Chapter 684: It really isn’t something minor (2/2)

Bai Yuqiao was curious, but didn’t dare to ask for details. It was only after Bai Yanqing tossed the letter onto a table that she saw its contents and grew astonished. Supposedly, the empress dowager of Tianan Country had given an extremely high price for the City of Daughters’ number one expert, City Lord Lady Leng Yue2, to kidnap a certain person.

Bai Yuqiao grew terrified upon reading the victim’s name. “Master, it looks like you were right.”

Bai Yanqing narrowed his eyes until they were gleaming with killing intent. “It’s him without doubt!”

Bai Yuqiao feared her master’s bloodthirsty side the most. It lacked his usual scholarly, refined air and gave him the aura of a sinister avenger. She didn’t understand why her master held such hatred within them, but only hoped that he would treat her senior brother well. Please, don’t let master turn senior brother into a tool for revenge.

“How are investigations going with the Mermaid Clan?” Bai Yanqing asked next.

“Still proceeding. It’s not hard to deal with them underwater, but it’ll be more difficult on land. Disciple will hurry as best as I can,” Bai Yuqiao replied.

“Very good. If this succeeds, master will tell you the whereabouts of your younger sister,” Bai Yanqing said happily. “Now go to the City of Daughters and tell Leng Yue to accept this transaction no matter what!”

Bai Yuqiao left with the orders, but exhaled as soon as she left the tent. One hand went to rest over her chest, where her heart was beating fast. Master hadn’t mentioned her little sister for years now. She was raised as his foster daughter and assumed she was an orphan, but many years ago, master had suddenly mentioned the fact she had a living little sister around the same age. Back then, master had said that this was all he knew, but she knew he was lying. She understood him much better than senior brother.

“Little sister…” Bai Yuqiao covered her mouth. Despite feeling happy, her eyes were damp with tears. It had been ages since she cried, too. “Little sister…where can she be?”

It was different, knowing that you had family. She suddenly felt less lonely than before.

The peaceful Northern Li was undergoing great changes beneath the surface. It was still unknown whether Long Feiye would catch on to these developments within a month. That’s right, just one month!

Because the fifth month of the lunar year was the best season to visit Celestial Mountain. The paths were clear and the weather perfect. After taking care of matters in South Ning and calculating the travel time, they could expect to reach the foot of the mountain around then. Their trip from Reclining Dragon Range to South Ning was very quick. But bad news greeted them from a shadow guard as soon as they stepped into its borders.

Even though it was the middle of the night, Chu Xifeng didn’t hesitate to wake Long Feiye. “Your Highness, it’s a disaster. Grand Concubine Yi’s disappeared!”

Long Feiye’s eyes flew open, while Han Yunxi woke up in alarm.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“The servant girl in charge of bringing her meals tonight discovered her missing. All of the guards around the Buddhist ancestral hall were slaughtered with a single sword wound. Judging from the scene of the crime, she must have been kidnapped. Whoever did it had formidable martial arts skills,” Chu Xifeng reported.

“Any other clues?” Long Feiye was calm despite the catastrophic news.

During the internal unrest in Tianning, Grand Concubine Yi had been whisked away by the shadow guards like everyone else and sent to South Ning. The Buddhist ancestral hall built in the new Duke of Qin’s estate became her home. She spent her days chanting scriptures and praying, having withdrawn from secular life. But Grand Concubine Yi was no mere former concubine. She might not know all the details, but she did know Long Feiye wasn’t really Emperor Tianhui’s son!

That detail alone was enough to threaten Long Feiye. Thus, he had refused her request to retire to a nunnery and kept her under house arrest in the estate’s ancestral hall. Three teams of shadow guards were assigned for her protection. Her past year had been spent in peace, but now this had happened instead!

Who had kidnapped Grand Concubine Yi?

“There’s been nothing else yet. Your Highness, shall this subordinate hurry back first?” Chu Xifeng was very anxious.

Before Long Feiye could reply, Han Yunxi spoke up. “Let’s go back together. If the kidnapper didn’t take the grand concubine to threaten us, then he or she is probably someone who suspects His Highness’s birth origins.”

“I’m afraid it’s probably the latter,” Long Feiye’s eyes flickered with malice. “Long Tianmo!”

Both Emperor Tianhui and the empress dowager had suspected his birth and even hired killers from the mercenary cities to vie for Mama Su, a mama who had been present when Grand Concubine Yi gave birth. Without any other clues, Long Tianmo was their most likely suspect. While Emperor Tianhui had fled west, the empress dowager and the former imperial uncle had all remained in Tianan under Long Tianmo’s alliance. The old woman was the only person besides Tianhui who suspected Long Feiye’s birth. Currently, she was Tianan Country’s empress dowager.

That very night, Long Feiye and Han Yunxi left their carriage behind to hurry on horseback with Chu Xifeng to South Ning Prefecture.

Translator’s Note: Lol at that Chekov’s gun. Who wants to bet that Han Yunxi becomes new goddess of the Wintercrow Clan sometime down the line instead? Jun Yixie, you’re just setting yourself up for regret…

Also, make sure to check out today’s chapter announcement post for some really cool PGC-related info!

1. Ning Clan and Cloud Realm Trade Consortium – lest we get confused, the general public only knows the Ning Clan as Great General Ning Jing and Grand Concubine Ning (formerly Noble Consort Ning) in Tianning Country. Cloud Realm Trade Consortium is supposedly run by the Ouyang Clan, with Ouyang Ning Jing as its president and Ouyang Ning Nuo as the ex-president that HYX and LFY deposed after the Grand Medicine Testing Convention.

2. City Lord Leng Yue (城主冷月) – chengzhu Leng Yue, “city lord” was formerly translated as “city head” in chapter 217. The term has since been updated. Leng Yue means “cold moon.” The City of Daughters is ruled by the Leng Clan, whom we also met in chapter 217 with its assassin Leng Shuangshuang.