Abduction

Chen Wu spent a good while flattering the young Duke Chen, leading him on a merry-go-round of aimless wandering. They rang the bell, circled the pagoda, offered incense, prayed over the scriptures, and even sampled the monks' specially prepared vegetarian dishes. At last, he managed to send the little prince off, thoroughly satisfied.

Exhausting! So damn exhausting!

Not only did he have to keep the emotional support flowing, he also had to deal with all sorts of sudden whims.

Chen Wu felt that coaxing the young Duke Chen was far more tiring than practicing martial arts for half a day.

Watching the young Duke Chen look as if he wanted to come play with him again, Chen Wu had to make quite an effort to force out a smile.

Being a sycophant wasn't easy!

For the sake of those twenty-odd manuals, Chen Wu had certainly done his utmost.

He only hoped the manuals would prove useful, so that all his effort wouldn't go to waste.

He spent so long reading the manuals that the sun had set.

Only when his stomach began to growl did Chen Wu emerge from his exam-crammer state. He was about to go find something to eat.

Knock, knock, knock—

A rapid knocking sounded at the door.

What was going on?

Chen Wu opened the door and saw one of the young prince's attendants from that morning, his face full of panic.

"Brother Chen, there's trouble!"

"Did something happen to the young prince?" Chen Wu thought of that first.

It was hardly unusual for that young wastrel to get into trouble.

"The young prince has disappeared!" The attendant was so frantic he was practically hopping in place.

"Don't panic. Take your time and tell me what happened!"

The attendant calmed down a little, then explained.

It turned out that after leaving Chen Wu, the young prince had reverted to his old ways and gone looking for a bit of fun. He'd headed to the biggest brothel in Yan'an Prefecture, intending to enjoy a night of wine and women.

At first, no one thought much of it. But after the young prince had chosen two women and gone into a room with them, he never came out again.

The guards realized something was wrong only to find the place empty.

"Did they leave any clues?"

Chen Wu considered the matter. In a kidnapping case, the motive was usually ransom or revenge, and either way, there should be some kind of clue.

"Someone left a letter and delivered it to the duke," the attendant said. "The duke sent me to ask you to come and discuss it."

"All right. I'll go right away."

Damn it, the man was nothing but trouble. Chen Wu couldn't even get a bite to eat.

For a kidnapping, why go to the Constabulary Office? Why come to me?

Duke Chen's Residence.

As soon as Duke Chen saw Chen Wu approaching from a distance, he hurried over to meet him.

"Little Brother Chen..."

The moment he heard that, Chen Wu broke out in goosebumps. For Duke Chen to address him like that meant this was serious.

"I hardly deserve such a title!" Chen Wu hurriedly returned the greeting.

Duke Chen couldn't wait. He grabbed Chen Wu by the arm.

"I'm counting on you to bring my son back! Those people want money and goods—I'll agree to anything. The important thing is that my son comes home safe and sound."

"Duke, Duke!" Chen Wu said. "Please don't panic. Why have you come to me about this?"

"Those people named you specifically. They want you to go negotiate with them." Duke Chen was clearly anxious. As he looked at Chen Wu, there was also a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.

Who were these people?

Wasn't this making him a suspect too?

"Duke, I don't know why they've done this, but I certainly won't refuse to help. It's just..." Chen Wu said. "Who exactly did this?"

"I don't know the details. You'll have to speak with them yourself," Duke Chen said.

"Then I have one condition."

Chen Wu knew Duke Chen already suspected him. Nothing he said now would clear him of suspicion.

If he put himself in Duke Chen's shoes, it looked as if Chen Wu had a deep connection with the kidnappers. Otherwise, why would they inexplicably insist that he take the lead?

He had to negotiate terms. The more conditions he asked for, the more he could put Duke Chen at ease. After all, whether or not Chen Wu was involved in the kidnapping, the more he stood to gain, the harder he would work.

As for clearing himself of suspicion, that would have to wait until after the young prince was rescued.

"Go ahead!"

"I heard that Emperor Taizong compiled a Martial Canon, which is kept in secret in the Capital City. Only members of the imperial family and nobility are allowed to read it." Chen Wu made a brazen demand. "I want to read that Martial Canon."

"Very well." Some of the suspicion in Duke Chen's eyes faded. "My son has no future in martial arts. I'll grant you the right to read the Martial Canon."

"Just bring my son back!"

Midnight, on the banks of the Yan River.

There was no moon tonight, but the stars shone all the brighter. The Spring Triangle hung high in the sky, looking down upon the mortal world for countless millennia.

Chen Wu waited on the broad, open plain for the negotiator who was about to appear.

Who could it be?

Whoever it was, the man certainly meant him harm!

As Chen Wu pondered, a patch of light rose in the darkness. It was pale and dazzling, and a ball of fire seemed to rise from within it!

No!

Chen Wu knew it was an illusion!

His eyes told him that there was only a thin old man on the other side.

But in his Concentrated Spirit Realm perception, the old man seemed like a ball of flame.

Chen Wu immediately thought of Xu Songnian's Jade Seal.

"So you're the real Jade-Faced Killing God!"

The old man's lips didn't move. Only his Adam's apple bobbed, yet his voice rang out.

"Why do you say that?"

"The dead Jade-Faced Killing God was one of us!"

The old man's lips remained still. It might have been some kind of ventriloquism.

"That doesn't prove I'm the Jade-Faced Killing God, does it?"

"After he died, we sent people to investigate your background." The old man spoke unhurriedly. "The identity you made up in Jiuyuan Prefecture was that of an orphan. We questioned the people involved thoroughly. Although the orphan was about your age, he looked nothing like you."

Fuck! You've earned yourself a death sentence!

Even the Great Shun court hadn't investigated him that thoroughly, and yet these people had dug right down to the bottom.

Chen Wu's background was a false identity borrowed from another disciple of the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower. That disciple had been sent to Gan Province as a contact and had assumed a new name to rebuild the River-Viewing Tower. Chen Wu had simply made use of the identity after it was discarded.

He hadn't expected these people to investigate so thoroughly!

Chen Wu's gaze sharpened at once.

"Who are you people?"

"Oh?" The old man's face filled with scorn. "Has Duke Chen still not figured it out? Or does he simply not want to?"

"Then tomorrow, we'll send another letter and let him think it over."

"For now, you'll stay here!"

"Duke!" A tall, long-legged man with a Thick-Backed Saber on his back stood before Duke Chen and spoke. "This whole affair must be aimed at you. You have to tell me the truth!"

"Were you involved in the Grand Patriarch's death? Are these people connected to the Grand Patriarch's death?"

Duke Chen's eyes darted away, but under the man's piercing stare, he finally gave in.

Duke Chen, who usually seemed like an easygoing old soul, suddenly grew solemn. "Lord Dang! You came up through the Old Five Battalions too. You know what I'm doing this for!"

Lord Dang's expression changed. "Of all the descendants of the Twenty-Two Generals of the Five Camps, you were the most easygoing. You never fought for anything, never shirked your duties, and bore every burden without complaint. Who would've thought you'd pull off something this momentous?"

"That's because the emperor and the Grand Patriarch were wrong! Stubbornly, irredeemably wrong!" Duke Chen declared, each word ringing with conviction. "I was merely setting things right!"