Too many female prisoners, a special forces soldier transmigrates and marries wildly.

In the backyard of the Southwest Scout Office, in a quiet room with its doors and windows tightly closed, the atmosphere was heavy.

"Captain," Old Dao said in a low voice, his expression grave, "there's some progress on the matter you asked us to investigate."

Lin Feng turned around, his gaze sharp: "Speak."

"We've already had the most experienced jade craftsmen and former apprentices in the city examine that half of the jade pendant." Old Dao leaned closer, his voice even lower, almost carried away by the wind.

"They all say that the jade pendant is made of top-quality Hetian jade, smooth and delicate, and is of tribute quality. The carving is also exquisite, a typical 'inner-made' technique, especially the combination of the kui dragon and cloud patterns, and the almost invisible engraved water ripple pattern on the edge, which is used to prevent counterfeiting. It is... a style specially made by the inner court of the palace about fifteen to twenty years ago to reward close relatives of the royal family or meritorious officials. Moreover, it should have been made in pairs, split in two, as tokens or proof."

"The Inner Court Supervisor? A close relative of the imperial family? A meritorious and important official?" Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. This background was even more impressive than he had expected.

Li Bing, as the garrison commander of Jingzhou, though a high-ranking official, was absolutely not qualified to receive, let alone possess, such a high-level imperial jade pendant. Unless... this jade pendant did not belong to Li Bing, but was bestowed upon him by someone behind him, or it was obtained through some channel as a token to communicate with "the leader"!

"The other half is very likely in the hands of 'Swan Head'," Lin Feng said in a deep voice. This confirmed part of Wang Heng's confession. "Can you find out who this jade pendant was originally given to?"

Old Dao shook his head, looking troubled: "It's been a long time, and it's a secret of the inner court. Unless we consult the palace archives, it's hard to know for sure. However, an old master vaguely remembers that about seventeen or eighteen years ago, when the late emperor was in power, he seemed to have bestowed this kind of jade pendant upon several imperial generals who had quelled border troubles. Among them, it seems, was the current emperor, who was still a prince at the time, as well as several princes and dukes stationed on the border. But who exactly received it, and who has the other half, is unknown."

The current emperor? A prince or duke? Lin Feng's heart sank. If this jade pendant truly involved the royal family, then this quagmire was far deeper than he had imagined. Was Li Bing backed by some prince? Or perhaps... even the imperial family?

"We've made some progress on the embroiderer's identity, but... it's even more puzzling now." Old Dao lowered his voice, his brows furrowed, and presented Lin Feng with a thin dossier he had just compiled.

Lin Feng took the file and quickly flipped through it. The ink on the file was still fresh, recording the results of the initial investigation.

"Yun Li, around sixteen years old, claims to be from Liangzhou. Due to a disaster in her hometown, both her parents died, and she wandered alone to Shuofeng City at the end of last autumn. She temporarily lives in a deserted courtyard on West Back Street, making a living by embroidery. Her skills are superb, especially in flower and bird embroidery. Most of her embroidery works are sold through the consignment shop of Wu, the 'Skillful Embroidery Workshop' in the West Market, and she is somewhat famous among the families of some low-ranking military officers in the city. She usually stays at home and is taciturn, rarely interacting with her neighbors. She only occasionally visits an old widowed woman named Zhou next door, helping her with needlework in exchange for rice. The neighbors' impression of her is mostly that she is 'quiet, skillful, pitiful, and doesn't like to see people.'"

Up to this point, the account was nothing out of the ordinary, recounting the survival journey of an orphaned girl. But what followed made Lin Feng's gaze freeze.

"According to Granny Zhou's recollection, when this woman first arrived last year, although she was dressed in rags and looked hungry, her speech and behavior were unlike that of an ordinary farm girl. She seemed to be... literate and well-educated. Once, Granny Zhou saw her accidentally drop a jade pendant. Although it was broken, the jade was warm and the carving was exquisite. It was definitely not a common folk item. She hurriedly picked it up and hid it, looking flustered. Granny Zhou assumed it was a family heirloom and did not ask any further questions."

"My subordinates sent men to secretly investigate along his route towards Liangzhou. Liangzhou did indeed suffer from a drought last year, resulting in countless refugees, but a careful search of the towns and passes he might have passed through along the way yielded no clues. This person seemed to have appeared out of thin air outside Shuofeng City. His household registration and travel permit were found to be forged, and the forgery was quite sophisticated; unless one was an expert in this field, it would be almost indistinguishable from the real thing."

Forged travel permit? Illiterate? Damaged precious jade pendant?

Lin Feng's fingertips lightly tapped the dossier. These fragmented clues pieced together a vague yet chilling outline—this "Yun Li" was no ordinary orphan girl fleeing famine. She was well-educated, possibly of noble birth, yet she had ended up here, concealing her identity, even going so far as to forge a travel permit. Why was she hiding? What was she avoiding? Was it related to Liangzhou? Was it related to that jade pendant?

"Can you find any clues that link him to Jingzhou or 'Yinghu'?" Lin Feng asked in a deep voice.

Old Dao shook his head: "Not at the moment. The people who come and go from Wu's Embroidery Shop are a mixed bag, but after investigation, they have no connection with the known undercurrents of 'Shadow Stalker'. The people she usually contacts, besides Granny Zhou and Wu herself, are mostly women who buy embroidery, mostly low-ranking military officers or family members of merchants, with relatively simple backgrounds. After what happened last night, she has been staying indoors, and apart from you... no one else has been to her little courtyard."

Lin Feng remained silent.

There is no evidence that she had any connection with "Shadow," yet she deliberately used blood as a warning, indicating that she knew about "Shadow's" core plan. This in itself is the biggest point of suspicion.

How did she find out? Was it by chance, or... did she herself have some unknown connection with the forces behind "Shadow"?

Is the warning an act of conscience, or is there another motive?

"This matter is top secret and must not be divulged." Lin Feng's voice was icy.

"Any progress on the interrogation of Huai Niang and Wang Heng?" Lin Feng then asked.

Old Dao's face darkened: "Huai Niang's injuries were too severe, and she died early this morning. Wang Heng insists he knows nothing, but the excessive torture has caused him to faint several times. The army doctor said that if he is subjected to further severe torture, he may not survive the night. We have sent people to intensify our investigation into the whereabouts of the other half of the jade pendant found on his body, as well as the origin of the jade pendant."

Lin Feng turned around, strode out of the quiet room, and said in a deep voice to the guards waiting outside, "Prepare the horses, we're going to the prison. I want to meet that Wang Heng in person."

He had to get that person to talk, no matter what.

As for the secret of "Yun Li", perhaps it needs a more appropriate time to carefully touch it.

After all, some truths, if pushed too hard, will only push them into deeper darkness.