Chapter 1125: Heaven Truly Aids Me!

The outcome took Shao Liuer somewhat by surprise. All the arguments she had painstakingly prepared went completely unused.

She had long heard that this man was difficult to deal with. Yet after meeting him, she had barely said more than a few words before he agreed so readily.

“Thank you, sir! Thank you!” Overjoyed by the unexpected turn, Shao Liuer thanked him repeatedly, then hurried to her feet. Not daring to waste even a moment, she rushed off to have her husband brought over.

Guo Man went with her. This was not a place where outsiders could wander around freely.

Yan Baoru moved closer to Wuxin and ventured, “Sir, did you know this Princess Consort before?”

“Know this Princess Consort?” Wuxin murmured the words to himself but did not answer. He slowly closed his eyes. With the outsider gone, a look of tangled pain finally surfaced on his face. “Mm...” A muffled groan suddenly escaped him. He clutched his chest, his face turning deathly pale in an instant, his entire body swaying as though he might collapse.

“Sir!” Yan Baoru was alarmed and hurriedly caught him.

“Medicine... medicine... get me my medicine...” Wuxin gasped, calling out through the pain.

“Sir, hold on.” Yan Baoru quickly lowered him flat onto the floor and reached into his sleeve for the medicine.

After following Wuxin for so long, she knew he had a longstanding problem with severe angina. Once an attack began, the pain was excruciating, and if he did not take his medicine in time, it could cost him his life.

Both Yan Baoru and Guo Man had asked him before: with the Ghost Doctor's medical skill so profound, could even he not cure this illness?

Wuxin had never answered that question...

...

Outside a residence on one of the capital's streets, a group of men suddenly appeared and surrounded the property. Many flashed directly inside, while others appeared on the surrounding rooftops to stand guard.

The men who stormed the residence searched everywhere, but did not find a single person.

A large, cold-faced man stood in the middle of the courtyard, eyes sharp as a hawk's as he studied the surroundings.

These were men from the Office of Investigation in disguise, and the residence they were searching was precisely the place where Shao Pingbo had previously been staying.

For the Office of Investigation to locate Shao Pingbo's hideout this quickly despite beginning with almost no leads showed just how formidable its spiderweb of hidden power across the Qi capital became once fully awakened.

After several of the searchers conferred, one quickly came over to the cold-faced man and cupped his hands. “Sir, they've already gone. Judging from how fresh the traces left behind are, they should have departed less than an hour ago. We came one step too late!”

“Less than an hour?”

“Yes. That should be right.”

The cold-faced man swept his gaze around again. “In other words, there is a very real possibility that this was indeed the target's hideout.”

The subordinate replied, “Very likely. Once we mobilized our entire network and had informants everywhere investigate at full strength, we picked up several leads. Cultivators had previously recognized disguised Jin cultivators entering and leaving this place. Some of the Jin spies we've kept under long-term surveillance also came here. Put the two together, and the possibility is very high.”

“One hour...” the cold-faced man said slowly. “Meaning they left not long after we began our search?”

“Possibly.”

“They didn't leave earlier or later. They left precisely after we made our move. That means we cannot rule out someone inside our own organization leaking the news. We'll deal with that afterward.” The cold-faced man gritted his teeth, his voice heavy. “Notify our people at every city gate immediately. Detain anyone entering or leaving who looks suspicious. As for the Jin spies hidden in the capital who are already under our surveillance, launch secret raids and arrest them at once. We must find where the target has gone. The Old Ancestor has made himself perfectly clear: this time we are acting under imperial decree. Only results matter, not the process. Anyone who obstructs the operation, no matter who they are, may be killed on the spot if they refuse to heed a warning. And do not abandon this place. Leave people here to watch it secretly in case the other side hides in plain sight and doubles back.”

“Yes!” The subordinate accepted the order and hurried away.

...

Outside the city, a man wandered along the riverside docks, his gaze moving back and forth over the row of cargo vessels moored there as though searching for something.

He suddenly spotted a birdcage hanging beneath the eaves of one vessel's deckhouse. Three small birds were inside.

After looking around, the man headed straight for that boat. He jumped onto the bow. The barefoot boatman sitting there twisting hemp rope merely raised his head and glanced at him.

The man walked beneath the deckhouse eaves, took down the cage himself, opened it, caught two of the birds and released them. He shut the cage again, leaving a single bird inside, and hung it back where it had been. Then he stood quietly beneath the eaves and waited, watching the lone bird hop and chirp inside the cage.

Before long, two men emerged from the deckhouse. One kept watch on the surroundings while the other called over the vessel's owner and instructed, “The cargo is complete. We can depart.”

“Right away.” The owner immediately shouted, “Cast off!”

The boatman at the bow set down his work, rose, and untied the mooring line. Several more crewmen emerged from the deckhouse. Two went to the bow, took up poles, and pushed the vessel away from shore, while another hauled on the ropes to raise the sail.

It was a sizable cargo vessel. The crew went about their tasks, talking and laughing, everything proceeding in an orderly fashion.

The man who had ordered the departure also walked beneath the eaves, took down the cage, released the final bird, and hung the empty cage back in place.

The two men who had successively released the three birds exchanged a nod. The later arrival turned toward the deckhouse, and the first man followed him inside. The lookout entered behind them and shut the door tightly.

The three descended a ladder into the lower hold. One closed the hatch above them while another lit several oil lamps hanging below.

The flames swayed gently, and the shifting of the whole ship could be felt as it changed direction and got underway.

The man who had lit the lamps walked over to the one who had boarded later and said heavily, “Take it off. Let's see how well it works.”

“Yes.” The later arrival reached beneath his collar, caught hold of a layer of skin, and peeled a disguise from his face.

The face revealed underneath was Niu Youdao's.

The other two men had known what to expect, yet the sight of “Niu Youdao” still made them exchange startled looks. In the end, they leaned closer and carefully examined his face.

The two were none other than Duan Hu and Wu Sanliang, both in disguise. They had come here under orders to make contact and carry out their assignment.

After confirming there was nothing wrong with the Niu Youdao double's face, Duan Hu said, “Let us see the scars on your body.”

The man obediently undid his clothing and finally bared his upper body.

Duan Hu and Wu Sanliang circled him, examining every scar in detail.

When they finished, Wu Sanliang clicked his tongue in amazement. “You can't tell they're new scars at all. That disciple of the Ghost Doctor truly lives up to his reputation. His skill at changing a man's face and appearance is seamless.”

“Get dressed and restore your disguise,” Duan Hu instructed.

After the man had returned to the appearance he wore when boarding the ship, he finally could not hold back any longer. “Who exactly are you people? Why do you want me to impersonate Niu Youdao?”

Duan Hu said, “Does that still matter?”

The man grew anxious. “How could it not matter? Niu Youdao went into the Sacred Realm. The moment I show myself outside, anyone will know I'm a fake. What exactly are you trying to make me do?”

Duan Hu said, “Do you still have a choice? Would you like us to send you back to your sect so you can explain properly to your Sect Leader how you raped and murdered his daughter?”

The man immediately fell silent.

Wu Sanliang said, “At the very least, we helped fabricate evidence of your death and removed the danger of people hunting you down. Don't worry. We'll honor what we promised. As long as you obey and handle the job properly, you'll never lack for comfort for the rest of your life. You may never be able to show your true face again, but at least you can still live well. What else is there to consider?”

The man asked, “Where are you taking me?”

“You'll know when the time comes,” Duan Hu replied. He did not explain the details. They would only travel by boat for part of the journey. Once they were far enough from the Qi capital, someone would come with a flying mount capable of carrying passengers. They obviously could not waste time traveling the whole way by river.

“Don't look so dejected,” Wu Sanliang said, patting him on the shoulder. “If you're going to impersonate someone, then do it properly. No matter what happened, the real Niu Youdao would never look the way you do now.”

...

Farther outside the city—more accurately, well away from the Qi capital—there was a royal garden hidden within a patch of mountain forest rising abruptly from the grasslands.

Prince Jin Hao Qi, who had taken sick leave, was recuperating there, far removed from the clamor of worldly affairs.

The sick leave was false. There was nothing wrong with his health. Someone of his status had cultivators around him year-round to regulate his body, so ordinary illnesses rarely took hold.

Truthfully, even Hao Qi himself had been somewhat muddled about why he had taken leave. His adviser, Tian Guangfang, had told him that one of the people below had caused a minor problem and suggested he absent himself before court officials could attack him over it. With so much happening lately, there was no need to keep appearing in front of His Majesty and invite irritation. If the emperor did not see him, the most likely outcome was a message reprimanding him. Drag things out for a while, and the affair would pass.

Yet although he had escaped the clamor of the outside world, he had not escaped the turmoil coming from the capital.

Wandering among the pavilions and towers, Hao Qi held an urgent report from the capital and said in shock, “They were all poisoned? How did this happen? How could anyone possibly have found an opportunity to strike in the court waiting chamber?”

Tian Guangfang, walking beside him, stroked his beard. “Misfortune is where fortune finds its footing. It appears Your Highness truly is blessed by great fortune. You originally came here merely to avoid a small trouble, yet unexpectedly escaped a disaster instead!”

At those words, Hao Qi froze. Then he understood what Tian Guangfang meant. A wave of lingering fear passed over him. “Sir, you're right. If not for this, I'm afraid I would never have escaped the calamity!” He flicked the urgent report in his hand, then suddenly froze again. A moment later, he threw back his head and laughed. “Heaven truly aids me!”

Tian Guangfang looked puzzled. “Why is Your Highness laughing?”

Hao Qi tapped the urgent report and held it toward him. “Sir, you're a clever man. Why have you suddenly become confused? Look. Every imperial prince who attends court has been poisoned, and I alone escaped unharmed. Who else but me can take the position of Crown Prince now? Hahaha...” Once again, he threw back his head and laughed without restraint.

“Your Highness is confused!” Tian Guangfang stamped his foot anxiously. “This is clearly a sign that disaster is bearing down on you. How can you still laugh?”

Hao Qi's laughter stopped as abruptly as though someone had seized him by the throat. The rest of it died in his chest. Suspicion and alarm filled his face. “What do you mean, sir?”

Tian Guangfang said, “Misfortune is where fortune finds its footing; fortune is where misfortune lies in wait. It is true that Your Highness escaped this disaster. But why not think about it from another angle? Every imperial prince who attends court was poisoned, yet only Your Highness escaped. If Your Highness were His Majesty, what would you think?”

“...” Hao Qi was left speechless. The blood drained from his face in an instant. This time, he truly could not laugh.

[End of Chapter 1125]