The spring breeze swirled around the eaves of the Zhu family's old house, unable to penetrate the damp chill of the half-story underground cellar. The stone floor was covered with half-dry straw. Yue Tingzhou sat down and first turned the rough ceramic teacup containing the blood-enriching soup three times – it was a habit ingrained in him. Whenever he had to make a life-or-death decision, he always turned the teacup a certain number of times before committing. Three silver needles, each three inches long, had been inserted into the acupuncture points on the back of his neck by Zhu Huali. The coldness of the silver mixed with the tingling sensation of the needles entering the points, spreading down his spine to his fingertips. The bitter scent of mugwort mixed with the blood-enriching herbs choked his throat, and the rough stems of the herbs brushed against the back of his wrist exposed from his sleeve, making him twitch his fingertips. He actively circulated the "Still Waters" technique, and the true energy, like a cold pool disturbed by a stone, surged along his meridians towards the long-stagnant膻中 (Dantian) acupoint. The blockage left by the old case five years ago was like iron filings embedded in the blood vessels. Each surge of energy caused a heart-piercing pain. He clenched the straw with his fingers, the stems scratching his palm and causing blood to ooze, but he didn't loosen his grip. There were only twelve hours left until he infiltrated the Heng律 (Heng Law) Bureau. There was no time for a second period of meditation. Reaching the "Qi Circulation" realm was the threshold for accessing the core vault, and if he couldn't overcome it, the cultivation qualifications of all 372 disciples of the Yue and Zhu families would be revoked, not to mention the promise to obtain the "Mother Scroll" of the Heavenly Mandate within thirty-five days and publicly release the life-extending algorithm, leaving no room for negotiation. Zhu Huali's fingertips held the fourth silver needle, her knuckles tinged with white due to the consumption of spiritual energy. Her other hand unconsciously slid across the miniature silver abacus hanging from her waist – it was a habit she had when thinking, the beads being moved backward represented the risks she couldn't openly acknowledge. Just as she was about to insert the needle into his "mingmen" (life gate) acupoint, Yue Tingzhou's temples suddenly pulsed, and a faint green spiritual energy seeped from the gaps in his meridians. The second blockage, the "shenque" (sacred aperture) acupoint, was unblocked. Before she could release her energy, a sharp scraping sound suddenly came from the heavy stone door of the cellar, and someone was prying the lock from outside. The clanging sound of the copper lock being forced open scraped against her eardrums, echoing in the silent cellar. The spiritual energy immediately reversed, a sweet and fishy taste surged in Yue Tingzhou's throat, and he forced himself to swallow the blood with a metallic taste. His fingertips lightly tapped three times on his knee, signaling Zhu Huali to go to the door and control the intruders. He couldn't move; the reversed spiritual energy was like wild snakes, and any distraction could lead to a loss of control and a complete waste of the half-month of preparation he had undergone. Zhu Huali's silver needle hovered in the air. She slowly withdrew her hand and pressed it on the hilt of the soft sword hanging at her waist. She leaned closer to his ear and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "Control your spiritual energy and don't be distracted. I'll take care of the intruders." Yue Tingzhou's Adam's apple moved, and he spoke in a strained voice, "Follow the plan. Be careful not to kill anyone." As she stood up, her footsteps were incredibly light, the straw on the floor making a faint rustling sound. The scraping sound from the stone door grew louder, and light from outside seeped through the crack. A figure in a gray short jacket was pressed against the stone door, hugging a round, turquoise porcelain jar, and was straining to pry open the last lock. Yue Tingzhou's back was tense like a drawn bow, and he slowly suppressed the reversed spiritual energy back into his dantian. The blood on his palm was smeared on the indigo-colored robe. He held his breath, listening to the sounds from the stone door, and his senses were heightened to the extreme. The stone door opened with a "click" as the lock broke. As it was pushed open just a fraction of an inch, Zhu Huali flicked her wrist, and the sheath of her soft sword struck the intruder's wrist bone. Her fingertips, holding a half-inch long silver "If I had known, I wouldn't have dared to barge in, even if you had given me ten times the courage!" Zhu Huali asked, her fingertip twirling the silver acupuncture needle. "When did he tell you? What did he say?" The silver tip of the needle glinted, making the guard's eyelids twitch. "Just this morning! He said it had to be delivered before酉时 (a traditional Chinese time, roughly 5-7 PM), and that the person inside was recovering, so the medicine couldn't be late... I really don't know anything else! I'm just a fire-tender. Dr. Lu often gives us ointment for chilblains, and I wouldn't lie to him, would I?" The guard was crying, his pants smeared with soot. Yue Tingzhou and Zhu Huali exchanged a look, their hearts sinking. They had only mentioned their seclusion once, three days ago, when they were reviewing the infiltration route with Lu Jianwei at the medical hall. He not only remembered the exact time, but also knew the location of the ZHU family's secret hideout. "Did Dr. Lu say what kind of medicine this was?" Yue Tingzhou crouched down and pressed his fingertip on the guard's shoulder acupoint, releasing the restraint. The guard rubbed his numb shoulders, shook his head with a mournful expression: "He didn't say, he just said it was for the person inside, and that if I dared to peek, he wouldn't treat my mother's cough anymore. My mother has been suffering from a cough for three years, and she relies on Dr. Lu's medicine to keep it under control. I really don't dare to ask more..." Zhu Huali took two taels of silver coins from her sleeve and handed them to him, softening her tone: "You must not tell anyone about what happened today. Just pretend you never came to this cellar, and don't mention us to Dr. Lu, okay?" The guard nodded repeatedly, clutching the silver coins tightly, and after bowing several times, he stumbled out of the cellar, deliberately making less noise when closing the door, afraid of disturbing others. Yue Tingzhou reached out to take the blue porcelain medicine bottle from Zhu Huali's hand. As his fingertips touched the bottom, he felt a circle of raised patterns. The cool porcelain surface brushed against his fingertips, and he had seen those patterns countless times in the confidential files of the Heng律司 (Heng律司, a fictional organization): they were the cloud patterns, the exclusive mark of the Tian命书 (Tian命书, a fictional organization). Yue Tingzhou's fingertips traced the golden cloud patterns on the bottom of the bottle, his calloused fingertips brushing against the raised patterns. The cool porcelain surface was filled with the damp smell of mugwort from the cellar, which was so cold that it made his fingertips stiff. The clear fragrance of the solidifying meridian pill leaked from the gap in the stopper, mixed with the lingering smell of gunpowder on Zhu Huali, making his nose tingle. Zhu Huali leaned over, and as her fingertips touched the cloud patterns, she quickly pulled back. She had just performed the acupuncture technique, and her spiritual energy was severely depleted, her fingertips were as white as ice. The abacus slipped from her sleeve to her palm, and she instinctively pushed three beads, making a crisp "click" sound three times in the empty cellar: "I've seen this pattern before, on the batch of Tian命婚契卷 (Tian命婚契卷, a fictional document) that my father lost. It's the exclusive mark for the core operational personnel of the Tian命书, and ordinary cultivators don't even have the qualifications to see it." "According to the regulations, this kind of vessel is only allowed to be held by the Chief Administrator of the Tian命书 and above." Yue Tingzhou pulled out the stopper, and the crimson solidifying meridian pill rolled into his palm, releasing a cool medicinal aroma. "Lu Jianwei is just a wandering doctor; he wouldn't be qualified to requisition something like this." He didn't say any more and swallowed the pill. The medicinal energy spread along his throat, first causing a slight bitterness, then a warm sensation flowed through his limbs. The stagnant spiritual energy instantly came alive, like a floodgate opening, rushing towards the last blockage in his命门 (mingmen, a specific acupoint), which had been blocked for five years. Zhu Huali stood behind him, holding the three-inch silver acupuncture needle, her fingertips trembling as she channeled the remaining spiritual energy into the acupoint at the back of his neck. Each strand of spiritual energy she channeled made her face even paler. After channeling three strands, she was already sweating, having depleted 30% of her spiritual energy. Her fingertips, holding the needle, were trembling. 岳停舟 gritted his teeth. The dull, throbbing pain from the blocked meridians was like countless tiny needles piercing his meridians. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead and dripped onto his chest. A faint hum, like the buzzing of bees or the lingering resonance of an ancient bell, echoed. Finally, the blockage was cleared. A pale green light emanated from his body, and a sense of ease spread through his bones. His senses sharpened tenfold, and he could even hear the rustling of maple leaves outside the cellar. He took out a secret agent token from the Heng律司 (Heng Lü Si) from his pocket. The cold, hard copper brushed against his palm. He channeled his meridian-opening spiritual energy, and the token instantly emitted a pale golden glow. The patterns shone brightly – this was the confirmation signal for access to the core secret vault of the Heng律司, and the requirement for the meridian-opening cultivation level was indeed true. 祝寒梨 (Zhù Hán Lí) handed him a rough cotton cloth. The coarse texture brushed against his sweat-soaked wrist. She sighed in relief and smiled, her Southern accent soft: "I'm glad we made it just in time for the 'delivery date' three days from now. If we were any later, both of us would be out of a job." 岳停舟 wiped his sweat and held the token with his fingertips, his knuckles turning white: "According to the plan, that low-ranking worker is innocent and knows about the cellar location. As per our previous agreement, we'll send him to 沙玛阿诗 (Shā Má Ā Shī) in the southwest and use the backup evacuation route from the west." "I've already asked 阿福 (Ā Fú) to arrange it." 祝寒梨 put away the silver needles and recited the complete four-line mantra of the Zhù family's protective meridian technique for him, the rhythmic phrases mixed with her slightly breathless tone: "This western route is compromised. We'll have to use the Northern Horse Caravan route, which will cost an additional 30% of the delivery fee." The cellar had been exposed. The two of them gathered their belongings and moved to a hidden room next to the kitchen. The fire in the hearth was still burning brightly. Two soft-boiled eggs were simmering in the iron pot. 祝寒梨 took them out and sprinkled some of 岳停舟's favorite桂花 (guì huā, osmanthus) sugar on top. The sweet aroma mixed with the warmth of the fire, making people's faces flush. The two of them sat on the small stools by the hearth and peeled the eggs, the crisp sound of the eggshells breaking mixing with the rustling of maple leaves outside, and no one mentioned 陆见微 (Lù Jiàn Wēi). The fatigue from breaking through to a new cultivation level and the heavy burden of knowing that an ally was compromised were temporarily suppressed by the sweet aroma. 岳停舟 habitually turned the rough porcelain teacup in front of him three times before stopping it, then spoke: "The information provided by 陆见微 (Lù Jiàn Wēi) is only 70% reliable. We'll scout the route to the core secret vault ourselves a day in advance. If he asks, we'll say there were complications during the breakthrough, which delayed the operation." "Okay." 祝寒梨 took a bite of the soft-boiled egg. The runny yolk flowed out, making her squint with pleasure. "Three days from now, I'll be in charge of the outer perimeter. I've already used up 30% of my spiritual energy and can't handle direct combat, so I'll disguise myself as a farmer delivering vegetables to blend in. You're in charge of breaking through the barrier. Remember not to use your full meridian-opening power within seven days, or it will backfire, and no one will be there to take care of you." 岳停舟 held the remaining half of the egg, his fingertips still feeling the coolness of the porcelain medicine bottle. Just as he was about to agree, a clear voice from 陆见微 suddenly came from outside the courtyard, carried by the maple leaves, and clear as if it were right next to his ear: "止戈 (Zhǐ Gé) brother, 梨娘子 (Lí Niángzi), I'm here to confirm the infiltration route for the Heng律司 three days from now. Is it convenient to open the door?"