“His Majesty isn’t a fan of him. If anything, he has his grandpa to thank. Speaking of Wondrous Warrior, he was involved in the contest for the throne; however, he never viewed His Majesty as a threat. To the contrary, he took His Majesty’s side. His Majesty broke down in tears when his corpse was wheeled back to the capital on a donkey cart. Apparently, Li Muye – the punk – is the spitting image of his grandpa in his younger days, so he reminds His Majesty of his grandpa. That’s why His Majesty is tolerant of Li Muye’s misconduct. By the same account, it’s useless to detain him if he didn’t personally commit a crime. Right now, the most pressing matter is to find the iron seal,” Shen Yiren elucidated. “Do you suspect Zhao Xin of stealing it?”
Su Xiao affirmatively bobbed his head. “It must be him! Before he came in, I dragged him into the back alley and pretended to demand a bribe, but he claimed to have no money.”
“A shortage of money doesn’t make one a thief.”
“But he stated that he’d make it up to us once he found the iron seal.”
“…” Shen Yiren felt her head throb. She contemplated the information gathered thus far and then said, “That being the case… perhaps Li Muye is after Yongheng Bank’s seal, but someone by the name of Hong Jiu stole it from him after he got his hands on it.”
Hong Jiu: “I’m truly innocent, Sister-in-Law. All eight generations of the ‘Hong’ surname carr-”
Shen Yiren glared daggers at Hong Jiu. “Enough. I never suspected you. Not even louse would dare touch your blanket. What good would money do you?”
Given the thief claimed to be Hong Jiu, they had to either have a grudge against Mount Daluo or Hong Jiu. In addition, as someone affiliated with Daren Academy, they could very well have someone higher up backing them. On top of that, they thieved it from Zhao Xin not long after he obtained it, bespeaking thorough calculations were made prior. They weren’t dealing with a simpleton.
Although Liu Shan Men had Ming Feizhen and Hong Jiu in Daren Academy, Ming Feizhen couldn’t fight, while Hong Jiu was definitely flagged for surveillance.
Shen Yiren: “Yan Ling, Xiao Han.”
Tang Ye and Su Xiao: “Present.”
“Starting tomorrow, you two attend classes with Ming Feizhen.”
Su Xiao: “Eh? We have to study, as well?”
Tang Ye: “We are planning to win the martial arts and literacy imperial exams?”
“Obviously not. Ming Feizhen can take care of the exams. I’m sending you two in to investigate the case. The perpetrator is on Daren Academy’s grounds. Keep a low profile. Investigate from various angles. And find the culprit as soon as you can.”
***
Over thirty years ago, the mansion adjacent to the imperial court occupied a sizeable plot of land. Owing to the renovations and expansions it underwent, it became the largest mansion in the capital.
On the grounds of Wondrous Warrior Sstate, even servants conducted themselves with the discipline of the many armed guards. If someone were to try infiltrating, they needed to be prepared to combat several guards every time they turned a corner. One could make a strong case for it being harder to infiltrate than the abode of a veteran in the pugilistic world.
Because Li Muye’s father passed away early and he was an only son, His Majesty permitted Li Muye to inherit his father’s rank and “Northern Wondrous Prince” title. Though he lost his father at a young age, his wise mother not only raised him but also sustained the family’s operations. Additionally, she leveraged their family’s reputation in the military to nurture over a thousand capable martial artists. Their place became the biggest, most famous ring in the capital when they started holding competitions for members of the martial world as a socialisation strategy. By extension, their home became the spot where the most information was exchanged. Information, of course, included martial arts knowledge.
Up to 70% of martial arts events in the capital started at Wondrous Warrior Manor, and a considerable portion of the martial arts community in the capital came from there. They set up rings of various sizes across their home ground for daily matches and classes. Unless one was talking about a huge sect, it was impossible to find a sect where as many martial artists were coming and going as at Wondrous Warrior Manor.
Like always, Li Muye only ever spared the martial artists a glance when he wanted to show his detest for them. He would always be seen with his brows together until he entered the inner section, where outsiders were prohibited entry.
Li Muye tried to silently enter the tranquil Buddhist hall and, in a soft voice, called, “Mother.”
The woman sitting inside paused her recital to turn around. Despite her son already being a grown man, time couldn’t leave its mark on her. The woman who hadn’t seem to age a day since her thirties responded, “Mu’er.”
Li Muye, like his persona at Daren Academy was but a facade, hurried over to help his mother up. “I’m here, Mother.”
“Where did you come home from?”
“I came back from the academy.”
“Fool.”
Li Muye’s head dropped as though he was whipped.
Without looking at her son, she elaborated, “Her Majesty Empress Dowager has returned to the palace. Regardless of how busy you are with studying, you mustn’t forget to pay her a visit. Your father and grandpa’s reputations aren’t the only things keeping us afloat. Even with our guests, no matter how we grow, the most we could ever become is a clan in the martial world. His Majesty’s protection is the reason we can sustain our affiliation as a member of the imperial family. His Majesty treasures Her Majesty Empress Dowager; you mustn’t be complacent.”
“I understand. I shall pay Her Majesty Empress Dowager a visit tomorrow.”
“That’s more like it. Sadly…” For the first time in the conversation, there was finally emotion in her voice, namely regret. “Sadly, you and Shen Yiren are at odds with each other, always quarrelling whenever you’re together. I would be ecstatic to have her as my daughter-in-law. Even without her family’s value to His Majesty, I can’t see what’s not to like about her. She is someone who can achieve greatness.”
“Mother, there is no point to discussing that topic. At the end of the day, her engagement to Song Clan is a sealed deal. Even if Song Ou has not done anything after so long, we cannot let a woman like her into our family.”
“Fool.”
While he did recoil, Li Muye exhibited no signs of changing his mind, which was an indication to his mother that anything she said next on the topic would go out the other ear. Hence, she told him, “There is no need to wait until tomorrow. Enter the palace today,” then shook his hold off her, prompting the nearby maids to come over and escort her away.
Li Muye only got up once his mother was out of sight.
“Her Ladyship is still as imposing as ever,” Master Qi remarked.
“Mother is right, just not direct enough. She may have the patience, but I don’t.”
“What are your orders?”
“Now that His Majesty has reclaimed Huzhou, the Seven Champion White Princes are bound to make a move, which means money is indispensible, yet that useless Zhao Xin had to go and lose the seal. I need to enter the palace today and will most likely stay, so I don’t have time to deal with it. Hurry back to the academy. Find out which mongrel stole the seal and butcher him!”
