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

Lin Feng took it; it was a black token about half the size of his palm. One side of the token was engraved with a hawk with outstretched wings and strange lines, while the other side had a blurry, gear-like pattern.

The Hawk Order! Feng Kun's men!

"Also, the brothers searched carefully and found a small piece of clothing left in another corner, but it was dusty. It is estimated that someone tried to get close to spy on us yesterday and left the trace when they were scared away."

Lin Feng took the garment and examined it closely. The material resembled fine cotton cloth from the south… This was another new clue. Ironwall City was located in the northern frontier, but southern fabrics were not common there, especially this kind of dyed fine cotton, which was quite expensive. The person wearing this kind of clothing was definitely not an ordinary thief or a "Shadow Wolf" assassin. Was it… someone brought by Zhou Yanru or Yan Ying? Or perhaps, a third-party force?

Things are getting more and more complicated. Now there may be another unidentified force from the south... It seems that all parties are pointing to the jade pendant, to the princess, and to Lin Feng.

What exactly does the jade pendant conceal that has attracted so much covetousness? A secret treasure of the previous dynasty? An astonishing fortune? Or... a power capable of overturning the dynasty?

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of the night watchman's clapper came from outside the window; it was already the third watch.

Suddenly, a series of short, sharp whistles, like the hooting of an owl, came from afar, three times in a row, before falling silent.

It's a special code used by Old Ghost's night scouts to pass messages! It came from the west of the city!

"You've already discovered it so quickly?" Lin Feng immediately got up, rode his horse out quietly through the side gate of the garrison headquarters, and galloped towards the west of the city.

Chen's Coffin Shop, west of the city.

The shop was narrow and dilapidated, with two faded black lacquered wooden doors tightly closed, and the white paper couplets pasted on the doors were already tattered and worn by wind and snow.

Old Ghost's most skilled stealth and lock-picking spies, codenamed "Loach" and "Groundhog," were lying in wait at the base of the wall in the backyard of the shop.

"Guard," "Loach" stepped forward and whispered, "In the westernmost room where the timber is piled up, there's a stone slab in the corner with edges that's been worn smooth, as if it's been frequently disturbed."

"Well done. Stay outside and keep a close watch on the alley entrance and the rooftops," Lin Feng instructed in a low voice, then climbed over the wall and entered the side room.

He crouched down, carefully examined the edge of the stone slab, and then used the tip of his dagger to pry along the edge, creating a crack. Below the crack was a downward, narrower, and steeper staircase!

On the walls on both sides of the staircase, every few steps there is an oil lamp that has long been extinguished and is embedded in the wall.

Lin Feng descended about twenty or thirty steps to the bottom, where he found himself in a cluttered space.

This place resembled a craftsman's workshop. Several wooden tables were placed against the wall, on which were scattered files, engraving needles, grinding wheels, hammers and chisels of various sizes, as well as some strange and intricate tools that Lin Feng couldn't name.

In the corner were piles of raw stones, timber, and metal ingots. The air was thick with the mixed smells of stone powder, metal, and lamp oil.

The most eye-catching feature is a large worktable in the center of the room. The table is covered with a thick velvet cloth, on which are placed several unfinished jade artifacts! There are jade pendants, jade rings, and jade ornaments, each with a different shape, but the carving is extremely exquisite. Even though they are only half-finished products, you can tell that they are extraordinary.

The pattern on one of the jade rings is remarkably similar to the cloud pattern on the edge of the coiled dragon jade pendant! There are also some sketches with intricate patterns and dimensions scattered around.

In one corner of the workbench, an oil lamp was lit, and under the lamp were several sheets of paper covered with writing.

In a half-open drawer on the workbench, there was a roll of something carefully wrapped in soft deerskin.

Lin Feng walked over and opened it. Inside were several special sheets of paper, as thin as cicada wings and almost transparent. On them, every detail of the front and back of the Panlong Jade Pendant was imprinted with extremely fine ink lines. It was very likely a "rubbing of the mother jade"!

Next to it were several pieces of jade scraps of different textures and colors, obviously used to test the imitation effect.

Just then, from above, came the faint, almost imperceptible creak of a door opening and deliberately light footsteps! Someone was coming! And more than one!

Lin Feng instantly extinguished the cold light, darted into the shadow of a pile of miscellaneous items on the side of the workbench, held his breath, and gripped the dagger in his right hand.

Footsteps approached the stone slabs, followed by the sound of slabs being moved; someone was coming down the steps. Judging from the voices, there were two people.

"...Master, Mr. Feng is pressing us urgently. He needs the things by midnight. Will we make it in time?" A younger voice asked, tinged with nervousness and complaint.

"Shut up! Everything was prepared long ago. The rubbing is perfect, and we're about 70-80% confident in the deduction of the 'Star Key Lock.' However, the Big Dipper on the back of this jade pendant is different from ordinary star charts. The position of the last star, 'Yao Guang,' seems to correspond to the Dragon Eye..."

Another voice, aged and hoarse, yet carrying the stubbornness and inquisitiveness unique to craftsmen, rang out; it must have been the old craftsman "Yao Ying".

"Mr. Feng only instructed us to study the jade pendant, decipher its mechanisms, and search for the possible entrance to the 'underground palace.' We were not to ask any further questions."

"Falcon" seemed to walk to the worktable, picked up the rubbing wrapped in deerskin, and said, "The time is almost up. Pack it up and we'll go through the back alley to deliver the goods at the usual place."

"Yes, Master. And these tools and materials..."

"Let's leave it for now and talk about it later. Mr. Feng said that after tonight, regardless of whether it works out or not, this place can't be left. What a pity for all my belongings..."

The two began to pack.

Lin Feng's mind raced in the shadows. The delivery was at midnight, the usual place… but where was it? He had to keep up! He needed to capture "Falcon," the key witness to unlocking the jade pendant's secrets and even bringing down Feng Kun!

However, just as Chen Laoshuan and his apprentice finished packing, picked up their bundles, and turned to go up the stairs, a sudden change occurred!

"Bang! Crash—!"

Suddenly, a loud crash of breaking planks came from the direction of the cellar entrance above! This was followed by "Mudfish's" fierce shout and the clanging of weapons clashing! A fight had broken out up there!

"Oh no! There's an ambush!" the young apprentice screamed in fright.

"Falcon" also paled, abruptly shoving the package into his arms and pushing his apprentice aside: "Quick! Go through the back! There's a secret passage!"

He rushed toward the seemingly ordinary brick wall opposite the workbench and pressed hard on a brick at the corner! "Creak..." The brick wall slid open inward, creating a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through. It was pitch black inside, and a cold wind rushed out!

It's another secret escape route!

"Stop!" Lin Feng no longer hid, leaping out of the shadows, his dagger aimed straight for Chen Laoshuan's back! He had to keep this man alive!

"Falcon" seemed to have been prepared. Hearing the whistling sound, it suddenly lunged forward, narrowly avoiding the dagger. At the same time, it flung out a handful of fine needles, gleaming with a blue light, that it seemed to have appeared out of nowhere! Lin Feng parried with his dagger, the needles striking the blade with a "clink," sending sparks flying. The young apprentice let out a strange cry and scrambled into the secret passage.

Chen Laoshuan also wanted to squeeze in, but Lin Feng had already arrived, his dagger following him like a shadow, blocking his way.

Chen Laoshuan was surprisingly skilled; he slid a short, serrated, oddly shaped dagger from his sleeve and engaged Lin Feng in battle.