Chapter 025
Chapter 25: A Chance Encounter
Hearing these words from the girl in green, the woman whose white robes rivaled the purity of snow finally reacted. Her slender hand gently placed down the porcelain cup, revealing a face delicate and untouched by worldly dust.
Her hair, dark as twilight mist, softly shifted as she lifted her gaze to the girl in green and the two figures behind her. With a quiet voice, she said:
“You say you’re from Six Gates, then surely you must know Ji Fei Yun, the ‘Jade-Faced Thousand Palms’.”
The green-robed girl studied her carefully and nodded slightly. “Constable Ji is indeed among the Ten Great Constables of Six Gates General Yamen. Of course we know him. Does the young lady perhaps have some history with Constable Ji?”
The white-clad woman didn’t reply directly but instead changed the subject. “I can serve as your witness, but I have one condition: you must bring Ji Fei Yun here to see me.”
The green-clad girl frowned, shaking her head slowly. “Young lady, we would deeply appreciate your testimony. However, it’s merely a minor matter. Surely it doesn’t warrant troubling Constable Ji himself.”
Yet, just as she finished speaking, the shadowy-faced youth behind her suddenly shouted:
“Ning’er, watch out!”
In that instant, the harsh sound of a hidden mechanism sprang to life, and several black arrows shot swiftly from the young man’s wrist with a sharp whistle. The arrows blurred past the girl in green, colliding with a strand of ice crystal that had silently emerged in front of her, emanating a piercing chill.
Metallic clangs echoed sharply through the air as the arrows halted the icy crystal mid-flight, spinning rapidly in place.
However, the white-robed woman’s calm voice drifted lightly across the room:
“Your reflexes are decent, but your martial dao level is far too weak.”
As she spoke, she lightly flicked the porcelain cup with her finger. Instantly, the tea within transformed into an icy mist, rushing forth as a biting cold wind toward the trio.
Guo Ning’er, the gloomy youth Province Chuan, and the large man’s expressions changed drastically.
“Ice Qi! Martial Grandmaster!”
They attempted to retreat at once, but the frigid gale was too swift. Before they could move, the freezing chill had engulfed them, piercing deep into their bones, sealing their meridians and blood flow. Frozen stiff, they stood helpless, unable to move even a finger.
Within moments, frost visibly spread across their brows and hair, turning them into living ice sculptures.
By now, the commotion had attracted many patrons from the inn, who gathered curiously by the doorway to peer inside.
Yet, the woman in white paid them no mind. She refilled her porcelain cup with tea, then cast her gaze upon Zhang He and the four others leaning nervously against the wall.
“Who among you will run an errand for me? Bring Ji Fei Yun here.”
Zhang He swallowed anxiously, preparing to volunteer himself. This woman’s martial prowess was unfathomable; friend or foe remained uncertain. All he wished was to escape this dangerous place quickly.
But before Zhang He could speak, the white-clad woman suddenly pointed at the young man in blue.
“You. Go swiftly and return quickly. You have the time it takes an incense stick to burn.”
The young man in blue hesitated briefly, exchanged a subtle glance with Zhang He, nodded almost imperceptibly, and promptly departed without further comment.
…
At this moment, in the room next to Zhang He’s, Li Mu Sheng was leaning against the wooden wall, listening carefully and with growing interest.
Cang Yin Yue slipped gracefully through the window and sat down at the table. She glanced disdainfully at the wooden partition and scoffed softly:
“That woman certainly knows how to put on airs.”
Li Mu Sheng turned toward her, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. Luckily, earlier, the burly man had kicked the other wall. If he’d kicked his wall instead, Li Mu Sheng might have been the one forced to play tough right now.
“Miss Cang, you know her?”
Noticing Cang Yin Yue’s unfriendly tone, Li Mu Sheng raised an eyebrow curiously.
“Of course I do. Her father is a Divine Constable, and her mother is the Sect Lord of Flying Snow Sect. She’s not someone ordinary,” Cang Yin Yue answered briefly. Taking a sip of tea, she moved swiftly onto another topic:
“I’ve already reported your situation. For the next few days, you’ll have to stay somewhere temporarily.”
“Aurora Pavilion?”
Cang Yin Yue nodded. “Currently, all those claiming to support the Seventh Prince are gathered there. The palace finds it troublesome to verify them one by one. In six days, they’ll test everyone at once.”
Hearing this, Li Mu Sheng shrugged indifferently. Truthfully, he didn’t care much for such affairs. His true purpose was to pursue martial transcendence; his visit to Shang Yang City was merely to experience the world and broaden his horizons.
“Then, once I’m at Aurora Pavilion, how should I contact you?”
“If I need you, I’ll find you. If you need me, come directly to this inn, and I’ll appear when the time is right,” Cang Yin Yue replied coolly.
Li Mu Sheng frowned slightly. Dealing with the Shadow Spy Division had this one drawback—every meeting felt clandestine, like secret agents in the shadows. Still, if he truly wanted to find her, it wouldn’t be difficult.
Previously, when he observed the scholar using Formless Puppet Art, he couldn’t grasp the entire technique. However, thanks to his extraordinary insight, he’d recently developed a small martial art. Right now, an invisible Qi-thread connected him to Cang Yin Yue. As long as she didn’t stray too far, he could track her anytime.
Thinking of this, Li Mu Sheng reminded her casually:
“Miss Cang, don’t forget your promise—the second condition you agreed to. Help me find the key to the Great Qi’s hidden treasury. A casual effort won’t count.”
At this, Cang Yin Yue’s eyelid twitched faintly, and she snorted lightly. “You have quite the carefree attitude. At a time like this, you still think of something so vague?”
Her gaze turned serious as she warned him firmly:
“Aurora Pavilion is guarded day and night by the Heavenly Brocade Guard. With your skills, staying there won’t pose a significant problem.”
“However, you must remember my previous advice: until the Majesty officially recognizes you as prince, do not reveal your true strength. That might bring disaster upon yourself.”
Li Mu Sheng drank his tea leisurely and nodded casually. “Relax. I know how far to go.”
Cang Yin Yue studied him briefly, said nothing more, and stood up.
“I’ll take you to Aurora Pavilion now.”
But at this exact moment, the thunder of galloping horses echoed from outside, swiftly approaching and halting abruptly in front of the inn.
Several constables clad in black official robes, swords at their waists, leaped from their horses, surrounding the inn in the blink of an eye.
Leading them was a tall, dignified young constable in a fine black brocade, perched elegantly upon a handsome steed. His clearly-defined face, sharp brows, and piercing eyes swept swiftly around the inn.
In the next heartbeat, he gracefully soared like wind-driven mist, slipping through an open window into the room.
Yet, upon spotting the occupants within, he paused slightly, emitting a surprised sound:
“Constable Cang, why are you here?”