Chapter 571: Destroying the Evidence
A faint fragrance, Sang Zhi’s scent, tickled Ye Qianning’s nose. She couldn’t help but nuzzle into his chest, settling into a more comfortable position before drifting into a deep sleep.
Sang Zhi’s eyes softened, brimming with an almost liquid tenderness.
The sight made the other men in the cave stare wide-eyed.
’This kid is definitely up to no good,’ Zhan Chi thought.
’Once we’re off this mountain, I have to stop the Eighth Prince from seeing my daughter,’ Gu Shuo resolved.
Qian Fanji didn’t know the full story, but he could tell that the Eighth Prince was the reason the little girl had nearly lost her life. The Eighth Prince might not be like the other princes...
...but when it came to royalty, who could ever be certain?
People change quickly for the sake of power.
He would never allow Ye Qianning to become a sacrificial pawn in a struggle for power.
The red-robed man lowered his gaze, his dangerously charming eyes hiding his thoughts.
For a moment, the cave fell utterly silent.
With Ye Qianning asleep, no one dared to make a sound, terrified of waking her.
They leaned against the stone walls, each tending to their own wounds.
The fire on the summit raged, burning everything to cinders.
At the foot of Four-direction Mountain, imperial soldiers had the entire range surrounded. The fire on the peak blazed, its flames soaring into the sky, and no one dared to go near.
Yuan Yintang stood at the base of the mountain with several thousand soldiers, staring blankly up at the peak. ’With a fire this massive,’ he thought, ’can the Eighth Prince truly have survived?’
He couldn’t be sure.
’Consort Yuan made a terrible choice this time.’
’We had just finally obtained a clue about the mystical island of Penglai. If the Eighth Prince is dead, the Emperor will be furious with the arsonists. Should an investigation lead back to us, it wouldn’t just be Consort Yuan who would fall—even Sang Qi’s position as Crown Prince would be in jeopardy.’
"Men!" he ordered coldly. "Execute all the arsonists we just captured."
"Young Hero Yuan," said Captain Zhang, an officer from the main encampment, "these arsonists have committed a heinous crime. Shouldn’t we take them back for the Emperor to pass judgment personally?"
"I have already interrogated them," Yuan Yintang replied. "They are nothing but common murderers and thieves from the underworld. How could we allow such filth to dirty His Majesty’s eyes?"
"And did you find out who was behind it?"
"It was all about money. The mountain bandits didn’t pay them on time, so the scoundrels flew into a rage and set the mountain on fire. There was no mastermind," Yuan Yintang said, then shot a meaningful look at the eunuch beside him. "For setting this fire, death is too good for them."
The eunuch by his side understood the signal, spurring his horse to depart.
Captain Zhang watched the eunuch ride off. Though his mind was filled with questions, he said no more. This was Consort Yuan’s senior martial brother; he was not someone they could afford to offend.
"Grandfather, the fire is too big! We can’t go up the mountain!"
"Don’t try to stop me! My grandson and great-granddaughter could be on that mountain! They could both be up there!"
"Grandfather, please don’t panic. It’s possible, but it’s also possible they already made it down."
Gu Yuan supported Old Master Gu, his own eyes bloodshot.
"If they’d come down, our men would have found them by now. It’s been a whole day and night without a single sign of them. How can I be at ease?" Old Master Gu’s face had become much more haggard overnight.
"Old Master Gu, try to think positively," Dean Chen said.
"Exactly. Old Master Gu, don’t wear yourself out. If the little lass comes back and sees you like this, her heart will break," Zhan Yi urged, though he himself was sick with worry.
Qian Fu’s fingers slid over his Buddha Beads as he gazed at the mountain. "May the Buddha protect them. Amitabha."
"Grandfather, please sit down first. Have some water," Gu Yuan said, guiding Old Master Gu to a seat.
He had seen Gu Shuo and the others ascend the mountain with his own eyes. But without any Qinggong skills, he couldn’t possibly keep up. The fire had erupted before he even made it to Broken Peak Mountain, and a terrible premonition had been looming in his heart ever since.
He didn’t dare breathe a word of it to the old man, fearing he wouldn’t be able to bear the news.