Zhou Long sheathed his sword and strode over to Bai Yan, clasping his fists as he said:
"Today, we truly owe Captain Bai for coming to our aid. If this band of rebels had succeeded, I fear even a thousand deaths would not have been enough to atone for my failure."
If the Bozeguo delegation had been kidnapped and anything had happened to the princess, he would have had no way to answer to the emperor, even if he had managed to escape these rebels alive.
Not only would he have died in the end, but he probably would have suffered a horrible death, with his family dragged into the disaster as well. Bai Yan's timely arrival had undoubtedly saved his life, so Zhou Long was naturally filled with gratitude.
Bai Yan looked at Zhou Long and returned the salute with a smile.
"General Zhou, you flatter me. We both serve His Majesty. Protecting the delegation is simply our duty."
"Besides, if you had not led the Imperial Guards in fighting to the death, the Princess of Bozeguo would have been kidnapped long ago."
"Just for fighting valiantly and refusing to retreat, General Zhou deserves credit."
Zhou Long felt refreshed at his words and burst into laughter.
"Not at all, not at all. Captain Bai, you praise me too highly."
Bai Yan followed with a courteous reply.
"I'm only speaking the truth, not praising you too highly."
When one rode in a flowered sedan chair, everyone had to help lift it. In official circles, one had to learn how to praise others. That was the art of speech.
Since Zhou Long was being courteous to him, Bai Yan naturally would not embarrass him either.
Zhou Long then sighed with emotion.
"I heard of Captain Bai's reputation some time ago. To break through to the Innate realm at such a young age—your talent is truly extraordinary. It's just a pity I never had the chance to meet you."
"Now that I have, I see that meeting you is even better than hearing of your fame."
"That band of rebels had three Innate Masters, yet none could withstand a single exchange with Captain Bai. Even that Grandmaster was gravely wounded by a single palm from you. Your martial arts are truly magnificent."
Bai Yan humbly replied:
"General Zhou, you flatter me. My Lightness Skill is merely a little better than average. It is nothing worth mentioning."
Seeing that he was neither arrogant nor impatient, Zhou Long was even more full of admiration.
"Thanks to Captain Bai's assistance this time, I will report everything truthfully. I will never forget your contribution."
Bai Yan nodded.
"Then I'll trouble you, General Zhou."
Zhou Long rarely encountered a member of the Imperial Guard whom he truly approved of. In high spirits, he could not help saying a few more words.
"Captain Bai, your talent is extraordinary. You will surely rise step by step in the future, with boundless prospects."
"Perhaps one day, I will have to rely on Captain Bai to look after me."
Afterward, Zhou Long called loudly toward the distance.
"Leave one unit behind to clean up the scene. Have everyone else organize the convoy and prepare to return to the city!"
Ren Hong and Li Kaiyao came over from afar to regroup. The two had already pried open one of the rebels' mouths and learned where they came from.
These people belonged to the Wandering Fish Gang, a Martial World sect.
"The Wandering Fish Gang?"
When Zhou Long heard this, his expression instantly darkened, and murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
"So it's those fiends who have lost every shred of conscience! They truly deserve to die!"
Although Bai Yan did not know much about the Wandering Fish Gang, he understood a thing or two about them.
The Wandering Fish Gang sounded like some sort of river transport gang, but that was not the case. It was actually a notorious sect in the Martial World, and one of the evil sects.
The so-called "wandering fish" had nothing to do with fish in the water. It referred to people.
The Wandering Fish Gang specialized in human trafficking. Beautiful women, in particular, were their favorite targets.
Such women were scarce commodities. Whether sold as concubines to wealthy families or sent to brothels, they could earn a huge profit.
Who could have imagined that they would set their sights on the Princess of Bozeguo this time?
A gang of human traffickers had actually targeted a princess being sent off for a political marriage. One had to admit that the Wandering Fish Gang was outrageously bold.
"Once I report this to His Majesty, I will certainly ask him to send troops to wipe out these scum of the Martial World!"
Zhou Long spoke through gritted teeth, fire blazing in his eyes.
"Would a mere Wandering Fish Gang dare to raid the Bozeguo delegation? I feel that things are not so simple."
Bai Yan suddenly spoke up.
"Oh? Does Captain Bai have another view?"
Perhaps Bai Yan's strength had earned Zhou Long's recognition, so he took Bai Yan's words very seriously and gestured for him to continue.
Bai Yan spoke in a deep voice.
"The Wandering Fish Gang is despised by the righteous factions of the Martial World and already struggles to survive. Why would they offend the Imperial Court at such a critical moment?"
"Raiding the Bozeguo delegation and sabotaging the marriage between the two nations is a grave crime tantamount to treason. Once exposed, it would bring about the slaughter of their sect and the destruction of their entire clan. They could not possibly be unaware of the consequences."
"In my view, a mere Wandering Fish Gang absolutely would not have the courage to do this."
"According to Captain Bai, these rebels are not members of the Wandering Fish Gang. They are framing them to hide their true identities?"
Zhou Long knitted his brows slightly and fell into thought.
"Exactly. That is what I mean."
Bai Yan nodded and continued.
"A mere Wandering Fish Gang that lives by selling people dares only bully commoners and commit sordid deeds in secret. Even if you gave them the courage to defy the world, they would not dare do something this outrageous."
"If they wanted to profit, kidnapping ordinary women would be as easy as turning over a hand. Why would they abandon the easy path and choose the difficult one by targeting the Princess of Bozeguo?"
"Even taking ten thousand steps back, supposing they really could kidnap the princess, who would dare take her? Which wealthy family would dare buy a woman favored by the emperor? Which brothel would dare shelter a princess of another nation? She would be a hot potato that no one could dispose of."
Hearing Bai Yan's words, Zhou Long's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and enlightenment dawned in his heart.
"Captain Bai is right. I almost overlooked that point."
Bai Yan continued.
"The Wandering Fish Gang has always operated within Wuzhou territory, whereas this place is Yongtang."
"If they truly wanted to raid the Bozeguo delegation, they could have acted along the road. There was no need to wait until the delegation reached Yongtang."
"Yongtang lies beneath the feet of the Son of Heaven. The Imperial Guard, Six Doors, and Eastern Depot are teeming with experts, and more than a hundred thousand troops are stationed here. Coming here to commit a crime would simply be seeking death. It makes no sense at all."
After hearing Bai Yan's analysis, Zhou Long found it extremely reasonable and could not help nodding.
"Captain Bai is right. This matter truly is not as simple as it appears."
"Rest assured, Captain Bai. Once we return, I will torture these four men until they confess the truth. I refuse to believe they will not talk."
Bai Yan added, "The people inside the delegation should also be checked."
"What do you mean, Captain Bai...?"
Zhou Long immediately understood the implication of Bai Yan's words.
"Exactly. Make a show of repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang."
Bai Yan swept an expressionless glance over the ten carriages behind them and spoke in a low voice.
"When the rebels attacked just now, everyone was caught in the chaos. It would have been easy for someone to tamper with things amid the disorder."
"If a rebel really disguised himself as a member of the delegation and infiltrated it, then later got sent into the imperial palace..."
After hearing this, Zhou Long was struck by a sudden shock. A fine layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.
If a rebel were sent into the imperial palace by him and endangered the emperor, his crime would be immense.
At that point, forget his own family—even his entire Lineage would likely be implicated, bringing calamity upon them all!
The more Zhou Long thought about it, the more possible it seemed. The more he thought, the more frightened he became. He felt as though he had just walked past the gates of hell and could not help cursing in a low voice.
"These rebels truly deserve ten thousand deaths!"
"Fortunately, Captain Bai's mind is quick, and you saw through their scheme in advance."
"If we can safely weather this crisis, Captain Bai will be my greatest benefactor. I, Zhou Long, owe you a bow."
With that, Zhou Long drew a deep breath and solemnly clasped his fists toward Bai Yan.
Bai Yan hurriedly waved his hands.
"General Zhou, you're too courteous. These are merely my guesses, and they may not be true."
"Perhaps I am only worrying needlessly. Who can say?"
Zhou Long shook his head.
"Captain Bai is too modest. I instead feel that this possibility is extremely high."
"If they were not planning to assassinate His Majesty, why would they go to such lengths?"
"Perhaps everything that happened before was merely laying the groundwork for the assassination that followed—a means of throwing people off the scent."
As he spoke, the admiration in his gaze toward Bai Yan grew stronger, and a trace of fervor entered his eyes.
"To see through the rebels' treacherous scheme so quickly—Captain Bai's martial talent is outstanding, but your wisdom surpasses ordinary people by far."
"Would Captain Bai be interested in joining my Imperial Guards? We are precisely in need of talents like you!"
"If you are willing, I can recommend you for the position of Deputy Commander!"
The Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards was already a central figure in the military, holding a high position and great authority. It was clear how highly Zhou Long valued Bai Yan.
Unfortunately, Bai Yan had no intention of switching sides for the time being.
He looked at Zhou Long and smiled as he clasped his fists.
"Thank you for your kind offer, General Zhou. However, the Imperial Guard has treated me well, and Commander Zheng has always valued me highly. I can only disappoint you."
When Zhou Long heard this, a trace of regret appeared on his face.
"That truly is a pity."
Before you continue