Chapter 120: Intelligence Analysis (Happy New Year!)

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She had not slept through the winter night, and the dark circles beneath her eyes were heavy by day. The woman half-reclining on the heated brick bed, dozing in a stupor, was Wu Yueling. By now, however, she had already awakened. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Chuer sitting upright on the bed in meditation. Perhaps sensing her gaze, Chuer opened her eyes as well.

“We worked for nothing last night. I feel the Bad Men suffered a tremendous loss, and now they owe us a huge favor. They didn’t seem surprised by the power of the ceramic land mines, though this test did tell us one thing—their power isn’t all that great.” Wu Yueling changed the subject as she stretched and yawned.

“Chuer thinks so too. They wanted to make use of us, but they never expected that the so-called cargo would actually be a group of slave children.”

Her expression grew solemn, and a cold gleam flashed through her eyes. “I never thought these Manichaeans were truly trafficking in children. According to Junior Brother Jingxu, he was captured and held for only a few days, fortunately. But who knows how much suffering the children taken away by the Bad Men endured? There was not a trace of spirit in their eyes. It was as though their minds had been washed clean.”

All the cargo in the sacks the previous night had consisted of boys. There had been no girls. Wu Yueling did not believe the Manichaeans would spare female children. On the contrary, from the standpoint of profit, girls could be sold to brothels, trained, and perhaps eventually turned into famous courtesans. The potential profits were obvious. As for the boys—were they being raised to become the next generation of Manichaean followers?

Wu Yueling sat up straight. According to what Junior Brother Jingxu had said, they had been taken to some tavern in the Eastern Market, a place thick with the smell of wine. As the junior monk had put it, “A monk does not drink wine, but he can still recognize its smell!” Wu Yueling suddenly found the little junior brother rather adorable.

The problem was that the two friends he had mentioned had been separated after their capture. One was a boy named Gongshu Jixuan; the other was a girl named Gongshu Lingyun. Neither of the junior monk’s friends had been among the “cargo” transported that night.

Had he only encountered villains after hearing the story of the Journey to the West? Why did it feel as though this was somehow her responsibility? Wu Yueling gave a cold laugh inwardly. Since when had she started meddling in everything? She was not the sort of person who devoted herself selflessly to others. Stroking her chin, she continued thinking.

Had there been some unspeakable secret behind placing the junior monk among the cargo being shipped out of the city? That seemed unlikely. Could it have been because they feared his identity? If she looked at it that way, everything made sense. The junior monk was a disciple of the Great Mercy Temple. If anything happened to him, Master Wushi would certainly demand an explanation...

At that thought, the foolish, innocent expression of Master Wushi’s old face suddenly rose in her mind. Could it be that he had forgotten the junior monk too?

By now, Gao Shi should have escorted the junior monk back to the Great Mercy Temple. She only hoped that, after several days apart, Master Wushi had not truly forgotten him. The thought brought a sorrowful look to her face. Propping up her chin with one hand, she wore an expression of helplessness. After all, that old man had genuinely forgotten her once. She began to grumble inwardly. He really was nothing but a muddleheaded old fool.

As for the taverns in the Eastern Market, there were only five according to her memory. That would make narrowing them down somewhat easier. Although she had sent people to keep watch long ago, their surveillance had not been especially useful.

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“Chuer, what was the name of the man you captured? Were you able to get any information from him?” At that thought, she remembered the Manichaean Chuer had seized the previous night.

“He was a minor leader named Chen Woodhead. He confessed as soon as he was struck. He didn’t know much. He had merely received orders from the junior commander, Tu Shen, to lead more than a dozen Manichaeans under him and wait in the market district with another minor leader. They were to prepare the cargo first, then bring it to the frozen canal. They had no intention of passing through the city gates, which was why they arranged to travel at night.” Chuer gave a soft laugh. She was quite satisfied with how readily the man had admitted everything and surrendered.

Wu Yueling nodded. In other words, that fellow had no idea which tavern was being used to imprison the slave children. They would have to search all five taverns one by one. It seemed tonight would once again be a night when she had to brave the bitter wind and cold without sleep.

“I’m going to rest a little longer. Chuer, you should rest as well. Tonight will probably be very busy. To be safe, Cen Shen should take part in the operation too.”

“Chuer understands!”

* * *

In a private residence somewhere in Chang’an, frost covered the blackened, weatherworn doorframe. Inside, a fire of moderate size crackled and popped while a group of people gathered around it for warmth.

The group had remained silent from beginning to end. The only continuous sound was the mournful hiss of burning wood.

“This operation cannot be called a failure. Based on what we know so far, they seem to have already transported Qingyu out of Chang’an. And Fatty Le’s death has been confirmed.”

At last, Marshal Zhang Heng of the Bad Men broke the silence and calmly stated the cold facts.

“Even so, we must avenge him. We must rescue Commander Qingyu!” Upon hearing this, Qiu Yuanhong’s eyes had already reddened. He clenched his fists in agitation. He knew of this latest development because it had been sent by their informant. The ambush the previous night had been mounted because they suspected Commander Qingyu was among the cargo, and they had therefore joined forces with the Princess’s Residence at any cost.

“We will certainly have our revenge. But the situation is extremely unfavorable for us. The Manichaeans act so recklessly because they have powerful backing! They do not take the Bad Men seriously at all. They have even colluded with the Ministry of Justice!” The usually calm and detached Liang Zixin, the group’s venerable veteran, no longer seemed indifferent. Hatred flickered in his eyes.

“If we approach the princess again, she may become suspicious. After all, we have repeatedly taken advantage of her status as Protector of the Realm.” The bearded giant stirring the fire with a branch spoke in a weathered voice. Judging from the situation in Chang’an, the princess was caught in the heart of a vortex. If his guess was correct, the power behind the Manichaeans was likely none other than the current holder of supreme authority, Right Chancellor Li.

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“As for Brother Niu’s conjecture, everyone should understand that the enemy we face is not merely the Manichaeans. The person behind them is the true culprit. It is very likely that it is that man!” Zhang Heng drew a deep breath. For the first time in his life, he felt the crushing weight of darkness and the helplessness pressing upon his shoulders. He wondered what it felt like for that wise princess to stand upon such a battlefield. Was she feeling the same way he was?

“So, at this critical moment, we must remain calm. Commander Qingyu will certainly be rescued, and our revenge will certainly be taken!” Liang Zixin spoke again, his tone filled with unwavering confidence. His resolute gaze swept across everyone in the room.

The solemn expressions on the others’ faces eased slightly. Their scattered gazes gradually gathered, hardening into a cold edge.

Outside the residence, a clump of snow slid from the roof. With a sharp whistle, a flying arrow pierced through the window and struck the wooden beam, embedding itself directly in the center.

Zhang Heng and Constable Niu rose to their feet at the same moment. They had sensed the disturbance outside, but when they saw the short, feathered arrow lodged in the beam, the vigilance in their expressions faded.

“It’s a message from the informant. Judging by this, it must be an emergency!” Zhang Heng stamped against the floor, vaulted upward, and climbed the supporting post. He retrieved the arrow, removed the message tube fastened to its shaft, and opened it. His expression grew increasingly grave as he steadied his emotions and read the contents aloud.

“Halfwall Peak, twenty miles outside Chang’an, is heavily guarded. It has been confirmed that Commander Qingyu was transferred there and is being held captive. They are also preparing to spread word of his whereabouts and lure others into a trap. Please take every precaution!”

At these words, everyone’s expression shifted. Their hatred united them as one. This time, they would fight until both sides were destroyed!

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