Invincibility starts when I see the BOSS health bar.

Chapter 1013 The Unknown Imprisonment

"Is there such a thing?"

Gao Meng muttered to herself, her voice unusually clear in the empty room, carrying a hint of disbelief and astonishment.

Her fingertips unconsciously traced the smooth tabletop, the cool touch slightly bringing her chaotic thoughts together.

If that guy had actually been in contact with the Demon Envoy before, then his coming to see me again now would be a different story.

Looking back on that seemingly accidental encounter with Fang Yu during the day, every detail now seems shrouded in a deeper meaning.

"Could it be... that the reason that guy came to see me today was actually because of this?"

A thought, like a lightning bolt flashing in the darkness, suddenly illuminated the fog in my mind.

Gao Meng frowned slightly, a look of surprise and uncertainty flashing deep in her eyes.

It wasn't just them who wanted to contact the mysterious "Demon Envoy of the Capital," but also Fang Yu, a key figure with a close relationship to the Demon Envoy of the Capital.

Conversely, Fang Yu might have also sensed something unusual, learned something, and wanted to get some information from the demons.
What does this mean? In a sense, it's a two-way journey?
A bizarre yet subtle feeling began to grow in Gao Meng's heart.

“However…” Gao Meng shook her head slightly, trying to dispel this overly audacious conjecture, “The other party shouldn’t know my identity…”

She is a demon spy lurking among humans; this identity is her biggest secret and her strongest camouflage.

Even if Fang Yu, a human, had some connection with the Demon Envoy, how could he possibly see through her layers of disguise to reveal her true nature? Unless…

She raised her eyes and looked at the snake-headed demon.

A chill crept up my spine.

Has my identity been exposed to the Demon Capital?

Did the information leak from higher-ups?

After all, she did not participate in the specific actions that night, and knew very little about what kind of agreement was reached between the higher-ups and the Demon Capital Envoy, or what information was exchanged.

This information asymmetry filled her with uncertainty at that moment.

As if sensing her silent question, the snake-headed demon's cold and confident answer seemed to echo in her ears again.

Its ferocious snake head flickered its scarlet tongue, and it spoke in a hoarse voice unique to demons: "Don't worry, your identity is one of the organization's top secrets, and it is absolutely impossible to easily reveal it to outsiders, not even the Demon Envoy."

It paused, a ghostly light gleaming in its compound eyes. "Your identity is a matter of life and death, the very foundation upon which you infiltrate the world. How could you reveal it to others?"

Hearing this answer, Gao Meng felt somewhat relieved.

But the snake-headed demon's next words made her heart leap again: "...But we can't rule out the possibility that the other party is extremely powerful. Someone who can gain the favor and help of the 'Phantom Fox Demon' must have extraordinary methods and intelligence. Even the higher-ups dare not make a rash judgment about the extent of their understanding of our situation and what trump cards they possess."

Phantom Fox Demon...

Hearing this name, even Gao Meng couldn't help but feel a tremor in her heart.

She nodded slowly, her pale fingers clenching into a fist.

"I think I understand." Her voice was calm, suppressing all the turbulent emotions within her.

The snake-headed demon's message has been made clear; how she chooses to proceed is now up to her.

Seeing that she understood, the snake-headed demon said no more, and with a twist of its body, it silently withdrew from the room as if blending into the shadows.

Before leaving, he left only a cold instruction: "Gao Meng, please report any progress regarding your contact with Diao Deyi in a timely manner."

The door closed gently, separating the inside from the outside.

When Gao Meng was the only one left in the room, the emotions she had been suppressing surged up again.

She walked to the window, pushed it open a crack, and let the cool night breeze caress her face, trying to dispel the restlessness in her heart.

In the distance, the outline of the capital city stretched out in the night, like a lurking beast, and within this beast, countless undercurrents were quietly surging.

She began to carefully review every detail of her interaction with Fang Yu that day.

His smile, his words, his seemingly casual yet potentially witty questions, and the meaningful gaze he exchanged during his final farewell.

Gao Meng's mind raced, connecting these fragmented pieces of information.

“He might know something,” Gao Meng concluded, a knowing glint in her eyes, “but this contact is most likely a test.”

He may have heard some rumors and suspected that she was involved with demons, but he couldn't be sure, which is why he was so cautious and dared not reveal his hand easily.

After all, it's just suspicion, not confirmation.

Fang Yu was also taking a risk; he was making a high-risk investment, trying to find a breakthrough through her.

“It seems,” Gao Meng breathed a sigh of relief, having already made up her mind, “that waiting around is not a good strategy. I still need to personally contact Fang Yu again, find an opportunity, and have a frank talk.”

This time, she must take more initiative.

He needed to extract information from Fang Yu, including the true intentions of the Demon Envoy behind him, while ensuring that his own identity would not be completely exposed.

The balance here needs to be grasped with extreme precision.

While Gao Meng was secretly plotting her next move in her boudoir.

In another power center in the capital, the Tianji Pavilion, a similar oppressive atmosphere of impending doom permeated the air.

The head of the Tianji Pavilion, a powerful figure with significant influence both in and out of the court, was sitting alone behind his enormous desk made of century-old ironwood.

The study was brightly lit by candlelight, illuminating his imposing face, which was now clouded with gloom.

His fingers tapped unconsciously on the smooth tabletop, producing a dull "thump-thump" sound that echoed in the silent room. His mind replayed the suffocating scene from the morning court session.

The seventh prince suddenly and mysteriously died!
When the news arrived, all the civil and military officials, regardless of faction, turned pale with shock and knelt down in unison. The vast Golden Palace was completely silent, with only the sound of their heavy breathing and frantic heartbeats audible.

Everyone thought that the elderly but still dignified emperor on the dragon throne would be furious, would rebuke him sternly, and would order a thorough investigation, even if it meant turning the entire capital upside down, to find the murderer and tear him to pieces.

This is daring to challenge the King of Hell, and it is a challenge to the absolute authority of the emperor!

However, after kneeling and begging for forgiveness for a long time, the message delivered by the eunuch was as light as a feather.

"His Majesty's decree states that the matter of the Seventh Prince shall be investigated by the Eight Veins according to precedent, with the cooperation of all departments. Gentlemen... may you disperse."

Everything is as before? Even the Emperor himself has not shown up!
This is highly unusual! Absolutely bizarre! His Majesty is simply old and may be lacking in energy, but he is by no means a muddle-headed or cowardly person, much less a sick man on the verge of death who has lost control of the court!
His own son, a powerful prince at that, died a violent death. How could he not even have a shred of courage? He didn't even show a trace of thunderous rage?

What undercurrents are hidden beneath this calm surface?
Is it the Emperor's tacit approval? Is there another hidden reason? Or... even the Emperor himself feels troubled, or... is he wary?
In an instant, countless suspicions, doubts, and fears gnawed at the heart of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion Master like venomous snakes.

He had been in and out of officialdom for hundreds of years, experiencing countless storms, but never before had he felt such a chill that seeped into his very bones.

The situation in the capital is about to change.

As for the death of the Seventh Prince, even if the Emperor does not openly express his anger, the eight factions of the court, those behemoths occupying the top of power, will never let it go.

Behind the scenes, a storm was brewing, with forces from all sides mobilized like an invisible net, determined to find the audacious murderer, avenge the Seventh Prince, and uphold the order and dignity upon which they depend for survival.

Although this matter has not yet been fully brought to the forefront and caused a great uproar for various reasons, those in the true core of power have already received the news.

Only those lower-ranking, ignorant officials and servants from various departments would be puzzled and gossip about why the heads of the eight major factions had gathered together at the morning court session.

What worries the Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion most now is not the death of the Seventh Prince himself, but whether Tianji Pavilion, which he has painstakingly built up over many years, can survive the impending storm under this huge and sudden change.

"First, my son..." The image of his talented but unexpectedly deceased adopted son flashed through his mind, and a pang of pain shot through his heart.

That was a loss that the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion could hardly afford.

Now, the death of the seventh prince has become an even more earth-shattering event.

Although the two were not comparable in terms of status or influence, the successive unnatural deaths of important figures made the Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion clearly sense a dangerous atmosphere of "storm brewing".

It was as if an unseen hand was stirring up trouble in the shadows, determined to completely muddy the waters of the capital.

Just as he was feeling uneasy and deeply worried, he heard steady but slightly hurried footsteps outside the study.

His confidants, several adopted sons whom he had raised and carefully nurtured, and some key members of the pavilion, all rushed to his side after being urgently summoned. Among them, following behind his ninth adopted son, Jin Xiao, was a young man with a slightly effeminate demeanor but unusually sharp eyes. This was Yuwen Wuji. He shouldn't have had a place at this occasion, but for some reason, Jin Xiao was willing to bring him along.

The Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion raised his slightly tired eyes and looked around at everyone present.

These faces, mostly young, held undisguised reverence and loyalty towards him.

He offered no explanation, nor did he discuss the Seventh Prince's matter; he simply issued an order in an unquestionable tone:
"Pass down the order to recall all the experts stationed in other regions, especially the core personnel stationed at key industries and strongholds, to the capital as quickly as possible. There must be no mistakes!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces showed surprise and doubt.

The Tianji Pavilion is a large and powerful organization with influence spread throughout the country. It has been entrenched in the capital for many years and has a large number of people.

However, precisely because the industry is so large, it requires a large number of skilled personnel to be dispersed to various locations to maintain operations and deter unscrupulous individuals. Such a large-scale, sudden recall will inevitably arouse speculation and will also affect some industries.

"Godfather, this action..." one of the adopted sons couldn't help but ask, wanting to know the reason.

The Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion waved his hand, interrupting him, his voice deep and imposing: "Just do as I say. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures."

Seeing their godfather's resolute attitude, the group, though full of doubts, dared not ask any further questions and replied in unison, "Yes! We will obey our godfather's orders!"

An invisible sense of unease spread through the hearts of the people like a plague.

Although they didn't understand exactly what had happened, their adoptive father's solemn and iron-like expression, as well as this illogical order, made them clearly feel that a sense of impending storm had enveloped the entire Tianji Pavilion.

He waved his hand, signaling everyone to disperse and carry out the order.

Once again, only the Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion remained in the study.

He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and rubbed his temples hard with his fingers, trying to dispel the lingering fatigue and anxiety.

After pondering for a long time, he suddenly stood up and walked to a huge bookshelf on the inside of the study.

My fingers pressed a few specific buttons on an inconspicuous carving on the side of the bookshelf in a specific order. With a slight click of the mechanism, the heavy bookshelf slid silently to one side, revealing a deep, dark staircase leading down behind it.

A cold, damp wind, carrying a faint fishy and rotten smell, blew up from the depths of the stairs.

Without the slightest hesitation, the Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion stepped into the darkness. The bookshelves behind him slowly closed up after he entered, returning to their original state as if nothing had happened.

The stairs spiraled downwards, and only a few oil lamps, emitting a dim yellow light, were scattered on the wall, barely illuminating the slippery stone steps beneath our feet.

The deeper you go, the stronger the chilling aura becomes, and a faint, low growl begins to permeate the air, sending shivers down your spine.

Finally, he arrived at a stone chamber deep underground. The walls of the chamber were covered with densely packed runes that shimmered with a faint spiritual light, forming a powerful binding array.

In the center of the stone chamber stood several thick metal pillars engraved with runes. Several black chains, as thick as bowls, extended from the pillars, firmly binding a... indescribable monster.

The monster largely retained its human form, but its skin had an unhealthy bluish-gray hue and was covered with fine scales.

Its head was enormous, with raised bumps on either side of its forehead, as if horns were about to burst through the skin. Its eyes were pure black, without any whites, and were now flashing with a cruel and excited light as it stared intently at the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion Master who had entered.

"Hehehe..." Upon seeing the sect leader, the demon let out a piercing and unpleasant laugh, the chains trembling slightly with its laughter. "You've finally come to your senses? You've finally decided to come see me?"

Its voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing, carrying a bewitching magic: "I have said that although I am a fallen spirit demon, I have been cultivating the 'Buddha's Heart.' Although it is still incomplete and far from perfect, it can still encompass all things and contains supreme power! When you and I unite, it will be the ultimate and perfect combination of human, demon, and spirit! At that time, all demons, humans, and spirits will be like clay chickens and earthenware dogs in front of you and me! We will surely reach an unprecedented supreme realm!"

(End of this chapter)