Chapter 7: Origins

The veiled woman's expression remained indifferent, unmoved by Li Musheng's words.

"I am from the Great Li Hidden Spy Bureau."

The woman regarded Li Musheng, her gaze deep and cold.

She lightly raised her hand and tossed him a token, saying:

"I have come on this journey because of your origins; you must be interested in this."

Li Musheng reached out and caught the entirely silver token, glanced at it, and immediately frowned, his face clouded with suspicion.

After he transmigrated, he only knew the original body was a homeless orphan.

Before joining the martial arts dojo, he had once been taken in by an old beggar for a time, but those memories were extremely hazy.

As for the original body's parents—whether they were even from Shun'an City—Li Musheng knew nothing at all.

Of course, he didn't actually care about his origins.

After all, he was a transmigrator, and an orphan at that; he had no emotional family ties to begin with.

At this moment, seeing Li Musheng suddenly fall silent, Cang Cang Yin Yue added:

"You are very likely the seventh Imperial Prince who was lost among the common people of Great Li."

At these words, Li Musheng leapt down from the city wall and landed beside Cang Cang Yin Yue.

"Miss, are you joking? A prince vanished for twenty years, and now you're only thinking to look for him?"

Cang Cang Yin Yue stepped back lightly, keeping a certain distance from Li Musheng, her voice still icy:

"The reasons are complicated. If you wish to confirm your origins, you may come with me to the imperial capital, Shangyang City."

"So my Imperial Prince status isn't even confirmed yet?" Li Musheng rubbed his chin. "I knew it—my innate talent is so poor, how could I possibly be some damn prince?"

Yet Cang Cang Yin Yue shook her head, frowning:

"Don't belittle yourself. Though many factions in the capital are searching for someone, in my view, you are the most likely candidate for that lost prince."

"Why?" Li Musheng was curious.

"Because I am the top Silver-Embossed Spy of the Great Li Hidden Spy Bureau. Every mission I take, I never fail—and never make a single error."

Cang Cang Yin Yue's gaze radiated absolute confidence, and with her aloof demeanor, she exuded an air of solitary pride and icy arrogance.

Clearly, a tsundere girl!

Li Musheng raised an eyebrow, paused in thought, then said:

"Actually, going with you isn't impossible—I was planning to wander the world anyway; it doesn't matter where I go."

"But I won't follow you blindly. At the very least, you must tell me the full story behind this. I don't like riddles!"

Cang Cang Yin Yue stared at Li Musheng for a moment, then gave a slight nod:

"As long as it doesn't involve Hidden Spy Bureau secrets, I will answer all your questions truthfully."

Li Musheng clapped his hands lightly, speaking with great cheer:

"Then let's set off. We can talk on the road."

Yet at this moment, Cang Cang Yin Yue's figure suddenly retreated backward, vanishing in a blink to several zhang away:

"Wait half a stick of incense—I have some matters to attend to. I will find you once they're done!"

Seeing this, Li Musheng didn't mind; he waved his hand:

"Go ahead, I'll wait for you."

Then he simply sat down under the shade of a tree to cool off.

Half a stick of incense later, Cang Cang Yin Yue arrived precisely, leading two black-maned, yellow horses into Li Musheng's view.

As she approached, she handed him the reins of one horse, her voice still cold:

"Let's go."

"Rich person, huh? These horses must cost dozens of taels each!"

Li Musheng casually tossed Cang Cang Yin Yue's token back to her, then took the reins and leapt lightly onto the horse's back.

"Once your Imperial Prince identity is confirmed, mere gold and silver won't mean anything to you."

Cang Cang Yin Yue spoke calmly, tucked away the token, and was about to mount—when she saw Li Musheng slap the horse's rump; amid a sharp whinny, the horse shot out of the city like an arrow released from a bow.

"Could he be trying to escape?"

Cang Cang Yin Yue furrowed her delicate brows, kicked off the ground, mounted swiftly, and chased after Li Musheng's direction, calling out:

"You're going the wrong way!"

……

As dusk approached, the two riders drew near a remote small town, the rhythmic "clip-clop" of hooves rising and falling.

"We'll rest here tonight and continue our journey at dawn."

Cang Cang Yin Yue did not enter the town; instead, she halted on a slope just outside.

Li Musheng glanced around, said nothing, and tossed his horse aside to graze on its own.

He gathered dry firewood and lit a small bonfire in a sheltered spot.

"Miss Cang, come sit. Let's chat."

Li Musheng gestured with his hand.

Throughout the journey today, Cang Cang Yin Yue had already explained everything related to his origins.

He found the whole affair genuinely ridiculous—the substitution of a civet cat for the crown prince, fake princes, court intrigues...

I must say, these royal nobles certainly know how to have fun!

"No need. I'm used to being alone. If you have questions, ask directly."

Cang Cang Yin Yue leaned against an ancient tree, making no move to approach.

Li Musheng didn't press; he poked at the fire, quieted his thoughts, and reflected on matters concerning himself…

Four months ago, the Tianjin Guard of the Imperial Capital received a secret letter addressed directly to the Commander.

The letter stated that the current Seventh Imperial Prince was not the Emperor's biological son, but had been secretly replaced twenty years ago.

The true Seventh Imperial Prince was abandoned in the Daming River outside Shangyang City, and his life or death is now unknown.

Soon, this matter was presented to Emperor Yuanwu, who summoned the Seventh Imperial Prince, Li Zhi, that very night.

No one knows what happened in the Tianqian Palace that night; all that is known is that before dawn, several secret edicts were issued within the Imperial Palace.

The Seventh Imperial Prince, Li Zhi, was imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, while the Tianjin Guard, the Six Fan Gate, and the Secret Intelligence Bureau all received secret orders to thoroughly investigate the prince replacement incident from twenty years ago in secret.

It was clear that the Imperial Palace originally intended to conceal this royal scandal, but for some unknown reason, the matter eventually spread without any legs of its own.

By the next day, it had spread throughout the entire Imperial Capital, Shangyang City, and even the common people in the streets and alleys knew of the affair.

From that moment on, various factions in the Imperial Capital began to stir; not only did they confirm the prince replacement from twenty years ago, but they also began to rely on their own abilities to search everywhere for the true Seventh Imperial Prince lost among the common people.

And according to Cang Cang Yin Yue, she mobilized all the open and secret agents of the entire Secret Intelligence Bureau, conducted countless open investigations and secret inquiries, combined with all relevant clues from the past twenty years, before finally finding Li Musheng.

Of course, the Tianjin Guard and the Six Fan Gate, who also received the secret order, were likewise searching for the whereabouts of the "Seventh Imperial Prince," but since each side possessed different information, the person they eventually found would likely differ.

"Miss Cang, are you truly so certain that I am that Seventh Imperial Prince? If, by any chance, I am not, what will you do?"

Li Musheng gathered his thoughts and suddenly asked.

(End of this chapter)