The last Sima Pingchao said nothing, and Liu Liu, true to her word, ordered the General's Mansion to be burned. The soaring flames lit up the dark night sky, punctuated by exclamations of surprise that were clearly audible with the wind.
The fire raged for half the night. As dawn approached, the General's Mansion was reduced to ashes, leaving nothing behind. Liu Liu gazed at the scene before her. The night's turmoil had not tired her; instead, in the growing light of dawn, she appeared even more sharp and resolute. With a wave of her hand, she instructed Liu Ting, "Order everyone to search the ruins for mechanisms and look for anything suspicious."
This statement finally caused Sima Pingchao some tension. Although he tried his best to suppress it, Liu Liu was an exceptionally astute observer. She sensed something from the depths of his dark pupils, making her certain.
There must be a secret chamber in the General's Mansion, and someone must be inside. However, whether all the remaining members of the Thirteen Eagles were within was unknown.
The search party found no clues. Sima Pingchao breathed a sigh of relief. In reality, not all of the Thirteen Eagles resided in the General's Mansion. Only a few lived in the secret chamber within the mansion, while others had properties in the capital and lived in their own residences.
Liu Liu saw the sky brightening. With so many troops surrounding the General's Mansion, the common people would surely become more fearful. She decided to disperse some of them. Turning to Jin Shaoyuan, she said, "Withdraw some of the soldiers. Leave only a small contingent to guard the area. You and Bai Han will take turns guarding here. If they make no move, let them starve in the secret chamber."
In the cold morning mist, Liu Liu's words were as sharp and hard as a steel knife, devoid of any warmth, chillingly ruthless.
Sima Pingchao had now fully recognized this woman's iron-fisted methods. He said nothing, lowering his head, praying for someone to come to their rescue, believing that others would indeed come. Liu Liu waved her hand, and all but the guards who remained to hold the position withdrew.
In an instant, the General's Mansion fell silent. Everything vanished, leaving only wisps of smoke curling in the air. The cold wind scattered the ashes. The place resembled a castle of death.
In a small, simple residence in the western suburbs of the capital, mist swirled around a picturesque scene of small bridges and flowing water. Young maids bustled about, sweeping fallen leaves. Everything was tranquil, yet from a tightly sealed bedroom came the sound of soft conversation.
In the dim bedroom sat a man with a blank expression. Even without expression, his face was terrifying, etched with deep, overlapping scars.
A timid person would surely burst into tears upon seeing that face. Besides this horrifying man, another tall and imposing figure stood in the room. His face was as beautiful as fine jade, yet it gleamed with coldness, his eyes fixed icily on the ugly man.
"Foster father, I want to ask you a question?"
"Speak?"
The terrifying man spoke concisely. He was always a man of few words, spending most of his time in his room in silence, not looking up, and stroking his hand.
Though the light in the room was dim, the man with superior martial arts skills could clearly see the expression on his face, which seemed to be one of mourning.
Such sorrow. He couldn't understand why the person he had always believed to be his father had become his foster father. And who were his parents from his memories? He remembered having younger siblings, but his foster father was alone.
"Then how did I end up at the Nangong Residence? I remember having parents. How did I become the former dynasty's crown prince?" he asked in a deep voice, his tone somewhat agitated.
"That person was not your parents at all. A eunuch from the palace stole you and sold you to that couple. The couple was infertile, but after they bought you, they had three children in a row. Later, when I found you, I brought you back."
The man's hoarse voice, like a dilapidated duck's quack, was unpleasant to hear, causing discomfort. However, the man in the room was accustomed to it and stood there unconcerned.
"Then who is my foster father?"
He asked, unwilling to give up. Previously, his foster father had sent him to the palace, saying that the person in the palace was his enemy.
Being too young, he had no idea what enmity meant. Who knew that his foster father had suddenly found him not long ago and claimed he was the former dynasty's crown prince.
The Emperor was the son of his father's killer and the destroyer of his dynasty. This shook him to his core. He had never thought of making an enemy of that person, but upon hearing his foster father's words, a surge of hatred filled him.
The reason for his hatred was Liu'er. It was because he was unwilling to lose Liu'er forever that he had gone to ask that night.
If Liu'er was willing to leave with him, he would abandon his hatred. But Liu'er had never considered leaving that man, which filled his heart with resentment.
This speaker was none other than Nangong Yue, whom Liu Liu had been searching for.
At this moment, a pair of luminous eyes fixed on the man sitting before him. He claimed to be his foster father, Nangong Yu, but Nangong Yue felt that this was not his true identity. Who was he? Nangong Yue wondered suspiciously.
"I was a guard for the former Empress. Because she saved my life, I vowed to help you reclaim your empire. After so many years of forbearance, we finally begin to act."
Was what his foster father said true?
Nangong Yue's eyes flickered uncertainly. He really couldn't tell if his foster father was telling the truth or lying. Why did he always feel uneasy?
Two small sparks flickered in Nangong Yue's star-like eyes, his lips curling into a cold smile. Regardless, he had now crossed paths with Feng Xie, and it was all because of Liu'er. He wanted to win Liu'er over.
"I hope my foster father has not lied to me," Nangong Yue's voice was very cold. His foster father had better not deceive him.
As soon as Nangong Yue finished speaking, Nangong Yu, who had been reclining on a chair, his eyes dimmed with a cold darkness, as deep as a bottomless pool, revealing no emotion.
Silence fell upon the room. Neither man spoke, only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard. Just then, a faint sound came from outside the bedroom: "Reporting to the master, Sima Pingxiang has been captured. That woman ruthlessly burned down the General's Mansion. Someone was also living in the secret chamber of the General's Mansion, and there are guards now on the vacant lot."
"What?" Nangong Yue's voice rang out sharply. Who had leaked Sima Pingchao's whereabouts? He heard that Feng Jiu and another person had been released. Had Liu'er sent someone to secretly follow them? That shouldn't be the case; Feng Jiu wasn't an incompetent person.
"Damn it, this wicked woman," Nangong Yu's face suddenly turned cold. His already terrifying face became even more hideous, his dark pupils flashing with a sinister gleam, and his lips drew into an阴冷的 smile. "You're asking for death."
As soon as he finished speaking, Nangong Yue, who had been standing nearby, changed his expression. He stepped forward and said clearly, "Foster father, don't forget what you promised me. You threatened me with Liu'er and Mu Xing's lives to join the Thirteen Eagles. If anything happens to them, I will no longer participate in this. And you don't want to become my enemy, do you?"
Upon hearing Nangong Yue's words, Nangong Yu clenched his fists, veins bulging, his knuckles cracking. His breathing grew heavy, and it took a long time for him to calm down. "Alright, I understand. You may go."
"Yes," Nangong Yue nodded, preparing to leave. He suddenly remembered the matter of Sima Pingxiang, and that those few people still needed to be rescued. How could he ignore them? He immediately asked, "Foster father, Sima Pingchao has been captured, and several others are imprisoned in the secret chamber of the General's Mansion. We must rescue them immediately."
"Pay no attention to those people. Don't you know they are waiting for us to walk into a trap? Are you willing to ruin a major plan for a few people?" Nangong Yu angrily rebuked Nangong Yue with a chilling voice. Finally, he could bear it no longer and struck the low table beside him heavily. His dark eyes, flashing with a dim light, looked exceptionally unpleasant.
"Foster father?" Upon hearing his foster father's intent, Nangong Yue realized that his foster father intended to abandon those people. How could that be? He absolutely did not agree with such a thing. However, Nangong Yu no longer allowed him to speak. He roared with arrogant anger, "Get out! Think about your responsibilities."