Chapter 130
Chapter 130: The Pursuit
Within the hall filled with towering shelves and piles of documents, silence reigned so deeply that even the fall of a pin could be heard clearly.
Before Fu Qi Wen’s imposing aura, as mighty as mountains and vast as the sea, Zeng Hai knelt trembling. Struggling to open his mouth, he prepared once more to recount the matter of Li Zhu’s corpse.
Yet Fu Qi Wen, without warning, appeared beside him, his deep voice pressing urgently, “Where is the Third Prince’s body now? Does anyone else know of this?”
Zeng Hai did not dare lift his head, responding shakily, “This humble servant has hidden the Third Prince’s body. I immediately came to inform you, my lord, without telling anyone else.”
Fu Qi Wen, with hair half grey and deeply carved wrinkles, wore an exceptionally grave expression.
He had asked Li Mu Sheng to deal with the Third Prince and his associates, while he himself focused fully on the Heavenly Brocade Guard’s affairs, planning the destruction of Fallen God Peak.
But how had Li Mu Sheng helped him?
Instead of managing the problem, he had simply removed the problem itself—and shockingly, that meant killing another prince.
Truly, Li Mu Sheng was audacious beyond measure. How could he dare kill the Third Prince?
Fu Qi Wen’s expression shifted uncertainly. A prince had died within his jurisdiction; though it wasn’t his doing, he could hardly escape blame.
After all, tracing the matter back, it was he who had asked Li Mu Sheng for help, indirectly causing the incident.
Fu Qi Wen had climbed step by step from the lowest ranks of the Heavenly Brocade Guard, weathering countless political storms, yet he had never faced such a disaster before.
Silence gripped the hall once more. Zeng Hai knelt as if on pins and needles.
He cautiously glanced upward, only to hear Fu Qi Wen suddenly sigh deeply, his face grim as he instructed, “Once you return, hide the Third Prince’s body well.”
Hearing this, Zeng Hai froze in astonishment.
He had come to the Commander seeking guidance, yet this was the advice he received?
He might as well not have come. Had he known, he could have simply dug a hole himself and buried Li Zhu quietly, saving himself this unnecessary trip.
Noticing Zeng Hai’s thoughts, Fu Qi Wen warned again solemnly, “Tomorrow, after I leave the Imperial Capital, secretly return the Third Prince’s body to his residence. Remember clearly—no one must see or know of this. Otherwise, you know well enough what consequences await.”
After saying this, Fu Qi Wen waved dismissively, allowing Zeng Hai to leave.
Normally, Fu Qi Wen would have exhausted every means to resolve the matter of a prince dying on his premises. But now, with the assault on Fallen God Peak imminent, he simply didn’t have the energy to spare.
Moreover, even his survival during the impending expedition to Fallen God Peak was uncertain.
If he perished there, the matter concerning Li Zhu would cease to trouble him.
If he returned alive, he believed Emperor Yuan Wu would pardon him due to the merit of eliminating Fallen God Peak.
Thus, while the murder of the Third Prince seemed catastrophic, Fu Qi Wen saw its resolution as rather straightforward.
He watched Zeng Hai leave, shaken and dazed. With a gentle shake of his head, Fu Qi Wen summoned two trusted aides.
He instructed one to discreetly monitor Zeng Hai, while the other disguised himself as Li Zhu, openly leaving the Heavenly Brocade Guard headquarters.
Fu Qi Wen didn’t expect this act to fool the Second Prince or the Right Chancellor completely. He only hoped it could buy him one more day.
Once he left the Imperial Capital, whatever followed would no longer concern him.
Having finished these arrangements, Fu Qi Wen turned slightly, gazing towards the courtyard where Li Mu Sheng resided.
This Eighth Prince was utterly lawless and unpredictable.
Truthfully, Fu Qi Wen couldn’t see through him clearly, and he felt constantly belittled by Li Mu Sheng.
Still, judging from the Eighth Prince’s casual killing of the Third Prince, Fu Qi Wen thought that mere disdain directed at him was nothing in comparison.
Shaking his head once more, Fu Qi Wen returned to his desk and continued working.
From beginning to end, he never approached Li Mu Sheng. He knew it would be pointless even if he did. After all, both their survival at Fallen God Peak remained uncertain.
…
At sunset, two lightly armored men on horseback, followed closely by an ordinary carriage, departed swiftly from the Heavenly Brocade Guard’s headquarters.
“Crack!”
On a gradually emptying street, the driver, Cao Gao Shan, dressed in coarse cloth, swung his whip, urging the yellow horses to gallop faster.
Inside the carriage sat three people.
One was a plump, middle-aged man in his early fifties dressed in a silk robe patterned with green clouds, appearing like a wealthy merchant.
The second was a petite figure dressed as a young scholar, clad in pristine white brocade robes, her hair black and elegantly secured with a jade pin.
The third person was Li Mu Sheng, reclining lazily on a soft cushion. His gaze drifted from one passenger to the next before finally settling upon the wealthy merchant as he bluntly asked, “Lord Hu, Lan Province is far. Why have you brought along a young lady disguised as a man?”
At this, the delicate young scholar nervously bit her lip, casting a shy glance toward Li Mu Sheng, then turning to the middle-aged merchant.
Deputy Commander Hu Rui An gestured calmly to her. A smile appeared on his round face as he cupped his hands respectfully toward Li Mu Sheng and explained, “Your Highness, Miss Murong’s father and the Commander are sworn brothers. Her family resides in Sheng Province. Lord Fu was worried about her traveling home alone, thus he arranged for her to join our group.”
Li Mu Sheng thoughtfully rubbed his chin.
Seeing Hu Rui An’s subtle signal, Murong Xiao Ya hesitated briefly, then timidly greeted Li Mu Sheng with a voice as faint as a whisper, “This commoner greets Your Highness the Eighth Prince.”
Li Mu Sheng raised an eyebrow at her but refrained from causing further embarrassment.
Yet inwardly he sensed Fu Qi Wen’s urgency in sending him ahead might not only concern the collusion between Sheng Province officials and Fallen God Peak but also had something to do with this seemingly delicate girl.
Thinking no further of it, Li Mu Sheng ceased to question them. After all, none of this mattered greatly to him.
Over an hour later, the carriage smoothly exited Shang Yang City, swiftly rolling toward Lan Province.
…
Meanwhile, under the thick cover of night, in a dim alley, a figure suddenly woke from unconsciousness, eyes snapping open sharply.
He immediately activated his martial Qi, warily scanning his surroundings.
After confirming no immediate danger, he let out a relieved breath, swiftly leaping onto a high wall to survey the area. His expression darkened as he muttered worriedly, “I just hope the Eighth Prince remains unharmed.”
Originally dispatched from the palace to secretly protect Li Mu Sheng, he’d unexpectedly been knocked unconscious earlier while following the carriage, only now regaining consciousness.
The one who had knocked him unconscious was naturally Guan Tian Qian, though he himself remained unaware.
Now, after losing Li Mu Sheng’s trail, Guan Tian Qian could only return helplessly to the headquarters of the Heavenly Brocade Guard.
However, once back, he was startled to learn that Li Mu Sheng had actually left Shang Yang City…
…
Inside the brightly lit residence of the Third Prince.
Ji Song, Great Li’s Right Chancellor, hunched within a round-backed chair, his aged, withered face filled with anxious unease.
Servants frequently entered the study with updates, yet each brought the same troubling news: since leaving the Heavenly Brocade Guard headquarters, the Third Prince had vanished without a trace.
Since the incident involving Consort Ji, Second Prince Li Que had remained in Li Zhu’s residence, discussing measures to capture the culprit.
Now, seated across from Ji Song, Li Que’s expression was grim. “A bunch of useless fools,” he muttered irritably. “A prince has disappeared for hours, yet you’ve failed to find even a hint of his whereabouts.”
The servants trembled, afraid to speak a word. Noticing this, Li Que composed himself and gently reassured Ji Song, “Right Chancellor, do not fret. Perhaps my third younger brother, stricken by grief over his mother’s tragedy, went out to clear his mind. I have already sent Martial World experts from my household to search. We should have news very soon.”
Ji Song’s dry, nearly colorless lips moved faintly, yet he said nothing. After a long pause, he cupped his hands respectfully towards Li Que and said, “Your Highness, I am old, and my memory fails me. Could Your Highness please remind me how Commander Fu Qi Wen responded regarding Zhu’er?”
Li Que sighed softly, reflecting briefly before answering, “Lord Fu relayed that he had no knowledge of Third Younger Brother’s whereabouts but has dispatched people to search urgently. He will inform us immediately once he has news.”
Ji Song nodded slowly, then asked, “And the Eighth Prince? Has he replied?”
Hearing this, Li Que’s expression darkened instantly, and he shook his head. “No reply from him at all.”
Ji Song slowly closed his eyes. “I know Zhu’er well. He may be hot-tempered, but he always abides by the rules. He would never vanish deliberately without notice.” He reopened his cloudy eyes, his voice hoarse as he continued, “Fu Qi Wen refused to help us earlier, but now, upon learning Zhu’er has left Heavenly Brocade Guard headquarters, he has suddenly changed his mind and actively begun searching. Fu Qi Wen’s actions are suspicious. And the Eighth Prince’s silence is even more unusual. I fear they both have something to do with Zhu’er’s disappearance.”
Li Que furrowed his brow in thought. “Knowing Third Younger Brother’s temperament, there must have been conflict today when he visited Heavenly Brocade Guard, likely involving Consort Jing’s son. But he appeared unharmed when leaving, proving nothing serious happened then. Unless… Consort Jing’s son was resentful afterward and secretly acted against him, kidnapping Third Younger Brother.”
Ji Song remained silent, seemingly agreeing with Li Que’s speculation. “I’ve already placed people to monitor Heavenly Brocade Guard. We should have results soon.”
A short while later, a figure dressed in black silently dropped from the roof and approached outside the study, reporting softly, “Prime Minister, our people found that around dusk, a common-looking carriage quietly left the Heavenly Brocade Guard headquarters, heading toward the outskirts of Shang Yang City.”
Ji Song’s lowered eyes flashed sharply, and he turned quickly to Li Que. “Such strange circumstances are suspicious indeed. The Eighth Prince, knowing he’s crossed us, would naturally act cautiously and not dare openly leave the Guard’s headquarters. To escape secretly, he would need stealth, likely hidden within that carriage.”
Li Que’s expression sharpened immediately. He nodded decisively, “Regardless of whether Third Younger Brother’s disappearance truly involves him, if he is in that carriage, we absolutely cannot miss this chance. We must seize control.”
Ji Song nodded gently, turning back to the black-clothed figure outside. “Have your people tracked down that carriage’s route?”
The black-clad man lowered his head respectfully. “Prime Minister, we have already sent scouts to follow it. Soon we’ll have its exact whereabouts.”
Hearing this, Li Que rose swiftly and addressed Ji Song, “This man will surely have palace experts protecting him. Ordinary men won’t suffice. My residence houses numerous Martial World masters—I will lend you their strength.”
Ji Song nodded slowly, his voice dry and quiet. “Then I trouble Your Highness. If I’m correct, Zhu’er’s disappearance is undoubtedly connected to the Eighth Prince. Capturing him will likely lead us to Zhu’er.”
Li Que’s face filled with solemn determination. “Right Chancellor, rest assured. Leave this matter to me—I promise I will seize Consort Jing’s son and recover Third Younger Brother.”
After saying this, Li Que took his leave, swiftly returning home to arrange the following plans.
Yet neither Second Prince Li Que nor Right Chancellor Ji Song, from start to finish, had considered that Li Zhu might already be dead within the Heavenly Brocade Guard headquarters.
After all, in Shang Yang City, virtually no one would dare to casually end the life of a prince as Li Mu Sheng had—without hesitation or fear.
Nor would Commander Fu Qi Wen of Heavenly Brocade Guard ever permit such a terrible act within his own territory, much less conceal the prince’s death.
…
Inside the Second Prince’s Residence.
In a luxurious room, delicate incense smoke curled upward, and behind the soft pink curtains, enchanting giggles drifted gently through the air.
Elder Formless sat bare-chested, surrounded by several young women. His face continuously shifted between various handsome, youthful appearances, each drawing sighs of admiration from the captivated ladies.
“Beauties, tell this old man honestly—do you find this face pleasing enough? If not, speak up. I shall gladly alter my looks until you are all thoroughly satisfied.”
At present, Elder Formless wore a strikingly handsome face with sharp brows and starry eyes, his charming laughter echoing among the women. However, his youthful visage starkly contrasted with his hunched, elderly body, making the scene oddly discordant.
Yet none of the women seemed troubled. Their minds were completely enraptured by Elder Formless’s mesmerizing features, unable to pull away.
As Elder Formless relished the tender embrace and soft fragrance, an unwelcome knock sounded outside the door.
“Senior, Steward Song requests your presence.”
Irritated at the interruption, Elder Formless frowned sharply, replying coldly, “This old man is busy. Not coming.”
However, the voice persisted urgently, “Steward Song says he has found news regarding Senior’s enemy.”
At this, Elder Formless’s eyes instantly narrowed with interest.