The Foolish Agent

Chapter 39

Butler Wu immediately clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to them, introducing himself:

"Your subordinate, Wuyun, pays respects to the Sect Master, the Third Sect Master, and the young masters!"

"No need for formalities! Tell us about the situation in Jianzhou these past few days, then go and prepare some food for us," Xuanyuan said, raising his hand.

Leng Jie added, "It would be best if you could prepare some bath water for us. Even though it's winter, it's really unpleasant to go six days without a bath."

"Yes, gentlemen, please have some hot tea first. I'll go make the arrangements and then report back to the two sect leaders about the situation in the city."

Leng Jie couldn't help but admire the efficiency of Longmen; their work was consistently impressive. In less than half an hour, they were enjoying a fragrant, hot, and delicious meal. Having endured six days' worth of dry rations, the group, upon seeing the secret recipe, completely abandoned their ethereal, otherworldly demeanor. Whether emperor or prince, they all devoured the food with gusto. Leng Jie thought the best thing about Longmen was that there were no restrictions on meat.

After the meal, it was learned from Wu Yun that apart from the large gathering of martial arts practitioners, there was no major disturbance in Jianzhou City. The fact that the Prince Ying's mansion had fallen into the hands of the Qingyi Sect remained unknown to the outside world. Even the Longmen Sect couldn't ascertain the situation inside the mansion. The person who initially sent the message from inside had disappeared without a trace. Several groups were later sent in to investigate, but all returned without a trace. In other words, no one knew whether the people inside the mansion were alive or dead.

The air pressure in the hall suddenly dropped so low that it was hard to breathe.

Shi Yu's face became even more gloomy and terrifying, and two clusters of destructive flames were burning fiercely in his dark and deep eyes!

Xuanyuan's expression was equally cold and stern, his phoenix eyes filled with a chilling, bloodthirsty light!

Qingfeng remained expressionless, yet the chill emanating from him could freeze the surrounding air.

Leng Jie looked at the room full of people exuding a violent aura and sighed inwardly! This isn't a competition of coolness; is it really necessary to put on such an expression? Even if everyone in the Prince's mansion had been wiped out by the Green Robe Sect, they should wait until they found the Green Robe Sect members before seeking revenge! However, she figured if she said that now, she would definitely be considered a cold-blooded and ruthless person. Therefore, she quietly left the hall.

When the group in the hall recovered from their grief and anger and began discussing their next move, they realized someone was missing. However, they all assumed she was in a hurry to take a bath. Since they all considered his skills mediocre and had no intention of letting him take any risks, they went about their own business. After deciding on their plan for the next day, Wuyun told them the water had been placed in their rooms. They went back to their rooms to shower and sleep, not paying any attention to where the missing person had gone.

When they went to wake her the next morning, they found her room empty, and the blankets untouched. Her luggage was gone, and then they discovered that one of her horses was missing.

Finally, Yuan Zheng found a letter on Qingfeng's saddle. Seeing that it was addressed to Qingfeng, Yuan Zheng hurriedly handed it to him. Qingfeng snatched the letter, opened it, and stared in disbelief. His eyes widened, and he gritted his teeth, squeezing out a sentence: "Damn it, she ran away again!" And she went alone into a dangerous place.

"What happened? Why did he abandon us and run away at this time?" Xuanyuan asked incredulously. He didn't believe that Wuming was a coward who feared death.

Shi Yu was puzzled. Had she really run away? Did she agree to come to Jianzhou just to find the right opportunity to slip away?

The others from Longmen exchanged bewildered glances! Had the three sect leaders deserted in the face of battle?

"If she really ran away, I won't be angry!" Qingfeng tossed the letter in her hand to Xuanyuan and said resentfully, "Read it yourself!"

“Senior brother, I’m going into the city first and will be back before dark tomorrow. The people from the Green Robe Sect know Xiao Shiyu, so you must keep him here. Xuan Yuanshi is the leader of the sect and shouldn’t show himself too early. Please keep him here as well. Your task is to keep an eye on the two of them; leave everything else to me. Leng Jie, please.”

Xuanyuan read the letter word by word. Everyone stared at the paper in disbelief.

"No way? The Third Sect Master is really something else!" Yuan Zheng was the first to exclaim.

Yang Pu continued, "Yes, yes, I almost wronged him."

Xuanyuan's sharp gaze swept over them, and the two immediately fell silent.

"Isn't she just courting death? The Green Robe Cult is laying its trap for her!" Shi Yu said bitterly.

Qingfeng mounted his horse and said to Xuanyuan and Xiaoshiyu, "What she said makes sense. Neither of you can show yourselves now. I'll go help her. You two stay here."

“No, Shi Yu can stay behind alone. I’ll go with you.” Xuan Yuan mounted his horse and turned to the men below, saying, “Yuan Zheng, Yang Pu, I told you to protect the Third Master at all times. I won’t hold you accountable for your dereliction of duty. Now I’m giving you two a chance to redeem yourselves. Protect Young Master Shi well. If anything happens to him again, you know the consequences, right?”

"Yes, Yuan Zheng (Yangpu) obeys!"

Then, ignoring Xiao Shiyu's murderous glare, the two men forcibly carried him out of the stable.

Chapter Seventy-Six: Cleverly Breaking Through the Prince's Mansion

As the first rays of dawn broke, the two men and their two riders arrived outside the gates of Jianzhou. The gates were not yet open, but two long lines of people had spontaneously formed outside, waiting to enter the city. One line consisted of peddlers and laborers carrying loads and pushing carts, waiting to roam the streets and alleys. The other line was made up of travelers carrying bundles on their shoulders.

Qingfeng and Xuanyuan rode their horses directly to the city gate, scanning the crowd waiting to enter. They couldn't find the person they were looking for. Qingfeng thought with frustration, "I should have known better than to teach her lightness skill." Seeing that the city gate was about to open, they dismounted and joined the second line. Several other martial arts practitioners then joined the line behind them. However, Qingfeng and Xuanyuan were focused intently on the city gate, completely oblivious to the shocked expressions on the faces of those behind them when they saw their horses.

"Hey! Look, that horse that was beaten so badly just now looks just like these two brothers' horses! Could they be the same ones?" A straightforward middle-aged warrior suddenly pointed at Qingfeng and his companions' horses and said.

Another thin, elderly man chimed in:

"Yes, in all my years of traveling around, this is the first time I've ever seen three Akhal-Teke horses in a single day in the interior! It's just a pity that such a fine horse has encountered such a ruthless owner!"

As he spoke, the old man's tone became filled with regret.

Finally, the words "Akhal-Teke horse" reached the ears of the two who were anxiously waiting for the door to open.

The two exchanged a glance, then turned around and asked in unison:

"Where else have you seen a horse like this?"

Where are they now?

Seeing their anxious expressions, the middle-aged man and the old man seemed to have discerned something. The straightforward middle-aged man immediately asked excitedly:

"Did you lose your horse? That horse is yours, isn't it!" Then, triumphantly, he said to the old man, "Old ghost, I wasn't wrong, was I? That guy really was a horse thief. It must have been that the precious horse recognized its owner and refused to go with him, which is why he treated it so badly! I knew it, how could a normal person bring themselves to harm such a rare and precious horse?"

Dealing with horses? How could she possibly deal with horses? She cherishes them so much.

The middle-aged man's unclear words left Qingfeng and Xuanyuan completely bewildered. Looking at the old man with confusion, they asked again urgently:

"Sir, please tell us where the horse and the man are now?"

The old man pointed to the main road leading to the west and said:

"When we came here just now, that man and horse were in the poplar grove five miles away. We don't know where they are now?"

Before the old man could finish speaking, the two men and two horses had already galloped off towards the main road to the west, leaving behind a series of clattering hooves and the astonished gazes of the crowd.

The middle-aged man asked, stunned, "How did they mount their horses? Did you see it clearly?"

"I'm getting old! A new talent has emerged in the martial arts world!" the old man sighed.

Five miles is nothing to the Akhal-Teke horse, which can travel a thousand miles a day.

In the distance, the two saw a grove of straight poplars standing proudly against the wind and frost in the morning light. Suddenly, a piercing cry pierced the air from the poplar grove.

As if hearing their companion's cry for help, the two spirit-like steeds reared up and responded with two identical "neighs!" like a hurricane sweeping towards Yang Lin. The two riders simultaneously whipped their horses into action.

"Giddy up!" "Giddy up!"

Upon entering Yanglin, one sees a tall, burly man in blue robes, cursing and whipping a horse that has fallen and rolled on the ground. The horse emits low, mournful cries.

"Stop!" "Stop!"

"I'll beat you to death, you suicidal beast..." The burly man trembled at the sudden shouts. He swallowed back the words he was about to say, along with his saliva. His arm trembled, and the whip slipped from his grasp. Before he could even turn his head to look in the direction of the shouts, he saw two fine horses standing beside the ones he had beaten, their bodies covered in wounds. Seeing that they looked exactly alike, the man involuntarily took a few steps back, stumbling into a ditch and falling flat on his back. Before he even felt the pain of the fall, two sharp swords appeared, one on each side of his neck with a "swish, swish."

"Great hero, spare me! Spare my life!" Driven by his survival instinct, he begged for mercy in a trembling voice before even fully understanding the situation.

Where are they?

Where is the horse's owner?

Two chilling shouts, sharp enough to freeze a heart instantly, rang out simultaneously again. The burly man involuntarily shivered. Then he felt the sword against his neck press closer, the blade's coldness becoming palpable. His terrified eyes widened, unfocused. His face turned deathly pale, his lips purple, and his entire body trembled uncontrollably. A rustling sound came from between his legs, followed by rising white steam.

"No, don't kill me! I, I, I'll talk."

"Tell me, what did you do to the owner of this horse?"

The horse owner? So they weren't looking for the horse, but its owner! Like a drowning man finally grasping at a straw, the burly man seemed to see a glimmer of hope and answered in a trembling voice:

"No, I didn't see the master. There was only the horse's tether, tied to that poplar tree."

Knowing that the horse's owner was alright, Qingfeng and Xuanyuan simultaneously sheathed their swords. Qingfeng didn't even want to look at the person on the ground again, and turned to treat the horse's wounds.

With the sword removed from his neck, the burly man finally mustered his courage and recognized the owners of the two drawn swords. They were two handsome, richly dressed young men. In his eyes, such young men were nothing but good-looking but useless spoiled brats, so he grew bolder and readily explained to them:

"I was passing by here this morning and saw a fine horse tied up here. Since no one was around, I thought I'd borrow it. But this beast wouldn't let me near and even kicked me twice. I got angry and slapped it, and then..."

Xuanyuan bent down to pick up the leather whip from the ground, glanced at the burly man, and replied sternly:

"Then you whip it with this barbed leather whip?"

What a stern and imposing aura! The burly man shuddered involuntarily again, and replied in a trembling voice:

"I, I'll compensate you."

Xuanyuan sneered and said disdainfully, "Pay? You? You probably couldn't afford to pay for this horse even in eight lifetimes!"

Qingfeng glanced at Xuanyuan impatiently, exchanging glances: "There's no need to waste words with this kind of person. First, cripple his martial arts, then cripple his legs. Let him stay here to watch over these three horses for us. When we come back tonight, we'll see if we should spare his worthless life."

The burly man was indignant at Xuanyuan's words. How could he, the cousin of the Bronze Sword Branch Master of the Azure Clad Sect, be inferior to a horse? He was about to retort when, just as he opened his mouth, he felt something fishy slide down his throat. He stared in astonishment at the young master who was administering medicine to the horse, and asked in surprise:

What did you give me to eat?

"Poison! This medicine can seal a person's martial arts and internal energy for twelve hours, and render their legs powerless. After twelve hours, if there's an antidote, you'll be fine. Without the antidote, you'll never be able to practice martial arts again, nor will you ever be able to walk." The icy voice was chilling, like something from hell. "You injured our horses, so you'll have to compensate us by serving us like cattle. When we return tonight, if all three horses are unharmed, then you can be safe too."

Xuanyuan figured they couldn't possibly abandon the injured horse and enter the city, much less take it with them. So, they had no choice but to leave all three horses behind. To prevent passersby from coveting them, they decided to leave someone there to guard them. They would find someone from Longmen to deal with the situation once they were inside the city.

"That's all we can do."

Xuanyuan turned around, took the bundle from the horse's back, wrapped the reins around the saddle, patted the horse's head, and said to them, "Stay here with your brothers and wait for us to return. If there is any danger, go back first. Understand?"

The two horses seemed to understand his words, and reluctantly nuzzled their heads against Xuanyuan. The horse lying on the ground, covered in wounds, seemed to know that it had its companions with it, and a single, crystal-clear tear rolled down its cheek.

Xuanyuan and Qingfeng abandoned their horses and used their light-footed skills to enter the city. This time, they paid special attention to the topics of conversation among pedestrians. A voice in their hearts cried out, "Please, please, no news of anything happening to the Prince's Mansion!" But life is often unpredictable. When the people from Longmen tried every means to find out about the Prince's Mansion, there wasn't a single whisper of news. Now, what they feared most had come to pass.

Sure enough, as soon as we entered Wangfu Street, we heard groups of passersby whispering about what had happened at the Prince of England's residence the previous night.

"Have you heard? The Prince of England's mansion was struck by lightning last night."

"Yes! I was getting up in the middle of the night when there was a huge 'bang!' of thunder that nearly made me fall into the latrine. Then I heard someone shouting that there was a fire coming from the Prince's Mansion! I immediately thought it must be related to that thunder. Sure enough, when I passed by the Prince's Mansion this morning, I saw that a house on the next street had been completely destroyed by the thunder!"

"No way? It's winter, how can there be thunder!"

"What's the big deal? Haven't you heard the saying that frost in June and thunder in December indicate injustice? It seems there must be some kind of miscarriage of justice in the Prince's mansion?"

"But the King of England has always been a good person; I've never heard of him abusing his power to bully the people."

"Sigh! You just don't understand! Which wealthy family doesn't have a few wronged souls in their household?"

Xuanyuan nudged Qingfeng and continued walking. After only a few steps, a group of people on the street began to murmur amongst themselves again:

"My second aunt's house is right next to the Prince's Mansion. I heard that the mansion was in chaos all night last night! First, it was struck by lightning and a fire broke out, then smoke rose everywhere, and then there were sounds of fighting and women's shrill screams..."

With a "whoosh," Qingfeng felt his mind turn into mush. His mind and heart were filled with the repeated phrase, "smoke rising everywhere, sounds of fighting, a woman's piercing screams," and he involuntarily murmured, "No, she can't be hurt..."

Confused, Xuanyuan stared blankly at Qingfeng, who was murmuring softly. Suddenly, two fierce beams of light shot out from his eyes, and a chilling killing intent emanated from his body. His fists clenched so tightly that they made a cracking sound. Xuanyuan had only seen Qingfeng like this once before, when they fought their way out of the encirclement on the battlefield. He had the same expression on his face then.

He must have discovered something! Xuanyuan's heart tightened, and he reached out to grab Qingfeng, who was about to rush forward, and asked seriously:

"What happened? What did you find?"

"I need to go to the Prince's mansion to save her, something happened to her!" The last word still lingered in the air when Qingfeng brushed his sleeve away, shaking off Xuanyuan's hand. With a flicker, his figure disappeared into the street.

"Something happened to Wuming? How did you know?" Before he could ask, Qingfeng had already vanished. Xuanyuan stared blankly at the spot where Qingfeng disappeared for a moment, then gathered his energy and followed him.

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