Chapter 1119: Suspicion

Even without the visitor saying it, Shao Pingbo understood the logic. But that was not what concerned him. "My coming to the Qi capital is a major secret of the State of Jin. May I ask, sir, how did Hao Yuntu learn that I was here?"

The visitor said, "This is not the time to worry about that. Save your life first."

Shao Pingbo said heavily, "Sir, that is not right. If I don't know how Hao Yuntu learned of it, then if a traitor has appeared on this side, I'll be tracked down no matter where I flee. It will be very difficult to escape the State of Qi. I ask you to help me!" He cupped his hands in earnest entreaty.

The visitor fell silent for a moment. He had indeed overlooked that point. What Shao Pingbo said made sense. After thinking it over, he shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't help you with that. As far as I know, even Hao Yuntu himself doesn't know where the letter informing on you came from. But the answer is not difficult to imagine. It must have been someone who knew you had come here. Who knows that you came to Qi? Jin should know that better than anyone."

Shao Pingbo asked, "You mean there is a traitor on Jin's side?"

The visitor said, "Why would that be impossible? There are neither many nor few people in Jin who know your whereabouts. A leak is entirely possible."

"I think we can basically rule out a leak from Jin," Shao Pingbo replied. "Sir, don't overlook one thing. If someone in Jin who knew my movements intended to harm me without regard for the greater situation, there was no need to wait until today. They could have acted while I was still in Wei. Besides, I've already been in Qi for some days. Why would they wait until this morning to inform on me?"

By now, he had more or less figured out why Prince Ying Hao Zhen had unexpectedly fallen into the trap. Hao Yuntu had received an important warning that morning.

That warning had now implicated Shao Liuer as well. Who exactly had sent it? Hatred made Shao Pingbo's teeth itch. He silently swore that he had better never find out who it was, or he would make that person regret ever being born.

Yet amid the hatred, he also felt a measure of relief. What Hao Yuntu had received was not the military emergency report Shao Pingbo had feared most, telling him that Qi's armies were being interfered with.

The visitor could not help studying him again. This Shao Pingbo's mind was exceptionally clear and calm. He truly was no ordinary man.

The visitor paced back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back. After pondering for a while, he said, "Now that you mention it, there is some reason in what you say." He stopped. "Could someone from Misty Pavilion be behind it?"

Shao Pingbo was slightly startled. "What makes you say that, sir?"

"My own information also came through people in Misty Pavilion. Misty Pavilion naturally knows your situation."

"You mean Misty Pavilion may have begun interfering in this matter?"

That made Shao Pingbo deeply uneasy. Misty Pavilion's background, together with the vast power at its disposal, meant that if Misty Pavilion had decided to intervene secretly in the war, it would essentially represent the attitude of the Nine Saints. In that case, Jin would have almost no chance of success.

The visitor said, "It isn't impossible. Of course, the likelihood is not high. What I mean is that there may be someone else inside Misty Pavilion like me, intervening secretly for private reasons."

Shao Pingbo hesitated. "Is that really possible?"

"You need to understand that Misty Pavilion is only the collective name used outside for the forces carrying out the Nine Saints' will. Internally, the different powers are intertwined. For the sake of their own interests, it would not be strange for someone to interfere in secret."

Shao Pingbo said, "If, as you say, people inside Misty Pavilion might interfere for their own interests... then if that is really what happened, I understand it even less. I can understand interfering in the war, but why target me alone? I don't recall offending anyone in Misty Pavilion."

The visitor frowned. That was true. If the war had affected someone's interests within Misty Pavilion, then the person should have acted against the war itself. What had happened this time, however, was clearly aimed specifically at Shao Pingbo.

Thinking this through, he nodded slightly. "There is something to what you say. Then it is strange. If it wasn't a traitor inside Jin, and it wasn't someone within Misty Pavilion interfering privately, then who was it?"

"I suspect two possibilities," Shao Pingbo said.

The visitor gave an interested grunt, inviting him to continue.

"One possibility is that spies from some other side only recently discovered my whereabouts. That would explain why the information reached Hao Yuntu only now."

The visitor nodded slightly. "And the other possibility?"

Shao Pingbo fell silent and narrowed his eyes. "I hope it isn't this one."

Seeing him hedge, the visitor could not help becoming curious. "Who do you suspect?"

"Niu Youdao!"

"Niu Youdao?" The visitor was taken aback. "How have you dragged him into this again? What proof do you have that it was him?"

Shao Pingbo suddenly answered with complete decisiveness. "Because the move was aimed directly at me! Because I understand him very well, and conversely, he understands me to a certain degree. Once I made my move in the Jin-Wei war, it would not be strange at all for him to sense my involvement. Nor is it impossible that he could deduce I was in Qi!"

"That would also explain why even Hao Yuntu doesn't know who sent the warning. Ordinarily, if spies from some other side had uncovered my whereabouts and wanted to help Qi, it would be strange not to let Hao Yuntu know who was doing him the favor. This is a perfect opportunity to sell goodwill."

"And the timing fits as well. This also explains why no one moved against me in Wei. The internal upheaval in Wei erupted suddenly. For word to travel from Wei into the Sacred Realm, then reach him, after which he would still need time to understand and analyze the situation—it all takes time. For the message to reach Hao Yuntu only now is entirely plausible."

The visitor stared at him with a bizarre expression, as though listening to some fantastical tale. Half amused and half incredulous, he said, "What are you imagining? Isn't that far too forced? Niu Youdao is trapped inside the Sacred Realm. He has no way to contact the outside."

Shao Pingbo raised his voice. "That is exactly why Hao Yuntu could not be allowed to know who was doing him the favor. Precisely because Niu Youdao is inside the Sacred Realm, he cannot let anyone know he is able to communicate between the inside and outside. Sir, can you guarantee that he has absolutely no way to contact the outside from within the Sacred Realm?"

On that point, the visitor truly could not give any guarantee. After some thought, he said, "By your reasoning, someone inside the Sacred Realm would have to be helping him. Otherwise he could not send messages outside. From what I know of the Sacred Realm, who would have nothing better to do than take that kind of risk for him, merely to deal with you?"

"This is only my suspicion," Shao Pingbo said. "Other possibilities exist as well. I hope I'm wrong. Otherwise, this is the situation I least want to see. If someone inside the Sacred Realm really is helping him, that means he already possesses a certain degree of control over the situation there. Dealing with him will only become more difficult!"

At that, he cupped his hands to the visitor again. "Whether it was him is impossible to determine now. But if he did it, sooner or later he'll reveal a clue. Sir, please make certain you learn the details of Niu Youdao's circumstances inside the Sacred Realm and tell me as soon as possible!"

The visitor fell somewhat silent. He had to admit there was at least some logic in Shao Pingbo's words. Could it truly have been Niu Youdao? If so, then someone inside the Sacred Realm was definitely helping him. Who? The visitor wanted to know that as well.

Thinking to this point, he nodded slightly. "I understand."

Then he came back to the immediate issue and warned, "Stop wasting time. Leave as quickly as possible. Try to withdraw through the north gate. I have people arranged there. If something happens, it will be easier for you to get away."

Shao Pingbo respectfully cupped his hands. "I will follow your instructions."

The visitor said nothing more and quickly turned away.

Once the guest had left, Shao Sansheng soon came back upstairs. "Eldest Young Master, what did he come running back for?"

"To warn us..." Shao Pingbo gave him a rough account of the situation.

Shao Sansheng was greatly shocked. Then he said with immense relief, "Good, good. Fortunately he happened to still be here. Otherwise, the consequences would be hard to predict."

"Happened to still be here?" Shao Pingbo gave two cold chuckles. "What coincidence? How could it possibly be coincidence? Do you think he came here specifically just to meet me once and then leave? I told you already: he wants to know where I hid my failsafe. Since he came, he was certain to make arrangements. He still doesn't dare let me die. Since he was here and learned of the situation, naturally he had to notify me."

Understanding dawned on Shao Sansheng, and he nodded thoughtfully.

"Enough." Shao Pingbo waved a hand. "Now that Hao Yuntu has activated the Office of Investigation to hunt me down, we cannot remain here. Have everyone prepare at once. We leave immediately!"

"Yes!" Shao Sansheng accepted the order and departed.

...

At the south city gate, a small party followed Prince of the Western Court Hao Yunsheng as he galloped out on horseback.

With the bearing of a prince, it looked as though he were heading out of the city for a hunt. And since this younger brother of the emperor had a rather poor temper, none of the city-gate guards dared provoke him.

Morning court had been delayed and ended late. The moment it was over, Hao Yunsheng had taken his men out to "hunt."

The hunting was false. Escaping as quickly as possible was the truth. He knew perfectly well what he had done. Staying behind was courting death. He had to leave as soon as possible.

Once outside the city, Hao Yunsheng looked back from horseback at the majestic Qi capital. He did not know when, if ever, he would return after this departure.

Several days earlier, he had already arranged for the principal members of his household to leave under the pretext of going out to enjoy themselves. Now there was nothing left here to bind him.

"Hyah!" Hao Yunsheng turned forward and lashed his horse with the whip, increasing his speed as he raced toward the designated rendezvous point.

...

After court, Prince Yu Hao Hong arrived at the yamen where he handled official business and took his seat. He had written only a little when he began feeling vaguely uncomfortable. From time to time, he set down his brush and rubbed his chest. Once his breathing felt smoother, he picked the brush up again. The cycle repeated several times.

Gradually, he began coughing. The coughing sounded increasingly abnormal. A eunuch standing nearby immediately went to summon the retainer cultivator outside.

By the time the retainer cultivator arrived, Hao Hong was coughing without pause and his face had already turned pale.

"Your Highness, where do you feel unwell?" The retainer cultivator had barely spoken when his eyes suddenly widened.

"Pfft!" Hao Hong abruptly coughed up a mouthful of blood. The spray stained the white paper on the desk scarlet. Hao Hong himself stared at it in shock.

The retainer cultivator immediately seized his arm and examined him. The moment he did, his heart lurched. These were signs of poisoning. He instantly shouted, "Someone come!"

...

On the streets of the capital, Prince Ying Hao Zhen sat swaying gently inside his carriage. He had not gone to his assigned office after court, but had taken leave and was returning to his residence. Presenting that gift to his imperial father had drawn no small amount of gossip. He guessed some people would come to his office simply to make sarcastic remarks, so taking leave was partly a way to avoid them for the moment.

Hearing coughing from inside the carriage from time to time, Che Buchi, one of the three chief cultivators of Prince Ying's residence and a disciple of Daqiu Sect, reached over and lifted the side curtain. "Your Highness, are you feeling unwell?"

Still coughing, Hao Zhen waved a hand to indicate that he was fine. His chest merely felt stuffy. He assumed it was because of everything that had happened that day. He knew himself well enough to recognize that the affair had left him somewhat stifled and resentful.

[End of Chapter 1119]