Chapter 321: Find someone in the whole capital who can make a wooden man
The atmosphere in the spacious carriage was a little subtle.
Ajiu sat cross-legged on the cushion, holding her treasure basket in her arms, and from time to time she took out a fruit and chewed it with relish.
Chu Xuanyi closed his eyes and rested, thinking out of sight, out of mind.
Xiao Yu leaned aside, his eyes falling on Ajiu from time to time. Seeing her eating like a little hamster, a smile would unconsciously appear on the corner of his mouth.
“Crack.”
There was another crisp sound.
Chu Xuanyi's eyelids moved, and finally he couldn't help but open his eyes.
"I say, can't you eat more slowly?" he said angrily. "Sooner or later, you'll finish this basket of fruit by yourself."
Ah Jiu's mouth was full of food, and he answered vaguely, "You have to finish it, otherwise it will go bad if you leave it alone."
"You," Chu Xuanyi pointed at her, speechless for a long time, "you girl, you are really..."
Xiao Yu, who was sitting beside him, said in a deep voice, "Chu Xuanyi."
When Chu Xuanyi heard Xiao Yu calling his full name, he immediately put away the cynical expression on his face and sat up straight.
"What's wrong."
"Let's figure out what the 'road sign' underneath the capital is."
Chu Xuanyi's face became extremely serious. He took out three ancient copper coins from his arms, placed them in his palm, and then closed his eyes.
For a moment, the carriage was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
A moment later, Chu Xuanyi suddenly opened his eyes, and a thin layer of cold sweat had seeped out of his forehead.
He scattered the copper coins in his hand onto the small table in front of him. The three copper coins spun around and finally stopped with an extremely strange hexagram.
"Very bad."
Chu Xuanyi's voice was a little hoarse, "The hexagram shows that this place has become a dead end."
Xiao Yu frowned tightly, "Explain clearly."
"That 'beacon', or the thing that protects it, is related to the Shenji Pavilion." Chu Xuanyi's face was uglier than ever. "The Shenji Pavilion that was exterminated a hundred years ago."
Shenji Pavilion.
When this name came out, even Xiao Yu's eyes changed.
It was a sect that was once glorious in the world, famous for its exquisite mechanical puppetry.
Legend has it that the puppets they created were as good at fighting as real people.
But it was precisely because their skills were too extraordinary that they aroused the fear of the imperial power, and were eventually destroyed overnight. All their heritage and clansmen disappeared in the long river of history.
"Hasn't the Shenji Pavilion been deserted for a long time?" Xiao Yu said coldly.
“No,” Chu Xuanyi shook his head and pointed at the hexagram. “Their descendants have always been here. They are guarding the dragon vein of the capital.”
He paused, his voice a bit strained. "They... moved the entire ruins of the Divine Machine Pavilion underground in the capital and transformed it into a massive, mechanically controlled cavern. It's filled with deadly traps and countless puppet armies. Most terrifyingly, the core of this cavern is tightly connected to the dragon veins of the capital, and a single move could affect the entire complex."
Chu Xuanyi raised his head and looked at Xiao Yu, his eyes full of solemnity.
"We can't attack by force. If we mishandle the attack and detonate the underground mechanical hub, the entire dragon vein of the capital will be destroyed. By then, the Great Zhou Kingdom will collapse from within, without waiting for the evil demons from outer space to take action, and millions of lives will be buried with it."
It is impossible to attack by force, the terrain is complex and unknown, and the slightest carelessness will lead to a terrible catastrophe.
This is indeed an unsolvable dead end.
"Since we can't attack by force, we can only use wits." Xiao Yu said slowly.
His eyes swept across the rapidly receding scenery outside the window, and the prosperous outline of the capital city was already in sight.
"The key to solving the problem doesn't lie in how to break through those traps."
“It’s about people.”
"We must first find the descendants of Shenji Pavilion."
It was already dark when we returned to the Regent's Palace.
The palace's steward and a group of servants had already been waiting at the door. When they saw Xiao Yu return safely, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Your Majesty, you are back."
Xiao Yu nodded slightly, and without saying a word, he took Ajiu's hand and walked into the mansion.
Chu Xuanyi was behind, fanning himself with a nonchalant look.
He came close to Ajiu and said in a low voice, "Ajiu, what delicious food has the palace prepared for dinner? I'm starving."
Ah Jiu thought for a moment and said, "I don't know either."
She turned her head to look at Xiao Yu, "Brother Xiongxiong, what are we eating tonight?"
Xiao Yu paused and looked back at her.
"What do you want to eat?"
"I want to eat osmanthus cake and the greasy roast duck from last time." Jiu counted on his fingers.
"Okay." Xiao Yu said concisely, and then instructed the housekeeper beside him, "Tell the kitchen to do as Ah Jiu said, and add a few light side dishes."
"Yes, Your Highness." The butler agreed quickly.
Chu Xuanyi curled his lips as he listened.
Look at the discrimination.
He had been hungry for a long time and without asking any questions, the girl just named two dishes and arranged them for him immediately.
It's really different fate for the same person.
The group went directly to the study.
Xuan Er, the most capable commander of the secret guards under the Regent after Xuan Yi, had been waiting here for a long time.
"Your Highness." He knelt on one knee.
"Get up," Xiao Yu walked to the desk and sat down. "During the time I was away from the capital, have there been any unusual movements in the city?"
"Your Highness, everything is normal," Xuan Er replied respectfully, "It's just that... the virtuous prince has been interacting with several senior officials quite frequently lately."
"That's alright," Xiao Yu said calmly. "Those clowns can't cause any trouble. I have more important things for you to do."
"Your Majesty, please give your orders."
"Shenji Pavilion."
"I want to know where in the capital the descendants of Shenji Pavilion are hiding now." Xiao Yu's voice was cold.
Xuan Er's face showed an embarrassment.
"Your Highness, the Shenji Pavilion has been destroyed for a hundred years, and the records of their clan members have long been destroyed. Trying to find their descendants in such a vast sea of people is like looking for a needle in a haystack."
"That's exactly the problem," Chu Xuanyi said, tapping the table. "Since they are tasked with protecting the 'Sign of the Way,' they can't possibly be completely invisible to the world. They must still be alive, living in the capital under some identity unknown to us."
He looked at Xiao Yu, "It's just that their fate seems to be obscured by some powerful force. I can't use Xuanmen magic to directly locate it. I'm afraid this matter really can only be investigated bit by bit using the most stupid method."
"Even if it's like searching for a needle in a haystack, we must find it." Xiao Yu's fingers tapped lightly on the table. "Since they are descendants of the Shen Ji Pavilion, the skills they rely on for survival must be related to mechanical devices, puppets, and civil engineering."
"Xuan Er, mobilize all the secret guards lurking in the capital to investigate for me."
"What are you checking?"
"Search all the skilled craftsmen in the capital."
"Whether it's carpenters, stonemasons, blacksmiths, or those who make exquisite toys and clocks, don't let any of them go."
"Especially," he emphasized, "those with exceptional skills but eccentric personalities, who live in isolation and don't interact with outsiders—these people are the most suspicious."
"Yes." Xuan Er accepted the order.
"Also," Chu Xuanyi added, "check the transaction records of the city's largest companies for wood, refined iron, and various rare ores. The Shen Ji Pavilion's mechanical engineering consumes a huge amount of materials. No matter how hidden they are, they will definitely leave clues in these places. See if there is a buyer who purchases large quantities of materials year after year without knowing their purpose."
Xuan Er memorized these instructions one by one and nodded solemnly, "I understand. I will do it right away."
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