In the Ming Dynasty, I became invincible simply by extracting memories!

The sky was bright.

Shen Lian didn't hear the bugle call for the Japanese pirates' general offensive; instead, he was awakened by a series of hurried footsteps.

He dozed off on the city wall, feeling as if he'd only closed his eyes for a moment before dawn broke. The morning mist on the sea hadn't yet dissipated, and Wu Ping's fleet, like a group of lurking beasts, was indistinctly moored in the distance. The footsteps grew closer; it was Yi Dong and her sister.

"Young Master Shen," Yi Dong said, her voice trembling with barely suppressed urgency, "something has happened."

"Let's go." Yi Xia stood protectively beside Shen Lian.

Shen Lian suddenly snapped out of his daze and quickly followed Yi Dong and the other person down the city wall. A crowd had already gathered at the base of the wall near the North Gate. Yu Dayou, Tang Kekuan, and Deng Cheng were all there. Everyone's expression was grim.

A person was lying in the middle of the crowd.

He was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing the uniform of a Ming soldier. He had a deep gash on his throat, and the blood had congealed into a pool of dark, viscous liquid on the blue brick floor. His eyes were still open, and his face was frozen in disbelief.

"Zhao Wenbao," Yu Dayou said with deep sorrow, "a sentry officer in the central army, who served me for eight years."

"Who on earth could be so ruthless as to commit such a heinous act!" Deng Cheng shouted first.

Tang Kekuan lamented, "He didn't fall in the fight against the Japanese pirates, but he perished on his own city walls. Alas..."

Shen Lian crouched down and carefully examined the body. The blade cut horizontally from left to right, clean and swift, a single, fatal blow. The smooth edges of the wound indicated the killer's extreme speed and skill. Judging from the angle of the blade, the killer was likely slightly taller than Zhao Wenbao, having attacked from the front at close range; Zhao Wenbao was caught off guard.

"Who discovered it?"

Tang Kekuan said, "The soldiers on night patrol heard a commotion around four in the morning. When they ran over, the person was already dead. They only saw a figure from behind, wearing our uniform, running towards the granary and the City God Temple."

Yu Dayou's gaze was fixed on Zhao Wenbao's corpse, the wrinkles on his face appearing particularly deep at that moment. Eight years, his old subordinate who had followed him for eight years, rising from soldier to sentry officer, with no fewer than ten scars on his body. Without being on the front lines of the fight against the Japanese pirates, he died so inexplicably beneath the city walls at the fourth watch. Any commander would be furious in that situation.

"Search." Yu Dayou only uttered one word.

"Understood." Deng Cheng immediately led his personal guards to search the entire city thoroughly. They searched the granaries, armories, barracks, stables, city god temple, and even the wells with torches. They found no suspicious individuals, but in Zhao Wenbao's barracks, they found something: a letter written in Japanese. Shen Lian thought to himself, "Zhao Wenbao, this rough man, can't even write Chinese characters properly, let alone Japanese."

However, the contents of the letter were quickly translated. It was essentially a secret letter informing the Japanese pirates of the defensive deployment of the Great City, detailing the troop distribution, artillery positions, and ammunition reserves for each section of the city wall. It even included the location of Yu Dayou's central command tent and the changing of the guard times for night patrols. Surprisingly, the letter was stamped with a plum blossom seal, a document used for communication.

"Zhao Wenbao was a traitor?" Deng Cheng's eyes widened. "He was actually colluding with the Japanese? No, if he was colluding with the Japanese, why was he killed?"

"General Deng, that's a good question."

The handwriting on the letter was neat and strong, which was inconsistent with the identity of Zhao Wenbao, a sentry officer who could not read many characters.

Shen Lian read the letter over and over again. Something was definitely wrong here; too much evidence was often the biggest flaw. True intelligence transmission was all about speed and precision, leaving no trace. No one would hide a carefully written secret letter in the barracks waiting to be searched, unless they were tired of living.

"Commander Yu, General Deng," Shen Lian's eyes were sharp as knives, "This matter is suspicious in every way. If Zhao Wenbao was colluding with the Japanese pirates, why would he hide the letter in his own barracks? He should have delivered it to Wu Ping immediately instead of leaving it for someone to search for it. Of course, since he has such important letters, the Japanese pirates would not kill him. We should work together to send the intelligence out as quickly as possible."

Yu Dayou's eyes narrowed slightly.

Shen Lian continued, "The Japanese pirates just retreated last night, and the soldiers defending the city were exhausted, making it the most vulnerable time for defense. The murderer chose to strike at four in the morning, timing it perfectly. Killing someone at this time makes it easiest to succeed, and also easiest to escape in the chaos." He glanced at everyone present, "This humble general believes the murderer is clearly trying to frame someone."

Tang Kekuan seemed to be deep in thought: "Mr. Shen means... someone killed Zhao Wenbao and then slipped a letter accusing him of colluding with the Japanese pirates into his barracks, framing him?"

"Yes! It's all too coincidental. If Zhao Wenbao really is the mole, and this letter was written to Wu Ping, why didn't he send it out after writing it? Now the physical evidence is complete, and there's no way to verify it, it's obvious someone prepared this on purpose." Shen Lian placed the letter on the table in front of Yu Dayou. "Commander Yu, the situation is extremely dangerous now. Wu Ping and his men must have used their hidden informants in the city, not only to find out the strength of our army's defenses and to control the details of the military situation, but also to deliberately sow discord among the troops, making everyone feel insecure and demoralized. This person is extremely cunning. But I dare to guarantee with my life that the person who wrote this secret letter is the real mole hiding in the shadows, and Zhao Wenbao is just a pawn in the game."

"These bandits are deliberately trying to disrupt our army's morale! If I catch them, I will cut off their heads one by one!" Deng Cheng shouted angrily, brandishing his sword fiercely, still unable to quell his rage.

Yu Dayou already understood the seriousness of what he was saying, "Shen Lian."

"Your subordinate is here."

"I'm leaving this matter to you to investigate." Yu Dayou turned sharply to Shen Lian. "Today, you, Yi Dong, and Yi Xia will focus all your efforts on investigating the mole. You don't need to guard the city; Deng Cheng will take over the defense."

"I need to know who the real mole is before sunset today," Yu Dayou said fiercely.

"We, your humble servants, will obey the Commander-in-Chief's orders."

Shen Lian accepted the order and left. Zhao Wenbao's barracks were small, containing only a bed, a table, and a trunk—simple and unpretentious. Shen Lian carefully inspected the contents of the trunk: a few changes of clothes, a spare knife, a bag of loose silver, and a stack of letters from home.

The letter was written by Zhao Wenbao to his family. The handwriting was crooked and messy, a mix of classical and vernacular Chinese, clearly the work of a martial artist with a rudimentary education. The letter contained only everyday conversation: how was his mother's health? He told his wife not to be too frugal and to buy rice when necessary. He inquired about the children's schooling and whether they had been punished by their teacher. The letter always ended with the same sentence: "Your son is doing well away from home, don't worry."

The handwriting in these family letters and the handwriting in that secret Japanese letter were not written by the same person at all. Zhao Wenbao's handwriting was crooked and wavy, like an earthworm crawling; while the handwriting in the secret letter was neat and powerful, clearly the result of long-term writing training, not to mention that it was in Japanese.

That secret Japanese letter was definitely planted by someone, but it was planted too obviously. However, it had a great effect. Everyone in the army was now in a state of fear. Comrades who had fought alongside you could very well be the Japanese pirates who would come to cut your throat at night.

Shen Lian summoned several soldiers who were usually closest to Zhao Wenbao and asked them if Zhao Wenbao had acted strangely recently, if anyone had come to see him, and if he had mentioned anything amiss.

Most of the soldiers were afraid of being associated with the Japanese pirates in any way, so they remained silent. However, a young soldier named Wang Ergou hesitated for a long time before stammering out something.

"Lord Shen, nothing unusual... It's just that Officer Zhao is usually quiet, but he's very kind to the brothers, that's for sure, I'm not saying anything nice about him." Seeing Shen Lian's encouraging look, Wang Ergou straightened up and said, "But the night before last, I saw Officer Zhao get up alone in the middle of the night and sit outside the barracks for half the night, as if he had something on his mind. I was worried about him, so I went to check on him, and he suddenly asked me a question."

"What did you say?"

He asked me, "Wang Ergou, do you think it's possible for a person to turn back after doing something wrong?"

"What did you say?" Shen Lian's heart sank.

"I said, it depends on what kind of wrongdoing it is. I also said let's get some rest. These past few days, Wu Ping's bandits have been attacking fiercely, and the brothers have been taking turns on guard duty, so there's been no time to relax. In the future, we'll still have to rely on you to lead us into battle against the Japanese pirates."

"And then?" Shen Lian asked.

"Then Officer Zhao just smiled bitterly upon hearing this, without saying anything more, but simply raised his hand and waved, signaling me to step back."

Shen Lian thanked Wang Ergou and pieced together all the clues. Zhao Wenbao was indeed suspicious; the question he asked Wang Ergou was clearly something only someone with a guilty conscience would ask. But the Japanese secret letter with the plum blossom seal was definitely not written by him, nor could he have obtained it.

The real mole was someone else. That person killed Zhao Wenbao to silence him, then slipped a secret letter into his barracks, framing him. This way, they could eliminate an informant, pin all the blame on the dead, and continue their covert operation. More importantly, at this critical juncture, the discovery of the mole within the army would inevitably create fear and unrest. And this was exactly what that person wanted.

But why did Zhao Wenbao become an "insider"? What exactly did he know?

According to Wang Ergou, a sentry who treated his soldiers well suddenly asked, "Can a person turn back after doing something wrong?" This clearly indicated that someone had something on him, but why was he killed?

Thinking of something, Shen Lian quickly returned to Zhao Wenbao's barracks, meticulously searching every corner. Under the straw mat on the bed, in the folds of the table, in the cracks of the wall bricks, and under the blue bricks on the floor. Finally, he discovered a hidden compartment at the bottom of the box. The compartment was extremely well-hidden, tucked between the wooden planks and the lining of the bottom of the box; it would have been completely missed if he hadn't felt every inch of it. Shen Lian felt a surge of gratitude; he really had to thank Zhou Kui, that rough but meticulous centurion, whose investigative memories were proving crucial at this moment.

There was something in the hidden compartment. A letter.

An ordinary family letter, addressed to "Respectfully addressed to Mr. Lei of the Zhao family in Taizhou Prefecture, Zhejiang Province".

The letter contained nothing special; it was a son's letter to his mother. However, at the end, he wrote: "Mother, your son is unfilial and has done something that has wronged our ancestors. After this war is over, your son will definitely come home and kowtow to you to apologize."

The letter was never sent. Zhao Wenbao hid it in a crevice at the bottom of the box. Was he planning to bring it back himself after the war, or did he know he might not live to see that day?

Shen Lian carefully searched the bottom of the box again and found another item in a hidden compartment: half a torn piece of paper with a few crooked words remaining: "Zhao Sentinel... Family... Zhejiang... Taizhou..." The half piece of paper was crumpled up, but it was hidden so well that it showed that it was something Zhao Wenbao cared about.

Shen Lian packed his belongings and walked out of the barracks. It was already bright outside the city wall, and the morning mist on the sea had completely dissipated. Wu Ping and his fleet began to move again.

There is no time.

Shen Lian went directly to Yu Dayou and told him everything he had discovered. Current intelligence suggests that Zhao Wenbao is indeed suspected of colluding with the Japanese pirates, but there is a clear element of coercion involved. The details of the collusion still need further investigation. The real mastermind is someone else, and this person could strike again at any time within the army, making this a very troublesome situation.

"Coercion?" Yu Dayou frowned. "He's just a sentry officer, who coerced him?"

"His family." Shen Lian placed the family letters and notes he had found on the table. "This humble general deduces that Wu Ping and the Japanese pirates likely had an intelligence network along the coasts of Zhejiang and Fujian. Analyzing the Zhao Wenbao incident, someone threatened him with the lives of his family members, or at least there was a connection. Whether Zhao Wenbao was willing or not, he was involved in certain activities. Whatever the reason, Zhao Wenbao's murder must have been someone trying to take advantage of the situation, both to frame him and to ruin his reputation."

"who's that person?"

"We have no clue yet, but I have a way to lure that person out," Shen Lian replied.

"explain."

"Commander Yu, I dare to ask you to do one thing: immediately announce that it has been confirmed that Zhao Wenbao was indeed a traitor to the Japanese and has been executed. Then cut off Zhao Wenbao's head and hang it on the city wall for all to see."

Yu Dayou was suddenly lost in thought.

Before he could ask, Shen Lian quickly explained, "This move serves two purposes. First, to stabilize morale. Currently, the army is in a state of panic after learning of the traitor. If a 'result' isn't given quickly, rumors will spread, and morale will inevitably collapse. Displaying Zhao Wenbao's head tells everyone that the traitor has been eliminated, and they can fight with peace of mind."

"Secondly," Shen Lian continued, "to lower the guard of the real mole. He went to great lengths to kill Zhao Wenbao and frame him, all so that Zhao Wenbao would take the blame for him. If the general publicly announces that Zhao Wenbao is the mole, he will think that his plan has succeeded and that he can rest easy from now on. Once people relax, they will continue to act. And I need him to act—once he acts, he will be exposed."

Yu Dayou's gaze lingered on Shen Lian's face for a full ten breaths.

"Where are you going to keep an eye on him?"

"North Gate." Shen Lian walked to the map and pointed to the location of the North Gate of Dachengsuo. "Dachengsuo is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and only the North Gate leads to the mainland. With the Japanese pirates besieging the city, the sea route is Wu Ping's domain, and sending ships out is too conspicuous. Leaving the city through the North Gate, the land route is concealed by trees, which is the most advantageous way to send out intelligence. I deduce that if the real mole wants to continue passing intelligence to Wu Ping and others, he will definitely choose the North Gate. I will personally lead men to set up an ambush and keep watch at the North Gate."

Yu Dayou pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"As you say." His gaze became complex, tinged with melancholy. "But... Zhao Wenbao has followed me for eight years. Even if he has committed a thousand faults, his head should be displayed publicly..."

"Commander Yu," Shen Lian interrupted him, his voice respectful yet firm, "that is precisely why his head must be displayed to the public."

Yu Dayou looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Zhao Wenbao has been silenced. His family must be under the control of the traitors. If we remain silent and refuse to make any statement, the traitors will mistakenly believe that their conspiracy has been exposed. Before long, they will surely kill his family, which is definitely not the outcome Zhao Wenbao wants. Why not turn the tables and use his head for our own purposes? If we cannot lure out the real culprit, we will not be able to clear his name, and the current evidence will only label him as a 'suspected traitor to the Japanese,' at which point his family will also be implicated. If Commander Yu hangs his head as a warning, the real mole will believe that the plan has succeeded and lower his guard. Once the real culprit is found, Zhao Wenbao's innocence will be cleared, and his family will have a chance to survive. Commander Yu, hanging the head is a pretense; saving lives is the real purpose."

Yu Dayou took a deep breath.

"allow."

Just after dawn, Tang Kekuan publicly announced in the drill ground: "After investigation, the evidence against the sentry Zhao Wenbao for colluding with the Japanese pirates is conclusive. The cause of death was internal strife, and he is now dead. His head is to be hung on the north gate as a warning to others."

The news spread, causing an uproar in the army. Some cursed, some sighed, and some remained silent. Deng Cheng personally carried Zhao Wenbao's head and hung it on the north gate. The head swayed gently in the sea breeze, facing the ocean, as if silently telling a story.

On the drill ground, the soldiers dispersed in twos and threes, their voices rising and falling. Shen Lian's gaze swept across every face—angry, fearful, bewildered, indifferent—as he searched for that one different face.

He saw it.

At the edge of the crowd, a tall, thin figure turned and left. The man was wearing the uniform of a battalion commander. Unlike the others, he didn't gossip or spit at the city wall. His steps were unhurried, his demeanor composed, and he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Shen Lian followed closely behind. Who was he?