The next day, Zhang Jinzhi moved out of the palace.
Although the people from the Floating Jade group did not have a foundation in the court, they were willing to sit in corners and were generous with spending large sums of money to buy all kinds of gossip.
When they first arrived, they had no way to start, but now, thanks to some of their team’s eager learners, they had thoroughly explored Chang’an City and even investigated the officials in the court.
The fifth-rank official, Zhang Jinzhi, was quickly found by them.
The shared name excited those in the Northern Courtyard, and they spent the next two nights exchanging information.
This Mr. Zhang’s mansion had been empty for a long time, and no one could figure out where he had gone.
Didn’t this line up with their assumption that he had something to do with the palace?
There’s no way such a coincidence could happen in the world.
However, before they could find a way into the palace, they heard from their spy that Zhang Jinzhi had returned to his mansion.
It was the morning of August 1st, at the hour of the Rabbit (around 5 a.m.).
The sky was not fully bright yet, with a layer of grayish mist in the air.
The people from the Northern Courtyard rubbed their eyes and yawningly walked out of their rooms.
Since the last incident, not many people dared to sleep in the Steel Tree anymore, so they were all sticking to their rooms and trying to adapt.
Yu Lin’an splashed some cold water on his face and barely woke up.
At this moment, Tian Jiang also came out, looking slightly pale.
Yu Lin’an chuckled and moved aside to let him take the spot by the well.
“I thought you wouldn’t wake up. Even gods can’t call you.”
Tian Jiang squatted to the side, “Nonsense.”
That was Zhang Jinzhi, one of the Twelve Witches. If they found him, they might find Tian Shuang.
Forget waking up at the hour of the Rabbit; even if the sky were raining knives, he would be the first to climb out of bed.
But Yu Lin’an… The cold water splashed on his cheeks, and Tian Jiang fully woke up.
He glanced at him and asked, “Aren’t you going out to look for Su Lingxi? You found her already, but why are you still so active?”
Yu Lin’an sighed as he said, “Other than the demon business, she hasn’t spoken a word to me. Yesterday, those two even fought.”
He motioned toward the far side of the courtyard and sighed, “I just want to know what’s happened these years.”
As they spoke, Lin Yu drifted past them.
In the Floating Jade group, she kept a reversed day and night schedule, and even more so in the mortal realm.
But in the mortal realm, it was worse—sometimes there would be unexpected gatherings, when she was either just falling asleep or about to fall asleep, and her already precarious sleep would be completely ruined.
For a moment, no one could tell if her footsteps were floating due to her poor condition or if she had perfected her ambush skills.
It felt like she was about to ascend to the heavens with an ethereal aura.
Tian Jiang looked at her curiously and said, “Bai Xiao said she’s coming to witness the great success of the incense ritual. Sang Chu is from the Tall Tower.
You know, you’re looking for Su Lingxi, I’m looking for Tian Shuang, and Jiangzao is probably looking for Yuan Yin. But what’s Lin Yu here for?
She hasn’t missed a single one of these gatherings, and I don’t believe she has no connection to the Twelve Witches.”
“You’re asking me?” Yu Lin’an stared at him, “How would I know about the Twelve Witches?”
As they spoke, they walked into the Northern Courtyard hall.
Some of the people were already up, while others were still asleep.
As long as it wasn’t a major matter requiring collective action, everything else was based on individual wishes.
However, the people standing in the room now looked at each other awkwardly, rubbing their noses, unsure what to do.
It felt like a screening array, and the ones who were filtered out were those with “ulterior motives.”
They had no choice but to pretend not to see it.
Sang Chu briefly explained, “Zhang Jinzhi returned to his mansion half an hour ago. We’re unsure if he’ll return to the palace soon, so we need to act quickly. The gifts I arranged two days ago are ready, and we can head out now.”
Yu Lin’an shrugged, “Then let’s not wait. Let’s go.”
The group of six or seven left the Northern Courtyard.
At this hour, they left the Demon Suppression Bureau, took a detour through narrow alleyways, and crossed three streets before reaching the bustling neighborhood.
The area closest to the palace was home to noble families and high-ranking officials.
Servants were leading horses into the palace to attend the morning court, and the smell of breakfast filled the air, even before the shouting vendors started their calls.
After crossing a few more streets and several rivers, Zhang Jinzhi’s mansion appeared before them.
Perhaps due to his low rank and meager salary, Zhang Jinzhi’s mansion was in an ordinary location.
It was neither large nor small, and the decorations were quite plain.
The white walls and gray tiles made it seem unremarkable at first glance.
Sang Chu stepped forward and knocked on the door.
Yu Lin’an was calm, but Tian Jiang looked visibly tense.
After three knocks, they waited for a moment before hearing hurried footsteps.
A young servant hurried over to undo the bolt, eyeing the five or six people outside with suspicion.
“May I ask what brings you here?”
Sang Chu stepped forward politely, “This is Sang Chu from Floating Jade, and I’ve brought my colleagues to pay a visit to Lord Zhang Jinzhi.”
The servant looked them over from head to toe and said, “Please wait a moment,” before hurriedly entering the courtyard.
A moment later, an older servant came back, much more polite, and led them to the back courtyard.
“Gentlemen, my master invites you to come inside.”
Sang Chu handed the prepared gift to the servant, but the servant quickly shook his hand, saying, “My master has instructed that no gifts are to be received.”
“Then we will give it to him in person,” Sang Chu smiled and put the gift back into his sleeve.
They thought they would enter through a common front hall—eight chairs neatly arranged with small tables, hot tea, fruits, and cakes already prepared.
The master would sit in full attire, greet guests with a friendly smile, exchange pleasantries, and then everyone would take their seats.
They respected mortal customs, but seeing their own people dressed like this, just thinking about it made them exhausted and uneasy.
Though they thought this, Yu Lin’an and Tian Jiang still forced smiles.
After passing through a narrow path, the front hall opened up to reveal a clear stone road lined with neat flower pots.
Stone tables, stone benches, and porcelain, lacquered, and copper vases filled the pavilion nearby.
It was a simple yet refined arrangement.
They had imagined that the master would be sitting upright, examining a white porcelain vase.
He had already fixed the flowers and was now arranging a tall pine branch with some low orchids before handing it to the nearby servant, instructing him to send it to the study.
The mansion wasn’t large, and there were few servants, so the layout was easy to see at a glance.
Sang Chu and the others didn’t expect such an informal meeting, and they hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to step forward.
Everyone knew about the Twelve Witches, but the weight of their presence still lingered.
For a moment, no one spoke, hesitant to act too casually.
It wasn’t until Zhang Jinzhi finished his tasks and turned around to face them that Sang Chu finally moved forward, about to bow deeply.
However, Zhang Jinzhi gently raised his arm with a smile and said softly, “Wait, let me think for a moment.”
Sang Chu swallowed the self-introduction he had been about to say.
Yu Lin’an and Tian Jiang both straightened their spines as Zhang Jinzhi’s gaze swept over them.
It felt like they were under inspection. Zhang Jinzhi was not like Su Lingxi—Su Lingxi was young and could joke with them, but Zhang Jinzhi was a well-known elder, a top-tier fighter who had mastered the Twelve Paths and was a true member of the Twelve Witches.
The Twelve Witches were selected once every hundred years, and since the last selection, no one had surpassed them in the past ten years.
The younger generation who studied Soul Control still watched his battle videos and grew from the insights he left behind.
Though outsiders considered them “elites,” in front of the Twelve Witches, they were still insignificant.
But still, people had some pride and didn’t want to seem inferior.
At least everyone who had come was serious, except for Lin Yu, who remained her usual self, unfazed by Zhang Jinzhi’s gaze.
Their eyes met, and Zhang Jinzhi’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before sliding away.
Zhang Jinzhi ultimately recognized only two people he vaguely remembered, one of whom was Tian Jiang.
The siblings didn’t look much alike.
Tian Shuang was elegant and heroic, always tying her long hair into a braid.
Back at Fuyu, her gaze would make the younger disciples of the academy go wild with admiration.
Tian Jiang, on the other hand, had a gentler appearance.
With some grooming, he’d be perfect as a flamboyant young noble in Chang’an, though when he pressed his lips together, there was a certain resemblance to his sister, which reminded him of his old friend.
“You are Tian Shuang’s…” Zhang Jinzhi hesitated.
Tian Jiang quickly added, “Brother. Jinzhi-ge, I’m Tian Shuang’s younger brother, Tian Jiang.”
Zhang Jinzhi looked at his straight posture and tall frame.
“You’re already this tall.”
Tian Jiang scratched his head.
After all, it had been many years.
Tian Jiang sighed in relief, and the others did the same.
Their guess had been correct—truly, as a master of Soul Control techniques, Zhang Jinzhi remembered well, no matter how long it had been.
This was a pleasant surprise.
Tian Jiang actually wanted to ask about Tian Shuang’s whereabouts, but now clearly wasn’t the right time. He told himself it wasn’t urgent; she was safe and well, after all.
Zhang Jinzhi looked at Yu Lin’an again but couldn’t figure anything out.
“Have I seen you before?”
“Yes, you have,” Yu Lin’an honestly replied.
“I don’t have any relation to the Twelve Witches, but I’m a good friend of Su Lingxi. We used to play together all the time. My name is Yu Lin’an.”
“You must have seen me when Su Lingxi took me along to mess things up when Cangmu opened, robbing and stealing. Of course, she ran fast, and I ended up getting caught and beaten by you.”
Yu Lin’an couldn’t bring himself to mention the last part.
The others began introducing themselves to Zhang Jinzhi one by one.
Lin Yu finally coolly stated her name, and Yu Lin’an and Tian Jiang quickly added, “She’s usually like this; she didn’t sleep well last night.”
Zhang Jinzhi smiled and nodded, not minding at all.
He softly asked, “Would you like some tea?”
Several people waved their hands in unison.
“No, no, we drink tea all the time on Earth, and it makes our mouths bitter.”
People from Fuyu weren’t accustomed to such waiting rituals.
“Come over here.”
Zhang Jinzhi pointed to the left side of the room. He couldn’t help but smile.
“We have guests, but they just went to bed.”
The others followed behind him, feeling a little dazed by the smooth developments, as well as the strangely familiar scene.
They had all seen Zhang Jinzhi’s battle portraits, and in those fragments, every time he finished, he would leave, with the younger disciples following behind him.
Powerful, composed, and reassuring.
The group stopped by a long table set near the banana trees.
Two servants brought over stools, and Zhang Jinzhi gathered the scrolls on the table and stacked them together, signaling the servants to take them into the room.
The daylight brightened, and the heavy fog cleared.
Dewdrops rolled down from the narrow banana leaves, while cicadas sang from all directions.
The air was fresh and calming.
A servant brought a thin cloak to Zhang Jinzhi.
He coughed briefly and quickly stopped, signaling for them to sit down before speaking.
Once they were seated, Sang Chu sent a message to the people at the Northern Courtyard, telling them the exact location and asking them to go to Ye Zhuxu to explain the situation and ask the commander to come over to Zhang Jinzhi’s place.
If everything went smoothly, they would gain vital clues from Zhang Jinzhi.
Whether or not Ye Zhuxu would respond was one thing, but the message had to be delivered properly.
Rank alone could suppress someone.
Just as they sat down and Sang Chu was about to speak, a figure appeared, jumping over the wall with one hand, light on their feet.
It was none other than a familiar face—Xilou, the young female officer who often followed Su Lingxi.
Xilou wasn’t surprised to see them, as if she had known they would appear.
She whispered a few words to Zhang Jinzhi, who nodded and then chuckled, “She’s still this polite?”
Xilou just smiled without answering.
Once the female officer left, Yu Lin’an couldn’t hold back anymore.
“Jinzhi-ge, you just said that the one who came to visit was Su Lingxi?”
“Yes.”
“Is it really like this, Jinzhi-ge?”
Yu Lin’an clapped his hands together and bowed to him.
“Can you talk to Su Lingxi for me? We grew up together, but she never believes me. She thinks I want to harm her.”
He thought about it and almost shouted, “How could I harm her!”
“Jinzhi-ge, I have another request.”
Tian Jiang stretched out a hand from behind, pushing Yu Lin’an aside, his expression full of hope and nervousness.
“Do you know where my sister is? Could you let me meet her?”
Zhang Jinzhi leaned back slightly, his face pale but with a smile on his lips.
“I can talk to her later, but since you’re good friends, you know her temperament. What I say is one thing, but whether she believes it or not depends on her judgment. No one can influence that.”
Yu Lin’an bowed to him in gratitude.
Zhang Jinzhi then turned his gaze to Tian Jiang, and his smile slightly faded as he pondered for a long time.
Finally, he shook his head and said directly, “I cannot tell you the whereabouts of any of the Twelve Witches, not even to a younger brother.”
Tian Jiang fell silent for a long while before asking, “Then… is my sister alright?”
Zhang Jinzhi remained silent.
“Alright,” Sang Chu spoke up to stop them. His gaze sharp, he cupped his hands toward Zhang Jinzhi.
“We came here to find out about the location of the Star Array. If it’s not too much trouble, could you tell us what the Twelve Witches experienced back then?”
“Wait for your commander.”
Zhang Jinzhi’s features were handsome, and his voice calm.
“I have limited energy every day, so I don’t want to repeat the same thing twice.”
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