Chapter 706 - 705: Clues
The two engaged in an attack and defense, exchanging seven or eight moves in the blink of an eye.
The servants, observing the situation, dared not approach but did not stray far, fearing that Huangfu Jingchen might suffer.
Even though Xia Sichen hadn’t used his full strength earlier, Huangfu Jingchen evading so effortlessly was beyond his expectations. As for the watchful servants, Xia Sichen paid them no mind. He struck again with a flick of his hand, squinting as he said, "Was Wenjin’s disappearance your doing?"
Huangfu Jingchen replied urgently, "Of course not!"
Xia Sichen immediately withdrew his hand, saying, "I know it’s not you, but since someone is impersonating you, there must be clues here with you!"
Unaware of the impersonation, Huangfu Jingchen gestured invitingly, "Brother Sichen, let’s talk over there in the pavilion!"
Xia Sichen glanced at him but said nothing, heading towards the pavilion first.
In the pavilion, Xia Sichen fixed his gaze on Huangfu Jingchen, saying, "If it’s not you, how do you explain being found at the scene where the abductors departed?"
Huangfu Jingchen responded honestly, "I actually went to meet Wenjin last night, but when I arrived, those masked men had already succeeded. I took a detour to intercept them, but they had many people. I was held up fighting them, and when I killed those in my way and pursued, I was stopped by a volley of arrows from their reinforcements. By the time I reached a manor, I found only a few silenced bodies, and Wenjin was already gone."
In his heart, he felt both guilt and hatred. He had seen it; he even attempted to intercept, yet he failed to rescue her and lost her trail instead. He felt utterly incompetent!
Xia Sichen recalled the traces he found, which matched what Huangfu Jingchen described.
There were seven corpses left, and according to Gu Heng, there was also a highly skilled leader. Nobody expected a second group of reinforcements. When he mentally reenacted it, he realized that if he had been in Huangfu Jingchen’s position, he might not have fared any better.
"You can’t be entirely blamed!" Xia Sichen sighed. His sister had been kidnapped; despite his anger and concern for Wenjin’s safety, he wasn’t prone to misplaced anger. Besides, blaming Huangfu Jingchen, who had tried his best, wouldn’t help.
He would rescue his sister.
When he came to find Huangfu Jingchen, he didn’t have much doubt about him. He trusted his judgment more than the elders’. Huangfu Jingchen had no reason to do such a thing, and wouldn’t.
Coming with such fanfare wasn’t to hold him accountable, and confronting Huangfu Jingchen wasn’t to vent his anger. Rather, he was verifying his judgment through their exchanges.
He first inquired about some details from Huangfu Jingchen and exchanged them with what Gu Heng had said. Then he asked, "Do you know who it is?"
"I have some suspicions," Huangfu Jingchen replied. He hadn’t expected the masked men to have said such things to Gu Heng. If it wasn’t to frame him, then it was a deliberate attempt to mislead. He analyzed, "The others used death warriors, numerous and highly skilled, with a top-notch leader. Their plan was meticulously organized, with multiple batches handling different roles. Their retreat was executed flawlessly, without oversight. Clearly, this was a plan set in motion after careful consideration; the forces behind them cannot be small!"
Hearing this, Xia Sichen immediately asked, "Could it be one of the Jianghu forces in the Capital City?"
Huangfu Jingchen shook his head. "No, the style of Jianghu operations and those of the major houses in the Capital City are different."
The manner of those death warriors was starkly different from that of Jianghu operatives.
In other words, such death warriors could practically be described as created from piles of silver. Ordinary families simply couldn’t afford to maintain them.
Xia Sichen gave him a look. "Not many know of Wenjin’s disappearance now. As a girl, if word spread, it would harm her reputation. The other side deliberately pointed suspicion towards you. Think carefully—could it be your enemy acting?"
Huangfu Jingchen chuckled bitterly. Truth be told, what enemies did he have? What drew potential consequences was his current identity.
So in a way, calling them his enemies wasn’t wrong.
He cupped his fists in respect to Xia Sichen. "I will ensure Wenjin returns unharmed!"
Xia Sichen squinted, "Do you have any leads? Let me go with you!"
Huangfu Jingchen shook his head, "Not at present!"
His hand subtly crushed the note hidden in his sleeve into pieces.
It wasn’t that he wished to hide anything from Xia Sichen, but the note instructed him to go alone. He feared provoking his adversaries into harming Wenjin if they were enraged.
Though he would go alone, he would not knowingly walk into a trap. Naturally, he had other plans.
Xia Sichen looked at him suspiciously, "Really nothing?"
Huangfu Jingchen met his gaze steadily and said slowly, "Truly nothing!"
Xia Sichen stood, patted his shoulder, and said, "Wenjin’s disappearance is worrying. If you have news, don’t keep it from me. Alright, I must continue my search for clues. I take my leave now."
After sending off Xia Sichen, Uncle Chen had prepared the horse. Huangfu Jingchen instructed Uncle Chen on a few matters, then swiftly mounted his horse and headed south.
At the Xia Mansion, people from Haotian Village had already been sent out. Xia Wanqing’s eyes carried a savage gleam, and his expression was as deep as the night sky. A servant reported, "Second and Third Young Masters have arrived!"
"Let them in!"
Soon, Hua Yuanming and Gu Hongxin appeared in the courtyard.
They briskly approached, Gu Hongxin full of anxiety. "Big brother, I heard something happened to Wenjin. What’s the situation?"
Hua Yuanming gruffly asked, "What happened? She was fine yesterday evening; how could such a thing happen at night?"
Xia Wanqing’s eagle-sharp eyes swept over them, speaking gloomily, "It seems our Haotian Village’s standing in the Jianghu has waned, for someone dared to target Wenjin!"
His voice carried a chilling threat, making Hua Yuanming’s heart shiver. He sensed a deeper meaning in his brother’s words.
He recalled that last night, he and the third brother had coincidentally invited the fourth brother and the others for drinks, leaving the Xia Mansion without masters. Could this have enabled the adversary to succeed?
If that was the case, would his big brother blame them?
Gu Hongxin furiously exclaimed, "Big brother is right. Who’s so audacious? Do they think we of Haotian Village are easily trifled with? Big brother, once we find that bastard, I’ll tear him limb from limb!"
Hua Yuanming immediately added, "Big brother, although Wenjin’s abduction was unforeseen, if we hadn’t taken the fourth brother out with us last night, this incident might not have happened. This matter is partly our responsibility. An abduction in the night disrupts the Capital’s peace. Why don’t we report this to the Capital Guard and let the troops, skilled in investigation, handle it swiftly?"