On a desolate hillside on the outskirts of Beirong City, overgrown with weeds, the occasional cawing of crows broke the afternoon's tranquility.
Chen Zhennan and his group hurriedly passed through the city gate, their horses' hooves kicking up clouds of dust on the dirt road.
Wang Xiao led them to the piled-up remains, where the air was filled with a putrid stench that was nauseating.
"Your Majesty, these corpses have begun to decompose. It would be best if you did not approach them," Wang Xiao warned.
"Um."
Chen Zhennan stood not far away, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's, carefully observing the corpses.
The clothes on these corpses were tattered and covered in mud, and they were all very thin, possibly having starved to death.
"What do you think of these corpses?" Chen Zhennan asked in a low voice, his gaze sweeping over Yan Shiyu and Wang Xiao's faces.
Yan Shiyu stepped forward, his gaze carefully examining the corpse, his brows furrowed.
"If these were the people who built the tunnel, they wouldn't be so thin. Moreover, they couldn't possibly be members of their organization. An organization with such power wouldn't have its members dressed in such tattered clothes."
Chen Zhennan nodded, then turned to look at the skeletons, which were also covered in mud and generally black in color, clearly caused by decay in a dark and damp place.
"What are the identities of these corpses?" Chen Zhennan asked in a low voice, turning to look at Wang Xiao.
Wang Xiao shook his head, a hint of helplessness in his voice: "Your Majesty, the identities of these corpses cannot be confirmed. They may be vagrants from outside the city, or they may be..."
Chen Zhennan stood up, his gaze sweeping over the corpses again before he slowly said, "No need to go to the mass grave. Just by looking at these corpses, you can tell they were stolen from there."
Yan Shiyu was taken aback and asked, puzzled, "Why don't we go to the mass grave anymore?"
Chen Zhennan narrowed his eyes slightly and explained with a cold smile, "It's time to go back and find Xia Kexin. The exposure of this secret passage is clearly meant to attract our attention."
Sunlight streamed down the hillside, bringing a touch of warmth to this desolate place.
Chen Zhennan turned around and mounted his horse.
"Let's go back."
The group slowly left the hillside and returned to the Xiang residence. Chen Zhennan went directly to Xia Kexin's room.
Xia Kexin was sitting by the window, staring blankly out the window, as if she was thinking about some important question.
"Xia Kexin".
Chen Zhennan's voice broke the silence in the room.
Xia Kexin looked up, a hint of surprise in her eyes.
"Your Majesty, what brings you here? This, this is my bedroom, you should..."
Before Xia Kexin could finish speaking, Chen Zhennan walked up to her and fixed his gaze on her eyes.
"Tell me, what's the deal with those corpses in the secret passage?"
Xia Kexin's body trembled slightly, and a hint of fear flashed in her eyes.
"I...I don't know what you're talking about."
Chen Zhennan sneered, his face full of disdain.
"Xia Kexin, you should know that being my enemy will do you no good."
Xia Kexin's face was pale, her lips trembling. After a long while, she took a deep breath and sighed deeply.
"Your Majesty, I am guilty of a crime deserving of death. Please spare my life."
As she spoke, Xia Kexin slowly knelt down on the ground.
"Tell me, preferably something that interests me."
Xia Kexin nodded repeatedly: "Yes, Your Majesty, the corpses in the passage were stolen from the mass grave. Someone deliberately placed them in the secret passage. The Shadow people knew you had come to Beirong City and began preparations long ago. They did this to attract your attention, but in reality, they wanted to infiltrate the palace to assassinate you."
Chen Zhennan narrowed his eyes slightly, pondering as he asked, "Now that I've discovered the secret network, how can they still assassinate me?"
Xia Kexin hesitated for a moment, then explained with some difficulty, "Actually, these tunnels have long been abandoned. There is a new tunnel in the east of the city that leads to the palace. Your special forces and imperial guards have been transferred out, and you are short-handed, so the people from the organization will enter through the secret tunnel in the east of the city."
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhennan suddenly breathed a sigh of relief; the truth had finally come out.
"Xia Kexin, tell me, where are the people in the organization hiding now?"
Xia Kexin shook her head upon hearing this and hurriedly explained, "I really don't know their exact location. I'm just a nobody, but I know they'll probably be taking action in the next couple of days."
Chen Zhennan's brows were furrowed, and his eyes carried an undeniable sense of pressure.
What will they do?
"If they can't get to you, they'll target Song Yunyang. Taking Song Yunyang hostage will also keep you in check."
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhennan's eyes widened suddenly, and his heart skipped a beat, as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.
"Oh no, Yunyang is still in the palace."
Chen Zhennan's voice carried a hint of panic as he hurriedly turned and ran out of the room.
"Shiyu, immediately assemble the special forces team, we need to get back to the palace!"
Yan Shiyu was taken aback, but he quickly recovered and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty!"
...
In the courtyard of Huaming Palace, a cool breeze was blowing. Song Yunyang sat in an exquisite pavilion, holding an ancient book in her hands, but her gaze kept drifting into the distance.
A hint of worry lingered between her brows. With Chen Zhennan away dealing with Xiang Hao's affairs, she could only stay obediently in the palace, trying her best not to cause him any trouble.
At the palace gate and on the courtyard wall, ten special forces members were on guard. Their shadows stretched long in the setting sun, and their vigilant eyes patrolled the surroundings to ensure the safety of the area.
Song Yunyang slowly got up, and was about to let the team members rest when suddenly an arrow flew by and hit one of the team members on the palace wall.
Song Yunyang's eyes widened, but before she could speak, a barrage of gunfire erupted from the palace gates.
Song Yunyang's heart suddenly raced, and the book in her hand fell to the ground with a soft sound.
"Something's happened!"
Song Yunyang hurriedly returned to the house, took out her plain silver sword, and was about to go to the palace gate to check the situation when she discovered that more than a dozen black-clad assassins had appeared on the surrounding palace walls. They were all holding long knives and staring at her menacingly.
Song Yunyang frowned slightly, flicked her silver sword out of its sheath, the tip pointing forward. Her body was tense, like a fully drawn bow.
Just then, the assassins on the wall jumped down and attacked Song Yunyang.
Who are you?
The assassins didn't answer, but instead gripped their long knives and rapidly approached.
"Could it be Brother Nan?"
A bad feeling welled up in Song Yunyang's heart, but the assassins around her were already closing in rapidly, and there was no time to think about it.
With a loud shout, Song Yunyang gripped her silver sword and charged into the group of assassins.
As soon as they clashed, Song Yunyang realized that these assassins were extraordinary; they were definitely not comparable to the Imperial Guards under Wang Xiao's command.
They moved very quickly, and their movements were very strange, unlike anything Song Yunyang had ever seen before. They were even comparable to Chen Zhennan's special forces.
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