Origins

The veiled woman's expression remained indifferent, showing no emotional reaction to Li Musheng's words.

"I am from Great Li's Hidden Spy Bureau."

The woman watched Li Musheng, her gaze deep and cold.

She lightly raised her hand and tossed a token toward Li Musheng, saying:

"I came on this journey because of your origins. I assume you should be interested."

Li Musheng reached out and caught the entirely silver token. After glancing at it, he immediately frowned, suspicion showing on his face.

After transmigrating here, he had only known that the original owner of this body had been a refugee orphan.

Before joining the martial arts school, he had once been taken in by an old beggar for a time, but those memories were extremely vague.

As for who the original owner's parents were, or whether he had truly been from Shun'an City, Li Musheng knew none of it.

Of course, he did not actually care about his own origins.

After all, he was a transmigrator and an orphan. He had no need for family members with whom he shared no emotional bond.

At that moment, seeing Li Musheng fall silent, Cang Yinyue spoke again:

"You may very well be Great Li's Seventh Prince, lost among the common folk."

At those words, Li Musheng leaped down from the city wall and landed beside Cang Yinyue.

"Miss, are you joking? A prince has been missing for twenty years, and only now you thought to look for him?"

Cang Yinyue lightly stepped back, keeping a certain distance from Li Musheng. Her voice remained icy as she said:

"The reasons behind this are rather complicated. If you wish to confirm your origins, you can accompany me to the imperial capital, Shangyang City."

"So my identity as a prince isn't even certain." Li Musheng stroked his chin. "I knew it. With bones and talent as poor as mine, how could I possibly be some damn prince?"

Yet Cang Yinyue shook her head and frowned.

"Do not belittle yourself. Though many forces in the imperial capital are now searching everywhere, in my view, you are the most likely to be that lost prince."

"Why?" Li Musheng was somewhat curious.

"Because I am the Hidden Spy Bureau's foremost Silver-Pattern Secret Agent. No mission I have taken has ever failed, nor has there ever been the slightest omission or error."

Unparalleled confidence shone in Cang Yinyue's eyes. Coupled with her keep-strangers-away attitude, she exuded an aloof, cold, and proud air.

She was clearly a proud, prickly girl!

Li Musheng raised his brows. After pondering for a moment, he said:

"It wouldn't be impossible to go with you. I was planning to roam the world anyway, so it makes no difference where I go."

"However, I can't just follow you without knowing anything. At the very least, you need to let me know the whole story from beginning to end. I'm not much of a fan of people who speak in riddles!"

Cang Yinyue stared at Li Musheng for a while, then lightly nodded.

"So long as it does not involve Hidden Spy Bureau secrets, I will truthfully answer any questions you wish to ask."

Li Musheng lightly clapped his hands and readily said:

"Then let us be on our way. We can talk as we travel."

However, Cang Yinyue's figure suddenly retreated. In the blink of an eye, she was already several yards away.

"Wait for me half an incense stick's time. I have some matters to deal with. Once I am finished, I will certainly come find you!"

Li Musheng did not mind. He waved his hand and said:

"Then go take care of it. I'll wait for you."

Then he simply sat beneath the shade of a tree to cool off.

Half an incense stick later, Cang Yinyue arrived right on time, leading two yellow horses with black manes into Li Musheng's sight.

When she came closer, she handed the reins of one horse to Li Musheng. Her voice was still ice-cold.

"Let's go."

"You're rich, huh? These horses must cost several dozen taels each, right?"

Li Musheng casually tossed Cang Yinyue's token back to her, then took the reins and lightly vaulted onto the horse's back.

"Once your identity as a prince has been confirmed, mere gold and silver will amount to nothing to you."

Cang Yinyue spoke blandly. She put away the token and was about to mount her horse when she saw Li Musheng smack his horse's rump. Amid a sharp neigh, he shot out of the city like an arrow loosed from the bowstring.

He isn't trying to run away, is he?

Cang Yinyue furrowed her delicate brows. She immediately pushed off the ground, swiftly mounted her horse, and pursued Li Musheng in the direction he had gone, shouting at the same time:

"You're going the wrong way!"

Near sunset, amid the alternating clatter of hoofbeats, the two riders approached a remote little town.

"We will rest here tonight and continue our journey tomorrow morning."

Cang Yinyue did not enter the town. Instead, she stopped on a slope outside it.

Li Musheng looked around but said nothing. He casually left the horse to one side and allowed it to find grass on its own.

As for himself, he gathered some dry branches and started a bonfire in a sheltered spot.

"Miss Cang, come sit down. Let's chat."

Li Musheng beckoned to her.

Along the way today, Cang Yinyue had already roughly explained everything related to his origins.

He found that the whole affair was indeed rather melodramatic: a civet cat switched for a crown prince, true and false princes, palace struggles...

It had to be said, these imperial nobles really knew how to play!

"No need. I am used to being alone. If you have questions, you may ask them directly."

Cang Yinyue leaned against an old tree, showing no intention of moving.

Li Musheng did not force her. As he poked at the firewood, he calmed himself and considered the matters connected to him...

Four months earlier, the Heavenly Brocade Guard in the imperial capital had received a secret letter addressed directly to their Commander.

The letter stated that the current Seventh Prince was not the Emperor's biological son, but had been switched by someone's scheme twenty years ago.

The true Seventh Prince had been abandoned by the Great Crown River outside Shangyang City. Whether he was alive or dead was now unknown.

Before long, the matter was reported to Emperor Yuanwu, who summoned the Seventh Prince, Li Zhi, overnight.

No one knew what had happened in Tianqian Palace that night. They only knew that before dawn, several secret edicts had been issued from within the imperial palace.

Seventh Prince Li Zhi was thrown into the Heavenly Prison, while the Heavenly Brocade Guard, Imperial Secret Police, and Hidden Spy Bureau all received secret orders to investigate the prince-switching incident from twenty years ago with all their strength.

Clearly, the imperial palace had originally intended to conceal this royal scandal, but for some unknown reason, the news had grown wings and spread without a leg to carry it.

By the next day, it had spread throughout the entire imperial capital of Shangyang City. Even the common folk in the streets and alleys knew of it.

From that time onward, all forces within the imperial capital had begun to stir. Not only were they convinced that the prince had been switched twenty years ago, they had also begun using every means at their disposal to search everywhere for the true Seventh Prince, lost among the common folk.

According to Cang Yinyue, she had mobilized every overt and covert spy in the Hidden Spy Bureau. Only after countless open investigations and secret inquiries, combined with every relevant clue from the past twenty years, had she finally found Li Musheng.

Naturally, the Heavenly Brocade Guard and Imperial Secret Police, who had also received the secret order, were likewise searching for the "Seventh Prince." However, each faction possessed different information, so the people they ultimately found would likely differ as well.

"Miss Cang, are you truly certain that I am the Seventh Prince? If I am not, what will you do then?"

Li Musheng gathered his thoughts and suddenly asked.