The dark clouds gathered thicker in the night sky, deepening the darkness.
The sound of orderly footsteps echoed through the streets and alleys, the flickering torchlight casting erratic shadows. A military officer led several thousand soldiers to surround the residence of the Second Prince.
The officer dismounted and signaled his subordinates to knock on the gate.
The main gate of the Second Prince's residence was tightly shut, with soldiers standing guard in front, yet the scene was eerily silent. Only the faint crackling of torches broke the stillness.
A soldier stepped forward and struck the vermilion gate with a brass knocker, the dull thud reverberating through the air.
No one answered.
The officer gestured for the soldier to knock again.
After a long while, there was still no response. The courtyard remained deathly quiet.
"Second Prince!" the officer called out loudly. "I have been ordered to escort Your Highness to the palace for questioning!"
After a pause, he repeated, "I have been ordered to escort Your Highness to the palace for questioning!"
Still, there was no movement. Just as the officer was about to order his men to break down the gate, a faint light finally appeared inside.
Before long, a side door opened, and a groggy servant peeked out. Startled by the sight of soldiers crowding the entrance, his drowsiness vanished instantly. "My lord, His Highness went outside the city tonight and is not in residence."
The officer ignored his words. "I have been ordered to search the Second Prince's residence and escort him to the palace for questioning. Will you open the gate yourself, or shall I force my way in?"
Seeing the officer's hostile demeanor, the servant's expression darkened. Standing on the stone steps with his sleeves tucked, he looked down at the officer with arrogance. "I don't care what rank you hold, breaking into a private residence is a grave crime—let alone the residence of the Second Prince! Without an Imperial Edict from His Majesty, don't expect me to open this gate."
"I will explain myself when I see the Second Prince!" The officer waved his hand. "Break it down!"
Realizing they were serious, the servant hastily retreated, leaving the side door ajar as soldiers surged forward and pushed it open.
The servant darted toward the main courtyard like a startled rabbit.
With the main gate now open, the officer led his men inside.
Several black-clad figures suddenly appeared in the courtyard, blocking their path.
These figures stood silently, ghostlike, their murderous aura freezing the soldiers in place. None dared to advance even an inch.
"Cheng Jiang, how dare you barge into the residence of a prince!" A low voice growled from the shadows as one of the black-clad figures stepped forward.
Under the torchlight, Cheng Jiang immediately noticed the silver crane embroidered on the man's robe and was taken aback. "The Crane Control Army?"
The man replied, "Indeed. We are the Crane Control Army, dispatched by His Majesty to protect the Second Prince. Without His Majesty's decree, if you wish to search this residence or take the Second Prince away today, you'll have to step over our corpses!"
Knowing that most members of the Crane Control Army were elite warriors capable of fighting a hundred men alone, Cheng Jiang had no choice but to explain patiently, "Without His Majesty's verbal order, I wouldn't dare trespass into a prince's residence even if I had the boldness of the heavens. I hope you understand."
"The Crane Control Token," the man demanded, extending his hand.
The Crane Control Token was the only means to mobilize the Crane Control Army. Without it, even an Imperial Edict would be useless.
"If that's the case, then don't blame me!" Cheng Jiang said coldly. "If even one person dies in the Second Prince's residence today, even if His Highness is innocent of treason, he will face the condemnation of the entire realm tomorrow! Since your duty is to protect the Second Prince, I suggest you think carefully about my words."
The leader of the Crane Control Army replied impassively, "That is not our concern. Our only duty is to ensure the Second Prince's safety."
In the study at the rear courtyard...The young man, dressed in luxurious robes, sat upright on a round-backed chair. His brows were tightly knit as he fiddled ceaselessly with the jade pendant in his hand. Six advisors were seated in two rows on either side of him.
The room remained silent for a long while before one of them finally spoke up, "Your Highness, we don’t know if the Northern Camp will arrive in time. You must leave the residence at once!"
The young man raised his eyes slightly, his voice hoarse. "I will not go."
Seeing the advisor about to protest further, he continued, "This is not stubbornness. I simply refuse to become a fugitive. You all know the Crown Prince’s methods. Once I abandon my current stronghold, he will hunt me down without mercy. Victory or defeat will be decided tonight."
"Your Highness!" someone at the door called in a low voice.
"What is it?" the young man asked.
The messenger hurriedly reported, "The Crane Control Army has blocked Cheng Jiang at the front courtyard."
The Second Prince was visibly surprised. He hadn’t expected the Crane Control Army to come to his aid. He pondered carefully—there had been a mysterious figure secretly guiding him all along. A few nights ago, this person had informed him that the Emperor was nearing his end and advised him to prepare early, even offering some strategic suggestions.
Naturally, he hadn’t taken everything at face value. He had discreetly sent people to investigate and discussed the mysterious figure’s plans with his advisors. They found that if the Emperor truly was on the verge of death, the proposed strategy was indeed the most reliable. Unfortunately, his spies within the palace couldn’t confirm the Emperor’s condition, so he had quietly made some adjustments just in case.
The Second Prince knew full well that the Crown Prince must also be in the dark; otherwise, there would have been more obvious movements.
It wasn’t until today, when news arrived that the Crane Control Army had besieged Plum Blossom Village in an attempt to seize medicine from Mo Sigui, that the truth became clear.
Even as the Emperor’s own sons, they hadn’t known that the Crane Control Army was no longer the last line of defense loyal solely to the Emperor and the Great Song. It had long since decayed, its foundations repeatedly shaken, eroded by external forces, and torn apart by internal power struggles more than once. Thus, when large numbers of the Crane Control Army were dispatched to seize the medicine, both the Crown Prince and the Second Prince were almost certain that the Emperor’s condition was indeed critical.
Though every piece of advice from the mysterious figure had ultimately proven brilliant, the Second Prince could never fully trust someone who refused to show his face. Thus, he never adopted all of the suggestions—this time was no exception. Yet the mysterious figure seemed to have anticipated this and had already prepared contingencies.
Only then did the Second Prince believe that this person was truly loyal to him.
The thought of gaining such an advisor—one whose influence, strategy, and martial arts were all extraordinary—filled him with irrepressible excitement.
At this realization, the Second Prince’s eyes gleamed with an intense light, further solidifying his resolve. "We wait. Wait for the Northern Camp to arrive!"
In the pitch-black night, Chu Dingjiang sat atop the roof of the study, listening to the commotion below as his gaze swept toward the front courtyard.
To confirm the Emperor’s condition, Chu Dingjiang had clashed with the eunuch whose martial arts had reached the Transformation Realm. Their internal energies were evenly matched, and after half a cup of tea’s worth of fierce combat, both sustained minor internal injuries. But at last, he confirmed that the Emperor truly was at death’s door.
Yet now, after painstakingly earning the Second Prince’s trust and investing countless efforts for this very day, he found himself at a crossroads. Success was within reach—if he could help the Second Prince overcome this crisis, he would ascend as the most formidable "chess player" in the realm. But fate had forced him to make a choice.
Though a strategist should never be burdened by hesitation, this dilemma still infuriated Chu Dingjiang. It wasn’t just a simple decision—it was a glaring reminder that his plans were still incomplete.This time, Wei Yuzhi revealed his trump card, completely dismantling and dividing the Crane Control Army.
Chu Dingjiang had long anticipated this day, which was why he had Zhu Pianxian start a business in advance. Having absorbed numerous forces himself, he needed funds to sustain them once they separated.
Most of these people followed Chu Dingjiang not for wealth and glory but in hopes of retiring to a peaceful life after completing this final mission. Naturally, Chu Dingjiang had to prepare an exit strategy for them. This group accounted for only one-fifth of the Crane Control Army's total strength.
On one side was a large contingent of highly skilled Crane Control Army members, and on the other, a vast military force. Handling either side alone would be challenging, making it impossible to divide their strength to deal with both simultaneously.
Gazing into the flickering flames, Chu Dingjiang sank into deep thought. With time still on his side, he had to make arrangements early.
In the night-shrouded Plum Blossom Village, the fragrance of plum blossoms lingered faintly.
The mist over the lake was thicker than during the day, completely obscuring the island's location. A hundred Crane Control Army soldiers waited on the shore for orders.
Over twenty Crane Control Army members boarded boats, slowly advancing toward the island with nets woven from medicinal herbs.
Having roamed the martial world for years, many of the Crane Control Army's assassins were well-versed in its ways. Coupled with their specialized intelligence division, they quickly identified the Dream Blossoms planted around the island. Though dealing with these hallucinogenic poison flowers was tricky, they were not without countermeasures and had prepared accordingly.
Initially, the medicinal herbs blocked most of the toxic fumes, but the twenty-plus Crane Control Army members remained vigilant, carefully steering their boats to avoid the Dream Blossom flowers.
The deeper they ventured, the more relaxed they felt, enveloped in an unprecedented sense of comfort. Some began yawning, and many wore contented smiles as drowsiness overtook them.
The toxicity of Dream Blossoms was peculiar—victims first felt relaxed and comfortable, then fell asleep as the poison numbed their central nervous system, inducing hallucinations. Even if they didn’t turn on each other, they would eventually succumb to paralysis and death.
Sheng Changying, observing from a high vantage point, let out a slight sigh of relief. It seemed these were specially cultivated Dream Blossoms, their toxicity beyond the reach of ordinary antidotes.
On the island, the defenders took turns resting. Ling Ziyue and Sheng Changyang took the first watch while the others rested downstairs.
The night passed.
No one breached the first line of defense to reach the island, and the Crane Control Army remained inactive the following day.
An Jiu sat on the rooftop, gazing at the sky while fiddling with an arrow.
Sui Yunzhu prepared dinner and called from the open ground below, "Shi Si, come down and eat."
An Jiu pressed against the roof ridge and nimbly descended along a pillar.
"Look!" Lou Xiaowu held her rice bowl, pointing at the sky with her chopsticks.
Everyone looked up to see giant birds circling overhead—but upon closer inspection, each "bird" had a person beneath it!
"This is an ancient mechanical art," Lou Xiaowu exclaimed, tossing her bowl aside. She dashed inside, grabbed a gun, and thrust it into An Jiu's hands. "A Jiu, shoot them down."
An Jiu gripped the gun, glanced at Ling Ziyue, and loaded the bullet.
Lou Xiaowu planted her hands on her hips, a few grains of rice sticking to her plump cheeks, and said proudly, "Luckily, we're smart. Whether they come from the sky, land, or water, we're ready."
An Jiu aimed the gun but didn’t fire immediately, waiting for the targets to enter range.
As the "birds" circled closer, everyone held their breath, refraining from urging her.
Just as one "bird" was about to land, two loud bangs rang out.The "Giant bird" wobbled a few times in the sky before plummeting down like a kite with its string cut, swaying unsteadily as blood rained down. (To be continued...)
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