ChengSangJY stared at the item in front of him, his hand frozen in mid-air. The box's lid flipped open, revealing a gunpowder cylinder with a burning fuse—the source of the strange noise he had heard earlier.
"JY! Watch out!" LinHuaichu shouted, running towards ChengSangJY.
The fuse was almost gone. ChengSangJY had been momentarily stunned after opening the box, but now he realized what he was holding.
LinHuaichu felt as though he was running through the longest, most agonizing stretch of his life. He saw the fuse nearing its end, but he was still too far from ChengSangJY. His eyes filled with terror and desperation.
Just as chaos seemed inevitable, a white fan swiftly flew past ChengSangJY, knocking the gunpowder cylinder out of the box. A figure jumped from the rooftop, grabbing a banner with one hand and ChengSangJY's waist with the other, pulling him into the air just in time.
The gunpowder cylinder landed on the opposite side of the street, exploding with a deafening roar. The nearby shops were engulfed in dust and debris, scattering the crowd and injuring several people. The street quickly descended into chaos.
LinHuaichu was thrown by the force of the explosion, hitting his head on a wooden hitching post and losing consciousness.
Still in shock, ChengSangJY heard a familiar voice in his ear, "Are you alright?"
He looked up stiffly, his eyes widening as he recognized the person in front of him. "Teacher," he whispered.
LiLuoning nodded slightly, his brow furrowed as he examined ChengSangJY. "Are you hurt?"
ChengSangJY shook his head, too shaken to speak. At that moment, another figure landed on the rooftop, quickly making his way to ChengSangJY's side.
"JY, are you alright?" It was ShangGuanCY, whose fan had saved ChengSangJY moments earlier.
Before they could fully comprehend what had happened, they heard Huazhiyue's frantic shout from below, "Huaichu!"
Looking down, they saw Huazhiyue, blood at the corner of her mouth, lying on the ground as a black-clad figure carried LinHuaichu away, leaping onto a nearby rooftop.
"After them!" LinMuchuan, who had been nearby with his soldiers, ordered the pursuit.
ShangGuanCY issued orders to the arriving guards and exchanged a glance with LiLuoning. With a nod, ShangGuanCY took off after the kidnappers.
The black-clad figure navigated the city streets with apparent ease, choosing a route that seemed chaotic but was clearly designed to evade pursuit. LinMuchuan, using the market stalls and low rooftops, followed closely behind, refusing to lose sight of the kidnapper.
"This direction doesn't seem to lead out of the city," LinMuchuan thought, puzzled.
At one point, the black-clad figure deliberately stopped, turning swiftly to strike with a powerful blow.
LinMuchuan, unable to stop in time, used his sword to block the blow. The force of the strike sent him crashing through a window, landing painfully in a pile of grain sacks inside a storage room.
"Damn it!" LinMuchuan cursed as he climbed out of the grain store, realizing the kidnapper had escaped.
Back at the Tea Embroidery Hall, on the third floor, ChengSangJY slammed his hand on the table in anger. "You knew someone would attack but didn't tell us!" he shouted at ShangGuanCY and LiLuoning.
ShangGuanCY tried to explain, "We suspected they might strike again, but we didn't expect them to use such a public and reckless method. They used a gunpowder cylinder in a crowded area, showing no regard for civilian lives."
ChengSangJY's face darkened, his anger palpable. "And what about Huaichu? Did you consider his safety? He's been kidnapped and could be in grave danger. What are we going to do?"
"LinHuaichu will be fine," MuJinling interjected calmly.
All eyes turned to him. "What do you mean?" ChengSangJY asked.
MuJinling walked over, his expression serious but not as anxious as the others. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before speaking. "Those people never intended to harm LinHuaichu. In fact, they seem more concerned about his safety than yours. When they first attacked, they had ample opportunity to kill LinHuaichu but chose to only restrain him. Why?"
ChengSangJY recalled the initial attack. Indeed, the black-clad figures had ample time to kill LinHuaichu but had only used chains to bind him.
"So, their target was me, but they avoided harming Huaichu?" ChengSangJY asked, confused.
"Exactly. Their actions suggest they have no interest in harming LinHuaichu. But why they took him remains unclear. It seems they wanted to ensure his safety," MuJinling explained.
LinMuchuan, recalling the chase, agreed. "The kidnapper had a clear chance to kill me but chose to knock me into a grain store instead. It seems their goal was to stop me from pursuing, not to harm me."
"The most likely scenario is that these people have a connection to the Lin family," ShangGuanCY mused. "Who would have an interest in both protecting the Lin family and attacking the crown prince?"
"Who would benefit most if the crown prince were killed?" LiLuoning added, hinting at a possible answer.
The group exchanged glances, each considering the implications. Only MuJinling seemed to arrive at a different conclusion, his expression thoughtful.
In the returning carriage, ChengSangJY sat in silence, LiLuoning meditating beside him, and Huazhiyue looked worried.
"JY, are you sure Huaichu will be alright?" she asked.
ChengSangJY softened his gaze and reassured her, "Huaichu will be fine. But you took a hit from that black-clad figure. Let LiLuoning check you over when we get back."
"I'm fine. Master already checked me. But why did they take Huaichu? Will they hurt him? Or force him to take poison?" Huazhiyue's voice trembled with worry.
ChengSangJY thought about MuJinling's analysis. "Huaichu knows some martial arts. He'll protect himself if necessary."
Huazhiyue sat quietly for a moment before her anxiety got the better of her again. "What if they bind him? Why take Huaichu? Are they trying to leverage him against General Lin?"
LiLuoning's eyes snapped open, a new realization dawning.
In LinMuchuan's study, LinMuchuan paced back and forth, his agitation evident.
"Don't tell my mother that Huaichu's been kidnapped. Say JY wanted him to stay in the palace for a while," LinMuchuan instructed, stopping suddenly.
He resumed pacing, clearly troubled. This might have been the first time he felt so helpless. Meanwhile, ShangGuanCY and MuJinling remained calm, sipping tea.
Seeing ShangGuanCY so composed, LinMuchuan snatched his teacup and berated him, "How can you stay so calm? If JY had been kidnapped, would you still be sitting here drinking tea?"
ShangGuanCY smiled gently. "What do you plan to do?"
LinMuchuan was momentarily speechless, unable to answer. He couldn't mobilize large forces without alerting the enemy, so he could only send some of Lin's men to discreetly investigate.
MuJinling tapped his smoking pipe lightly. "Calm down, Muchuan. I've already sent out the Chasing Moon Pavilion's people to gather information. We'll soon know if any strangers have been seen in the city. And our shadow guards aren't idle," he said, giving ShangGuanCY a pointed look.
LinMuchuan noticed MuJinling's meaningful glance and ShangGuanCY's silent smile, finally piecing things together. "You're hiding something from me, aren't you?"
ShangGuanCY couldn't hold back a chuckle as he recounted the plan to LinMuchuan.
A few days earlier,
"Are you sure this will work?" LinHuaichu asked anxiously.
"I'll have the Chasing Moon Pavilion's shadow guards secretly protect you. The hairpin I gave you has a jade piece on it. In a critical moment, detach the jade piece, and no matter where you are, Fengke will come to your aid," MuJinling instructed, pointing to the hairpin in LinHuaichu's hand.
LinHuaichu still looked uncertain. "Are you sure the black-clad men will kidnap me? Shouldn't we inform my brother? What if he stops them and the plan fails?"
"Your brother will chase after you with all his might, ensuring there are no flaws in the plan. His lightness skills are average, so I'm not worried he'll catch up to you. But you must act convincingly," ShangGuanCY emphasized.
"So, this was all part of your plan?" LinMuchuan realized.
ShangGuanCY nodded, explaining, "After the attack outside the city, I had Huaichu recall every detail. It seemed they would take Huaichu if they succeeded in killing JY. Once an opportunity arose to target Huaichu, they wouldn't miss it."
"But how could you be sure Huaichu would be safe? He doesn't know much martial arts, and he wouldn't stand a chance against those men," LinMuchuan questioned nervously.
ShangGuanCY raised an eyebrow, glancing at MuJinling. "That's where the Chasing Moon Pavilion comes in. Are they as formidable as their reputation suggests?"
MuJinling, not to be outdone, responded enigmatically, "Who knows better than the one who taught them? I'm confident in Chasing Moon Pavilion's abilities, just as some are confident in their evasion skills."
MoLan prince's residence,
"Are they the same group that attempted to assassinate the crown prince? Is JY safe?" ChengSangMo asked.
The reporting guard nodded. "They appear to be the same group. Initially, it seemed their main target was the crown prince, but in the chaos, they abducted LinHuaichu. Your orders were to keep an eye on the crown prince, so we didn't pursue the black-clad man."
ChengSangMo was surprised by LinHuaichu's abduction. "If ShangGuanCY had prepared for this, he must have placed LinMuchuan nearby."
"LinMuchuan was indeed present, but he was struck down from a rooftop after chasing two streets," the guard reported.
"Struck down? Who could possess such skill to knock LinMuchuan from a rooftop?" ChengSangMo wondered, growing more suspicious. Given his understanding of ShangGuanCY, their plan wouldn't be this simple if they anticipated an attack on ChengSangJY.
"Your Highness, someone is outside with this, requesting a meeting at the abandoned temple in the western outskirts," the estate manager announced, holding an item.
ChengSangMo's eyes widened upon recognizing the item. "Prepare my horse!"
In the dark dungeon, LinHuaichu groaned, slowly regaining consciousness. The explosion had left him bruised and sore. He struggled to sit up, surveying his surroundings to understand his situation.
The damp, cold smell of the walls and the distinct feeling of being in a dungeon contrasted sharply with the soft bedding and the nearby burning brazier.
As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he took in his environment. "ShangGuanCY was right, but why did they kidnap me?" he wondered. He checked his waist to ensure his belongings were intact and breathed a sigh of relief.
He heard the sound of a lock being turned outside his cell. Alert, he watched the door closely.
A black-clad man entered, carrying a food box. He silently placed it on the table and left without a word.
Once the cell door was locked again, LinHuaichu approached the table and cautiously opened the food box. Inside were ordinary meals, still warm. He recalled ShangGuanCY's words: "They won't harm you until they achieve their goal."
He sniffed the food. "Can't fight on an empty stomach," he muttered and began eating heartily.
At the abandoned temple in the western outskirts,
By the time ChengSangMo arrived, it was nearly dusk. The temple was in ruins, with ivy clinging to the crumbling walls. The courtyard, overgrown with yellowed grass, had a recently cleared path.
Inside, a figure turned as the sound of approaching hooves grew louder.
"Beiyu greets Your Highness," a woman in soft armor knelt before ChengSangMo.
ChengSangMo's expression was stern, his brows furrowed in anger. "Why are you here? Who allowed you to come to the capital alone?"
Beiyu hesitated, about to speak, when a deep, powerful voice interrupted from the side, "I did."
ChengSangMo turned to face the speaker, a tall, imposing figure even with a mask covering half his face. His eyes shone with a cold light.
Instinctively, ChengSangMo's hand went to his sword, thumb pushing the blade partially out of its sheath.
"Your Highness, he's an ally," Beiyu whispered.
ChengSangMo ignored her, his eyes full of hostility. "Who are you?"
The man seemed unsurprised by ChengSangMo's reaction, a slight smile playing on his lips. "You've read the letter hidden in the Moon Knife, I assume."
ChengSangMo's eyes narrowed, surprised but still cautious. "How do you know about the Moon Knife?"
The man smirked. "You may call me General Yuan. I was a soldier in the northern camp during the war and managed to survive."
ChengSangMo scoffed. "Beiyu wouldn't follow a mere soldier. Who are you really?"
The man shook his head. "My identity is irrelevant. Rest assured, with Beiyu's allegiance to me, I am one of yours."
Seeing ChengSangMo remain silent, the man continued, "I assume you have an inkling about your true heritage. I must tell you, Beiyu's followers from the North are under my command."
ChengSangMo was taken aback, glaring at Beiyu.
"Your Highness need not worry. As your ally, I will help you achieve your goals," the man said calmly.
"There's no need. I'll handle my family's affairs in my own way," ChengSangMo replied, sheathing his sword and turning to leave.
Beiyu stepped in his way. "Your Highness."
ChengSangMo's frustration showed in his icy glare, signaling her to move aside.
"Family affairs? Are you certain you belong to the ChengSang family?" the man laughed.
The words struck ChengSangMo like thunder. He had long suspected his true origins but had no way to verify them, choosing instead to feign ignorance.
"Do you not wish to know the truth behind the hunting incident where you nearly lost your life?" the man asked.
ChengSangMo turned back, his voice trembling despite his attempt at composure. "What do you mean?"
The man's tone remained steady, "ChengSangJY is the legitimate heir, born to the Emperor and Empress. There was no reason for the Xiao family to target you. The ChengSang royal family kept you close to control the northern remnants, who knew of LanShi Princess giving birth. You're less a royal heir and more a hostage to keep the North in check."
ChengSangMo's face remained impassive, but his grip on his sword tightened, his knuckles white. He struggled to maintain his composure, his voice low and dangerous. "Whether a prince or a hostage, what are you trying to say?"
"With your intelligence, you surely understand. But have you ever considered who truly tried to kill you if not the Xiao family?" the man challenged.
ChengSangMo pondered, recalling his long-held belief that the Xiao family was behind the attempt on his life. But the man's words held a disturbing logic. If not the Xiao family, then who wanted him dead?