Chapter 1208: Chapter 1044: Escaping the City Amidst Chaos
"But Master urgently summons us back, hiding here all day, how are we supposed to leave?" The cloaked man felt more helpless than ever, burning with anger inside.
"Don’t panic, can the Capital really remain on lockdown forever? We’ll wait for a while, then find an opportunity."
"Wait for a while? They’ll search here sooner or later, we can’t keep dodging around, they’ll eventually discover us."
As they were talking, they heard the sound of chains outside the door.
"What’s happening? Could someone have found us here?" The cloaked man gripped his sword tightly and asked nervously.
"No idea! The Young Master shouldn’t be here now; let’s find a hidden place to hide first."
The Map Master glanced inside the room; this rundown yard had only two rooms, and there was just one kang in this room, making it hard to find a place to hide.
He looked up at the beam overhead and quickly leaped onto it. Seeing this, the cloaked man also flew up onto the beam. They held their breath and watched the happenings below closely.
Footsteps were drawing nearer, but only one set. The Map Master relaxed a bit, a single person coming whom they knew should be the Young Master.
But then his face darkened; the Young Master appearing here at this time—could the situation have changed?
Gu Wanqian pushed the door but found it wouldn’t open, so he gently said, "It’s me, open the door!"
The cloaked man recognized Gu Wanqian’s voice and was about to go down to open the door, but was stopped by the Map Master. Though confused, he didn’t act impulsively.
Now the Capital was tense, and with the Young Master not being versed in martial arts, he couldn’t detect if they were being followed. If someone was secretly following the Young Master, or if the Young Master had defected to Gu Chengyu, opening the door now would be walking into a trap.
"What is it?" The Map Master tightened his grip on his sword and asked softly.
"Open the door first; we need to discuss strategies. Someone’s searching everywhere with your portrait." Gu Wanqian looked anxious, glanced around, fearing discovery.
Though the place was very secluded and bought by him, it carried great risk to pass on this message.
Coupled with his guilt towards Gu Chengyu, his heart felt truly uneasy.
Upon hearing this, the Map Master couldn’t be bothered with previous suspicions, he swiftly descended and opened the door.
And yet another day neared dusk, Gu Chengyu gazed at Ming Mo standing in front of him, remaining silent for quite a while.
"Master, I followed Mr. Zhu all the way to the Kong Mansion. After Mr. Zhu sent his wife to the Kong Mansion, he stayed and hasn’t come out since."
Gu Chengyu nodded, "That old man selling candied haws, was he investigated?"
"Already sent people to investigate, but no news has come yet." Ming Mo dared not raise his eyes to meet Gu Chengyu’s, inwardly cursing Ding Wu for inefficiency.
Gu Chengyu walked to the window, watching the gradually thinning crowd in the workshop, pondering in his heart. Zhu Pang had bought quite a few candied haws, and then the old man just left.
But being pregnant, does one need to buy so many candied haws? Kong Shuhuan being a lady of status, it’s unlikely she’d consume so much outside food.
"Just wait a bit longer! Any movement from Jiang Shaohua?"
"Ming Yan is monitoring, still... no news has come!" Ming Mo took a deep breath; this has been a day, usually at this hour Ming Yan would send someone with updates.
"Master! It’s bad, fighting broke out at the West City Gate." A soldier rushed over to report.
"Did they catch the assassin?" Gu Chengyu snatched up the sword on the table, quickly turned, and hurried to the West City Gate.
The soldier saw Gu Chengyu move, had to follow and explain as he ran.
"They said they saw a cloaked man, demanded he remove the cloak. He refused, and then they started fighting."
A cloaked man? Gu Chengyu instantly leaped onto the rooftop, using Qinggong to head to the South City Gate.
Not yet at the South City Gate, he heard the sound of swords clashing.
Ming Yan parried the cloaked man’s diagonal thrust with a sword, seeing Gu Chengyu and Ming Mo descending from the sky, his heart instantly steadied.
The person is highly skilled, slightly beyond his match. If they let him escape, all their efforts for days will be wasted.
With Gu Chengyu and Ming Mo joining in, Ming Yan’s disadvantage finally reversed.
"Faster! Even faster!" Gu Wanqian urged the carriage towards the city gate, racing away, while the people inside still kept urging.
At this moment, Gu Wanqian couldn’t spare any attention, driving the carriage continually, relieved only when ten miles away from the gate, seeing no pursuers behind.
"Map Master, do you think Lord Ke can escape in time?" Gu Wanqian thought of Bu Ke, getting a bit anxious.
"Rest assured! As long as he doesn’t encounter Mr. Gu, he can definitely escape unharmed. You mentioned Mr. Gu was at the South City Gate, we departed from the West City Gate. Even if he gets the news and rushes over, he can’t make it in time."
The soldiers had a portrait of the Map Master but not of Bu Ke. Therefore, they could only devise ways to have Bu Ke hold off those men; Gu Wanqian took the chance to leave the gate with the Map Master in the chaos.
The carriage had been prepared outside the gate long before, amidst the chaos many townsfolk were running out, making it hard for the guards to notice.
After a while, Gu Wanqian replied, "Oh! Then we’ll hurry to Ten Mile Slope to wait for him!"
Yet his heart still felt anxious, so he continued, "But if my Little Uncle rushes over, Lord Ke must not harm my Little Uncle, that’s what you promised."
Gu Wanqian knew Bu Ke’s martial arts were exceedingly formidable, and if Gu Chengyu really arrived, what would happen if Bu Ke harmed Gu Chengyu?
The Map Master immediately replied decisively, "Rest assured, Young Master! Mr. Gu is your Little Uncle, and he’s taken great care of you over the years, we are not people who forget favors and betray. But once we’re back, the Master will soon send someone to take you back. You should try to persuade Mr. Gu, best bring him to Da Xing."
The Map Master squinted slightly; Gu Chengyu’s martial arts were so profound, could they harm him? The Young Master simply didn’t know Mr. Gu’s true skills! But he had no intention to explain.
"How could my Little Uncle possibly return to Da Xing with me? Once you return, don’t come looking for me. I’m living well now, and I don’t wish to leave."
At this moment, Gu Wanqian’s heart was filled with guilt towards Gu Chengyu; he knew Gu Chengyu’s task was to hunt down assassins. But now, by letting the assassin escape, wouldn’t that be betrayal?
Yet should he just watch as the Map Master and the others fell into his Little Uncle’s hands, he couldn’t bear it.
He planned to send these two away and then sever all ties with Da Xing.
"Why is the Young Master so stubborn? Years ago, the Imperial Physician said the Empress was frail, couldn’t bear a child, and advised her to give up the one in her womb. But the Empress insisted on giving birth to you, paying for it with her life. Saying so, doesn’t the Young Master fear that beneath the nine springs, the Empress will find no peace?"
The Map Master’s words were full of righteous indignation and gave Gu Wanqian a heavy heart.
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