Chapter 1656: Six Major Challenges

"Riding my fiery wheels, drifting through youth... drifting, drifting, oh, drifting..." Zu'an hummed the tune all the way to Yijun. However, the moment he landed, his entire demeanor instantly turned serious. In front of his subordinates, it was essential to maintain an air of leadership authority.

Zhang Zitong, Xiao Jianren, and others were already waiting at a pre-arranged secret hideout. To ensure secrecy, they hadn't even used the Embroidery House in Yijun, fearing that King Yan might get wind of their activities. They were in the midst of a discussion. It had to be said that Zhang Zitong's long legs were incredibly eye-catching, especially compared to the clumsy figures of Xiao Jianren and the others, giving her a sense of "a crane among chickens."

Zu'an deliberately cleared his throat.

"Greetings, Lord Eleven!" Zhang Zitong and the others were somewhat excited by his arrival and bowed in unison.

Zu'an opened his mouth, intending to use some encouraging platitudes, like the leaders he knew in his previous life. But after racking his brain for a long time, he couldn't think of anything. Realizing he simply couldn't emulate that kind of leadership style, he cleared his throat and went straight to the point: "Have you found information about the ledger's secret room?"

"Yes," Zhang Zitong replied, opening a map. "After our investigations these past few days, we've identified six major difficulties in obtaining the ledger."

Zu'an nodded, motioning for her to continue.

Taking a quick glance, the map was a floor plan of King Yan's residence. Some shaded areas clearly indicated a lack of intelligence, but overall, the map of the entire estate was quite comprehensive.

Zhang Zitong hummed in acknowledgment, then pointed to some black dots marked on the map. "The first difficulty is King Yan's guards. They patrol in three shifts, and during our stakeouts these days, we've observed they are extremely professional, leaving almost no gaps during shift changes. Furthermore, there are various hidden sentries within the residence. Although we've been monitoring and investigating some over the years, there are certainly others we haven't discovered. Last time I entered the residence, I was spotted by a hidden sentry, which compromised my presence."

Zu'an said gravely, "Almost no gaps during shift changes means there are still gaps that can be exploited. For the Embroidery Uniform Emissaries, this shouldn't be a problem. As for the hidden sentries, we can adapt as needed." Over the years, he had frequently visited various imperial palaces, and he was long familiar with the patterns of both overt and covert sentries, confident that these would not pose an issue.

Seeing his relaxed tone, Zhang Zitong thought, "A Gold Plaque Emissary is truly a Gold Plaque Emissary; he's much more capable than me." She then continued, "The second challenge is that even if we evade the outer patrol teams of the residence, there is always a group of elite guards stationed outside King Yan's study, never leaving their posts. Even if we could defeat them, it would alert the entire residence's defensive forces."

While the outer patrol teams were strict, their constant movement meant there were always opportunities. If they encountered a stationary post, they could simply find another route to avoid it. However, King Yan's study was the mission's destination and could not be bypassed.

Xiao Jianren also spoke up, "Lord, before you arrived, we discussed various feasible plans. But whether it was poisoning or a surprise ambush, we couldn't guarantee not alerting the rest of the residence, which is why we're stuck at this point."

"How many guards are at the study?" Zu'an asked.

"Around thirty to forty, all of them elites among the guards," Zhang Zitong replied. She could only get an approximate figure for such confidential information.

Zu'an pondered for a moment. "No matter, I'll handle these people." The other Silver Plaque Emissaries' eyes widened. They couldn't believe that something that had troubled them for so long was being resolved by him with such a casual tone. However, since he didn't intend to elaborate, they found it difficult to press him for details. They merely marveled, one after another, that Lord Eleven was truly unfathomable.

"The third major obstacle," Zhang Zitong said with a worried expression, "is that the study is surrounded by special defensive formations that only King Yan can activate. Any attempt to break them would alert him personally, and King Yan is a Grandmaster. Once he's alerted, we'll have no chance of survival."

In her mind, a Grandmaster was an invincible existence. While Gold Plaque Eleven was powerful, there was definitely still a gap between him and a Grandmaster. After all, the Grand Commander of the Embroidery Uniform Emissaries, Zhuxie Chixin, was rumored to be only half a step away from becoming a Grandmaster himself. It was impossible for his subordinate to be even stronger than the Grand Commander.

Zu'an thought for a moment and said, "This problem shouldn't be too big. We just need to lure King Yan away. As long as he can't return quickly, it won't matter even if he's alerted." While he wasn't afraid of King Yan, there was indeed no need for a direct confrontation.

"Lord, that's an excellent plan!" Zhang Zitong's face lit up with excitement. "As expected of Lord Eleven, providing such an easy solution to a problem that has bothered us for so long! But how can we lure King Yan away?"

Zu'an thought for a moment and asked, "Is the disagreement between Magistrate Zhang of Yijun and King Yan genuine, or is it a pretense?" His time in Yijun had been relatively short, so what he saw might not be the true situation. However, as an Embroidery Uniform Emissary stationed in Yijun, Zhang Zitong would certainly know the true relationship between the Magistrate's Manor and King Yan.

Zhang Zitong nodded. "They are indeed at odds."

Zu'an nodded. "Then, at the appropriate time, we'll ask Magistrate Zhang to intervene and draw King Yan away."

"But even if King Yan leaves, the formation will remain. That was set up by a runic master at King Yan's great expense; we might not be able to break it," Zhang Zitong hesitated. "I heard that Miss Xie, a talented student of Master Yan from the Imperial Academy, came with Imperial Envoy Zu this time. Is there any way we could ask for her help?"

Zu'an was momentarily stunned. It was quite a strange feeling to hear others talk about himself and those close to him while he was in a different identity. "I'll figure out a way to handle the formation," he said. Xie Daoyun certainly could help, but he was reluctant to involve her in such a dangerous matter. After all, she wasn't alone; she had the Xie clan and the Imperial Academy behind her, and she would likely have her own concerns.

"The fourth major obstacle," Zhang Zitong said with a solemn expression, "is that the study is filled with various mechanisms and traps, as well as a special secret passage. If we don't know the proper method, it won't just be a near-fatal challenge, but it will also be extremely difficult to advance even a single step."

Zu'an remarked, "Shouldn't this be an area of expertise for the Embroidery Uniform Emissaries? Can't you select a suitable person?"

"Lord Seven was formerly the most skilled in this," Zhang Zitong said, looking a bit embarrassed. "However, I've accompanied him on some missions and received his guidance, so I can try when the time comes."

Zu'an nodded slightly. Since she was a Silver Plaque Emissary, she was undoubtedly reliable in this regard, especially considering she had once dared to infiltrate the King's residence alone.

"The fifth difficulty is that after entering the secret passage, there's a special dark area containing four Dark Assassins," Zhang Zitong explained. "King Yan invested heavily in training them. In a place where you can't even see your hand in front of your face, even ordinary masters would be severely hampered and no match for those Dark Assassins."

Zu'an was somewhat surprised. "How do you know so much about the situation inside the secret room?"

"When these secret rooms were built, a large number of skilled craftsmen must have been involved. Although King Yan's residence deliberately concealed this, as long as we have a clue, we Embroidery Uniform Emissaries can uncover anything," Xiao Jianren said, finally finding an opportunity to show off, a hint of pride in his voice. After all, he was the one who thought of this angle. Zu'an nodded and offered a few words of encouragement. Coupled with Zhang Zitong's admiring gaze, Xiao Jianren's chest puffed out even further.

Zu'an, however, fell into deep thought. A place of darkness... that wasn't unfamiliar to him. He suddenly recalled Peng Wuyan from the Grand Dao Sect Competition. If he had her skills to assist, those Dark Assassins would be a joke. However, he immediately became a little worried. Peng Wuyan, with her light-based abilities, seemed to have a slight counter to the Owl Zun of Lady Fu Hao, which was linked to Big Manman.

"Lord Zu, Lord Zu?" Zhang Zitong's questioning call came from beside him, as he seemed to have drifted off.

"I'll take care of this one. What's the sixth challenge?" Zu'an continued to ask.

The room suddenly fell silent, making Zu'an puzzled. "What's wrong?"

Zhang Zitong looked at him with a complex expression. "It's mainly that we discussed these challenges for a long time and found them incredibly difficult, but for Lord Eleven, they seem to be nothing?"

Zu'an chuckled wryly. "Save the flattery for after the mission is complete. First, tell me what the sixth challenge is."

Zhang Zitong replied, "The sixth difficulty is that the box containing the ledger has a very difficult mechanical lock. Furthermore, once the ledger is removed, it will trigger an internal mechanism, causing the entire room to self-destruct, destroying both the ledger and any intruders."

"Hmm, why does your tone seem more relaxed than before?" Zu'an keenly noticed her change, thinking, "This woman isn't planning to rely on me again, is she? I'm not omnipotent."

"I actually have a solution for this problem. My past experiences made me quite good at picking locks," Zhang Zitong said, a little shyly.

Zu'an was surprised. "What did you do before?"

"I used to roam the streets, doing a bit of petty thievery," Zhang Zitong said with embarrassment. "Later, I met Lord Seven, and he saw I had potential, so he recruited me into the Embroidery Uniform Emissaries."

"So Miss Zhang had such a tough childhood. That's truly heartbreaking," Xiao Jianren couldn't help but say, expressing his concern. Zhang Zitong politely gave him a slight nod, but her eyes remained unruffled.

Zu'an said gravely, "No wonder you're so eager to avenge Lord Seven."

Zhang Zitong's eyes immediately welled up, thinking, "Lord Zu truly understands me."