Three punches shattered the demonic soul, young hero, I'm an honest man!

No one in the Northern Garrison Command expected that Pei Yun would actually find a clue in this deadly situation!

At Pei Yun's command, they rolled down the mountain like a boulder.

The entire southern part of the capital city seemed to be gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

The entire Northern Garrison Command, like a cold war machine, suddenly began to operate with a roar.

A large number of Imperial Guards officers, dressed in flying fish robes and with their hands on embroidered spring knives, flooded into the southern city like a tide.

Horse hooves shattered the morning tranquility, and the sound of rubbing armor plates echoed through the streets.

And those interrogations and rebukes, imbued with the authority of officials, intertwined to create a chilling cacophony.

They had no clear objective, yet they set up checkpoints and conducted inspections everywhere.

Under the guise of assisting in the investigation of smuggling and apprehending fugitive criminals, a thorough search of the southern part of the city was conducted.

The guards were terrified, and the people shut their doors.

The air was thick with tension and unease.

The Imperial Guards moved quickly and urgently, their targets were frighteningly clear.

Centered on the mansion of Jia Zhengchu, a wealthy merchant in the southern city, several layers of blockade were set up.

That posture clearly told everyone—

The thief is nearby!

We'll dig them out, even if it means digging three feet into the ground!

The air in the southern part of the city was taut like a bowstring.

Everyone's eyes, whether intentionally or unintentionally, were focused on the Jia family mansion, which seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

It seemed that at the mere command, this meticulously arranged encirclement would suddenly tighten, completely trapping the prey.

In this tense, almost frozen atmosphere—

"Bang!"

A loud bang broke the stalemate.

Two streets away from the Jia family mansion, the gate of an inconspicuous ordinary house was violently smashed open from the inside!

Wood chips flying everywhere!

Several dark figures, like startled rabbits, rushed out of the courtyard in a panic.

The leader staggered, clutching a long, thin object wrapped in a thick black cloth tightly in his arms.

Even through the black cloth, the object faintly emitted a very weak yet strange energy fluctuation.

Like starlight!

The group of men were like desperate criminals, completely disregarding direction, and simply ran at full speed towards the nearest city gate!

"Over there!"

"The thieves are trying to break through! Stop them!"

The team of Imperial Guards officers responsible for perimeter security were almost instantly drawn to this sudden turn of events.

The leader of the team was none other than Liu Mang, a centurion eager to regain face in front of Pei Yun and seize credit!

His eyes were red!

These past few days have been filled with frustration, the malfunction of the astrolabe, the ridicule from colleagues, the pressure from Zhou Mingxuan, and the jealousy towards that kid Pei Yun!

All the negative emotions found an outlet at this moment!

"You son of a bitch! Trying to run away?"

Liu Mang's eyes lit up, feeling as if a tremendous achievement had been bestowed upon him.

He didn't even have time to think about why this group of people had to rush out from this direction and at this time.

The faint energy fluctuations hidden under the black cloth were undoubtedly the "star-attracting sand" stolen from the Imperial Observatory!

"Go after them! Catch them, and there'll be a hefty reward!"

Liu Mang drew his embroidered spring knife, took the lead, and roared as he chased after him.

"The thieves are trying to break through from here! Stop them!"

Liu Mang drew his embroidered spring knife, shouted loudly, and was the first to give chase.

Behind him were dozens of Imperial Guard captains, as well as other scattered Imperial Guards who had been drawn by the commotion.

At this moment, like a shark smelling blood, it roared and followed.

This sudden change was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating huge ripples.

Several patrol teams of the Imperial Guards nearby were also attracted by the shouts of battle and turned around to chase after the fleeing figure.

In an instant, the sounds of horses' hooves, shouts, and weapons being drawn filled the air.

The majority of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was thus easily transferred away from its original control area by Liu Mang.

A huge, conspicuous gap suddenly appeared in the previously tight blockade of the southern city.

The dust kicked up by the pursuers rolled away into the distance.

Liu Mang and his men, like hunting dogs, relentlessly pursued the fleeing figures toward the city gate.

His mind is now completely focused on capturing these people, retrieving the Star-Guiding Sand, and achieving great merit!

As for whether the appearance of these thieves was too suspicious, he didn't have the mind to think about it.

The credit is right in front of us, let's grab it first!

……

On a street corner, there is an inconspicuous teahouse.

Second floor, a private room by the window.

Pei Yunduan sat by the window, holding a freshly brewed pre-rain Longjing tea, leisurely watching everything happening on the street below.

The entire chase scene downstairs, from beginning to end, was captured in his calm and unwavering eyes.

Watching Liu Mang and the others walk away as if they were on steroids, and looking at the deliberately torn gap in the defense line.

Pei Yun's lips slowly curled into a cold, almost mocking smile.

Zhang Quan stood behind him, looking slightly nervous.

"Sir, it's Commander Liu and his men..."

Downstairs, the dust kicked up by the Imperial Guards chasing the fugitive almost drifted into the window.

The shouts of battle were deafening.

Pei Yun ignored him.

He gently blew on the steam rising from the rim of the cup, a playful expression on his face.

"Shhh."

Pei Yun raised a finger and put it to her lips, signaling him to calm down.

Watching Liu Mang lead his large group of men away into the distance, he spoke softly to Zhang Quan.

"Well done."

"What a pity..."

Pei Yun took a sip of tea and continued slowly.

"The starlight power of the Stardust is vast and ethereal, pure and unique. How could it be imitated with mere illusions?"

"The thing in that package had a faint and mixed aura; it was merely a shell of its former self."

"besides……"

Pei Yun put down his teacup and pointed in the direction where the "fugitives" had disappeared.

"Those people fled in panic, but in reality, their footwork was steady."

"The route he chose was also very methodical, clearly indicating that he had been trained."

"His acting skills were a bit lacking."

He paused, then added.

"Who would be willing to throw away something truly good so openly? As if they're afraid others won't know about it."

Pei Yun's voice remained calm, yet it was like an invisible knife, dissecting the opponent's seemingly flawless feint attack with utmost clarity.

Zhang Quan was stunned, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

He was so focused on being nervous that he didn't notice these details at all!

He then realized that he had also been fooled by the "show" just now.

It turns out that this was all a setup from the very beginning!

A scheme to draw away the main force of the Imperial Guards and buy time for the real objective!

"Then... sir, what should we do now?" Zhang Quan asked.

The noise downstairs gradually faded away, as most of the Imperial Guards had been lured away.

The southern part of the city seemed to have regained a moment of "peace".

But beneath this calm surface, undercurrents are surging.

Pei Yun stood up, walked to the window, and looked in the direction of the Jia family mansion.

"After the noise subsides, the real show begins."

He spoke calmly.

"Pass down the order: have the men still remaining in the southern city continue the siege without attacking, maintaining pressure on the Jia family."

"in addition……"

Pei Yun turned her head and looked at Zhang Quan.

"Send a few quick-witted men to keep a close eye on the back and side gates of the Jia mansion, especially those inconspicuous corners."

"The real fish need to get ready to come out for some fresh air."

Zhang Quan's expression hardened, and he nodded vigorously.

"yes!"