Chapter Sixty-Three: Trapping the Turtle in the Jar, The Night of the Full Moon

Han Chong considered in his heart that this old Daoist still had his uses, so he decided to spare his life.

Upon leaving the dungeon, the portly Prefect and his entourage were waiting at the door. Seeing Han Chong release the old Daoist, he was startled and asked, "Doctor Han, how did it go? Did you manage to force the antidote out of him?"

Han Chong nodded. "I have obtained the antidote. I will go now to prepare it. Prefect, simply take it as prescribed and you will be fine. As for the old Daoist, his leg is broken and he won't be able to escape. Just keep him guarded."

The Prefect was delighted and made no mention of Han Chong’s releasing the old Daoist. With a glance, ten elite guards surrounded the old man, not letting him out of their sight.

The old Daoist’s lips twitched. With the Blood Talisman Banner in the Prefect’s mansion preventing him from casting spells, and ten elite guards watching him, even with his skills, escape was impossible.

Following the old Daoist’s instructions, Han Chong went to the kitchen and mixed white vinegar with soot from the bottom of the pot to form black pills. After both he and the Prefect took them, they immediately felt relief—the pain in chest and abdomen vanished, and the Prefect was moved to tears in gratitude.

Han Chong returned to his room, pondering that the so-called celestial pill the Prefect had taken was actually the fetus of a Mad Gu Mouse. Only ten days remained; when the Gu Mouse emerged, the four Decisive Captains would be under its control, and Yunzhou would be in grave danger.

If he exposed the conspiracy directly, the rebels might scatter and become harder to apprehend. It was better to play along and capture them all in one sweep.

He left the Prefect’s mansion and returned to the provincial office.

"Captain Han, we have investigated: each of the four Decisive Bureaus has a commander at the Transcendent Realm, ten or so captains at the Innate Realm, over a hundred peerless warriors at the Postnatal Realm, and nearly five thousand martial artists. With these four bureaus guarding Yunzhou, the city is as impenetrable as iron. Even an army of a hundred thousand could not break it," Captain Ning reported.

"Very well," Han Chong replied. "I will see General Guo. The rebels’ plot is revealed; it's time to cast the net."

Han Chong went to the rear courtyard, holding the Black Tiger command token, passed through several guards, and arrived at the secret training chamber of the Copper-armored General.

The door opened, and the general’s eyes brightened at Han Chong’s arrival.

"Captain Han, have you uncovered any clues?"

"Reporting to General, I have already investigated," Han Chong replied, recounting all he had learned. The general broke out in cold sweat, never imagining that such a massive rebel faction was hidden within Yunzhou’s jurisdiction.

"Captain Han, the rebels are powerful and scattered. How do you plan to deal with them?"

---

"Set a trap. Notify the four Decisive Commanders and let the rebel leaders attack through the four gates, trapping them within the city."

"This is a clever plan, but killing a few minions is useless. The Four Grievance Commanders are all late-stage Cultivators, and even if surrounded, it’s hard to bring them to justice. My strength is only half recovered. The four Decisive Commanders alone cannot keep any of them from escaping! If they slip away, trouble will linger."

Han Chong understood the threat well, especially the woman with the silver mask, whose strength was unfathomable. But now, it was a do-or-die situation; there was no other way.

"General, the imperial court offers no aid, and above the Four Grievance Commanders is an even more formidable Evil Spirit Lord, whereabouts unknown and harder to face. The priority is to secure Yunzhou; the rest must be handled step by step."

"Agreed. We must stabilize the situation. I will report to the central command. When reinforcements arrive, we can pursue the remaining rebels."

Han Chong, however, kept silent about the Silver Moon Mirror. If he could obtain it within ten days, it would be a trump card against the silver-masked woman.

But the clues to the mirror were only four nonsensical lines of poetry, impossible to decipher, and the eccentric Daoist’s information was unreliable. Who knew how much he actually knew?

That night, Han Chong concealed himself and arrived at the Decisive Bureau in the North City, stopping before the commander’s chamber. A Blood Talisman sticker glowed yellow, exposing his invisibility technique.

Two guards were startled, drawing their swords.

"Who goes there?" a stern voice thundered from within.

Han Chong, taken aback, produced the Black Tiger command token from his sleeve.

"I am Han Chong, Captain of the Demon-slaying Division, under orders from General Guo to visit the Commander."

The door opened. A square-faced man sat on the couch, his eyes sharp, examining the token in Han Chong’s hand.

"Please enter," he said. Han Chong stepped inside; the man waved his hand, closing the door.

"So, you are the Demon-slaying Captain? What brings you here?"

"Commander, Yunzhou is about to face chaos. Rebels from the previous dynasty intend to seize the city. They have planted Gu worms in the Prefect’s abdomen. In ten days, the Gu will mature, and the four commanders will be invited to a gathering. The Gu Mouse will burst forth, infecting the four commanders, and Yunzhou will fall. General Guo ordered me to inform you all: set a trap, lure the rebels into the city, and capture them all at once."

"What! Such a thing! I understand. Thank you for informing me. Please tell General Guo that I will comply."

---

"Then I shall take my leave," Han Chong said.

He exited the North City barracks, notified the other three commanders in turn, and finally returned to the Prefect’s mansion.

...

"Doctor Han, is there something you need?" Two of the elite guards watching the black-robed Daoist saluted.

"Heh, I need to borrow the old Daoist for a few days."

"But... without the Prefect’s permission, this might not be appropriate," the two looked troubled.

"He is my captive. The Prefect gave me a token. If anything happens, I will take responsibility," Han Chong declared, displaying the brass token from the Prefect.

"As you wish, Doctor Han. With the Prefect’s token, we will let you through," they said, exchanging glances and stepping aside as Han Chong grabbed the old Daoist by the neck and walked out.

"Master Five, where are you taking me? Are you letting me go?" the old Daoist asked with a fawning smile, his eyes darting about.

"We’re searching for treasure. I must have the mirror this time. If you help me, you’ll go free; if not, today next year will mark your death."

The old Daoist swallowed, his face full of misery.

"Master, that treasure is just a rumor. If it were so easy to find, the King of England would have taken it long ago."

"I don’t care. Lead the way." Outside the Prefect’s mansion, Han Chong tightened his grip, causing the old Daoist pain as he reluctantly pointed west toward Silver River.

They arrived at a deserted spot, then soared into the sky on Han Chong’s sword, traveling for four hours until they reached the banks of Silver River, hundreds of miles away.

"What next?"

"Ah, Master Five, the poem says: 'Moon above, river below.' I guess, during the full moon, an underwater channel becomes visible. But Silver River stretches thousands of miles—how would we ever find it?"

"During the full moon?" Han Chong looked up. The moon was more than half full; three or five days remained until it was complete.