The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 254 - 223, congratulations Your Majesty, the assassin has been captured, tonight you can sleep peacefully.

The setting sun was like blood.

Zhao Douan appeared calm and collected as he spoke those words, scrutinizing the reaction of the person opposite him.

The heart of Thousand Faces God sank abruptly, but then his expression showed confusion, as if he did not understand.

"There’s no need to pretend anymore," Zhao Douan shook his head as he looked down at him,

"Do you know why I guessed it was you?"

He gestured at the surrounding neighborhood, then pointed at himself:

"The proper reaction of the commoners in this place, upon seeing someone dressed like me, is to step aside and avoid trouble."

Hmm... In the Capital, one really could encounter sudden disasters just because of "what worries you"... After all, this was an era where the distinction between officials and civilians was clear-cut.

Direct eye contact with a superior already constituted "disrespect."

Thousand Faces God’s complexion finally changed.

Normally, with his savvy and experience from his time in Jianghu, he should not have made such a rookie mistake.

But, having his Divine Soul recently damaged, he was now in an unstable state of mind.

This was also the reason why he had resorted to violence while in hiding—

It was not just about regaining strength, but also a manifestation of his unsettled mind.

But why...

How did he expose himself?

Surely his true body was well hidden and should not have been traced...

Before he could think further, Thousand Faces God dropped his waist and planted his feet heavily, "crack" making two pits in the broken brick-and-stone path beneath him.

His figure darted away quickly, like a leopard, with no intention of fighting Zhao Douan.

In a flash, he had already sprinted dozens of yards.

Just as he seemed to break free from the other end of the street, his shoulders suddenly felt heavy, as if bearing a mountain, and his legs sank into a quagmire, immobilized.

"Magician..."

Thousand Faces God looked up in shock, and in his pupils reflected an extraordinary scene.

Unbeknownst to him, on both sides of this unremarkable street, dozens of figures had appeared.

Ma Yan, dressed in Jinyi with a steel blade at his waist, stood at the end.

On the low walls on both sides, Zhang Han, Haitang, and other tribunal detectives of various ranks emerged, each holding a weapon.

Their Qi was like a net, and he was the fish trapped within it.

On the ridge of houses on both sides of the street stood several Magicians, clad uniformly in Heavenly Master Mansion robes with cloud patterns, some forming hand seals, others holding Suppressing Objects.

Farther away, an old eunuch in a bright red python robe sat on the pointed roof of a building, not so much to join the fight, but rather to protect Zhao Douan, his withered hands cupped.

His eyes closed, he shook his head and muttered:

"Young people these days, using an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken."

It was unclear whether he was criticizing Zhao Douan or the Empress.

Ma Yan sneered and called out loudly:

"Thanks to everyone for support, by the Imperial Court’s order we capture this criminal—remember, take him alive."

The priests of Heavenly Master Mansion remained silent, thinking no one would steal their credit.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

Zhang Han, holding a seven-foot sword, brought down a refining Sword Qi on his head.

Haitang stretched out her slender hand, accurately throwing multiple Flying Knives without fail.

Thousand Faces God fought like a trapped beast.

But Zhao Douan just shook his head and turned to walk away.

With such an array, he had lost interest in watching the battle. It seemed Ma Yan, in a subtle way, had the intention of using the capture as training for his troops.

...

Stepping away from Mud and Tile Street, Zhao Douan went to a snack stall on the adjacent street.

Under the puzzled gaze of the stall owner, he ordered a bowl of rice noodles and leisurely began to eat.

To avoid alarming the civilians, even just one street away, under the magic of the priests, the scene of hunting the Divine Chapter Cultivator was imperceptible from this side.

On one side of the street, the death throes of a cornered beast; on the other, steaming hot rice noodles.

The contrast was stark.

By the time Zhao Douan had eaten half the bowl,

Haitang walked over quietly.

She sat opposite him and also ordered a bowl of wide noodles.

"Is it over? Why did it take so long?"

Zhao Douan slurped a mouthful of noodles, swallowed, then lifted his head to look at the female detective across from him.

Haitang raised her hand to tidy her slightly messy ponytail.

As she moved, the beauty mark at the corner of her eye was particularly noticeable:

"Doesn’t dealing with the aftermath take time? That scum hid in a family’s home, killed the male owner, and violated the female owner—right in front of them."

As she said this, she nearly gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with unmistakably fierce killing intent:

"He should have been chopped up right there."

Zhao Douan nodded:

"So, he was captured alive?"

After cursing, Haitang exhaled and said,

"His limbs were broken, his Qi Sea shattered; Lord oversaw his transportation back to the Imperial Prison to be punished. Killing him on the spot would have been too easy on him.

However, given the vigilance of the Kuangfu Society, even if we conceal the news, they will likely notice soon enough. I wonder how much we can uncover...

It’s a pity that after entering the Capital, he didn’t seem to have much contact with the local rebels, so digging deeper might not yield much."

Zhao Douan nodded again, a weight lifted from his heart.

At least for a short while, there was no need for vigilance against thieves, and he couldn’t help but laugh:

"After today, the lower-level officials of the Imperial Faction can have a good night’s sleep."

"Thoughtful of you to consider them..."

Haitang jabbed as usual, flipping a colorful mask onto the table:

"Here, the spoils of war, a Suppressing Object that enables shape-shifting, called ’Nine Changes.’ Just wear it on your face and imagine a face in your mind, and it will change to that appearance.

For non-Magicians, it can hold a form for about nine hours.

It should have been archived according to the rules, but Eunuch Hai spoke up, saying you were rewarded for capturing the thief this time, ha, and that it will come in handy for you one day when you’re outside the Capital."

What does he mean, "When I leave, I can use it"... Is it because I have too many enemies... Zhao Douan lamented without the energy to retort.

Still, he perked up and immediately snatched up "Nine Changes."

The material of the mask was unknown.

Mmm, based on my experience in my past life, it’s like soft silicone... Fully painted, quite in the style of Picasso, as if the mask had several layers of faces overlaid.

"Is this how Thousand Faces God changes his appearance?" Zhao Douan asked curiously.

Haitang glanced at him:

"You’re thinking too much. There are many ways to disguise oneself in the world, but to reach the level of Thousand Faces requires many years of arduous cultivation.

He primarily cultivates the Magic Door bestowed by the gods. This mask only possesses a fraction of the capabilities.

For example, he can perfectly replicate someone else, but you can only change your face. As for your body shape, that’s beyond its power."

Zhao Douan felt a bit disappointed, having thought he could transform at will.

It seems the mask’s primary function is not to disguise as others, but to alter one’s appearance to avoid pursuit...

Of course, if the body size is similar, it might still be feasible...

"Hehe, then I shall accept it gratefully."

Zhao Douan stored the mask in a silver scroll, lamenting that his cultivation progress was mediocre, but the treasures he possessed were indeed accumulating.

At this time, the meal Haitang ordered arrived, but Zhao Douan stood up, ready to leave.

The womenfolk at home had been waiting all day; it was time to return.

"By the way, does Her Majesty know about this?"

Zhao Douan’s heart stirred with the thought of entering the palace to report.

But night had fallen.

He wondered if he could spend the night in the palace again by chance, to deepen their connection.

Haitang, pinching her chopsticks, scoffed:

"Eunuch Hai has already gone back. Her Majesty will naturally find out soon."

Old Hai is not subtle at all... No wonder he used the mask to shut my mouth, so he could snatch the opportunity to report... Zhao Douan felt a wave of disappointment.

After two steps, he paused:

"Oh yes, there’s one more thing..."

Haitang, resigned to her fate, held her chopsticks to her bowl of noodles with an expression that said ’go ahead and speak’.

"It just occurs to me, your surname is Haitang, and Eunuch Hai shares the same surname. Is it a common surname in the Capital?"

Zhao Douan was curious.

Haitang fell silent for a moment, her eyelids drooping as the steam from her bowl concealed her brows and eyes:

"Is the surname Zhao that uncommon?"

"… Hehe, indeed it isn’t."

Zhao Douan took a deep look at this female colleague with her mysterious background, laughed heartily, and turned to leave.

Yet a nagging doubt arose in his heart.

However…

He couldn’t be bothered to think further.

Having eliminated a great hidden threat, Zhao Douan left with a full stomach and the spoils of victory, sauntering home leisurely.

But just as he walked out a street and was returning to where he had tied his horse, suddenly, a group of people appeared before him.

There were ten magicians, all clad in the robes of priests, coming forward in silence and calm.

The one leading them looked interested, with a slowly spreading smile on his lips:

"Are you Zhao Douan?"

...

...

Imperial Palace, inside the imperial study.

As the setting sun dipped below the horizon, Xu Zhenguan was inquiring about a matter with Mo Chou.

"...So, this is the result given by Xue Shence? I ordered him to investigate himself, and this is all he found?"

The Empress’s gaze was piercingly cold, her slender eyes exuding strong dissatisfaction.

She slammed a letter down on the table.

Mo Chou stood with her head bowed, offering an explanation:

"Minister Xue says he has done his utmost; indeed, he found no more. It seems that the one who conspired with Zhang Changshuo was this person."

The Empress snorted coldly:

"So, with just a lowly Sixth-rank clerk from the military, Prince Jing’s Mansion managed to steal the gunsmith without anyone noticing?"

Mo Chou dared not make a sound.

Originally, Zhao Douan’s revenge on Zhang Changshuo had inadvertently involved a spy from Prince Jing’s Mansion.

This pointed to a high-ranking military officer in the Privy Council who might secretly be allied with Prince Jing.

Due to the Privy Council’s uniqueness, Xu Zhenguan directed Xue Shence to investigate himself.

With so much time having passed, the person indeed had been found, but the Empress was not satisfied.

"Minister Xue excels at military affairs; indeed, he is not suited for this kind of work."

Mo Chou thought for a moment before diplomatically stating:

"When it came to the rebels in the Imperial Court, even Lord Ma was unable to root them out; it may not necessarily be a lack of willingness."

She knew that Xue Shence, as a vital military figure in the Imperial Faction, was highly valued by Her Majesty.

It was time to extend a lifeline.

Xu Zhenguan sighed softly:

"Not one gives me peace of mind."

Mo Chou blinked and proposed:

"Each has its own specialty. If it comes to investigating internal traitors, playing the game of people, in the end, you still need to find the right person for the job…"

The monarch and subject exchanged a glance, each knowing who the other was referring to.

"The Privy Council is different from other government offices, and the military is an entirely different world compared to civil officials…" The Empress hesitated.

At that moment,

Suddenly, female attendants guarding the doors outside the imperial study began to speak aloud:

"Mr. Hai..."

The spirits of the ruler and minister inside the room lifted.

Xu Zhenguan waved her hand and the doors of the imperial study opened on their own.

The old eunuch in his python robe glided in, bowing:

"Your Majesty, greetings."

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Xu Zhenguan, filled with suspicion, asked, "Is there progress?"

In the evening, Eunuch Hai had left the palace again, claiming to protect Zhao Douan while coordinating with the Imperial Court to devise a plan to capture the traitor.

His abrupt return now suggested something had changed.

Eunuch Hai "mm-hmmed".

Methodically, he recounted Zhao Douan’s search for Ma Yan, the pinpointing of the rebel, and how he gathered a group of people to hunt him down. In conclusion, he bowed and said:

"Congratulations, Your Majesty. The true identity of the assassin and rebel has been captured and imprisoned. Tonight, the officials can sleep well."