CHAPTER 841: CHAPTER 689: FATHER

Ayimulan interrupted him: "I know, they probably have some guesses too. Anyway, that person won’t say anything in our hands, as good as a corpse."

"Mo Yi... not worth it."

He lowered his gaze, a trace of guilt and self-reproach emerged in his eyes, yet he also felt unwilling.

It wasn’t that his martial arts were inferior to Ji Li.

In a real fight, without any tricks, he would never lose to Ji Li.

But now that things have come to this point, further arguments are meaningless.

"Recover quickly, you still have other tasks."

Ayimulan never dwelled in the vortex of setbacks; once things happened, she no longer obsessed, focusing not on the past, but the future.

A momentary failure doesn’t necessarily equate to total defeat.

Who can make it to the end? It depends on their abilities.

She stood up and walked out of the room.

Mo Yi looked up and said solemnly, "Princess Consort, today’s shame, I will remember it. One day, I will avenge myself against the Twelve Guards!"

Ayimulan’s steps paused for a moment, and she glanced back with the corner of her eye: "Remember what you said, don’t make me disappointed again."

Mo Yi said with a complex expression: "...Yes, Mo Yi will never let you down again."

Ayimulan left.

Yucheng Building saluted her in the yard.

Then, he entered the room to visit Mo Yi.

Mo Yi, however, didn’t have the energy to greet him and closed his eyes to recuperate.

Yucheng Building also knew Mo Yi was proud, apart from the Princess Consort, he hardly cared for anyone else.

He decided not to make a nuisance of himself here and turned his steps towards Mo Ye’s room.

The Loulan Wizard was administering treatment to him.

"Mo Ye’s injuries are severe. Can he be saved, Wizard?"

Yucheng Building asked with concern all over his face.

The Loulan Wizard pulled out the silver needle from Mo Ye’s body: "He won’t die."

Yucheng Building let out a long sigh of relief.

The Loulan Wizard continued: "But he won’t live either."

Yucheng Building was shocked: "What do you mean by that?"

The Loulan Wizard said: "His sword intent has been destroyed."

Mo Ye’s swordsmanship is formidable because he reached the level of Human Sword Unity; the destruction of his sword intent means his belief has collapsed too.

From now on, he will be like a walking corpse.

This outcome... is worse than Du Nu losing his martial arts.

At least Du Nu could regain his martial arts through perseverance, if not to his peak state, at least he could live as a normal person.

Yucheng Building’s gaze fell on Mo Ye’s face.

Mo Ye lay motionless, eyes open and hollow, ignoring everything Yucheng Building and the Loulan Wizard said.

"Wizard, if he were treated earlier, wouldn’t it have been..."

Mo Ye was injured first, and more severely than Mo Yi, yet after returning to the mansion, Mo Yi was treated by the Wizard first.

"Is Mo Yi really that important to the Princess Consort?"

Not only giving up a precious trump card for him but also giving him the best rescue opportunity.

The Loulan Wizard didn’t answer Yucheng Building’s question but said: "I only save those I can."

"Wizard..."

"You should be thankful Mo Yi fought before you; otherwise, your fate might not be any better than Mo Ye’s."

The Loulan Wizard’s words left Yucheng Building speechless.

He took one last look at Mo Ye, who had long lost his soul, and frowned as he left the courtyard.

The Loulan Wizard finished treating Mo Ye and visited Mo Yi again.

Then closed the door and stayed in the side room for half the night.

Yucheng Building thought he had fallen asleep, but at midnight, when he opened the door and came out, Yucheng Building realized that perhaps he had not slept at all.

If that’s the case, what was he doing locked in the room for so long?

Yucheng Building pondered carefully for a moment, a sudden flash of intuition crossed his mind—a bold speculation emerged—

The Wizard was healing himself!

Having known the Wizard for so long, he had never seen him injured before.

Even at this moment, it was merely a guess.

The reason is none other than the arrow shot by Meng Qianqian at his little maid in Weiyang Building, causing a momentary mistake by the Wizard who was supposed to stabilize Mo Yi.

Why the mistake?

Isn’t it because he got injured?

It seems the duel with Emperor Liang and others this time, Loulan gained no advantage.

The Princess Consort must be very frustrated too.

Praised as a legend in the Western Regions, yet repeatedly hitting walls in the court, her top experts falling like cursed victims.

Two defeats, the first in the Imperial Palace, the second in Weiyang Building, seemingly negotiating with the Emperor of Great Zhou and the King of Liang, but those present were actually from the Governor Mansion.

Yin Hu Guard Meng Qianqian, Grand Commander Lu Yuan.

These two... truly have some skill.

Yucheng Building secretly followed the Loulan Wizard to Ayimulan’s chamber.

To avoid being discovered, he didn’t dare get too close, only hiding in the corner behind the windowsill eavesdropping.

Due to the distance, he heard intermittently.

The Loulan Princess Consort and the Loulan Wizard were generally discussing the return of a hostage.

The Loulan Wizard was not very agreeable, but the Loulan Princess Consort’s attitude was firm.

About a quarter of an hour later, the Loulan Wizard left Ayimulan’s courtyard.

Yucheng Building waited until he was far away and then used Qinggong to disappear into the night.

He went to the Governor Mansion.

As soon as he entered Chen Long’s courtyard, he immediately saw a dense line of heads, which startled him.

"You... you all staying up in the middle of the night?"

Yu Zichuan: "Just arrived, too slow."

After he spoke, he jumped onto the roof with his large bow and found a comfortable spot to sit down.

Qing Shuang also perched on the roof.

Meng Lang flew onto a branch, leisurely munching on a peach.

Meng Qianqian, Lu Yuan, and Chen Long sat around the stone table on stone stools.

Shangguan Ling, wearing a Brocade Spring Saber, stood to one side.

No need to mention these few, the injured little maid surprisingly hadn’t gone to rest either.

However, she appeared to be waiting until she got sleepy, then she lay her small head on the table and fell asleep.

This large gathering made Yucheng Building feel a twinge of annoyance.

"How do you know I would come tonight?"

He asked.

Shangguan Ling said with pride, "The Young Madam guessed it."

Thinking of the archery incident, Yucheng Building looked at Meng Qianqian with an added sense of admiration.

Even the wizard’s witchcraft could be deciphered, so guessing he’d visit seemed plausible.

He no longer cared about this matter and said to Meng Qianqian, Lu Yuan, and Chen Long, "I came tonight to propose a transaction. Don’t be too hasty to refuse; I’ll first reveal my true self to you. I am a spy from Qiuci, lurking in the Loulan Palace to gather intelligence. By chance, I gained the Loulan Queen’s favor, and she asked if I would pledge allegiance to her. I agreed, going along with the tide, but I am not on the same side as her."

Meng Lang pointed at Meng Qianqian and the others, "You sound like you’re claiming to be on the same side as them."

"You all?"

Yucheng Building was puzzled, this kid excluded himself? What kind of a ragtag group is this?

Lu Yuan’s lips curled: "You Qiuci people surely have grand ambitions. Helping you become a second Loulan serves us no benefit."

Yucheng Building said, "At least Qiuci and the Shang Family are not mortal enemies."

Lu Yuan replied, "Back then, every one of the ten major lords was wishing for the Shang Family’s extermination. Loulan could move through it like an uninhabited land, crossing several lords’ territories, thus eluding the court."

Yucheng Building said seriously, "I can’t guarantee others, but Qiuci has never betrayed the Shang Family. Moreover, I overheard the Princess Consort and the Loulan Witch talking outside her chamber tonight. They plan to have carrier pigeons send letters to Loulan, to have Shang Family’s hostage brought to the Capital City."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Chen Long’s face.

He didn’t know Meng Qianqian was a reborn soul, assuming that only Chen Long, the adopted son of the Shang, was related to the Shang Family in the courtyard.

"You surely want to know who the Shang Family’s hostage is, right?"

He spoke mysteriously.

Chen Long raised his eyes, glaring at him murderously, "If you don’t tell me, I’ll kill you."

Yucheng Building laughed, "If I feared death, I wouldn’t have come alone to the Governor Mansion. Any one of you here could kill me, let alone all present."

Lu Yuan took a tea cup, leisurely sipping, then spoke casually, "Is death really so scary?"

Yucheng Building’s smile stiffened.

Suddenly, he remembered the rumors about the Grand Commander.

Known as the Living Yama, making people neither wish to live nor die—

"What kind of transaction do you want with us?"

Meng Qianqian calmly asked.

Lu Yuan and Chen Long simultaneously restrained their murderous aura.

Yucheng Building felt relieved at his forehead.

The truly important person was indeed her.

He said, "Very simple, we want the Shang Family’s military book, just to copy it. Qiuci’s military is weak; we merely wish to protect ourselves one day, certainly not with ambitions like Loulan’s."

He thought himself needing more cunning arguments to possibly persuade them.

Unexpectedly, Meng Qianqian simply replied, "Fine."

Yucheng Building was shocked, "You... you haven’t even asked what bargaining chips I hold..."

If he didn’t know her, he’d likely marvel at how agreeable this woman was.

Meng Qianqian said, "Tell me exactly what you heard, and the military book is yours."

Yucheng Building weirdly furrowed his brows, his gaze swept over Chen Long, saying, "The Shang Family’s military book is indeed in your possession... Let me see the military book first."

He wouldn’t doubt Meng Qianqian, just assuming Chen Long took the book back then.

Meng Qianqian casually picked up a booklet and tossed it to Yucheng Building.

Only then did Yucheng Building notice that she had the military book on the table all along.

"You predicted I would come to trade for the military book?"

"This is the first part, the second part will be yours once the matter is done."

Meng Qianqian only said what she wanted to say, indifferent to Yucheng Building’s questions.

Such an aloof attitude did not make Yucheng Building detest her; instead, it sparked a competitive spirit in him.

He chuckled, "Rest assured, the information I give you will definitely be worth the Shang Family’s military book."

"Blow it, will you?"

Shangguan Ling chuckled.

Yucheng Building sneered, "Commander of the Imperial Guard, you truly should learn from your Grand Commander; such pathetic provocation methods won’t work on me."

Meng Lang munching on his peach said, "Finally said something sensible."

Shangguan Ling: "Damn Meng, you get down here now!"

Meng Qianqian said to Yucheng Building, "I’m not interested in other news, I just want to know, who is the Shang Family’s hostage?"

Yucheng Building: "I only heard two words—General."

Meng Qianqian’s heart suddenly clenched.

General?

Father!