Guangyang Palace.
Late at night, the entire palace was brightly lit. Imperial physicians had been going in and out of the palace for several days, but the person on the bed still hadn't woken up.
The entire palace is now under the control of the Northern Army. Wherever they go, their black armor stands tall and silent.
When Wang Hezhan walked around the palace gate and entered, he saw Xuan Yao guarding the outer hall.
"What happened?"
Upon seeing him, Xuan Yao quickly stood up and said, "My lord has accidentally fallen into the river and has lost consciousness."
"Accidentally fell into the river?" Wang Hezhan sneered. "Are you kidding me?"
Xuan Yao pursed his lips and remained silent.
Wang Hezhan snorted coldly, went into the hall to check, and saw that the person was asleep and unconscious. He cursed a few times, then came out and began to inquire about the Eighth Prince.
This winter in Kyoto is unusually cold; the temperature drops alarmingly after nightfall.
Inside the inner hall, a slight noise was heard at some point.
Wang Hezhan was busy handling official business outside when he heard a soft rustling sound inside. He looked up, got up, and went inside.
Yan Beimo, dressed in a black robe, got off the bed. When he saw him barging in, his expression was indifferent.
"Has the person been found?"
As soon as he woke up, he asked the woman.
"We've sent countless soldiers to search, but we haven't even seen a ghost."
Yan Beimo said nothing, put on a cloak, and walked out.
Tens of thousands of soldiers have been searching for days at the foot of the cliff, and they have scooped up almost every creature in the river, but they haven't found even a scrap of clothing.
The Qilin stood on the shore and saw a huge warship approaching, so it quickly followed it.
"My lord, our men found the lady's clothes on a dead tree branch in the middle of the cliff. Moreover, there is a repaired hole not far from the branch, which leads to this large area of the sea. I suspect that the lady may have fallen into the hole."
Yan Beimo said coldly, "Lead the way."
Qilin leaped up the mountainside, followed closely by Yan Beimo. They spotted the cave entrance on the cliff and went straight in.
"This place is only this big. If you go further in, there's a waterfall with an endless deep sea below."
Qilin stumbled upon the place by chance. The riverbed was only so big, and he couldn't find any trace of the lady. She was pregnant, so it was impossible for her to have run away. After thinking it over, he figured she might have fallen into the cave.
But he was only guessing. There was no one in the cave, and if the lady wanted to get out, she would have to cross such a swift river, which seemed impossible.
Qilin felt increasingly confused. If the lady had really fallen in, she could only wait to be rescued, and obviously, there was no one.
Yan Beimo ignored him and quietly looked around.
A moment later, his gaze settled on a stone, where dried bloodstains were shockingly visible.
Those dark eyes immediately darkened, appearing devoid of warmth.
He withdrew his gaze and walked to another exit to take a look.
At the exit, a large waterfall blocks the path down the mountain. Following the steep mountain wall, one reaches the boundless sea.
Yan Beimo walked around for a while and then spoke.
"Move troops to search from all sides."
Qilin was taken aback. Seeing that the person was looking over, he quickly said, "Your subordinate obeys."
A large number of troops bypassed the river and searched behind the mountains, almost traversing the entire mountain range. Countless warships and armored vehicles searched, alarming the noble families and the imperial court.
This massive mobilization of military and material resources is simply insane.
However, the previous dynasty was in turmoil, and the entire Central Plains was in dire straits. No one dared to speak out openly; they all cursed and rebuked in secret.
When Wang Hezhan arrived after hearing the news, he saw him standing motionless in front of the stone, his body bent over, staring at the bloodstains on it.
He walked over and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Yan Beimo ignored him, calmly withdrew his gaze, and looked around the mountain wall.
"With her martial arts skills, she couldn't have gotten in here. How could she have climbed up the mountain wall to get in?"
Yan Beimo walked to the cave entrance in the mountain wall and pulled out the copper nail from the edge with one hand.
Upon seeing the copper nail, Wang Hezhan walked to the cave entrance and took a closer look. He then discovered that several such nails were hanging on the edge of the mountain wall, clearly remnants that had not yet been removed.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, a sense of suspicion creeping into his heart.
Yan Beimo held the copper nail in his hand, glanced at the bloodstains on the stone, and then looked away.
The soldiers have been searching along the river for several days, looking everywhere, but they haven't found a single trace.
When Night Hawk came in to report, he saw the man at the table with a cold expression. He subconsciously shuddered and pushed Qilin inside.
Still no news?
Suddenly, a faint voice came from ahead. The person lifted their eyelids and looked at them, exuding an inexplicable sense of oppression.
Night Hawk hurriedly and respectfully went inside and knelt down.
"Not found yet."
"I'll give you three more days. If you still can't find it, then you can all die."
Night Hawk was slightly alarmed, but stood up and said, "Yes."
During the reign of Emperor Wei, he was a devout Buddhist and built many temples. By the time the Southern Dynasties were established, there was a saying that there were 480 temples in the Southern Dynasties, and even more in the capital.
There is a temple called Fukoku-ji in Kyoto, which is always bustling with worshippers.
But on this day, the entire temple was suddenly heavily guarded, and no one was allowed to enter or leave.
The group was ushered out, grumbling as they descended the mountain, wondering who had come to the temple to cause such a commotion.
Inside the spacious and magnificent temple hall, various clay and gilded Buddha statues were placed all around, and the abbot held an oil lamp to light up the murals on all four sides.
He glanced sideways at the man standing in the center of the hall, put down the prayer beads in his hand, and slowly walked out.
Nowadays, wars are frequent, regimes rise and fall often, and the people are ignorant, placing their hopes on gods and Buddhas. Temples are as numerous as hairs on a cow throughout the entire Kyushu.
But this was Yan Beimo's first time visiting a temple to worship Buddha.
The door was closed, and he stared silently at the Shakyamuni Buddha statue above him, without saying a word.
With the outside heavily guarded, all the monks and nuns in the temple were uneasy. They only breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the abbot come out of the main hall.
The moon hung low in the sky, casting a soft, pale light around the Buddhist hall and shining through the window lattices, illuminating the inner hall with a gentle glow.
Yan Beimo stood there for an unknown amount of time. When he came to his senses, he lifted his leg and headed towards the incense burner in front of him.
He lit the incense stick, respectfully bowed to the Buddha statue, and then inserted it into the incense burner.
The abbot had been waiting outside the door. After seeing him finish worshipping the gods and Buddhas, he led him into the back hall.
Quiet room.
Yan Beimo sat opposite the abbot, looking at the tea that was handed to him, and spoke softly.
"I've heard that the abbot is proficient in Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, and divination, and can know everything under heaven. I wonder if the abbot could tell my fortune?"
The abbot held prayer beads in his hand, his gaze calm and undisturbed.
"These are all rumors; you should not believe them."
Before he could finish speaking, a long sword was pointed directly at his throat, and killing intent filled the air.
He looked directly at the man and saw that although his expression was indifferent, his eyes and brows were dark and deep.
"Can it be counted?"
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