He sighed, looking up at the sky. "I only hope it's not too late."
At the Crown Prince's mansion, all was calm. It was clear that the Great Togu Nation had not targeted Crown Prince Xiao Jingyun first, but instead had chosen Liu Xiangnan, who held immense prestige within the army. This was, undoubtedly, a stroke of luck for Xiao Jingyun.
Upon hearing Liu Kai's relay, Crown Prince Xiao Jingyun's heart tightened. He was certainly aware of the Black Wolf Guards, but in his understanding, they were primarily tasked with defending the homeland of the Great Togu Nation, rarely venturing far from their capital, let alone leaving the country. However, their ruthless nature and direct assault on Liu Xiangnan aligned with their modus operandi.
After a moment of thought, Xiao Jingyun immediately ordered Zhou Quan to dispatch all guards in the mansion. He also sent word to Bai Han, who was guarding the imperial palace, urging him to ensure his father's safety.
Even so, it was still too late. Soon, dispatched guards returned with reports of at least three ministers being assassinated, all high-ranking officials. The news struck Xiao Jingyun with a wave of sorrow. He promptly ordered a city-wide lockdown and house-to-house searches for the assassins from the Great Togu Nation.
However, it was evident that such methods were utterly useless against these peak experts. The search, spanning from night to day and back to night, yielded no significant results. Yet, it wasn't entirely without effect. That night, the entire city of Wannian was on high alert, with lights blazing in every residence. The Imperial Guards responsible for the palace security dared not even blink.
Despite the frantic efforts throughout the night, a tranquil silence prevailed. Xiao Jingyun, naturally, assumed their extensive search had scared the assassins away.
Liu Xiangnan, however, frowned. Having dealt with the Great Togu Nation for many years, he understood the Black Wolf Guards intimately. Even if they retreated, it would be temporary; they would not abandon their mission after a single sweep, especially after the Lotus Cult Leader had killed dozens of their men. It was inconceivable that they would stop after killing only two or three.
After much deliberation, Liu Xiangnan decided to visit Xiao Jingyun. He had to persuade the Crown Prince to exercise caution. But after hearing Liu Xiangnan's account, Crown Prince Xiao Jingyun burst into laughter. "Minister Liu, you are too overly cautious. We have conducted such a widespread search; they surely cannot remain here."
Seeing Xiao Jingyun's unshakeable confidence, Liu Xiangnan was at a loss. Although Xiao Jingyun had lowered his guard, Liu Xiangnan dared not be careless. Upon returning home, he summoned Liu Tie and others to make arrangements. His first priority was to send Chen Xiaobei home, as staying in his mansion was far too dangerous. The responsibility of persuading Chen Xiaobei to leave fell to Liu Kai.
After lunch, Chen Xiaobei was dozing by the window, basking in the sunlight. He needed to catch up on sleep after a restless night. Seeing Liu Kai arrive, he quickly rose to greet him. "The head steward is here."
Liu Kai bowed respectfully. "Greetings, son-in-law."
"Is there something you need, head steward?"
"Son-in-law, let's get straight to the point. The capital has been unsettled these past few days. In my opinion, you should return to Hetou Village as soon as possible. We can make other plans afterwards!"
Hearing this, Chen Xiaobei understood. Liu Xiangnan had sent him to persuade him to leave. But then again, this was the right thing to do. Liu Xiangnan was truly looking out for him this time.
"Head steward, I understand. My father-in-law means well. But with Ru Mei's whereabouts unknown, how can I leave?"
"Son-in-law, you need not worry about that. As soon as we have news of the young lady, I will immediately send word to you. Liu Tie and Liu Ce will accompany you back; it will be convenient for communication."
Chen Xiaobei stubbornly shook his head. "I will not leave."
"Son-in-law, please reconsider. The Marquis is a primary target for the enemy. It is too dangerous for you to remain here. If you truly do not wish to stay, why not go into hiding elsewhere?"
Chen Xiaobei understood from Liu Kai's words that if he didn't leave the residence today, Liu Kai would not relent. With this realization, Chen Xiaobei finally relented. "Then I will go and find an inn to stay for a few days!"
"That is good. You can return after this storm passes."
Liu Kai finally breathed a sigh of relief. The task entrusted to him by Liu Xiangnan could be considered half-completed. Upon hearing Liu Kai's report, Liu Xiangnan nodded. "Good. As long as he leaves my residence, he is just another passerby. No one will pay attention to him."
Upon hearing that Chen Xiaobei intended to move out, the Lotus Cult Leader and Shen Ziyan were both quite surprised. Shen Ziyan hesitated for a moment before saying to the Lotus Cult Leader, "Senior Sister, we should move out with him."
The Lotus Cult Leader nodded. "Yes, we must leave. We will go wherever he goes. We cannot let anything happen to him, or we will have failed Huang Ying's memory."
Chen Xiaobei was not surprised that the two intended to follow him. He knew that their staying at Liu Xiangnan's home and not mentioning returning was likely due to him.
Meanwhile, in Qingguang City, the Great Togu Nation's Emperor Qiaopusen received a report from Qiao Na. Yelü Chuang had pursued the enemy for four to five hundred miles without any findings and was now returning, resuming his search. Qiao Na's men, searching along the Xiaoqing River, had also found nothing.
This was peculiar. Qiaopusen paced back and forth in his study, a frown on his face. At this moment, the captain of the guard, Duobang, bowed. "Your Majesty, I have a thought."
Qiaopusen looked at him. "Speak freely."
"Your Majesty, General Yelü Chuang has pursued for hundreds of miles without success. Could we have gone in the wrong direction? The enemy might have deliberately created traces to give the illusion of crossing the Xiaoqing River, when in fact, his men never did."
Upon hearing this, Qiaopusen's eyes lit up. "Yes, that makes sense. Arrange it immediately. Conduct an even more thorough search of the area between the Xiaoqing River and Qingguang City, inch by inch, leaving no corner unchecked."
"Oh, and how many Great Togu Nation soldiers have been apprehended these past few days?"
Duobang bowed. "Your Majesty, hundreds have been captured so far. I believe more will be found with further searching."
"Good, good!" Qiaopusen exclaimed, pleased. While the capture of hundreds of Great Togu Nation soldiers was not a massive number, it was significant. However, his greatest concern, of course, remained Liu Rumei. Capturing her would be a major victory.
At this moment, Liu Rumei, led by Zheng Zhun, had arrived at a dilapidated temple. The temple stood atop a barren mountain, offering an excellent vantage point of the valley below. The temple contained two or three relatively intact rooms. Gathering firewood from the surroundings would make it easy to start a fire. However, their most pressing issue was food.