The northern shrine was empty when they arrived.
Xin posted guards. Shen Bao took the east approach. Dao Chen took the west. Zhou sat inside with the volumes.
Ren spread documents across the shrine floor.
"We have six gates," Ren said. "One under each capital. The Old One under the central palace is awake. The other five are waking up."
"We need to seal them," Xin said.
"We need to find out how." Zhou opened Volume Thirty-Seven. "Longwei burned the pages. But copies exist. Lian found them in the deep network."
"Where in the deep network?"
"She did not say."
Dao Chen walked in. His shoulder was bandaged. "Wei Long is dead."
Xin looked up. "What?"
"I found him on the road. Someone got to him first. Cut his throat."
"Lian?"
"No. She was with us. Different killer." Dao Chen held up
