As soon as I put it on, I met a sickly man

As night fell, the Zhao Mansion was like a dormant giant beast, exuding a murderous aura in its silence.

Ding Chen and Xuanyuan Che looked at each other, and there was a determination to fight to the death in their eyes.

Ding Chen kicked the tightly closed door open, and the two of them slipped in and disappeared into the thick night.

Inside the mansion, the rockery, flowing water, pavilions and towers appear elegant, but dangers are hidden everywhere.

Ding Chen and others walked through it cautiously, every step being like walking on thin ice.

The air was filled with tension, making it almost suffocating.

"Something... is wrong here." Xiaoxuan said in a low voice. She was keenly aware that there was something unusual about the air flow around her.

As soon as he finished speaking, the bluestone slab under his feet suddenly flipped over, and a sharp arrow flew out of the air and headed straight for Xiaoxuan's face!

At the critical moment, Ding Chen flew over and protected Xiaoxuan under him. The sharp arrow grazed his arm and blood instantly dyed his sleeve red.

"Ding Chen!" Xiaoxuan exclaimed.

Ding Chen gritted his teeth: "It's okay!"

They continued to go deeper. The lights on the walls on both sides of the corridor flickered, stretching the figures of the people out of time and making them look like ghosts.

Suddenly, General Lin stepped on a loose brick and stone. With a light "click" sound, countless crossbow arrows shot out from the surrounding walls in an instant!

"Be careful!" Xuanyuan Che roared and swung his sword to block. Crossbow arrows fell like raindrops and everyone dodged in a panic.

After a fierce battle, the crossbow arrows finally stopped, but everyone was injured.

"This is not a solution!" Censor Su covered his injured arm with a pale face, "We have to find a way to find Minister Zhao's secret room and get the evidence!" "But there are so many traps in this mansion, we have no idea where to start!" General Lin said anxiously.

Ding Chen said in a deep voice: "Don't panic, everyone. We will split up and look for clues, but we must be careful!"

Everyone dispersed and the mansion fell into silence again.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the night sky, and Ding Chen's heart sank: "Not good!" He rushed over to the sound, only to see a security guard lying on the ground with a dagger stuck in his chest, already dead.

Xiaoxuan was being besieged by several men in black and was in danger.

"Xiaoxuan!" Ding Chen roared, rushed forward and fought with the man in black.

Xuanyuan Che and others also rushed over upon hearing the noise and joined the battle.

The two sides are fighting fiercely and the outcome is difficult to determine.

"We can't go on like this, we will be trapped here and die!" Censor Su said breathlessly, his face full of anxiety.

General Lin was also a little hesitant. "How about... we retreat first and make a long-term plan?" Ding Chen glared at him fiercely. "If we retreat now, all our previous efforts will be in vain! We must persevere!" Before he could finish his words, there was a loud rumbling sound, and the ground beneath his feet began to shake...

Yingfeng suddenly said, "I know how to shut down these mechanisms!"

Yingfeng's figure flashed and disappeared into the darkness.

A moment later, he reappeared with a strangely shaped metal plate in his hand: "Found it! This is the hub of the control mechanism." He inserted the metal plate into a groove in the wall and turned it gently. With a few "clicks", the traps around him stopped working instantly and the ground stopped shaking.

"That was a close call!" General Lin wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Yingfeng pointed to an inconspicuous secret door in the corner of the wall and said, "There is a secret passage here that leads to the outside of the mansion." Everyone was cheered up and went in one after another. The entrance to the secret passage was then closed, isolating the pursuers outside.

The secret passage was dark and damp, and the air was filled with a musty smell.

Everyone lit a tinder and moved forward in the faint light.

"Wait!" Censor Su suddenly squatted down and picked up a piece of paper on the ground. "This seems to be... a draft of a letter?" He held the piece of paper close to the fire and carefully identified the handwriting on it.

His expression gradually grew serious: "Minister Zhao...colluded with the enemy...conspired...and..." He took a deep breath, his voice trembling: "And the names of several important officials of the court!"

Ding Chen took the paper and read it word for word, his face turning livid. "How dare you collude with the enemy and frame a loyal official!" Xuanyuan Che said in a deep voice, "There's no time to lose. We must inform the Emperor of this news as soon as possible!"

Xiaoxuan leaned tightly against Ding Chen, her body trembling slightly.

The secret passage was narrow and cramped, and countless unknown dangers seemed to be lurking in the darkness, making her feel palpitations.

Ding Chen sensed her uneasiness and held her hand tightly...

"Shh-"

In the cramped and dark secret passage, Xiaoxuan unconsciously moved closer to Ding Chen, her body trembling slightly.

Ding Chen noticed her uneasiness, and held her cold little hand in his backhand, giving her silent comfort.

Xiaoxuan felt the warmth of Ding Chen's palm, as if she had found a bit of support. She looked up at him, her eyes full of trust and admiration.

"We should leave here as soon as possible." Censor Su urged. The oppressive feeling in the secret passage made him feel a little breathless.

"Wait a minute," General Lin suddenly said, his eyes gleaming. "Since we've found the secret passage, why not use it to sneak into Minister Zhao's study? Perhaps we can find more evidence."

This proposal was undoubtedly risky, but after thinking about it for a moment, everyone felt that it was worth a try.

So they changed their original plan and continued to go deeper along the secret passage, groping their way towards Minister Zhao's study.

As they got closer to the study, the tension in the air grew thicker.

Suddenly, they heard a low conversation coming from the study. It was Zhao Shangshu and Zhang Moushi.

"It seems that the rats have already gotten in." There was a hint of cold smile in Minister Zhao's voice.

"Your Excellency is wise, everything is under your control." Zhang Moushi's voice was full of flattery.

"Hmph, let them live a little longer and wait for them to fall into our trap..." Before Minister Zhao finished his words, Ding Chen and others had already arrived at the door of the study.

Ding Chen and Xuanyuan Che exchanged glances, and both understood that they had been exposed.

He took a deep breath and suddenly opened the door of the study...