Meanwhile, in the First Year of Jiayi, five hundred years ago, events were unfolding in an orderly manner.
Though the spring breeze was gentle, this mansion held no trace of warmth.
Cold, deep-gray tiled eaves, gray walls, unadorned pavilions and corridors, an empty pond without a single ornamental fish, and even the rockery stood bare…
Every detail conveyed that this was an abandoned courtyard, devoid of inhabitants.
Were it not for the rows of phoenix trees lining the paths and the rustling sound of falling leaves, one might not have realized it was already the warm spring—it felt more like the depths of winter.
Suddenly, a figure came running swiftly from the main gate. His steps were steady, and he wore a black flying fish robe with white patterns, a silver-inlaid tiger-head belt around his waist, and a long sword hanging at his side.
He moved with incredible speed, as if carried by the wind. In moments, he had traversed the mansion’s many pavilions and corridors, arriving at its deepest recesses.
Before him stood a majestic main hall. Above the center of its entrance hung a plaque exuding an aura of solemn severity. On this black plaque, three large characters were inscribed in flamboyant, gilded dragon script:
Frost Chill Pavilion.
“Flowers intoxicate a hall of three thousand guests; a single sword chills fourteen provinces with frost.”
Named “Frost Chill,” the very name of this residence revealed its owner’s audacity and ambition.
The door was knocked upon, and the person standing outside respectfully announced to the room within,
“Sir, Vice Minister Duan of the Court of Judicial Review has delivered the wanted notice. Would you care to review it?”
With a straight-backed bow, Ashu held up a sheet of white paper, presenting it before the door.
“Enter.”
The next moment, an icy-cold voice came directly from within the room.
It was like millennia-old frozen steel—low and resonant, wrapping all its chill within before slowly seeping out.
Ashu lowered his head, bending his body even further downward, before replying, “Yes.”
With that, he gently pushed the door open.
Just like the owner of that voice, Ashu felt as though he had stepped into the depths of winter upon entering the room. Cold weapons filled the space, their sharp edges piercing his vision.
At the very center of the room stood an exceptionally wide black-lacquered desk adorned with cloud patterns.
The desktop was covered with books, a sheet of white paper spread flat, an inkstone already prepared, and a flawless, translucent jade pendant placed at the corner.
Before the desk stood a tall, imposing figure. Standing nearly six feet three inches tall, this man carried an innate, overwhelming presence.
He wore a black straight-collared robe, its fabric embroidered with intricate patterns in black silk. The cuffs were adorned with golden cloud motifs, and a jade-inlaid gold belt fastened at his waist. On his feet were black boots.
Broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, his frame was robust and powerfully built.
Hearing the door open, the brush in his hand did not pause but continued to glide slowly across the painting before him.
The pristine white paper was instantly stained with ink, spreading into a small blot.
“Sir.”
Only when Ashu softly called out again did the man finally lift his gaze from the painting.
His eyes were narrow and long, his brows sharp and well-defined. His pupils were pitch-black, and his gaze was piercing—like a divine blade honed to slice through iron as if it were mud.
Having served by Xu Ge’s side for so many years, Ashu could never help but shiver involuntarily whenever he met that gaze.
This feeling was akin to the helplessness of being stripped naked and nailed to a pillar of shame, subjected to intense scrutiny.
A slender hand gently placed the brush on the inkstone. He lifted the hem of his robe and sat in the chair, raising his sharply defined chin toward Ashu. “Place it on the table.”
“Yes.”
Ashu bowed his head and swiftly arranged the paper in his hand on the cleared space of the table.
After completing the task assigned by Xu Ge, he turned and left without hesitation, closing the door behind him.
The faint trace of human presence that had just filled the room vanished without a trace in an instant.
Xu Ge leaned lazily against the chair, his gaze falling on the delivered paper. After a moment, he reached out and took it in his hand.
Following the creases of the folded paper, he unfolded it, and black characters gradually appeared before his eyes.
“Zhongshu Ling Yan Kaiji, arrogant and disrespectful, spreads deceitful words to mislead the masses, causing chaos and corruption in the court. By imperial decree, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is ordered to arrest all members of the Yan family. Female members shall be consigned to government brothels, and male members shall be executed on the spot!”
The signature read: Dali Si Shaoqing, Duan Qianren.
Clearly, this letter was a hastily delivered verdict.
Xu Ge’s eyes focused, and as he looked at the three large characters “Yan Kaiji” on the paper, he finally couldn’t help but curl the corners of his lips.
His entire cold and stern face now carried a hint of wickedness.
He gently traced the three characters with his fingertip, his tone detached and polite yet tinged with a faint, elusive madness.
“Lord Yan, your head is mine, Xu Ge.”
With that, he casually waved his arm, and the paper fluttered like a butterfly with broken wings toward the desk, ultimately landing precisely on the jade pendant.
Xu Ge stood up briskly, his black robes swaying lightly with the movement.
He walked directly to the weapon rack on one side of the room, where cold weapons were displayed, and casually picked up a long sword with a white jade-inlaid scabbard.
This blade was a treasure Xu Ge had obtained when he led the army to subdue the barbarian tribes of the Western Regions upon reaching adulthood.
In his life so far, Xu Ge had liked very few things, and this treasured blade was one of them.
He personally named it—Severed String Blade.
Before Xu Ge could turn to leave, a faint tremor suddenly emanated from behind him. This vibration was almost imperceptible, but the keen Xu Ge instantly detected the anomaly.
He turned swiftly, his movements lightning-fast. In that split second, the Severed String Blade was already unsheathed, pointing directly at the jade pendant resting on the desk.
Not only was there a tremor, but the brilliant glow that now emanated from it was also fully captured in Xu Ge’s eyes.
For the first time in his life, a flicker of astonishment crossed the eyes of Xu Ge, the Cold-Faced King of Hell who terrorized the imperial city.
This jade pendant was a treasure bestowed upon him by the emperor just yesterday. Today, he had merely taken it out to fiddle with briefly, never expecting it to harbor dark sorcery.
Xu Ge remained motionless, quietly observing the anomaly before him.
White mist swirled for a moment, and as it dissipated, the “verdict” that had been covering the jade pendant vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.
After waiting a while longer, Xu Ge, still holding the Severed String Blade, finally moved.
He sheathed the blade, his black boots stepping on the floor. The heavy footsteps sounded eerily out of place in the quiet room.
Staring at the jade pendant on the table, which appeared unchanged from before, Xu Ge furrowed his brow tightly and reached out to take it in his hand.
The jade pendant felt cool and smooth to the touch, as if every sensation was telling him that everything that had just occurred was an illusion.
Meanwhile, Tang Zhiwu, who had just logged into WeChat, felt her phone vibrate in her hand, accompanied by the app’s distinctive notification sound.
A user with a string of numbers as their name and a black-and-white profile picture had sent her a message.
Puzzled, Tang Zhiwu tapped open the chat window and found that the other party had sent a seemingly nonsensical message:
【Grand Secretariat Director Yan Kaiji, arrogant and contemptuous, spreads deceitful words to mislead the masses, causing chaos and corruption in the imperial court. By the Emperor’s decree, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is ordered to arrest all members of the Yan family. The women are to be conscripted as courtesans, and the men are to be executed on the spot!】