as I grasped his Pei Dao and swallowed back toxic blood: "Let them rise!"
Eight thousand Sky Lanterns soared amidst explosive sounds. As firelight illuminated the dark door beneath the salt ship's hold, I caught sight of eighty cedar boxes bound with black iron chains—exactly what had been washed away by floods in reports from the Ministry of Works about Disaster Relief Silver Boxes. Mu Zhao’s wrist guard brushed against my bleeding palm, and suddenly half of a Yu Jue engraved with "three" fell from beneath his soft armor.
"Net them." I ordered through blood-spattered lips. The hidden Jinyiwei surged forth from beneath water; beneath oiled cloth revealed bundles of Nitre as Xiu Chun Dao sliced through them. The Cao Gang Leader’s Tiger Head Staff split in two; twelve Poisoned Iron Needles shot toward my brow but were ground to dust by Mu Zhao’s silver chain just inches from my lashes.
The river surface fell eerily silent. Burning Sky Lantern Ashes drifted onto cargo ship masts, gradually piecing together a complete route map for Smuggling Private Salt. I staggered against the ship's railing; as toxic blood stained my collar, I glimpsed Mu Zhao severing a Cable tied to Xuan Tie Ling Pai—engraved with numbers from stolen Ministry of Revenue orders taken from my father's study years ago.
As Yu Cha pierced my left shoulder, the excruciating pain momentarily dulled the burning sensation in my throat. Mu Zhao suddenly yanked me into the cargo hold filled with Nitre. The moment my back slammed against the Copper Lock, I heard the sound of eight hundred barrels of Fire Oil gurgling beneath my feet. My fingertips dug into the blood-soaked bend of his arm. "Blow it up!"
Three main transport boats abruptly changed direction. From the Nitre hold, thousands of Kongming Lanterns soared into the sky, their surfaces depicting a River Transport Map that perfectly matched the stolen documents from Xuanji Pavilion.
Mu Zhao's blood-stained fingertips brushed over the purple spots on my neck, where the patterns aligned seamlessly with the edges of the Third Prince's Private Seal, adorned with Yun Lei Wen. "Armory," I croaked out those three words.
The hull suddenly tilted violently, and twenty giant Sky Lanterns rose from the cracked wooden planks. The Lantern Array formed by Tie Suo mirrored the river's course near Breach from ten years ago. Mu Zhao's blade lifted a burning Defensive Map, revealing handwriting that was identical to my father's Final Letter.
The river wind shifted abruptly. The burning Sky Lantern Formation suddenly formed a Beidou shape, with the brightest lantern illuminating Cao Gang's Xiang Tang Beam—where a Gilded Plaque hung, exuding a stench of Zhu Sha that originated from both Zi Chen Hall and the Blood Edict.
I opened my mouth to call out to Mu Zhao, but toxic blood choked me, staining the Chiwen embroidery on his front.
When three hundred Jinyiwei torches illuminated the river surface, the last Sky Lantern suddenly exploded. On the falling fragments, I clearly saw my father's most cherished Songyan Ink Marks, inscribed with a variant seal script of Third Prince's childhood name "A Li."
The scent of Tung Oil from Shu Road mixed with Tie Xiu invaded my nostrils as my sunburned skin on the back of my neck began to peel. The end of the Cable cut by Mu Zhao still clung to Cao Yun Si's unique Pine Resin; its broken edge bore a resemblance to both Third Prince and Crown. A foul sweetness surged from my rotting throat sore as I stumbled two steps against the jagged mountain wall and spat out half a shattered Molar.
As Seventy-Two Iron Thorns tore through the mist, I shouted towards the cliff, "Watch your step!" The explosive pain in my throat flared like fire; an ambush weapon that should have struck at my heart suddenly changed direction, raining down like a storm into the crevices where assassins hid. Mu Zhao's Xiu Chun Dao swept over my head, severing poisoned needles that glinted Peacock Blue under sunlight.
"Northwest Xun Position," I whispered while clutching a handkerchief soaked in toxic blood. Mu Zhao suddenly wrapped his arms around my waist and leaped back three steps; two poisoned Sleeve Arrows grazed past my ears just as I heard the crisp sound of his Chiwen embroidery tearing apart. Outside Three Hundred Steps, shadows of Bai Huan swept across Mountain Summit; their wing tips aligned perfectly with records from Yin Ling and Eastern Palace's Beast Taming Division.
My throat bones rattled as I grabbed Mu Zhao's Xuan Tie Hu Wan with my other hand. "Detonate Fire Oil!" My hoarse shout echoed through the valley, triggering twenty barrels of Tung Oil hidden within the mountain crevices to topple over.
The assassin leader's Eagle Claw Hook was about to lock onto my wrist bone when a burning Fuse suddenly shot out a ghostly blue Fire Flame from his grip.
Mu Zhao's boots crushed over my blood-stained skirt hem. "Retreat Ma Dao!" I coughed up blood as I shouted towards Zhanqiao; blood sprayed from my torn throat in Purple Black hues. The assassins' formation suddenly collapsed; what should have been a collapsing wooden bridge rose instead with Tie Suo, suspending seven ambushers above a hundred-foot abyss.
The mountain wind carried a sulfurous scent that hit me in waves. I tore open my ripped sleeve to wrap around Mu Zhao’s bleeding wrist bone; on his fallen Pei Dao and Dark Compartment lay Liujin bullets stamped with Ministry of Revenue's Armory Wolf Head Pattern. Amidst the final volley of crossbow bolts slicing through the air, I sneered at the hawk circling above: "Release Arrow Rain!"
Three hundred Crossbows fell into the deep ravine in response. The Violent Rain Pear Blossom Box hidden by assassin Xiu Zhong suddenly burst open; two thousand Steel Needles refracted colorful poisonous light under sunlight but all plunged into their own Zusanli acupoints in unison.
Mu Zhao's Dao Qiao struck heavily against the protruding rock wall, and the falling debris just filled the blind spot of the poisoned hidden weapons' range.
"Leave one alive!" I shouted, gripping the decaying Palm. Just as I was about to bite into the poison pouch, the leader of the assassins suddenly convulsed. A special golden silkworm antidote thread from Xuanji Pavilion was tied to the hilt of the Willow Leaf Blade embedded in his neck.
Mu Zhao, bloodied Fingertip in hand, peeled back the assassin's mask, revealing a tattoo that was unmistakably part of the Big Dipper Formation unique to the Eastern Palace's death warriors.
A foul wind suddenly swept through the ravine. The surviving assassin emitted a gurgling sound from his throat as Seven Apertures suddenly spewed out dark green Gu Worms.
I pulled out a Silver Hairpin from my hair and wedged it into a crevice in the rock. Mu Zhao's Xuan Tie Ling Pai just happened to block the retreat of the Gu Worms. The newly added scratches on the back of the token revealed a unique gilded silver craftsmanship from the Ministry of Works Armament Atlas.
"Change course to Jiangyou Pass." I wiped away the poisonous blood at my lips and whispered, as my ruptured vocal cords caused droplets of morning dew to fall from the rock wall. Suddenly, Mu Zhao pressed me into a moss-covered groove, and twelve steel crossbow bolts pierced into the stone wall beside my collarbone. The remnants of a Secret Letter tied to their tails were inscribed with a variant seal script of the Third Prince's childhood name.
As the setting sun bled red, Mu Zhao paused while wiping Pei Dao. The last crossbow bolt embedded in the mountainside had half of a broken Yu Jue tied to its end—matching perfectly with the gap in the Ministry of Revenue's order that had been stolen from my father's study's Dark Compartment.
When fragments of Blue Jacaranda fell into a pool of blood, I felt a burning pain from the Gu Worm gnawing at my neck spreading down to my spine.
Mu Zhao cut open the assassin's abdomen, and instead of blood, what poured out was a tangle of blue silk threads forming the Beidou constellation. My Throat suddenly itched where it was rotting, and I coldly laughed at the remnants of Gu Worms scattered on the ground: "Be still!"
A thunderous flapping sound erupted in the cave.
Thousands of thumb-sized Golden Winged Gu burst through the skulls of dead bodies, frantically charging toward us. Mu Zhao's Xuan Tie Hu Wan grazed my cracked lips, and Dao Feng spun out with a silver arc; however, as I severed some Gu Worms mid-air, they exploded into phosphorescent powder. Stumbling, I reached for my neck where it was rotting; my Fingertip touched something slippery and alive writhing beneath my skin.
"Northwest disengage." The moment I spoke hoarsely, my Throat felt like it had been pierced by seventy-two holes from a centipede. Mu Zhao suddenly grabbed a copper bell from among the pile of corpses and shook it violently. The swarm that should have lunged at my heart abruptly turned around, madly devouring their kin with shimmering golden wings.
The moss on the rock wall began to peel away, revealing a dense star map. Mu Zhao's Xiu Chun Dao sliced through a crack in the stone, uncovering remnants of Bamboo Slips that recorded methods for dealing with Emotion-Consuming Gu. Suddenly, something hard pressed against my lower back; his Chiwen patch was soaked with indigo fluid secreted by Gu Worms.
"Broken into three pieces," he said as he flipped over his cut Palm, revealing that his Xuan Tie Dagger was pricking at half a Liuli Pearl.
A chill slithered past my ear. The phosphorescent-covered ground suddenly collapsed as Mu Zhao pulled me into a cave; vines wrapped around his bleeding Wrist Bone. The deep pool reflected an eerie Purple Light, revealing skeletons adorned with Silver Ornaments atop Bai Ju heads; each had an obsidian-carved Spider Gu curled around their navels.
"Don't be afraid." I whispered while gripping at my Throat Bone that was about to fall off; suddenly, the water in the pool began to boil like molten lava.
Nine jets of water erupted violently, causing vines entangled around our ankles to retract like they had been electrocuted. As Mu Zhao kicked up stones with his Boot Tip that struck at the whirlpool's center, an Azure Bronze Box floated up within it—embedded with Xuanji Pavilion's specially crafted Golden Silkworm Lock. I pulled out my Silver Hairpin and stabbed it into my rotting collarbone; the pinhead coated in dark green Gu blood fit perfectly with the lock core.
In the moment the Azure Bronze Box sprang open, Mu Zhao suddenly tackled me into the foul-smelling mud. The seventy-two bone needles grazed my hair and embedded themselves into the rock wall, their red threads tied in the shape of the Beidou Seven Stars. From within the box, a jade vial rolled out, revealing a translucent living creature that pulsed with the frequency of Zhaoming Prince and Shou Shu.
"It’s Tongxin Gu," I sneered, breaking apart the blood-soaked scab between my teeth.
From the distant mountains came the chilling sound of a soul-capturing bell, as the Red-Clad Old Woman approached slowly, leaning on her bone staff. The Silver Spider dangling from her earlobe was coated with sulfur powder from the Ministry of Works' firearms. As her withered fingers brushed against the ground, remnants of Gu Worms gathered into a pattern resembling Kui Xing's kick.
I wanted to warn Mu Zhao about the seven-star tattoo on her neck, but my Throat Bone clicked ominously, rendering me voiceless.
Suddenly, the Old Woman tore open her clothing, revealing a rotting chest cavity that housed a Gu Worm identical to the one in the jade vial. In the cold gleam of Mu Zhao's Pei Dao slicing through the air, I noticed her ribcage was etched with the Third Prince's Birth Chart.
"Good child," a sharp laugh unique to eunuchs escaped from the Old Woman's throat.
At that moment, my Silver Hairpin ignited spontaneously, flames leaping toward her bony whistle at her lips. Mu Zhao severed the tassel at my waist, and amidst the explosion of Jin Fen, a Three-Legged Golden Cicada reared up from Xuanji Pavilion. The Old Woman ripped open her mouth, which had split to her ears, and expelled a long black-scaled serpent.
In an instant when the blade pierced through her skull, a Red-Headed Centipede emerged from below her navel, its tail stinger pointing towards the capital. Staggering, I grasped Mu Zhao's cut wrist; where our wounds met, two streams of Gu blood suddenly intertwined to form the pattern of Beidou’s Seven Stars.
A thunderous sound echoed from deep within the cave as iron chains snapped.
At the moment when the Red-Headed Centipede's tail broke, I felt a Gu Worm beneath my skin tracing out the trajectory of Beidou’s Seven Stars behind my ear. Mu Zhao pressed her cut palm against the rusted copper nail of Xie Zhi at Xuanwu Gate, and a Blood Pearl soaked through before freezing into ice crystals that fell toward the Moat.
The midnight bell mixed with snowflakes pounded against the glazed tiles.
"Tonight will surely flow with rivers of blood," I sneered at the stone steps of Xuanwu Gate as pain shot through my Throat Bone like a centipede's bite. Mu Zhao’s Xiu Chun Dao sheath suddenly pressed against my lower back; in the shadow of the city wall, a cold light flashed as seventy-two crossbows shattered the last echo of the watchman’s bell.
A thin layer of ice shaped like constellations suddenly formed on the Moat's surface.
From Zhuque Avenue came the neighing of warhorses; clad in dark armor under the waning moonlight stood the Third Prince, his spear lifting Beidou Lingqi from Xuanji Pavilion. I tore open my blood-stained sleeve to bind up my rotting throat; my palm and Gu Wen suddenly burned like hot iron—hidden within the castle tower’s Dark Compartment was a newly crafted Tiger Squat Cannon from the Ministry of Works.
"Is Your Highness truly set on purging those around you?" I stumbled to my feet while leaning against a cold brick wall.
The helmet that fell from his spear tip rolled to my feet, its inner side engraved with Miaojiang’s Seven Star Map. Behind him, Rebels bore black obsidian-carved Spider Gu hanging from their necks, identical to those corpse Gu I had seen in the cave half a month ago. Suddenly, Mu Zhao yanked me toward an arrow stack as twelve poisoned arrows pierced through my billowing cloak.
Beneath the ice layer came sounds of dislocated bones cracking.
"The Master of Xuanji Pavilion calculates without fail; why not guess how many tricks this prince has up his sleeve?" The Third Prince raised his whip, pointing towards the palace wall, and suddenly, purple fireworks erupted in the direction of Taihe Hall. I leaned against Mu Zhao's blood-soaked shoulder and chuckled softly, "If Your Highness succeeds, I am willing to offer three volumes of the Gu Scriptures."
The ice surface of the moat cracked with spiderweb-like patterns.
As three startled horses burst through the Xuanwu Gate, I bit my tongue and shouted, "All soldiers, heed my command!" My ruined throat spewed forth Heiblood, while the power of Yin Ling transformed into golden light that flowed into the Beidou Seven Stars. The hidden door in the palace wall thundered open, and the Imperial Guards, who should have turned their backs, held poisoned crossbows with arrows aimed directly at the rebel army's flag.
The Third Prince's spear swept past my hair. "Do you think that merely speaking will turn the tide?"
As Qing Si fell into the moat with a cold glint, the ice suddenly thickened by three feet. Mu Zhao wielded his Xiu Chun Dao to fiercely sever the red tassels of a long spear. A chorus of screams erupted from within the ranks of the rebels as Gu Worms frantically burrowed into their veins, glowing like Beidou stars beneath their skin.
"Get off the ice!" I coughed up blood mixed with ice shards as I tugged at Mu Zhao's sleeve.
In that moment when the Xuanwu Gate's drawbridge crashed down, corpses wearing Bai Ju and Silver Ornaments floated up from the riverbed. Their navels were tied with red strings dragged by Spider Gu, and at the end of those strings was tied to a foot of one of the Third Prince's guards. Suddenly, a Gu Worm surged from my neck and propelled me towards the shimmering Azure Bronze Box beneath the ice.
"It's a military talisman!" Mu Zhao's Dao Feng halted abruptly as he sliced through the ice.
As the Third Prince's horse shattered the ice beneath him, I clutched the Azure Bronze Box and rolled towards Taiye Pool. My palm pierced through a carved silver box, revealing half of a Tiger Tally engraved with Zhaoming Prince's seal. Arrows from pursuing soldiers whizzed past my ears, and arrows embedded in the ice suddenly emitted indigo toxic smoke.
A deep bell tolled from the direction of Vermilion Bird Gate.
"Did you know all along that the prophecy would turn against us?" Mu Zhao pulled me into a thicket of withered lotus plants; frost clung to his Chiwen patch on his chest. I pried open the Tiger Tally and Dark Compartment with a bitter smile. "The Third Prince's Birth Chart is wrong."
The ice layer of the moat suddenly rose nine inches in unison.
Thousands of rebels were lifted into midair like ants caught in a Liuli Lamp. The Third Prince's warhorse stumbled into a crack in the ice; his protective mirror reflected my lips forming the word "defeat," and his armor suddenly burst open with seventy-two penetrating spikes.
"Watch out, Minister!"
As Mu Zhao tackled me down, a tail spike from a Red-Headed Centipede suddenly shot up from beneath the ice. The ice layer corroded by venom reflected eerie shadows—those corpses adorned with Silver Ornaments were stepping on Beidou star positions, dragging one of the Third Prince's guards into an icy abyss.
The Tiger Tally suddenly turned to powder in my palm.
"The mantis stalks the cicada." I dipped my fingers in icy water and wrote on Mu Zhao's blood-stained sleeve. From within the shadow of the palace wall emerged an Old Eunuch leaning on a bone staff; his seven-star tattoo on his neck aligned perfectly with reflections on the ice surface. Flames erupted from beneath the moat, casting a crimson hue over swirling snow—the shadows beneath the ice suddenly opened nine pairs of Jin Tong eyes.
When those nine pairs of Jin Tong opened beneath the ice, the Azure Bronze Armillary Sphere at Qintian Observatory shattered Zi Chen Hall’s glazed roof. Mu Zhao shoved me into the shadow of floating ice in Taiye Pool; blood points shaped like Beidou stars seeped from his Gu Wen at his neck, casting a shattered Star Map upon the snow.
Ying Huo's heart was a false front? Qin Tian Jian Zheng stepped onto the stardust, his copper bells tied to the Purple Ribbon Jade Belt ringing out the clear sound of Seven Stars Aligned. I swallowed the icy shards surging in my throat, and suddenly, the silver bracelet on my wrist shattered, forming the patterns of the twenty-eight constellations on the ice surface.
The agonizing screams of the Third Prince's guards pierced through the snowy veil, their skulls spewing forth Ying Huo-colored Gu Worms. Mu Zhao thrust his Xiu Chun Dao three inches into the ice: "Master Astronomer, after forty years of stargazing, can you calculate how long you have left?"
Fragments of the Hunting Armillary Sphere suddenly coalesced into the brilliance of Zhuque Seven Stars.
I stumbled across the remaining tail of the Azure Dragon constellation on the ice, my tongue pressed against my rotting palate as I coldly laughed: "Tonight, Ying Huo shall move the palace." A burning pain shot through my throat as beneath the ice, nine pairs of Jin Tong abruptly turned towards Zi Wei Yuan. Qin Tian Jian Zheng's white hair suddenly grew wild, its tips wrapping around my ankle and violently pulling me towards the center of Taiye Pool.
"To defy fate is to invite retribution."
The beasts at Zi Chen Hall all turned northward, and the Azure Wind Bell hanging from the eaves exploded into powder. I clawed at the cracks in the ice and looked up at the sky; Mars, which had been guarding my heart, had indeed shifted half an inch. The ice shard severed by Mu Zhao plunged into Master Astronomer's foot, dark red blood instantly spreading across the ice in the shape of a Subaru Star Chart.
Qin Tian Jian Zheng suddenly crushed something at his waist.
Taiye Pool erupted like a cauldron, and from its depths rose a skeleton clad in a Bai Ju's Star Official Robe. Their finger bones clutched a Gui Jia, and on its shell was my Birth Chart. Mu Zhao suddenly tore open my collar at the back of my neck; that patch of skin rotting due to Yin Ling surprisingly fit seamlessly with the vast Star Map above.
"Use my blood!" I pressed my contaminated fingertip against Master Astronomer's forehead.
The Jin Tong beneath the ice suddenly closed simultaneously; nine golden rays drilled into Qin Tian Jian Zheng's Seven Apertures following the trail of blood. The star disk in his hand exploded with a thunderous roar, fragments cutting into his palm and oozing out Ying Huo-colored Gu eggs. A deafening thunderclap came from the direction of Zi Wei Yuan as all three divisions of Twenty-Eight Mansions simultaneously shifted three inches from their original positions.
Mu Zhao's Xiu Chun Dao suddenly pressed against my throat: "Speak truthfully."
"The celestial phenomena have been chaotic for three days." I dipped my fingers in icy water and traced a Beidou spoon handle on the blade, "Master Astronomer’s Hun Tian Formation has its eye at your third Pan Kou on your Left Lapel." The corrupted blood surging up my throat stained Mu Zhao's Flying Fish Robe with Silver Thread. Qin Tian Jian Zheng suddenly let out a laugh reminiscent of Ye Xiao’s, his skin cracking inch by inch into a Star Map pattern.
"Do you think you’ve won fate?"
The Jin Tong beneath the ice suddenly opened their ninth pair; countless Xing Dou began to rotate clockwise. The Gu Worm at the back of my neck surged violently, propelling me towards the last remnants of the Hunting Armillary Sphere. As Mu Zhao's bloodied palm covered my eyes for an instant, Mars exploded into thousands of Gu Worms.
In the reflection on the ice surface appeared my visage from ten years ago.
"Break!" I bit down on my tongue and shouted fiercely, my rotting throat spewing forth blood mist mixed with ice shards. Mars, which should have shifted, suddenly returned to its place; from beneath Qin Tian Jian Zheng’s Zi Pao emerged seven Crimson Chain Serpents, their tails entwined with a Yan Sheng Ding inscribed with my name.
At that moment when Mu Zhao’s Dao Feng fell, Master Astronomer’s skull unexpectedly protruded half a Qing Bronze Divination Sign.
"Be careful!"
In the snow, the Eighty-One Faced Star Banner suddenly rose, each side reflecting my Seven-Blooded Face. Fragments of the Hunting Armillary Sphere gathered above my head into the shape of Mars, while from the shattered skull of Qin Tian Jian Zheng flew out Seventy-Two Golden Winged Gu, their wings tracing new trajectories of the Twenty-Eight Mansions.
As the snow in front of Zi Chen Hall was shaken into powder by Six Hundred Thirty-One Bronze Bells, the Twenty-Eight Constellation Jade Belt at my waist dug into my fingers. The wide sleeves of a vibrant wedding gown brushed past Dan Chi Chi Shou. At the moment when the Golden Plaque of Xuanji Pavilion caught the first rays of dawn, I heard Mu Zhao's Xiu Chun Dao slicing through Xi Pa.
"Is today’s oath set by the Minister a wedding vow?" The new emperor's Fingertip Vermilion Bird Pattern Ring struck against the dragon throne, causing all the Official Hats and Diao Xie Belts in the hall to tremble. I gazed at Feng Yan, whose eyes mirrored those of Mu Zhao, as a festering wound from my Neck Word Spirit suddenly burst forth with starlight shaped like Beidou.
Fourteen Golden Hourglasses pointed simultaneously to an auspicious time for Xuanji Pavilion's opening.
The Hu Ban of Seventy-Eight Jinshi split in half at Palm; they knelt on Gold Bricks covered with Tui Bei Tu, sweat mixed with Zhu Sha dripping onto chaotic divination symbols. I picked up a fragment of the Hunting Armillary Sphere that Qin Tian Jian Zheng had dropped, and the Azure Skirt Hem brushed against a trembling young Hanlin's hand.
"Today's first question in the palace examination—" Liu Su, hanging from Yu Guan, pierced through flesh and blood at the back of my neck. I fixed my gaze on the last figure in the crowd wearing a Flying Fish Robe, whose smile bloomed like a flower. "When will this official leave for marriage?"
Suddenly, the Hunting Armillary Sphere burned out a mark of Nine Stars Aligned on Palm.
The Hanlin's Zhu Sha surged unexpectedly; the Double Fish Jade Pendant bound by red strings clashed in mid-air, ringing out like a Palace Coup. As Mu Zhao's Xiu Chun Dao shattered fragments of the Sixteen-Sided Star Banner, my Chi Jin Feng Headpin accurately struck the Ming Gong position of Zi Wei Dou Shu.
"If Su Ge Lao can predict accurately—" The new emperor Xiu Zhong flung out Seventy-Two Exorcism Coins, while Qian Yan hung precariously three inches from Mu Zhao's throat. "Qianhu Daren shall be honored with offerings at the ancestral temple."
I suddenly bit down on Gui Jia hidden beneath my tongue.
Amidst the falling glow of Xing Dou, I saw the Dragon and Phoenix Wedding Candle explode with seven layers of blood-red light in Mu Zhao's eyes. The blood-stained corner of my lips brushed against his Flying Fish Robe embroidered with Silver Thread and Subaru Star Chart; the excruciating pain from Yin Ling between my throat bones made me laugh aloud: "This official will never marry a Jinyiwei."
The Ninefold Gate of Xuanji Pavilion slammed shut.
The White Jade Steps suddenly cracked open revealing Forty-Nine Star Tracks; the marriage certificate presented by Deputy Lin of the Ministry of Rites burned to Huang Huo Color Gu Insect within an Ice Crack Pattern Official Kiln Bowl. The Beidou Pattern Worm Mark on Mu Zhao's Palm surged violently, snapping my silver chain at my wrist into Twenty-Eight Segments of the Star River.
As Tusu Wine from the night banquet splashed onto Phoenix Crown Pearl, all copper bells in Imperial City Corner Tower suddenly turned towards Xuanji Pavilion.
"Congratulations to Su Ge Lao on your great joy!" He Yi from Three Dukes and Nine Ministers knocked over twelve Bronze Tripods, trembling amidst scattered shards of Gan Shi Xing Jing. I kicked away a Core Fragment of Hunting Armillary Sphere that had rolled to my feet, suddenly blinded by Jin Fen exploded from Dragon and Phoenix Wedding Candle.
Mu Zhao’s embroidery of Nanhai Pearl revealed a cold gleam from Azure Dragon Seven Mansions.
"Li Cheng—" As Si Li Jian’s sharp Chang Nuo pierced through clouds, a Jin Bu Yao engraved with Mu Clan Emblem fell from my hair. At that moment when all Nine-Tiered Eaves Beasts atop Xuanji Pavilion cried out together, Mu Zhao's Flying Fish Robe concealed golden silkworm armor cracked open revealing a Four Symbols Star Map.
"The red makeup stretches for ten miles—" The new emperor poured He Ji Jin into the Ritual Cauldron, and within it, Gui Jia emerged, revealing my and Mu Zhao's Birth Chart. "Is it the He Xuanji Pavilion that opens its doors, or is it my Jia Ren who is leaving the palace?"
Suddenly, Mu Zhao shattered the Twenty-Eight Mansions tablet placed on the sandalwood table.
As the clock struck the seventh hour, a bruise from the Seven Star Soul Locking Bell appeared on my wrist. In an instant, red silk wrapped around Xuanji Pavilion, and blood of a Mars hue seeped from beneath the bluestone slabs of Zhuque Avenue.
"So it turns out what Your Majesty desires is the Gu Formation Eye." I tore off the Crimson Gold Waistband of my wedding dress, exposing the rotting wound at the back of my neck that was perfectly aligned with Mu Zhao and Gu Wen. "Using Heavenly Marriage to suppress Ying Huo, truly a clever scheme."
The Floor Tile of Xuanji Pavilion suddenly revealed the Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Formation.
Mu Zhao's blood-stained Dao Feng suddenly tore open my seven layers of embroidered wedding dress. The rotting wound on my chest was smeared with the Gu egg spat out by Qin Tian Jian Zheng before his death, entangled with the jade grass that fell from Emperor Mian Liu in a Beidou shape.
In the new emperor's hand appeared a Heqin Cup engraved with a Star Map, its rim stained with blood that matched perfectly with the Ying Huo Gu stream in the dark channels of the imperial city.
"Deputy Lin of the Ministry of Rites has been preparing this Dowry for seven years." Mu Zhao suddenly crushed the soul-fixing nail hidden in my ear pendant. "So Lord Minister calculated that his daughter would be at the center?"
The Ninefold Palace suddenly echoed with forty-nine tolls of the Death Knell.
The Crimson Gold Ornament entwined in my hair suddenly grew wildly, pulling down the Star Map from the dome of Xuanji Pavilion. From within Mu Zhao's Xiu Chun Dao that shattered the Dragon and Phoenix Candle Tears, emerged the Star Map of Twenty-Eight Mansions drawn in blood by the Third Prince before his death.
"The auspicious hour has arrived—" Si Li Jian suddenly crashed into Jingyang Bell with his body covered in Gu Worms. The moment my silver chain wrapped around Mu Zhao's waist, an Ebony Box containing Qin Tian Jian Zheng's head rose from beneath Xuanji Pavilion.
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