An alarm blared within the city walls.
Yuan Gang and Wei Duo had already left the city and looked back. They saw the city guards closing the gates, allowing no one in or out.
Wei Duo rejoiced endlessly. How fortunate it was that Yuan Gang had procured a map beforehand and found the outermost path to the city gates. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for them to escape.
“Let's go!” Yuan Gang called out, reminding him:
“Soon, security on the roads will be tightened in all directions. We might have to move towards the mountains for a while.”
“N-n-n-nothing! Wh-wh-wh-what did y-y-y-you just do?”
“I don’t understand. You talk too much.”
Liusu Courtyard.
A palanquin, escorted by guards, arrived at the explosion site.
Hai Ru Yue stepped out and saw a massive pit on the ground. The ornamental garden that once stood there had vanished. Numerous trees and plants had also disappeared. Many trees were uprooted, some snapped, and the surrounding pavilions were shattered. Buildings slightly further away were only struck by shrapnel.
Li Wu Hua was already there, standing before the pit and gazing at it, perplexed.
Hai Ru Yue approached him and asked doubtfully, “Elder, what do you think?”
Li Wu Hua shook his head. “It’s unclear yet.”
Hai Ru Yue: “Even Elder hasn’t seen anything like this?”
Li Wu Hua raised his head to the sky, pondered for a moment, and said:
“One might assume a meteor fell from the sky and crushed the earth!”
Hai Ru Yue also looked at the sky, then at the pit. She asked doubtfully, “A meteor?”
Li Wu Hua: “It must have shattered everything.”
“So that’s how it is!” Hai Ru Yue nodded, then summoned her household manager, Zhu Shun, and quietly instructed him:
“Spread the news that a meteor fell from the sky and destroyed everything here. This is a blessed omen from the heavens! Fabricate a meteor and display it for all to see. We must eliminate all possible inappropriate rumors!”
“Understood!” Zhu Shun reacted immediately.
Li Wu Hua turned his head and smiled at her. This woman truly knew how to govern. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for him to convey everything to the sect.
Hai Ru Yue looked around and then asked the person in charge of Liusu Courtyard:
“No one was hurt? Is Master Yuan Gang in the west courtyard alright?”
The person in charge replied in a weak voice:
“He vanished!”
Hai Ru Yue’s eyes widened. “What do you mean, ‘vanished’!?”
The person in charge: “He took the opportunity and escaped!”
“Escaped?” Hai Ru Yue sneered coldly:
“You couldn’t even keep an eye on a weak person under a restriction?” She flicked her sleeve, about to strike.
Immediately, other subordinates of the person in charge rushed over and began pleading for her to calm down:
“Princess... Princess...”
The princess paid no attention to any of them. Hai Ru Yue then called out to a commander:
“Seal the city gates and find him for me!”
The commander replied, cupping his hands, “Reporting to the princess. As soon as the explosion occurred, we had already sealed the gates.”
“Good!” Hai Ru Yue said approvingly:
“These people must be found, no matter the cost!”
Across a winding river bridge stood a post station.
A group of warriors, led by a bearded officer, headed towards the station. The officer rode, swaying slightly on his horse, while behind him marched 100 foot soldiers.
They stopped near the post station. The officer dismounted and, with more than 10 soldiers, entered the station.
The stationmaster immediately rose to greet him. He cupped his hands and said with a smile:
“It turns out Centurion Wang has graced us with his presence. Where is Master heading?”
The bearded officer replied languidly:
“Where I’m going is none of your business. Prepare two tables for us.”
“Very well! Please wait a moment.” The stationmaster immediately replied, then waved to a stablehand.
The bearded officer sat down at a table, accompanied by another man. This warrior picked up a cup of wine and took a small sip.
At that moment, a stablehand passed by with firewood, heading towards the kitchen. The warrior, seeing the stablehand, immediately set his cup down. He pulled a rope from his waist and followed the stablehand. He quickly caught up, threw the rope over the stablehand’s face, and clamped it between his mouth. The warrior acted deftly and skillfully.
“Thump!”
The stack of firewood tumbled. The stablehand tried to resist, but immediately, several warriors surrounded him. They seized the stablehand’s arms, shoulders, and legs, and pinned him down. They simply immobilized him.
The stablehand grunted, “Mmmm...”
However, the rope was tightly bound around his mouth, preventing him from speaking clearly.
The people at the post station froze in place. Outside, the remaining warriors also entered, drawing their bows and aiming at everyone in the post station.
The stationmaster’s eyes bulged, and he asked in fright:
“Master, what is the meaning of this?”
Centurion Wang finished his cup of wine, stood up, walked over to the stablehand, and asked:
“This man... isn’t he a new stablehand?”
The stationmaster nodded.
“Yes. I just don’t know what wrong he has committed?”
“Ah!” The centurion sneered, then waved his hand and said:
“Search his room!”
A group of people immediately went to search his room.
It wasn’t long before a cage with a Bird King and a portrait were pulled from the room.
“Master, we found it!”
The centurion looked at the Bird King, then at the portrait.
“It seems you have some trouble. Disarm him, and be careful not to let him kill himself!”
Immediately, someone approached the lying stablehand and pulled his head back. Then, they inserted an iron rod into his mouth, forcing it wider, and firmly gripped a tooth with pliers. It turned out there was a small grain in the stablehand’s tooth. The person forcibly began to pull out the tooth. More accurately, not the tooth, but the grain that had been embedded in the tooth.
Very quickly, the stablehand’s mouth began to bleed. After the poison was extracted from his tooth, his mouth was covered with a cloth. The scout was lifted and bound tightly.
The remaining warriors reported that nothing else was found.
Someone brought a horse. The centurion mounted it and began to lead his men out.
The stationmaster rushed over, cupped his hands, and asked:
“Master, what is happening?”
The centurion paid him no mind. However, after thinking for a moment, he pointed at him with his riding crop:
“I heard you have a new wife? A beauty?”
“Uhm...” The stationmaster froze. As if he understood the implication in his words, he immediately pulled a gold coin from his sleeve and presented it with both hands:
“Brother has worked hard. This is for wine!”
The centurion had been smiling, but then his expression darkened, and he said, pointing at the stationmaster with his riding crop:
“This man is likely an accomplice. Take him away too!”
“Master!” The stationmaster groaned, and immediately he too was restrained.
Such events weren’t limited to this place. Not only in the Zhao Kingdom, but in all other kingdoms, besides the Yan Kingdom.
This was an unprecedented occurrence. Many scouts were captured at post stations. During this time, numerous people were brought under suspicion, especially the families of these scouts. Many families perished or were ruined during this period...
Chizhou City. A carriage was leaving the city. It sped swiftly along the main road.
Inside the carriage, Chuan Shao Kang pulled back the curtain and looked behind him. He watched Chizhou disappear from view. Dropping the curtain, he shook his head and sighed, saying:
“I probably won’t see this city again.”
The household steward, Chuan Qiao, sitting nearby, said:
“We are people of the Yan Kingdom, is it so bad to return to our homeland now?”
Chuan Shao Kang: “And what’s good about it? I’ve lived half my life here. How much blood have I shed? And now I’m to let all of it go?”
Chuan Qiao: “Master, one must act opportunely. Although we have failed, the greater loss would be if we lose you too. Then our network would be in danger. For the Yan Kingdom, it will be a great joy for you to return!”
Chuan Shao Kang smiled bitterly:
“Because of my blunder in this matter, how many people and their families have perished? When I left home, my father was merely a minor official. Who knew that in 20 years he would reach such a high position?”
Chuan Qiao understood him. If it had been another person in Chuan Shao Kang’s place, they would have been punished. Yet, Chuan Shao Kang was praised instead, summoned back to his homeland, and had a position prepared for him. This meant there was a great power behind Chuan Shao Kang. And his failure, thanks to that person, had become a success, such that no one dared speak ill of Chuan Shao Kang!
“Head, perhaps this time Master will be appointed to a different position!” Chuan Qiao, cupping his hands, said, “I, too, failed to live up to Master’s expectations this time!”
The relationship between the two was not that of master and servant, but rather more like that of a superior and a subordinate.
Chuan Shao Kang thought:
“The Yan Kingdom is getting worse and worse. Where is it headed?” He then shook his head and changed the subject:
“I don’t know when I’ll be able to see my family.”
Chuan Qiao: “Master, do not worry. Orders have been given from above. They have already been traveling for several days. They should head straight to the capital as soon as they reach the borders of the Yan Kingdom. The Head will not calmly stand by if anything happens to his descendants.”
The carriage stopped, and the two men disembarked. Chuan Qiao gave a signal, and the carriage continued on its way.
The two men slowly ascended a hill and lit a bonfire there. Then Chuan Qiao took out a porcelain flask and sprinkled its contents onto the fire, causing thick smoke to billow from it.
Chuan Shao Kang turned around and looked towards Chizhou:
“How many brothers and their families have died! And here I am, fleeing like this... Niu You Dao, I will remember this!”
At that moment, a massive black eagle descended from the sky. A powerful wind gusted as it descended. This eagle was one zhang tall.
A cultivator leaped from the eagle. He ascertained the position of both men, placed them onto the eagle, and flew away from the hill, leaving the bonfire to burn itself out...