Inside the Third Prince's bedchamber.
The windows were tightly shut on all sides, leaving only a single tallow lamp flickering on the desk, casting an obscure, shadowy glow over the face of the man sitting nearby.
In front of him, a dark guard clad in black knelt on one knee. With his head bowed low, he reported in a deep voice, “Master! A message came from the city gates this morning. Fengqingzi and another man have entered the city.”
The man at the desk narrowed his eyes slightly, a trace of sinister malice glinting within them.
“Have you investigated the identity of the other person?”
The dark guard kept his head down, not daring to look at him. “Not yet.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the air in the chamber turned freezing cold. The rustling sound of the brush writing on paper stopped instantly. The dark guard bowed his head as low as possible, not even daring to breathe.
Only these dark guards knew exactly how ruthless and cruel their master was.
The Third Prince tightened his grip on the brush, a dangerous light flashing in his eyes. He had plotted for three whole years for that throne, and he would absolutely not allow any variables, no matter who it was!
In that instant, a murderous intent surged.
He stood up and tossed a black token in front of the dark guard, commanding coldly, “Take this and have Ah Fu pay a visit. Remember, do not make too much of a stir.”
The dark guard picked up the token but made no move to leave.
The Third Prince frowned slightly. “What is it? Is there something else?”
The dark guard bowed his head and knelt on one knee again. “The Prince has been in a poor mood lately. He requests Your Highness's assistance in finding the killer of the Young Prince.”
Finding the killer? The Third Prince sneered. That useless son of his had spent all his days indulged in lust. His death was well-deserved.
Then, his expression suddenly darkened. If his plans were delayed because of this matter, even a hundred of that Prince's lives would not be enough to make amends.
“Tell him that this prince does not care how he searches. But if he delays my grand design, he will be executed without mercy.”
“This subordinate obeys!”
—Slam!
The heavy doors of the bedchamber closed, and the candle flame on the desk dimmed, casting its light precisely upon his robes. It was not the vermilion, four-clawed python robe worn when having an audience with the Emperor, but a five-clawed golden dragon robe with an extra claw sewn onto it.
He sat upright at the desk once more, the cold glint in his eyes completely undisguised.
“My dear eldest brother, surely you do not truly believe you can sit securely on the imperial throne just because you are the eldest son of the first wife?” The Third Prince let out a soft laugh. Did he honestly think he would just let him ascend the throne quietly, only to be purged later on?
“Just you wait, Imperial Father.”
“This world will be mine!”
...
Fengqingzi's expression was very grim. He had searched almost the entire city of Fengcheng. The shops were either closed, or even if they were open, they refused to do business.
Not to mention fine steeds, they would not even sell him a single old nag.
Surely he and Senior couldn't walk all the way to the location marked on the parchment scroll, could they? That place was at least a thousand li away, very close to the North.
He had no idea why the Zhang Family's ancestor had buried the treasure so far away, yet had settled down in Fengcheng himself.
There were two major kingdoms in the Central Plains: the Tianwu Kingdom and the Kingdom of Liang.
While the two kingdoms of the Central Plains were still locked in a standoff, the North had already been unified under a single ruler, known as the Northern Emperor.
The entire world was split into a tripartite balance of power. Although the Tianwu Kingdom and the Kingdom of Liang were often locked in conflict, the two nations would immediately join forces to resist if there was ever any unusual movement from the North.
The reason was simple: if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold!
Thus, the three factions of the world had remained in a deadlock. If the Kingdom of Liang and the Tianwu Kingdom truly went to war against each other, the North would surely seize the opportunity to invade. Yet, the emperors of Tianwu and Liang could not stand each other, neither willing to set aside their grievances to cooperate and wage war against the North.
Therefore, when Jiang Moran saw that the location on the parchment scroll was close to the North, his interest had been instantly piqued, and he decided to go and have a look.
Speaking of which, he had not seen Senior for half the day, and he was beginning to feel a bit worried.
His worry was not about anything else, but rather that Senior might get lost. After all, Senior's casual and careless attitude was truly hard to rely on.
Just as he was thinking, a sharp, whistling sound of rushing wind cut through the air behind him. Fengqingzi paused, but he did not turn around to look.
The moment a heavy axe was about to split him in two, he moved.
His white robes fluttered with his movements, and as his sleeves swept through the air, a green sword was revealed—like a splash of emerald green amidst drifting white snow.
The long sword thrust out along the edge of the axe. Dodging and counterattacking, his actions flowed like water, leaving no time for a reaction.
The attacker wore a mask on his face, but his eyes betrayed his shock. In his sight, that green sword seemed to transform into a swimming dragon, coiling around the shaft of the axe and striking straight toward his face!
It could not be blocked directly!
The attacker quickly pulled back his axe and retreated, but Fengqingzi did not give him the chance. The long sword remained relentlessly glued to him, waiting to slash his throat the moment a weakness was exposed.
The axe was already heavy, and wielding it to constantly fend off Fengqingzi's offensive drained his stamina immensely.
He had never expected that his beloved Sky-Cleaving Axe would be so utterly useless against the opponent's swift and agile sword, doing nothing but exhausting his strength.
Seeing that he was about to give out, a wave of ruthlessness washed over him, and he suddenly let out a furious roar.
This was a technique he commonly used to shake his opponent's focus, but unfortunately, his foe was no novice who had just entered the martial world.
The Sky-Cleaving Axe swept out in a ferocious horizontal slash. Its momentum was grand, but Fengqingzi easily dodged it. Seizing the opening, he thrust his sword forward.
A fierce look flashed in the attacker's eyes as he used his shoulder to take the strike. The long sword drove deep into his collarbone, becoming wedged tightly within it.
Fengqingzi frowned slightly; the sword could not be pulled out!
Scarlet blood welled from the shoulder, a few drops splashing onto the mask and highlighting the attacker's brutality. His right hand swung the Sky-Cleaving Axe with blinding speed, forcing Fengqingzi to abandon his sword and retreat.
Goal achieved!
The attacker pulled out the sword and flung it at Fengqingzi before fleeing without a second thought. By the time the sword was back in Fengqingzi's hand, the man had already vanished without a trace.
...Speechless. Fengqingzi felt incredibly weary. He felt as if he was either being hunted down or currently on the run from being hunted.
The man just now was definitely not like the previous assassins who had hunted him. Judging by his skill, he was clearly a master of martial arts who had trained for many years. However, because of the mask, Fengqingzi couldn't tell if he was a former enemy.
Forget it, he should find Senior first.
—Thud!
Fengqingzi's steps paused once more. A rare shift in expression appeared on his usually cold and aloof face; if one looked closely, they could see the corner of his eye twitching slightly.
Was it because he had not made an appearance in the martial world recently, causing people to forget the weight of the name 'Fengqingzi'?
His eyes narrowed slightly as he slowly turned around, gripping his long sword.
But when he saw the scene behind him, his aura faltered.
The masked man who had just run away was now lying on the ground like a dead dog. His neck was twisted at a bizarre angle, and he had long since drawn his last breath.
Standing beside him was a man with a long scar on his face, stretching all the way from the corner of his brow to the corner of his mouth, as if he had taken a head-on slash.
Fengqingzi only glanced at the masked corpse before turning his gaze to this man.
The man spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and unpleasant as though he had not spoken in years. “Sir, His Highness requests your presence.”
...
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