Secret Meeting

As night deepened, a brightly lit secret room within the Dali Temple illuminated several solemn faces.

Di Renjie sat upright in the main seat, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table, producing a dull thud. Before him lay the "Mo" token seized from the man in black, and Bian Que's detailed autopsy report. Li Yuanfang stood to the side, his large, alert ears twitching slightly, capturing every subtle movement in the air. Bian Que stood in the shadows, seemingly blending into the dim light; only occasionally, when he raised his eyelids, would a sharp glint flash in his overly calm eyes.

"A thorough examination of the corpse revealed that, apart from the fatal wound of a shattered heart, the strength of its bones and muscles far exceeded that of an ordinary person, suggesting that it had been modified with special drugs or mechanical techniques." Bian Que's voice was hoarse and calm, as if stating the conclusion of an experiment unrelated to himself. "The poison forged in the curved blade used was complex in composition, mainly composed of 'Soul-Separating Grass,' mixed with several rare mineral toxins. It was highly toxic, fast-acting, and incurable. The token was made of a special material, neither gold nor wood, and exceptionally tough. The runes on it... had a weak mental interference effect, and long-term wear might affect one's will."

Di Renjie's brows furrowed deeper and deeper. "'The Ink of the Dark Night'..." he slowly uttered the name, his tone heavy. "There are only scattered records of it in ancient books. I thought it had long been lost to the annals of history, but I never imagined... it actually existed, and hidden so deeply." He looked at Li Yuanfang, "Yuanfang, have there been any unusual reports from the various markets recently?"

Li Yuanfang stepped forward and respectfully reported, "My lord, according to reports from our spies, there have been suspicious activities near the abandoned Wanghai Villa in the east of the city recently, and strange noises are occasionally heard coming from underground at night. Furthermore, we have intelligence that several shops in the West Market dealing in exotic artifacts have recently acquired large quantities of rare metals and crystals for constructing mechanical devices, the whereabouts of which are unknown. And…" He paused, lowering his voice, "There are rumors in the martial arts world that a mysterious figure is secretly recruiting skilled individuals proficient in mechanical arts and poisons, promising them great rewards, but remaining tight-lipped about their motives."

All the clues seem to point to the abandoned Wanghai Villa and the mysterious "Ink of the Night".

“It seems that the ‘gift’ sent by Yaotian is not just empty talk.” Di Renjie stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the deep night outside. “Dr. Wang’s death, Yi Xing being framed, the night attack… all of this is just the tip of the iceberg. The plans of this ‘Ink of the Night’ are probably far beyond our imagination.”

He was silent for a moment, then turned around abruptly, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Yuanfang, send more men to keep a close watch on Wanghai Villa, but remember, they can only observe from afar, not investigate closely, and must not alert the enemy! Mr. Bian Que, please continue to analyze the poison and the token to see if you can find more clues, especially... trace the source of those rare minerals and special materials."

"Yes, sir!" Li Yuanfang accepted the order.

Bian Que nodded slightly in response.

Di Renjie walked to the token with the character "墨" (Mo), picked it up, and felt its cool touch and the faint spiritual fluctuations it contained. "Using absolute order as a pretext to commit acts of rebellion… 'Ink of the Dark Night'…" A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "Whatever you intend to do, if it endangers Chang'an, I, Di Renjie, will never allow it!"

Just then, a soft knock came from outside the secret room.

"Come in."

A trusted guard pushed open the door and entered, whispering, "My lord, Ming Shiyin, the leader of the Yaotian Organization, requests an audience."

A flicker of surprise crossed Di Renjie's eyes, but he quickly understood. He waved his hand and said, "Please let him in."

A moment later, Ming Shiyin's tall and slender figure appeared at the entrance to the secret chamber. He was still dressed in a crimson robe, and the vermilion mark on his forehead was particularly conspicuous under the lamplight. His gaze swept over everyone in the room, finally landing on Di Renjie, and he nodded slightly: "Lord Di."

"Mr. Ming's visit so late at night must be about this 'Ink' character token?" Di Renjie asked bluntly.

Ming Shiyin readily admitted, "That's right. I'm sure Lord Di has already made his judgment. The reappearance of 'Ink of the Dark Night' shows that its ambition is not small. Although Yaotian and the Dali Temple may have different positions, we share the same goal in protecting the stability of Chang'an."

Di Renjie stared intently at Ming Shiyin, trying to discern something from his calm, unwavering eyes. "What insightful opinion does Mr. Ming have?"

"I dare not presume to offer such insightful opinion." Ming Shiyin stepped forward slowly, his gaze falling on the token. "I merely wish to remind Lord Di that this organization has a long history, operates with unpredictable secrecy, and is proficient in mechanisms and poisons; its strength should not be underestimated. The Dali Temple or my Yaotian alone may find it difficult to deal with them. Moreover..." He paused, lowering his voice slightly, "According to my speculation, their target is likely not just the *Tianyuan Strategy*, or a particular person. They may be brewing... a conspiracy that could shake the very foundations of Chang'an."

Di Renjie's heart skipped a beat. Ming Shiyin's speculation coincided with his own ominous premonition. "Undermining the foundations of Chang'an… Mr. Ming, are you referring to…?"

“There is no conclusive evidence yet,” Ming Shiyin interrupted him, his tone still calm. “But the commotion beneath the Wanghai Villa and the vast resources they have collected point to some kind of… massive mechanical construct. Combined with the ‘Ink of the Night’ philosophy, their purpose is probably to forcibly replace the existing Chang’an with their so-called ‘order’.”

A deathly silence fell over the secret chamber. To replace Chang'an? What an arrogant, and terrifying scheme!

"When the foundation of order is shaken, protection is no longer a choice, but an instinct ingrained in one's blood."

Ming Shiyin's voice rang out in the silence, carrying an unwavering determination. His words transcended the disputes of stance and faction, pointing directly to the most fundamental driving force for protecting their homeland, embodying a lofty sense of responsibility that surpassed personal and organizational interests.

Di Renjie stared intently at Ming Shiyin for a long time before slowly exhaling: "I understand Mr. Ming's meaning. Faced with such a threat, the Dali Temple is willing to temporarily set aside the dispute with Yaotian and exchange information."

This is a crucial statement. It means that in the face of the common threat of "Ink of the Night," the Chang'an government and the underground forces will form an unprecedented and fragile alliance.

Ming Shiyin bowed slightly: "Lord Di is a man of great wisdom and righteousness."

"The specifics of the cooperation still need to be discussed in detail," Di Renjie said in a deep voice. "Surveillance, intelligence sharing, and... joint operations when the time is right."

“That’s only right.” Ming Shiyin nodded. “I will have Yi Xing take charge of contacting your side. He is meticulous and may be able to find more clues.”

“Yixing…” Di Renjie recalled the figure of the pale-faced but calm-eyed boy sitting in a wheelchair, and nodded, “Alright.”

A brief alliance concerning the fate of Chang'an was quietly forged in this secret room under the cover of night. There was no blood oath, no written contract, only a tacit understanding and consensus born from a shared crisis.

However, both Di Renjie and Ming Shiyin knew how fragile the foundation of this alliance was. Building trust takes time, and perhaps that was what they lacked most.

The humming from underground seemed to be getting louder and louder.