199 Nanjiang Town, Same Destination
At the edge of the forest in the Great Yong Dynasty.
Xiang Tiancong hid in the shadows. As he waited anxiously, he was also vigilant of the surroundings.
Suddenly, with the sound of clothes fluttering, a figure gently landed from the top of the stone pillar.
“Sword God!”
Xiang Tiancong recognized the person and quickly jumped out of the shadows. “How was your conversation with Sect Master Zou? How is he now?”
“He’s gone.”
Lin Ran replied in a low voice with his head slightly lowered, making it impossible for anyone to see his expression.
“It’s good that he’s gone. He’s seriously injured. It’s not safe for him to stay here.”
Xiang Tiancong sighed softly, clearly misunderstanding what Lin Ran meant.
Lin Ran smiled and didn’t explain. He looked at the top of the stone pillar and patted Xiang Tiancong’s shoulder. “Let’s go back. Don’t make the others wait.”
…
The two of them returned to the empty space surrounded by three stone pillars. Compared to the first time Lin Ran came, there were five more people here, and the already cramped space became even more crowded.
Even so, Yuan Yangguo and the others still tried their best to get as close as possible to give the empress a comfortable space.
Seeing this, Lin Ran did not go down to squeeze with them. Instead, he floated in the air.
The empress was sitting on a rock to rest. When she saw Lin Ran return, she immediately stood up and asked, “How is it?”
“It’s a spy I sent out previously. He reported something to me and left.”
After a pause, Lin Ran instructed, “This investigation is over. Everyone, you can go back now. Just like when you came, set off in groups of five. I’ll escort His Majesty back personally.”
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone nodded. The empress looked up at Lin Ran, but she didn’t say anything.
After reminding them to be careful, Lin Ran reached out and pulled the empress onto his sword before flying to the top.
“Why did you lie to them?”
As soon as the two of them flew out of the gap, the empress immediately turned around and looked Lin Ran in the eyes. “We’re clearly going to the central region of the Great Yong Dynasty. Why did you lie that we can go back?”
“If I tell them the truth, they’ll definitely follow me.”
Lin Ran’s eyes narrowed as if he had thought of something. “With their cultivation, they’ll die if they come.”
“Lord Lin, don’t you think you’re overconfident in your charisma?”
The empress revealed a teasing expression. “Are you sure they’re really willing to take the initiative to follow you?”
Looking at the suspicious look on the empress’s face, Lin Ran suddenly felt a little annoyed and thought about what Zou Hao said.
“Can my life atone for the crime the Dao Seeking Sect committed?”
“Your Majesty, I know they’ve all made mistakes, but you underestimate their determination to make amends!”
Lin Ran suddenly shouted, looking like he wanted to devour the empress.
The empress was shocked. She pursed her lips and said softly, “That’s not what I meant. I was just joking…”
“This joke is not funny at all!”
Lin Ran replied coldly. Then, he looked away from the empress. After a few seconds, he said softly, “I’m sorry, I’m in a bad mood.”
“It’s fine.”
The empress smiled and wrapped her arms around Lin Ran’s waist. “When I was waiting for you just now, I used the hairpin again.”
“Did it work?”
Lin Ran asked casually. Unexpectedly, the empress nodded.
“I already know where my mother is.”
The empress looked at the passing scenery under her feet and couldn’t help but smile. “She’s in a place called Nanjiang Town!”
“Where?!”
Lin Ran exclaimed. As if affected by his state of mind, the Yin-Yang Sword under his feet trembled and almost threw the two of them off.
Amidst the empress’s screams, Lin Ran instantly came back to his senses. After stabilizing the Yin-Yang Sword, he asked, “Where did you say just now? Nanjiang Town?”
The empress was still in lingering fear. After a few seconds, she asked in confusion, “It’s Nanjiang Town? Why are you reacting so strongly? Do you know this place?”
“Kind of.”
Lin Ran replied ambiguously. “It’s a military city.”
Hearing that, the empress’s expression immediately became solemn.
“Military city?”
The empress frowned slightly, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion. “But the Nanjiang Town I mentioned is in the central region of the Great Yong Dynasty. Why would they build a military city there? Could it be two places with the same name?”
“The Nanjiang Town I mentioned is also in the central region of the Great Yong Dynasty.”
Lin Ran replied softly. Before the empress could speak, he continued, “I’m not sure about the exact situation. I only know that the cultivation of the people in that city is not low. It seems that we can only investigate it ourselves after we get there.”
“That’s the only way.”
The empress sighed with mixed emotions. Then, the two of them did not say anything else and focused on continuing their journey.
…
In the imperial study of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.
The wreckage of the previously collapsed arch had been cleaned up. The new arch had yet to be built.
There was no light in the huge courtyard at all. Li Tianyi and a commander of the imperial guards were sitting on the ground. Song Rentong was lying on the ground at the side, and his expression could not be seen in the darkness.
“Eunuch Li, I think what that person said is credible. He barged into the palace but didn’t hurt anyone. He shouldn’t be just here to inform us.”
With that, the commander of the imperial guards subconsciously turned to look at Song Rentong.
Song Rentong fell from the arch, but he was indeed not hurt. It was only because the sword had unleashed too much power that his body could not take it anymore and fainted.
However, when he woke up and heard that his strike not only failed to kill the scholar, but it didn’t even hurt him at all, he had been lying on the ground without moving.
When he heard the guard commander’s words, Song Rentong suddenly sat up from the ground. “I remember who he is!”