Chapter 69: Prince of Lu

Except for the six Soul Hunters currently performing the ritual, everyone else was looking at Li Lin.

Li Lin nodded: "My People-Finding Art requires me to know the target's appearance."

The young man nodded, then shouted to a government office Runner beside him: "Go fetch paper and a brush."

Shortly after, the paper and brush were brought to the government office table.

The young man immediately used the brush to draw on the paper; in just over ten breaths, he had sketched a portrait.

Though the lines were few, he had captured the person's general appearance, temperament, and expression very well.

After viewing it, Li Lin took a stack of small paper figures from his clothes, infused them with Yin Qi, and threw them to the ground.

These small paper figures came to life upon landing and rushed out of the government office gate using various bizarre methods.

Some ran on all fours like dogs, some somersaulted, and others performed the moonwalk.

The crowd watched these small paper figures with extremely strange expressions.

They had seen Paper-Stitching Arts before, and they had seen paper figures before, but such lively, non-ominous paper figures were a first for them.

At that moment, a Soul Hunter nearby performing a spirit-summoning ritual suddenly spat fresh blood and collapsed.

Everyone was startled and rushed over, only to find the man merely unconscious, so they breathed a sigh of relief.

Although this man's People-Finding Art had failed, the others had all succeeded.

Several of them pointed in the same direction simultaneously.

The young man immediately rejoiced, saying: "Friends from Yulin County, please rest here for a while; the rest, we will handle ourselves."

With that, these dozen or so people charged out of the government office.

Only the five from Yulin County and one injured, unconscious companion remained.

This looked like an attempt to monopolize the credit.

Su Huafang breathed a sigh of relief: "Fortunately, we do not need to get involved in this matter. Those who... kidnapped him are no ordinary people."

Bai Liwei also said: "It is most likely the Qin Family of Yuecheng behind this."

Qin Hao was somewhat confused: "Why would they kidnap the Third Imperial Prince? If they were going to kidnap someone, they should have taken the Crown Prince."

Su Huafang smiled: "They probably want a more legitimate excuse. Having an Imperial Prince in hand gives them a righteous cause."

Li Lin thought for a moment, then said: "It is not necessarily the Qin Family of Yuecheng's doing. Actually, I have heard of the Third Imperial Prince's situation. In my view, there are many factions that want him dead, and many that want him alive."

Su Huafang, not well-versed in politics, asked: "What do you mean?"

"If he dies, the mastermind can claim to the outside world that the Imperial Palace acted," Li Lin said.

Zhao Hao said: "But if the current Emperor truly wanted to kill him, he would not have demoted him to a Feudal King!"

"That is exactly what many people think, which is why this scheme works."

Zhao Hao pondered thoughtfully.

Su Huafang asked again: "And those who want him alive?"

"Too many. The Crown Prince wants him alive, and warlords across the land want him alive, each for their own reasons."

Hearing this, the crowd was quite confused.

Su Huafang looked at Li Lin and asked: "Li Xunshou seems very knowledgeable about current politics; did your family teach you?"

Li Lin nodded: "My elders taught me."

Everyone looked at Li Lin's face and felt they understood something.

Just then, several people entered through the door, escorting a young Young Master dressed in white robes.

Upon seeing these people, Su Huafang immediately grew tense; aside from the young Young Master, everyone else was a martial arts expert.

Each one could easily defeat him.

He immediately stepped in front of Li Lin and the others, saying: "You have trespassed into the government office without permission; do you know..."

At that moment, Zhao Hao pulled Su Huafang aside, stepped forward, clasped his fists, and said: "Commoner Zhao Hao greets the Prince of Lu!"

Prince of Lu?

Li Lin remembered; Zhu Laosan had been demoted to Lu Commandery as a Feudal King.

Hearing this, the uncle and nephew from the Bai family immediately clasped their fists, bowed their heads, and paid their respects.

Li Lin naturally did the same.

The young man in white robes, who was the Prince of Lu, smiled gently and asked: "Are you Soul Hunters from Jincheng?"

The crowd shook their heads.

Su Huafang whispered: "We are from Yulin County."

"Then this matter concerns you little. Could you step aside? I will speak once I have finished these matters," the Prince of Lu asked gently.

The crowd naturally complied, stepping aside.

The Prince of Lu said to his subordinates: "Go and invite Fang Hua out."

Immediately, two subordinates went around the screen and entered the Third Hall, where the Prefect resided.

Soon, Fang Hua was dragged out by two martial artists, his clothes disheveled, cursing loudly.

"I am a fourth-rank official! Dare you treat me thus? Do you not fear the extermination of your nine generations?"

He cursed fiercely, then was thrown onto the main hall floor.

The Prince of Lu stepped forward two paces and smiled: "Prefect Fang has quite the official aura. This Prince does not dare to exterminate anyone's nine generations at will, yet you dare... You are even more domineering than the current Emperor."

Hearing this voice, Fang Hua's eyes widened: "Prince of Lu! Did you not go missing?"

"If I hadn't done so, how could I have lured your subordinates away?" the Prince of Lu laughed.

At that very moment, a group of paper figures rushed in from outside the government office and began circling the Prince of Lu.

Before they could complete even half a circle, the Prince of Lu's subordinates chopped them all into shredded paper.

"Path-Finding Paper Figures," the Prince of Lu said with a smile to a middle-aged man in Daoist robes beside him. "Almost everyone's techniques were deceived by your Substitution Talismans and led north, but these paper figures found their way here. It seems there are still experts in Jincheng."

The Daoist nodded in agreement: "Not having been deceived by my Substitute Talisman, the one who cast this technique indeed possesses some skill."

Meanwhile, the several Soul-Hunters of Yulin County all looked at Li Lin with slanted eyes.

Prince Lu did not notice the expressions of that group of Yulin people; he looked at Fang Hua on the ground and said, "Prefect Fang, since matters have come to this, do you wish to die yourself, or have your nine clans exterminated?"

Fang Hua stood up, straightened his clothes, and said, "Naturally, I wish to die myself."

"Very well, then tell me: who instructed you to harm me and poison me?"

Fang Hua was about to answer, but he was interrupted.

Li Lin suddenly clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness Prince Lu, may we be permitted to depart?"

Zhao Hao and the others looked at him with surprised gazes.

Prince Lu sized Li Lin up and down, and after a while nodded with a smile: "That is only right; I was negligent. Gentlemen, please!"

Li Lin turned and left without hesitation.

Su Huafang and his nephew Bai Liwei also immediately followed and departed.

Zhao Hao looked toward the direction outside the prefectural government office, then looked at Prince Lu; finally, he gritted his teeth, bowed to Prince Lu, turned, and left.

The great gate of the government office closed.

Prince Lu turned his gaze back, settling on Fang Hua: "Very well, with no outsiders present, now you may speak."

Fang Hua took a deep breath and said, "It was Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Prince Lu's expression grew grave: "That is impossible. My eldest brother is benevolent and kind-hearted; he usually takes great care of us younger brothers. How could he take such a ruthless hand..."

Fang Hua smiled: "Your Highness Prince Lu, you spoke plainly in the palace, saying 'the Crown Prince should succeed to the throne.' What do you think the Holy Emperor thought? What do you think the Crown Prince would think? Would he not believe you were harming him?"

Prince Lu took a deep breath: "I truly had no such thought."

"Even if you did not..." Fang Hua smiled: "Do you think the Crown Prince would believe you did?"

Prince Lu also smiled: "No, my eldest brother would only think of my survival. Prefect Fang, you do not understand. Until now you still refuse to name the mastermind behind this? You even wish to deceive me; do you truly not care for your nine clans and relatives?"

(End of this chapter)