The study of the Six Gates returned to its inherent silence. Tran Kien, in the identity of Ve Nhan, did not linger there for too long. He respectfully accepted the thick stack of case files, then quietly departed under the surveillance of the black-robed man named Black Crow. He could sense Black Crow's gaze—like an invisible dagger, ceaselessly probing his every movement, his every breath.
He did not return to the inn immediately. Instead, he took a stroll around the western district of the city, where the blacksmithing quarters and a labyrinth of narrow alleys were located. He walked aimlessly, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, occasionally stopping before a street vendor to pretend to browse their wares. He was doing what any hunted prey would do: erasing his tracks and probing the hunter.
After confirming that Black Crow was only monitoring from afar and had no intention of approaching, he slipped into a narrow alley, weaved through several other passageways to completely shake off his tail, before returning to the inn via an entirely different route. This level of caution had become sheer instinct.
Entering his room, he did not light a lamp. He sat in the darkness, not rushing to examine the files. He was replaying the entirety of his meeting with Tao Chinh.
He cares not who I am. He only cares what I can do. Tran Kien analyzed. This case was not merely a trial; it was a trap. If he solved it, Tao Chinh would gain a sharp knife to wield. If he failed, or lost his life during the investigation, it would be of no loss to the man. Tao Chinh could even borrow another's hand to eliminate an unstable factor like him. It was truly a stratagem of 'killing two birds with one stone'.
He knew that on this chessboard, he had no path of retreat.
Once his mind was completely tranquil, he finally lit the lamp and began his true work. He unrolled the map of the Thang Long Imperial Capital, then flipped through the pages of the case file.
The files were meticulously recorded, yet contained little useful information. Seven missing maidens. All commoners. All possessed refined features. All vanished in the dead of night without a trace. The only commonality, if there was one, was that they were all born in the seventh lunar month.
The seventh month, the month of wandering ghosts. Tran Kien slightly furrowed his brows. The culprit targeted victims with specific birthdates and acted according to a fixed temporal pattern. This was no ordinary kidnapping. This was an evil, heretical ritual.
He took a writing brush and marked the locations of the seven victims' homes on the map. The seven red dots were scattered, but when he used a red thread to connect them, a horrifying thought flashed through his mind.
He didn't look at the shape they formed. He looked at their locations in relation to the spiritual landmarks of the capital: The Temple of Literature, the White Horse Temple, the Tran Quoc Pagoda... These seven points, along with these landmarks, seemed to form the nodes of a colossal array formation! A type of Blood Sacrifice Array used to gather Yin energy and resentful aura, which he had read about in the legacy of the Blood Hand Demon General.
If this is an array formation, then it must have a core. Tran Kien analyzed. The core of this formation was the exact place the culprit would conduct the final ritual. And its location, based on the laws of the array...
His finger traced across the map, finally stopping at a single point. The old ferry crossing on the banks of the To Lich River. It was the exact location he had previously deduced based on the shape of the Big Dipper constellation.
All clues pointed in a single direction.
Tomorrow was the day the culprit would strike next. And that ferry crossing was the final stage.
Tran Kien did not stop there. He immediately stood up and left the inn. He did not go to report to Tao Chinh. The evidence was still insufficient. Furthermore, he didn't want the Six Gates to interfere too early and beat the grass to scare the snake. He needed to verify it himself.
He made his way to the blacksmithing quarters, then walked along the banks of the To Lich River. The river was incredibly still at night, accompanied only by the croaking of frogs. Flanking the banks were tall reeds growing over a person's head, forming a flawless hiding place.
Tran Kien did not walk on the path. He utilized his lightness movement arts, gliding gently over the tips of the grass without leaving a single trace. The Primordial Chaos Qi circulating within his body heightened all his senses to the absolute limit.
Approaching the old ferry crossing, he suddenly stopped.
He caught a very faint, yet incredibly familiar scent. The scent of "Heavenly Vile Grass," a toxic herb commonly used by the demonic cultivators of the Black Dragon Stronghold to conceal their auras.
Tran Kien's heart clenched slightly. It is indeed them.
He did not advance. He silently scaled an ancient banyan tree in the distance, hiding within its dense foliage to observe.
The ferry crossing appeared desolate, with only a few rotting small boats anchored there. But under Tran Kien's tempered eyes, he could spot at least five intricately laid traps surrounding the area.
And in the center of the crossing lay a flat boulder. Upon it were carved ancient Shamanic runes, forming a minor array formation designed to absorb Yin energy.
This was the ritual site!
While Tran Kien was observing, two black shadows silently emerged from a patch of reeds. Wearing the garb of the Black Dragon Stronghold, they carefully inspected the traps.
"Is everything ready?" one asked.
"Rest easy," the other sneered. "Tomorrow night, once the eighth prey appears, the grand array will be complete. When the time comes for the Cave Master to use the blood sacrifice to break through, Marquis Vinh An will also get what he desires. This entire Imperial Capital will be ours."
The two conversed for a moment before silently vanishing again.
Tran Kien sat in the tree, his entire body running cold. This case was not merely a blood sacrifice ritual. It was part of an even grander conspiracy, a conspiracy targeting the entirety of the Thang Long Imperial Capital! The Cave Master of the Black Dragon Stronghold wanted to break through? Marquis Vinh An wanted something?
He knew he had accidentally touched the reverse scale of a colossal python.
But he was not afraid. On the contrary, a raging fire ignited within his eyes.
You want to turn the Imperial Capital into a purgatory? he thought inwardly, his hand gripping the hilt of the saber hidden in his bundle. Then you must step over the corpse of I, Ve Nhan, first!
He did not return to the Six Gates. He knew that although Tao Chinh was powerful, he was a politician and would not act without concrete evidence. He had to act alone.
He quietly left the ferry crossing area. He did not return to the inn. He headed toward a market that sold various array formation materials.
Tomorrow night would not be a siege and capture.
It would be a counter-slaughter. He would use the enemy's own trap as their very grave. For his first move on the chessboard of the Imperial Capital, he would make the entire board tremble.