Pressing themselves behind an ornate folding screen, Lan Zhuoran, Feiyan, and Gao Tianrong struggled to slow their breathing as the door creaked open. Through a gap in the screen, they glimpsed Councilor Hui greeting a robed figure. The newcomer's voice, low and urgent, carried only partial phrases: "Meeting… main hall… pressing vote…"
Feiyan's bandaged arm twinged, and she bit her lip, praying no sharp movement would betray their hiding place. Gao Tianrong's hand hovered near his bow, though firing an arrow in such a confined space would be risky. Lan Zhuoran remained poised, staff angled to avoid scraping the marble floor.
The visitor lingered, speaking of an emergency debate in the council. Feiyan caught fragments: "…troop allocation… mercenaries at the gates… old relic rumors…" She swallowed hard—if these ministers caught wind of their artifact, the entire hall might erupt in a power grab.
Finally, Hui offered polite dismissals, feigning ignorance. "I'll join the assembly shortly," he said. "Let me finish tidying affairs here."
A pause. Then the robed figure departed, footsteps echoing away. A hushed sigh escaped Hui as he gently latched the door. "You see how precarious this is," he murmured, ushering the trio out from behind the screen. "Ministers flit about with urgent messages. At any moment, one could discover you."
Gao Tianrong exchanged a wary look with Lan Zhuoran. "We should leave before more arrive."
Hui nodded, brow creased. "I'll keep my promise: gather my trusted allies. Return tomorrow night—midnight again—to the small courtyard behind the eastern wing. I'll show you a discreet route. Then we'll present the artifact to those willing to preserve it, away from prying eyes."
Feiyan steadied her breathing, her heart fluttering with both relief and dread. "Tomorrow at midnight. Understood."
Hui unlocked a side door. "Through here, you can slip into an older corridor leading down. Guards rarely patrol that route. You'll exit near the hall's southern foundation. Please—caution."
They thanked him quietly, gathering their gear. Lan Zhuoran helped Feiyan keep her cloak draped to hide the relic. Gao Tianrong led them through the door, scanning each corner with hawk-like vigilance. Hui's footsteps receded behind them as they descended another narrow stair.
At the bottom, dim torches revealed a musty hallway. Patches of moisture stained the stones, reminding Feiyan of the aqueduct tunnels. But here, carved reliefs on the walls hinted at the Jade Hall's storied past—centuries of governance overshadowed by the present crisis. Each echoing footstep spurred them on, mindful of pursuit.
Within minutes, they found an exit into a dimly lit courtyard overshadowed by tall columns. The city's distant clamor drifted on the breeze. Gao Tianrong signaled all clear, and they ducked behind pillars, slipping onto a backstreet. Free from immediate suspicion, they exhaled collectively, tension unwinding from taut muscles.
Lan Zhuoran guided Feiyan's uninjured arm. "Tomorrow night, midnight… We must survive in this city until then, unnoticed."
Feiyan nodded, mind already churning. "We can't remain in the teahouse for too long—someone may question our presence. Perhaps we roam discreetly, avoid soldier patrols."
Gao Tianrong lowered his bow. "Alternatively, we might find a small lodging in a quieter district, or even hide in the aqueduct tunnels again if conscription squads flood the streets."
They walked under flickering lanterns that lined the backstreet, each mindful of passing shadows. War tension clung to every alley, soldiers dragging reluctant youths or scanning for spies. Yet the trio managed to slip by unnoticed, forging deeper into the capital's labyrinth. Eventually, they reached a modest inn near a lesser-traveled market, paying for a cramped upper room with the last of their smaller coins.
Upstairs, as the day's fatigue claimed them, Feiyan sat on a rickety stool, carefully unwrapping her splint. Lan Zhuoran fetched water from a communal basin, rinsing the dust from her arm. A hiss escaped her lips at each sore spot, but she remained resolute. "Just a bit longer," she told herself. "Tomorrow, we'll see if Hui's allies can protect this artifact once and for all."
Gao Tianrong tested the window's latch, ensuring no eavesdroppers lurked. His amber eyes flickered with readiness to fight if needed. "We'll take turns on watch tonight. Can't risk an ambush."
Lan Zhuoran, staff propped near the wall, exhaled. "One day more, then maybe… maybe we'll find sanctuary for this relic."
Their hearts carried fragile hope as night deepened outside. In the cramped room, the flicker of a single lantern illuminated the battered trio—Feiyan nursing her healing arm, Lan Zhuoran's side still bruised, Gao Tianrong's bow resting at arm's length. Another day of survival, inching toward the promise of safety within the Jade Hall's hidden corridors.
And so the night passed in restless shifts of watchfulness. Outside, conscription calls and rumors of war droned on. But they clung to the thought that by tomorrow midnight, they'd stand on the cusp of fulfilling their quest—or facing the city's wrath if discovered. Silence draped them as they drifted into uneasy dreams, the relic's fate bound tightly with their own.