Xin Jiuwei's heart pounded like a drum! Xiao Xun had actually located Qi Huaiyu's hiding place so quickly?! His investigation into Qi Huaiyu was clearly far more thorough than she had imagined! The information she provided was merely a crucial trigger!

Xiao Xun stood with his back to her, hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the deep night outside the window. His back was as tall and straight as a mountain, yet it exuded a chilling, murderous aura. Xin Jiuwei could even feel the icy, bone-chilling killing intent emanating from him.

Xin Jiuwei couldn't help but wonder why Xiao Xun cared so much about Qi Huaiyu's life or death. Even when she stumbled upon his secret at Lingyin Temple, his killing intent wasn't as strong as it was now.

She is the one who hates Qi Huaiyu, but what about Xiao Xun? What is Xiao Xun thinking right now?

Admittedly, he was her helper and her backer. From the day she accidentally drew the worst fortune slip after barging into the main hall, she tried every means to trick Xiao Xun into becoming her backer.

But everything between them should have ended in Yingzhou. The current turmoil in the capital is not only Xiao Xun's scheme, but also a cruel twist of fate.

In Xin Jiuwei's eyes, their entanglement was all about her being in a passive, inferior position. She had to rely on Xiao Xun to survive in the capital. But what was Xiao Xun angry about, and what did he hate about Qi Huaiyu?

He wanted to kill Qi Huaiyu because of her.

Many questions were planted in Xin Jiuwei's mind, but did she really not understand?

She just didn't dare to think about it.

She always lost miserably in front of Xiao Xun.

Time ticked by. The air in the study seemed to solidify into lead, pressing heavily on her heart. Xin Jiuwei could clearly hear her heart pounding faster and faster. Qi Huaiyu… the enemy who had haunted her like a nightmare from past lives, was he currently surrounded by Xiao Xun's blade? Could he escape? If he were caught…

I don't know how much time passed, it felt like an eternity.

Footsteps finally sounded again outside the study, heavy and hurried.

You Ye returned. His close-fitting clothes were damp with the chill of the night dew, and his face appeared somewhat dark and inscrutable in the candlelight. He strode into the study, knelt on one knee facing Xiao Xun's retreating figure, and spoke in a suppressed, somber voice:

"Your Highness! This humble servant is incompetent!"

Xin Jiuwei's heart sank!

Xiao Xun slowly turned around, his face expressionless, only his deep eyes, like a whirlpool in a cold pool, staring coldly at You Ye.

"Speak." That single word carried immense weight.

"Your subordinate led men to Fuyuan Pawnshop in Huai Shu Hutong and broke down the door. The third room in the east wing of the back courtyard... was deserted!" You Ye's voice carried frustration and a hint of barely perceptible surprise. "The room was a mess, with signs of hasty cleaning. There were still unburnt paper ashes in the brazier! We found this in the ashes!"

You Ye presented something with both hands—a small, partially burned piece of paper with charred edges. Several faint characters remained on the paper, vaguely recognizable as "Xin...Yun...Zhou...Bei...Jing..."

Xin Jiuwei's pupils constricted sharply! Her heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an icy hand! Xin Yunzhou! The Northern Border! Among the things Qi Huaiyu burned, there was her brother's name! What was he planning? What was he investigating?!

Xiao Xun took the charred piece of paper, twirled it between his fingers, and his gaze fell on the three characters "Xin Yunzhou," his eyes instantly turning extremely dangerous. He raised his eyes, his icy gaze sweeping over Xin Jiuwei's instantly pale face, finally landing on You Ye: "Anything else?"

"I interrogated the pawnshop manager and his clerk, and they all said that the person renting the east wing was a solitary, taciturn accountant who claimed to be surnamed Li and usually kept to himself. This afternoon... someone saw a suspicious-looking man wearing a straw hat entering and leaving the pawnshop's back door, but no one saw his face clearly. Also..." You Ye paused, his voice lower, "while cleaning up the ashes, we found an extremely well-hidden compartment in the corner. The compartment was empty, but... this remained inside."

He then presented another item—an extremely small, jet-black metal token shaped like a bat! The token felt cold and heavy to the touch, with sharp edges, and an extremely ancient and eerie rune engraved on the back!

The moment he saw the token, Xiao Xun's usually cold and hard expression showed a noticeable change for the first time! His brows furrowed tightly, and his deep eyes surged with a turbulent emotion, a complex mix of shock, solemnity, and even... a trace of fear!

"The Black Bat Token..." Xiao Xun's voice was low and hoarse, as if squeezed out from between his teeth, "He actually got involved with the 'Shadow Pavilion'!"

Shadow Pavilion?!

Xin Jiuwei had never heard of this name before, but from Xiao Xun's sudden change in expression and the chilling aura emanating from the token, she felt an unprecedented, bone-deep coldness! This was clearly an extremely terrifying, hidden force that even Xiao Xun feared! How could Qi Huaiyu be associated with such an organization?!

The atmosphere in the study plummeted to freezing point. Qi Huaiyu's escape, his brother's name in the ashes, and the "Black Bat Token" representing a terrifying force weighed heavily on everyone's hearts like three towering mountains.

Xiao Xun gripped the cold black bat token tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. He looked at Xin Jiuwei, his eyes filled with complex emotions. There was scrutiny for the crucial clues she had provided, a deep concern for her brother's involvement, and even a dangerous, almost instinctive urge to protect her when facing a powerful enemy beyond his control.

“Qi Huaiyu…” Xiao Xun’s voice broke the silence, each word carrying a chilling killing intent and an unprecedented heaviness, “He is more elusive and more dangerous than I expected…”

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