Shi Dao's expression grew darker, but upon learning that this man was one of the Thirteen Guardians, he had to swallow his anger. "What do you mean by this, Lord Cao?" he asked heavily. "Shi Yi took bribes and perverted the law. He deserved to die! I bitterly regret having misjudged him!"
"Oh? Is that so?"
Cao Jinxing chuckled without committing himself, then turned to Hou Rong. "Lord Hou, we meet again."
"You cut an even finer figure than before, Lord Cao."
Hou Rong offered the compliment without any change in expression.
He had been carefully observing their expressions all along.
There was little malice on Cao Jinxing's face, while Shen Xiang beside him remained cold-faced and unchanged. Hou Rong could not tell what attitude these two "imperial envoys" actually held.
Still, as Cao Jinxing had said, the two of them had brought Shi Yi's case to light.
By sending them here now, the emperor had already sent certain signals.
He was not as optimistic as Shi Dao.
Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother must have uncovered something. Seventh Brother, in particular, had formidable palm techniques, excellent lightness skills, and a knack for tracking. Last time, he had nearly followed Hou Rong to the contact point. Had the Thirteen Wings not spotted him, they would already have been exposed!
Yesterday, the Poison King had used a ruse to gravely wound Seventh Brother, while the Great General had cooperated by staging his own suffering. They had expected His Majesty to dismiss his suspicions, lavish comfort upon them, and spare no expense seeking treatment. Once Seventh Brother had been dragged half to death, trusted men like them would stage another performance with the Mongols and recover a single dose of the antidote to revive the Great General. Two birds with one stone: suspicions