I was a mineral prospector in Chengdu, who transmigrated into the body of a mortal sword immortal.

Li Bai knew where to go—not back to Duan Qiniang's courtyard, but in the opposite direction, towards the neighborhood where the Yichun Courtyard was located, which he had already scouted three times during the day. The Azure Lotus Sword Intent in his arms warmed slightly, as if responding to the mad and resolute thought that was gradually taking shape in its master's heart.

***

The night is deep.

The curfew in Chang'an had already begun; the gates of the wards were tightly shut, and the streets were deserted. Li Bai walked along the shadows cast by the ward walls, his moon-white robe standing out starkly in the darkness. He turned into a narrow alley, stopped at its entrance, and took out the lotus-shaped jade pendant from his robes. The pendant gleamed warmly in the moonlight; he stroked it for a moment, then carefully tucked it away. Then, he removed his outer robe and turned it inside out—the lining was a dark blue coarse cloth, blending seamlessly into the night.

He set off again, his steps lighter and his speed faster.

Half an hour later, he arrived at an inconspicuous little courtyard. This was a temporary residence that Duan Qiniang had rented near the West Market of Chang'an, far from the neighborhoods where the powerful and wealthy gathered, quiet and secluded. The courtyard gate was ajar—Duan Qiniang knew he would be returning late tonight, so she had left the gate open. Li Bai pushed the gate open and entered, then bolted it shut behind him.

The courtyard was very quiet.

Moonlight spilled onto the bluestone slabs, like a layer of frost. A thin layer of ice formed in the water vat in the corner, reflecting the waning moon. Several strings of dried chili peppers hung under the eaves, swaying gently in the night breeze, making a soft rustling sound. The air smelled of earth, and the faint, distant barking of dogs drifted by.

Li Bai entered the main room.

There were no lights in the room, only moonlight filtering through the paper windows, casting blurry patches of light on the floor. He reached for the table and lit the oil lamp. The dim, yellowish light spread through the darkness, illuminating several items spread out on the table: a hand-drawn floor plan of the building, a few copper coins, a smooth pebble, and a small packet of powder wrapped in oiled paper.

He sat down and stared at the picture.

The map was obtained by Duan Qiniang through a third party—a layout of the Yichun Courtyard. While not detailed, it roughly marked the locations of the main buildings, the height of the walls, and the direction of the porches. Li Bai had already explored the site three times during the day, each time from a different location, carefully sensing it with his divine sense. He closed his eyes, and a three-dimensional image of the courtyard appeared in his mind:

The high walls, made of blue bricks, were over two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) in height, with broken porcelain shards stuck in the top. The main gate faced south, guarded by six imperial guards, rotating in two shifts of three. The side gate faced east, usually kept closed, only opened when supplies were being transported, and was also guarded by two men. Inside the walls, there was a hidden sentry post every ten steps—he sensed at least eight faint fluctuations of energy, likely from lurking guards. The core area of ​​the compound was a separate two-story building with upturned eaves, surrounded by a covered corridor and artificial hills. On the second floor, in the eastern room, the windows were covered with pale pink paper, and a faint light had shone through during the day—that was Yang Yuhuan's residence.

Li Bai opened his eyes.

He picked up his pen and marked several points on the map: the positions of the sentries, the patrol routes, and the weakest points in the wall. The pen tip scratched across the paper. The light from the oil lamp danced on his face, illuminating his focused and calm eyes.

Gao Lishi's warning?

It's long been forgotten.

"What can you, a commoner, offer her?"

These words were like a thorn, embedded deep in her heart. But now, that thorn no longer brought pain; instead, it became fuel—fuel that burned reason, fueling her resolute determination. Since he couldn't offer her wealth and status, he could offer her one thing: a choice. He wanted her to express her own feelings, to know that there were still people in this world willing to risk their lives for her.

Even if it's just to meet once.

Even if it's just saying a single sentence.

Li Bai put down his pen and began to analyze.

First, the defensive forces.

The Imperial Guards on the surface were all ordinary people, well-trained but without any cultivation techniques. With his early Foundation Establishment cultivation, their reaction speed and perception were on a completely different level from his. As long as he avoided direct confrontation, it wouldn't be difficult to stay out of their sight.

The guards at the hidden outposts possess a stronger aura than ordinary people, but at most they are martial artists at the Qi Condensation stage, or those who have cultivated rudimentary hard qigong. Similarly, as long as you don't enter their perception range, or pass through quickly before they notice you, the threat is limited.

The real challenge lies in the possibility of a warning array.

During the Tang Dynasty, the imperial court and important locations sometimes invited eminent Taoist or Buddhist masters to set up simple security formations to prevent practitioners from infiltrating. These formations were usually triggered by fluctuations in spiritual energy; once a practitioner approached or used spiritual energy, an alarm would sound.

During his daytime investigation, Li Bai sensed a faint spiritual energy field around the building. It was very faint, like a thin mist enveloping the walls. He dared not use his divine sense to probe deeper, for fear of alerting the enemy. But that feeling... was very similar to the "Spiritual Sense Array" recorded in the "Azure Lotus Sword Manual"—a basic warning array, simple to set up, with a limited sensing range, but extremely sensitive to fluctuations in spiritual energy.

Second, one's own abilities.

In the early stages of Foundation Establishment, true essence is refined, and the five senses far surpass those of ordinary people. The Azure Lotus Sword Intent has begun to take shape, capable of being both internally contained and externally released, integrating offense and defense. However, once the sword intent is released externally, it will inevitably cause fluctuations in spiritual energy, potentially triggering a magic array.

Modern geological knowledge—including understanding of ley lines and energy fields—might help him identify the nodes and weak points of the magic array. However, close observation is required, and time is needed.

Auxiliary spells recorded in the "Azure Lotus Sword Manual":

**The Concealing Breath Technique**—This technique involves concealing one's aura and reducing spiritual energy fluctuations, making the cultivator appear no different from an ordinary person. He had glanced at it before, but had never seriously practiced it. The incantation consists of twelve lines, corresponding to the spiritual energy circulation in twelve acupoints.

**Light Body Illusionary Footwork**—a highly advanced movement technique, mastered to the point that one can walk on snow without leaving a trace and become an illusion. He had only seen the illustrations for the first three forms and could barely perform them, but not with sufficient skill.

Li Bai stood up and walked to the center of the room.

He closed his eyes, recalling the description of the Concealing Breath Technique in the Azure Lotus Sword Manual. The words floated in his mind, accompanied by a diagram of the circulation of spiritual energy. He took a deep breath, mobilized the true essence in his dantian, and slowly circulated it according to the instructions.

The first line of the mantra corresponds to the Tanzhong acupoint.

The vital energy flowed through his chest like a warm stream. He felt his breathing become long and even, and his heartbeat gradually slowed. The sounds around him became clearer—the crackling of the oil lamp, the howling of the wind through the eaves outside the window, and the echo of the watchman's clapper in the distance.

The second incantation corresponds to the Qihai acupoint.

His true energy sank and swirled in his dantian. He felt his body become lighter, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted. The pores on his skin contracted slightly, and his body temperature began to drop.

The third sentence, the fourth sentence...

His vital energy flowed along specific meridians, passing through one acupoint after another. With each passage, his breath weakened. By the eighth sentence, he could no longer feel his own breathing—not that he had stopped breathing, but that his breathing had become extremely faint and long, blending into the surrounding environment.

The glow of the oil lamp cast his shadow on the wall.

The shadow was faint, as if shrouded in a layer of mist.

Li Bai opened his eyes.

He walked to the wall and looked at his shadow. The shadow moved with his movements, but its outline was blurred, its edges like water blurring. He raised his hand, and the shadow followed suit, but the movement was slow, as if through a veil. He nodded in satisfaction—his concealment technique was rudimentary; although not yet refined, it was enough for him to hide his presence for a short time.

Next is the Light Body Phantom Step.

He recalled the diagrams of the first three movements: the first step was "Treading on Snow," the second step was "Chasing the Wind," and the third step was "Phantom." Each step required specific footwork and body movements, necessitating the precise circulation of true energy in the leg meridians.

He took off his shoes and stood barefoot on the bluestone slab.

The stone slabs were icy cold, sending a chill down his spine through his feet. He channeled his inner energy into his legs. A warm current rose from his dantian, flowing along his meridians to the soles of his feet. He lifted his right foot and gently lowered it.

"Treading on Snow".

The moment his feet touched the ground, his true energy erupted at the Yongquan acupoint on the soles of his feet, creating an upward lifting force. His body floated slightly, and he landed almost silently—only a very faint rustling sound, like a feather falling to the ground. The dust on the bluestone slab was not stirred up, only a barely perceptible ripple appeared.

well.

Li Bai took three steps in quick succession, each step as light as a swallow. He circled the room, his steps swift and steady, without touching any furniture or making a sound. Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating his moving figure, which blurred at the boundary between light and shadow, as if it might vanish at any moment.

He hasn't mastered the third step, "Phantom."

This move requires creating afterimages while moving at high speed to confuse the enemy. He tried it a few times; the speed was sufficient, but the flow of his true energy wasn't smooth enough, and the afterimages only lasted for a moment before dissipating. However, for a night scout, the first two moves were enough—he wanted to be silent, not showy.

After finishing his cultivation, Li Bai returned to the table.

The oil lamp was half-burnt, the oil hissing inside. He glanced at the sky outside the window—it was still late at night, two hours before dawn. Enough time.

He reopened the building's floor plan and began to develop a detailed infiltration plan.

**Route Selection:**

Neither the main gate nor the side gate is an option. The wall is the only choice. He marked the weakest section of the wall—located in the northwest corner of the building, where an old locust tree stood, its branches extending over the top of the wall. Outside the wall was a narrow alley, rarely used by anyone. More importantly, during his daytime reconnaissance, he sensed that the spiritual energy field there was the weakest, possibly a node in a magic array.

**Infiltration Steps:**

The first step is to approach the wall from the alley and use the Concealing Breath Technique to hide your presence.

The second step is to climb the old locust tree and leap over the wall from its branches. Land lightly to ensure you make no sound.

The third step was to avoid the hidden sentries inside the wall. He marked the blind spots of the sentries—behind the artificial hill, at the corner of the corridor, and next to the moon gate. Precise calculations of the patrol time intervals were necessary.

The fourth step is to approach the small building. There's a covered walkway around it, and guards may be stationed there. He needs to go around it from the side, using the shadows of the artificial hill and the trees and flowers.

Fifth, go up to the second floor. The exterior wall of the building has carved windows that you can use to climb up. However, the windows may be bolted from the inside, so you need to open them carefully.

**Emergency Response:**

If the warning array is triggered, retreat immediately and do not linger. Throw prepared stones in the opposite direction to create noise and distract the guards.

If discovered by the guards—use the sleeping incense first. He opened the oiled paper packet; inside was a pale yellow powder, emitting a faint herbal scent. This was Duan Qiniang's "Sedative Powder," which, when inhaled, would cause a brief period of drowsiness, but would not be fatal. If the sleeping incense was ineffective, he would use the Azure Lotus Sword Intent to instantly subdue the enemy, but it had to be a single, decisive strike, leaving no chance for the enemy to raise an alarm.

If they encountered a powerful cultivator—this is the worst-case scenario. There might be a true master hidden within the residence, at least at the Foundation Establishment stage. An encounter would be a life-or-death struggle. But Li Bai judged this possibility to be unlikely. Yang Yuhuan was only temporarily residing there, not yet formally appointed, and the palace wouldn't send top experts to guard her permanently. The greatest threat remained the hidden sentries and any potential magical formations.

He went through the process three times.

Each simulation involved mentally rehearsing the entire infiltration process. From the alley to the wall, from the wall to the building, every movement, every breath, every possible unexpected event. He calculated the time, the distance, the intervals between guard shifts. The light from the oil lamp danced on his face, illuminating a calm, almost cold expression.

This is not the poet Li Bai.

This is Li Bai, a geological engineer—a professional who explores mineral veins, calculates rock strata structures, and assesses geological hazard risks in deep mountains and remote areas. Rigorous, precise, and meticulous.

It's not the sword immortal Li Bai either.

This is a man in dire straits—a husband cornered with no way out, forced to take a desperate gamble. He is persistent, reckless, and utterly ruthless.

The two identities merged perfectly at this moment.

Just as the oil lamp was about to burn out, Li Bai finally completed all the preparations.

He folded the floor plan of the building and carefully hid it close to his body. He divided the calming powder into three small packets, placing them in his sleeve pocket, his bosom, and his boot. He also carefully put away the few copper coins and the pebble—the coins could be used to test the waters, and the pebble could be used to make noise if necessary. Finally, he checked his clothes: a dark blue coarse cloth robe, a cloth belt around his waist, and soft-soled cloth shoes. Everything was in order.

He blew out the oil lamp.

The room was plunged into darkness.

Only moonlight streamed through the window, casting cool, dappled patterns on the ground. Li Bai walked to the window and pushed it open. A night breeze rushed in, carrying the chill of late autumn. He looked up at the night sky—the waning moon had already set in the west, and the stars were sparse. In the distance, the sound of a clapper could be heard; it was past midnight.

It's almost midnight.

All sounds are silent.

Li Bai returned to the center of the room and began to change his clothes. He took off his coarse cloth robe and took out a set of tight-fitting night clothes from his bag—black fabric, tailored to fit snugly, with the cuffs and trouser legs tied tightly with cloth straps. This was specially prepared by Duan Qiniang, made of "luminescent brocade," a specialty of Sichuan, which hardly reflects light in the dark. He put on the night clothes and felt that the fabric was soft yet resilient, like a second skin.

Then, he began to conceal his aura.

He activated the Breath Concealment Technique, the twelve incantations circulating within his body. His true energy flowed along specific meridians, passing through acupoint after acupoint. His breathing became long and weak, his heartbeat slowing to thirty beats per minute. His body temperature dropped, and the pores on his skin closed completely. He stood there, like a sculpture, like a stone, like the night itself.

Finally, he restrained his Azure Lotus Sword Intent.

That sharp aura swirled within his dantian, like a tamed dragon. He guided it with his mind, compressing it again and again, until it condensed into a tiny point of light, hidden deep within his dantian. The sword intent no longer emanated outwards, no longer emitting any spiritual energy fluctuations. At this moment, he looked like an ordinary person—an ordinary person dressed in black.

He walked to the door and gently pulled the latch.

The door hinges turned, making an extremely slight creak. He stepped aside and closed the door behind him. In the courtyard, the moonlight was like water. He stood in the moonlight, his figure almost invisible in the darkness—his night clothes absorbed most of the light, with only the edges of his silhouette showing a very faint dark hue.

He looked up at the sky.

The waning moon was setting in the west, and the starlight was dim.

It's midnight.

Li Bai took a deep breath—a very light movement, almost imperceptible. Then, he moved.

Without a running start, without gathering momentum, he simply leaped lightly, his body soaring into the air like a leaf blown by the wind. His toes touched the courtyard wall, he used the momentum to flip and land in the alleyway outside the courtyard. He landed silently, without even raising a speck of dust.

The alley was narrow, with high walls on both sides. Moonlight couldn't penetrate, only a sliver of skylight overhead. Li Bai walked along the shadows cast by the walls, his steps as light as a cat's. His eyes adapted quickly to the darkness—his senses, honed during the Foundation Establishment stage, far surpassed those of ordinary people, giving him excellent night vision. He could see every bluestone slab, every crack, every fallen leaf in the alley.

The night wind blew through the alley, stirring up the dust on the ground.

The air was filled with the smells of earth and decaying leaves, and the faint scent of smoke rising from a distant chimney—someone was still cooking late at night. The watchman's clapper sounded from afar, intermittent and like a dreamlike murmur.

Li Bai stopped at the alley entrance.

Ahead lay the neighborhood where the Yichun Academy was located. The neighborhood gates were tightly shut, and lanterns hung on the walls, swaying in the wind. He couldn't use the gates—during curfew, the gates were guarded by the Imperial Guards. He needed to climb over the wall.

He observed for a moment.

The wall was about two zhang high, built of blue bricks, with broken porcelain shards stuck in the top. But for him, who was in the Foundation Establishment stage, this was nothing. He chose a section of the wall with the darkest shadow, where a clump of withered grass grew at the base, which he could use for support.

The Breath Concealment Technique was activated to its maximum.

The light footwork is ready.

Li Bai made a move.

He moved like a faint shadow, gliding along the wall. His toes touched the base of the wall, and his body rose vertically. His right hand gripped a crack in the brickwork, using the momentum to rise again. His left hand grabbed the edge of the wall, and he flipped over. The whole process was fluid and silent. A shard of broken porcelain grazed his fingertips, and he could even feel the sharpness of its edge.

They climbed over the wall and landed on a small street inside the neighborhood.

The streets were empty, and the moonlight was like water.

The Yichun Academy was just a hundred paces ahead—high walls and deep courtyards, with upturned eaves, standing silently in the night. The lanterns on the walls swayed in the wind, casting flickering shadows. Li Bai could see the imperial guards on the walls, holding long halberds, standing under the lanterns, their shadows stretched long.

He hid in the shadows at the alley entrance, observing.

The guard patrolled every fifteen minutes, from east to west and then back again. There were fifteen breaths between patrols, enough time for him to cross the street and approach the wall.

He was calculating the time.

My breathing slowed, and my heart almost stopped.

As the guard's figure disappeared around the corner of the wall, Li Bai made a move.

Like a black gust of wind, he swept across the street. His toes lightly touched the bluestone slabs, each touch propelling him forward, landing silently. Ten steps, twenty steps, thirty steps—he came to the shadows beneath the wall, his back pressed against the cold brick.

Footsteps could be heard coming from inside the wall.

It was a hidden sentry changing shifts.

Li Bai held his breath, activating his breath-concealing technique to its maximum. He felt his presence reduced to a minimum, like a stone, like a shadow. The footsteps inside the wall gradually faded away, disappearing into the depths of the corridor.

He looked up and gazed at the northwest corner of the wall.

The old locust tree stood there, its branches gnarled and twisted, its leaves long gone, leaving only bare branches reaching towards the night sky. The branches jutted over the wall, casting menacing silhouettes in the moonlight.

right here.

Li Bai took a deep breath—his last deep breath before taking action. He felt the Azure Lotus Sword Intent in his dantian tremble slightly, as if yearning to be unsheathed. But he suppressed that impulse. Now was not the time.

Like a gecko, he slid up the wall, his fingers digging into the cracks between the bricks, his toes searching for footholds. The strength of his Foundation Establishment stage allowed him to easily climb the two-zhang-high wall and reach the top. He lay on the top, looking into the wall.

The courtyard of the building came into view.

Artificial hills, winding corridors, moon gates, and small buildings.

Moonlight spilled onto the bluestone path, like a layer of silver frost. Lanterns hung under the corridor, their dim yellow glow swaying in the wind. He could see the positions of the sentries—one behind the artificial hill, one at the corner of the corridor, and one beside the moon gate. Their presence was faint, but undeniable.

More importantly, there is that spiritual energy field.

Like a thin mist, it enveloped the entire courtyard. It was faint, but undeniably present. Li Bai could sense the fluctuations in the spiritual energy field—rhythmic, rising and falling like breathing. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the weakest point in the spiritual energy field was inside the wall beneath the old locust tree.

Sure enough, this is a node of the magic circle.

He needs to break through from here.

Li Bai slid down from the wall and landed on the branches of the old locust tree. The branches swayed slightly, but made no sound. Like a cat, he moved among the branches, reaching a branch on the inner side of the wall. From there, it was still more than ten feet to the ground.

He looked down at the ground.

The flagstones were smooth and even. He had to land lightly, otherwise he would make a sound. He calculated the angle, the force, and the cushioning after landing.

Then, he jumped.

His body stretched out in the air like a falling leaf. His true energy erupted from the Yongquan acupoint on the soles of his feet, creating an upward lifting force. He landed lightly, his toes slightly bending as they touched the ground to absorb the force of the fall. Not a speck of dust was stirred on the bluestone slab.

Successful.

He stood in the shadows inside the wall, his back pressed against the cold brick. He activated his concealment technique and prepared his light footwork. Like a shadow blending into the night, he silently crept towards the small building, towards the figure that haunted his dreams.