Qi Yanzhou received the message from the brothel madam two quarters of an hour later.
At the time, he was preparing to lead his subordinates to the Purple Cloud Pavilion in the imperial palace to investigate whether the "Ghost Thief" had left any clues.
After reading the message, his expression darkened.
It wasn’t anger over the discovery of the secret operation by the "Ghost Thief," but fury at the emperor—how could he have become so deranged in his pursuit of immortality through Daoist practices?
His fists clenched with a crackling sound, and the note in his hand crumbled into dust.
Heavenly Master Zhang’s life was forfeit—he would make sure of it.
Qi Yanzhou raised his hand, loosened his fingers, and let the white dust scatter with the wind.
He turned to his four most trusted subordinates and said, "You two will accompany me to the palace. The other two, I have another task for you."
After giving them instructions, he added, "Go now, and be discreet. Don’t let anyone notice."
"Yes, Vice Minister."
Though Qi Yanzhou held the noble title of prince, when carrying out official duties, he acted as the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
With two subordinates in tow, he entered the palace and headed straight for the Purple Cloud Pavilion.
After the incident of the "Eighteen Layers of Hell," no one dared approach the pavilion.
Heavenly Master Zhang, severely injured, had been moved by the emperor to Jingyang Palace, the residence closest to the Imperial Hospital.
Meanwhile, the Second Prince Zhao Cheng’an’s men were busy fabricating evidence to exonerate Heavenly Master Zhang.
When they saw Qi Yanzhou approaching, they greeted him with perfunctory respect, addressing him as "Prince Chen," their tone dripping with indifference.
They didn’t hold him in the slightest regard.
Qi Yanzhou remained unperturbed, his gaze shifting to the herb garden in the southern direction.
"It’s said that Heavenly Master Zhang personally tends to that herb garden to refine better elixirs for His Majesty, earning him many lavish rewards from the emperor."
He was certain that few knew of the despicable act—using blood and rotting corpses to fertilize the garden.
Even the emperor was unaware!
With that, he led his men to the Ascension Tower to continue the investigation.
Though the Second Prince’s men were greedy, itching to uncover the secrets of cultivating such herbs, they also knew Prince Chen and the Second Prince were at odds. His sudden remark was undoubtedly a trap!
When Qi Yanzhou emerged from the Ascension Tower and saw the herb garden untouched, he wasn’t surprised.
Turning to his subordinates, he said, "Inspect the garden. I fear the 'Ghost Thief' may have tampered with it. If the herbs are compromised, they can no longer be used for His Majesty’s elixirs."
"Yes, Vice Minister."
But before his men could approach the garden, the Second Prince’s followers blocked their path.
"Your Highness, there are no signs of damage to the garden. There’s no need for an inspection."
Hmph. Did they think him a fool? On the surface, he was checking for tampering, but in truth, he sought the cultivation methods!
Qi Yanzhou’s eyes turned icy, his aura oppressive.
"Given the 'Ghost Thief’s' skills, do you think he’d leave traces if he wished to act? By obstructing this investigation, are you plotting against His Majesty?"
The accusation sent the Second Prince’s men to their knees in panic.
"Your Highness, we would never dare! But the Second Prince has ordered that the herb garden is the heart of the Purple Cloud Pavilion. If an inspection is necessary, it must be conducted by us."
"Fine. Since the Second Prince is willing to take responsibility, I’ll leave it to him."
Having achieved his goal, Qi Yanzhou led his men to the burned ruins of the alchemy chamber.
The Second Prince’s followers quickly rose to their feet.
After a brief discussion, they decided to inspect the garden themselves—both to check for tampering and to uncover the cultivation techniques.
Standing at the edge of the garden, they observed the lush, vibrant herbs, their leaves glossy and flowers radiant. Yet their brows furrowed.
"Why do I smell something foul? A hint of rot?"
"There is a trace, but the medicinal fragrance is stronger. Perhaps some herbs naturally carry such a scent."
"Enough talking, hurry and see how these medicinal herbs are grown."
The group immediately crouched down, digging into the soil soaked with medicinal juices and blood.
"Ugh! What is this smell? It’s enough to make you vomit!"
"Perhaps it's Heavenly Master Zhang’s unique method for cultivating herbs."
"Later, we’ll dig up one of each herb—"
Before the Second Prince’s confidant could finish, he let out a shriek as his hand unearthed a writhing mass of maggots.
"Ah!"
In the alchemy chamber, Qi Yanzhou heard the scream and smirked.
"Success."
With a light tap of his foot, he soared over on qinggong, landing at the edge of the herb field. His gaze fixed on the squirming larvae.
"That’s the stench of rotting corpses."
Without hesitation, he grabbed the Second Prince’s subordinate by the arm, forcing him to dig deeper.
Out came a chunk of putrid flesh, reeking unbearably.
The subordinate could feel the maggots wriggling in his palm, and the disgust overwhelmed him—he fainted on the spot.
Qi Yanzhou released his arm and snapped off a tree branch.
Channeling his inner energy, he swept aside a patch of herbs, exposing the corpses buried beneath the field.
The soil was dark brown, reeking of blood and the feeble attempt to mask it with medicinal herbs.
At the sight, the Second Prince’s men were paralyzed with horror.
Qi Yanzhou turned to his own men. "You—go summon the Dali Court officials. And you—fetch the imperial guards. Have them dig up these herbs."
Then, he glanced at the Second Prince’s men.
"You’ve just earned your master a great merit. Best hurry and inform him."
With that, he left to see the Emperor.
The Emperor was about to swallow an elixir when Eunuch De entered to announce, "Your Majesty, Prince Chen requests an audience."
"What does he want?"
"This servant does not know."
Though Eunuch De had eyes and ears everywhere in the palace, Qi Yanzhou had arrived too swiftly—news hadn’t reached him yet.
The Emperor had no desire to see Qi Yanzhou. "Denied."
But Eunuch De, whose "treasured possession" was in Qi Yanzhou’s grasp, had no choice but to speak in his favor.
"Your Majesty, Prince Chen came from the Purple Cloud Pavilion."
The Emperor held the Purple Cloud Pavilion in high regard. Reluctantly, he nodded. "Let him in."
"Prince Chen is granted an audience!"
Eunuch De’s shrill voice reached Qi Yanzhou, who promptly entered the imperial chambers.
Noticing the Emperor swallowing an elixir, he deliberately slowed his steps.
Only after the Emperor had taken the pill and sipped tea did Qi Yanzhou approach.
"Your Majesty, the Second Prince’s men have uncovered countless rotting corpses beneath the herb field. The herbs used by Heavenly Master Zhang for his elixirs were nourished by corpses and blood."
The moment these words left his lips, Eunuch De’s face paled, and the Emperor vomited on the spot.
He flung his precious box of elixirs to the ground.
"Eunuch De, summon the imperial physicians!"
Before he could finish, the Emperor collapsed unconscious.
Ignoring the Emperor, Eunuch De approached Qi Yanzhou.
"Your Highness, this servant has aided you twice now. When will you return what belongs to me?"
Though Qi Yanzhou had only mentioned having a lead, Eunuch De was convinced his "treasure" was in the prince’s possession—how else could the description be so precise?
Qi Yanzhou retrieved a portrait from his robes and handed it over.
"This is the 'Phantom Thief.' Whatever you seek, Eunuch De, demand it from him."
He hadn’t betrayed the thief—he knew the face in the portrait was a disguise.
Eunuch De accepted the drawing with a cold snort.
"Capturing the 'Phantom Thief' is Your Highness’s duty. My patience wears thin—do not play with fire."
With that, he strode out of the imperial chambers, heading straight for the Imperial Hospital.
And then to Jingyang Palace—to silence Heavenly Master Zhang for good.
