Missing Thoughts

Chapter 49

Zhongli Que did not chat too much with Chu Jin about the Nangong family. After finishing her massage lesson for the day, she bid farewell to Chu Jin and left.

Back in the carriage, Zhongli Que quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Su Feng asked her, "What's wrong?"

Zhongli Que shook her head. She had simply remembered the flower viewing banquet from that year, and her emotions had surged. She could only suppress them at the medical clinic.

"Second Brother, what's your impression of Sister Chu? Am I overthinking things?" Zhongli Que looked at Su Feng, her brow furrowed in distress.

"I can't fault her, but the matter of the invitation makes me a little uneasy," Su Feng mused. "Let's observe for a few more days. If the banquet can be postponed, let's postpone it. Don't send out invitations until the last day."

Zhongli Que nodded.

As the two left in the carriage, Chu Jin, who was watching the scene from her window, gently lowered the hand that had been holding the curtain.

Her expression remained unchanged. She took out her Listening Wind Ruler and sent a cryptic message. After successfully sending it, she shattered the Listening Wind Ruler in her hand.

Yu Sui, still in the dining hall, had been waiting to see if there were any unusual movements at the medical clinic after Zhongli Que left. She hadn't expected to encounter something today.

It wasn't her Listening Wind Ruler that Chu Jin was monitoring, but the message was sent from the medical clinic. She didn't know which family's Nine Schools Techniques cipher it was.

Yu Sui told Old Man Yan the location where the message was received.

Old Man Yan had done many things for Yu Sui over the years.

Relying on the various intelligence provided by Yu Sui, he had dealt with the underworld of the Imperial Capital, involved in both legitimate and illegitimate circles.

Yu Sui didn't interfere with how Old Man Yan operated; she was only responsible for relaying the information he needed.

The only time she actively sought Old Man Yan's help was two years ago when she intercepted news of Crown Prince Qingyang's plan to capture the leader of the Lan Poison organization. She connected with the Crown Prince's rival, the Sixth Highness, causing Crown Prince Qingyang's capture to fail and allowing the leader to escape. Then, she had Old Man Yan help the Sixth Highness capture the leader.

That day was the palace banquet. Qingyang Emperor learned that the Crown Prince had failed to capture the Lan Poison leader, whom he had disliked for a long time, and was furious. He was extremely disappointed in the Crown Prince. When the Crown Prince returned to the Imperial Capital, the Emperor refused to see him, making the Crown Prince kneel in the heavy rain for an entire day.

Yu Sui, holding an umbrella, watched the Crown Prince kneeling in the rain from a distance and then slowly departed.

Afterward, the Sixth Highness Qingyang returned with the head of the Lan Poison organization leader, which pleased the Qingyang Emperor. It also greatly boosted the Sixth Highness's reputation, and he gradually became heavily relied upon by His Majesty.

In addition to using the Listening Wind Ruler to obtain information and locate targets, Yu Sui also relied on her own Five Elements Light Core to help with tracking and monitoring. Although she couldn't directly intervene in the world of Nine Schools Practitioners, occasionally participating in power struggles in the Imperial Capital wasn't too difficult.

Moreover, the situation in the Qingyang Imperial Capital was already prone to chaos. The Qingyang Emperor had many offspring, and several capable Highnesses were eyeing the position of Crown Prince. Factions formed, officials changed rapidly each year, and wars frequently broke out in the surrounding feudal states.

There were powerful figures every year. Everyone yearned for the highest position in the Imperial Capital, wanting to gain more or maintain stability.

When Yu Sui took action, Old Man Yan would help her assess the situation, telling her who she could afford to offend and who she couldn't.

Although he was usually taciturn, he was sharp and insightful when he needed to speak.

Yu Sui learned a lot from Old Man Yan. She felt that Old Man Yan must have been a master strategist in the Yan Kingdom, either a strategist for a noble family or a powerful official of the Yan Kingdom.

But since Old Man Yan didn't say anything, she wouldn't know which it was.

The sunlight in the Qingyang Imperial Capital was strong now, marking the end of late spring. The flowering trees along the road were no longer a sea of pink and white, but had returned to being lush and green.

The alleys and small lanes were deserted and very quiet.

Because the lush green trees in the courtyards on both sides extended many branches, the entire path was covered in shadow, making it appear cool and shaded even under the bright sun.

Upon closer inspection, one could see a long, thin black shadow moving along the wall on the shaded part of the road.

The black shadow detached itself from the ground, climbed the stone wall, and entered a certain residence.

Kang Heng, inside the house, had just put away his Listening Wind Ruler and was preparing to act according to the received orders.

As he stepped out of the door, he alertly looked up. At the same moment he sensed danger, a flash of blade light appeared before his eyes. Kang Heng's pupils constricted, and his eyes, filled with terror, reflected a black and gold staff knife. It was imposing and sinister, but the most dangerous element was the black-clothed youth wielding it.

The youth appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen years old, with fair skin and delicate features. His handsome eyebrows were slightly raised, and his smile was bright and sunny, like a mischievous neighborhood boy.

"Yo!"

The black-clothed youth even greeted him playfully. With a single slash, he shattered Kang Heng's Five Elements defense, sending him heavily injured back into the house. The shockwave from the collision of the two Five Elements energies shattered the door, sending splinters of wood flying into the dirt and the house.

Kang Heng clutched his chest, a mouthful of blood rising to his throat. He tried to hold it back but couldn't, spitting out a large amount.

Who?! Kang Heng's nerves were completely taut. He had no time to wonder why he had been exposed or who the enemy was.

He reacted extremely quickly, re-gathering his Five Elements energy before the black-clothed youth could strike again. It wasn't to fight, but to escape with all his might.

Yin-Yang School's Heavenly Secrets Technique - Swallowing Shadow.

As a black shadow began to form on the ground, the staff knife in the black-clothed youth's hand had already reached Kang Heng's eyes. He was shocked.

Such speed!

He didn't even give Kang Heng time to perform the Nine Schools Techniques!

The sharp long blade directly severed Kang Heng's right hand, which had been secretly forming seals. As a scream rang out, the youth didn't pause. With a backhand strike, he thrust the blade directly into Kang Heng's abdomen, embedding it in the flesh before twisting it horizontally, preventing him from using any Nine Schools Techniques and pinning him in place, unable to move.

The black-clothed youth acted without the slightest hesitation, his movements decisive and ruthless, as if he had done this many times before. His speed gave Kang Heng no chance to react at all.

Kang Heng's face turned visibly pale, sweat beading on his forehead. He looked at the black-clothed youth with a mixture of shock and resentment.

The black-clothed youth bent down to retrieve his Listening Wind Ruler. The moment his fingertips touched it, he sensed something was wrong. As he instantly retreated with Shunying, Kang Heng's Five Elements Light Core exploded, destroying himself completely and also shattering the Listening Wind Ruler.

Blood splattered throughout the room. The black-clothed youth swung his blade, blocking all the spraying blood. Standing at the doorway, silhouetted against the light, he looked at the unrecognizable remains of Kang Heng and let out a helpless tut.

He didn't get the Listening Wind Ruler, and he didn't capture anyone alive. What could he take back to report?

He hadn't intended to kill anyone. He was just ordered to retrieve the Listening Wind Ruler and ask a few questions. Who knew this person would be so scared that they'd self-destruct?

The young man in black looked around, searched the room for a moment, confirmed there was no missed information, then closed the door and melted back into the shadows, waiting to see if there were any accomplices. Chu Jin sat by the consultation desk on the first floor of the medical clinic. The dim light filtering through the window illuminated the desk, where an open medical book was marked with many red lines. Chu Jin idly flipped through the book.

It wasn't until dusk that a female doctor approached and whispered something in her ear.

Chu Jin closed the medical book, and the female doctor bowed and retreated.

She pointed a finger at her jaw, looking out at the dim sky. The bustling streets of the day were now deserted.

Who was disrupting her plans? Was it the second young master from the King's Mansion who had just arrived today, or the Zhongli family, who had somehow become aware?

If it was the former, it would be easy to handle. But if it was the Zhongli family's great general, he wouldn't be easy to deal with.

However, this also seemed to confirm her suspicions: the Listening Wind Ruler was indeed problematic.

Chu Jin gracefully rose from her seat and said calmly to the female doctor waiting beside her, "Use the Agricultural School's sound transmission to tell everyone not to use the Listening Wind Ruler for now. All messages will be sent and received via sound transmission beasts."

"Also, have Xuan Kui's people find a way to get Zhongli Que's Listening Wind Ruler."

The Imperial Capital's nights were even livelier than its days. Many streets that were closed during the day were brightly lit and bustling with people after nightfall.

The shadow climbed the walls shrouded in darkness, reaching the deepest part of the bustling street. Two Taoist talismans for soundproofing hung on the door, blocking out all the noise from the front of the street.

49 Chapter 49 (Page 2/2)

Upon entering, he saw two lush jujube trees. The shadow turned left and followed the water corridor towards the inner courtyard.

Stone lanterns stood on either side of the white-walled archway, illuminating the dark night. An old man sat in the rain pavilion, brewing tea. Across from the old man sat a blind young man, who said gently, "Ye Xi is back."

It was a slightly awkward name, but the blind young man pronounced it clearly and perfectly.

Zou Yexi emerged from the darkness. His usually smiling face instantly turned pitiful as Old Man Yan looked at him. "I waited all night, and no one came. I guess they saw something was wrong from afar with those little bugs from the Agricultural School, so they didn't come."

"That person was so scared they self-destructed rather than let me take his Listening Wind Ruler," Zou Yexi said rapidly. "But he used the Yin-Yang School's Nine Schools Techniques. I shattered the Swallowing Shadow as soon as it started. I searched his room again and found some recorded messages targeting the Zhongli family. They've been keeping an eye on that Miss Zhongli recently."

"There are many people from the Agricultural School in the Imperial Capital," Old Man Yan's voice was hoarse, his withered face showing no emotion.

Zou Yexi fiddled with his sleeve, wiping his face, and walked into the rain pavilion, sitting down casually to drink tea. "Have Shan Rong calculate what he's up to. Otherwise, I'll just go to the medical clinic and drag that person over for you to interrogate?"

Shan Rong chuckled upon hearing this. His handsome face, having had his eyes gouged out, now had only two dark, sinister holes.

The young man propped his face in his hands, his eyes darting between the elderly disabled person with a broken arm on his left and the young blind disabled person on his right. He sighed, "I still don't even know why we have to protect that Miss Zhongli. Old man, I've been working for you for several years. You should tell me who your boss is!"

Old Man Yan said nothing.

Zou Yexi slammed the table. "See, you still don't believe me! I came all the way from Yan Kingdom to join you! If you don't tell me today, I'm quitting!"

He stood up and walked away, glancing at Old Man Yan with one eye open and one closed. Seeing that Old Man Yan didn't react, as if he didn't care whether he stayed or left, Zou Yexi couldn't hold out and walked back to the table as if nothing had happened, sitting next to Shan Rong.

"You've alerted the enemy," Old Man Yan said calmly. "Continue to keep an eye on the medical clinic."

Zou Yexi nodded obediently. "Okay."

Old Man Yan continued, "Shan Rong, locate any disciples from the Agricultural School who enter or leave the medical clinic or the Zhongli family."

"Alright," Shan Rong nodded gently.

Old Man Yan held the Listening Wind Ruler in one hand and sent a message back to Yu Sui, informing her of the day's events.

Although he couldn't be sure if the encrypted message was from Chu Jin, it was sent from the medical clinic, so it was likely her.

The decoded meaning of the encrypted message was: Zhongli Que's Listening Wind Ruler.

Yu Sui was currently at the Ghost Path Saint Hall. She stood under an apricot tree, gazing at the ripe apricots, when her Listening Wind Ruler buzzed.

After reading Old Man Yan's reply, Yu Sui fell into thought.

Old Man Yan said, "If the other party is smart, they'll know the problem lies with today's message. They won't use the Listening Wind Ruler to transmit messages anymore. They might also try to probe you, continuing to send unimportant messages to lure the snake out of its hole."

While obtaining information from the Listening Wind Ruler was convenient, it was also dangerous.

Intercepted messages from the Listening Wind Ruler had only appeared in Qingyang's Imperial Capital in recent years. If someone noticed this and spent time carefully investigating, it would only be a matter of time before the mastermind was found.

Chu Jin had initially noticed Zhongli Que's Listening Wind Ruler.

While teaching massage, she had seen Zhongli Que's Listening Wind Ruler receive and send messages several times. But when she got her hands on it, she couldn't find any message information.

"I'll tell her to be careful," Yu Sui replied.

Old Man Yan added, "No need to worry."

Upon seeing these four words, Yu Sui couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly.

To some extent, although Yu Sui and Old Man Yan cooperated, they did not interfere with each other.

Yu Sui didn't know what channels or means Old Man Yan had, and Old Man Yan's subordinates didn't know Yu Sui.

She was only responsible for providing information, while Old Man Yan would use this information to do certain things and then return more money to her than a single gold coin.

Although Old Man Yan spoke little, he always kept his word.

At this moment, Old Man Yan said to Yu Sui, "Focus on your cultivation at Taiyi. I will handle the troubles in the Imperial Capital for you."

The child who longed for power finally stepped into the world of cultivation after growing up.

Although Old Man Yan couldn't see Yu Sui, he could imagine how excited and happy she was.

However, the world of the Nine Schools Techniques was no easier than the world of normal practitioners.

He recalled a spring night rain two years ago. Yu Sui, only sixteen then, still had a touch of childishness on her face, but her eyebrows and eyes were already lively and charming. She wore a rose-red long dress, a white fluffy coat, and sat behind the table in the rain pavilion, drinking cup after cup of the tea he brewed.

That evening, Yu Sui had gone out with her second brother, Su Feng, and a group of friends. While they were dining and having fun at the restaurant upfront, she managed to sneak away.

Yu Sui chatted idly with Old Man Yan. Holding the hot tea, she looked up through the steaming white mist, her clear eyes reflecting Old Man Yan's expressionless, withered face. She smiled and said, "You seem to have come back to life."

The young girl exclaimed in a crisp voice, "Not as lifeless as before."

The spring night's fine rain tapped on the rain pavilion, the raindrops falling from the corners forming lines.

Old Man Yan didn't reply but poured himself a cup of hot tea.

The young girl didn't feel awkward. She propped her chin on one hand, looking at him curiously, "Will you go back to Yan Kingdom?"

Old Man Yan said, "No."

"Is it that it has completely disappointed you?" the young girl asked again.

Old Man Yan didn't answer.

The young girl parted her lips and gently blew on the hot tea, "I heard my father is one of the main forces stirring up trouble in Yan Kingdom. He killed many people there and made Yan Kingdom no longer the Yan Kingdom of its people. As a person of Yan Kingdom, you must hate him and wish him dead."

"Then why don't you hate me?" the young girl asked, her watery eyes sparkling with a soft smile, "I am Nangong Ming's daughter, the heir he personally appointed for the King's Mansion."

Old Man Yan also looked at her, his gaze calm and indifferent, "You don't seem like his daughter."

"Unfortunately, I am," the young girl sighed regretfully, "If I weren't his daughter, I might not be alive now."

"I will see you and Nangong Ming separately," Old Man Yan said, "Although you want to escape your father's control, you cannot be too hasty."

The young girl's gaze faltered slightly.

Old Man Yan continued, "Your father is a more powerful and terrifying person than you imagine."

"I know that too," the young girl said, holding her cup with both hands, drinking tea with a well-behaved posture, "That's why I haven't provoked him when I could be crushed by a single finger."

This time, it was Old Man Yan's turn to ask her, "What do you want to save money for?"

"With money, you can do many things; without money, you can do nothing," the young girl said with a bright smile, "When I'm free in the future, I can buy property in other countries, start a small business, and live a leisurely life counting money coming in every day."

It sounded like a beautiful fantasy.

Old Man Yan, however, said, "Your father will not be satisfied with just Yan Kingdom. Until his ambitions are realized, nowhere will be safe. Except for Qingyang, anyone could be the next Yan Kingdom."

The young girl looked at the misty tea, and said softly, "But I don't like Qingyang."

Old Man Yan just looked at her, not speaking.

Nangong Ming probably never imagined that his enemy would one day serve his daughter.