Huanzhu Time Travel: Yan Luo's Unbreakable Love in the Yong Dynasty

Chapter 488: Undercurrents Surge, Truth Gradually Emerges

Inside the warm pavilion of Kunning Palace, the atmosphere was so heavy it seemed almost palpable. Xiao Yanzi, dressed in a magnificent phoenix robe, the gold-embroidered phoenix gleaming coldly in the candlelight, had no heart to appreciate it. Her mind was completely consumed by the aftershocks of the perilous rescue at the dilapidated temple in the west of the city. She paced back and forth in the room, her steps hurried and heavy, each one a testament to her taut heartstrings.

"Xiao Tao, A Zhu, tell me, how many more conspiracies are hidden in the Shadow Pavilion?" Xiao Yanzi stopped in her tracks, her brows furrowed, her eyes filled with worry and anger.

Xiao Tao's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly, and her voice carried a hint of fear: "Your Majesty, the Shadow Pavilion acts mysteriously and is difficult to guard against. We must be extremely careful."

Azhu quickly stepped forward and gently draped a cloak over Xiaoyanzi's shoulders: "Your Majesty, please don't worry. Prince Yongqi and Young Master Xiao will definitely come up with a solution."

No sooner had the words been spoken than a eunuch's shrill voice came from outside the door: "Prince Yongqi and Young Master Xiao request an audience with Her Majesty the Empress."

"Please come in quickly!" Little Swallow hurried to the door, eagerly watching Yongqi and Xiao Yichen walk in.

Yongqi, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, his brows furrowed, his face still showing signs of exhaustion and resentment: "Empress Mother, we still let that leader of the men in black get away."

Xiao Yichen bowed respectfully, his expression grave: "Your Majesty, although this operation rescued Little Princess, the core figures of the Shadow Pavilion are still at large, and they will surely return with a vengeance."

Xiao Yanzi bit her lower lip, a resolute glint in her eyes: "We absolutely cannot let them have another chance to harm Xiao Xiao, or anyone else in this palace. Yongqi, do you have any new leads?"

Yongqi took out a piece of black cloth from his pocket and handed it to Xiaoyanzi: "Empress Mother, this is what I tore off the man in black when I was fighting him in the dilapidated temple. There is a strange symbol embroidered on it, perhaps the symbol of the Shadow Pavilion."

Little Swallow took the piece of cloth and examined it carefully. The symbol resembled neither a dragon nor a snake, exuding an eerie aura. "I've never seen this symbol before, Young Master Xiao. You've roamed the martial world for many years; do you know anything about it?"

Xiao Yichen leaned closer, squinted at it for a long time, and slowly shook his head: "This humble one has never seen such a peculiar symbol before. However, this may be the key to us uncovering the secrets of the Shadow Pavilion."

As they were talking, Hongli strode into Kunning Palace, followed by Empress Dowager Zhenhuan, who looked worried. "I have heard about the ruined temple incident. These remnants of the Shadow Pavilion are truly rampant!" Hongli was dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, the hem of which fluttered with his movements, his face full of anger and majesty.

Empress Dowager Zhen Huan sat down in her chair and sighed softly: "It seems that the power of the Shadow Pavilion is far more complex than we imagined."

Xiao Yanzi handed the piece of cloth to Hongli: "Your Majesty, look, this is what Yongqi tore off the man in black. The symbols on it are very strange."

Hongli took the cloth, his face darkening. "No matter what their schemes are, I will not let them succeed. Issue my decree to General Zhaohui to strengthen the defenses of the capital and ensure that the remnants of the Shadow Pavilion are wiped out in one fell swoop."

A few days later, Yongqi and Xiao Yichen came to Kunning Palace again, bringing shocking news. "Your Majesty, we have discovered traces of the Shadow Pavilion at a money exchange in the capital." Yongqi's eyes gleamed with excitement. "The owner of that money exchange has close ties with the Shadow Pavilion, and we suspect that some of the Shadow Pavilion's funds are hidden there."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yanzi's eyes lit up: "This is an important clue! Yongqi, what do you plan to do?"

Xiao Yichen stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, our plan is to first secretly monitor the money house's every move, figure out their transaction patterns and communication methods, and then take them down in one fell swoop."

Little Swallow nodded slightly: "This plan is excellent, but we must proceed with caution and avoid alerting the enemy."

Night fell, and the moonlight, like water, bathed the streets and alleys of the capital. Yongqi and Xiao Yichen, dressed in black, lay in wait on the roof of the money exchange, watching the movements below. Inside the money exchange, the lights were bright, and men in black were constantly going in and out, their expressions hurried.

"Look, the box that man in black is carrying might contain important accounts of the Shadow Pavilion," Xiao Yichen said in a low voice, pointing to a man in black who was hurrying into the bank.

Yongqi nodded: "Once he comes out, we'll follow him and see where he's going."

After a while, the man in black carried the box out of the bank, looked around warily, and then headed towards the west of the city. Yongqi and Xiao Yichen used their lightness skills to quietly follow behind him.

The man in black stopped in a secluded alley and knocked on a dilapidated door. The door opened, and a deep voice came from inside: "Did you bring the goods?"

"I brought it." The man in black handed the box inside.

Yongqi and Xiao Yichen exchanged a glance, preparing to make their move. Just then, a group of men in black suddenly appeared from all directions, surrounding them completely.

"Hmph, I knew you'd come." A familiar voice rang out; it was the leader of the men in black who had escaped from the dilapidated temple.

Yongqi and Xiao Yichen drew their swords, stood back to back, and warily surveyed their surrounding enemies. "I didn't expect you to dare show yourselves again. Today is your death day!" Yongqi glared angrily.

The leader of the men in black sneered, "You two think you can take us down?"

The two sides immediately engaged in fierce combat, their swords flashing and shouts of battle echoing through the quiet alley. Yongqi and Xiao Yichen were highly skilled in martial arts, but the number of men in black was overwhelming, and for a time they found themselves locked in a bitter struggle.

"Young Master Xiao, it seems we've fallen into their trap," Yongqi said while struggling to fend off the enemy's attacks.

Xiao Yichen's expression was solemn: "Don't panic, let's find a way to break through."

Just as they were becoming increasingly outmatched, they suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves. It turned out that the guards Yongqi had arranged in advance had arrived. The guards brandished their long swords, charged into the encirclement, and engaged in fierce fighting with the men in black.

Seeing the situation was dire, the leader of the men in black tried to escape. Yongqi, using his light-footed skill, gave chase. At a corner, Yongqi finally intercepted the leader of the men in black.

"This time, you can't escape!" Yongqi pointed his sword at the leader of the men in black.

The leader of the men in black, his face grim, suddenly pulled a signal flare from his pocket and launched it into the air. Yongqi was startled, knowing this was a signal to call for reinforcements. He dared not delay and immediately engaged the leader of the men in black in a life-or-death struggle.

Just as Yongqi was gaining the upper hand, a series of hurried footsteps sounded in the distance. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the leader of the men in black broke free from Yongqi's attack and disappeared into the darkness.

Yongqi stared angrily in the direction where the leader of the men in black had disappeared, and sighed heavily. At this moment, Xiao Yichen and his guards arrived.

"Brother Yongqi, are you alright?" Xiao Yichen asked with concern.

Yongqi shook his head: "I'm fine, it's a pity he got away again."

Back at the palace, Yongqi and Xiao Yichen reported the whole story to Xiaoyanzi and Hongli in detail. After listening, Xiaoyanzi's face turned very ugly: "The people of the Shadow Pavilion are too cunning. We must come up with a solution as soon as possible."

After a moment of contemplation, Hongli said, "It seems we can no longer passively wait for them to make their move. I have decided that starting tomorrow, we will conduct a full search of the capital and make sure to find all the remaining members of the Shadow Pavilion."

Xiao Yanzi nodded slightly: "What Your Majesty says is very true. However, searching the capital is too commotion and may cause panic. We can start with those who are connected to the Shadow Pavilion and follow the clues."

Hongli adopted Xiaoyanzi's suggestion and ordered Yongqi and Xiao Yichen to investigate money shop owners and martial arts figures connected to the Shadow Pavilion. At the same time, he ordered General Zhaohui to strengthen the palace's security to prevent the Shadow Pavilion from infiltrating again.

A few days later, Yongqi and Xiao Yichen discovered during their investigation that a martial arts figure connected to the Shadow Pavilion had been frequently visiting an abandoned mansion. They suspected that it might be the Shadow Pavilion's secret stronghold.

Yongqi and Xiao Yichen, leading their guards, quietly surrounded the abandoned mansion. Yongqi made a gesture, and the guards cautiously approached the mansion. Just as they were about to enter, they suddenly heard a strange laugh coming from inside.

"Haha, you've finally arrived." A voice came from inside the mansion. "Now that you're here, don't even think about leaving alive."

Yongqi and Xiao Yichen exchanged a glance, a sense of foreboding rising within them. They gripped their swords tightly, watching warily ahead. A group of men in black emerged from the courtyard, each armed and with cold, fierce eyes.

"Kill!" Yongqi shouted, charging towards the men in black. Xiao Yichen and his guards followed closely behind, engaging in a fierce battle with the men in black.

Dust billowed within the courtyard, and the shouts of battle were deafening. Yongqi and Xiao Yichen weaved through the crowd, their swords flashing, each strike carrying a fierce and imposing aura. However, the number of men in black increased, and they gradually found themselves in a predicament.

"Brother Yongqi, this can't go on. We must find a way to break through the encirclement," Xiao Yichen said while fending off the enemy's attacks.

Yongqi nodded: "I'll distract them, and you can take the opportunity to find the leader of the Shadow Pavilion."

Having said that, Yongqi used his lightness skill to leap onto the roof and shouted, "You rats, come and chase me if you dare!"

Hearing Yongqi's shouts, the men in black chased after him. Xiao Yichen seized the opportunity to rush into the courtyard, searching for the leader of the Shadow Pavilion.

In the backyard of the mansion, Xiao Yichen finally found the familiar leader of the men in black. "Finally found you!" Xiao Yichen pointed his sword at him.

The leader of the men in black sneered, "You think you can defeat me?"

The two immediately engaged in fierce combat, their swords clashing with a crisp sound. Xiao Yichen's swordsmanship was sharp and fierce, but the leader of the men in black was equally formidable. The two exchanged blows, neither giving an inch.

Just as Xiao Yichen was gaining the upper hand, a man in black suddenly rushed out from the side and attacked him. Xiao Yichen was unable to dodge in time and his arm was slashed.

"Despicable!" Xiao Yichen shouted angrily.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the leader of the men in black launched an attack, putting Xiao Yichen in danger. Just at this critical moment, Yongqi arrived. He thrust his sword at the leader of the men in black, who hurriedly dodged.

"Young Master Xiao, are you alright?" Yongqi asked with concern.

Xiao Yichen wiped the blood off his arm: "I'm fine, thank you, Brother Yongqi."

The two exchanged a glance and launched another attack on the leader of the men in black. Under their combined assault, the leader of the men in black gradually became unable to withstand the attack and was finally stabbed by Yongqi's sword.

"Tell me, where are the other remnants of the Shadow Pavilion?" Yongqi glared angrily.

The leader of the men in black was pale, a cold smile playing on his lips: "You think capturing me will wipe out the Shadow Pavilion? How naive..."

Before he could finish speaking, the leader of the men in black suddenly coughed up blood and died.

Yongqi and Xiao Yichen stared at the corpse of the leader of the men in black, but felt no joy. They knew that the Shadow Pavilion's conspiracy might not be over yet, and an even greater crisis might be yet to come…