Great Li Martial God

Hearing this, Li Musheng looked deeply at Cang Yinyue.

This girl was truly impeccable at work. The task he had entrusted to her of finding the Tianqi Secret Treasury, she took even more seriously than he did himself.

To be honest, if any boss could get such a hardworking employee, how could they worry about not making money and getting rich?

And with such a partner who acted decisively and efficiently without dragging things out or being lazy, how could he worry about not finding all seven keys to the Tianqi Secret Treasury?

”Miss Cang is right. Let’s go, let’s go. We’ll set out immediately.”

Li Musheng stood up from his stool, somewhat shamefacedly withdrawing his gaze from Cang Yinyue’s beautiful face.

Cang Yinyue’s eyes glanced at him as she nodded gently without saying much more, then turned and walked with Li Musheng toward the courtyard exit.

They boarded a carriage prepared by the Tianjin Guards. However, to avoid being too conspicuous a target, Li Musheng didn’t bring any Tianjin Guards escorts.

Soon, the carriage rapidly left the Tianjin Guards headquarters and departed amid the rumbling sound of wheels.

Not long after, Guan Tianqian’s figure emerged from the shadows of an alley not far from the Tianjin Guards headquarters. He watched the departing carriage, his expression somewhat uncertain.”That person should be the Eighth Prince temporarily residing at the Tianjin Guards. Could it be that the young man Xue’er mentioned who was following Cang Yinyue is...”

Guan Tianqian’s weathered, aged face was full of shocked doubt.

Connecting this to Cang Yinyue’s abnormal behavior after recently returning to Shangyang City and what Guan Shanxue had said, his years of case investigation instinct made him feel that the relationship between these two people was not simple.

Guan Tianqian stood in place hesitating and pondering for a moment, but ultimately decided to follow them for now and take a look.

If the murder case at the Cangyuan Marquis’s mansion and Imperial Consort Ji’s death were related to that young man following Cang Yinyue, and that young man happened to be this Eighth Prince who had been living among the common people...

Then the truth of this matter was undoubtedly down to just one layer of window paper, waiting for him to reach out and pierce through it. If he left now, he naturally would never be willing to give up.

...

Great Li Imperial Palace, Phoenix Ceremony Palace.

The Empress in casual attire was reclining on a bright yellow silk-woven soft couch, eyes half-closed in rest and recuperation. At this moment, an old eunuch walked in with light, slow steps.

The Empress slightly opened her eyes to glance at him, and without waiting for him to speak, she asked aloud, ”Has Fu Qiwen’s side sent a reply?”

Hearing this, the old eunuch stopped before the soft couch and bowed in salute, then shook his head, saying, ”Commander Fu did not reply. Instead, the Eighth Prince temporarily residing at the Tianjin Guards directly resisted the palace’s orders.”

”The Eighth Prince?”

The Empress looked at the old eunuch, somewhat surprised as she said, ”What did he say?”

The old eunuch was silent for a moment but still reported truthfully, ”The Eighth Prince said the Tianjin Guards are all helping him find the Fire Qilin and don’t have time to look for the murderer. If they want the Tianjin Guards’ help, they must personally go see him.”

The Empress shook her head and sat up from the soft couch, her expression blank as she said, ”His tone is quite audacious. A newborn calf truly fears no tiger.”

Hearing this, the old eunuch’s expression shifted as he asked, ”That Eighth Prince disobeyed the palace’s orders, which means he doesn’t put Your Majesty the Empress in his eyes. How does Your Majesty plan to deal with him?”

However, the Empress glanced at him, ”The Eighth Prince grew up among the common people. It’s very normal that he doesn’t understand the rules of the capital and the palace. Why should this palace quibble with a junior? If I truly did that, wouldn’t it make this palace appear petty?”

Hearing this, the old eunuch hurriedly lowered his head and apologized, ”This servant was inconsiderate.”

At this moment, the Empress waved her hand and narrowed her eyes, saying, ”The Tianjin Guards seem to have some major operation recently. Although this palace doesn’t know what Fu Qiwen wants to do, his unwillingness to mobilize the Tianjin Guards to assist at this time is within this palace’s expectations.”

Then, she looked meaningfully at the old eunuch, ”Let this matter rest here. As for what the Third Prince and the Right Minister’s side should do, that’s not something this palace can control.”

...

On the central axis of Black Tortoise Avenue, inside the imposing Third Prince’s mansion, the atmosphere at this moment was tense and heavy.

Ever since Imperial Consort Ji’s incident, the Third Prince’s entire temperament had drastically changed. He would fly into a rage at the slightest provocation.

The guards and servants in the mansion were all silent as cicadas in winter, afraid of displeasing him and being dragged out and publicly beaten to death with clubs.

At this moment, inside a study in the mansion, all the servants and maids had been driven far away.

Inside the study were the Second Prince Li Que, the Third Prince Li Zhu, and the white-haired Right Minister Ji Song.

”Right Minister, you are advanced in years. Please take care of your health. My third brother and I will handle the matter of the Imperial Consort and Madam Zhu. We will definitely root out the murderer and display their severed head to the public!”

Li Que cupped his hands toward the old man before him whose face was haggard and white hair disheveled.

At this moment, the old man’s eyes were clouded and his expression dazed. He merely raised his skeletal arm slightly in return salute but said nothing.

”Grandfather...”

The Third Prince Li Zhu clenched his fists, wanting to say something but unable to speak. His eyes were swollen and red, full of grief and anger.

He himself was already grief-stricken, yet didn’t know how to console an old man who had lost two daughters overnight, a father burying his children.

Li Que watched this scene and could only sigh softly, his face showing a mournful expression as he fell silent.

After who knows how long, outside the previously empty study, a whirlwind swept up a fallen leaf.

Then, the figure of a middle-aged man wearing a scholar’s robe and square cap suddenly appeared from mid-air, stepping on leaves as he silently descended.

His robes fluttered, and the wind around him swirled ceaselessly. His gaze, however, looked toward the interior of the study as he said softly, ”Mister Ji, I trust you have been well.”

The middle-aged man’s warm and gentle voice floated into the study. Right Minister Ji Song, who had previously been like a clay sculpture or wooden carving, finally showed some life on his haggard, aged face.

He slowly turned his hunched body and cupped his hands toward outside the study, his voice emerging like a decayed wooden door swaying in the wind as he said, ”Please, Master Youshan, come in and speak.”

The next moment, the study door opened by itself without wind, then silently closed again.

Li Que looked in the direction of the sound and didn’t see any figure appear. But when he turned his head back, a refined-looking middle-aged man was somehow already standing before the desk in the room.

Ji Song slightly raised his head, his clouded eyes gazing at the middle-aged man before him. He moved his shriveled, dark lips and slowly said, ”Master Youshan must already know why this old man has sought you out?”

Hearing this, the middle-aged man nodded gently and sighed with a compassionate expression, saying, ”Mister Ji has shown me the grace of rebirth. However, we haven’t met in over twenty years. I never imagined that when we met today, it would be under such circumstances.”

Ji Song slowly shook his head, his voice halting and hoarse, ”This old man already has half his body buried in the earth and had long since looked past life and death, never thinking of using past favors to demand repayment.”

”But... the pain of losing a daughter is truly far more unbearable than this old man imagined. Therefore, I can only trouble Master Youshan.”

The middle-aged man sighed deeply once more and said in a gentle voice, ”Mister Ji, rest assured. I will mobilize all the power of Tianji Pavilion in Shangyang City to help you find the murderer.”