Chapter 1651: Six Major Challenges

"I'm on the Wind-Fire Wheels, drifting through my youth... Drift, drift, drift, oh, drift..."

Zu An hummed the tune all the way to Yijun, but as soon as he landed, his entire demeanor immediately became serious. In front of his subordinates, a leader still needed to project some authority.

Zhang Zitong, Xiao Jianren, and others were already waiting at the previously agreed-upon secret rendezvous point. To ensure secrecy, they hadn't even met at the Embroidery Building in Yijun, fearing the King of Yan might catch wind of something.

They were deep in discussion. It had to be said that Zhang Zitong's long legs were incredibly eye-catching, especially when compared to Xiao Jianren and the other rather unremarkable figures, creating a sense of "a crane among chickens."

Zu An deliberately cleared his throat.

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

Zu An opened his mouth, initially intending to offer some encouraging platitudes like leaders from his previous life. However, after thinking for a long time, he couldn't come up with the right words. Realizing he couldn't adopt that style, he simply cleared his throat and went straight to the point: "Have you found information about the ledger's secret chamber?"

"Yes," Zhang Zitong replied, opening a map. "Based on our investigation over the past few days, there are six major difficulties in retrieving the ledger."

Zu An nodded, signaling her to continue.

He quickly glanced at the map. It was a floor plan of the King of Yan's manor. Some shaded areas clearly indicated a lack of intelligence, but overall, the map of the entire manor was quite complete.

Zhang Zitong hummed in acknowledgment, then pointed to some black dots marked on the map. "The first difficulty is the guards of the King of Yan's manor. They conduct patrols in three shifts. Having staked them out these past days, we found they are very professional, leaving almost no gaps during shift changes. Moreover, there are various hidden sentries throughout the manor. Although we have been monitoring and investigating some over the years, there are definitely others we haven't discovered. The last time I entered the manor, I was spotted by a hidden sentry, which exposed my presence."

Zu An said gravely, "If there are almost no gaps during shift changes, that means there are still gaps that can be exploited. For Embroidery Envoys, this shouldn't be an issue. As for hidden sentries, we can adapt as needed."

Over the years, he had frequently visited various imperial palaces and was already well-acquainted with the patterns of both overt and hidden sentries, confident that these would not be a problem.

Seeing his relaxed tone, Zhang Zitong thought to herself, "A Gold Plaque Envoy is indeed a Gold Plaque Envoy, far more capable than I am."

She then continued, "The second difficulty is that even if we manage to avoid the outer patrols of the manor, there is always a group of elite guards stationed outside the King of Yan's study, never leaving their posts. Even if we could defeat them, it would alarm the entire manor's defense forces."

Although the outer patrols were tight, they were dynamic and moved around, offering opportunities. When encountering stationary guards, one could find another path to bypass them. However, the King of Yan's study was the destination of this mission, making it impossible to avoid.

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 other residents of the manor. That's why we're stuck at this step."

"How many guards are there at the study?" Zu An asked.

"Around thirty to forty, all top-tier 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 Envoys immediately widened their eyes. They couldn't believe that a problem that had troubled them for so long was dismissed by him with such a casual tone.

However, since he didn't elaborate, they found it inappropriate to press further. They all sighed with emotion, "Lord Eleven is truly unfathomable."

"The third challenge is that the study is surrounded by special defensive formations that only the King of Yan can activate. Any attempt to break them will alert him, and the King of Yan is a Grandmaster. If he is alerted, we will have no chance of survival," Zhang Zitong said with a worried expression.

In her mind, a Grandmaster was an invincible being. While Gold Plaque Eleven was powerful, there was certainly a gap between him and a Grandmaster. After all, the Commander of the Embroidery Envoys, Zhu Xie Chixin, was rumored to be only half a step away from becoming a Grandmaster. It was impossible for his subordinate to be more powerful than the Commander.

Zu An thought for a moment and said, "This problem shouldn't be too big. We just need to lure the King of Yan away. As long as he can't rush back within a short time, it doesn't matter even if he's alerted." Although he wasn't afraid of the King of Yan, there was indeed no need to confront him directly.

"Lord, that's an excellent plan," Zhang Zitong said, her face lighting up with excitement. "As expected of Lord Eleven, providing a solution so easily for a major problem that has troubled us for so long. But how can we lure the King of Yan away?"

Zu An thought for a moment and asked, "Is the disagreement between Magistrate Zhang of Yijun and the King of Yan genuine or feigned?" He had been in Yijun for a relatively short time, so what he saw might not necessarily be true. However, as an Embroidery Envoy stationed in Yijun, Zhang Zitong would certainly know the true relationship between the Magistrate's Mansion and the King of Yan.

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

Zu An nodded. "Then, at that time, we'll ask Magistrate Zhang to make an appearance and lead the King of Yan away from his mountain lair."

"But even if the King of Yan leaves, the formation will still be there. It was set up by a Master Runesmith whom the King of Yan paid a heavy sum to. We might not be able to break it," Zhang Zitong hesitated. "I heard that Miss Xie, Master Yan's top student from the Imperial Academy, came with Imperial Envoy Zu this time. Is there any way we can ask for her help?"

Zu An was momentarily stunned. It felt rather peculiar to hear others talk about himself and those around him while he was in a different identity. "I'll figure out a way for the formation." Xie Daoyun could indeed do it, but he didn't want 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 challenge is the various mechanisms and traps within the study, as well as a special secret passage. If we don't know the proper method, not only will it be extremely perilous, but it will also be difficult to proceed even an inch," Zhang Zitong said with a solemn expression.

Zu An said, "Isn't this what Embroidery Envoys are good at? Can't you select a suitable person?"

"Lord Seven was the best at this previously," Zhang Zitong said, her expression a little awkward. "However, I've followed 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 Envoy, she could certainly be relied upon in this regard, especially as she had dared to infiltrate the King's manor alone in the past.

"The fifth difficulty is that after entering the secret passage, there's a special dark area within, guarded by four Dark Death Warriors. These were cultivated by the King of Yan with great effort. In such a pitch-black place where you can't see your hand in front of your face, ordinary masters would be completely incapacitated and no match for those Dark Death Warriors," Zhang Zitong explained.

Zu An was somewhat surprised. "How are you so knowledgeable even about the conditions inside the secret chamber?"

"Building these secret chambers back then would have required a large number of skilled craftsmen. Although the King of Yan's manor specifically tried to conceal this, once we have a lead, we Embroidery Envoys can uncover anything," Xiao Jianren finally found an opportunity to show off, speaking with some pride. After all, this was his idea for an entry point.

Zu An nodded and offered a few words of encouragement. Coupled with Zhang Zitong's admiring gaze, Xiao Jianren puffed out his chest even further.

Zu An, however, fell into contemplation. A dark place, he wasn't unfamiliar with that. He suddenly thought of Peng Wuyan from the Grand Daoist Competition. If she could assist with her skills, those Dark Death Warriors would be a joke. However, he immediately became a bit worried. Peng Wuyan, with her light-based abilities, seemed to have some restraint over Big Manman's Fu Hao Owl Totem.

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

"I'll take care of this. What's the sixth problem?" Zu An continued to ask.

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

Zhang Zitong looked at him with a complex expression. "It's mainly that we discussed these problems for a long time, and we all thought they were incredibly difficult, like reaching the heavens. Yet, for Lord Eleven, they seem to be nothing?"

Zu An couldn't help but chuckle. "If you want to flatter me, save it until the mission is complete. First, tell me what the sixth problem is."

Zhang Zitong replied, "The sixth problem is that the box containing the ledger has a mechanical lock that's very difficult to open. Moreover, once the ledger is taken out, it will trigger mechanisms inside, causing the entire room to self-destruct, destroying both the ledger and any intruders."

"Hmm, why does your tone sound more relaxed than before?" Zu An keenly noticed her change, thinking to himself, "Is this woman planning to rely on me again? I'm not omnipotent."

"I actually have a solution for this problem. From my past experiences, I'm quite good at picking locks," Zhang Zitong said, a little bashfully.

Zu An was surprised. "What did you do before?"

"I used to wander the streets, doing some petty theft. Later, I met Lord Seven, and he saw I had good aptitude, so he recruited me into the Embroidery Envoys," Zhang Zitong said, somewhat embarrassed.

"So, Miss Zhang had such a tough childhood. How heartbreaking," Xiao Jianren couldn't help but express his concern.

Zhang Zitong politely nodded slightly to him, but her eyes remained unperturbed.

Zu An said gravely, "No wonder you're so keen on avenging Lord Seven."

Zhang Zitong's eyes immediately welling up. She thought, "Lord Zu truly understands me."