Chapter 396: The Blind Man Is Here

The thunder of hooves gradually slowed. The encircling cavalry opened a passage, and more than a hundred riders trotted into the center of the formation. Naturally, Yuan Gang and Su Zhao turned their attention to the newcomers. When Yuan Gang saw who led them, his brows drew together slightly. He had not expected this man to come. Several Moon Butterflies illuminated the approaching riders clearly.

At their head was Huyan Wei, his face covered by a full beard and a cloak trailing behind him. Dust from the road clung to him, showing how hard he had ridden in pursuit. Huyan Wei met Yuan Gang's gaze and guided his horse slowly forward.

Despite the immense military formation surrounding him, he seemed entirely at ease, as though the army around him did not exist.

Because of that, the Huyan Wei of this moment seemed very different from the man of ordinary days. There was already something of a great general's bearing about him. This was the foundation of inheritance within a family.

An ordinary young noble from the capital who had never seen the killing atmosphere of a great army would inevitably feel constrained and uncomfortable in such a place. Huyan Wei was different. He had grown up seeing scenes like this.

He had watched his father and elder brothers speak and act amid armies since childhood. Without realizing it, the habits had seeped into his bones.

When a household possesses books, even an unpromising child will eventually turn a few pages and absorb some scent of learning.

When a household possesses blades and spears, even an unpromising child will eventually handle them a little and pick up something of the warrior's spirit. That was family tradition. And the Huyan family had given Huyan Wei more than that.

An ordinary person entering the Valiant Cavalry needed time to grow into it and be accepted. Huyan Wei was Huyan Wuhen's son.

The Valiant Cavalry regarded him as one of its own from birth. The moment he entered the army, he would naturally become one of its centers.

From the day he was born, he had already crossed gulfs that others spent years struggling to bridge. Huyan Wei reined in and stopped directly before Yuan Gang. The horse beneath him, exhausted from the long pursuit, breathed heavily.

"Why did you leave without a word?" Huyan Wei asked through a taut jaw.

The laziness and joking manner of ordinary days were gone. After what had happened, and in a setting like this, there was little room for laughter.

Yuan Gang said, "Does asking that mean anything?"

Huyan Wei's voice rose, carrying the force of a reprimand. "Should I call you Brother An, or Brother Yuan?"

Yuan Gang said, "Does it matter?"

Huyan Wei said, "The Huyan family treated you well. I regarded you as a brother. Is this how you repay us? Father valued you greatly as well. If you're willing to turn back, come with me, and start anew, there is still a splendid future waiting for you."

Yuan Gang said, "I can't go back."

Huyan Wei said, "Why? In front of all these brothers of the Valiant Cavalry, I give you my word: everything can be written off as though none of it ever happened. Whatever trouble follows, the Huyan family will shoulder it. Come back with me!"

Su Zhao was somewhat astonished. She had heard that the Huyan family appreciated Yuan Gang, but she had never imagined they valued him this highly.

Yuan Gang said, "If I'd come without another purpose, I could accept the Supreme General's goodwill. But since you already know who I am, you should understand. From the first day I arrived in the Qi capital, I'd already made my choice."

Huyan Wei shouted, "Even if it means being smashed to pieces?"

Yuan Gang replied calmly, "I ask only that my conscience be clear."

Then he raised a hand and pointed toward Su Zhao.

"Whether I escape or not, she has nothing to do with this. I dragged her into it. Please let her go."

Su Zhao became anxious. "Yuan Gang..."

Yuan Gang raised a hand to stop her.

"Live well. Tell Master Dao that I have no grudge against the Huyan family. This was my own choice. Master Dao will understand."

"You really don't know what's good for you!" Huyan Wei shouted, pointing angrily at him.

Yuan Gang merely looked at him, waiting for an answer. The two sides fell silent in confrontation.

After a moment, Huyan Wei reached toward his waist, removed a command token, and tossed it over.

Yuan Gang caught it in one hand and looked it over, not understanding.

Huyan Wei explained, "Until you leave the State of Qi, if people from the court stop you again, use this token and they should let you pass. If you run into trouble, you can also use it to seek help from court forces."

With that, he turned his horse.

He drove both heels hard into the animal's flanks and shouted, "Move!"

He charged out of the encirclement first, cloak snapping behind him. The guards who had come with him immediately followed.

At another command, the large body of cavalry surrounding Yuan Gang and Su Zhao wheeled their mounts and followed their commander after Huyan Wei. The boiling thunder of hooves receded. The army had come like the wind and left like the wind. In a matter of moments, every rider was gone. Su Zhao stared around at the suddenly empty surroundings, baffled.

The Valiant Cavalry had gone to all this trouble, and that was the result? There were some things a cultivator like her could not understand. Yuan Gang watched the mass of riders depart.

Only when they vanished from sight and even the hoofbeats had completely faded did his lips press tightly together. His hand closed hard around the command token. Then he too turned his horse.

"Move!"

One man and one woman resumed their gallop beneath the moonlight... Within the imperial palace, another new day began.

Hao Yuntu rose early and stepped outside, standing beneath the eaves to loosen his limbs.

Bu Xun, who had been waiting at the door, invited him toward breakfast.

On the way, Bu Xun reported, "That An Taiping—Yuan Gang—was stopped last night by the Supreme General's men, but Third General released him again..."

He gave a detailed account of the interception during the night.

"Third General" was the respectful form of address used for Huyan Wei.

Huyan Wei had not entered the imperial household as an imperial son-in-law. He had properly married Hao Qingqing, with Hao Qingqing marrying down and entering the Huyan family's gates. The distinction was significant.

A man who became an imperial son-in-law faced restrictions on his future prospects; even matters such as taking concubines were constrained.

Because Hao Qingqing had married down into the Huyan family instead, those restrictions did not apply.

"They mobilized thousands upon thousands of troops, caused such an enormous commotion, and then let him go?" Hao Yuntu was somewhat surprised.

He stopped beside a pillar and thought for a while.

"What exactly is the situation with this Yuan Gang? The Supreme General values him this much?"

Bu Xun said, "The Office of Investigation doesn't know either. We only know he's one of Niu Youdao's trusted subordinates. We haven't learned of any other distinguished background or extraordinary deeds that would explain it. But it is obvious that the Supreme General never intended to kill him, despite making such a show. Giving him the command token and releasing him also seems to have been a way of telling Yuan Gang that the Supreme General had every ability to kill him and simply chose not to. The Supreme General had Third General give Yuan Gang a favor."

Hao Yuntu asked, "Neither the eldest nor second Huyan son went? No."

Hao Yuntu smiled. "Then it seems the Supreme General has made his decision. He's resolved to support this son-in-law of mine. Very good."

Bu Xun nodded slightly. The confiscation of Among the White Clouds the previous night had already made it plain that Huyan Wuhen was formally declaring where he stood.

"Mobilizing troops and fighting in the capital truly is somewhat against the rules. At today's court session, Old Five will probably attack the Supreme General over it."

"The Supreme General has shown sincerity. I cannot stand by and do nothing. Deal with Old Five's side."

Hao Yuntu lifted a sleeve and strode away, in a good mood as he went to eat breakfast.

Just as he predicted, before the morning court session Bu Xun waited inside the palace gate.

The limping Hao Yunsheng had barely entered when Bu Xun invited him aside and asked about what happened the previous night. Naturally, Hao Yunsheng was filled with righteous indignation.

"Your Highness, please calm your anger. It would be best not to pursue the matter of Among the White Clouds."

"Not pursue it? There are laws and procedures in the capital. Whatever wrong Among the White Clouds committed, the proper yamen should arrest whom it needs to arrest, kill whom it needs to kill, and impose whatever punishment the law requires."

"What does it mean to mobilize an army without authorization? They even slaughtered innocent people directly in front of this prince without trial."

"If troops in the capital are allowed to act without restraint, what happens if someone develops treasonous intentions? Don't tell me His Majesty mobilized the Valiant Cavalry over a brothel. If that were so, what purpose do all the government yamen serve?"

Bu Xun said, "Your Highness, some time ago a shipment of warhorses was secretly smuggled across the border, intended for Shao Dengyun in Beizhou. Our investigation has confirmed that the person behind it was Su Zhao, proprietor of Among the White Clouds. Su Zhao also has another identity that cannot bear the light of day. The reason the authorities were not allowed to put the matter through a public trial is that His Majesty believes some affairs are better not made known to everyone. This old servant has said all he should. I take my leave."

Bu Xun respectfully cupped his hands, turned, and departed. Hao Yunsheng stood frozen where he was. Gradually, a chill crept through his entire body.

Only now did he realize that everything had been within another man's control.

During the night, he had already persuaded several senior court officials to join him at today's court session and attack Huyan Wuhen together. Part of it was to vent his humiliation. Part of it was because opportunities like this were rare.

Huyan Wuhen truly had gone too far this time, and more than a few court officials felt uneasy.

A man who held military power and could act this way was frightening. What if Huyan Wuhen someday used the same methods against court officials?

In truth, even without Hao Yunsheng stirring them up, those officials would have made trouble.

Their own safety and interests were involved. How could they simply sit by? But now someone had already issued Hao Yunsheng a warning.

If he did not find a way to settle those court officials down, the entire account would be laid at his feet. Huyan Wuhen would be fine. Hao Yunsheng would be the one in trouble.

At any moment, there would be perfectly legitimate grounds to take him down. Only now did Hao Yunsheng understand.

The power of the Western Court that he had spent so much effort fighting to obtain had never truly belonged to him. It remained firmly in another person's grasp.

This Prince of the Western Court was nothing more than a chess piece in someone else's hand.

If that person wanted him to go east, he did not dare go west... In a surging river, Su Zhao's head broke the surface first. Yuan Gang emerged immediately after her. The trouble that had been coming finally arrived. Xiaoyue Pavilion's people were pursuing them.

Fortunately, Yuan Gang had remained alert. While buying supplies in a town, he noticed something was wrong and managed to shake them off in time.

Yet after that one exposure of their whereabouts, the two seemed unable to escape the pursuit again.

Eventually, Su Zhao pulled Yuan Gang into a river, and they escaped downstream until they reached this point.

Clinging to the riverbank with half her body still in the water, Su Zhao lowered her head and began to cry.

Yuan Gang asked, "What's wrong?"

Su Zhao shook her head. "We can't get away."

Yuan Gang looked at the current rushing downstream. "Traveling by water should work. So far, it seems effective."

Su Zhao shook her head again. "It's useless. Blind Man must be here."

"If Blind Man can't sense where we've gone, they'll realize what happened. They'll probably send people ahead to block the river. If we keep following the current, we'll definitely run into them."

Yuan Gang asked, "Who's Blind Man?"

Su Zhao said, "I don't know his real name or where he came from. I only know he was born with an extraordinarily keen sense of smell and can follow the scent of almost any target. Blind Man knows my scent. Along the way, he should also have picked up your scent together with mine. We can't escape. I'm the one who dragged you into this."

She did not know about the agreement Niu Youdao had reached with Xiaoyue Pavilion.

If she had, she probably would have told Yuan Gang to leave her.

Yuan Gang immediately asked, "Didn't you say Master Dao escaped Xiaoyue Pavilion's pursuit? How did he do it? With such determination to hunt him down, did they really not use this Blind Man you speak of?"

When Shao Pingbo killed Madam Ruan and her son, Yuan Gang had been absorbed in training his men and had missed a certain piece of news. Otherwise, he would have known the reason.

Su Zhao shook her head. "I don't know either. Logically, they should have used him."

"Maybe that Master Dao of yours was simply too slippery and never left them any scent source Blind Man could identify."

"I heard that after he stayed at one ranch, he burned the place where he'd been living completely clean before he left. With that kind of caution, Blind Man probably had nothing to work with."

[End of Chapter 396]