Chapter 34: Perfect Planning
Yun Yuan possessed the Spy Wind Token, so entering and leaving the mansion was easy. When Feng Yanyuan fell into a deep sleep, she quietly got up, changed into plain clothes, tucked only a few personal belongings into her sleeves, and left the Feng residence before dawn.
As the sun rose higher, she finally emerged from the forest. Looking up, she saw a single official road winding its way to the horizon amidst the lush greenery.
A lonely post station stood by the roadside, with a faded peach charm hanging outside the dilapidated porch, and a brown horse tied to an ancient tree outside the door.
As Yun Yuan approached the brown horse, it bowed its head docilely, its breath brushing against her sleeve. She stroked the horse's neck and called out to the inn, "This fine horse is very well-suited to me. I wonder if you would be willing to part with it? I will certainly reward you handsomely!"
The door curtain was lifted, and a man wearing a green turban walked out. He waved his hand and said, "Young lady, you are joking. This is the mount that the master has fostered here. How can it be bought or sold?"
Yun Yuan pulled out a brocade bag embroidered with twined branches from her sleeve and begged, "Sir, please be lenient. I'm traveling alone and I'm truly incapable of doing so."
The man was slightly startled. As he took the brocade bag, his fingertips caressed the delicate embroidery. He looked up at Yun Yuan carefully for a moment, then smiled and said, "This old horse has followed the master in battle for many years. Now it's time to find a good relationship. Since you have a connection with this young lady, I'll sell it to you."
Yun Yuan had already jumped onto the horse's back with ease: "Thank you very much, sir, for your assistance."
The old horse knew the way and galloped away. The sea breeze, carrying a salty and humid smell, blew in his face and in a blink of an eye he had arrived at the fork in the road leading into the city. The official road on the left extended downwards, leading directly to the county town; the path on the right meandered upwards and ended at a cliff overlooking the sea.
But when the beast reached this point, it suddenly let out a long hiss, its muscles tensed, and it ran straight towards the cliff with all four hooves spread out as if possessed by a demon.
“Ouch—”
Yun Yuan yanked at the reins, only to see traces of blood oozing from the horse's bit, a clear sign of frenzy. The rubble at the cliff edge tumbled before him, but the old horse suddenly reared up, its front hooves pawing at the air. Yun Yuan's belt loosened, and he was thrown from the horse's back like a kite with a broken string.
As she fell, her wide sleeves fluttered, tangling with the pine branches that grew across the cliff face. She narrowly avoided getting caught, her entire body dangling in mid-air. Looking down, she saw only the mist swirling below the cliff. Looking up, she could no longer see the old horse, only the faint sound of horse hooves carried by the sea breeze.
She caught sight of a bonito-shaped ledge three meters away and was about to use the momentum to leap, when she felt a grip on her ankle. Before she could react, she lost her balance and fell. As the world spun, a hand suddenly grabbed her belt and dragged her into a hidden cave. Her back slammed hard against the damp rock wall, and before she could scream, a hand reeking of the sea clung to her mouth.
"Hush." A hoarse whisper sounded in my ear.
In the dim light seeping in from the cave entrance, Yun Yuan saw the man in front of her had fish scales on the collar of his dirty linen shirt and weeds tangled in his hair. But when he turned his head and leaned against the wall to listen carefully—the profile of his face was clearly...
The man turned his head. Light from outside the cave seeped in, illuminating a face without makeup.
"Xi Ran?" Yun Yuan's voice trembled. "Did you really... escape?"
"This name was given by Feng Yanhao. You don't need to remember it in the future. Just call me Wuyi."
"Wu Yi..." Yun Yuan thought for a moment and said, "No wonder Tao Yao said she didn't know who you were. It turns out you changed your name."
Before he finished speaking, he saw Wu Yi suddenly close to the stone wall, his ears moving slightly - his focused expression was exactly the same as Tao Yao's.
Yun Yuan laughed and said, "You also have the ability to hear the wind."
"This is the art of a flower spy," Wu Yi leaned against the damp rock wall. "Martial arts aren't what matters most to a spy. Too much skill can easily expose you." Her voice was low, but every word clear. "It's these humble, life-saving skills—seeing shadows, understanding intentions, listening to sounds." The faint sound of waves crashing against the shore could be heard from outside the cave. Wu Yi suddenly raised her index finger to her lips, and Yun Yuan immediately held her breath. After the sound faded, Wu Yi continued, "That man just used the 'fish scale step,' leaving no trace on the sand—a unique form of a flower spy." Glancing at Yun Yuan's shoulders, she chuckled, "Don't be afraid. When your outer robe floats away, they'll think you've been eaten by a fish."
Yun Yuan's eyes flashed, and a knowing smile appeared on the corner of her lips: "So that frightened horse was actually your elaborate arrangement."
Wu Yi raised his eyebrows slightly: "Why do you think so?"
"How could there be such a coincidence?" Yun Yuan's fingertips gently stroked the tear on his sleeve caused by thorns. "The horse at the post station happened to be a secret agent of the flower spy, and the frightened horse happened to attack right at the cliff where you were hiding."
Wu Yi chuckled: "I know you are very good at Qinggong. This cliff can't do anything to you, so I dare to use this trick to escape."
Yun Yuan continued, "You deliberately led me here to warn me of Feng Xiaotian's ambush?" At this point, Yun Yuan suddenly realized something, a flash of surprise in her eyes, "I understand! They're after you! Your so-called 30% chance of survival is just a gamble that Feng Xiaotian will play the long game and catch the bigger fish!"
Wu Yi was slightly startled, a complex mixture of surprise and admiration flickering in his eyes. "You guessed it so clearly, it saved me a lot of trouble. No wonder you can still survive with all these flaws."
Yun Yuan's eyes grew darker as he continued to analyze, "If you were killed on the spot, it would mean Feng Xiaotian didn't want to investigate further, and I might be able to escape safely. But if you were left alive, there would surely be Feng spies following you, and if I escaped afterwards, I would end up bringing trouble upon myself..." He couldn't help but sigh inwardly that this man was truly thoughtful.
"That's true. But Feng Xiaotian put on a good show. The night before last, I really thought I was going to be poisoned to death." Wu Yi sneered, "Who knew that his poison actually left me with a little bit of life, which just let me wake up before the corpses were burned in the mass grave. Those spies who were escorting me also knew it tacitly..." She stopped talking suddenly, and she coughed up a mouthful of black blood. The veins on her forehead suddenly popped out. She gasped for a few times and finally endured the severe pain, and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with her sleeve.
Yun Yuan grabbed her wrist, pressing three fingers precisely on the Cun, Guan, and Chi points. After a moment, his brows relaxed, and he smiled, "Not bad," unhooking the sachet from his waist and handing it to her, "Hanmei Powder can relieve it."
Wu Yi took the sachet. "If he wanted to keep me alive as a guide, of course it had to be this kind of poison that leaves me wanting death." She pinched a small pinch of the plum-white powder and held it under her tongue. Suddenly, a cool breeze rushed to her Baihui acupoint, and the stagnation in her chest immediately dissipated. She looked down at the sachet in her hand and said, "I was a little skeptical when Tao Yao mentioned your abilities, but you are truly extraordinary." Wu Yi handed the sachet back, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Do you... have any money?"
Yun Yuan took out a brocade bag from a secret pocket close to her body.
When Wu Yi took it, the copper coins made a crisp sound when they collided. She weighed it and said, "The 'shadow' of Feng Diao is still behind us. You and I must go our separate ways. Will the Third Young Master come looking for you?"
Yun Yuan shook her head and said, "No. He had intended to let me go with Prince Langya before, and even gave me many antidotes. If I disappeared, he would probably just think I had escaped."
Wu Yi was slightly stunned, then continued, "He is willing to give you freedom. The Third Young Master is indeed different."
Yun Yuan asked, "What are your plans next?"
A fierce glint flashed in Wu Yi's eyes: "How can I sleep peacefully until the poisonous snake is dead? Since I can't return to the Flower Spy, I will become a wandering owl."
"You Xiao?" Yun Yuan was stunned.
Flower Spy is a long-term undercover agent stationed in the city, while Wandering Hero is a roaming scout. Wu Yi is also being tracked by Wind Spy, so getting in touch with Flower Spy is not easy, and she can only rely on herself.
Yun Yuan whispered, "Where are you going to find him?"
Wu Yi said, "Shouchun Banquet."
"Shouchun Banquet?" Yun Yuan suddenly thought of the yellow sign that Feng Yanyuan showed her yesterday.
"Yue Nancang's birthday party. A few days ago, Feng Yanhao had a secret conversation with Haofengwei, and I heard with my own ears that he wanted Feng Xiaoming to attend the party."
"Yue Nancang? That 'Lei Zhentian' has been in retirement for many years, how could he suddenly..."
"Since ancient times, when the imperial court is in turmoil, the empire will inevitably be in chaos," Wu Yi sneered. "What kind of person is Yue Nancang? He was a hero who helped Emperor Wu pacify the world. How could he sit idly by and watch?" She suddenly leaned closer. "This birthday banquet must be a cover for an alliance between various forces."
"Feng Xiaoming has been dormant for many years. This birthday banquet is indeed a good opportunity to re-emerge. However, you and I have no status in this kind of heroic gathering. If we go, we will probably just watch from afar."
"Let's see what happens. Once we've successfully gotten rid of the spy, we can steal another identity."
"If I didn't have to escape, I could have followed Feng Yanyuan and joined the guild."
"The Third Young Master is going to the Shouchun Conference?"
"Feng Yanyuan showed me a yellow slip yesterday with the words 'Shouchunhui' written on it. It was found in Feng Yanxuan's private room in Baihua Tower. It seems to have been written by Feng Yanxuan himself."
"Second Young Master? Why would such a dandy young man like him be interested in this?"
Yun Yuan shook her head. "The Second Young Master is quite surprising. Did you know that he was the one who poisoned Feng Yanyuan?"
Wu Yi's eyes widened in shock, "How could it be him?"
Yun Yuan added, "Not to mention you, even Feng Yanyuan wouldn't believe it after seeing it with his own eyes. That's why he wanted to go to the meeting in person to see what this had to do with Feng Yanxuan."
"If you could go with the Third Young Master, it would be perfect." Wu Yi's eyes flashed, "I'm afraid this is Tao Yao's plan."
"Peach Lady?"
Wu Yi gave a short laugh. "Baihua Tower is her territory. If she doesn't want others to find something, even if the Feng family digs three feet underground, they won't be able to find it. The fact that this yellow note appeared in Feng Yanyuan's hands, whether true or false, only means one thing - Tao Yao wants the Third Young Master Feng to attend this birthday banquet, which means..." She looked at Yun Yuan again, "She wants you to go to the banquet."
Yun Yuan was slightly stunned.
"I just delivered a letter a few days ago. Although it's a bit far-fetched, the incident in the imperial city is undoubtedly related to the Feng family. Plus, the Third Young Master was poisoned afterwards—I'm afraid all this is a series of plots prepared by Feng Xiaoming to re-emerge. And you're a Feng spy, so you can penetrate the Feng family deeper than I can, Taoyao," she paused, "or maybe the lord wants you to take on this mission."
Yun Yuan nodded slightly. "Many spies have served Wu Chang Jie. If these assassins are used by him, this venomous snake will be even more terrifying than it was eight years ago. But if I return..."
"Don't worry." Wu Yi weighed the silver in her palm, the copper coins making a crisp sound when they collided. "If my plan fails, you will definitely have to escape as soon as possible. But now that it succeeds, you should stay." She smiled, suddenly folded her five fingers, and neatly put the silver into the hidden pocket of her sleeve. "If you go back, I will take all this. It's enough to deal with the spy for a while."
Yun Yuan lowered her head and chuckled, "As expected, she's a spy who's been lurking in Haofeng Courtyard for seven or eight years, even including her travel expenses." She raised her eyes with a smile, "Now I understand what kind of drama you and Feng Xiaotian have been acting out."
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