Chapter 181: Ao Tian

In the spacious study, several cold-faced people sat quietly on chairs, each lost in their own thoughts. No one spoke; only a few cups of strong tea sat on the side tables, emitting wisps of steam.

"Report!"

Rapid footsteps stopped outside the study. A young general announced in a loud voice, "Reporting to the General, eight thousand elite soldiers have been dispatched to search inside and outside the capital simultaneously, but no trace of Ye Mei has been found." The General had ordered a report on the search progress every half hour. With two consecutive reports yielding no results, the General's expression had turned terrifyingly dark. The young general swallowed hard in fear, but fortunately, Su Ling did not fly into a rage. He only ordered in a cold voice, "Add another ten thousand elite soldiers and expand the search radius."

"Yes."

Cheng Hang slammed his fist against the low table in frustration and muttered, "When the assassin attacked the Beiqi Post House, General Su had already ordered the troops to seal off all major and minor official roads in the capital. It is impossible for the assassin to have escaped in such a short time. She must still be in the capital; how can we not find her?"

Just as everyone fell into silence again, a yamen runner trotted over and said urgently, "My Lord, Guard Mo from the Prime Minister's Mansion requests an audience."

Mo Bai? A late-night visit—could it be that Prime Minister Lou had already heard the news so quickly? Sighing softly, Dan Yulan replied, "Show him in."

Mo Bai's tall, slender figure appeared in the study. His slightly rapid breathing revealed his anxiety and impatience. Dan Yulan asked in a deep voice, "Guard Mo, coming here so late at night, does Prime Minister Lou have some instructions?"

"You suspect Ye Mei is the culprit behind the explosion?" Mo Bai answered with a question. Dan Yulan frowned slightly, finding it strange that he knew they suspected Ye Mei, but knowing that Mo Bai represented Lou Xiyan, Dan Yulan wisely remained silent.

As Dan Yulan did not answer, Mo Bai's deep, cold voice suddenly stated with certainty, "She is not."

Everyone was stunned. Dan Yulan asked curiously, "How do you know she isn't?" Did the Prime Minister have evidence proving Ye Mei was not the culprit?

Mo Bai asked coldly, "At what time did the first explosion occur?"

"The third quarter of the Hai hour."

"She was with me during the Hai hour. I arranged to meet her at the Shili Pavilion in the southern suburbs. She only left at the third quarter of the Hai hour; it is impossible for her to be the culprit."

The two of them were together? Gu Yun's lips curled up slightly. No wonder Mo Bai, who was always indifferent to others, was in such a rush to get here.

Cheng Hang asked, clearly skeptical, "Was there anyone else with you two?"

"No." Mo Bai's blue eyes darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "Do you not believe what I say?"

Dan Yulan pondered, "Guard Mo, it is not that I do not believe you, but the assassin left a note claiming to be Ye Mei, and Ye Mei has gone missing at such a convenient time. Whether the assassin is her or not, we must find her in person first."

Mo Bai's icy aura was somewhat intimidating. Dan Yulan did not speak again, and the atmosphere in the study became very stiff.

At this moment, a man dressed as a eunuch hurried over, led by a yamen runner. Upon seeing Su Ling and Dan Yulan, he said urgently, "The Emperor has issued a decree: General Su and Lord Dan are to enter the palace immediately for an audience."

Enter the palace immediately? It was already the Chou hour. Su Ling and Dan Yulan exchanged glances, both understanding what kind of violent fury they would face from Yan Hongtian upon arrival. They rose in tacit agreement and followed the eunuch out of the study.

With Su Ling and Dan Yulan gone, Mo Bai also turned and left the study, leaving only Gu Yun and Cheng Hang behind.

Gu Yun tapped on the low table, producing a rhythmic *dong-dong-dong-dong* sound that annoyed Cheng Hang. Just as he was about to tell her to stop, Gu Yun suddenly stopped and asked, "Do you believe what he said?"

Cheng Hang shook his head. Gu Yun smiled and asked, "Why?"

"Just looking at his behavior earlier, it's clear he has an affair with that Ye Mei. To protect his beloved and clear her of suspicion, lying is only human nature." Sighing, Cheng Hang said worriedly, "With such an incident occurring before the celebration, the Emperor will surely be furious. I fear the Lord's trip this time will be more ominous than auspicious!"

Cheng Hang did not believe Mo Bai, but Gu Yun did. Mo Bai's face was full of frankness and anxiety, without a hint of guilt, showing he was not lying. If he was telling the truth, then someone was trying to use Ye Mei to frame Ao Tian? With Ye Mei missing at this time, I fear...

Oh no! Gu Yun stood up abruptly and suddenly ran out of the courtyard. Cheng Hang asked in confusion, "Where are you going?"

The only answer he received was the empty study.

Gu Yun left the study and headed straight for the Ministry of Justice prison. Upon reaching the prison, Gu Yun realized something was wrong—there were no guards at the massive prison! Damn it! Gu Yun cursed under her breath and rushed inside. Sure enough, she saw a scene she did not want to see: in the prison corridor, over a dozen yamen runners lay sprawled on the ground. The black shadow that should have been in the cell knocked down the last runner and was walking toward the prison gate.

"Where are you going?" Gu Yun's cold voice rang out in the silent prison at dawn, causing the advancing black shadow to shudder. Seeing Gu Yun blocking the entrance, Ao Tian's expression sank instantly.

Glancing at the yamen runners lying on the ground, their chests rising and falling slightly, indicating they were still alive, Gu Yun breathed a sigh of relief. Her guess was correct: Ao Tian was not the type to kill the innocent indiscriminately, which also meant the previous yamen runners were not killed by him. Gu Yun stared at Ao Tian, who was walking closer, and said with some annoyance, "You've been tricked once already, isn't that enough?"

She didn't know what method the assassin used to lure Ao Tian out the first time, but during that time, Xiao Yu died and the explosion occurred. If he went out again this time, the assassin would surely ensure he had no chance of turning back!

Ao Tian seemed not to see Gu Yun. Regardless of what she said, his black eyes stared coldly at the door. He pushed Gu Yun's slender body aside with his large hand and walked out, determined to have his own way.

"Ao Tian!" How could Gu Yun let him walk away like this? She turned and used a small grappling technique to grab Ao Tian's arm, dragging him back toward the cell. Ao Tian's arm was pulled, his cold brows furrowed slightly, and he backhanded to grip Gu Yun's shoulder. Gu Yun could have escaped his large hand by moving away, but that would have allowed Ao Tian to escape.

Gu Yun steeled herself, neither dodging nor avoiding, and held onto Ao Tian's hand without letting go. She let Ao Tian's eagle-claw-like palm dig into her shoulder blade. The pain made Gu Yun grunt, but she bit her lip and refused to let go. A flash of helplessness crossed Ao Tian's black eyes. Knowing her stubbornness, he had to ease his grip and said in a chilling tone, "Let go."

"I won't." The pain in her shoulder made Gu Yun angry too. She growled, "I always thought you weren't an impulsive person. Why are you so unable to keep your cool this time!"

Ao Tian moved his body, but Gu Yun gripped his hand even tighter. Ao Tian turned his face away. Always disdaining to explain anything, he finally said, "Ye Mei was captured by them. If I don't go out, she will die."

"Who told you Ye Mei was captured?" The explosion only happened after Ao Tian was sent to prison. How did he know it was Ye Mei, and how did he know her disappearance meant she was captured? Gu Yun grabbed Ao Tian's lapels and said urgently, "Who is the person who has been threatening and framing you? Who is tipping you off? You clearly know everything, why won't you say it?"

Gu Yun only reached his chest, but her bare hands were clutching him tightly, and her clear eyes were staring straight at his face, as if trying to see something. Knowing she had a pair of sharp eyes, he turned his face away in a disheveled manner and said bitterly, "Qing Mo! Don't force me to lay a hand on you!"

"Even if you go out, Ye Mei might not live. Knowing it's a trap, why jump into it?" He was avoiding her eyes; he really did know everything! Gu Yun ignored Ao Tian's threat. Ao Tian was getting annoyed—was she convinced he wouldn't lay a hand on her? Ao Tian reached out angrily, grabbed Gu Yun's slender neck, and said coldly, "My business has nothing to do with you."

Gu Yun's neck tightened instantly, and she couldn't breathe. The Ice Chain at her waist sensed her abnormal state and began to tremble uneasily, and the temperature around them dropped by several degrees. Gu Yun's face turned dark red, but she refused to draw her sword. Her hand clutching Ao Tian's lapels trembled slightly, and her cat-like eyes stared at him coldly. Gu Yun was gambling; as long as she drew her sword, she could escape danger, but what she wanted was the truth!

Just as Gu Yun's face began to turn black, Ao Tian withdrew his hand in frustration and roared out of control, "What exactly do you want?"

As soon as his hand released her, Gu Yun gasped for air in a disheveled state. Her hoarse voice, mixed with unstable breathing, replied, "Tell me the truth, otherwise, you can only leave the Ministry of Justice prison by stepping over my corpse!"

"You!" Ao Tian was choked with anger. Meeting Gu Yun's eyes, which were more persistent than anyone else's, he lowered his cold, black eyes in helplessness and frustration.

"Ye Mei is my younger sister and my only living relative. I cannot watch her die." The deep male voice rang out coldly. Gu Yun knew she had won the bet!

So Ye Mei was his sister. She didn't feel surprised by this. Gu Yun adjusted her breathing and asked, "Who is that silver-haired man?"

"Ao Ji, my father's younger brother."

Father's younger brother—that would be his uncle, right? Calling him by such a roundabout title, Ao Tian probably didn't want to call that man uncle. Ao Tian was indeed a block of wood; if Gu Yun didn't ask, he wouldn't say an extra word. She could only continue to ask, "Why does he want to harm you?"

Ao Tian fell into silence again. In the dark prison, it was hard to see the expression Ao Tian was deliberately hiding. Gu Yun didn't urge him, waiting silently, only her tight grip didn't loosen. Ao Tian's voice, deep to the point of being hoarse, rang out faintly, "Juling Island is a mysterious island in the East Sea. The ancestors of the Ao Clan lived in seclusion on this island, making a living by killing for generations. Whether it is a peddler or a monarch, as long as they can afford the corresponding price, Juling Island can kill for them."

Gu Yun raised her eyebrows slightly. In other words, Juling Island was actually an assassin organization. But if they were really that powerful, why hadn't anyone hired them to kill Yan Hongtian of Qiongyue? On second thought, Qiongyue's strength wasn't just because of Yan Hongtian alone; it was impossible to wipe out Lou Xiyan and Su Ling.

"The Ao Clan is divided into several branches. Every ten years, they organize a competition. The winner becomes the Clan Leader, and all Ao descendants must obey their orders. The group to which the Clan Leader belongs can run rampant on Juling Island for ten years."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 182 =====