The night was as dark as ink-stained cotton, and the wind whistling through the alleyways of the鏢局 (镖局,鏢局 -鏢局 is a type of courier service) carried the faint rustling of frost-covered armor. When 祝寒梨 (Zhù Hánlí, sworn name "Pear Lady") pushed open the vermilion doors of the ancestral shrine, the hinges groaned, causing a shiver to run through her. She stepped aside to let 岳停舟 (Yuè Tíngzhōu) enter, then quickly latched the bronze bolt, her sleeve damp with sweat where the edges of the mulberry paper contract had been. 岳停舟 placed his fingertips on the hilt of his sword, the 静潭诀 (Jìngtán Jue, Stillwater Art) silently circulating in the twelfth layer, his spiritual energy like fine ice threads sweeping across every beam, every pillar, and every crack in the shrine. He could even hear the faint rustling of insects crawling on the rafters – the courtyard outside was surrounded by frost-covered soldiers, and they had circled three dark alleys before reaching the back door of the shrine. If there were any hidden listening devices, they would both be trapped here, and likely not even find their bodies. The air was thick with the scent of aged incense mixed with the clean, woody aroma of the pearwood offering table. Three tallow candles flickered, their wax dripping onto the stone offering table, forming dark red streaks that resembled solidified blood. 祝寒梨 lit a paper wick and placed it on the incense burner, then bowed three times before the ancestral tablets, her sleeve brushing against the vermilion inkwell, scattering fine red specks onto the bluestone slab. In her childhood, she had knelt for three days and three nights in this very place, praying for her father's safe return from his courier mission. But what she had received was only a death certificate stamped with an official seal. Now, she was bringing an outsider into the ancestral shrine to make a covenant that defied the natural order, breaking a 300-year-old family rule. A small silver abacus hidden in her sleeve silently rotated three beads, calculating: at worst, she would be confined by her aunt for three months; at best, she could uncover the truth about her father's death and save the lives of over 300 people in the镖局. It was a transaction with a guaranteed profit. As she returned the incense to the burner, the ashes sifted onto the edge of the offering table, like falling snow. She laid the mulberry paper contract on the center of the table. The vermilion ink outlined the terms: "Mutual protection, no betrayal, joint investigation of the 天命书 (Tiānmìngshū, Heavenly Mandate Book). Violation of this agreement will result in loss of cultivation, and divine punishment." 岳停舟 stepped forward, first placing his fingertips on the corners of the contract. His 静潭诀 probed gently, confirming there were no curses, no lingering spiritual traces, and no hidden listening devices. Then, he turned the three white porcelain teacups around the edge of the table – a habit he had before any negotiation, to calm his mind. He dipped his finger in the vermilion ink and pressed it onto the "岳停舟" signature, simultaneously transferring a wisp of 静潭诀 true energy into it. A faint blue light flashed on the surface of the paper, a silent testament to the contract's validity. He had investigated the old cases of the 万镜鏢局 (Wànjìng鏢局) for three years and finally had a visible ally. He no longer had to fight alone, but the burden on his shoulders felt even heavier: 沈砺川 (Shěn Lìchuān, nicknamed "Iron Law Shen") only had six days left, the elders of the 岳 (Yuè) and 祝 (Zhù) clans had less than a month, and they couldn't afford to waste a single day of the 35-day deadline. 祝寒梨 watched him sign, then dipped her finger in the vermilion ink and pressed it onto her own signature. Her fingertips were calloused from years of wielding short swords. When she pressed, her movements were firm and steady. She also transferred a wisp of true energy from her 九阴寒魄体 (Jiǔyīn Hánpò Tǐ, Nine Yin Cold Corpse Art) into it. The red and blue lights intertwined on the paper, slowly seeping into the fibers, making it impossible to erase. The moment the contract took effect, both of their fingertips tingled slightly, a sensation of shared risk and commitment. After the signing, 岳停舟 didn't withdraw his spiritual energy, but continued to sweep it across the shrine, searching for any hidden dangers. As his spiritual Just then, the vermilion wooden doors of the ancestral hall were suddenly knocked upon from the outside. Three resounding knocks echoed, the rhythm steady like a death knell. The bronze latch rattled, showering dust, and the voice of the third elder, aged and raspy, filtered through the door, each word like shards of ice piercing the heart: "Hanli? Are you inside? I've come to inspect the incense offerings of the ancestral hall, and to deliver some betrothal documents to you." 祝寒梨's fingertips clenched tightly, the silver abacus beads in her sleeve pressed painfully against her palm. She rattled them three times, deliberately making the last click heavier, suppressing the rising panic in her throat. The candlelight flickered in the breeze, the orange-red light sweeping across the faint golden patterns on the ancestral mirror, causing a stinging sensation in her eyes. She gave 岳停舟 a look, signaling him to retreat into the shadows behind the offering table, where the ancestral tablets were displayed. She quickly walked to the door, her fingertips brushing against the cold, rusty bronze latch as she opened it. Her tone was deliberately vague: "Third Elder, what brings you here at this hour? I was just troubled by the ancestral tablets." The third elder, dressed in a dark floral silk robe, stepped inside, the scent of aged sandalwood mingling with the dampness of the courtyard moss, a pungent aroma. Two attendants trailed behind him, their boots leaving faint imprints of night dew on the blue bricks. The night breeze blew the candle, causing it to tilt, and his shadow stretched diagonally across the offering table, obscuring the bright, eye-catching "谢" pattern on the ancestral mirror. He tapped his fingers against the pear wood pillar beside the door, the muffled sound echoing in the empty ancestral hall. His gaze swept over 祝寒梨's face, then settled on 岳停舟 standing behind the offering table, his brow furrowing: "And who is this?" "This is a scholar of literature and calligraphy I invited, his name is 岳, and his style name is 止戈," 祝寒梨 replied, stepping aside to let him enter and closing the door behind him, her tone casual as if she were discussing the price of vegetables she had purchased that day. "The prayers he wrote for me the other day were too superficial, I was afraid the ancestors would find my heart insincere, so I specifically asked Scholar 岳 to revise them." 岳停舟 bowed slightly, his tone humble, like that of a penniless scholar who had spent years in a library. He showed no trace of the coldness of an investigator from the Heng Law Enforcement Agency. "I have met Third Elder." He placed his fingertips on the hilt of the water sword at his waist, the ice cracks on the scabbard pressing against his fingertips. He practiced the Stillness Technique to its shallowest level, controlling his breathing to be extremely slow. However, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of half of a dark waist badge protruding from the third elder's sleeve. The patterns on the badge seemed to resonate faintly with the patterns on the ancestral mirror, causing a sharp pain in his meridians. This old man was indeed connected to 谢无尘. The third elder "hmm"ed, and walked to the offering table, his fingertips flicking at the ash in the incense burner. Sparks flew, and the scent of cypress intensified, mingling with the faint, almost imperceptible smell of rust in the air, causing a tightness in the nostrils. His gaze swept over the blank prayer texts spread on the offering table, then slowly moved downwards, his eyelids wrinkling, as if he was about to focus on the half-piece of vermilion contract fragment peeking out from the edge of the offering table. 祝寒梨's heart pounded against her ribs, her ears buzzing, and she could hear the distinct crackling sound of the incense burning. She reacted quickly, reaching out to pick up the topmost stack of prayer texts. Taking advantage of the gesture she used to show him, the wide sleeves of her robe deliberately covered the fragment, and the sharp edge of the paper grazed her fingertips, drawing tiny beads of blood. "Third Elder, please take a look. The ones I wrote before were too frivolous. Scholar 岳 said that prayer texts for the ancestors must be written with a sincere heart to be effective. I was just about to rewrite them." The third elder took the prayer texts and flipped through a few pages, his fingertips brushing against the rough Xuan paper, his gaze still glancing downwards towards the edge of the offering table. 祝寒梨 smiled, and quietly hooked the half-piece of contract fragment from underneath, mixing it with a few discarded prayer texts, and casually dropped it into the incense burner. The orange flames licked upwards, and the paper stained with cinnabar emitted a faint red smoke, instantly consumed into black ash, leaving no trace. The air was filled with the acrid smell of burnt paper. "These useless papers are of no use, burning them as offerings to our ancestors is a gesture of my sincerity." "It's good that you have a heart for it," the Third Elder finally withdrew his gaze, taking out three large crimson betrothal scrolls from his sleeve and placing them on the altar. The gilded characters "Heavenly Match" stood out prominently, leaving a trace of fine gold powder on his fingertips. His tone carried a hint of authority, "These families are prominent in the sect, and their compatibility scores are all first-class. Please take some time to meet them and decide soon, which will also resolve your aunt's concerns." Zhu Hanli picked up the betrothal scrolls and flipped through them. The bright red paper was dazzling, and her fingertips pressed on the gilded characters. A cold smile flickered in her heart – these people were likely already on the list of those seeking a "life-for-a-life" contract, seeking to marry her to obtain the Nine Yin Cold Qi essence of the Zhu family. However, she showed no sign of it, and politely replied, "Elder, thank you for your kindness. I will choose an auspicious day to pay my respects and make offerings." "Yes, don't stay in the ancestral hall for too long, as it's cold and damp, which can harm your health," the Third Elder glanced at Yue Tingzhou and didn't ask any further questions, then turned and left with his attendants. Only when the wooden door was closed again, and the bronze latch clicked shut, causing a few specks of dust to fall from the lintel onto Zhu Hanli's hair, did the two of them simultaneously exhale in relief. Yue Tingzhou walked to the altar and touched the cool edge of the bronze ancestral mirror. The faint golden "Xie" pattern reappeared, brighter than before, the metallic rust smell mixed with the smell of ash, causing a throbbing sensation at his temples. "According to the markings, this pattern perfectly matches the pattern on Xie Wuchen's badge, and it should be the exclusive spiritual pattern marking of a 'life-for-a-life' contract," his voice deepened. "The Zhu family's ancestral hall is a forbidden place within the clan, and even collateral relatives are not allowed to enter freely. The fact that this pattern was inscribed here indicates that the insider holds a high position, at least someone who can access the core sacrificial rituals." Zhu Hanli nodded, then tapped the silver abacus hidden in her sleeve. The crisp sound of the beads colliding echoed clearly in the quiet ancestral hall. "I will go to the accounting office tomorrow morning to review the records of marriage contracts for the past ten years, especially the ledger for the marriage contract that was taken out when my father died. There must be something amiss. Can you find out about Xie Wuchen's recent whereabouts? I have a feeling that he is rushing to have the betrothal scrolls sent over to finalize the marriage before we can act, making it easier for him to collect the payment." "I will contact the dark channels of the Heng Law Enforcement Bureau tomorrow, and I should be able to obtain his whereabouts for the past three months by the day after tomorrow," Yue Tingzhou took out a copper whistle from his sleeve and placed it on the altar. The whistle had a tiny Heng Law Enforcement Bureau emblem engraved on it, and it was still warm from his body temperature. "This is a messenger whistle. Blow it three times with short bursts if there is an emergency, and I will arrive within a quarter of an hour. We don't have much time. According to the law, there are thirty days left before the next update of the inverse list. We must obtain concrete evidence of the maternal scroll before then, otherwise, both the Yue and Zhu families will be listed as sects on the inverse list, and all disciples will have their cultivation qualifications revoked, and even the path for independent cultivators to make a living will be blocked." Zhu Hanli picked up the whistle and weighed it in her hand. The cool copper touch transmitted to her palm. She looked up at Yue Tingzhou, and the probing look in her eyes was replaced by a firm determination to fight side by side. "Okay, I, Zhu Hanli, have never abandoned a mission in my years as a debt collector. This mission is for the entire Zhu family, and also for your Yue family. I've made up my mind." As soon as her words fell, a faint sound of tiles breaking came from the roof, as if someone had stepped on a loose piece of tile, a sound so subtle that it was almost drowned out by the whistling of the night wind against the tiles. Yue Tingzhou instantly pressed his hand on the hilt of