The frail counselor you said, you fight against three heroes alone?

Behind them, the heavy bronze sound of the city lord's palace bell resounded through the air, grimly reminding them of the power and influence of their pursuers.

They rushed into the narrow, winding alleys, and the darkness swallowed them completely.

The sounds of pursuit echoed behind them, growing fainter with every turn.

Master Xing was panting, his body leaning heavily against the damp wall, his face pale.

He looked down at the book, the strange glowing characters flickering slightly in the darkness.

His shaking fingers traced the outline of the symbol.

Suddenly, he stopped and his eyes widened in disbelief.

"This...the words on it..." he stammered, pointing with a bloody finger to a dimly lit sign hanging above a nearby door.

"This... this is the same..."

He was speechless, his eyes fixed on the two words carved on the wooden plaque: Xuanhu.

They rushed in through the half-open door, splashing water on the wet flagstones.

Inside the door, a faint medicinal fragrance wafted into the air, mixed with the fresh scent of grass and trees, as if instantly pulling them back from their tense escape to a peaceful paradise.

Master Xing's trembling hands gently touched the plaque hanging on the door lintel, and his fingertips felt the deep indentations on the wood.

"Xuanhu," he murmured to himself, his eyes full of disbelief.

Su Heng, the owner of the clinic, was dressed in plain white clothes and standing behind the counter with calm and deep eyes.

She smiled and motioned them to come in. Her tone was calm but contained a firmness that could not be ignored: "Everyone, please come in." Her eyes inadvertently swept across the secret book.
People filed in. The clinic was spacious and bright, with various herbs and bottles and jars piled in the corners. The air was filled with the mixed scent of various herbs, which made people feel refreshed.

Su Heng walked gently to the medicine cabinet and pressed lightly on a seemingly ordinary wooden board. The board slid open silently, revealing a hidden compartment.

There was a yellowed scroll in the secret compartment, and the handwriting on it was surprisingly similar to the words in the secret book.

"This is..." Master Xing opened his mouth in surprise and pointed at the remaining scroll with trembling fingers.

Su Heng nodded slowly, his voice low and solemn: "This is what I left when I treated the master of Tianji Pavilion twenty years ago."

Everyone fell silent for a moment, and an indescribable tense atmosphere filled the air.

Su Heng continued, "The Tianji Pavilion's family extermination case is inextricably linked to this secret book. You are in the middle of it, and I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to escape unscathed."

The secret book in Master Xing's hand suddenly emitted a faint light, and he felt a warm and mysterious power coming from the pages.

It suddenly occurred to him that perhaps this secret book itself could reveal more secrets.

He gently touched the secret book with his blood-stained fingers. In an instant, golden blood patterns appeared on the secret book, like winding rivers, reflecting their shocked faces.

At this moment, the door of the clinic was suddenly pushed open, and an old beggar in a gray robe walked in quietly.

There was a cunning gleam in his eyes and a barely perceptible smile on the corner of his mouth.

He looked around and his eyes finally fell on the secret book in Master Xing's hand.

The old beggar's voice was hoarse and low: "Is this secret book a token of inheritance from the Tianji Pavilion?"

Mr. Xing was startled, but he did not let go. The old beggar seemed to move closer, his "

Just as he was about to move closer, a cold voice suddenly came from behind him: "Get out of the way." Everyone turned around and saw that Guanglingzi had been standing at the door at some point. His eyes were gloomy and his whole body exuded a chilling aura.

Old beggar's
Guanglingzi's eyes were fixed on the secret book in Master Xing's hand, his tone was firm and unquestionable: "I must take this secret book away." He stretched out his hand and tried to snatch the secret book from Master Xing.

At this moment, a strong light emanated from the secret book, and golden blood patterns swirled in the air, as if forming an invisible barrier that tightly wrapped around Guanglingzi's arms.

Guanglingzi's face turned pale in an instant, and black spots quickly appeared on his arms and spread rapidly.

"What kind of power is this!" Guanglingzi roared, his voice full of pain and helplessness.

Master Xing held the secret book tightly, feeling the power from it, and an inexplicable determination surged in his heart.

Seeing this, the old beggar hurriedly said, "This is the inheritance token of Tianji Pavilion. Only the Lord can control it. Anyone else who touches it will only suffer backlash."

During this tense confrontation, Captain Lei suddenly remembered his father's last words. He trembled and took out half a jade bead from his waist. The shape of the jade bead perfectly matched a symbol on the secret book.

He placed the jade beads on the secret book, and the golden blood patterns on the secret book suddenly became brighter, as if they had received some kind of response.

"This...what is this!" Guanglingzi's voice was filled with a hint of unwillingness. He stared at the jade pendant in Lei Duzhu's hand, with complex light flashing in his eyes.

At this moment, the old beggar whispered, "The city lord Sima Zhao colluded with foreign enemies and wiped out the entire Tianji Pavilion with his own hands."

Su Heng's

Guanglingzi's face became increasingly gloomy. He suddenly turned around and glanced at everyone.

In this tense atmosphere, Su Heng suddenly stood up, her voice calm and firm: "No matter what, we must solve this mystery today, otherwise, the wronged souls of Tianji Pavilion will never rest in peace."

Guanglingzi smiled coldly and swept his eyes across every corner of the clinic, as if he was looking for something.

At this moment, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the door, as if countless dark shadows were approaching rapidly.

Su Heng's eyes were firm. She turned around and said to everyone, "Let's go to the backyard dungeon first. There is a secret passage leading to the outside of the city."

The old beggar added in a low voice: "Only by finding the other half of the jade pendant can we truly unlock the secrets of the Tianji Pavilion."

Captain Lei's expression was solemn. He tightly grasped the jade pendant in his hand and looked at Master Xing with a firm gaze: "We can't hesitate any longer. We must act immediately."

Master Xing nodded, his heart full of determination. He held the secret book tightly and said firmly: "Let's go. We can't just sit here and wait for death."

Everyone acted quickly to prepare for the upcoming challenge.

The heavy oak door of the clinic was smashed to pieces, and a group of black-clad killers swarmed in like a flock of crows on a fresh corpse.

Their swords were sharpened to a pinpoint edge, gleaming dangerously in the flickering candlelight, reflecting a cold, ravenous hunger.

There was a palpable tension in the air, the smell of stale sweat and cheap iron mingling with the sweet aroma of herbs.

A fierce battle broke out.

A man in a flowing green shirt moved at an inhuman speed, his figure becoming a blur of light as he intercepted the first wave of attackers.

He is no ordinary doctor or scholar, his movements are precise and deadly, and each blow contains years of honed martial arts skills.

He was like a dam, blocking the surging tide and buying precious time for others.

"Go!" he roared, his voice hoarse from the exertion. "Get back there, to the cellar! Quick!"

Others didn't hesitate.

Master Xing tightly grasped the book that was emitting a pulsating light, and the warmth of the book penetrated into his trembling fingers like a life-saving straw.

He could feel the weight of responsibility pressing upon him, the weight of secrets and ancient knowledge.

They followed Su Heng and hurried through the back room, the pungent smell of dried herbs and roots filling their nostrils.

A trapdoor hidden beneath a heavy carpet swung open, revealing a dark, dank passage leading downwards.

They went underground one by one, and the sounds of fighting above gradually faded.

The air in the cellar was heavy and smelled of mold and something else... a metallic, almost bloody smell.

The flickering lantern in Su Heng's hand cast long, dancing shadows that seemed to twist like living things.

When they reached the bottom, the Green Shirted Man slammed the trapdoor shut, the sound echoing ominously in the small space.

He turned around, revealing a face full of determination.

He pointed to a heavy iron door in the far wall.

"There," he said hoarsely, "is the secret passage." But there was a strange look in his eyes... Was he recognizing something?
Still in doubt?
They rushed towards the door, but suddenly stopped.

Before them stood a man bound in chains and gagged, his eyes burning with a mixture of rage and despair.

He is one of the Prime Minister's secret guards - the very man they have been avoiding!

The situation took another bizarre and disturbing turn.

The cellar walls, which had passed unnoticed in the panic, now attracted their attention.

Intricate patterns, celestial maps, were carved into the rough stone, echoing the blood patterns in the book. Stars and constellations were connected by mysterious lines of symbols.

This cellar is more than just a hiding place; it's a map and a key to something greater.

The implications are shocking.

Suddenly, a creepy laugh echoed in the cellar.

Guanglingzi, his eyes flashing an unnatural light, stood at the top of the stairs, his whisk gleaming with energy.

He waved the whisk, and an almost invisible line shot out towards the book.

The string wrapped around the book and pulled it from Master Xing's hands.

As the book flew through the air, the bloodstains seemed to be pulled out of the book and sucked into the whisk.

The book, now without those markings, lay lifeless on the floor.

Su Heng reacted immediately, her hand quickly reaching for the sword at her waist.

"No!" she screamed and rushed towards Guanglingzi.

But it's too late.

A deafening roar, like the roar of a celestial dragon, came from above.

The entire clinic shook violently.

From somewhere above, there came the unmistakable metallic clang of gears rubbing against each other.

The ground beneath their feet began to shift and tilt.

"Heavenly Secret Lock!" Su Heng said in a low voice, her face full of fear.

"Heaven's Secret... He activated it."

The cellar walls began to crumble, raining dust and debris down on them.

The man in green looked at the locked secret guards from the collapsing cellar, a strange, almost sad understanding emerging in his eyes.

He walked towards the secret guard, his hands hanging above the chain...

"It seems," he muttered, barely audible over the creaking of stone and the rumble of the earth, "that we are all trapped now."

The sound of the cellar collapsing was like the roar of a giant beast, with dust and gravel flying everywhere, choking Su Heng so much that she could hardly breathe.

Guanglingzi still maintained his calm appearance, as if the collapse of heaven and earth could not disturb him in the slightest.

The man in green walked step by step towards the secret guard bound by chains. In his eyes, there was a hint of pity, a hint of... understanding?
"We are all trapped." The Green Shirt Man's voice was low, almost drowned out by the deafening roar.

Su Heng's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition came to her mind.

The Heavenly Secret Lock is a legendary mechanical formation that is powerful enough to trap gods and demons!
At this moment, the earth stopped shaking, as if the angry beast had finally calmed down.

However, this calmness is even more terrifying, like the calm before the storm, suffocating.

Su Heng struggled to get up, covered in dust and looking miserable.

She looked up and saw that the roof of the cellar had disappeared, replaced by a gray sky and - Sima Zhao.

He stood on a high city wall, wearing a dark robe that rustled, looking down at everyone with a sinister smile on his lips.

"Welcome to my Bagua formation." His voice was tinged with teasing, as if he was admiring the fight of a trapped beast.

Teams of armored guards poured out from the cracks in the city walls. They were clad in heavy black iron armor and marched in unison, making dull metallic clashing sounds, like an army from hell.

In the gaps of the heavy armor, Su Heng vaguely saw the iconic bronze patterns of the Tianji Pavilion.

Could it be that... Sima Zhao is also in collusion with Tianji Pavilion?

Suddenly, a figure rushed out from the ruins, covered in blood, but still with an indomitable fighting spirit.

It’s the leader of the secret guards!
"Cough cough..." He coughed violently, blood overflowed from the corner of his mouth, staining his clothes red.

"Back then... the Prime Minister came to investigate the family annihilation case... ahem..." His voice was intermittent, but it exploded in Su Heng's ears like thunder.

Prime Minister?

Killing the door?
Is it...

The leader of the secret guards bit his finger and used his blood to draw an incomplete formation diagram on the ground.

"The fifth department...the hub of the organization..." He used up his last bit of strength to say this sentence, then fell to the ground and died.

"Master Lei!" A rough voice sounded, and a burly man rushed out from the crowd, picked up the body of the dark guard leader, and was heartbroken.

He raised his head suddenly, "Brothers, for the Prime Minister, for Master Lei, fight them!"

After saying that, he led a group of people and rushed towards the West Market Restaurant.

That was the weakest point in the Iron Guards' defense and also their only chance to break out.

At the same time, a woman in red, Ms. Mo, also discovered something unusual about the murals in the restaurant.

There is a hidden mechanism on the mural!
She was about to go forward to check, but was suddenly blocked by a figure.

He was a general in armor, tall, with a stern face, holding a long sword that shone with cold light in his hand.

There was a strange light flickering in his eyes, like... the prime minister's jade pendant!

"Puppet!" Su Heng exclaimed. She recognized the jade pendant. It was the prime minister's personal item.

Sima Zhao actually used the prime minister's jade pendant to control the puppet general!
Captain Lei and his men fought bloody battles but were unable to break through the Iron Armored Guards' defense line.

Ms. Mo was tightly entangled by the puppet general and could not get close to the mural.

Su Heng and Guanglingzi were trapped in the ruins, with no way out.

"It seems that we need to find another way." Guanglingzi looked at the scene in front of him and said lightly, as if all this was within his expectations.

Su Heng's heart sank to the bottom. Could it be that they were really going to be trapped here and die?
Suddenly, the man in green walked to the incomplete formation diagram, squatted down, and observed it carefully.

"Interesting..." he muttered to himself, "I see..."

He stretched out his finger and lightly tapped the incomplete formation diagram, "Here... there's still a piece missing..."

His finger stopped at the center of the formation diagram. There was nothing there... as if... it was waiting for something to fill it...

Where the green-shirted man's fingers rested, there seemed to be an infinite suction force, which sucked in all the dust around it.

Su Heng held her breath. She vaguely felt that the Man in Green Shirt seemed to have found the key to breaking the impasse!
"This... could this be the legendary 'celestial star entering destiny'?" Guanglingzi stroked his beard, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes, "Only at a specific time, under the shining of a specific star, can this incomplete formation be activated..."

Before he finished speaking, there was a crisp "click" sound. Deep in the dungeon, Master Xing slapped his thigh and said in ecstasy: "It's done! I finally solved this damn astrology map!"

He stumbled to his feet, wiped the dust off his face, and pointed excitedly at the complex patterns on the wall: "See? The locations of the five mechanical hubs are marked here! But to activate them, we have to wait until... 12:30 pm! When the Big Dipper is aligned in a straight line!"

"Three quarters after pm?" Su Heng frowned, looked at the gray sky above his head, and felt anxious.

Once the secret lock is opened, all the celestial phenomena will be in chaos. Who knows what time it is now?
At this moment, a white figure appeared in everyone's sight like a ghost.

He tapped his toes lightly, and in a few leaps and bounds, he had already climbed up to the tallest bell tower in the city.

"It's that man in white!" Su Heng exclaimed. She remembered that the man in white was holding a mysterious secret book in his hand, which seemed to be related to breaking the Heavenly Secret Lock.

A man in white stood on the top of the bell tower, his sleeves fluttering in the wind, like a banished immortal.

He slowly unfolded the secret book in his hand, and a faint fragrance spread out, making people feel relaxed and happy.

However, the next moment, everyone's expression changed.

Because they saw that Sima Zhao also appeared on the bell tower!

He held a black jade mirror in his hand, with a strange light flowing on the mirror surface.

“Hahahaha…” Sima Zhao let out a creepy laugh, “Do you think you can break my Heavenly Secret Lock with just a crappy book? Too naive!” (End of this chapter)