“Prince Wu Cheng has requested to enter the imperial mausoleum to observe mourning rites for the late emperor, so his influence cannot reach here. The troops must have been led by other confidantes stationed in the Northeast Great Camp. After all, this place is located at the border between Fengtian Prefecture and Ying Tian Prefecture. As the power center entrenched in Ying Tian Prefecture, the Northeast Great Camp’s ears and eyes are everywhere.”
“The Northeast Great Camp? Does this have anything to do with Yan Tinghao’s father?”
As Lin Qingge spoke, a general idea had already formed in her mind. She habitually stroked her chin and murmured, “Given the personalities and composure of the Yan couple, they are certainly not aligned with Prince Wu Cheng. And Master Yan mentioned that he controls half the military power of the Northeast Great Camp. He also spoke of loyalty to the sovereign by accepting their stipend, clearly indicating he intends to make a major move upon his return. Since he is a county magistrate, he must have had some inkling about Wolong Villa’s use of the ancient treasure map as a prize. Maintaining troops is extremely costly. Once the Northeast Great Camp heard wind of this, they would surely have been impatient. It’s a rare opportunity that presents itself, and the Northeast Great Camp would naturally not let it pass. Therefore, the ones arriving are most likely Prince Wu Cheng’s confidantes.”
“As expected of Brother Lin, your analysis is well-founded and logically structured.”
Lin Qingge rolled her eyes at Hua Jinrong’s flattery, “Go away with your logical structure! You secretly colluded with Master Yan and led Prince Wu Cheng’s confidantes here, allowing Master Yan enough time to reorganize the Northeast Great Camp. This is truly killing several birds with one stone!”
Hua Jinrong, thoroughly chastised, did not get angry. Instead, he curved his lips with pleasure, “I knew nothing could escape Brother Lin’s discerning eyes~”
Feeling utterly exhausted, Lin Qingge waved her sleeve, “If you act on your own initiative again next time, you can go wherever is cool. My humble abode here cannot accommodate a great deity like you.”
Hua Jinrong immediately put on a look of being deeply wounded and sorrowfully said, “Brother Lin, I lay my heart bare and spare no effort for you. Yet, you treat me like a mere actor you can summon and dismiss at will, trampling and tormenting me in every way, only to kick me aside. How can you bear it, how can you bear it~”
Seeing the flamboyant peacock suddenly indulging in theatrics before her, Lin Qingge directly summoned Ling Han and instructed him expressionlessly, “Brother Hua says he wants to publicly demonstrate what it means to lay one’s heart bare. Your swordsmanship is the best here. Be swift and try to spill as little blood as possible; otherwise, the cleanup will be troublesome.”
“Yes!” Ling Han responded, immediately drawing his sword.
“Hey, wait! This plot isn’t right! Shouldn’t Brother Lin realize his mistake and regret it later?”
Hua Jinrong said while blocking Ling Han’s thrust with his folding fan. Ling Han retracted his sword and lunged again, forcing Hua Jinrong to defend himself once more with his fan.
Watching the two figures exchange over a dozen blows in the blink of an eye, Yan Tinghao’s eyes revealed a hint of confusion, “Big… Big Brother, when did Young Master Hua’s skills become so good?”
“Tsk, that’s why they call you simple! Whose skills can suddenly improve like that?” The sharp-tongued Murong Bai tossed this remark, then gestured towards Lin Qingge, who was constantly fidgeting, “What did he do to offend you?”
Lin Qingge, who was covered in goosebumps, answered irrelevantly, “Was that fellow always like this?”
Murong Bai, understanding the implication, thought for a moment, “More or less. He’s always been unrestrained. If it weren’t for Brother Lin, meaning Young Master Lin, keeping him in check, he might have already become a menace that wreaked havoc everywhere.”
“Then what about you, Brother Murong?”
“I am merely an ordinary forensic examiner.”
Just as Lin Qingge was about to speak, the master of Wolong Villa, Long Xiaotian, entered with a group of people and introduced them to everyone, “Esteemed guests, this is General Lian Chengyi, the young general of the Northeast Great Camp. General Lian, as the authorities have received reports that our Wolong Villa is harboring wanted criminals of the imperial court, General Lian will personally oversee Wolong Villa for your safety, and also to compete with you all for the title of the martial arts tournament champion.”
The involvement of the imperial court in a grand martial arts event displeased not only the participating martial artists but also the several respected judges. Lin Qingge, seizing the opportunity, pouted and mumbled quietly as she glanced at the imposing young man in armor, “Tsk, using participation in the competition as a condition to quell the disturbance, this Villa Master Long is truly quite cunning.”
While not all martial artists were desperate outlaws, the majority were certainly not good people. Moreover, the list provided by Hua Jinrong could not be false. Therefore, the only falsehood must lie with Long Xiaotian, who was speaking falsely earlier! However, due to Long Xiaotian’s dominance, even though there were scattered dissenting voices, they all faded away. General Lian, moreover, directly advanced to the second round of the competition by virtue of his authority, which everyone dared not express their anger over. Who wouldn’t be angry when someone held considerable military power?
Sensing that the other party’s intentions were hostile, or rather, that they intended to openly snatch the treasure map using their general’s status, Lin Qingge narrowed her eyes slightly. Hua Jinrong, who had been sparring with Ling Han for quite some time but showed no signs of fatigue, came over and waved his folding fan, which bore sword marks, saying, “Lian Chengyi, an adopted son of Prince Wu Cheng, was raised by Prince Wu Cheng from childhood. Although young, he has achieved countless military merits. Rather than being Prince Wu Cheng’s confidante, he is more like an heir Prince Wu Cheng is cultivating for himself. Since Lian Chengyi personally led the troops here, it means he is determined to obtain the fragmented treasure map~”
Lin Qingge heard this and snorted, “Isn’t that exactly what you wanted?”
“That is indeed a fact. It would be even better if Brother Lin could keep the young General Lian here~”
“Hmph, that would surely disappoint you, Brother Hua. I don’t have the capability to detain a young general.”
“Brother Lin, don’t underestimate yourself. You must believe in yourself~”
“Believe in myself?”
While Lin Qingge looked completely bewildered, Hua Jinrong calmly fanned himself, “Wherever Brother Lin is, a case will inevitably occur. Once a case occurs, General Lian naturally cannot leave.”
Thinking the other party was quite mad, Lin Qingge rolled her eyes towards the sky, “If I truly had such ability, I would take you away first!”
At this moment, Long Xiaotian spoke again, “The hour of noon has passed. I first congratulate the one hundred and twenty-one individuals on the list for successfully passing the first round of the competition. Next, I will explain the content of the second round, ‘Knowledge.’ Both finding the fragmented treasure map and deciphering it require a certain degree of intelligence. Therefore, the second round will test deductive reasoning abilities. Please draw your test questions from the boxes in front of you. Those who answer correctly will pass.”
Hearing this, Lin Qingge’s spirits immediately soared, thinking: This is truly a case of someone sending a pillow when one is drowsy, a surefire way to gain points!