PFC Chapter 422
Chapter 422
Chapter 422
After thanking the Emperor, Dongfang Wan'er hurriedly returned to the Prince's residence. An Ye was deep in thought in his study when he heard of Dongfang Wan'er's return, a barely perceptible hint of surprise in his eyes. Dongfang Wan'er quickly told An Ye about the spirit spring water, and An Ye was overjoyed, immediately deciding to use it to heal the wounded soldiers in the city.
Meanwhile, at Oriental Pearl Tower, she couldn't bring herself to remind her father, and her anxiety grew. Dongfang Zheng, though trying to restrain his family, still sensed an impending crisis.
Xinran was still waiting for news of rescue, completely unaware that her letters had been intercepted. The Dark Night's scheme had already begun, waiting only for the person behind Xinran to fall into the trap.
Meanwhile, Ye Jiuchen's investigation made new progress. He discovered that the forces involved were complex and intertwined, even connected to a neighboring country. Knowing the gravity of the matter, he hurriedly sought out An Ye to discuss countermeasures. After meeting, the two analyzed the situation and decided to continue using Xinran to lure out domestic forces while secretly sending people to investigate the neighboring country's movements. Dongfang Wan'er, meanwhile, focused on using the spiritual spring water to heal more people. Her good deeds won the people's love and respect, and the regent and his wife's benevolence was widely praised. This made those forces plotting sabotage even more wary, and an even greater storm was brewing.
The night was as black as ink, thickly spilled across the heavens and earth. All was silent, save for the low murmur of the wind across the wilderness. Ye Jiuchen stood with his hands behind his back in the courtyard of his mansion, his brow furrowed, his heart heavy with worry as the boundless night. The neighboring country had been making frequent moves lately, and all signs pointed to a storm perhaps brewing. To ascertain the truth, after careful consideration, Ye Jiuchen finally decided to send his most trusted confidant—the Shadow Guard Mo Feng—to the neighboring country's border to investigate.
Mo Feng, one of Ye Jiuchen's most elite shadow guards, was highly skilled in martial arts and meticulous in his thinking, always acting with impeccable precision. Upon receiving the mission, he dared not delay, quickly disguising himself as an ordinary merchant. Dressed in coarse linen clothes, carrying a satchel full of goods, he deliberately smeared dust on his face to make himself look like a seasoned traveling merchant. Along the way, Mo Feng was extremely cautious, each step taken with utmost care. He moved through various towns and villages, interacting with all sorts of people, seemingly engaging in casual conversation, but secretly gathering intelligence about neighboring countries. Whether it was rumors circulating in the streets or idle chatter in taverns and inns, he didn't overlook any potentially useful information, piecing together these scattered clues like pieces of a puzzle.
Meanwhile, in the bustling city, Dongfang Wan'er was busy at her clinic. A renowned healer in the city, she was kind-hearted, possessed superb medical skills, and often treated the poor free of charge, earning her the deep respect and love of the people. One day, a group of wounded soldiers were brought to the clinic, and Dongfang Wan'er, as usual, carefully examined their injuries. However, during the examination, she noticed something unusual. These wounds were not caused by ordinary swords or knives; the wounds were small and clean, and the surrounding skin had an eerie bluish-black hue, faintly emanating a dark aura, as if corroded by an evil force. Based on her years of medical experience, Dongfang Wan'er determined that these were injuries inflicted by a special type of concealed weapon, and that this weapon was likely coated with a potent poison.
A sense of unease welled up in Dongfang Wan'er's heart; she realized this matter might not be so simple. After treating the wounded, she hurriedly packed her medical supplies and rushed back to the manor, intending to inform An Ye of the situation. An Ye, as Ye Jiuchen's strategist, was resourceful and possessed a keen insight into all kinds of conspiracies and schemes. When he heard Dongfang Wan'er's description, his heart tightened, and he immediately connected it to what Ye Jiuchen had previously mentioned about the neighboring country. He suspected that this was very likely one of the neighboring country's underhanded tactics, aimed at creating chaos in the city and weakening their own strength.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the city, Xinran was gripped by extreme anxiety. She had been sent on a secret mission by a powerful force behind her. However, the plan had taken an unexpected turn, and she waited in vain for news of rescue, her heart pounding like a tin can of hot iron. Her backers relentlessly pressured her to act again, completely disregarding her perilous situation. Desperate, Xinran decided to take a risk. She set her sights on the Prince's mansion, attempting to steal the formula for the precious spiritual spring water. This spring water was said to possess miraculous effects, capable of curing all ailments and enhancing cultivators' power. If she could obtain the formula and offer it to her backers, perhaps she could secure their help and protection.
Late at night, Xinran, taking advantage of the darkness, quietly sneaked into the Prince's mansion. The mansion was eerily quiet, save for the occasional patrolling guard. Carefully avoiding their gaze, Xinran made her way towards the location where the formula for the spiritual spring water was stored. However, she never expected the mansion to be so heavily guarded, riddled with traps. The moment she stepped into the inner courtyard, she inadvertently triggered one. Instantly, alarms blared, lights flashed, and the guards swarmed in. Before Xinran could react, she was surrounded and captured.
Upon learning that the Prince's mansion had captured a suspicious person, An Ye and Dongfang Wan'er rushed over to interrogate her. When Xinran was brought before them, she remained stubborn, clenching her teeth and refusing to reveal any information. An Ye and Dongfang Wan'er exchanged a glance, understanding that extracting information from her would not be easy. Dongfang Wan'er pondered for a moment, then suddenly turned and took out a poison from her medicine box, slowly walking towards Xinran. She said softly, "You should know what this is, right? If you don't tell the truth, don't blame me for being impolite." Xinran looked at the poison, a flicker of fear in her eyes, but she still feigned composure and refused to speak. Seeing this, Dongfang Wan'er no longer hesitated and made a move to feed the poison to Xinran. Just then, Xinran finally broke down, crying out, "I'll talk, I'll talk!"
It turned out that the forces behind Xinran were a conspiracy between several high-ranking officials in the court and foreign enemies. Driven by self-interest, they betrayed the country, secretly colluding with neighboring nations in an attempt to overthrow the existing regime. Sending Xinran to steal the formula for the spiritual spring water was also part of their plan. After hearing Xinran's confession, An Ye was furious, but he quickly calmed down. He knew that alerting the traitors now would only make them more vigilant, making it difficult to capture them all. Therefore, An Ye decided to play along, feigning ignorance while secretly plotting to expose all the traitors, bring them to justice, and restore peace to the country.