So it was him!
It made sense—if it had been just any ordinary Innate expert, their presence wouldn't have made much difference. Bai Yichen now understood who this person was.
The man was dressed in a bright flying fish robe, adorned with an agate belt and an amber hat.
It was none other than Jiang Renfeng, one of the four Great Innate Masters of the Grand Xia Dynasty and the commander of the Imperial Censorate.
This Imperial Censorate also had deep ties with him and Heishi.
In the past, Bai Yichen had led Heishi to resist various martial sects and protect the high officials of the court, which had been a key pillar of his influence over the imperial court.
But after that day when the sky fire meteor fell, Heishi was gravely damaged. To continue opposing the martial sects, the Xia Emperor established the Imperial Censorate as a new institution.
"I just didn't expect it to be him!" Jiang Renfeng sighed softly.
"Oh? Who exactly was he in Prince Liang's residence?" Real Person Yun Shou asked.
"He was none other than the former prince who once competed with the current emperor for the position of Crown Prince—Prince Liang!"
Upon hearing this, Real Person Yun Shou frowned, as if realizing that this man's death would bring about significant trouble.
Bai Yichen suddenly thought, since he was once a prince, how did he end up as a eunuch?
Could the Wheel King have been the rumored naturally born eunuch?
No wonder he had no chance of inheriting the throne. After all, how could the imperial position be given to a eunuch?
"Don't worry, Daoist. The Emperor has long been suspicious that Prince Liang harbored rebellious intentions. Now that it's confirmed he was the leader of the Heishi assassin organization, it makes things much easier to handle."
Seeing the two remain silent, Jiang Renfeng reassured them.
No wonder he had sought the path of immortality, hoping to reverse Yin to Yang and break through to the Master realm.
But would that really allow him to regrow?
Bai Yichen's face twisted with a strange expression as he quickly shook his head, brushing aside those odd thoughts.
Suddenly, he thought of something more important and quickly looked over at Real Person Yun Shou.
At this moment, Real Person Yun Shou still carried the full aura of an Innate Perfected cultivator, showing no signs of weakness and appearing rather spirited.
But one could also say it was just his last burst of energy.
After all, since Bai Yichen and Jiang Renfeng had intervened in the fight earlier, Real Person Yun Shou hadn't expended much energy.
Just then, Real Person Yun Shou turned and glanced at Bai Yichen, sending a secret message: "I still have some time left. Later, you should seize the opportunity to gather all the fragments of the Ming Sect's treasure map."
"Renfeng, I have a few things I need to discuss with you alone."
As he spoke, Real Person Yun Shou pointed to a spot on the left side of the maple forest.
Seeing this, Jiang Renfeng assumed Real Person Yun Shou had some private matters to discuss with him, so he agreed.
He glanced at the Wheel King's corpse and said to Bai Yichen, "The others are no problem, but please keep an eye on Prince Liang's body for me. It must be taken back to the Emperor as evidence."
Did he notice something?
But no matter, as long as he didn't know about the treasure map fragments, everything would be fine.
As for the corpse, ever since Bai Yichen's heart had become clear, he no longer engaged in such devious acts. The malicious habits of his previous life had long been discarded.
After seeing the two figures disappear into the night, Bai Yichen quickly searched the Wheel King's body.
Sure enough, Bai Yichen found four pieces of silk fabric tucked away in a hidden compartment near the man's chest.
Remembering what Jiang Renfeng had said earlier, Bai Yichen didn't take too much else, only removing the four fragments of the treasure map.
He also found the last piece of the treasure map in Mo Qiu Daoist's sleeve.
With these, along with the one he already had, all six pieces of the treasure map were now complete.
However, he did not piece them together right away. Instead, he carefully stored them and rushed to where Yan Bei lay unconscious, giving him a healing pill and helping him circulate his Qi to heal.
Afterward, Bai Yichen searched the bodies of the remaining members of the Twelve Zodiac.
He couldn't take too many things from the other two, but as for the Twelve Zodiac members, he had no qualms about keeping their belongings.
A stick of incense later, Yan Bei slowly awoke and stood up, though his face was still pale. He had at least recovered some strength.
Bai Yichen was just about to explain what had happened after Yan Bei fell unconscious, when suddenly two figures returned from the left side.
It was Real Person Yun Shou and Jiang Renfeng.
Jiang Renfeng seemed to carry some sadness, offering a final bow to Real Person Yun Shou and bidding him a solemn farewell.
After nodding to Bai Yichen and Yan Bei, Jiang Renfeng took the Wheel King's body and headed toward the exit of the maple forest.
After Jiang Renfeng left, Bai Yichen immediately stepped forward to check on Real Person Yun Shou's condition, but was resolutely refused.
"Since I, an old Daoist, have chosen this path and made this decision, there is no room for regret. You needn't say more."
Hearing this, Bai Yichen could only sigh and remained silent. On the other hand, Yan Bei, standing nearby, was utterly confused. He couldn't understand why, after defeating a great enemy, neither of them showed any joy, but instead seemed burdened by deep sorrow.
Bai Yichen then explained the entire situation to Yan Bei.
Upon learning the full story, Yan Bei looked at Real Person Yun Shou with admiration, solemnly bowing to him and saying, "Today, I owe the Xuanzhen Temple another life. In the future, if Daoist Shaochong has any commands, feel free to send word."
Bai Yichen hurried to help him up, and Real Person Yun Shou said, "Yan Daxia also risked his life for this; how can the credit belong to me alone?"
Suddenly, Bai Yichen remembered something and asked, "Master, are you certain Jiang Renfeng is unaware of the Ming Sect treasure map?"
"Judging by the timing of his intervention, he surely does not know what transpired earlier. I subtly tested him just now, but whether he has guessed something later is uncertain. In any case, since he chose to only take the body, there's no need to dwell on it."
After a brief pause, Real Person Yun Shou spoke more earnestly, "Shaochong, I know you're naturally intelligent and gifted, but in all things, only by being sincere and focused, and enduring solitude, can you truly see your true nature."
Bai Yichen nodded in agreement. Ever since he had a breakthrough in the Heart Refinement method, he had gained a clear understanding of this truth.
Seeing that Bai Yichen had truly taken the words to heart, Real Person Yun Shou smiled with relief.
Later, after they discussed the treasure map fragments of the Ming Sect, he took out a white flare and sent it into the sky. It was the signal flare given to him by Real Person Qingsong, meant to summon Daoist Mo Mei of Yukun Mountain in case of emergency.
While Bai Yichen was restoring his Qi and calming his breath, his thoughts lingered on the conversation with Real Person Yun Shou. According to his master, Jiang Renfeng was originally a homeless orphan. Out of pity, Yun Shou had taken him in for a time and taught him some skills. Relying on his exceptional martial abilities, Jiang Renfeng eventually joined the Imperial Censorate. Over the years, through careful maneuvering and manipulation, he gained the Emperor's favor and ultimately rose to the position of commander of the Censorate.
How interesting—a martial prodigy, a eunuch like the Wheel King, and a cunning strategist like Jiang Renfeng. Was it all just coincidence, or...?
Bai Yichen felt he was beginning to grasp some of the deeper mysteries behind the Dao of Reincarnation.