Chapter 30

At the sound of the order, the Longxiang Guard immediately spread out, conducting a thorough search. The attendant general, with his hand on the hilt of his sword, stood expressionless, overseeing the operation. Moments later, two soldiers shouted loudly one after another, clearly having made a discovery. They then, as if they had found a treasure, presented what they had found to the attendant general with both hands, saying, "Third General, please take a look."

In the Great Hao Dynasty, the army was divided into the outer army and the inner army. The outer army was stationed in the regions and borders, responsible for protecting the states and counties and intimidating the barbarians. The inner army, on the other hand, was stationed in the capital, Luoyang, and was further divided into the Southern Office, responsible for the security of the imperial city, and the Northern Army, responsible for the defense of the capital.

The Longxiang Guard belonged to the Southern Office. The commander of the Longxiang Guard was the Third Rank General, Lie Yanhan. He was a man who had received the state's favor for generations and was loyal to the Great Hao Dynasty, having achieved many feats of valor. His martial arts cultivation was unfathomable, thus earning him the emperor's utmost trust.

Lie Yanhan had three sons, all of whom had entered the Longxiang Guard, continuing their father's legacy. These three sons were named Lie Zhenshuo, Lie Zhenlong, and Lie Zhensai. All of them held the rank of Fourth Rank Attendant General of the Longxiang Guard and Deputy Chief of the Imperial Guards. At this moment, it was Lie Zhensai who led the Longxiang Guard soldiers into the crematorium for the search. Therefore, the soldiers in the army called him Third General.

Lie Zhensai took the two items from the soldiers and examined them carefully. One of the items was sharp and slender, gleaming with a dark luster. The other was a piece of torn fabric.

A close confidant of Lie Zhensai's approached, looking puzzled. He asked, "Third General, what is this? It looks strange."

Lie Zhensai said in a deep voice, "This is a fingernail. When martial artists reach the Grandmaster level, their physical bodies undergo incredible changes. Especially those who practice heretical and heterodox techniques. I've heard that in the Southern Barbarians, there is a Ten Thousand Beast Sect where disciples can transform into various ancient divine beasts when they reach the pinnacle of their cultivation, which is very powerful."

The confidant was greatly alarmed and blurted out, "What? Third General, are you saying that Southern Barbarian sorcerers have invaded the palace with ill intentions?"

"That's not necessarily the case. There are countless heretical techniques and secret arts in the world. But when they reach the highest level, they often converge. So, we need to investigate further to determine which sect this fingernail belongs to."

Lie Zhensai paused, then picked up the piece of fabric and examined it closely. The confidant added, "Hmm? This piece of fabric... it seems to be a fragment torn from a piece of clothing. The material looks very expensive. It's also stained with blood. Could it be that someone tore it off during a fight with the sorcerer?"

"Most likely... Hmm, it seems we can start our investigation from the fabric to find the true owner of the clothing." Lie Zhensai put away the two pieces of evidence and said in a deep voice, "Every family has its rules, and every country has its laws. The dignity of the court cannot be desecrated. To dare to fight in the imperial palace? Humph, this is a great disrespect to the emperor and the Great Hao Dynasty! Dismiss the troops, let's return and find someone to investigate thoroughly. We must get to the bottom of this. No matter who it is, if they violate the laws and regulations, this general will make them understand what it means to have a heart of iron and the law like a furnace!"

——

Jiang Weichen, as a guest scholar hired by Noble Consort Ning at great expense from the northern border, had demonstrated profound and pure cultivation. With the entire northern border Jiang clan as his backing, Noble Consort Ning had placed great trust in him and relied on him as a pillar of support. When Jiang Weichen said, "I'll be back soon," Noble Consort Ning had no doubt.

But what she never expected was that "I'll be back soon" would turn into "never to return." Noble Consort Ning and the Marquis of the State were like ants on a hot pan, restless and anxious, their hearts burning with worry. They finally waited until dawn, only to hear the news that "a master had invaded the palace and fought a fierce battle in the crematorium."

Noble Consort Ning and the Marquis of the State immediately knew something was wrong. Jiang Weichen's delay in returning indicated a high likelihood of misfortune. He had been sent to kill the Fourteenth Prince, Xiao Sheng, and now, with no sign of him, it was almost certain that he had run into trouble with Xiao Sheng. So, who would be the next to go missing?

Noble Consort Ning and the Marquis of the State grew more and more afraid, breaking out in cold sweat and having nightmares every night. They tacitly agreed not to mention Xiao Sheng's name from that day on, and even the slightest hint of wanting to investigate Jiang Weichen's fate was avoided. They stayed indoors, hiding in the He Ning Palace, living in constant fear that Xiao Sheng would suddenly appear and cut off their heads.

Prince Xiao, a carefree and reckless man, did not think so much. He just kept demanding that Jiang Weichen be found to ask how things had gone. But before he could finish speaking, his mother slapped him hard, almost knocking out his teeth. Thus, the restless Prince Xiao was forced to behave.

When Xiao Sheng secretly entered the He Ning Palace again, he had already seen the reactions of Noble Consort Ning and the others clearly. In short, they would not dare to have any more evil intentions in the short term.

Seeing them so paranoid, unable to sleep soundly or eat well, and living in constant fear, Xiao Sheng's anger subsided by about seventy to eighty percent, and he even chuckled to himself.

One problem was solved, but another remained: the issue of Ling Ziling. Her identity was sensitive, and hiding her in the palace for a long time was not a solution. He needed to find a way to ensure she could live without constantly hiding and living in fear, to truly do a good deed to the end.

Xiao Sheng, though quick-witted in emergencies, was not good at long-term planning. So, he could not think of a good solution right away. However, he had a female strategist, Tianjixing, by his side.

Thus, Xiao Sheng went to the Guose Tower and laid out the entire situation to Yu Xuanji, seeking her advice. Tianjixing lived up to her reputation and provided an eight-character strategy: "Turn the hidden into the open, and take the initiative."

Xiao Sheng was immediately enlightened and praised the plan. He immediately entrusted Yu Xuanji to carry out the plan while he returned to the palace to prepare. Although the plan was good, it would take some time to implement, so he had to wait a bit.

In the palace, although the Longxiang Guard was investigating the incident of the master invading the palace, no one suspected that the notorious Prince Xiao, who had a bad reputation, could be one of the parties involved in the crematorium battle. At most, the Longxiang Guard would come to ask a few questions, just going through the motions.

Thus, Xiao Sheng suddenly found himself with some free time. He took advantage of the time before his next entry into the parallel world to study the few items left by Jiang Weichen, trying to figure out how to maximize their benefits. He also read books and practiced his skills, living a very comfortable and leisurely life. When he had free time, he would chat and drink tea with Ling Ziling, finding it quite enjoyable.

Ling Ziling, having grown up in an environment where everyone had ulterior motives, was very cautious and did not trust anyone. Even though Xiao Sheng had saved her, she still suspected that the Fourteenth Prince had ulterior motives and was trying to take advantage of her. She often got angry, like a little wildcat. Compared to her initial gentle and obedient demeanor, she had completely changed.

Xiao Sheng found this both amusing and exasperating. Sometimes, he couldn't help but tease her, deliberately making her angry for his own amusement. It was a bad habit, but in the midst of their playful arguments, Ling Ziling gradually changed and became less guarded around Xiao Sheng.

This relaxed life lasted for about ten days. Finally, it came to an end with the arrival of an expected yet unexpected visitor.

That noon, Xiao Sheng had just finished lunch and was playing a game of checkers with Ling Ziling in the living room. They were not playing Go or Chinese chess but checkers.

The Great Hao Dynasty did not originally have this game. Xiao Sheng had come across it while researching in the Garo Temple and found it interesting, so he had noted down the rules and made a set of checkers himself. Occasionally, he would play a game with Xiaocui at the Guose Tower, finding it a rare form of relaxation.

Ling Ziling had never played such a game before and became immediately engrossed. She was very serious and always played to the best of her ability, never letting up. Xiao Sheng, on the other hand, played it for fun, so he often lost more than he won.

They had played two games in a row, and Ling Ziling, still not satisfied, wanted to play a third. Suddenly, the old eunuch Guan Canghai came in, bowed respectfully, and reported, "Your Highness, a guest has arrived. It's the Eighth Prince."

Xiao Sheng was taken aback and blurted out, "Eighth Brother? Why is he coming here?"

Before he could finish speaking, a hearty laugh echoed from outside the door, saying, "Green sleeves pick up the pieces, red sleeves add fragrance to the leisure. Fourteenth Brother, you are indeed living a carefree life."

With the laughter, a tall figure appeared in the courtyard, walking leisurely toward the living room. He looked somewhat similar to Xiao Sheng but had a short beard on his chin, making him look more mature. He had a kind smile and a natural, approachable demeanor that made people feel at ease, naturally liking him. This was the current Eighth Prince, Xiao Chang, also known as the Virtuous Prince.

The Virtuous Prince and Xiao Sheng had never had much interaction, but their relationship was not bad. Seeing Eighth Brother come to visit, Xiao Sheng was naturally surprised. According to the plan, the most likely person to visit would be either the First Prince, the Lame Prince, or the Second Prince, the Heir Prince.

But upon reflection, it made sense for the Virtuous Prince to come. He had a very good reputation among the officials and was highly respected. Even the Empress, who held great power and could make life and death decisions, would take his words seriously and not easily refuse him. This would increase the chances of solving the problem.

Xiao Sheng smiled warmly, stood up, and went out to greet him. He bowed and said courteously, "Eighth Brother, what brings you to my humble abode today? Don't you have official duties at the Inner Affairs Office? Please, come in and have a seat."