With Chitterfang's return, Han Yu did not rush.
He waited.
The night after Chitterfang's reconnaissance passed quietly, and Han Yu spent it exactly as he always did when he wished to appear unremarkable... working a short puppet maintenance mission, returning to his cave, feeding Meng Jueyan and Xuan Qing, and then sitting in meditation as if nothing weighed on his mind.
But internally, everything was aligned.
The following evening, when the blood-red moon dipped low and the sect was wrapped in layered shadows, Han Yu finally acted.
Darkness was Chitterfang's ally.
The night cold was sharper, the Frost Qi thicker, but that also meant fewer wandering disciples, fewer inspections, fewer idle movements. The Kidney Peak especially became quieter after dusk. Those who lived there were disciplined; they did not wander without reason.
Han Yu knelt inside his cave and held out the Spirit Wood Pulp Envelope one last time.
