Reinforcements

Silence hung heavy within the back room of the slave shop. Contrary to Xu Yuan's expectations, Huang Shiwei did not seem to know that the man in the portrait was Nalan Ting, the one who had instigated the Dachao Turmoil all those years ago. Noticing the hesitation on the man's face, Xu Yuan pondered for a moment before asking in puzzlement, "Mr. Huang, before this mission, didn't the Director-General of the Secret Investigation Bureau explain this person's identity to you?" "Our mission was merely to track down Qin Weishu and apprehend him," Huang Shiwei replied, regaining his composure as his voice echoed in the cramped chamber. "We are not given extraneous intelligence." Xu Yuan picked up the sheet of Xuan paper from the desk noncommittally. Under the lamplight, the flowing, lifelike portrait seemed to bleed through the very fibers of the paper. "The origin of the heart indeed has no bearing on tracking and arresting him," he said in a measured voice. "However, knowing that the heart belonged to the late king of Dachao should allow one to deduce a great deal of information. If nothing else, this intelligence would at least confirm the mission's danger level." A flicker of doubt crossed Xu Yuan's mind. "So why would that Director-General of the Secret Investigation Bureau conceal this from you?" "Young Master," Huang Shiwei interrupted Xu Yuan's muttering abruptly, offering a reminder. "As for the late king of Dachao, the Director-General may not know either." "..." Xu Yuan looked up immediately, his instinctive reaction being that the man was joking with him. The Secret Investigation Bureau was the imperial court's largest overt intelligence agency. Even though the bureau comprised external officials loyal to the imperial court, its Director-General, Zhou Quanping, was among the very highest echelons of the imperial faction. Would the Emperor really need to hide Nalan Ting's matter from Zhou Quanping? Yet, seeing the solemnity on the man's face, Xu Yuan uttered two words: "Your reasoning." Huang Shiwei's expression turned solemn as he cupped his hands in a salute and said in a low voice, "First, the surveillance level for this 'late king of Dachao' inside the Imperial Prison was not high—merely Earth Grade. Second, Xu Mengxi... was also part of this mission." "..." Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, not satisfied with this explanation. Huang Shiwei noticed and quickly clarified, "Young Master, if this matter involved the late king of Dachao, it would carry grave implications, and the mission's danger would skyrocket to near-certain death. Xu Mengxi was already being disciplined for dereliction of duty; the Director-General would certainly have used that as a pretext to confine her to Di'an City rather than allowing her to venture out into peril." "..." Xu Yuan tapped his fingers lightly on the desk and did not reply immediately. Given Zhou Quanping's character, such an explanation was indeed not out of the question. Yet if so, things were complicated. Behind this matter, did the shadow of the reigning Emperor loom as well? Xu Yuan could not be sure of that, but he was certain that another variable had been added to the equation. He recognized the man in the portrait as the late king of Dachao, Nalan Ting, only because of the Desert Divine Maiden storyline from his past life playing Cangyuan, not from internal briefings of the Prime Minister's Manor in this life. The moment he saw the portrait, Xu Yuan had assumed the top leadership knew about this, but evidently, that was not the case. If even the Director-General of the Secret Investigation Bureau, one of the imperial faction's highest figures, was ignorant of the late king's identity... With such an extreme level of secrecy, Xu Yuan could no longer be certain whether his own family knew about it. Pondering further here was pointless. Once he reached the Black Scale Guards' branch later, he could use the communication crystal to ask his father back in Di'an City and compare notes. Having made up his mind, Xu Yuan dwelled on it no longer. Learning that Qin Weishu's goal in entering the prison was the late king of Dachao, Nalan Ting, had already cleared up much of the underlying logic. He had roughly guessed how the Qin family intended to manipulate the Desert Divine Maiden and Linlang. As well as what role the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion played in all this. Sorting through his thoughts, Xu Yuan voiced the question he cared about most: "I have the gist of it. I sent word to Di'an City earlier using the Spirit-Breaking Stone. You aren't the only one who came to Zhenxi Prefectural City, right?" "Replying to the Young Master: there is only myself." "..." Xu Yuan. "..." Huang Shiwei. The two stared at each other. The air fell silent for a beat, and Xu Yuan felt a throbbing headache coming on. He knew Di'an and the Northern Border had drawn most of the Prime Minister's Manor's attention, and he was not asking for the impossible—after all, his uncle and father could not possibly move in person at such a critical juncture. But Lou Ji had previously told him that their manor possessed three Saints. If he could not count on his father and uncle, at the very least they should have dispatched that third Saint to hold the line. Even if things went south, that Saint could carry him away to flee, couldn't they? Now, however, it seemed his estimate of the northern situation had been far too optimistic. Leaning back against his chair, Xu Yuan propped his legs directly onto the desk. Rubbing between his brows beneath the dim lamplight, he remarked casually, "Mr. Huang, you didn't rush all the way here in person just to help me run away, did you?" At those words, Huang Shiwei hesitated slightly before replying in an even tone, "Third Young Master misunderstands. I rushed to Zhenxi Prefectural City first to make several preparations in advance, and second, on orders to bring you something." Xu Yuan's gaze snapped up to him. "What is it?" Huang Shiwei reached into his robes and respectfully placed a black ring onto the desk, murmuring, "Lady Lou Ji instructed Si Zijing to have me pass this to you." "..." Staring at the ink-black ring, Xu Yuan's heart began to beat wildly out of control. He recognized the object. Though he had blacked out from the backlash the instant he touched the Emperor of Sien's heart, the distinct texture of the Boundary Void Stone was firmly etched into his mind. Did the Gewu Academy manage to replicate the teleportation array inscriptions in such a short time? No, wait. The surging blood from his racing heart was clouding his judgment. Xu Yuan had nearly forgotten that back home were two traitors from the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion. Those siblings were figures from ten thousand years ago—especially Luo Xiran, that research-focused sworn sister, who would definitely know how to carve teleportation array inscriptions. Suppressing his turmoil, Xu Yuan took his legs off the desk, picked up the black ring, slid it casually onto his middle finger, and smiled. "Thank you for this, Mr. Huang. But what did you mean earlier by preparations?" "The Secret Investigation Bureau uncovered certain clues concerning the Qin family here in Zhenxi Manor. I originally intended to eliminate those traitors." "Traitors? From the Secret Investigation Bureau or the Black Scale Guards?" "Both. However, there has been a change of plans, so there is no need for such drastic measures now." "What do you mean?" "On our way here, we captured the body double of the Second Young Master of the Qin family alive." Huang Shiwei bowed respectfully once more. "This was also thanks to the Young Master crippling Qin Weishu back then. With no cultivation left to distinguish them, there is virtually no difference between the double and the real person now." At that, a flicker of surprise passed through Xu Yuan's mind. They intended to pull off a switcheroo? Mulling it over for a second, Xu Yuan didn't dwell on such secondary details and asked with a chuckle, "As long as you have a plan. Do you need the Black Scale Guards to cooperate? I do have someone here I can trust." Huang Shiwei gave a faint smile and shook his head, murmuring, "Third Young Master must be joking. Given my special position, I cannot deal directly with the Black Scale Guards." "Right, I forgot about that." Struck silent for a moment, Xu Yuan sighed with mixed emotions and gave a casual warning: "Still, Mr. Huang, you had best not leave the city anytime soon. Even with your cultivation, it is extremely dangerous outside. More than five Saints have gathered here in the Western Desert." "..." More than five Saints... Those conversational words set off raging waves in Huang Shiwei's heart. Though years of professional training made him certain of his own ears, at this moment he couldn't help thinking he had misheard—or had the Third Young Master misspoken? Seeing the man's expression, and in high spirits, Xu Yuan casually explained, "Normally speaking, there should have been only two or three, but a family of lunatics showed up out of nowhere, bringing the count above five. You don't need to question my sources, Mr. Huang. I've personally verified four of them." Huang Shiwei's cupped hands tightened slightly as a note of gravity crept into his voice. "Third Young Master, I fear this must be reported to the Lord Chancellor." Xu Yuan smiled faintly. "Before meeting you, I was already heading toward the Black Scale Guards. You don't need to be overly nervous, Mr. Huang. These five Saints represent at least three factions; they aren't a monolith." Rising and heading toward the door, Xu Yuan seemed to recall something and suddenly asked, "By the way, since you've arrived at Zhenxi Manor, who is currently handling the pursuit of Qin Weishu?" "The Eldest Young Master." "..." Hearing that name, Xu Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and his dark pupils shrank to almond slits. Xu Changge? He was done for. Clenching his fists instinctively, Xu Yuan whipped around, his eyes locking onto Huang Shiwei. "Who did you say?" The sudden shift caught Huang Shiwei off guard, but after a brief silence, he replied gravely, "Replying to the Young Master: it is the Eldest Young Master tracking Qin Weishu." "..." The earlier joy evaporated in an instant, replaced by a surge of panic creeping into his chest. Standing frozen in place, Xu Yuan curled his fingers into a fist and pressed his knuckles hard against the space between his brows. His Adam's apple bobbed. His previously orderly thoughts had fallen into disarray. In Cangyuan's Desert Divine Maiden storyline, the late king of Dachao, Nalan Ting, was a dispensable side character. If one managed to rescue him from the Imperial Prison and sacrifice him to heaven, it provided a buff to Linlang and the Desert Divine Maiden. It was practically useless. To get that buff, you had to fight your way into Di'an City first—and if you had already conquered Di'an City, you hardly needed that buff anyway. Now, those once-vague details had materialized into reality. Nalan Ting's heart had apparently become a sharp instrument for the Qin family to swallow the Dachao Royal Court whole. One could easily imagine how much importance the Qin family placed on this crucial link in their scheme. In all likelihood, they would dispatch a Saint to escort them. That Saint could be the unrevealed Saint of the Qin family, or it could be... the Pavilion Master of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion! Before learning about the late king of Dachao, Nalan Ting, Xu Yuan had constantly wondered what role the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion played in all this. Tianyan, the Saintess born to answer the cataclysm, had been dispatched to the Western Desert, which already proved how seriously the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion regarded the situation. The Pavilion Master coming in person was entirely possible. The war on the Northern Border was drawing to a close, and the Emperor's life was reaching its end. At this critical juncture when all pretenses were about to be shattered, no one would hold back. There was a fatal gap in their intelligence. And if his eldest brother were to face the Pavilion Master of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion... He would be dead without a doubt. The midday sun had begun its gradual slant toward the west, its scorching rays baking the yellow stone pavement so fiercely that beads of sweat from passersby sizzled the instant they struck the scalding ground. Emerging from the slave shop, Xu Yuan scanned the surroundings and quickly spotted Tianyan's figure. Dressed in a pale pink palace gown, the young woman was squatting in a patch of shade at the street corner. Her billowing hem trailed across the ground, her golden eyes smiled, and she casually played with a yellow mongrel by the roadside. A Central Plains indigenous hound. Smiling, the young woman gently scratched the dog's chin with her slender, delicate hands. The mongrel's eyes shone with pure, unadulterated foolishness. Panting with its tongue lolling out, it rolled comfortably on the ground, exposing its belly. The moment he saw this, Xu Yuan realized Tianye had come out again. Tianyan would never do something so idle. He walked up behind her and stopped. Without turning around, Tianye spoke with amusement in her voice: "Done talking?" "Time to go." "From the sound of your voice, it seems things didn't go too smoothly~" Tianye patted the dog's belly and slowly rose to her feet. Glancing back at Xu Yuan's face—dark enough to wring water from—she pointed at the mongrel on the ground. "I was going to joke about having you kick it, but it seems you aren't in the mood." "..." Xu Yuan indeed had no intention of indulging her; he turned and walked away. Tianye skipped along beside him, hands clasped behind her back, leaning forward as she studied his expression with a grin. "Judging by your look, has something happened to someone important to you?" Xu Yuan glanced at her, each stride covering dozens of paces. "Yes." "Let me guess: Xu Changge?" "..." Xu Yuan frowned. Tianye's tone remained utterly nonchalant, bearing that smile as though she wouldn't care if the sky came crashing down: "There are only a few people you actually care about. If something happened to your father and the rest, you'd already be running for your life by now. And Lou Ji went alone to Wanyao Valley; even if something happened to her, no word could have reached you here. So I deduce Xu Changge went after Qin Weishu and ran into the current Pavilion Master of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion?" Xu Yuan halted involuntarily, turning to stare at Tianye. After a long pause, his voice sounded somewhat hoarse: "You deduced this long ago?" "Nope." Tianye blinked her gorgeous eyes innocently and said softly, "As for Xu Changge, I only guessed it from the look on your face." With that, the young woman's rosy lips curved into a devilish smile. "However, I did deduce what the Qin family wanted to retrieve from the Imperial Prison. After all, I know very well why that ancient beast, Linlang, is fiercely loyal to the Dachao people~" "..." Xu Yuan showed no expression, yet a faint murderous intent seeped from him. This enchantress possessed far more intelligence than he had imagined. "Don't look at me like that~" Tianye blinked her delicate, tranquil eyes, their crescent curves sparkling. "You said it yourself: I'm merely a witness by your side, watching your joys, sorrows, partings, and reunions." Leaning close to his ear, her breath fragrant as orchids, the young woman whispered: "Xu Yuan, what your father is trying to do isn't child's play. A single misstep can ruin everything; anyone could die at any moment along this road. "Of course, that doesn't include you. "At least... "not before I perish."