Chapter 37

The candlelight flickered gently with the summer breeze, and the side halls of the imperial palace were quiet and cold.

At the end of the side halls was a room.

Leaning against the door, the young eunuch Maning pouted and complained to Lord Luo, "Grandpa~~~ If you just say the word, with your status, even the sons of dukes and marquises could be adopted as your godson! You are usually cautious and never recognize any adopted sons, for fear of causing trouble and damaging your reputation. But... why did you recognize such a person as your godson? I feel ashamed for you, Grandpa~~~"

Lord Luo sat steadily in the armchair, holding a bowl of boiled tea, seemingly oblivious to the young eunuch Maning's words.

After a long while, Lord Luo spoke softly, "You don't understand! He does! If I didn't recognize him as my godson today, even if I killed him, he wouldn't agree to what comes next! It's fine! It's just a nominal title; it will make him do the job with peace of mind. After all... this matter is quite different, and time is tight. We have to take a risky approach."

The young eunuch Maning was still indignant and said with a huff, "But Grandpa often says you dislike such two-faced people~~~"

Lord Luo smiled and shook his head, saying, "That's why you don't understand! You don't understand!"

He sighed slightly and looked at Maning, smiling, and continued, "In my view, how many people in this world are not two-faced and fickle? Some people you dare not speak of, and others it doesn't matter whether you speak of them or not. In the end... it doesn't matter! As long as they can do the job and are willing to do it, that's fine. He has ambition and ability, why not give him a chance? Maning! Remember, never underestimate a young man with ambition! This is what I say as someone who once had ambition."

The young eunuch Maning pouted and rolled his eyes, not knowing what he was thinking.

Given Lord Luo's understanding of the young eunuch Maning, he couldn't help but remind him, "He is a true villain, and he is on the path to becoming a hypocrite."

Lord Luo's meaning was that when dealing with such people, if you provoke them or become enemies, you must crush them completely, giving them no chance to breathe, not even a little. He didn't know if he had made himself clear; he just gave Maning a hint, and whether Maning understood clearly or not, he couldn't know.

Wu Fan didn't know what the two people behind him were discussing. He was now walking on the main road leading out of the imperial palace, his mind full of the events that had just occurred.

Half an hour ago.

Following Lord Luo's instructions, the young eunuch Maning pinched his nose and threw the bloody head on the large table out of the room. He then moved the two rows of candles on the table and lifted a black curtain... the table was actually not a table but a sand table, more precisely, a miniature model of Luoyang City and its surroundings, crafted by an unknown skilled artisan, covering a radius of twenty miles.

When Wu Fan saw this, he was quite taken aback! It was so lifelike! The streets, houses, and even rows of trees were all colored and baked to perfection! He couldn't believe anyone could achieve such a feat! It was truly astonishing!

After Wu Fan admired the model, his attention focused on the places marked with various unknown symbols. His instinct told him that what he was about to do was related to these places.

Sure enough...

Lord Luo walked to Wu Fan's side, bent slightly to look at the model, and said in a high-pitched voice, "Since the First Emperor of Qin personally made the first sand table, it has evolved over nearly a thousand years. Recently, at the suggestion of the Third Prince, the 'Directorate of Construction' in Chang'an fully cooperated, spending ten days and nights to create this extremely detailed model of Luoyang City. I brought it to Luoyang for a significant purpose."

At this moment, Wu Fan suddenly remembered a phrase the Rain Fragrance Lady had mentioned to him, which he initially thought he had misunderstood. But now, that phrase... might be true! Wu Fan had this thought because when he carefully examined the sand table model, he found that most places were identical to Luoyang, with only a few differences. The key was precisely those few places! Because those places were all marked with unknown symbols!

【The empire is moving the capital!】

Wu Fan thought with great certainty!

Perhaps seeing something in Wu Fan's expression, Lord Luo nodded in satisfaction and said, "Good observation! I like it! The move of the capital is not a big secret; it has been discussed in Chang'an for three years. Of course, only those with the right to know are aware. Chang'an is close to the cold northwest, and transportation relies on ox and horse carts, which is indeed inconvenient. Luoyang, on the other hand, is surrounded by the Luo River, with easy access in all directions..."

He sighed and pointed to the places marked with unknown symbols, saying, "I have two tasks here. One is to prepare for the arrival of the nobles who will make the final decision. The other is... to root out all potential threats, leaving none behind! Without a doubt, the Maitreya Sect is the top priority, and you are the key!"

Wu Fan blinked, understanding. When Lord Luo looked at him in the afternoon, it wasn't because he didn't smile, but because he was confirming who he was! He had long known about Wu Fan being threatened by the Maitreya Sect! Thinking about it, Wu Fan couldn't help but curse in his heart: 【Bastard! This is a silent trap, using me as a pawn and then discarding me! If it weren't for a clumsy teammate reminding me, I might have fallen for it!】 After cursing, Wu Fan calmed down and realized he was fortunate, reminding himself to be cautious, cautious, and more cautious!

Lord Luo continued calmly, "The Maitreya Sect has known about the plan to move the capital for a long time and has been developing many forces in Luoyang, causing great harm. But this is not like the fifty people you killed; there are thousands, even tens of thousands of suspects. Can you kill them all? Clearly not, so... your task is here!"

Wu Fan clasped his hands and said with enthusiasm, "Father, just give the order! I am willing to climb the mountain of knives and dive into the sea of oil! I will do it without hesitation!"

Regardless of whether he could do it or not, he had to speak beautifully!

Lord Luo smiled meaningfully and said three words, "Betray me!"

Wu Fan was stunned for a long time, then nodded and said, "I understand, Father!"

"Smart people are easy to talk to! After you leave the imperial palace, you have only half an hour, be careful!" Lord Luo nodded, patted Wu Fan's shoulder, and said, "I know the Maitreya Sect's methods; they just use the Miaojiang insect poison. Go with peace of mind! Once the task is successful, I will find someone to help you remove the poison from your body!"

【I don't believe you!】

Wu Fan sneered inwardly, but on the surface, he clasped his hands and bowed, then turned and left, with a sense of determination.

Half an hour later.

After passing through the main gate of the imperial palace, Wu Fan stopped, looked back, and then left without hesitation.

Lord Luo's orders were not clear, but Wu Fan understood that he was to act as a double agent while being a spy for the Maitreya Sect, in short, a spy within a spy!

Lord Luo's final words to Wu Fan told him that he would be pursued to gain the Maitreya Sect's trust. As for the latter... Wu Fan didn't believe it, but he was also relieved because the system space was not short of antidotes; he just didn't know which poison he had been given. Now, Wu Fan only needed to verify it with the Rain Fragrance Lady! Once the poison was gone...

Wu Fan wanted to go home and inform his family, but... he didn't have the time!

So.

Wu Fan started running!

...

PS1: I need recommendations, collections, likes, everything! Rolling on the ground, please!

PS2: Readers can discuss in the comments section. I am open to suggestions and will strive to do better.

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