Chapter 59: Unraveling the Mystery
The sky was dark and murky. Dark clouds rolled across the sky like splashes of ink. The occasional sunlight that struggled to peek through was dim and bleak, a glaring paleness.
When Yun Yuan came out, Feng Jiu had been following her to escort her, saying it was the Young Master's order. Yun Yuan twirled the jade token Feng Yanxuan had given her between her fingers, a faint smile playing on her face. "I've been granted this day off by the Young Master himself." Seeing Feng Jiu's startled expression, she winked mischievously, "If you follow me, my day off will become a duty."
Feng Jiu smiled awkwardly and wanted to prepare a car for her.
"These past few days I've either been stuck in a car or bouncing around on horseback," Yun Yuan said, having already nimbly leaped down the stone steps, her moon-white cloak fluttering in the wind. "I just want to walk along this bluestone path."
By the time Feng Jiu came to his senses, the moonlight had already drifted to the corner of the street. He scratched his head and had no choice but to return to the hall in disappointment.
Unlike the bustling slave market, the street leading out of Xuanhe Hall was a haven of the wealthy. The open shops along the street were quiet, and there were no vendors shouting. While there was still traffic, it was all remarkably refined. Occasionally, a sedan chair passed by, its bearers clattering evenly, their footsteps in unison, fearing to disturb the pleasures of some noble. Pedestrians' wide sleeves fluttered in the wind, their jade pendants clinking like rings on their waists. Even the servants, hurrying back and forth, wore neatly trimmed hems in their fine linen jackets. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and the scent of agarwood and frankincense from various households blended together, thicker than the incense from a temple.
Yun Yuan walked along, her almond-shaped eyes moving around and looking carefully, until a peach charm decorated with pink peach blossoms caught her eye, and then she stopped - this was a carriage and horse trading company.
"Boss, how much is the fare to Gantang Lane?" she asked, tapping lightly on the counter.
The shopkeeper looked up and saw a delicate young lady. He smiled and said, "Young lady, you don't know, it's so busy over there at this time of year. It would be a bad idea to take a car. The traffic is so congested. Gan Tang Lane is only two turns away. It will take two cups of tea to get there. Why bother to hire a car?"
Yun Yuan said softly, "I've been walking for a cup of tea, and my legs and feet are really tired. Besides, I have to return..." Then she slipped an embroidered bag from her sleeve and said, "How about this as a deposit?"
The shopkeeper was slightly startled. He took the purse, rubbed the patterns on it with his fingertips for a moment, and then suddenly smiled. "I've been confused! Wait a moment, young lady. I'll get you the best carriage." He turned and called to his waiter, then asked attentively, "Do you want a driver who knows the way? The alleys in this area are winding..."
"Thank you." Yun Yuan pursed her lips and smiled.
Soon, a carriage with green curtains was waiting at the door. When he lifted the curtain and entered, he saw a dark figure suddenly appearing across from him—Gu Yue, leaning against the wall with his arms folded.
"You are so smart! How did you know that Feng Yanxuan's car was just a decoy?" Gu Yue said with a smile.
Yesterday, Feng Yanyuan galloped away on his horse, unaware that Yun Yuan was following him. She met up with You Xiao at the corner of the alley, and told them to chase in the opposite direction of Feng Yanyuan when they reached a fork in the road.
The carriage moved with the ripples of light.
Yun Yuan steadied herself, closed the car curtains, and whispered, "How could Feng Yanxuan possibly drive far? Feng Yanyuan should know this, but he just wants to see his second brother more." The girl raised her eyes, "Is Taoist Yuanyi awake?"
"Just woke up this morning." Gu Yue said, "Second Young Master Feng arrived at the perfect time. He calculated that Yuan Yi's injuries were almost healed, and Feng Yanyuan was too busy to attend to him."
Yun Yuan asked again, "What Yuan Yi hit was the Thunder Palm. Can you tell me why?"
"This old Taoist saw the endless strife in the martial arts world during the day, so he went to the fake Yue Nancang to discuss a plan to stop the conflict. The old villain initially deferred to another day, but who knew that this stubborn old man would not give up and turned back halfway - just in time to catch the fake Yue Nancang plotting with the counselor named Sun in the Zhao Palace."
"Why did they want to kill Taoist Yuanyi? If they wanted to unite all the sects, why couldn't they tolerate the Five Pecks of Rice Sect?"
"Strategist Sun is originally from the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, so it's not difficult to win him over." Gu Yue chuckled, "On the contrary, this serious Taoist Yuan Yi is a stumbling block. I guess Strategist Sun must have intended for him to see it, so that the fake can say a few serious words to him, and then kill him with a palm when he lets his guard down."
"But he's still alive." Yun Yuan's brows were filled with doubt.
"It's indeed strange." A cold light flashed in Gu Yue's eyes. "I'm already so badly injured, it would be a piece of cake to give me another blow."
"I see."
"What's the secret?"
"Under the true Thunderbolt Palm, Taoist Yuanyi would have had his internal organs shattered long ago." She pondered, "If it was really Yue Nancang, he would have only struck once. If he didn't die, he was showing mercy. Adding a finishing blow would have been superfluous."
Gu Yue suddenly realized, "Their main purpose is not to take Yuan Yi's life, but to protect Yue Nancang's identity. This palm strike is for..."
"Put the blame on others," Yun Yuan interrupted. "Since they can't use him for their own purposes, they'll completely destroy Yue Nancang's reputation. After all, they still haven't seen the body, and they're worried about Elder Yue's safety. They used the Thunder Palm to severely injure the most loyal Taoist Yuan Yi..." Yun Yuan's voice sank. "Even if Elder Yue were to return to the martial arts world, he wouldn't be able to defend himself and would no longer pose a threat. We'll put an end to this trouble once and for all."
Gu Yue's forehead veins bulged. "What a vicious chain of schemes!" He cracked his knuckles. "The entire Bagong Mountain scheme was just two fakes and a bunch of Guitou Gang assassins muddying the waters... A little effort can achieve a great result. This strategist Sun is truly a cunning idiot."
"Where's Feng Xiaoming?" Yun Yuan asked again, "Still haven't found any trace of that venomous snake?"
Gu Yue shook his head, "No. The worms in the gutter are really good at hiding."
Yun Yuan frowned, feeling vaguely uneasy, as if she had missed something crucial.
There was a commotion outside the car.
Yun Yuan lifted a corner of the car curtain and saw that the street was crowded with people, but the car was not moving at all.
Gu Yue said, "I'm holding that spy with the scar between his eyebrows. What are you going to do with him?"
"Feng Wu..." Yun Yuan lowered the curtains and hooked her fingertips on the cloak tassels that were blown by the wind. "What identities did you 'expose' to Yuan Yi...?"
"Those who admire Yuan Yi as a Five Pecks of Rice Sect member have even tried to imitate him to about 70% of his ability."
Yun Yuan nodded and continued, "First, send Taoist Yuanyi back safely to the Five Pecks of Rice Sect. And that spy..." She raised her lips slightly, "I accidentally let him escape."
"Let him go?" Gu Yue raised an eyebrow.
"Leave some green marks on him."
Gu Yue smiled and said, "Great. Let this fellow be a walking signpost to find Feng Yanhao. Maybe we can follow the clues and catch that venomous snake."
"Feng Yanhao has indeed not been abducted..." Yun Yuan paused with her fingertips wrapped around the ribbon.
"The people from Xiaofeng Hall left the mountain at sunset—" The car finally started moving again, and the shadow of the swaying curtain fell on his brow. "It's like they could predict the future. The leaders of other sects are not so lucky."
"Can you find out where these leaders were sent?"
"They've been following us all the way from Bagong Mountain. They were loaded onto slave carts and sent to Yuzhou. They're currently having tea at the crossbow tower in Chen County, Yuzhou. With all the threats and inducements, I'm afraid this so-called alliance will be formed in a few days." He raised his eyes and looked directly at Yun Yuan. "Will the King of Huainan intervene?"
Yun Yuan shook her head.
"As expected." Gu Yue sighed, then added, "What are the Feng family's plans? Are they allowing their venomous snake to wreak havoc on the martial arts world, or... are they already in cahoots with him?"
"Feng Xiaotian has always been adept at manipulating people. This time, he sent the Feng spy to kidnap Taoist Yuan Yi, most likely to offer his loyalty to King Zhao." Yun Yuan pondered for a moment, her fingertips entwined with the snow-green tassel, the silk thread tightening and loosening between her fingers. Suddenly, she paused, looked up, and asked, "If we let the flower spy You Xiao spread the news, how far could it spread? How much trouble could it cause?"
Gu Yue paused for a moment, "Yangzhou and Yuzhou can be reached in one day, and the rest will take three to five days. It won't be any less than the Shouchun Banquet."
"Can you imitate the Yuzhou Governor's private seal?"
"Exactly." Gu Yue asked suspiciously, "Have you come up with an idea?"
Yun Yuan nodded. "Let's add another scene. Let's say the leaders of each faction, at the invitation of the Yuzhou Governor, will hold a meeting at the Crossbow Tower to discuss martial arts. He invites all heroes from all over the world, regardless of their background. The Governor will reward the winner handsomely."
Gu Yue pondered and said, "This plan is not bad. First, it can reveal the whereabouts of the leaders. Second, it can use the people in the martial arts world to put pressure on the governor to release the people. However..." He paused, "The crossbow platform is a secret place. In addition, after the chaos at Bagong Mountain, the people in the martial arts world may not act rashly again."
"The idlers of the Jianghu may retreat, but the disciples of the various sects will not." Yun Yuan's lips curled slightly. "The Prince of Huainan holds evidence of a divisive plot. To win over the people, he will definitely inform the various sects of the situation. Once the news spreads, they will naturally add fuel to the fire. How can we miss such an open and aboveboard opportunity to attack the crossbow tower and demand the prisoners? Although the Prince of Huainan is reluctant to intervene directly, he is happy to see the Jianghu people causing trouble for the Prince of Zhao, and he will definitely provide covert support."
Gu Yue was stunned. She actually helped King Huainan find evidence?
He pondered for a moment and nodded. "If that's the case, with all the disciples from various factions gathered, their words will be enough to convince Liu the Assassin to release the man in secret, even if he doesn't have to stage a fight. He might even be able to accuse King Zhao of recruiting private soldiers and plotting something illegal..."
"Just target Governor Liu and don't involve King Zhao."
"Why?"
"Don't push too hard on those who are in league with one another. Always leave them a way out so they can abandon each other."
Gu Yue was slightly stunned. The girl before him was only seventeen or eighteen, her features still a touch of youthful naiveté, yet she possessed such scheming. He couldn't help but chuckle and said, "As expected, she is the leader personally appointed by the lord. Gu Yue is sincerely convinced."
"There's one more thing." Yun Yuan frowned. "Feng Yanxuan deliberately sent me away today... Have you noticed any unusual movements by Feng's spies recently?"
Gu Yue tapped his knuckles on his knees. "The whereabouts of spies are always elusive, and the Bagong Mountain incident has taken up so much energy..." He paused, as if thinking of something. "However, the other day I saw Scarbrow sneaking into the back mountain with two of his personal guards, and he actually beheaded them both himself."
"Feng Yanhao's personal guards are all elite spies." Yun Yuan's fingertips suddenly left a deep mark. "Feng Xiaotian is... cleaning up the mess!"
"It's just dealing with two guards, why would it be so..."
"The ones he wants to eliminate are probably the spies who have served 'Wu Chang'." Yun Yuan sneered, crumpling her snow-green silk ribbons in her palm. "Feng Xiaotian has probably found out. The antidote given by the venomous snake can cause mental depravity. Keeping these puppets around will only lead to chaos sooner or later..."
She paused, suddenly understanding the deeper meaning in Feng Yanxuan's eyes—in their eyes, wasn't she, someone who had served Impermanence, also a puppet waiting to be cut? Her brow furrowed, the tassels of her moon-white cloak fluttering like snow between her trembling fingers.
The carriage shook suddenly, and the driver suddenly let out three rhythmic "whoosh whoosh" sounds, two short and one long.
Both of them were shocked!
This is a warning! Feng Yanyuan is coming?!
Gu Yue's figure suddenly shrank and disappeared into the shadow of the hemp curtain under the chair.
Yun Yuan's heart was pounding. She stared at the slightly swaying curtain, trying hard to steady her mind. Just as she took a steady breath, she suddenly felt her eyes light up.
"Yuan'er?"
The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and Feng Yanyuan, riding on his horse, looked down.
"You didn't take your own carriage, but insisted on walking halfway. Only when you got tired did you hire a car." He controlled the reins with one hand, his eyes following Yun Yuan's lowered gaze. "You took too much money after all."
Yun Yuan's eyelashes trembled slightly: "Why are you here, sir?"
"I'm worried about you."
These words came so suddenly that Yun Yuan couldn't help but look up. A hint of sadness crossed his brow. Her heart suddenly clenched. She stood up, opened the carriage curtain, and looked out. Pedestrians were crowded on the road. She sighed softly, "This carriage can't move anymore. Sir, would you like to accompany me for a stroll?"
"We still have some distance to go, and it'll take some effort to walk." His eyes followed her movements. "Are you really not going to take the car?"
The concern in that voice was so genuine that Yun Yuan's heart tightened. She clutched the silver buckle of her cloak and leaped from the carriage. The moon-white hem of her skirt blossomed like a half-flowered night-blooming cereus on the bluestone slabs. "My legs were tired just now, but now I feel refreshed." She pointed at the wine flags waving at the entrance of the alley. "Look, sir, this place is much busier than the street near Xuanhe Hall."
Feng Yanyuan dismounted and tossed the reins to the driver, a gold coin landed steadily in his palm. "Thank you for taking care of me. I'll give you a reward on the way back."
The driver responded hurriedly and watched the two of them walk side by side into the crowd.
At the distant alley entrance, petals from the old locust tree drifted like fine snow. The woman's moon-white cloak and the man's sky-blue robe gathered and dispersed, like drifting clouds passing over distant mountains on a clear day. Amidst this riot of brocade, it was these two simple figures who brought a touch of cool springtime beauty to the bustling world.
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