Killed the Wrong People

The Xiaoyao Sect was required to pay tribute to the Mou Kingdom with a Bright Lantern Cup every thirty years; how could they possibly have any surplus left to sell? Even so, He Lingchuan quietly breathed a sigh of relief. The King of Bo had finally given a definitive answer. If he had played dumb and insisted he had no idea what a Bright Lantern Cup even was, matters would have been rather troublesome. He Lingchuan did not want to mention Imperial Physician Chen, lest the witness be silenced. Taking in their expressions, the King of Bo gave a snort and dispatched palace attendants to summon the relevant individuals. Because this would take quite a while, he had He Lingchuan and Dong Rui wait in the main hall while he took his leave first. This wait lasted for over an hour, with hot water served only twice in the interim. Yet none of the three touched a drop. *** That morning, shortly after the three had left Rulin Inn, Han Kun of the Shadow Tooth Guard stepped out of the inn and bought an assortment of steamed buns and several cold dishes. Once the guest room was empty, the window suddenly moved. After having breakfast with his companions, Han Kun returned to his room, feeling as though something was not quite right. He swept his eyes across the room; nothing had changed. An illusion, perhaps? Another Shadow Tooth Guard knocked on his door, calling him over to play shuanglu. The shuanglu set they carried with them was just a small board, unlike the colossal version on Suoding Island. Today the boss and the special envoy had gone to the palace, while the rest were guarding the inn. With nothing else to do, they might as well play a couple of rounds to pass the time. Han Kun thought nothing more of it, squeezed his coin purse, and headed out. Meanwhile, several slips of paper suddenly drifted into the garrison of the Feather Guard stationed in Xun City, some two hundred zhang away. A Feather Guard picked them up to look. On them were only a few words: *Ten members of the Mai faction hiding at Rulin Inn, disguised as foreign guards, cultivation formidable!* Tip-offs reporting rebel remnants were a regular occurrence every couple of days. Besides, the Mai faction had been stirring up trouble frequently of late, growing increasingly brazen, and the King of Bo had long since ordered a rigorous search and crackdown. Normally, the Feather Guard would handle such reports on their own, but today Nangong Yan happened to be present as well, so the slips were brought before him for his venerable judgment. Nangong Yan took only one glance: "Investigate!" Before long, a Feather Guard returned to report: "A waiter at Rulin Inn said these people have been staying for over half a month, frequently holding closed-door discussions and allowing no one near. They claim to be traveling merchants, yet no one has seen them moving any cargo, though they spend quite lavishly. Once, as they were heading out, the waiter faintly heard them mention something like 'palace map,' but the moment he appeared, they stopped talking and berated him to go away." Nangong Yan narrowed his eyes. "Very suspicious indeed. Make some preparations first, and send more men." It was close by anyway. His subordinate took the order and left. When the master said to make preparations first, that meant laying ambushes and setting up formations—unleashing a full preparatory assault beforehand. There was never a shortage of cultivators among the rebels, and the Feather Guard was well experienced in dealing with them, determined to ensure not a single one escaped! Half an hour later. Just as Nangong Yan was about to set out for the palace, footsteps sounded outside, and a personal guard rushed in: "Chief Supervisor, the rebels at Rulin Inn are formidable! We have suffered over seventy casualties, and only killed three of them!" And that was even after launching a surprise attack. The note had actually been right; these people possessed considerable cultivation. With the initiative and the element of surprise on their side, how could their own men have suffered such heavy losses? Nangong Yan's heart tightened, and he strode toward the door. "Are they truly rebels?" A casualty ratio of seventy to three—how could ordinary people possess such capability? "They claim to be an escort guard from the Mou Kingdom, and even produced official badges." Nangong Yan sneered. "A petty trick. Rebels have pulled that stunt before." Forge an official badge, and use illusion arts to make it glow. "However, we recovered these two items from the captured rooms." The Feather Guard produced a book and two red beads inlaid with blue. "This is a book written by the traitorous official Mai Liansheng! Those remnants copy it and use the text as code words to communicate with one another. As for the beads, they are ornaments from the covered walkways of the old Mai estate; supposedly hundreds hang on a single strand. The Mai faction members we captured in the past used them as tokens for identification." Nangong Yan's gaze hardened. "You didn't let them escape, did you?" "We laid two formations and a series of traps around the inn before moving in to arrest them. They made several attempts but failed to break through." The Feather Guard was adept at hunting down rebels, but this time... "Even two of the Golden Feather Guards were—were injured." The Golden Feather Guards were elite fighters personally trained by Nangong Yan, each capable of tearing tigers and leopards apart with bare hands—essentially an upgraded version of the ordinary Feather Guard. Numbering only twelve in total, their formidable combat prowess was acknowledged across Xun City's military. Upon hearing that the Golden Feather Guard had been wounded, Nangong Yan's expression darkened. He pressed the ring on his ring finger. "Where are the rest of the Golden Feather Guards? In addition, mobilize another hundred men to come with me!" To capture a mere dozen rebels, he actually had to take the field himself? *** When the King of Bo reappeared, he was accompanied by a woman. Though possessing breathtaking beauty, she seemed as delicate as a willow wafting in the breeze; her entrance only made the opulent hall feel even more hollow and chilling. How many people did He Lingchuan even recognize here? Yet, by chance, this was another familiar face. Consort Mei. Today she wore a peach-pink gown, suitably magnificent, and her delicate face finally had more color than a few days prior. Standing beside the noticeably aged King of Bo, she looked like a fresh, tender peach blossom blooming on a dark, withered old tree. Consort Mei also noticed He Lingchuan and Dong Rui, and as her gaze swept past Jin Bai, her beautiful eyes widened slightly. Yet this slight anomaly vanished in a flash, and she turned her gaze back to the King of Bo. Consort Mei's eyes held only this old man old enough to be her grandfather, filled with intense devotion and adoration. He Lingchuan noticed that after the King of Bo sat down, he continued to hold her hand. Once she was seated as well, the King of Bo beckoned someone forward from behind and said to He Lingchuan, "Three months ago, We dispatched an envoy to purchase a Bright Lantern Cup from the Xiaoyao Sect. This is that envoy, Luo Jingzhou. Come, tell the Mou envoy what transpired." "Yes. Your humble servant conveyed the royal decree to the Xiaoyao Sect, but Sect Leader Li refused, stating that the Bright Lantern Cup is a precious sect treasure that could under no circumstances be released outside. After three days of fruitless persuasion, your humble servant had no choice but to head back. However, before I even left the borders of the Xiaoyao Sect, Elder Cao Yanhua approached me in private, claiming that the Bright Lantern Cup would mature in twelve days and that he was willing to offer it to our kingdom." "Elder Cao Yanhua?" He Lingchuan's mind raced. "What price did he ask?" "Thirty-five thousand taels of silver." He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow at the figure; that was not expensive at all, considering how precious such an herb was. "A bargain indeed. And did Your Majesty agree?" The King of Bo said nonchalantly, "Why wouldn't We? It is merely a modest sum." As the sovereign ruler of a nation, could he not afford thirty-five thousand? He Lingchuan asked immediately, "Were you not concerned that it might be a trap?" Luo Jingzhou answered in his stead, "Elder Cao agreed with me back then that goods would come before payment. Once the Bright Lantern Cup matured, he would send word to our King to set the time and place of delivery." With goods delivered before payment, what trickery would the King of Bo have to fear? It should have been Cao Yanhua worrying whether he would ever see the money. The more He Lingchuan listened, the stranger it sounded. "Where was the handover?" "Forty-two days ago, at Old Banyan Posthouse in Xun City," Luo Jingzhou said. "It was also your humble servant who led men to retrieve it; the Bright Lantern Cup was hidden under the bed of a guest room on the second floor. After retrieving it, I handed it over to Imperial Physician Chen for compounding." Since the transaction location was chosen right in their own capital, the King of Bo would naturally have been even more at ease. "Forty-two days ago!" He Lingchuan calculated the dates, his expression grim as still water. "That was the exact day the Shadow Tooth Guard arrived at Julu Port!" The Bright Lantern Cup had matured forty-five days ago; Jin Bai had harvested it with his own hands that very day and rushed non-stop toward Julu Port. The transaction date Luo Jingzhou gave coincided precisely with the time Jin Bai and his men arrived at Julu Port. Did Cao Yanhua steal the Bright Lantern Cup from him first, and then sell it to the Bo Kingdom? "And afterward? Did you pay the money?" Luo Jingzhou nodded. "Only after Imperial Physician Chen succeeded in refining the Heart Lamp did your humble servant, by our King's order, deliver the thirty-five thousand taels of silver to Old Banyan Posthouse—to that very same guest room." "So payment was made only after the refining succeeded. Cao Yanhua conducted this business with genuine sincerity." That in itself was a massive point of suspicion. Dong Rui could not help giving a light cough from behind, and He Lingchuan knew what he wanted to say. Was this Cao not afraid the King of Bo would stiff him on the payment? The old monarch's reputation was hardly stellar. Seeing their skepticism, the King of Bo declared haughtily, "Let it be known to you: our kingdom does not steal or rob, nor do We stoop to such contemptible acts!" The core material used to refine his son's Heart Lamp did indeed come from the Xiaoyao Sect. But so what? He had bought it with his own silver! The soul-snatching mirror sneered from He Lingchuan's lapel, "Which just means he bought stolen goods." Yet He Lingchuan could understand the King of Bo's logic: Having neither stolen nor robbed, he felt no guilt toward the Mou Kingdom. If the Mou Kingdom and the Xiaoyao Sect wanted someone to blame, they could only blame their own people for betraying their trust and embezzling the treasure. Sure enough, the King of Bo followed up, "Every debt has its debtor. Rather than demanding answers from Us, Envoy, you would be better off returning to the Xiaoyao Sect to look for Cao Yanhua." He Lingchuan pondered for a moment. "How many times did you communicate with Cao Yanhua?" "Just that once." The King of Bo glanced at Luo Jingzhou, who immediately picked up, "Elder Cao stated beforehand that obtaining the Bright Lantern Cup was extraordinarily difficult. To avoid ruining the endeavor at the eleventh hour, he requested that we make no contact with him in the interim." "We originally intended to see what trick he was playing, but it turned out he was genuinely selling the real thing," the King of Bo said coolly. "We shouldn't have disclosed this transaction, but since the matter is of grave consequence, We have no intention of covering for Cao Yanhua either." Dong Rui rolled his eyes a few times, holding back his urge to scoff. Killing the donkey once it had finished grinding the grain, was he? Was this fellow Cao truly that foolish? For thirty-five thousand taels of silver, he dared gamble that the King of Bo wouldn't turn right around and sell him out? Why on earth was he so confident in the King of Bo's character? Well, of course, to ordinary folk, thirty-five thousand taels of silver was an enormous fortune they couldn't earn in a lifetime. "Truly bizarre," the soul-snatching mirror clicked its tongue. "No wonder you said this case is riddled with suspicions everywhere. The way this Cao fellow operated is full of holes, as if he were rushing headlong to his death." "Your servant will naturally visit the Xiaoyao Sect," He Lingchuan drew a quiet breath, knowing the crucial point of this meeting had arrived. "However, regarding how to handle the Mou Kingdom's stolen tribute, does Your Majesty have a plan?" The King of Bo glared at him coldly. "Something We bought with Our own money for Our own use—is there a problem with that?" "The Emperor specifically instructed that the tribute must be retrieved." He Lingchuan met his gaze squarely. "And now, our kingdom's stolen tribute is right here in the Palace of Bo!" Having a great empire behind one's back truly gave backbone; even acting as an envoy allowed one to be so aggressive. The way Yu Zecheng had felt when dealing with the Yangshan Archipelago back then—He Lingchuan finally experienced a small taste of it himself. "You lost your tribute; what does that have to do with Our kingdom?" The King of Bo waved his hand dismissively. "We are not entirely unreasonable either. How about this: We have written a letter to the Mou Emperor. All you need to do is carry it back for Us." Such a monumental incident, and he wanted to brush it off so lightly? Did he truly believe the wrath of a great empire could be smoothed over so easily? With the old man playing dumb and acting shameless, Dong Rui and Jin Bai standing behind were rendered somewhat speechless, while He Lingchuan spoke straight to the point: "Our Emperor hopes your esteemed kingdom will return the tribute, thereby fostering goodwill between our two nations." "The Heart Lamp is needed by Our son; he cannot be parted from it for even a single day." The King of Bo gave another cold, mocking smile. "Matters having reached this stage, why doesn't your esteemed kingdom generously relinquish it, treating it as fostering goodwill between our two nations? What does the Mou envoy think?" He Lingchuan immediately responded, "This matter is of utmost gravity. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider." "Gravity? What constitutes gravity?" The King of Bo rolled his eyes. "To Our kingdom, the Bright Lantern Cup concerns the very foundation of the state! What use is it to the Mou Kingdom? Could it possibly outweigh the fate of a nation? This thing yields one cup every thirty years, and you have already collected four or five of them in the past. Are they still not enough?" The soul-snatching mirror gasped, "Oho, this old coot! Keeping someone else's property without returning it, yet sounding so righteous about it!" He Lingchuan maintained a faint smile. The King of Bo's logic was one ancient immortal cultivators frequently invoked: "Heavenly treasures belong to those with virtue to claim them." "How the Mou Kingdom uses the Bright Lantern Cups it collects, I do not know; however, throughout history, this thing has a tendency to invite calamity. Your Majesty should take utmost care." Was this little brat threatening him? The King of Bo's gaze turned frosty. This fledgling brat, daring to threaten him just because he represented the Mou Kingdom? "Whether calamity strikes or not, what does that have to do with the Bright Lantern Cup? We, however, believe that having no filter on one's tongue is the true way to seek death!" "You are merely a messenger, and We have no desire to make things difficult for you." The King of Bo leaned back, speaking listlessly, "Deliver this letter back for Us, and your duty here is fulfilled. Do you understand?" An attendant at his side brought out a tray upon which lay a sealed letter. Since the King of Bo treated a warning as a threat, He Lingchuan refrained from further words, reaching out to take the letter and slipping it into his robes. At this moment, the King of Bo shifted his posture, appearing somewhat uncomfortable. Consort Mei supported his shoulder from behind, her face full of concern. He stroked her hand, patting it gently twice. This old husband and young wife practically shoved a mouthful of public affection down everyone's throat in the hall. The King of Bo gave He Lingchuan a chuckling smile. "You may linger in Xun City for a few more days. We will dispatch men to escort you to Julu Port, lest trouble arise along the way." "We appreciate Your Majesty's kind intentions, but we still must visit the Xiaoyao Sect to seek out Elder Cao." The King of Bo uttered an "Oh." "Right, you still have a case to investigate." With that, He Lingchuan and the others took their leave. Consort Mei looked up, secretly watching their departing figures. Perhaps she had lingered a moment too long; when Consort Mei looked away, she suddenly caught the King of Bo staring at her and was startled. The King of Bo's eyes were filled with displeasure. "What are you looking at?" This young consort of his was indeed tender-hearted, but a few days ago she had thrown herself into danger for a stranger, and today she was gazing after another man's back. Could it be...? Consort Mei said softly, "Your concubine is merely worried... now that the Mou Kingdom has lost the Heart Lamp, will they... refuse to let the matter rest?" Her eyes were indeed full of worry. The King of Bo half-narrowed his eyes and let out a disdainful snort. "Granting an audience to the Mou envoy today was merely showing them some face. Otherwise, separated from us by thousands of mountains and rivers, and currently at war with Beijia, what right does the Mou Kingdom have to make trouble for us?" Consort Mei ventured cautiously, "What if the Mou Kingdom defeats Beijia? Might they come to cause trouble for us afterward?" The King of Bo could not help bursting into hearty laughter. "How could that be possible! Women have short sights—Beijia is a nation favored by Heaven, vast in territory and mighty in military might, with scarcely an equal in this world!" Although the Bo Kingdom was tucked away in a corner of the Shanjin Plains, it had also heard the legends of Beijia. "And what about the Mou Kingdom?" "Compared to Beijia, the Mou Kingdom falls far short," the King of Bo chuckled. "They cannot even handle the Ya Kingdom that opposes them at every turn! Ha, have you ever seen Beijia fail to subdue the states on its borders?" Consort Mei nodded as if half-understanding, yet still murmured, "My King is wise and profound." *** Leaving the palace, Jin Bai immediately expressed his thanks to He Lingchuan. The King of Bo's clear stance was just as He Lingchuan had predicted, which meant the Shadow Tooth Guard could report the king's attitude back to the Mou Kingdom. How to proceed from there would be decided by the Mou Emperor; it was not their place to act on their own authority. Having fulfilled his mission of acting as temporary special envoy and meeting the King of Bo, He Lingchuan handed the King of Bo's letter over to Jin Bai: "You handle this." Jin Bai solemnly stowed the letter away. "I shall return to the inn at once to draft a missive. What about the two of you?" With his back turned to Jin Bai, Dong Rui kept winking furiously at He Lingchuan: *Let's get out of here quickly, before these guys ask us to do more unpaid labor.* "We are heading straight to the Xiaoyao Sect." He Lingchuan was still concerned about Baimao Mountain and wanted to inspect it first. "Let us rendezvous there." "Very well." Jin Bai handed a token of the Xiaoyao Sect to He Lingchuan, and the two parties parted ways right there. He hurried back to Rulin Inn. They had set out early in the morning, and now the sun was already slanting toward the west. With heavy thoughts weighing on his mind, Jin Bai had no desire to loiter outside and strode directly into the inn. Yet the moment he entered the lobby, he sensed something was amiss and stopped in his tracks: Two Shadow Tooth Guards should have been seated in the lobby, so where were they? He turned his gaze toward the innkeeper, who, though present in the shop, darted his eyes away, not daring to meet his gaze. Something was wrong! Without waiting to figure out what was happening, Jin Bai pivoted on his heel and moved toward the exit. Unfortunately, he was one step too late. Over a dozen figures charged in from outside, blocking him in the entryway courtyard. Leading them was none other than Nangong Yan. With a grim gaze and an ashen complexion, he pointed at Jin Bai and barked an order: "Apprehend the rebel!" Instantly, two to three hundred plainclothes fighters surged from inside and outside the inn, surrounding him on all sides. Jin Bai held up his official badge and shouted in fury, "I am a military offi—" The moment he spoke, more than a dozen arrows came whistling toward him. Pedestrians around the inn scattered in panic, while nearby shops bolted their doors shut. The street emptied in seconds, leaving only Jin Bai's furious roars echoing in the air. In an instant, he had wounded several men. "A bunch of useless trash!" Nangong Yan strode forward, wiping a finger across the ring on his ring finger, and a faint silhouette emerged behind him. At the same time, a faint reddish gleam ignited in the eyes of the dozen-plus burly Feather Guards behind him. "End this quickly!" *** A quarter of an hour later, Rulin Inn finally returned to silence. The innkeeper and the waiters had long since turned pale as ghosts, cowering and shivering behind the counter. The Feather Guards cleared the battlefield, carrying out their own dead and wounded, then dragging the corpses of the Shadow Tooth Guards into the courtyard, laying them out in neat rows. Six bodies in total, including Jin Bai. Another five Shadow Tooth Guards were wounded and bound, their mouths stuffed with hemp gags. The looks they directed at Nangong Yan burned with pure hatred. Nangong Yan wiped the blood from his hands, took the official badges and documents handed over by his personal guard, and glanced through them, his expression sinister and dark. The moment he captured these Shadow Tooth Guards earlier, he realized that these "rebels" were genuinely guards from the Mou Kingdom. He had arrested the wrong people. No, worse than that—he had killed the wrong people! If he released them now, the Shadow Tooth Guard would never let it go, and the Mou Kingdom would inevitably confront the King of Bo, demanding Nangong Yan's head. Since things had come to this, he might as well take it even further!