The Sword Spring River rushes swiftly, the water crashing against the banks, making a rustling sound.
Nobody knows how many years this river has existed; the single strand of sword intent within the spring water has turned the riverbed into a canyon, slicing the banks into cliffs.
When Chen Ji swam across the rushing river, Mr. Liao was already nowhere to be seen. He grasped on to the slanted willow growing from the mountain cliff and crawled up bit by bit, ignoring his soaking wet body, following the scattered blood stains on the ground.
Beside the river banks, only the sound of flowing water remained.
From dawn till dusk, until the clattering of hooves was heard, a white horse slowly approached the river bank. The rider wore a white dragon pattern mask and was cloaked in an unchanging white robe.
Bai Long stood at the riverbank with his horse, looking at the bloodstains on the ground, then glanced across to the opposite bank. "The trail of blood ends here; they've crossed the river."
Behind Bai Long, Xuan Snake and Treasure Monkey were positioned on either side.
Further back were Jiao Tu and Yun Yang, leading hundreds of spies in close pursuit.
Even further, the sound of hooves thundered, as the Jiefan Guard, clad in straw coats and bamboo hats, sealed off the mountains.
The scene was grand and imposing.
Under the Emperor's rule, soone impersonated the Jiefan Guard to assassinate the Crown Prince and Prince Fu. This incident had blown up, more severe than a decade ago when the Minister of Revenue was assassinated.
The Imperial Prison was filled with suspects, their cries never ceasing for a mont.
Bai Long did not rush to conclusions and waited for the mountain-searching spies to report back with clues.
A spy rode swiftly, kneeling with one knee beside Bai Long and clasped his fists, reporting: "Lord, traces of battle and abandoned war horses were found at Hibiscus Plains. The Five Mad Soldiers should have abandoned their horses here to pursue."
After this spy left, another reported, "Lord, traces of battle were found at the top of Incense Burner Peak, the square rock on the peak cleaved to pieces..."
"Lord, the Crown Prince is still missing..."
Spies ca and went; throughout, Bai Long remained silent.
He did not speak, thus others dared not speak.
Currently, Fragrant Mountain was shrouded in dense fog. Everyone only knew that after the assassination attempt on Prince Fu and others, Chen Ji led the Five Mad Soldiers away. But no one knew what unfolded after Chen Ji's departure.
Battle traces spread across the entire mountain, as if soone had fought here day and night, only to suddenly halt at Sword Spring River.
Who was fighting whom?
Didn't Mr. Liao lead the Crown Prince away? Why did a severed arm appear below Incense Burner Peak? Where have the Five Mad Soldiers gone? Why is there no trace of them?
The trail of blood dripped to the Sword Spring River's edge, yet who crossed the river from here?
Where are Chen Ji, the Crown Prince, and Mr. Liao?
Too many doubts leave one's mind in a whirl.
Bai Long looked across the river calmly, asking, "What do you all think?"
Yun Yang hastily responded, "Lord, according to Prince Fu, they entered Red Leaf Villa that night..."
Bai Long interrupted in a bland tone, "If you intend to recount what everyone knows, then shut up. Using your brain is not your strong suit. Speak less, you might regain your zodiac position."
Yun Yang held in a breath, nearly injuring himself keeping it in.
He snuck a glance at Jiao Tu, who seed unaffected, her gaze drifted elsewhere.
Bai Long chuckled, "Ning Xin is at least smarter than you, knowing the gravity of this matter, beyond your comprehension."
Jiao Tu giggled, covering her mouth, "Thank you, Lord, for the praise."
Bai Long ignored her, softly asking, "Treasure Monkey, your thoughts?"
Under Treasure Monkey's wooden monkey mask, ca a female voice, "Lord, in my opinion, Chen Ji drew away the Five Mad Soldiers, fought them at Incense Burner Peak, and was finally killed by them. Afterwards, the Five Mad Soldiers, having finished their slaughter, coincidentally encountered the escaping Mr. Liao and the Crown Prince. Mr. Liao was overpowered, lost an arm, and had no choice but to flee with the Crown Prince across the river in a hurry."
But from beneath the monkey mask ca a sharp voice, "Wrong, wrong. According to your words, why is there no Chen Ji body at Incense Burner Peak?"
The female voice raised her pitch, "Perhaps it fell down the mountain; we've searched for such a short ti, maybe we'll find it if we keep searching."
The sharp voice retorted again, "That's still wrong. Mr. Liao, fleeing with the Crown Prince, would certainly head east to Yuquan Mountain. Why would they co east? What are they doing in the east?"
From beneath the monkey mask, a hoarse voice sounded again, "If I may…"
Bai Long interrupted blandly, "Noisy, go argue sowhere else."
Treasure Monkey bowed to Bai Long respectfully and complied, "Yes."
He steered his horse aside, a heavy voice murmuring from beneath the mask, "Stop quarrelling, if you provoke him again, he might beat us..."
The sharp voice countered imdiately, "He hasn't beaten us in a year, what's there to fear? He's much gentler now, maybe he's had a conscience awakening from killing too much and wants to accumulate so hidden virtue!"
The hoarse voice murmured lowly, "The rit is great, don't let Xuan Snake snatch it!"
Treasure Monkey firmly stated, "Shut up!"
After Treasure Monkey rode away, Bai Long casually said, "Xuan Snake, your thoughts."
Xuan Snake, clad in a black large cloak, rode forward, "Lord, I suspect Chen Ji intended to assassinate the Crown Prince and is an accomplice of the Five Mad Soldiers controller."
Jiao Tu and Yun Yang exchanged glances. Prince Fu had said Chen Ji led away pursuers heroically, how suddenly was Chen Ji accused of assassinating the Crown Prince?
"Oh? Explain."
As Xuan Snake was about to speak, a spy dashed in, reporting, "Report!"
The spy knelt beside Bai Long on one knee, "Lord, the Crown Prince has been found, hiding in a rock crevice below Hibiscus Plains, caught a bit of a chill."
Everyone exchanged uncertain looks.
Found the Crown Prince? They thought Mr. Liao took the Crown Prince across the river; how is it that the Crown Prince is still within the borders of Fragrant Mountain?
Bai Long asked solemnly, "Is the Crown Prince alone?"
"Only the Crown Prince, did not see Chen Ji or Liao Zhong, we have carried the Crown Prince here!"
The crowd turned to look and saw four spies crafting a makeshift wooden palanquin, carrying the frail Crown Prince to the riverside.
Bai Long approached the Crown Prince on horseback, "Your Highness, what has happened here?"
The Crown Prince slowly lifted his eyelids, his voice faint like wisps of air, "Mr. Liao forcibly brought to Furong Ping to save , but upon arrival, Chen Ji drew those ghostly creatures to pursue us. I didn't expect that those ghosts were actually under his control, surrounding Mr. Liao and completely."
"Afterward, Mr. Liao fought his way out with , hid in a secluded spot, and led Chen Ji along with those ghost creatures away…Lord Bai Long, have you found Mr. Liao yet? He must be saved!"
When the Crown Prince spoke, his voice was extrely weak, he looked up earnestly and urgently at Bai Long's mask.
His words rang like a thunderbolt.
Jiao Tu and Yun Yang exchanged a glance: could it be that Xuan Snake was right about Chen Ji's assassination attempt on the Crown Prince?!
Bai Long looked at Xuan Snake, then the Crown Prince, and chuckled lightly, "Your Highness, Mr. Liao, Chen Ji, and the Five Mad Soldiers are all unaccounted for, but don't worry, Mr. Liao is probably not dead."
The Crown Prince pleaded, "Lord Bai Long, Chen Ji is outrageously insolent, guilty of all evils. Please have the Spy Departnt issue a warrant to arrest him!"
Bai Long smiled gently, "Your Highness, I believe there might be a misunderstanding regarding your claim that Chen Ji attempted to assassinate you."
The Crown Prince's expression gradually cald, showing no sign of anger or happiness, "What misunderstanding?"
Bai Long spoke slowly, "You said Mr. Liao hid you and led Chen Ji and the Five Mad Soldiers away?"
The Crown Prince nodded, "Exactly."
Bai Long casually replied, "Then why didn't they co back to search for you after discovering Mr. Liao was alone? Their target was not Mr. Liao."
The Crown Prince imdiately explained, "After they left, I moved from my hiding spot and walked five more miles before finding a crevice to hide in; perhaps they did co back to search, but didn't find ."
No flaw goes unnoticed.
Xuan Snake looked at Bai Long, "Lord, shall we capture Chen Ji?"
Bai Long calmly replied, "No need."
The Crown Prince suddenly asked sternly, "Lord Bai Long, what do you an by this? Do you trust or Chen Ji?"
Everyone silently looked at Bai Long, but his mask concealed everything. More than a hundred spies held their breath, quietly waiting for Bai Long to respond to the Crown Prince's questioning.
The next mont, Bai Long leisurely said, "Your Highness, I trust Chen Ji."
This statent jolted Xuan Snake, Treasure Monkey, Jiao Tu, and Yun Yang!
The Crown Prince frowned, "Could it be that Lord Bai Long thinks those ghosts were under my command?"
Bai Long spoke softly, "Your Highness, I only suggested there could be so misunderstanding, I didn't imply anything else."
The Crown Prince struggled to stand up by holding onto the palanquin's armrest; he looked up directly at Bai Long's mask, "Or perhaps Lord Bai Long is in collusion with Chen Ji, trying to cover for him?"
Jiao Tu and Yun Yang exchanged a glance; only the two of them knew that Bai Long had sheltered Chen Ji once in Luocheng City, making them Chen Ji's nominal subordinates...
"It's not that I intend to shelter anyone, but the Crown Prince may not yet know the origin of these Five Mad Soldiers," Bai Long leisurely stated, "In the 11th Year of Jianing, our previous Spy Departnt zodiac 'Tomb Dog' uncovered an ancient relic in the Western suburb of Changsha Prefecture, extracting twelve volus of ancient scriptures placed on the first floor of Jiefan Building."
"The seventh volu recorded that the Five Mad Soldiers were resentful spirits from an ancient battlefield, unknown how or why they died in battle, and unknown what chance kept them lingering in the human world, never dissipating. So beca part of the Thunder Altar Soldiers under the Dao Court's decree, known as 'Heavenly Mad Soldiers.' Others not under the decree were banished by the Dao Court and later sealed by the Buddhist Sect in a place called 'Five Muddied Evil World,' undying and unperishable."
Xuan Snake glanced at Jiao Tu and Yun Yang, noticing their surprise; they were typically occupied with tasks, unaware such scriptures were hidden in Jiefan Building.
Bai Long continued slowly, "The ancient scriptures clearly ntion that the Five Mad Soldiers are fierce and often turn against their contract master, enjoying lopping off the master's head, hence this technique was always considered an evil technique..."
The Crown Prince questioned in confusion, "What does this have to do with Chen Ji being an assassination accomplice?"
"Be patient, Your Highness," Bai Long explained with a smile, "The Five Mad Soldiers are summoned through a blood sacrifice and must kill one person for the contract master, before returning at daybreak to the Five Muddied Evil World, or else they dissipate. So, if their true intent was assassinating Your Highness, they would have followed you when Mr. Liao departed with you. Why would they remain on the battlefield until Chen Ji left? The one they wish to kill from start to finish is Chen Ji."
The Crown Prince had never anticipated Bai Long's understanding of the Five Mad Soldiers.
Yet the arrow had left the bowstring, water once spilled couldn't be gathered.
The Crown Prince pondered silently for a long ti and decisively stated, "Just because the ancient scriptures say sothing doesn't an they're accurate. I rember clearly in the 24th Year of Jianing, the Spy Departnt once uncovered an ancient relic, the books within claid of a treasure, yet the Spy Departnt mobilized to search, finding nothing at all. Lord Bai Long, the Spy Departnt has discovered many ancient scriptures over the years, the vast majority are erroneous."
He looked up at Bai Long, "But Chen Ji's assassination attempt on was witnessed by myself, it cannot be wrong."
Bai Long noticed his insistence that Chen Ji commanded the Five Mad Soldiers, hence calmly said, "Since that's the case, please rest assured, our Spy Departnt will thoroughly investigate this matter. Bring the Crown Prince back to recuperate."
Just then, the sound of hooves approached from afar, the crowd turned to look, seeing Lin Chaoqing leading dozens of Jiefan Guards arriving.
Lin Chaoqing's gaze swept from beneath his bamboo hat, finally settling on the Crown Prince, "It's good to see Your Highness unhard, I shall escort you back to the capital."
The Crown Prince seated back in the palanquin, suddenly spoke, "Lord Lin, Chen Ji attempted assassination, please have the Jiefan Guards issue a warrant to hunt Chen Ji."
Lin Chaoqing squinted slightly and softly agreed, "Yes."
Bai Long remained unhurried, "The truth is yet unclear, issuing a warrant now might be premature."
Lin Chaoqing paused montarily, "Matters concerning Jiefan Guard don't require Lord Bai Long's concern."
In the distance, Treasure Monkey abruptly turned his head, his monkey mask humorously staring fixedly at Lin Chaoqing.
Bai Long holding the reins, smiled at Lin Chaoqing, "It seems Lord Wu Xiu made his choice."
He guided his horse beside the riverbank, calmly gazing at the opposite side, "The Crown Prince believes it's Chen Ji executing an assassination; however, I find Mr. Liao particularly suspicious. Issue a warrant to hunt Liao Zhong, alive or dead."
Jiao Tu and Yun Yang's expressions grew peculiar: the Jiefan Guards seeking to capture Chen Ji, yet the Spy Departnt wants to pursue Mr. Liao?
"Additionally," Bai Long said, implying a deeper aning, "Treasure Monkey, send a carrier pigeon to Kaifeng Prefecture, call ng Ji to the capital."
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