306 Missing (1/2)

Chapter 306: Missing

Translator: TransnEditor: Transn

Tie Linglong and Chu Nanping were already gone for four hours before Gu Shenwei knew that they were planning to break into the Golden Roc Fort. Xu Yanwei was full of confidence as she told him about her plan, ”With my advice, nothing will happen to them. They'll even be able to bring back some...thing.”

Gu Shenwei had underestimated her will and also her ability to convince other people. When he was not around, she used a variety of ways to bring everyone in the residence to her side. Even the swordsmen from the Great Snowmountain, who hated the Golden Roc Fort to the core, were pitying Shangguan Ru, who was trapped in the Stone Castle, and felt that the Dragon King had a duty to rescue her after Xu Yanwei was done speaking to them.

Most of the people in the residence, however, kept their pity to themselves and did not dare to voice out their concerns to the Dragon King. As for Fang Wenshi, even though he had received some 'benefits' from Xu Yanwei, he felt that it was one of the perks of being a military counselor and that he did not owe her anything. He, too, did not speak to the Dragon King about advancing Xu Yanwei's cause.

Tie Linglong was the only one truly moved by Xu Yanwei.

She was 14, the age where girls like to fantasize the most, and her pity extended beyond Shangguan Ru to the Dragon King. ”He never smiles and doesn't seem to be interested in women. I always thought that he must have someone close to his heart to be acting in this manner,” she said to Xu Yanwei.

Xu Yanwei took the opportunity to drive her point through to the younger girl. ”You're right. He grew up together with Miss Ru, and they're a perfect match for each other. They should've been a couple. It's a pity that fate makes a fool of us all. However, we can trick fate too. He wants to rescue her, but cannot do so due to his position as the leader of the Great Snowmountain and because of his pride. If we try to convince him, I believe he'll agree with us immediately.”

Tie Linglong was young, but she was of a meticulous nature. ”It's no good. I understand his behavior, the more someone tries to convince him otherwise, the more stubborn he gets. Once he makes up his mind, he won't go back against his word.”

However, even as she understood the Dragon King's behavior, this little girl still oversimplified the problem and underestimated the risks involved with her plan. ”If he doesn't want to go rescue her, why don't I go? I don't think he'll reject her if she's brought to him,” said Tie Linglong.

If it were someone else hearing about such a plan, they would immediately feel that it was not the right solution. However, Xu Yanwei was already close to being driven mad by constantly thinking of any means to rescue Shangguan Ru, and she felt that it was the light at the end of the tunnel for her. The only question she had for the young girl was, ”Is your kung fu up to it?”

Tie Linglong cocked her head proudly as she replied, ”There are at least 80 people, if not 100, to have fallen under my saber. Only the Dragon King, and er, that monk, is more than a match for me. However, when I fought the monk, I was using a wooden saber. If I had a real one...”

Xu Yanwei believed her but felt that it was dangerous for the girl to venture into the fort alone. She came up with a solution, ”Let's rope Little Chu in, his swordcraft is not too bad. And both of you will be able to look after each other.”

Tie Linglong agreed that it was a sound idea.

Both of them went looking for Chu Nanping, but the youth was not interested in being part of the rescue mission. ”I'm not going. She's the Dragon King's love, and why should we go rescue her if he hasn't requested for us to?”

Xu Yanwei began indoctrinating the swordsman. ”He's too shy to speak up, but he secretly wishes for you to go. Case in point—he obviously knows what I'm here for, and I've made him angry a few times, but has he chased me away? This is his way of hinting. Having followed him for so long, you should understand how he hints. If you don't, he won't favor you or practice that 'Sentimental Sword Craft' with you.”

”You mean 'Emotionless Swordsmanship'.”

”Yes, that. So, are you in or out?”

Chu Nanping shook his head, not getting what Xu Yanwei was about.

This made Xu Yanwei mad, and Tie Linglong became angry as well. ”Fine, I'll go mysel. Even if there's no one covering my back, I'll go. Even if I'm stabbed to death from the back, I'll not blame you,” the young girl said.

Chu Nanping lowered his head and gazed at the long sword in his hand, while saying, ”Fine, but first, we have to come up with a detailed plan.”

The 'detailed plan' was finalized within 15 minutes. Xu Yanwei went through with the two youths on how they could sneak into the Stone Castle, avoid detection from the guards, sneak into the Inner Residence and find Miss Ru. She had thought about this for a long time and felt that it was foolproof.

Tie Linglong could not remember much of it, but Chu Nanping had memorized every word of what Xu Yanwei said with a serious look on his face. He could even recite Xu Yanwei's instructions out, earning her praise.

Just as the Dragon King was discussing with the others on how they should tackle the Meng family, his two young guards had left their post without instructions and were headed to the Golden Roc Fort.

Xu Yanwei had already prepared all the necessities for their journey. Both youths were dressed as killer apprentices and wore matching waist tokens. Just like this, they successfully entered North City and went up the mountain once they received their weapons at the north gate of the city.

Chu Nanping had gone into the Stone Castle once before but as a captive. As for Tie Linglong, she only had the chance to gaze at it from afar at the foot of the mountain. Both of them did not know the way up, but luckily for them, there was only one path leading toward the castle. They arrived at the stone bridge outside the castle about midnight and were stopped there by a group of guards.

They trusted in Xu Yanwei's plan and were therefore unafraid of what they were about to do. They felt that they had nothing to hide, and calmly displayed their waist tokens and were willingly interrogated and searched by the guards.

This was the first key factor as to why they could successfully sneak into the Stone Castle.

Luck was on their side as well, as a bunch of apprentices had indeed gone down the mountain that morning. As such, the guards did not pay extra attention to the youths.

The nature of the plan itself also worked in their favor, as it was simply crude. No one who wanted to sneak into the castle would come up with such a sloppy and brazen plan to dress as apprentices and hope to walk in. The guards did not believe that anyone would be so foolish to try and therefore were not suspicious of Chu Nanping and Tie Linglong.

Chu Nanping softly recited directions as per Xu Yanwei's roadmap, and Tie Linglong took charge of navigation. However, they became lost after walking past about eight crossings upon entering the castle.

Both of them had a small argument on how to proceed, and just at this time, a guard who had been in hiding showed up and ordered them back to East Castle. Tie Linglong insolently replied that she had orders to report to the Inner Residence.

The guard became flustered, as he had never encountered such a person before, who could still be indignant when obviously flouting the night curfew law. In a moment of muddle-headedness, he gave the young girl directions to the Inner Residence.

In this way, they managed to enter the Inner Residence, but all contact was lost with them afterward, and it was as if they had been swallowed by the fort.