Chapter 36 The stinky bad guy is stinking the adults
Chu Xuanyi and Ajiu had just walked out of the dark dungeon, and before he had time to ask anyone to buy osmanthus cake and candied haws, the chief secretary of the Regent's Palace had already come to meet them in a hurry.
"Master Imperial Master!" the Chief Secretary said with a delighted expression, bowing. "The Prince has sent me here to inform you that the investigation into the 'Ink Ingot Mint Candy Beans' and the 'Silver-Striped Black Rope' has yielded significant results!"
Chu Xuanyi perked up: "Oh? Please tell me quickly!" Ajiu also opened his eyes wide with curiosity, muttering "sugar bean ropes" under his breath.
The Chief Secretary cleared his throat and said, "The prince has secretly sent people to investigate and discovered that the 'Ink Ink Mint Candy Beans' are indeed a specially made stimulant pill. Its main ingredient is the herb 'Ghost-Seeing Sorrow'. This herb is extremely potent and ordinary pharmacies would not dare to prepare it. Only a few clandestine pharmacies in the capital can obtain this herb and make it into pills. One of them has close ties with a gang called the 'Night Owl Alliance'."
"Night Owl Alliance?" Chu Xuanyi frowned slightly. He had heard of this name. It was a secretive and ruthless killer and intelligence organization, but its symbol was not a black rope with silver patterns.
"That's right," the Chief Secretary continued. "And the palace's secret guards compared that 'silver-patterned black rope' and discovered that its weaving technique and the pattern of the silver threads are strikingly similar to those worn by the 'peregrine falcons' of the Night Owl Alliance, responsible for delivering messages and carrying out secondary missions. However, the totem on the 'peregrine falcon' token we found is a silver falcon with outstretched wings, not a serpent."
Chu Xuanyi's heart moved, and he immediately asked, "Does the falcon totem of 'Peregrine Falcon' have eyes?"
The Chief Secretary was stunned for a moment, then thought carefully before shaking his head. "Your Excellency, judging by the pattern, the silver falcon totem... doesn't seem to have eyes detailed. It's more like an abstract bird-shaped outline."
"A bird-shaped silhouette without eyes..."
Ah Jiu interrupted, "Yes, that's right! It's a strange bird without eyes! It's embroidered with silver thread on a black flag, and it can fly!"
Chu Xuanyi took a deep breath and briefly repeated to the Chief Secretary the information that Jiu had "seen" in the dungeon, including the "black flag and silver bird totem", "a place with many horses and straw", and "family members being threatened".
The Chief Secretary was stunned when he heard this, and looked at Ah Jiu with an expression full of disbelief. Although he knew that this girl Ah Jiu was a little "special", he didn't expect that he could "see" such a specific clue!
"Lord Chu, what Miss Jiu said... if you connect it to the 'peregrine falcons' of the 'Night Owl Alliance,' and considering their constant need for fast horses to deliver messages..." The Chief Secretary grew increasingly excited as he spoke. "There's an abandoned official post station on the outskirts of the capital. It was abandoned in the early years due to its remote location and the rerouting of the post road. But according to the secret guards, it seems someone has been secretly repairing and using it recently, and the security is quite strict, making it difficult for outsiders to approach. There... are indeed quite a few horses and fodder there, which also meets the characteristics of a 'secret stronghold'!"
Chu Xuanyi's eyes flashed with brilliance: "Is there a black flag at that abandoned official post station?"
The Chief Secretary slapped his thigh and said, "I'll send someone to confirm it right away! If it's really as Miss Jiu said, then that place is most likely an important base of the Night Owl Alliance. It might even be their secret lair where they imprison the Peregrine Falcon's family members and control them!"
"No need to confirm!" Chu Xuanyi made a prompt decision. "There's no time to lose! Delay will lead to unexpected events! Mobilize your forces immediately. Return to the palace to report to the prince. Ask him to decide whether the Jingji Guards are needed to cooperate. I will immediately gather the guards from the Imperial Master's Mansion and head there first. We must wipe out this den of evil!"
"Yes!" The Chief Secretary accepted the order and left in a hurry.
Chu Xuanyi turned around, looked at the bewildered Ah Jiu, rubbed her head, and instructed the housekeeper beside him: "Go, buy Miss Ah Jiu a double portion of osmanthus cake and candied haws! Get the best ones!"
Then he forced a smile at Jiu and said, "Good boy Jiu, go eat something delicious with the housekeeper first. I'm going to catch more bad guys. I'll tell you a story when I come back, okay?"
When Jiu heard there would be double portions of delicious food, he immediately smiled and said, "Great, great! Be careful, sir! Those bad guys have a stinky smell on them, sir, don't let them get irritated!"
Chu Xuanyi laughed. This girl’s focus was always so strange.
He quickly selected the elite guards in the palace and selected a few good fighters from the secret guards left behind by the Prince Regent's Palace. The group galloped forward and headed straight for the abandoned official post station on the outskirts of Beijing before the night had completely faded!
And in a secret house somewhere in the capital.
A middle-aged man in brocade clothes with a sinister face was listening to his subordinates' reports.
"…The target (Ajiu) was protected by experts, and Imperial Master Chu Xuanyi personally intervened, and 'Sand Snake' (the codename for the captured black-clad man) was captured. A subsequent support team also failed to rescue him, losing two men, and the rest withdrew."
"Waste!" The middle-aged man slammed his palm on the table, shaking the teacup. "You can't even handle a little girl! And you lost manpower! The 'Sand Snake' has been captured, he knows a lot, we must not let him speak!"
"Master, do you want to start the silence procedure?"
A fierce glint flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes. "Wait a minute. The Imperial Preceptor's Mansion is heavily guarded, and it's not easy to break in. Find out where the 'Sand Snake' is being held, and see if there's any chance. Also, have those lurking in the Capital Guard keep an eye on his movements. I have a feeling Chu Xuanyi and Xiao Yu won't give up so easily."
He narrowed his eyes and muttered, "Where on earth did that little girl come from... How could she ruin my plans so many times..."
In the suburbs of Beijing, the official post station was abandoned.
The moon was dark and the wind was strong. The broken courtyard wall made a low "woosh" sound in the night wind. However, contrary to the desolate appearance, flickering flames could be vaguely seen inside the courtyard wall, as well as the occasional neighing of horses and human voices.
At the highest point of the post station, on a dilapidated flagpole, there was indeed a black flag flying. Even in the darkness of night, one could vaguely make out the eyeless strange bird totem embroidered with silver thread in the center of the flag, which exuded an indescribable weirdness and spookiness.
Chu Xuanyi and his men hid quietly in the dense forest outside the official post station.
"Sir, it's exactly as Miss Jiu described!" a secret guard reported in a low voice.
"It seems this is indeed an important base of the Night Owl Alliance," Chu Xuanyi whispered. "Notify everyone and proceed according to the original plan! We must make a quick decision and try to capture as many prisoners alive as possible, especially those small leaders who may know the inside story!"
"yes!"
Following Chu Xuanyi's order, dozens of black shadows, like agile cheetahs, quietly moved towards the wall of the official post station from different directions.
Several of the most agile secret guards were the first to climb over the wall and enter, and like ghosts, they took care of the secret sentries outside.
"action!"
Chu Xuanyi took the lead, unsheathing the long sword in his hand, and rushed straight to the gate of the official post station!
"Enemy attack!"
"There's an assassin!"
The courtyard was instantly in an uproar, alarm bells rang, and countless torches lit up, illuminating the entire official post station as bright as day.
The bandits of the "Night Owl Alliance" rushed out from various rooms, holding weapons, and fought with the guards of the Imperial Master's Mansion and the secret guards of the Regent's Mansion who had invaded.
For a moment, the flash of swords and the shouts of killing shook the sky!
Chu Xuanyi's swordsmanship was as fierce as a dragon, each sword strike aimed directly at the vital points. He rushed to the front, as if entering an empty space.
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