Chen Zhennan's heart sank; the situation was critical. He quickly put on the mask.

"The situation has changed. You should disperse immediately and find a safe place."

The shop owner's eyes widened slightly. "General, what are you going to do?"

"I'll figure it out myself, hurry up!"

The shop owner nodded hurriedly, then turned and ran downstairs.

Chen Zhennan grabbed Song Yunming, and the two hurriedly went downstairs, quietly slipped out through the back door, and blended into the bustling street.

The two carefully avoided each other, trying not to attract the attention of others, but Chen Zhennan's eyes never left the entrance of Zuiyuexuan.

Soon, heavy footsteps and the clatter of armor echoed from the end of the street. Two squads of soldiers surged in like an iron torrent, quickly surrounding Zuiyue Pavilion.

Then, Song Xuan's imperial carriage slowly drove up, surrounded by the crowd, its golden canopy dazzling in the sunlight.

Following the dragon carriage were hundreds of soldiers, holding spears and expressionless, like death gods emerging from hell.

Song Xuan slowly stepped down from the imperial carriage, his gaze cold as he swept over the Drunken Moon Pavilion surrounded by soldiers, a cruel smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"Drunken Moon Pavilion is a liaison station for rebels; it must be wiped out today, with no mercy shown!"

At Song Xuan's command, two squads of soldiers charged into Zuiyue Pavilion like wolves and tigers.

In an instant, screams echoed throughout the shop, the sounds of clashing swords, shattering dishes, and wailing filled the air, creating a scene resembling a living hell.

Whether they were guests or waiters at Zuiyuexuan, none were spared; they were killed one after another.

Chen Zhennan, hidden in the crowd, witnessed everything. His hands were clenched into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, yet he felt no pain.

Chen Zhennan's eyes burned with fury, but his heart felt as if it had plunged into an ice cave. He knew very well that Song Xuan's actions were undoubtedly a declaration to the entire world that he intended to exterminate all those who opposed him—this was an attempt to establish his authority!

The carnage was horrifying; everyone inside Zuiyue Pavilion, whether trying to escape or begging for mercy, fell into pools of blood without exception.

The ground was stained red with blood, and the air was filled with a strong, nauseating stench of blood.

Song Xuan stood aside, coldly observing everything as if he were watching a wonderful performance. There was no pity on his face, only endless coldness and cruelty.

As the killing ended and Song Xuan stepped into Zuiyue Pavilion, the lingering stench of blood in the air made him frown.

The decorations in the hall were in ruins, and bloodstains on the floor reflected Song Xuan's cold figure.

Song Xuan's eyes swept over the scattered limbs and remains, but he couldn't find the figure he most wanted to see, Chen Zhennan's corpse.

"Search! Don't miss any corner!"

After receiving their orders, the soldiers immediately began a thorough search. However, despite Song Xuan's men turning Zuiyue Pavilion upside down, they found no trace of it.

Song Xuan's face grew increasingly gloomy, and his fists clenched involuntarily, his knuckles turning pale from the excessive force.

"Chen Zhennan, you can't escape!"

Song Xuan's voice was filled with anger and killing intent. He turned around and coldly gave orders to the generals behind him.

"Seale the entire city, capture Chen Zhennan alive, and search every house and every one of his men planted in Beijing! Dig him out even if you have to dig three feet into the ground. Better to arrest a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free!"

The generals exchanged bewildered glances, sensing Song Xuan's almost insane obsession.

"Yes, Your Majesty. We will immediately mobilize all available forces to seal off the city and search for Chen Zhennan and his cronies."

With Song Xuan's order, the capital city was once again plunged into panic.

On the streets, every household kept their doors and windows tightly shut, and there were very few pedestrians, all for fear of becoming the next victim.

The government soldiers roamed the streets and alleys like hunting dogs, arresting people at will, regardless of age or gender. Anyone suspected of being associated with Chen Zhennan was taken away.

Night fell like a giant black veil, slowly spreading out and shrouding the entire capital city in its shadow.

Chen Zhennan and Song Yunming had been hiding for a whole day and were exhausted. The search in the capital showed no signs of abating, and there were not many places left to hide in the city.

"Yunming, we can't keep hiding like this. Rather than living like rats, we should venture into the tiger's den," Chen Zhennan said in a low voice.

"Going deep into the tiger's den? Brother-in-law, what's your plan?"

Brother-in-law?

Upon hearing those two words, Chen Zhennan felt instantly much more relaxed.

"The more dangerous the place, the safer it is. We'll sneak into the palace tonight and find someone who might be able to help us."

Under the cover of night, Chen Zhennan led Song Yunming to sneak into the palace.

The two proceeded cautiously, trying to avoid attracting any attention, and finally arrived at a quiet courtyard deep within the palace, where Wu Yunyin was located.

"We're here. Come in with me."

The two climbed over the courtyard wall and jumped into the courtyard. Not far away, Wu Yunyin was sitting by the pond, admiring the moonlight.

Hearing the commotion, Wu Yunyin walked out with light steps.

"It's me."

As he spoke, Chen Zhennan stood up and led Song Yunming to Wu Yunyin.

To Wu Yunyin's surprise, the palace maids here ignored Chen Zhennan and did not react at all.

Wu Yunyin looked around, first surprised, then shook her head with a wry smile.

"So that's how it is. So these palace maids are all your people, Chen Zhennan. I really underestimated you, or rather, I wasn't wrong about you at all. You had your men monitoring me all along."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!