Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

**Gaoyang County Government Office and County Magistrate’s Residence**

Fine raindrops slanted down, hitting the window lattice with a rustling sound. Huangfu Ling leaned against the window, her dark brows slightly furrowed, as she gazed at the rain-soaked bluestone slabs in the courtyard and the sunlight that still stubbornly shone through the clouds.

"Strange," she murmured softly, a hint of barely perceptible worry in her voice. "The rain is falling so fast, yet the sun is still shining brightly. It's truly a 'sun shower'."

Douya, standing nearby, holding a pile of freshly gathered clothes, chimed in, "Madam, this is very common in our southern forests. The elders say it's 'a fox marrying its daughter,' also known as 'passing clouds and rain,' and it won't last long. And, they say this kind of sun shower is a good omen, signifying favorable weather and a good harvest!"

Huangfu Ling turned around and looked at Douya's face, which was childish but trying hard to look mature. She couldn't help but smile: "You little Douya, you are not very old, but you know a lot."

Douya puffed out her chest slightly, a bit proudly saying, "That's because you, Madam, live a life of luxury, so naturally you don't know these things. We servants, doing laundry and hanging out clothes, all depend on the weather. The rain came and went quickly, just in time to wash away the accumulated moisture. When the sun comes out later, the clothes will be completely dry and smell like sunshine."

"Bad Douya!" Huangfu Ling was amused by her and stretched out his hand to tickle Douya's waist. "You're teasing me again. You're not a farmer, so why do you rely on luck for your livelihood? I think you rely on your clever mouth to make a living!"

"Oh! Madam, please spare me! I am most afraid of being tickled!" Douya giggled and twisted her body, begging for mercy, "I was wrong! But... but only good weather can help Madam dry the clothes so that they are fragrant and soft, right?" She hugged the clothes, her eyes shining.

"That's right..." Huangfu Ling withdrew her hand, but the smile on her face gradually faded. Her eyes drifted to the misty rain outside the window and she sighed softly, "Alas~ My husband...has not returned home for another night. I feel a little uneasy."

Seeing this, Douya quickly suppressed her smile and said gently, "Don't worry, madam. The master is a local official, and he's busy with official duties. Sometimes he has to work all night investigating cases. As the county magistrate's wife, you should understand his hard work."

"Yes, yes, yes," Huangfu Ling smiled helplessly, and reached out to touch Douya's forehead, "I was lectured by you, little Douya, again this morning. Go, put the clothes away, and wait until the rain stops and the sun is bright, then dry them in the sun." She agreed, but the heavy worry in her heart was like the dark clouds outside the window, lingering.

……

In a dilapidated courtyard far away in the mountains of Wuzhou.

A mountain breeze blew through the dilapidated courtyard wall, stirring up the withered yellow leaves on the ground, swirling them. A Zen monk in a worn gray robe was sweeping slowly and steadily with a broom. His movements were steady, yet there was a subtle hint of hesitation.

"Strange wind," he murmured to himself, his voice old and calm. "I swept twice, and it's messed up again. This wind today seems to have a sense of restlessness."

He paused and looked up. Beyond the dilapidated eaves, the sky, washed by rain, was exceptionally clear. Above that pale blue sky, an exceptionally bright star, clearly visible in broad daylight, radiated a cool, sharp light.

"Taibai appears in the daytime?!" A gleam of brilliance suddenly flashed in the Zen master's cloudy eyes. He counted silently with his fingers, his dry lips twitching slightly. "Calculate the time... Jianxiong and the others... should be successful?" He frowned slightly, then relaxed. "Well, let's tell with a divination."

He set down his broom, concentrated his mind, and seemed to become one with the wind flowing around him. A moment later, he extended a thin but steady hand, reached into the wind, and with exquisite precision, he plucked three fallen leaves of varying shapes. His movements were so fluid, as if he wasn't grasping them, but rather the wind itself, carrying them to his fingers.

The Zen master held the three leaves together in his palm, closed his eyes for a moment, and then slowly opened them one by one with his thumb and index finger, carefully examining the veins, the incomplete shape, and the tiny specks of dust on the leaves. His gaze was initially focused, then suddenly fixed, his pupils suddenly contracting!

"Taibai appears in the daylight... The Emperor Star!!" He cried out in a low voice, his voice trembling with disbelief. He suddenly looked up at the daylight star again, his eyes burning like fire, "Where is it?! The Emperor Star... Where is it?!"

He lowered his head again, staring intently at the three fallen leaves in his palm, seemingly imbued with the mysteries of heaven and earth, repeatedly confirming them. Finally, trembling, he pressed these three leaves, bearing such a foreboding omen, tightly against his chest, as if to melt them into his heart. Turbid tears, no longer able to be held back, filled his sunken eye sockets and silently slid down his wrinkled cheeks.

"The Imperial Star is in the north! It's been… a whole sixty years!" He sighed to the heavens, his voice choked with sobs, carrying with him an immense sense of vicissitudes and the ecstasy of finally seeing it. "Teacher! Has your spirit in heaven seen this? Your great wish… is finally… finally coming to fruition!"

In the dilapidated courtyard, there was only the sobbing mountain wind and an old monk's suppressed prayers filled with blood and tears.

……

Gaoyangwai Underground Sluice Gate

Icy rain washed over the ground, merging into the turbid, surging underground river. Several figures in soaked Taoist robes stood in dismay beside the sluice gate, their faces darker than the sky. They stared intently at the incredibly strong wire mesh at the gate, which trembled slightly under the impact of the torrent, their eyes filled with frustration and disbelief.

A young Taoist priest wiped the rain and sweat from his face and cried, "Brother, the rain is too heavy! The water is flowing like crazy. Our last small boat was smashed to pieces as soon as it approached! We can't get in at all!"

An older Taoist priest nearby was pale and his voice trembled: "It's not just the water... I feel... I feel that the Star Lord is in danger!"

The young Taoist priest grabbed his arm in fear: "Then...then we must hurry and rescue the Star Lord! There's no time to waste!"

The leader was a sinister-looking, middle-aged Taoist priest. He stared intently at the barbed wire mesh that blocked their path, his eyes flickering before finally fading into a cold, resolute expression. He shook his head slowly, his voice low and cruel: "Rescue? Too late... Last night at midnight, I cast a divination. The omen was extremely ominous, a near-death experience! I deliberately delayed, hoping to wait until noon today to see if there was a glimmer of hope..." He let out a bitter laugh, gesturing at the surging underground river and the sturdy gates. "Now, tell me, what hope is there? I'm afraid the Star Lord... has already..."

The young Taoist priest stumbled back as if struck by lightning. "The Star Lord... has fallen?! Then...then we..."

The leading Taoist priest turned abruptly, the rain hitting his face unable to wash away the ferocious ambition: "Return to Taiyuan? No! Return to Jiqing! Return to the Jiqing main altar immediately!"

"Jiqing?" The young Taoist priest was stunned. "Are we just leaving like this? Xingjun..."

"Idiot!" the leading Taoist priest interrupted him harshly, his eyes gleaming with undisguised greed. "When we return to Jiqing, we'll report the martyrdom of the 'Star Lord'. With my qualifications and experience... I'll be the next 'North Pole Martial Qu Star Lord'!"

The young Taoist priest gasped and pointed at the other person, his fingers trembling: "Master... Senior Brother! You! How dare you..."

"Shut up!" The leading Taoist priest slapped his hand away with a fierce look in his eyes, "He who knows the current affairs is a hero! The Star God is dead, do you want us to be buried with him? Leave now while the government hasn't reacted and sealed off the village to search! If you don't leave, you will be buried with the Star God!" He no longer looked at the little Taoist priest's pale face and hurt eyes, turned around first, and plunged into the vast rain without looking back.

The young Taoist priest stood there in a daze, watching his senior brother's resolute back, then looking at the deep tunnel entrance that had swallowed the Star Lord. Finally, he lowered his head in despair and stumbled to follow. The cold rain seemed to extinguish the last flame of faith in his heart.

……

In the underground palace under Gaoyang Tower.

Chaos! Absolute chaos!

The remaining armored soldiers of Pang Lu, clinging to the shattered bunkers, desperately used their flesh and blood to resist the surging horde of the living dead. Swords and knives struck the grayish-gray bodies, making dull, thuds, but it was unable to halt their slow yet determined march. The roars of fear, the cries of despair, the crisp crack of shattering bones, and the sickening, low roars of the living dead intertwined into a symphony of hell.

In the center of this chaos, near the dark river, Mu Tou was like a madman. He completely ignored the undead that tried to tear at his arms, legs, and feet, allowing them to leave bloody marks on his strong body. His eyes were red and bloodshot as he stared at the turbid, fast-flowing river, diving again and again into the icy undercurrent.

"Master! Master, where are you?!" Every time he surfaced, he let out a heartbreaking cry, his voice hoarse as a broken gong. Muddy river water, mingled with tears, continuously washed over his resolute yet despairing face. Like a wounded beast that had lost its cubs, he searched in vain in despair, each dive filled with desperate madness.

"Mu Tou! Stop looking! Come up! The elevator is down!" Qian Ming shouted anxiously on the shore, trying to pull Mu Tou back as he tried to jump into the water again. Several officers and soldiers also tried to help stop the approaching zombies.

"Get out of here!" Mu Tou violently shook off Qian Ming's hand, nearly knocking him over with such force. His eyes were wild, focused only on the deep river water. "The young master hasn't been found yet! How can I get up there?! I need to find the young master!"

"Do you fucking want to die at the hands of these ghosts?!" Qian Ming pointed at the zombies that were closing in around him, and jumped up and down anxiously.

"Let's die!" Mu Tou suddenly turned around, staring at Qian Ming with red eyes, with a determination to perish together with him. "If I can't find the young master, what's the point of me living? I want to die with the young master! It's my fault that I didn't protect him! I'm useless!" The huge self-blame and grief almost tore him apart.

"Mu Tou!" Wang Ergou also rushed over, his face covered in tears and rain. He grabbed Mu Tou's arm tightly and said in a sobbing and stern voice, "Wake up! The most urgent thing is to get out of danger! Do you want to let the opportunity that the young master risked his life for be wasted? Do you want all the hard work of the young master to go to waste?!"

"But the young master... the young master..." Mu Tou looked at the surging river water. The huge feeling of powerlessness instantly defeated him. His legs softened and he knelt on the cold gravel of the river bank. He slammed his fists into the ground with a dull sound, and his knuckles were instantly bloody.

Chen Jianxiong strode forward, his face hardened by the test of life and death. Without the slightest hesitation, he raised his hand and slapped the wooden man hard. "Pa! Pa!" Two resounding slaps landed on his face. The force was so great that the wooden man turned his head away.

"Wake up!" Chen Jianxiong's voice was like an icicle, piercing Mu's chaotic mind. "Look at what a horrible state you're in now! If your young master saw this, what do you think he would think? Would he be proud of you as a 'loyal servant', or would he feel that everything he risked his life for was rewarded with such a worthless and foolish death like you?!"

Mu Tou was stunned, his cheeks burning with pain, but Chen Jianxiong's words were like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing the flames of his madness, leaving only a bone-chilling coldness and boundless grief. He raised his head and looked blankly at Chen Jianxiong, then at Wang Ergou, and then at the dark river that had swallowed up the young master. The overwhelming sorrow finally broke through the dam. He hugged his head like a child, curled up on the ground, and let out a suppressed cry that sounded like the wail of a wild animal.

It wasn't just Mu Tou. Qian Ming, Liang Dahai, and other brothers who had followed Zhang Jingwei through thick and thin also had tears welling up in their eyes. They gritted their teeth, fighting back tears, but their trembling shoulders and suppressed sobs betrayed the agony they felt. Their relief at surviving the ordeal was completely drowned out by the immense grief of losing their leader.

The elevator slowly rose, carrying the survivors out of the hellish cave.

The rain stopped a little, but the sky remained gloomy.

Fang Yue had been waiting for a long time, anxiously shuttling back and forth between the makeshift camp and the rescue point, his gaze anxiously searching the faces of every person rescued. When he saw Wang Ergou, Mu Tou, Chen Jianxiong, and others being helped up, but the familiar figure was nowhere to be seen, Fang Yue's heart sank.

He rushed forward and grabbed Qian Ming, who was closest to him and looked distraught. "Master Qian! Where's the master? Where's my master?"

Qian Ming raised his head, his face a mixture of mud, blood, and wet tears. His lips trembled, but he couldn't make a complete sound. He just shook his head in pain. That desperate expression said it all.

Fang Yueru stumbled from the blow, his face instantly pale. He turned sharply towards Mu Tou, but Mu Tou simply crouched on the ground, holding his head, his shoulders shaking violently. He then looked at Wang Ergou and Chen Jianxiong.

Wang Ergou turned his head away, unable to bear the sight. Chen Jianxiong took a deep breath, met Fang Yue's gaze, and spoke in a heavy, clear voice, "We... saw it with our own eyes. Shen Kaiyang stabbed you multiple times with a dagger, and then... they both fell into the underground river. The water was turbulent, and they disappeared in an instant... their whereabouts... whether they were alive or dead... are unknown."

"Falling into the water?!" Fang Yue seemed to have grasped the last straw. His voice suddenly rose, trembling with hope. "Just falling into the water?! No... I didn't see..."

"Mr. Fang!" Yang Zhao also rushed over after hearing the news. Just in time to hear Chen Jianxiong's words, he immediately interrupted, "Although the rain is slowing down now, it has been very heavy since last night. The underground river must have swelled rapidly, and the water is flowing very fast! If you just fell into the water, you are very likely to be washed out of the cave and rushed downstream! It may not be... It may not be a dead end!"

These words were like a thunderclap in the darkness, instantly splitting the despair in the wood! He suddenly raised his head, a startling light bursting out from his bloodshot eyes. He scrambled to his feet and clutched Yang Zhao's arm tightly: "Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Inspector Yang is right! He was washed away! The young master must have been washed away! He's a good swimmer! He will definitely survive!"

He was like a drowning man grabbing a piece of driftwood, and his confused thoughts were forcibly gathered together by this possibility.

Fang Yue also woke up instantly, his eyes became sharp and firm again. He turned around abruptly and gave a hoarse but extremely clear order to the yamen runners who had just assembled:

"Everyone, listen! Split up and act immediately! With Gaoyang Tower as the center, search all possible flood discharge channels, streams, and water networks to the south, and search all villages! Alive or dead... No! We must find Master Zhang! Set off immediately!"

Hope, like a ray of light that struggles to emerge from the gap in the dark clouds, rekindles this land shrouded in sadness.

Everyone immediately took action. The sound of horse hooves, footsteps and shouts once again broke the silence after the rain, and they galloped towards the water village in the south.