Si Fengwu did not object, and Shen Qingzhou withdrew his command.
As the sky rained down cannon fire upon the island, Si Fengwu and Lu Qingwan approached the main island in a small boat.
The firepower from the artillery encampment was not entirely without strategy, allowing Lu Qingwan and Si Fengwu, who were privy to the attack plan, to reach the headquarters of the Han Xiao Palace almost unobstructed.
The Han Xiao Palace, with its thousand-year legacy, boasted a level of opulence in its headquarters comparable to that of a royal palace.
This also presented numerous obstacles for Lu Qingwan and Si Fengwu.
Fortunately, Shen Qingzhou's subordinates were highly capable. Just as the duo were contemplating scaling the wall, a cannonball accurately struck the main gate, blowing it open.
Several guards, brandishing firearms, rushed ahead of them. "Your Highness, Your Consort, please walk behind us. Allow us to scout ahead."
As they spoke, they had already charged forward.
At this time, the inhabitants of the Han Xiao Palace headquarters had also been roused by the cannon fire, and their guards reacted with lightning speed.
As the main gate was blasted open, they had already formed a complete defensive formation, blocking the entrance.
Seeing this, the guards made a swift decision to open fire, tearing a gap in the not-yet-fully-formed defensive formation.
The guards who arrived later quickly joined the fray, while Lu Qingwan and Si Fengwu seized the chaos to slip inside the palace.
The continuous gunfire made it difficult to concentrate, and Lu Qingwan, dragging Si Fengwu along as they ventured deeper, muttered.
"I heard that Empress Qing Huang also used firearms when she conquered the world. The people of the Samsara Palace are no strangers to them.
Our firearms shouldn't provide a decisive advantage against the Han Xiao Palace.
We need to find the people quickly and achieve complete firepower saturation before that old scoundrel Meng Fuyuan can react. Otherwise, if they get a chance to retaliate, this battle will be a tough one."
The Han Xiao Palace, after all, had deep roots. The palace was already filled with numerous experts, and they possessed experience in dealing with firearms, and even possessed firearms of their own.
Lu Qingwan's only advantage was the element of surprise, but as time dragged on, this advantage would disappear.
Si Fengwu remained silent. He casually grabbed a man in black, tossed him to Lu Qingwan, and uttered two simple, rough words: "Interrogate him."
Lu Qingwan looked back in surprise, only to discover that Si Fengwu had been dragging a Han Xiao Palace guard all along.
Judging by his attire, he was someone of considerable importance among the guards at the entrance.
She couldn't help but marvel at when Si Fengwu had captured the man, but her hand had already produced a syringe filled with truth serum and injected it into the guard's neck.
The improved truth serum took effect almost instantly. As soon as it was injected, the guard's eyes glazed over.
Lu Qingwan cut straight to the chase, asking, "Where are your Hall Master and Hall Master's Wife?"
Under the influence of the drug, the guard had no time for prevarication, and his answer was direct and clear: "Qing Huang Palace."
Having familiarized herself with the various deployments in the Phantom Night Sea domain from the blueprints provided by Liu Xunran earlier, she was naturally not unfamiliar with the Han Xiao Palace.
She casually shoved the man to the ground and then, with swift steps, hurried towards Qing Huang Palace.
Si Fengwu followed closely behind. "With their identities as King and Consort, residing in Qing Huang Palace should not be an issue.
However, given Meng Fuyuan's ambition, he would not easily concede Qing Huang Palace to King and Consort. There might be a trap."
"Let there be a trap. The people are essential, and we'll deal with whatever comes our way."
Lu Qingwan was not entirely unreasonable.
She had considered everything Si Fengwu had mentioned, but the circumstances were pressing.
With the Han Xiao Palace under attack, any intelligent person like Meng Fuyuan would guess they were responsible.
If he reacted and took Crown Prince Chengan and his consort hostage, then she and Si Fengwu would both be constrained.
This was a scenario Lu Qingwan absolutely refused to see. Therefore, even if it meant taking some losses now, she was willing to do so as long as she could rescue Crown Prince Chengan and his consort before Meng Fuyuan.
However, they hadn't even reached Qing Huang Palace when fierce fighting sounds erupted from within.
Their steps both halted. "This commotion… at least two or three Rank 8 martial artists, right?"
More startling than the continuous gunfire and the clash of cold weapons were the fluctuations in the air.
A wave of heat, devoid of any firearm discharge, resonated deep within their bones, making their feet tremble.
It was an aura that only peak inner energy masters could emit.
Exchanging a single glance, the two picked up their pace towards Qing Huang Palace.
Qing Huang Palace, as its name suggested, was the palace where Empress Qing Huang had resided during her lifetime.
In the open space before the palace, a golden phoenix, as if ready to take flight, loomed about ten feet high, shimmering even in the darkness of night.
However, Lu Qingwan and Si Fengwu had no time to admire this lifelike phoenix sculpture; their only thought was to enter Qing Huang Palace and investigate.
But as they reached the entrance, the main doors were suddenly blown open from the inside with a resounding boom.
Immediately following, a hurried cry rang out, "Quickly to the main hall! The Crown Prince and Crown Princess are in the main hall's underground palace!
The main hall is about to explode!"
It was an urgent and terrified female voice. As soon as she finished speaking, she let out a scream, and then fell silent.
The fighting inside continued. Lu Qingwan's eyes questioned Si Fengwu, "What do we do?"
Si Fengwu did not speak. He drew his long sword, which he hadn't used in a long time, and charged into Qing Huang Palace.
Lu Qingwan quickly followed.
The moment they entered, they felt a powerful aura rushing towards them. Instinctively, she channeled all her inner energy into her nine-section whip and lashed out with all her might.
The silver steel whip cut through the darkness, leaving a dazzling afterimage, followed by muffled groans.
Lu Qingwan fought on both sides, shouting, "Where are Si Ruian and Gu Shenci?"
Qing Huang Palace was shrouded in dimness, but with their inner energy, Lu Qingwan and Si Fengwu's five senses were already several times sharper than ordinary people, allowing them to see clearly in the dark without any hindrance.
As she finished speaking, she surveyed the surroundings, pinpointed an individual, and struck.
"I'll ask again, where are Si Ruian and Gu Shenci?"
As her steel whip lashed out, it was blocked by a long saber wielded by the other person. "You impudent whelp, how dare you show off your might to this envoy!
Don't worry, this envoy will send you to see them!"
As he spoke, the saber in his hand rapidly extended, cleaving downwards towards Lu Qingwan's head from a considerable distance.
Lu Qingwan then realized that the object in the man's hand was a zhanmadao, ten feet long. The blade, made of some unknown material, flashed with a chilling green luminescence as it descended.
Lu Qingwan neither dodged nor retreated. With a slight lift of her delicate hand, there was a bang as a brass pellet embedded itself into the opponent's brow.
Only then did she casually lean to the side, evading the falling zhanmadao, and turn to find a new target.
With a steel whip in one hand and a palm thunderclap in the other, she was not merely engaging in combat but conducting a special form of interrogation.
Si Fengwu maintained a moderate distance from her, offering comprehensive support to her interrogation.