Chapter 100 Who is the mastermind behind this?
At the Bridge of Immortality, the smoke of battle has dissipated.
With Lone Wolf's fall, this thrilling assassination finally came to an end.
The black-armored guards swiftly cleared the battlefield.
Most of the assassin archers who fell from the roof broke their legs and were now bound hand and foot like pigs and sheep waiting to be slaughtered, with rags stuffed in their mouths, waiting to be taken back to the prison for interrogation.
Meanwhile, another group of people, carrying torches, carefully crawled into the sewers under the bridge.
Not long after, several soldiers covered in mud carried out several barrels of unexploded gunpowder. They were all pale-faced and terrified.
If only that fuse burned another inch...
If only it had been a blink of an eye later...
This Bridge of Immortality, along with the princes and commoners on it, has probably all become fireworks in the sky by now.
"Your Highness!"
Han Zheng strode over, holding a broken black fuse and a powerful bow he had seized from the assassins.
His expression was extremely strange, as if he couldn't believe his eyes, or as if he was questioning the meaning of life:
"It's been investigated."
"This fuse... was not extinguished by moisture, nor was it cut by a sword."
Han Zheng presented the broken piece of fuse to Pei Yunjing. By the firelight, one could see that the cut was jagged and covered with fine, serrated marks.
"And these bowstrings are the same. Your Highness, please look... these are clearly... bite marks from some kind of rodent."
"Rodents?" Pei Yunjing glanced down at them.
"It's... a rat."
Han Zheng swallowed hard and said in a strained voice:
"My subordinates found many dead rats in the sewers and on the roof. It seems they were burned to death or killed by bowstrings while trying to gnaw through these things."
At this point, Han Zheng felt a chill run down his spine.
If a mouse gnaws through the fuse, that's luck, a blessing from heaven.
But these are tens of thousands of rats!
They appear simultaneously on rooftops and underground, attacking the enemy's vitals at the same time, coordinating with a level of synergy that surpasses even that of a well-trained army!
How can this be considered an animal?
This is clearly a "ghost army" that obeys orders without question!
"A rat..."
Pei Yunjing remained silent.
He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the shadows at his feet.
There lay the corpses of several small mice, their fur charred black.
Although they were dead, they were still tightly biting that small piece of fuse in their mouths.
A night breeze blew by, stirring up dust from the ground.
In Pei Yunjing's mind, countless seemingly unrelated fragments suddenly began to spin and piece together wildly at this moment.
That spy who was impossible to catch, yet was precisely marked by a flock of sparrows with bird droppings.
That feng shui diagram, supposedly guided by a "one-eared master," was actually so precise it was accurate down to the bottom of the millstone.
That Persian cat that suddenly went berserk and scratched the Empress Dowager's face.
That fierce tiger, who should have devoured people on its wedding night, instead rolled over and acted like a spoiled child.
And then there's... that woman who cried and screamed last night, saying she "dreamed that the bridge broke."
bird.
dog.
cat.
Tiger.
mouse.
There aren't that many coincidences in this world.
Where do so many psychic beasts and precognitive geniuses come from?
All the clues, all the "miracles," ultimately point to one source.
It pointed to that seemingly weak and harmless, greedy and lustful person who only wanted to eat braised pork all day long—
The Regent's Wife, Tangli.
"Oh."
Pei Yunjing suddenly let out a very soft laugh.
There was no anger at being deceived, nor fear of discovering an outsider in that laughter.
Instead, it carries a chilling sense of "I've finally caught you" pleasure.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze passing through the bustling crowd and through the layers of lights, landing precisely on the third-floor window of the teahouse in the distance.
There, a red figure was perched on the windowsill, peering curiously in this direction.
Even from this distance, Pei Yunjing could almost see her cunning and lively eyes, and that smug look of someone who knew exactly what they were doing.
"I see."
Pei Yunjing gently pressed the tip of his tongue against his palate, and a hint of unsettling darkness and inquiry gradually seeped into the deep affection in his eyes.
No wonder she could predict the future.
No wonder she can get Big White to obey her.
No wonder she was able to escape danger time and time again in this perilous capital city.
Tangli, how many secrets are you hiding?
Or rather... what exactly are you?
Are they mountain spirits?
Is it a demon with a painted skin?
Or is she the legendary goddess who can control all beasts?
Pei Yunjing's fingers caressed the hilt of the sword, feeling the lingering warmth on it.
In the past, if he had discovered such an unknown "oddball" sleeping next to him, he would have drawn his sword without hesitation and eliminated him completely.
But now...
Looking at the figure leaning against the window, Pei Yunjing realized that what welled up in his heart was not murderous intent.
Instead, it was an even more insane and perverse desire.
He wanted to bring her back.
I want to keep her by my side, locked in bed, peeling away her layers of pretense to see what's hidden in her heart.
Since she is a demon...
That would be even better.
People can betray, change their minds, and leave for personal gain.
But once a demon recognizes a master, the entanglement will last for lifetimes.
"Your Highness?" Han Zheng saw his master staring blankly into the distance with a strange expression, and couldn't help but call out softly, "Should we... continue investigating?"
"Investigate what?"
Pei Yunjing withdrew his gaze, the darkness in his eyes instantly vanishing, replaced by his usual coldness.
"What happened tonight, I'll keep to myself."
"If I were to hear any rumors outside about 'a rat saving a person'..."
He glanced at Han Zheng, his tone icy:
"You shall bring me your head."
"Yes!" Han Zheng replied, though he didn't understand why. He was still sweating profusely.
Pei Yunjing turned around and strode towards the teahouse.
Now that he had caught the little fox by the tail, it was time for the hunter to fold his net.
This time, however, he doesn't plan to use a cage.
He will use... a gentler, yet more deadly method.
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