The Empress's No.1 Lackey

"Senior Brother Zhang sees clearly," Zhao Douan smiled, "It is exactly as you said."

Ma Yan said calmly,

"Your Majesty sent you to Lihua Hall not only to promote you or to help the Imperial Court resolve its stubborn problems but also to assign you the task of rooting out the mole, right?"

Zhao Douan nodded: "Yes."

Ma Yan sighed,

"So, there was never any 'rebel clue' today, it was all fabricated by you, with the purpose of separating them from each other and deceiving them one by one?"

Zhao Douan smiled slightly: "Yes."

Ma Yan asked doubtfully, "Do you think this is feasible?"

Zhao Douan shook his head,

"I can't guarantee it, but I know that such tactics, when used by your identity, Senior Brother, may not be effective. You might have even tricked them before, but it didn't work. But it's not that the trick is useless, it's about who uses it and how."

Ma Yan stared at him:

"So, you think it will work when you use it?"

Zhao Douan thought for a moment and said,

"At the very least, my efforts run deeper, haven't I even fooled you, Senior Brother? Made you believe that I truly obtained a rebel clue from that stack of intelligence?"

Ma Yan was at a loss for words, and he suddenly had an epiphany:

"The reason you previously forced the Eight Halls to submit to you and why you demanded rebel intelligence was to create this misunderstanding? To make them believe that you might indeed have made some discoveries? To trust the authenticity of today's action?"

At that moment, he finally understood the series of moves Zhao Douan had made since entering Lihua Hall:

Establishing authority and opposing the Eight Halls was meant to subdue subordinates as well as to lay the groundwork quietly.

Including the arrogant and domineering yet intelligent persona he had portrayed during this time, which also subtly deepened the eight hall masters' impressions of him.

Only with these series of preliminary setups did Ma Yan not suspect today's "arrest."

Without those preliminaries,

The first thing Zhao Douan did after entering the Imperial Court was to "confine", to use deceptive tactics, which would have definitely reduced their effectiveness.

Zhao Douan complimented,

"Senior Brother has keen insight. It's also because even you were momentarily fooled, Senior Brother, that I have the confidence to bluff them.

Imagine, if the mole is among them, then they must realize that their confinement is because you don't trust them, for fear of intelligence being leaked. What kind of important clue would cause Senior Brother to take such drastic action?"

Ma Yan suddenly narrowed his eyes and added,

"It must be a crucial clue, and hence they would worry, they would panic, they would try to contact other accomplices, yet fear being under surveillance, trapped in a difficult position.

At that moment, when you lead the charge and burst in, saying those words, it would make them mistakenly believe that you have caught some people and, by following the trail, have identified their mole identity."

Zhao Douan nodded and passed a pear from the fruit plate:

"So, it is essential for you, Senior Brother, to stay hidden; otherwise, as soon as you show up, it will not only make the other party wary and suspicious but also, due to the disparity in martial prowess with you, they would abandon resistance and hope for a stroke of luck."

Ma Yan took the pear and said in a deep voice,

"If it's just these men you lead, it will inspire a will to fight and resist in them. I fear not their resistance; I fear their fear to resist."

The two exchanged a smile.

This was also the first time Zhao Douan had seen a smile on the face of the chief eunuch.

During their conversation, the carriage had already arrived at the second destination.

"Lord, we have arrived at the residence of Pomegranate Hall's master," Qian Kerou's voice came from outside the carriage curtain.

"So soon?" Ma Yan was startled.

Zhao Douan stood up and began to walk out of the carriage while explaining,

"Because the route I planned is the shortest."

Three key suspects:

Zhang Han, Iron Ruler Pass, Haitang.

Zhao Douan chose to convene at "Jinjiang Embankment" because the route allowed him to cover the three households in the shortest time.

Otherwise, such a significant mobilization would surely attract outside attention.

Once the Kuangfu Society sensed something was amiss and started sending messages, even though he had people secretly watching over each Iron Arrest Officer's residence,

The risk of plans falling apart at the last minute still lingered.

He never considered himself particularly smart, at most, he was only a bit clever.

What he really relied on to survive in this perilous world was the habit forged in his previous life to always think one step deeper.

And to arrange in advance all the process nodes he could think of.

This was indeed the basic skill of a spy.

...

"Lord, it's right here."

Qian Kerou and three others gathered around as he stepped out of the carriage.

Zhao Douan looked forward and saw a courtyard leaning against the edge of the alley, with a shopping street directly outside the back door and a complex network of alleys within.

"How much is the probability if we rule out one of the three suspects?" Zhao Douan suddenly asked.

His four subordinates were baffled for a moment and then said in unison,

"It must be half, I guess."

"No, it's two-thirds." Zhao Douan gave an illogical reply and muttered,

"I was most suspicious of Haitang, but now, I must change my focus."

His subordinates, who had never heard of the "Monty Hall problem," were puzzled and felt their superior was profoundly inscrutable.

His words were like those of a monk from the Divine Dragon Temple, full of tactical implications.

Zhao Douan felt the inner armor inside his official robe and said,

"Tell the brothers to be extra cautious, not to press too close, immediately retreat if there's an accident, and don't worry about me."

After all, I have both overt and covert bodyguards protecting me... You fragile ones can't compare at all.

However, upon hearing this, the four subordinates all felt a warmth in their hearts,

"As you command!"

Shortly after,

as if reenacting a scene, Zhao Douan led a group of hawks and hounds to break through the Tie family's gates, with crossbowmen sealing off the mansion.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw the Tie family's house servants on guard and the Pomegranate Hall Arrest Officer, who shouted angrily and charged out of the room, wielding a long-handled, round-headed war hammer.

The Divine Chapter Warrior, Iron Ruler Pass.

Iron Ruler Pass was covered in hastily donned leather armor, his muscles rippled, his beard stiff like steel needles, and his hands were calloused, with bulging blue veins nearly bursting through his skin.

He held the heavy hammer upside down and swept around with furious eyes, like a tiger descending a mountain, exuding an overwhelming presence.

"Zhao!"

Iron Ruler Pass was particularly irritable that day,

"What are you trying to do?!"

Zhao Douan squinted his eyes, went through his previous routine once again.

But before he could finish his threat, he heard Iron Ruler Pass bellow,

"Don't presume to order me around with false authority, get out!"

Zhao Douan, expressionless, looked at him for a few seconds, then suddenly said,

"Arrest Officer Iron, I understand that although you have a hot temper, you're actually quite sensible and rarely overstep the boundaries. Yet today, you seem to be unusually irritable."

His tone then dropped,

"Someone, come and cool down the Arrest Officer Iron."

In an instant, swords were drawn and shields advanced.

And this time, Iron Ruler Pass, with the fierceness of a battle-hardened veteran, had a glimpse of determination in his eyes and sneered,

"If you're seeking death, you can't blame anyone else!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a violent burst of energy exploded beneath his feet, and the war hammer, weighing dozens of pounds, whistled through the air straight toward Zhao Douan's face!

As fast as lightning!

It was a lethal, life-threatening move!

"Lord—"

Hou Renmeng and the others were shocked and rushed forward to rescue, but the gap in their abilities meant they couldn't keep up with Iron Ruler Pass's movements.

In the blink of an eye, as the crossbowmen on the surrounding walls just pulled their bowstrings, the arrows leaving the grooves,

The hammerhead of Iron Ruler Pass was already bearing down in front of Zhao Douan.

The strong wind tore off his hair tie, his black hair billowed back, and his Golden Crow Flying Dagger had already been charged to the extreme.

However, just as the dagger was about to strike, a gaunt figure silently appeared by Zhao Douan's side.

His face was thin and cold, his salt-and-pepper eyebrows tousled and fuming, and without expression, the man known as "King Yanluo," Lord Ma Yan, extended his thick, jointed left hand.

And lightly pressed it on the war hammer.

"Bang—"

With a muffled sound, the heavy hammer capable of demolishing the gate of a fortress was effortlessly caught by this large hand.

Ma Yan glanced at Zhao Douan and said in a deep, hoarse voice,

"Boy, a Martial Artist won't give you time to call for help in battle. You still have much to learn."

"Go wait in the back. You've laid the groundwork for the first half; this last stretch of catching the ghost, let your senior brother handle."

After that, Lord Ma looked toward Iron Ruler Pass, expelled a surge of palm force, and sternly commanded,

"Kneel!"