Chapter 420: What Is He Trying to Do?

Every cultivator in Jinzhou knew of this place. It was called the Poison Miasma Lands. The miasma born there was far more dangerous than ordinary poisonous fog, killing invisibly. No one dared enter recklessly. Yet this band of kidnappers had actually fled straight inside. Did they not understand the danger, or were they simply unafraid of it? The Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion cultivators who had stopped outside could only stare at one another. They did not leave immediately.

Instead, they spread out around the perimeter of the miasma to guard the surrounding area, preventing the kidnappers from circling around nearby and slipping back out elsewhere. Less than one hour later, Li Wuhua arrived in haste with several dozen reinforcements.

The moment he saw the situation, he barked, "What happened? Where is the young master?"

Someone immediately reported, "Martial Uncle, the young master was taken hostage into the Poison Miasma Lands..."

After learning the details and personally inspecting the perimeter of the miasma, Li Wuhua found no sign that the kidnappers had emerged again. In the end, he could only lead his people away in fury... Not far from there, deep in the mountains, disciples of the three sects led by Wu Shaohuan remained silently concealed. From top to bottom, none of them knew exactly what they had been brought there to do. In truth, Niu Youdao had been worried that something might go wrong on Yuan Gang's side.

If the kidnapping failed and matters turned into a fight, he wanted enough additional manpower nearby to guarantee Yuan Gang's safety. So far, everything had gone smoothly. Yuan Gang had not sent any signal calling for reinforcements, and there was no need for the hidden force to join the fighting. Yuan Gang himself had not expected the matter to go this smoothly either. Originally, he had thought it would take a great deal of effort to get Xiao Tianzhen out of the Provincial Inspector's Residence.

Who could have imagined that he would not need to devise anything at all? Xiao Tianzhen had created the opportunity himself and practically delivered himself into Yuan Gang's hands... The Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion group returned to Jinzhou's provincial capital. Along the way, Li Wuhua noticed no unusual troop movements. Something felt wrong. He went straight to the Provincial Inspector's Residence. The moment Hai Ruyue saw him return, she hurried forward anxiously.

"Elder, did you rescue Tianzhen?"

Though she knew that Niu Youdao's side would certainly have prepared before daring to kidnap her son, she had still hoped Li Wuhua's personal intervention might accomplish something. Zhu Shun likewise looked at Li Wuhua expectantly.

He had served three generations of the Xiao family. Their sole surviving heir had been entrusted to him. His anxiety was no less than Hai Ruyue's.

Li Wuhua said, "No. By the time I arrived, they had already taken the young master into the Poison Miasma Lands."

"The Poison Miasma Lands?" Hai Ruyue cried out.

Learning that her son had been taken into a place capable of killing without leaving a trace made her scalp prickle.

"Can Tianzhen withstand it? Will he be all right?"

Li Wuhua said, "They took him hostage because they want something. Before they obtain their objective, they're unlikely to harm him recklessly. He should be all right for now."

"But what about your side? Weren't you going to mobilize troops and establish checkpoints everywhere? Why did I see no troop movements at all on the way back?"

As he spoke, he walked to the seat of honor and slowly sat down, his eyes fixed on Hai Ruyue's expression. Leaving aside everything else, something this serious had happened, yet even Jinzhou's provincial capital showed no unusual activity. The city's alert level had not risen at all. That was far too abnormal. Hai Ruyue forced herself to remain calm and reveal nothing.

"As you said, they must want something from kidnapping Tianzhen. Until they get it, they probably won't hurt him lightly. I'm afraid that if we press them too hard, even a cornered dog may leap the wall and they may injure him."

The explanation was somewhat strained. Zhu Shun lowered his gaze slightly. No one understood Hai Ruyue's change of behavior better than he did. The moment that letter arrived, she had immediately suppressed every planned movement. The reason had to be connected to that letter. Li Wuhua stared coldly at Hai Ruyue, then waved toward Zhu Shun.

"You withdraw first."

Zhu Shun glanced at Hai Ruyue. When she gave the slightest nod, he could only bow respectfully and leave. Li Wuhua stood again and slowly advanced toward Hai Ruyue. He came so close that she instinctively stepped backward. Li Wuhua reached out and pinched her delicate chin between his fingers.

"You're hiding something from me."

Hai Ruyue caught his hand with both of hers and spoke with practiced tenderness.

"What could I possibly hide from you?"

Li Wuhua flung her hands away and held out his palm.

"Don't try that with me. Where is the letter?"

Hai Ruyue's heart lurched.

"What letter?"

"Stop pretending you don't know. Right after I left, someone delivered a letter to you. Hand it over!"

Li Wuhua's expression turned vicious as he shouted. The moment he returned, the Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion disciples who had remained behind had reported the matter to him. Hai Ruyue's heart pounded. Forced backward step by step, she suddenly found Li Wuhua's hand locked around her throat.

"Making moves behind Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion's back? Are you tired of living?"

He raised his arm. Hai Ruyue's feet left the floor as he lifted her by the throat. Her legs kicked helplessly. Her hands beat against him. Her eyes bulged and her face rapidly turned crimson. At the edge of suffocation, hanging from his hand, Hai Ruyue struggled to nod, signaling that she would talk. Li Wuhua released her. She dropped to the floor and collapsed into a sitting position. Covering her throat, she coughed again and again. Only after a long while did she manage to catch her breath.

She looked up at Li Wuhua, fear still lingering in her eyes. Li Wuhua swept aside the hem of his robe and crouched before her.

"The letter?"

Hai Ruyue shook her head. "I burned it after reading it."

Li Wuhua's anger surged. He seized her chin again.

With her words distorted by his grip, Hai Ruyue hurriedly explained, "I really burned it. I burned it as soon as I finished reading it."

"Who sent it?"

Hai Ruyue hesitated. "Niu Youdao."

Li Wuhua released her chin, puzzled.

"Niu Youdao?"

He had pinched hard enough to bring tears of pain to Hai Ruyue's eyes. Yet at that moment, inspiration suddenly flashed through her mind. She seemed to understand why Niu Youdao had kidnapped her son. If he had not taken Xiao Tianzhen away, then perhaps neither mother nor son would have survived what came next. Niu Youdao had carried out the kidnapping openly. This time, he plainly had no intention of hiding the matter from Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion.

Understanding the twists and turns behind it, Hai Ruyue hurriedly said, "The letter came from Niu Youdao. Niu Youdao kidnapped Tianzhen."

Li Wuhua was astonished. "Why would that fellow kidnap your son?"

"He probably wants to threaten me into doing something."

Li Wuhua sneered. "What a joke. He thinks he can threaten us just because he holds Xiao Tianzhen hostage? Does he really believe that with Xiao Tianzhen in his hands he can do whatever he wants?"

Hai Ruyue understood what he meant. If the interests of Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion were truly threatened, the sect might very well sacrifice Xiao Tianzhen. She hesitated.

In the end, she bit her lip and said, "That Mr. Ming, the disciple of the Ghost Doctor who treated Tianzhen back then, was sent by Niu Youdao. Niu Youdao deliberately concealed it."

Li Wuhua stared at her blankly.

"Curing him was a good thing. We should owe him a favor. Why hide it?"

"At first, I didn't know either. Only later did I discover that the man was never a disciple of the Ghost Doctor at all. The medicine used to treat Tianzhen was probably made from the Scarlet Yang Vermilion Fruit stolen from Ice and Snow Pavilion..."

Hai Ruyue then told him the entire story from beginning to end. Li Wuhua's eyes gradually widened. Only now did he realize what kind of disaster they had become entangled in. They had actually stolen something belonging to Granny Xue?

In Granny Xue's eyes, Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion was no more than an ant. A single word from her could erase the entire sect from the cultivation world. Li Wuhua abruptly stood and strode toward the door. His first thought was to kill Xiao Tianzhen and silence him. As long as Xiao Tianzhen disappeared from the world, there would be no living proof. But when he reached the doorway, his steps suddenly stopped. He had realized the problem. They could not silence Xiao Tianzhen.

The other side had already anticipated that response and kidnapped the very person Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion would want to eliminate. Hai Ruyue had only just managed to stand when Li Wuhua flashed back in front of her.

Smack!

A crisp, violent slap rang through the room. Hai Ruyue crashed to the floor with blood running from her nose and mouth. Her head swayed. The blow had left her dazed. Li Wuhua stepped forward, bent down, seized the front of her clothes, and hauled the stunned woman upright. His voice was vicious.

"Slut! Why are you only telling me now? Why didn't you tell me earlier? Tell me! Why didn't you tell me?"

Blood dripped from the corner of Hai Ruyue's mouth. A miserable smile spread across her face.

Tell him earlier?

Could she have done that?

If she had revealed the matter back then, Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion might have killed both mother and son immediately to silence them.

"Speak!" Li Wuhua roared, shaking her.

He was the elder stationed here. How was he supposed to explain something like this to his sect? And now it was no longer merely a question of explaining himself. This could become a calamity that destroyed the entire sect.

Hai Ruyue said bleakly, "He wouldn't dare expose it casually. Otherwise, he wouldn't have waited until today. If he exposed it, he wouldn't escape unscathed either."

Li Wuhua snarled, "If he's doing all this, then he must want something. What is he trying to do? What does he want? What did the letter say?"

Hai Ruyue shook her head. "It didn't say. The letter only told me not to publicize the matter."

"You're still hiding things from me? If he wanted nothing, why would he do any of this?"

Li Wuhua was furious.

"The letter truly didn't say anything else!"

Hai Ruyue pleaded miserably. She had destroyed the letter because she had not understood Niu Youdao's purpose at the time. Otherwise, she could have produced it now as proof. Seeing murderous intent rising in Li Wuhua's rage, she suddenly threw herself at him and wrapped both arms around him.

She kissed his cheek desperately and cried softly into his ear, "Wuhua, you said it yourself. You are my Heaven. As long as you're here, nothing will happen to me..."

The imperial palace of the State of Qi. Morning court ended and the assembled officials dispersed.

Outside the palace gates, Prince Ying Hao Zhen climbed into a carriage and departed. When he returned to the Prince Ying Residence and stepped through the gates, the familiar chime of jade ornaments sounded. Princess Consort Shao Liuer approached in magnificent robes, noble and dignified, her brows and eyes picturesque. Smiling softly, she lowered herself in greeting.

"Your Highness has returned."

Hao Zhen smiled and reached out to support her by the arm. The two walked inside side by side. Ever since marrying into Prince Ying's household, whenever Hao Zhen attended morning court, Shao Liuer personally saw him to the gate regardless of the hour. No matter how late he returned, she would likewise be waiting at the entrance to welcome him home. She accompanied Hao Zhen back to his study and personally helped him remove his outer robe.

After asking whether he needed anything else and receiving no further instruction, Shao Liuer bowed and withdrew. Hao Zhen soon stepped outside as well. Standing at the entrance to the study, he watched her graceful figure recede, his eyes narrowing slightly. Chief eunuch Mu Jiu, Che Buchi of Daqiu Sect, Xie Longfei of Xuanbing Sect, and Gao Jianhou of Tianhuo Sect came over together. Noticing Hao Zhen's reaction, all four followed his gaze toward the departing Princess Consort.

Hao Zhen suddenly asked, "How does the Princess Consort treat the two young princes?"

Mu Jiu bent slightly at the waist.

"From what we have seen so far, she treats them as though they were her own sons and looks after them with great care. The two young princes, however, are not very willing to accept the Princess Consort and have caused her considerable grievance."

Hao Zhen said nothing more. He turned and went back into the study. The others followed.

After Hao Zhen sat behind his desk, Gao Jianhou asked, "Did anything happen at court today?"

"Nothing much," Hao Zhen said. "Almost the entire session was spent discussing Nanzhou in the State of Yan."

The four exchanged glances.

Xie Longfei asked in surprise, "Shang Chaozong taking Nanzhou is already a foregone conclusion. What remains to discuss?"

"Something has changed," Hao Zhen replied. "According to intelligence sent back from Nanzhou, Tianyu Sect is dispersing and isolating the forces under Shang Chaozong."

"Judging from all the signs, Tianyu Sect may already have Shang Chaozong under control. In all likelihood, they intend to strip him of his military authority and support Feng Lingbo instead."

The others fell briefly silent.

Che Buchi considered the matter, then said slowly, "Tianyu Sect acting that way isn't difficult to understand. Its own strength is limited. Letting the ambitious Shang Chaozong preside over Nanzhou would not suit its circumstances or interests. They would naturally fear trouble later."

"That was the court's conclusion as well." Hao Zhen nodded.

Then he suddenly gave a soft laugh and shook his head.

"But if Niu Youdao stands firmly on Shang Chaozong's side, Tianyu Sect may not get what it wants."

[End of Chapter 420]