MuJinling instinctively flicked a small stone towards the sound. He heard it hit something, then saw a dark figure flip down from the palace wall and sprint towards him.
MuJinling took a step back, quickly assessing the approaching figure. "Light footwork, steady stance, broad shoulders—clearly a practitioner of hard martial arts. But moving silently and swiftly, must have had special training," he thought.
The dark figure reached him and aimed a claw-like strike at MuJinling's neck. MuJinling sidestepped, raising his right hand and flicking his fingers at the attacker's wrist, easily deflecting the strike.
MuJinling smirked, unimpressed by the assailant's moves.
The dark figure didn't give up, changing tactics to attack MuJinling's shoulder. Despite putting all his strength into the assault, he couldn't land a hit. MuJinling dodged and countered with a palm strike to the attacker's back, sending him stumbling forward.
"Why waste your skills breaking into the palace at night? What are you after?" MuJinling teased, noting the man's tall, broad-shouldered build under the moonlight.
"None of your business," the dark figure snapped.
"Who goes there?" a maid called out, holding a lantern and hearing the commotion.
The dark figure threw something towards the maid and quickly scaled the palace wall again.
MuJinling, being further away, tried to intercept but couldn't reach in time. Resorting to his art, he summoned his qi to pull the object towards him, preventing it from hitting the maid. She seemed unaware of his actions, but the figure on the wall took note.
"Sky Abyss Qi?" the dark figure mused.
MuJinling opened his hand to reveal a green gemstone. He recognized it immediately.
In the Bamboo Garden,
"Ton-Yu Cloud Mother?" ShangGuanCY said, puzzled. "It's rare enough, but how have we seen it three times in just a few years? XB, are you sure this isn't your doing?"
MuJinling, twirling his smoking pipe, replied, "Breaking into the palace at night just to steal Ton-Yu Cloud Mother? My people aren't that idle."
LiLuoning recalled his encounter. "I initially thought he was just a common thief. When we fought, I noticed his impressive agility was a later development. He seemed to have trained in hard martial arts for at least twenty years, judging by his build and the strength of his strikes."
"Someone skilled in both hard and soft martial arts is rare," ShangGuanCY commented.
"You have one by your side," MuJinling teased, glancing at ShangGuanCY.
"Me?" ShangGuanCY asked, confused.
"LinMuchuan! He's adept with weapons. If anyone in the city could combine those skills, it would be him," MuJinling said lazily.
ShangGuanCY rolled his eyes. "MuChuan is great on the battlefield with his spear, but he's no rooftop runner. He'd break all the tiles, let alone move silently."
MuJinling nodded in agreement. "That's why you taught LinHuaichu lightfoot techniques."
Ignoring the jibe, ShangGuanCY turned serious. "The intruder left this on purpose. Who has so much Ton-Yu Cloud Mother to use it frequently?"
LiLuoning pondered, then sketched a rough map. "I found him between the Imperial Study and the Crown Prince's quarters. He's likely targeting the emperor or JY. He knows the palace layout well."
ShangGuanCY agreed. "Someone familiar with the palace and skilled enough to sneak in unnoticed. We need to increase security around JY."
LiLuoning nodded but added, "I can place some barriers around JY's quarters. If someone breaks in, I'll know. Extra guards might draw attention."
ShangGuanCY agreed, then scolded MuJinling, "You sit here leisurely while assassins target your only kin. Shouldn't you do something?"
MuJinling stretched lazily, leaning back. "Who says I have only one kin? There's you and Uncle Li too. JY has his barriers and your guards outside. My task is to find out who's behind these attacks."
"Found anything?" ShangGuanCY asked impatiently.
MuJinling pulled out a letter, waving it. "Not the mastermind, but some leads."
ShangGuanCY snatched the letter, reading it carefully as MuJinling explained, "After the Western City granary incident, ChengSangMo hasn't transported any more oil into the capital. Remember the grains for the Kingdom of Rashomon? The envoy swapped them for mules and cloth before leaving the city."
"Where did the grains go?" ShangGuanCY asked.
"The envoy didn't take them. Instead, they were stored in a secret location outside the city. My people tracked the transaction, and it led to several abandoned warehouses."
ShangGuanCY frowned, considering the implications. "So, someone in the palace is diverting supplies, possibly to fund or support a hidden agenda."
LiLuoning added, "And given the timing and resources, it's clear this isn't a recent development. Whoever is behind this has been planning for years, knowing the palace routines and exploiting them."
ShangGuanCY nodded, deep in thought. "We need to uncover this network and find out who's pulling the strings. If they're targeting the emperor or JY, we have to act fast."
MuJinling stood, stretching. "I'll increase surveillance and see if we can catch another intruder. If they're this bold, they'll try again."
ShangGuanCY agreed. "And we'll need to find out who's supplying them with resources. This goes deeper than we thought."
With a renewed sense of urgency, they prepared to delve deeper into the mystery, aware that the stakes were higher than ever.