On the other side, the White Lotus Sect finally succumbed to the Qing army's attack and was completely annihilated. Seeing that the battle situation was stable, the Thirteenth Prince hurriedly led his men to the Hidden Moon Pavilion at the top, based on the location described by the Seventeenth Prince.
The Thirteenth Prince pushed open the door, only to find it completely empty. In his panic, a young maidservant suddenly appeared, brandishing a sword and lunging at him. The Thirteenth Prince reacted quickly, dodging to the side, and the maidservant crashed into a table.
"Who are you?" the Thirteenth Prince asked sharply. The little maid turned around, her face full of hatred, and said, "You're sent by that dog of an emperor, go to hell..." She then lunged again, but the Thirteenth Prince slapped her arm, causing her to drop the sword. The Thirteenth Prince grabbed the little maid's arm and pinned her to the ground, rendering her immobile.
Thirteenth Master patiently asked, "Where is your leader?"
The maid chuckled lightly and said fiercely, "Don't even think about finding our leader!"
The Thirteenth Prince tightened his grip, causing the little maid to cry out in pain. He asked again, "Were two princes captured on the island? Where are they?" The little maid was Zhu Wanqing's personal maid and naturally knew that the Fourteenth Prince had already escaped, and the Seventeenth Prince was with Zhu Wanqing. So she replied dismissively, "Them? They were executed by our leader long ago..."
The Thirteenth Prince was shocked and grabbed the maid, asking, "What did you say?"
The maid's face contorted in pain, yet she remained defiant, saying, "What? You don't believe me? Daring to betray the leader means certain death..." With that, the maid suddenly bit her tongue and committed suicide, her mouth filled with blood as she breathed her last.
The Thirteenth Prince looked at the little maid's corpse thoughtfully.
Shi Cong, standing to the side, frowned anxiously and said, "Thirteenth Master, can we believe what this girl says? Could it be that Seventeenth Master and Fourteenth Master are already..." The Thirteenth Master calmly shook his head, glanced at the corpse on the ground, and said firmly, "We need to see them alive or dead. Since we haven't found their bodies, they might still be alive."
Shi Cong said, "But we haven't seen them along the way, nor have we seen that demoness from the White Lotus Sect. I'm worried that the two princes may have been kidnapped by the demoness and taken away from the island?"
Thirteenth Master pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "I heard from Seventeenth Master that the leader of the White Lotus Sect is pregnant and has difficulty moving around, so she can't escape so quickly. Even if she kidnapped Seventeenth and Fourteenth Master, her escape wouldn't be fast. She should still be on the island, just hiding..."
Shi Cong nodded in agreement, saying, "Your Highness's analysis makes sense! So what should we do now?"
Thirteenth Prince walked to the window and looked outside. The area was swarming with Qing troops, all exits were heavily guarded, and many prisoners on the island were already imprisoned. He then said, "Lord Shi, send men to search every dwelling on the island now. Report back as soon as you find any trace of Seventeenth Prince and Fourteenth Prince..."
Shi Cong clasped his hands in agreement and immediately left Cangyue Tower with a pair of men. Thirteenth Master then said to another commander beside him, "You immediately take men and divide them into ten small teams to search the mountain. Perhaps they have been taken hostage by the leader of the White Lotus Sect and are on their way to escape!"
The commander acknowledged and left, leaving only the Thirteenth Prince inside. Looking at the mess in the room, the Thirteenth Prince felt a surge of panic. Although he didn't believe the Seventeenth and Fourteenth Princes had been murdered, his inability to see them still filled him with worry.
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