第49章 殿下被擒,反手一个内应

Li Sanshun pulled open the man's collar.

Two short arrows were embedded in his back; the arrowheads had missed any vital organs, and there were no signs of poison around the wounds.

He leaned in and took a sniff.

[Imperial Guard blood qi detected.]

[Residual qi of hemostatic powder and Grey Feather Talisman Paper detected.]

[Arrowheads coated with Soul-Calming Powder.]

Bai Chongshan's men.

Gu Qinghe cut the arrow shafts, and Zhao Rui fed the wounded man a pill.

"What is your name?"

"Song Yuan, third-rank guard of the Fourth Imperial Grandson's Mansion."

Song Yuan endured the pain and tore a copper plaque from his waist. The front was engraved with the name of the Fourth Imperial Grandson's Mansion, while the back bore his name and a blood seal.

Li Sanshun checked it over and returned the plaque to him.

"What is going on at Guest-Welcoming Peak?"

"Bai Chongshan has rebelled."

Song Yuan gasped for air, finally managing to get the words out.

Half an hour ago, Ji Jingyao had just received news from the Judgment Platform and was preparing to bring his men over. Bai Chongshan, however, produced the Kin-Seeking Seal, sealed off the three mountain paths of Guest-Welcoming Peak, and publicly declared that the Imperial Grandson had been assassinated.

The golden-armored guards in the delegation had intended to escort Ji Jingyao down the mountain, but the moment they stepped out of the courtyard, the Imperial Clan Locking Array rose beneath their feet.

All twelve golden-armored guards were trapped in the west courtyard.

The commander of the unit had been incapacitated by Soul-Calming Powder, and his fate remained unknown.

Xiong Baichuan dropped his Copper Hammer onto the ground.

"Can the Kin-Seeking Seal also control the delegation's protective array?"

"The Kin-Seeking Seal is one of the master seals. When paired with the Fourth Imperial Grandson's private seal, it can take over the Guest-Welcoming Peak array disk."

Gu Qinghe grasped the crux of the matter.

"Is Ji Jingyao's private seal also in Bai Chongshan's hands?"

"His Highness's seal was not lost."

Song Yuan fished a blood-stained piece of paper from his robes and spread it out on the stone platform.

There were two seal impressions on the paper.

One came from Ji Jingyao.

The other was pressed over the original, with half a black bird wing pattern protruding from the corner.

"After His Highness checked the delegation's seal registry, he discovered that since arriving at the Tai Xuan Sect, all six of the transfer orders he issued had been altered."

Before the public blood test, Ji Jingyao had issued an order.

Only test the close Ji lineage; do not pre-determine the paternal line.

By the time it reached Bai Chongshan, it had become: identify the Third Prince's direct lineage and bring them back to the Imperial City immediately.

Before the tribute gifts entered the mountain, Ji Jingyao had also ordered them to be stopped.

Yet, not only did the gift-bearing party arrive, but they also smuggled in Spirit-Peering Talismans, Breath-Tracking Incense, and Message-Transmitting Insect Eggs.

The news of the return to the clan, issued in advance by the Imperial City, was not authorized by Ji Jingyao either.

Six transfer orders.

Six instances of tampering.

It was only after the blood mirror disk forgery was exposed that Ji Jingyao began to re-examine his own seals.

"After he discovered this, why didn't he immediately report it to Grand Elder Qi?" Zhao Rui pressed.

"His Highness cares about his reputation."

Song Yuan lowered his head.

"He felt that since there was a mole in the delegation, the Imperial Clan should clean it up themselves. Bai Chongshan has served the Third Prince's mansion for decades; His Highness never expected him to dare make a move."

Li Sanshun understood.

Ji Jingyao was no saint.

He wanted to bring himself back to the Imperial City, and he certainly wanted to use Imperial Blood Fifteen to earn merit.

But the forged blood mirror, the sealing of the registry to silence witnesses, and Xu Zhenchuan's power grab were not all orchestrated by him.

This Fourth Imperial Grandson thought he was using Bai Chongshan to get things done, but in the end, he was merely the seal the delegation placed on display.

"Why is Bai Chongshan turning on him now?"

Gu Changyue picked up the blood-stained order and read it several times.

"Xu Zhenchuan failed to seize the array, and the old scrolls weren't burned either. Bai Chongshan can no longer hide."

Li Sanshun took over.

"So he snatched the Kin-Seeking Seal to lock Ji Jingyao away first. If the Imperial Grandson is alive, he can claim he is protecting him. If the Imperial Grandson dies, he can pin the blame on the Tai Xuan Sect."

Song Yuan nodded vigorously.

"That is what His Highness said as well. He had me crawl out through the drainage hole in the west courtyard, and he strictly ordered me to find only you."

"Why find me?"

"Because Bai Chongshan wants you."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

That made sense.

Bai Chongshan's meddling with the blood mirror disk, the early delivery of the tribute gifts, and having Xu Zhenchuan activate the Sealing Registry—none of these events could bypass Imperial Blood Fifteen.

The call for help from Guest-Welcoming Peak now looked like a net waiting for Li Sanshun to walk into it.

Xiong Baichuan picked up his Copper Hammer.

"I will take the disciples of Zhen Yue Peak to break the array. You stay here."

"No."

Song Yuan struggled to prop himself up, anxious.

"Bai Chongshan has already declared that if a conflict breaks out at the Judgment Platform, it will prove the Tai Xuan Sect is plotting against the Imperial Grandson. In another half hour, he will use the pretext of protecting the Imperial Grandson to invite the Imperial Border Army to seal the mountain."

"The Border Army cannot enter the Tai Xuan Sect," Xiong Baichuan retorted.

"They don't need to enter the mountain."

Song Yuan produced an Urgent Message Talisman.

"As long as they surround the Tai Xuan Sect and send the news of the Imperial Grandson's assassination back to the Imperial City, the sect will never be able to clear its name."

Gu Qinghe looked at her father.

Gu Changyue had already picked up his Hall Master token.

"Let Zhao Rui handle the aftermath of the Judgment Platform. Detain all the Old Dark Patrol Guards and keep the footage from the four mountain paths as evidence."

He pointed to twenty Law Enforcement disciples.

"Go to Guest-Welcoming Peak."

Just as they stepped out of the Judgment Platform, Bai Chongshan's announcement echoed across the mountain.

"The Imperial Grandson has been assassinated! The murderer is from the Tai Xuan Sect!"

"Guest-Welcoming Peak is sealed by Imperial order!"

"Li Sanshun and the Gu family father and daughter have colluded with the old faction! No one is to let them near!"

The three sentences spread to every peak.

Disciples along the path stopped in their tracks.

Gu Changyue raised his Hall Master token.

"Xu Zhenchuan's fake orders have been exposed. The Law Enforcement Hall is conducting an investigation; bystanders, clear the path!"

The mountain road quickly cleared.

Li Sanshun rode at the very front.

When they arrived at Guest-Welcoming Peak, the three stone staircases leading up had already been sealed off by golden array patterns. Nearly a hundred delegation guards stood outside the array, each holding a crossbow.

The leading general recognized Song Yuan.

"Traitorous guard Song Yuan, you colluded with the Tai Xuan Sect to assassinate His Highness!"

"Bullshit!"

Song Yuan rolled off his horse and pulled open his back to show everyone.

"The arrows in my body were shot from inside Guest-Welcoming Peak!"

The leading general did not order his men to fire.

He stared at the wounds on Song Yuan's back, then looked at Li Sanshun.

Not all the delegation guards were Bai Chongshan's men.

They only knew the Imperial Grandson had been assassinated and that Guest-Welcoming Peak was sealed; they had no idea Ji Jingyao was already under house arrest.

Li Sanshun walked to the front of the array without touching the array patterns.

He took a breath.

[Imperial Sealing Array detected.]

[Array qi mixed with residual qi of Blood-Vein Black Iron.]

[Three array eyes replaced by external objects.]

Another fake order from the Ding-Character Furnace.

Bai Chongshan had used a forged sealing order to take over the Guest-Welcoming Peak array disk, then used the Kin-Seeking Seal to suppress the delegation guards. Those outside the array thought they were protecting the Imperial Grandson, while Ji Jingyao inside couldn't even step out the door.

Li Sanshun walked a dozen paces along the array wall.

Suddenly, a short arrow flew out from within the array.

The delegation guards raised their crossbows in unison.

The short arrow pinned itself to the ground beside Li Sanshun's feet, with half a gift note tied to the shaft.

It was the very same nameless gift note that had been sent into the Tai Xuan Sect earlier.

Written on the note were the words: Ding Fire Welcomes the Master.

A few black shavings were stuck to the corner of the paper.

Li Sanshun pressed the black shavings against the array pattern.

The golden array light flickered and developed a gap, though it quickly filled back in.

[Same-source Blood-Vein Black Iron detected.]

[Can interfere with the Guest-Welcoming Peak array eyes.]

Gu Qinghe gripped her sword.

"Can you open it?"

"There is too little iron dust on the gift note."

Song Yuan, however, pointed toward the gift shed outside Guest-Welcoming Peak.

Dozens of wooden gift crates were still piled there.

Every gift note, every crate lock—they were all coated with iron dust from the Ding-Character Furnace.

Just as Li Sanshun was about to head over, Bai Chongshan's voice boomed from the peak.

"Li Sanshun, if you dare touch the tribute gifts, I will kill Ji Jingyao first!"

Behind the array wall, Ji Jingyao's furious roar followed.

"Bai Chongshan, you altered my orders, seized my seals, and now you dare use me as a shield?"

Immediately after, a voice cut through the gap in the array.

"Li Sanshun, tear open the gift crates! The array eyes are at the bottom of the crates!"