The news of the annihilation of the Prince's Residence spread like wildfire. The Emperor was absolutely furious, personally issuing three imperial edicts in succession despite his illness.
He demanded the Patrol Bureau cooperate with the Six Doors to thoroughly investigate the matter!
—Crash!
“A bunch of useless trash!”
The Third Prince roared, his eyes bloodshot with rage. He hurled an inkstone at the head of the kneeling shadow guard, sending shattered fragments flying in an instant.
The five-clawed dragon robe he wore did not lend him any majesty; instead, it only amplified his hideous, terrifying expression, instilling a deep sense of dread in anyone who looked at him.
“Three years! I have waited for three whole years, and now this step is completely ruined, completely ruined!”
“Why is heaven always working against me lately?! There has been no news from Ah Fu whom I sent out, so he is likely dead already. And now, even Prince Ning's side has suffered such a major upheaval!”
“Could it be... that this is all the will of heaven?”
The shadow guard knelt on the ground, trembling uncontrollably. The sharp pain from his head was nothing compared to the sheer terror in his heart.
The Third Prince sat back down in his chair, his chest heaving violently as he tried to suppress his simmering fury. Only after a long while did he ask in a chilling voice,
“Who did that old Emperor order to thoroughly investigate this matter?”
“Replying to Your Highness! It is Lord Di of the Six Doors.”
Di Renjie!
The Third Prince's expression changed dramatically, and he unconsciously crumpled the paper on his desk into a ball.
Dammit! Why him?
As the greatest investigative agency in the world, the Six Doors had dealt with the jianghu, the common people, and all kinds of major cases since its inception. Its internal investigative capabilities were in a league of their own.
And Di Renjie was the Case-Solving Commander of the Six Doors, hailed as the Number One Detective in the World!
If it was him...
The Third Prince's heart sank. Prince Ning had truly caused a colossal mess for him.
He lowered his head, staring intently at the crumpled ball of paper in his hand, a wave of madness surging in the depths of his eyes. That was right; only the dead could keep secrets perfectly.
“Pass down my order!”
The shadow guard unconsciously looked up and instantly caught sight of the Third Prince's unmasked madness. His entire body shuddered violently.
“Mobilize everyone!”
“Within three days, I want to hear the news of Di Renjie's death!”
...
The annihilation of the Prince's Residence cast an even more eerie and treacherous shadow over Fengcheng. Many who had previously sided with the Third Prince began to switch allegiances one after another, while others wavered, hesitant to commit.
As one of the first to take a side, Prince Ning had now met with the total eradication of his entire household. Happening at such a sensitive juncture, it was hard not to read too much into it...
Jiang Moran leaned against the second-floor window of the inn, quietly gazing at the heavily patrolled streets below.
—Bang!
The door was thrown open with a loud bang, and a figure rushed in. Jiang Moran looked over to see a travel-worn Fengqingzi standing at the threshold.
“Senior, we have a major problem!” Fengqingzi said anxiously.
“Nothing good ever happens in this city.”
“Uh...” Fengqingzi was momentarily speechless. Although those words were certainly true, this really was a major problem. “According to our sources, the current Emperor was absolutely furious when he heard the news of the Prince's Residence being wiped out. He has ordered the Six Doors to intervene and thoroughly investigate the matter.”
“And the Case-Solving Commander of the Six Doors is Di Renjie!”
“Since the establishment of the Six Doors, there have been over a hundred cold cases and major incidents among the populace, and not a single one has been wrongly judged or overlooked. He is hailed as the Number One Detective in the World!”
The more Fengqingzi spoke, the more alarmed he became. With such a figure stepping in, he feared they would be traced within a matter of days.
When that time came, they would not only have to face the wrath of the Tianwu Kingdom's royal family but also an imperial arrest warrant!
Heavens, he was truly on the verge of tears from fright.
Looking at the panicked man before him, who stood in stark contrast to the cold, arrogant swordsman in white he had first met, Jiang Moran's lips twitched slightly.
How could a person change so drastically?
Where was his pride? His confidence? His poise?
If Fengqingzi could hear his thoughts, he would probably cough up blood and die on the spot.
People of the jianghu already lived by bounty hunting. He already had quite a few enemies from his travels; if he ended up on a wanted poster, his days ahead would become incredibly difficult.
And looking at it from another angle...
Since jianghu martial artists lived on bounties, the bounty for the culprit who wiped out a prince's residence would probably be massive enough to gorge those wild wolves to the point of bursting.
“Senior...”
“My life is over!”
Jiang Moran cleared his throat. “Alright, alright, I have my own way of dealing with it. Can you stop acting like we're already dead?”
Seeing that he still didn't seem to give a damn, Fengqingzi's anxiety eased slightly.
But a bitter look remained on his face. In all his years wandering the jianghu, he had never played a game as high-stakes as the one they were playing over the past few days.
He hadn't lived in vain.
“Don't worry. The Number One Detective in the World indeed has some skill,” Jiang Moran said calmly, without the slightest hint of worry on his face. “However, the annihilation of Prince Ning's Residence involves a lot of things hidden beneath the surface. It will take them at least a few days to trace it back to us, and by then, we'll have made our escape.”
Just as he finished speaking, Fengqingzi's expression froze, and his entire demeanor soured.
Seeing him like this, Jiang Moran paused mid-sentence. Could it be...
“Uh, Senior... the Second Prince said that the carriage won't be available for at least five days.”
Five days? Five days?!
Jiang Moran's face darkened. Who knew what the situation would be like in five days; the Emperor might have even been replaced by then.
“Damn it, let's just go steal a carriage.”
“We can't do that, Senior! Even if we steal one, we won't be able to drive it out of the city. Besides, security in the city is extremely tight right now.”
Seriously? This won't work, that won't work. Did they really have to wait for five days?
Knock, knock.
A knock sounded at the door. Both of them looked over to see a maidservant standing respectfully at the entrance, her fingers gently tapping the doorframe.
“Young Master Feng, Young Master Jiang, the Pavilion Master requests your presence.”
...
Inside the Heavenly Pavilion.
Fengqingzi, Jiang Moran, and Su Jinfeng sat facing one another. After serving tea and pastries, the maidservant closed the door and withdrew.
Only the three of them remained in the room, with the doors and windows all deliberately shut tightly from the inside.
Su Jinfeng took a small sip of her tea and was the first to speak, cutting straight to the chase. “Young Master Jiang, was the annihilation of the Prince's Residence this morning your doing?”
“Yes.”
...
The blunt response left Su Jinfeng momentarily speechless. She had not expected him to be so brutally honest, rendering all her prepared remarks completely useless in an instant.
“Young Master Jiang is truly... a candid person,” Su Jinfeng chuckled dryly before continuing, “However, with Lord Di of the Six Doors intervening in this matter, I fear it may cause some trouble.”
“I wonder what countermeasures Young Master Jiang has in mind? This maiden is willing to assist with all my strength.”
Su Jinfeng's tone was sincere and resolute, showing no signs of deceit.
As the head of the largest merchant guild, she had not taken a side in this bloodless war. Therefore, she needed to secure some trump cards for her own survival.
Jiang Moran shook his head slightly; he could not be bothered to think about such things.
At this, Su Jinfeng frowned slightly in thought for a moment before speaking, “In that case, why doesn't Young Master Jiang leave Fengcheng first?”
Jiang Moran sighed. “I have exactly that intention, but the place I am heading to is seven hundred kilometers away. It won't do without a carriage.”
Fengqingzi also nodded in agreement. “The city has already been locked down, and no carriages are being rented or sold. So, we have no choice but to stay here for now.”
To their surprise, upon hearing their words, Su Jinfeng's lips suddenly curled into a smile as she chuckled.
“This is not a difficult matter at all. You two leave the city first, and I will dispatch a carriage from the nearest city to wait for you at a designated location.”
“The Heavenly Pavilion is not only located in Fengcheng; we have branch pavilions in other cities as well.”
Jiang Moran and Fengqingzi exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with silent criticism of evil capitalism. Had they known this earlier, why on earth would they have waited for the Second Prince?
“Please stay for one more night. You can depart tomorrow night during the Hour of the Ox,” Su Jinfeng quickly said to hold them back, seeing that the two looked ready to leave at any moment.
It would take at least a day for the carriage to arrive from the nearest city.
“By the way, when Young Master Jiang first came to the Heavenly Pavilion, it was to choose a weapon, right? It just so happens that I have a certain weapon in my personal collection.”
As she spoke, she gestured for a servant to go and retrieve it.
A moment later, an exquisite weapon casket was brought out. Once opened, it revealed a pair of finely crafted short blades inside.
The two short blades were of different designs yet complemented each other perfectly. Together, they made a flawless set; this pair was a treasure she had cherished for many years.
The day Jiang Moran first came to the Heavenly Pavilion, she had noticed that he constantly bypassed those heavy, sturdy-looking weapons. From this, she deduced they were likely intended for a girl.
Su Jinfeng gently picked up one of the short blades. “This weapon is called the Reflecting Moon Twin Blades. It is forged from rare meteoric iron, so it is extremely tough without feeling heavy. The edge is so sharp it can slice through iron like clay, and it won't dull even after a hundred years.”
Jiang Moran's eyes lit up. He picked up the other short blade; it felt incredibly light in his hand, and the blade forged from meteoric iron gleamed with a cold light.
What a fine blade!
These two blades are indeed very suitable for Little Qing, Jiang Moran thought as he cast a deep, searching look at Su Jinfeng.
He had never mentioned whom he was picking a weapon for, yet she had directly brought out weapons suited for a woman. It was clear just how precise her observation was, and how meticulous her mind.
The corner of Jiang Moran's mouth curved slightly into a faint smile. As expected, dealing with smart people was truly a comfortable experience.
He despised stupidity.
...
Rate on N.U.
