The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 174 - Sinister Moves

By the time he returned to the residence, the place had been thoroughly swept clean. Yang Yi, looking grim, reported to him, "Big Brother, we searched everywhere—there's nothing left to find!"

They'd at least had some leads before, but now, everything was severed. Who exactly was behind this? To orchestrate such a convoluted scheme and shake off the Jinyiwei's pursuit in such a short time?

It seemed this person was well-acquainted with his methods... Chen Xiang was mulling it over when Yang Yi added, "Chief Steward Xing emphasized several times that we absolutely cannot fail. Now that the person's gone, how are we supposed to explain it to him?"

Chen Xiang's hand rested on his embroidered-spring saber, unmoving, until he finally let out a cold chuckle.

Explain? He wasn't Xing Fu's dog—what could Xing Fu possibly do to him? If he decided to walk away now, all Xing Fu could do was glare and wag his tail. But this matter did concern him as well, so he couldn't just abandon it

"Let's head back and regroup." He mounted his horse with practiced ease and turned toward Desheng Gate, riding swiftly. Yang Xian and Liu Yong had already regrouped with their men at the previously occupied residence and hurried over when they saw him arrive.

"Did you find any traces?" he asked, tossing aside his riding-whip as he impatiently dropped into a chair, gesturing at them both.

"Big Brother, the group I was following headed in the direction of Tongzhou," Liu Yong reported, clasping his hands respectfully. Reflecting on the encounter, he added hesitantly, "From what I gathered, his skills seemed oddly familiar."

Chen Xiang perked up, intrigued. "Think carefully—where exactly have you crossed paths with him before?"

"When we were escorting Prince Duan out of the city, I had a confrontation at Anzhen Gate because he wouldn't allow the prince to exit..." Liu Yong's expression turned uncertain as he questioned his own recollection. "But he's just a gatekeeper—why would he...?"

Yuan Hong was also a guard at Zijing Pass! Chen Xiang shot up and instructed Liu Yong, "Pursue them! Since they're traveling in a large group, they're bound to leave traces. Once you pinpoint where they're hiding, come back and report to me."

He then ordered Yang Yi, "At dawn, enter the city and check if any guards at Anzhen Gate have taken leave. If so, round up their wives and children!"

As Chen Xiang paced the room, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. Looking at the remaining Jinyiwei soldiers, he frowned, "Follow me!"

To lure the censor, Shi Tongzhou, out into the open, they'd kept a strict watch over Shi Tongzhou's sister and her family. In the end, it was indeed through them that they managed to draw Shi Tongzhou out of Tatar territory.

Now that Shi Tongzhou had been rescued by unknown forces, the only option was to go after his sister and brother-in-law. Capture them first. Shi Tongzhou was a slippery man—he'd surely keep quiet to save his own life, but his rescuers might need his sister and brother-in-law to force him to talk.

"He's still a constable for the Shuntian Prefecture. If we alarm them..." Yang Xian glanced at Chen Xiang, hesitating as he suggested, "Wouldn't it be better to keep things simple and just..."

Chen Xiang raised his hand, cutting him off, and gave him a cold look. "Didn't you hear me? Act now—kill them!"

Since these people had managed to break Shi Tongzhou out, they would hardly ignore his sister and brother-in-law. If they realized what was happening, it would only cause more trouble. Better to eliminate the issue altogether. Shi Tongzhou would end up dead sooner or later anyway.

Yang Xian didn't dare argue further, quickly bowing and calling for several men, then vanishing into the night.

Meanwhile, Shi Tongzhou's heart was racing with terror, nearly stopping on the spot. Every time he made eye contact with anyone around him, he couldn't help but cry out in distress.

"Dear little Daoists, I admit I've never done much good in my life, but I am truly a devoted follower of the Celestial Master! Every festival, I visit the temple to make offerings—I have no idea what I did to offend you young Daoists..."

But no matter how much he shouted, the young Daoists around him never so much as glanced at him and continued on their way without a word.

How strange—since when do Daoists, who should be cultivating in temples, meddle in worldly affairs? His mind was spinning as he tried to figure out where these mysterious Daoists came from, but he couldn't make sense of it.

Still, there was no denying that they had saved him, and he knew all too well how ruthless his godfather could be. If he made it back to the capital, he likely wouldn't live to see the next day...

But how was news spreading so quickly in the capital these days? He'd only stayed a single night, yet three different groups had already tried to capture him.

One group he could recognize without question—it was Wang Datong, the diehard follower of Yuan Hong. He must have wanted to bring him in for questioning by the Ministry of Justice to clear Yuan Hong of suspicion.

Thinking of this, he felt a pang of regret. How had he been so greedy, so foolish, that he'd let himself be bewitched by a few flattering words from the Tatars and given them the defense map of Tongzhou?

Now he had angered Xing Fu, who would be beyond furious, and brought upon himself a disaster of unimaginable proportions. Cursing his own misfortune, he couldn't help but worry about his sister and brother-in-law. If it weren't for them getting caught up in this mess, he wouldn't have foolishly returned to the Tatars, essentially to court death.

He didn't even know what might have happened to them. If his godfather could find him, he'd surely go after his sister and brother-in-law as well. His sister wasn't in good health and had only just given birth to his nephew earlier this year...

Imagining the Jinyiwei mercilessly butchering his family, Shi Tongzhou trembled involuntarily.

He couldn't speak. He couldn't reveal a single thing!

If he said anything, his sister would be doomed. She was like a daughter to him, someone he'd practically raised himself.

"Censor Shi, long time no see." Just as he was lost in a swirl of thoughts, he heard a familiar voice. The carriage had stopped, and as the curtain was drawn aside, a face filled the entire frame.

It was Ye Jingchuan! The Ye family had sent not one, but two groups to intercept him!

Shi Tongzhou subtly moved into the corner of the carriage, forcing a grin as he greeted Ye Jingchuan, "Young Master, long time no see! How have you been? Why this sudden interest in me? A simple meeting would have sufficed—no need for all this commotion."

"I don't see anything wrong with it at all." Ye Jingchuan crossed his arms, watching him with the unreserved passion of youth, his bright eyes fixed unyieldingly on Shi Tongzhou. "After all, we spent years together at Zijing Pass. Isn't it only natural that I'd want to catch up?"