Chapter 183: Infiltration

Inside a courtyard next to a street, the Demoness, accompanied by Meng Qi and two others, pushed open the door to a side room.

“Venerable Sovereign,” the person inside quickly stood up, his expression a mix of reverence and awe bordering on devoutness.

Upon seeing him, Meng Qi immediately understood the Demoness’s plan for infiltration. The man was a middle-aged eunuch, and judging from his attire, he was a high-ranking official. It was clear that he had been a secret agent planted by the Demon Sect many years ago and had finally come into use today.

Indeed, the imperial palace was as solid as a fortress, but who could ever fully control the human heart? Meng Qi suddenly felt a surge of reflection.

The Demoness nodded composedly, “This task is dangerous. Is there anything you still wish to accomplish?”

Once discovered, the Demoness and Meng Qi would likely escape using their martial prowess, but this eunuch would have no chance of survival.

The middle-aged eunuch replied emotionally, “I am willing to devote my life to the revival of our Holy Sect without hesitation!”

“Good, very good. Once this mission is complete, you will return to the Sect to assume an important role.” The Demoness, far from being a leader who had become foolish from excessive martial arts training, naturally understood the importance of encouragement and winning people’s loyalty.

Turning to Meng Qi and the others, she introduced, “Yu Tong’en, the eunuch in charge of procurement.”

Ordinary eunuchs were generally called inner attendants or officials, but those who bore the title “Grand Eunuch” were at least heads of certain palace affairs. Yu Tong’en was clearly the chief in charge of external purchases, a highly lucrative position, which meant his relationship with the senior palace eunuchs must be quite strong. Upon hearing this, Meng Qi felt somewhat reassured.

After exchanging nods and greetings, the Demoness succinctly stated, “Once we enter the palace, we will wait for nightfall and the locking of the palace gates. I will personally launch a sudden attack on Wang Derang in the Diligent Governance Hall and keep him occupied. You will infiltrate the Supreme Harmony Hall to confirm the old man’s condition.”

The Diligent Governance Hall was where the emperor handled daily affairs, adjacent to the Council of State Affairs. When Right Chancellor Wang Derang stayed overnight within the palace, he usually resided there. It was very close to the Supreme Harmony Hall, the emperor’s sleeping quarters. With the Right Chancellor’s power, guarding this area was equivalent to guarding the Supreme Harmony Hall, preventing assassination attempts on the emperor and tampering with the imperial will—Wang Derang, being a staunch traditionalist Confucian scholar, would not violate etiquette by staying directly in the emperor’s sleeping quarters.

“I need the layout of the palace defenses and the patrol routes,” Meng Qi said. Although he had the Shape-Shifting Art, the palace was filled with experts, any of whom might see through his disguise. Therefore, a conventional infiltration approach was essential.

Yu Tong’en did not ask questions, simply handing Meng Qi several sheets of paper and saying, “Burn them after reading.”

The rest of the time was spent by Meng Qi, Luo Shengyi, and Ruan Yushu studying the defense layout and patrol routes, discussing the infiltration plan.

At the hour of Shen, as the sun began to set in the west, Yu Tong’en stood up and said, “I must return to the palace with the purchases. Please, everyone.”

He led Meng Qi and the others through a secret tunnel to a warehouse in the adjacent courtyard, filled with pigs, cows, sheep, fruits, and vegetables, all loaded onto nine carts.

“The bellies of the pigs and cows have been hollowed out. You can hide inside, but remember to breathe lightly,” Yu Tong’en reminded them.

Meng Qi frowned slightly, “An extra person will change the sound and marks left by the wheels on the ground.”

The weight difference was obvious, and the guards at the palace gates were all skilled martial artists who would surely notice such a detail.

“The bottom layer of the first few sacks of flour is real, but the inside contains light materials like paper scraps and silk, making it just right to balance a person’s weight,” Yu Tong’en had not overlooked this aspect.

Since hiding one person was manageable but hiding multiple individuals would be more complicated, Meng Qi and the Demoness’s group of four were each hidden in separate carts, while the remaining five carts were unproblematic, creating a mix of real and fake loads.

With no further doubts, Meng Qi chose a fat pig and climbed inside. The stench of blood was overwhelming, nearly making him vomit, and breathing became difficult.

He activated the Golden Bell Shield technique, making his breathing imperceptible, entering a half-turtle hibernation state. Yu Tong’en then used silk thread to sew up the incisions on the pigs and cows, covering them with fruits and vegetables. At a glance, it was impossible to distinguish the deception.

Once everything was ready, Yu Tong’en summoned the younger eunuchs from the outer courtyard, hitched the horses, and drove the carts back into the palace.

Meng Qi felt his body rising and falling, occasionally bumping into protrusions, shaking slightly. He had no idea how long had passed when the cart finally stopped. He faintly heard a voice say, “Master Yu, another bountiful harvest, I see.”

Yu Tong’en’s sharp voice chuckled, “You’ve all worked hard lately, so naturally, I must prepare good meat and vegetables for you.”

“Thank you, Master Yu,” said the palace guards, approaching casually to inspect the fruits and vegetables, poking at the pigs and sheep.

Feeling the guard drawing closer to the pig where he was hiding, Meng Qi immediately tensed up, ready to strike at any moment.

At that moment, Yu Tong’en approached, chuckling softly, “I got delayed by watching some plays and fear I’ll be scolded by Chief Steward Wang. Please, gentlemen, be kind and let me make it back on time.”

He quietly slipped a bag of silver to the guards.

“Master Yu, you’ve always been a play enthusiast. Which famous actor have you taken a fancy to this time?” The guard leader, understanding the implication, chuckled and stepped back.

“Later, later,” Yu Tong’en replied with a laugh, continuing to move forward.

The carts resumed their journey, passing through the deep gateway into the imperial palace.

Listening to the echoing sounds, Meng Qi felt an eerie quietness envelop him. He mused inwardly that even if the palace defenses were flawless, the human heart was always full of vulnerabilities.

The carts turned many corners before finally arriving at the warehouse of the Imperial Kitchen. Yu Tong’en called out loudly, “It’s getting dark. You should go have dinner. Just find some junior attendants to unload the goods.”

Junior attendants were the lowest tier in the eunuch hierarchy, tasked only with physical labor.

“Thank you, Master Yu!” His younger eunuchs were elated, feeling that Master Yu was being unusually kind to them.

After they left, Yu Tong’en coughed lightly, signaling a secret code—his personal attendants had gone to prepare his dinner.

Threads snapped one by one, and Meng Qi and the others emerged, hiding deeper into the warehouse.

Smelling the stench of blood on himself, Meng Qi glanced at the Demoness and Ruan Yushu, both still immaculate in their white robes and skirts, and couldn’t help but grumble inwardly that they must have been using their inner energy to shield themselves from the environment—what a waste!

After the junior attendants finished unloading the goods, Yu Tong’en dismissed them and led Meng Qi and the others out of the warehouse, hiding inside the Imperial Kitchen. By now, night had fallen, and dinner was over. The kitchen was filled with steaming pastries kept warm, and only a few junior attendants remained to tend the fires. It was the perfect place to hide.

The group hid on the beams above, the faint aroma of pastries drifting into their noses.

Ruan Yushu stared intently at the steaming baskets below and the pastries that didn’t require warming, murmuring to herself:

“Pea cake, lotus seed cake, water chestnut cake, sesame roll, red bean roll, jade green bean cake, osmanthus steamed chestnut flour cake…”

Meng Qi faintly heard the sound of her swallowing and, barely suppressing a smile, said, “Go ahead, I’ll treat you.”

“Really?” Ruan Yushu turned her head toward him in surprise.

“Dinner was just served, and no one will think of eating desserts for a while. By the time anyone notices, we’ll have completed our mission and left the palace,” Meng Qi said with a grin.

Even if someone did notice, they would first suspect the junior eunuchs or attendants. By the time the truth was uncovered, plenty of time would have passed.

Ruan Yushu, unusually agreeing with Meng Qi, nodded slightly and quietly slid down from the beam. While the attendants were occupied tending the fires, she swiftly reached out and grabbed several pastries that didn’t require warming—taking only one of each kind so the theft wouldn’t be noticed.

Then she crouched back down, moving behind the steaming baskets. Taking advantage of the cover, she slowly lifted a corner of the lid and grabbed a few more pastries.

The entire process was carried out with careful precision, as if she had rehearsed it countless times in her mind.

Back on the beam, Ruan Yushu began eating quickly in small bites. Suddenly, she paused, hesitated, and pursed her lips. Without looking at Meng Qi, she silently handed him a pastry, her eyes fixed ahead as if making eye contact would cause her to regret it: “For you.”

Meng Qi suppressed a grin and took it without hesitation, popping it into his mouth. It really was delicious.

Luo Shengyi and the Demoness both closed their eyes to rest, waiting for the night to deepen.

After about half an hour, Yu Tong’en gave a secret signal from outside. The four of them left the kitchen and met him at a garden corner.

He handed Meng Qi and the others three sets of guard uniforms, grappling hooks, ropes, and other items before turning and leaving without a word.

Each of the three found a secluded spot to change into the guard uniforms.

“Half an hour later, I will make my move. Can you reach the Supreme Harmony Hall?” the Demoness asked as usual.

The Supreme Harmony Hall was heavily guarded, and without any commotion from the Diligent Governance Hall, the Demoness knew it would be difficult for her to sneak in unnoticed. Therefore, timing was crucial.

Meng Qi nodded, “No problem.”

With the patrol route map and defense layout, the biggest challenge was the guards at the Supreme Harmony Hall, but half an hour should be sufficient to reach the emperor’s sleeping quarters.

Without further words, the Demoness left at a steady pace, her silhouette swaying, seemingly gradually merging into the darkness—truly becoming one with the shadows—before vanishing completely.

Meng Qi and the other three exchanged glances but did not speak. Following their previously discussed plan, they set off in their respective directions. Timing their movements precisely, they always managed to slip past corridors and gateways between patrols and during moments when the rooftop guards shifted their gaze.

Soon, the three were just one hall away from the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Yet, the security here was even tighter, with numerous patrols constantly on the move. There was no chance to advance without being spotted. The pavilions and halls that could serve as hiding spots were too far from their target, making it impossible to rely solely on the Shape-Shifting Art to sprint through undetected.

Meng Qi had anticipated this. Taking a deep breath, he extended his mind outward, enveloping himself, Ruan Yushu, and Luo Shengyi. Like a gecko, he climbed onto the roof and flew like a strange bird, soaring over the first patrol.

Thanks to the Shape-Shifting Art’s effect, the sound was minimal, drawing no attention from the guards.

Mid-air, Meng Qi was about to descend when he suddenly threw out a grappling hook, catching the eave of a nearby hall.

Snap! A faint sound was made as the hook latched onto the eave.

At that moment, a guard slipped, making a louder noise.

Meng Qi pulled hard, launching himself upward again, landing in the shadow of the roof. Ruan Yushu and Luo Shengyi arrived almost simultaneously.

Thank goodness for the Shape-Shifting Art…Meng Qi thought with relief. Though the technique was no longer effective in actual combat, it remained his ultimate auxiliary skill.

Taking advantage of the guards’ distraction as they checked on the one who had slipped, Meng Qi and the others crossed the rooftops, jumping directly onto the walls and hiding near the Supreme Harmony Hall.

Outside the Supreme Harmony Hall, guards stood every dozen steps, and several more patrolled the rooftops, all of them martial experts with bulging temples.