Chapter 153: Young Master Heir
In another courtyard of the Prince Qi Mansion, not far from here, Stone bowed slightly outside the main room’s door. "Young Master Heir, I’ve brought Old Ma."
A voice came from inside the room, "Let him in!"
Stone lifted the curtain to let Uncle Ma into the room. Uncle Ma stood respectfully with his head bowed.
Xiao Yu, sitting in the seat of honor, waved his hand casually. "Have a seat. I called you here to ask about the Blood Drop you mentioned in your letter."
"Is that thing really so powerful?"
Uncle Ma had just sat down when he stood up again to reply, "Young Master Heir, I have never seen a more formidable hidden weapon. You just point it at someone, and with a BANG, they collapse."
"A hit to a vital spot is certain death. If it hits anywhere else, it will rip the flesh open."
Xiao Yu narrowed his eyes. "Have you seen the wounds of those killed by the Blood Drop?"
Uncle Ma nodded. "I’ve seen the wounds, but I couldn’t make anything of them. Some were mangled, while others were just a bloody hole."
"What’s very strange is that I searched for a long time but couldn’t find the projectile."
"A hidden weapon must have some kind of projectile, right? But whether it was a throwing knife, a dart, a stone pellet, or a cow-hair needle, I found nothing."
"I’ve thought about it, too. To cause that kind of wound, the projectile must be fired at high speed and with great force. It’s hard to imagine something fired from such a small weapon could have so much power."
Xiao Yu nodded. Old Ma was a veteran who had been on the battlefield in his youth. Once he got older, he was assigned to an escort agency to work as an escort, partly to earn some silver and partly to gather intelligence.
Old Ma had experience, sharp eyes, and broad knowledge. Xiao Yu trusted his judgment.
Xiao Yu stood up and paced a couple of circles. ’Perhaps the projectile shatters on impact, making it hard to find.’
"In your letter, you said the girl claims to have a secret sect?"
Uncle Ma nodded. "It must be some kind of reclusive sect. The girl is very secretive and refuses to say more."
Xiao Yu looked at Uncle Ma. "Do you find what that girl says credible?"
Uncle Ma hesitated. Remembering Gu Fei’s fragrant dry-pot rabbit and braised snake, he licked his lips and decided to put in a good word for her.
He nodded emphatically. "I think it’s true! The little girl trusts me a lot. I asked casually, and she answered just as casually. Her sect must have a rule that forbids her from speaking about it."
"Besides, I’ve been observing her carefully along the way."
"That girl really is just a naive, soft-hearted, and kind little thing. She doesn’t seem like a spy from another country at all. All she thinks about all day is finding good food to eat."
Xiao Yu nodded slowly. He had already sent people to investigate Gu Fei; there was nothing suspicious about her background or origins. He also now understood why the Marquis Mansion’s assets had been seized. It was because the Pingyang Marquis’s sister, Princess Consort Yu, had plotted to harm an imperial heir. The Emperor had been furious. Not only did he order Princess Consort Yu’s death, but with his anger still unvented, he found an excuse to seize the Pingyang Marquis Mansion.
Therefore, the matter had nothing to do with Gu Fei at all.
’If Gu Fei really has a mysterious sect behind her, then the telescope and the Blood Drop she gave me would all make sense.’
’If Gu Fei were truly an enemy spy, and her country possessed things like the telescope and the Blood Drop, they would have attacked the Da Ying Dynasty long ago.’
’They certainly wouldn’t entrust such important items to a little girl.’
’The telescope was very useful. He had already had people replicate it. It wasn’t a particularly complex device; it was just that grinding the crystal took time.’
Xiao Yu coveted this Blood Drop as well.
’Just imagine the destructive power such a hidden weapon would have if used in warfare.’