Chapter Forty-Five: Arrival in the Capital

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“The creature has already memorized your faces. If you leave now, it will come for you tonight,” said a man with triangular eyes from the crowd.

Before he could finish, Baozi strode forward and seized his throat. “You keep calling it a monster. I wouldn’t mind letting it devour you right now.”

“Baozi, let him go,” Zhou Yi said, frowning.

Without someone pulling strings behind the scenes, this group wouldn’t have stirred up trouble on their own. Since there was a hidden hand at work, what was their purpose? If he and Baozi resolved this with violence, would they be falling right into their trap? The man with the triangular eyes was clearly not the main player—what was the motive of the person behind him? Was he lurking in the shadows, watching the spectacle unfold? The answer was certainly yes.

In all things, stay calm and analyze—this was a lesson Zhou Yi had learned from Zhou Da Jiang since childhood, and it had served him well all his life.

Glancing at the teacup on the table, Zhou Yi extended his spiritual energy, grasping it from afar. He moved the cup in front of the triangular-eyed man, then poured all the tea onto his face.

Seeing Zhou Yi display such a power, the triangular-eyed man realized his life was at the mercy of these two. The cold malice in his eyes melted into fear.

Zhou Yi shot him a contemptuous smile. “Go on, and tell your master, next time he sends someone, he’d better send someone competent.” As he spoke, Zhou Yi returned the teacup to the table.

After witnessing this, the triangular-eyed man dared not linger. He turned to flee, though his legs barely obeyed him.

Watching the crowd disperse, Zhou Yi quickly withdrew his spiritual energy. Deprived of its support, the teacup dropped to the ground and shattered.

Zhou Yi had meant to intimidate the onlookers, but the cup had been heavy with tea and he had to empty it to move it, without any intention of humiliating the man.

“Brother Yi, someone’s obviously stirring trouble from behind the scenes. That guy deserved a beating—why didn’t you let me?” Baozi grumbled, clearly dissatisfied.

“Sometimes violence only makes things worse. Follow him, let’s see who’s behind the triangular-eyed man,” Zhou Yi said, patting Baozi’s shoulder.

Baozi nodded, and the two, along with a wolf, shadowed the man from a distance. He hadn’t gone far before entering a teahouse.

Zhou Yi saw him speaking to a man in military uniform. The officer was seated sideways by a second-floor window, able to see outside but his appearance hidden from passersby.

“Should we go up?” Baozi asked.

“No need. He’s likely a warlord—not someone we want to provoke. Let’s focus on finding Zhang Zuozheng and leave the capital as soon as our business is done,” Zhou Yi replied after a moment’s thought.

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Zhou Yi now had many enemies: Zuo Zhi, Zhang Zuozheng, and the man who escaped from the mountain cave—whose faction was still unknown. Zhou Yi had killed four of his men, so the matter would not end easily. There was also the enigmatic Mingchuan Youzhi, whose allegiance remained unclear.

The Miao holy maiden in Zhuolu, Mingkong suppressing the remnant soul of Chi You—on the surface, the Miao people’s wrath would be aimed at the monks of Shaolin, making it unlikely the maiden would blame Zhou Yi, but it couldn’t be ruled out. Zhou Yi had made too many enemies now; it was not the time to invite more trouble.

Before his death, Zhou Da Jiang had said he was born on June 30. Now it was mid-June. With only fifteen days left, collecting the other seven keys was impossible, but the sooner the better.

Thinking of this, Zhou Yi felt his head swell, his mind tangled like a ball of thread.

“The urgent task is to find that vile Zhang Zuozheng and kill him quickly,” Zhou Yi said through gritted teeth.

Baozi glanced at him, about to speak, then hesitated.

“If you have something to say, say it. Since when have you become so hesitant with me?” Zhou Yi asked, sensing Baozi’s reticence.

“If Zhang Zuozheng is part of the queue army, he must be a close confidant of the deposed emperor. Is it wise for us to go after him like this…” Baozi trailed off, looking at Zhou Yi.

Talking with Baozi improved Zhou Yi’s mood. Baozi used to shout, “Who’s afraid? Anyone who is is a coward!” but now he was cautious, which was uncharacteristic.

“The road will appear when the cart reaches the mountain. Let’s find him first. If luck favors us, perhaps Li Huo is also with Zhang Zuozheng.” As they walked and talked, they headed toward the Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City, now known as the Palace Museum, was the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, continually renovated over the years. By the late Qing, it housed 980 buildings. With its north-south length of 961 meters, east-west width of 753 meters, and vast area, its grandeur needed no further description.

Yet the original ten-meter-high walls were now somewhat dilapidated, likely damaged when the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing, and not yet repaired.

When Zhou Yi and Baozi arrived, they were stumped by the sheer size of the Forbidden City. Having grown up in the mountains, the largest nearby town was Erdaohe. In the capital, they were utterly lost, and only after much effort did they find the Forbidden City, surprised by its scale.

“How are we supposed to search this place?” Baozi complained, face grim.

Zhou Yi scratched his head. “Let’s find a place to stay and figure it out.”

At the Delight Inn, Zhou Yi and Baozi sat frowning across from each other. An hour passed without results, and both were frustrated.

“Brother Yi, the deposed emperor is living in the Forbidden City too. What do you suppose the young emperor Zhang looks like?” With nothing resolved, Baozi tried to shift the topic.

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Once their attention was diverted, their mood eased a bit.

Zhou Yi glanced at the ceiling, meaning that only heaven knew.

“Don’t be so dull. Tell me what you think.”

“I’ve never seen him. How would I know what the young emperor Zhang looks like? Let’s sleep tonight and ask around tomorrow. Few people keep queues nowadays, so if we find the right person, we’ll get a clue,” Zhou Yi said, shaking his head.

Days of travel had left him exhausted, with no energy for other concerns.

“Why go elsewhere to ask? The inn’s staff are the best informants,” Baozi said, then pushed open the door and left.

Zhou Yi considered it. With people coming and going daily, the inn staff were naturally well-informed; it made sense to ask them.

“Hey, you, come here—I need to ask you something,” Baozi called to a busy attendant.

The attendant was short and slender, with a sharp, intelligent gaze. Hearing Baozi, he hurried over, smiling broadly. “What can I do for you, young master? Just ask.”

Baozi put down his teacup and asked, “We’ve come to the capital to seek relatives, but can’t find them. We’d like your help.”

The attendant filled Baozi’s bowl with yellow rice and replied cheerfully, “You’ve come to the right person. I’ve worked under the shadow of the palace for ten years. If your person has a name and reputation, there’s nothing Mo San doesn’t know.”

Baozi and Zhou Yi’s worries eased at his words.

Baozi quickly asked, “Do you know Zhang Zuozheng?”

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