The Director

Li Musheng nodded lightly.

Those words were quite plain and easy to understand, but...

"Miss Cang, have you forgotten our agreement?"

Cang Yinyue looked at Li Musheng, a flicker of hesitation passing through her eyes. Then she turned to look ahead and sighed softly.

"Forget it. My abilities are limited, and the tattoo on my face has been there for many years. I've long grown used to it. Whether it is removed or not does not really matter."

Li Musheng smiled and casually patted the horse's back.

"Once we reach Shangyang City, Miss Cang will be the only person I know."

Hearing this, Cang Yinyue said nothing. After a moment of silence, she finally drew a deep breath, as though she had at last made up her mind.

"Fine. Since I was the one who brought you out of Shun'an City, our agreement will remain unchanged."

As she spoke, she turned and fixed her gaze on Li Musheng.

"However, from here on, you must follow my arrangements. I cannot guarantee that they will be for your own good, but at the very least, I will never harm you."

Li Musheng stroked his chin and nodded.

Sure enough, what girl did not love beauty?

And with such a huge character for "lowly" branded on her face, who could possibly bear it?

With that, Cang Yinyue, this living encyclopedia, could continue being useful.

Li Musheng raised his brows. Of course, it was not as though he absolutely needed her to do anything.

After all, with her level of strength, only her identity as a member of the Hidden Spy Bureau and her knowledge far surpassing that of ordinary people could occasionally help answer his questions.

"When will you remove the tattoo on my face for me?"

At that moment, Cang Yinyue spoke again.

Her cool eyes stared straight at Li Musheng, and a faint trace of anticipation flashed within them.

She had not truly believed before that Li Musheng could help her deal with the tattoo. She had merely wanted to give it a try.

Yet along the way, he had given her far too many surprises. Now, she had placed no small amount of hope in him.

Otherwise, she would not have taken such a tremendous risk and still chosen to accept their previous agreement.

Li Musheng thought for a moment, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Once we reach Shangyang City, I will naturally act on Miss Cang's behalf."

"However, to be safe, I suggest you first obtain the Bone-Eroding Yin Wind Finger martial art. Then I can act with a specific target in mind, and my chances of success will be greater."

Cang Yinyue frowned in thought for a while before nodding gently.

"I will do my best."

For the rest of the journey, the two returned to their previous "harmonious" relationship.

Moreover, after Li Musheng had collected payment for one condition in advance—

Even though Cang Yinyue was driven to the point of unbearable annoyance by all his questions, so much so that she nearly wanted to cough up blood, she could only grit her teeth and answer everything she knew.

However, whenever Li Musheng beat around the bush in an attempt to find out exactly what she was hiding from him—

Her lips were sealed tight, and she remained stubbornly silent.

And so, riding two mule-horses, the pair finally arrived outside Shangyang City.

"Once we enter the imperial capital, do not trust anyone in the Hidden Spy Bureau other than me. Sometimes, you should not readily place your trust even in me."

Cang Yinyue reined in her mount before the towering black city, speaking with utmost solemnity.

At that moment, Li Musheng looked up at the imperial city before him, countless times more magnificent than any city he had seen before, and could not help but marvel.

"Sure enough, one really has to travel around and see more of the world."

This giant city of the feudal dynasty before them was like a slumbering colossal beast lying across the earth. Its walls soared into the sky, stretching as far as the eye could see, all the way to distant mountains and plains beyond sight.

Though this martial world was technologically underdeveloped, it had pushed human labor to its very limits.

Even so, building such a spectacular city would have been impossible without several centuries of accumulation.

"Miss Cang, wasn't it the Hidden Spy Bureau that sent you to find me? Why can't even your own backers be trusted?"

As Li Musheng turned to ask, he dismounted alongside Cang Yinyue, leading his horse by the reins toward the broad city gate, thirty zhang high.

An unending stream of commoners passed in and out through the city gate. Dozens of armored guards stood watch at the entrances, inspecting and verifying travel permits one by one. Only after confirming there were no problems did they allow people to pass.

Cang Yinyue looked at the imperial capital she was about to enter, her expression shifting for a moment. Still, she condensed her true energy into a thread and transmitted her voice.

"I had not intended to tell you this, but now that things have come to this, I think it would be better for you to know some things."

"Do you know who holds the authority of the Hidden Spy Bureau?"

Li Musheng nodded slightly.

"Of course. It is the great favorite by Emperor Yuanwu's side, the Great Li Dark Chancellor, whose true face no one has ever seen."

Over the past few days, Li Musheng had learned quite a bit about Great Li, both great and small, through Cang Yinyue and several unofficial court gazettes from the martial world.

It was said that the Dark Chancellor's identity was extraordinarily mysterious. It seemed that only Emperor Yuanwu and a very small number of others had ever seen him.

Furthermore, legend had it that he possessed a Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart, was versed in the martial arts of a hundred schools, and had cultivation so profound it seemed divine. Having commanded the Hidden Spy Bureau for so many years, he had slaughtered countless people, striking fear into the hearts of neighboring states whenever his name was mentioned.

"You are right. However, you only know that our Hidden Spy Bureau's Director is deeply trusted by His Majesty. What you do not know is that he is also the Seventh Prince's teacher."

Cang Yinyue's gaze was dark and unreadable as she stared steadily at Li Musheng.

"The Seventh Prince I speak of is the false prince currently imprisoned in Great Li's Heavenly Prison."

As she spoke, she sighed softly.

"The Seventh Prince and the Director have shared a teacher-disciple bond for more than ten years. So now you should understand why I said that."

Li Musheng's face showed sudden understanding.

He thought for a moment, then stared at Cang Yinyue for a while before speaking.

"Given that Dark Chancellor's way of doing things, this matter should be a secret among secrets. There are probably very few people in all of Great Li who know of it, aren't there?"

Cang Yinyue nodded gently.

"You need not doubt me. I only learned of this matter by accident, and before today, I had never mentioned it to anyone."

Li Musheng gave her a thumbs-up and praised her.

"For Miss Cang to tell me this news, that is truly loyal of you!"

Cang Yinyue's eyelids twitched. She gave a soft snort.

"I merely want you to understand your current situation. After all, you promised to remove my tattoo, so naturally I must do everything I can to keep you from coming to harm."

As they spoke, the two had already arrived before the armored guards at the city gate.

Before reaching out to take out her token, Cang Yinyue secretly transmitted her voice.

"The imperial capital was already full of undercurrents. Now, because of the false prince, numerous forces are eyeing it like tigers watching their prey. You must beware not only of the Hidden Spy Bureau, but also of forces from every other side."

As she spoke, she handed her Six Doors constable token to the gate guard, then pointed at Li Musheng beside her.

"I have returned from handling a case. This is the major criminal I captured on this trip."

Li Musheng was slightly stunned.

Not bad, not bad. Before they had even entered Shangyang City, this girl had already taught him a lesson.