Chapter 726: A New Era

The oil lamp flickered erratically; the air inside the ruined house was so gloomy it seemed ready to drip.

Yu Yi Yuan Shiguan sat beside the coffin on a broken wooden table, silent, gently caressing the ancient sword at her waist.

His face was dark, his gaze at You Er filled with murderous intent.

Clang!

A Japanese swordsman suddenly drew his blade.

His feet moved like the wind; before the sword’s hum faded, he was already behind “You Er,” the sharp edge of his blade resting against his throat.

A mere flick would end his life.

“You lowly commoner who dares defy your superior—I’ll kill you first!”

Feeling the cold at his neck, You Er showed no panic, smiling with cold mockery: “Lord Sanada, if you meant to kill me, you wouldn’t have waited until now. Just speak your mind—this… is extremely rude.”

“Audacious!”

The samurai named Sanada flew into a rage, yet still did not strike.

Not because he didn’t want to—but because he dared not.

Their infiltration into Shenzhou was originally meant to gather intelligence on the court’s stance toward Korea, but they never expected the Academy to unveil the steam engine, sparking greed and a desire to reclaim the blueprints.

This reckless move stemmed entirely from the dire situation at home.

Yet precisely because of that, they now found themselves trapped in an impossible dilemma.

“Sanada, step back!”

Yu Yi Yuan Shiguan suddenly spoke from above. After the swordsman reluctantly sheathed his blade, she said coldly: “Inoue, I want to know when you were bought by Zhao Qingxu—was the setup in place from the very beginning?”

“Your Excellency is mistaken.”

“You Er” bowed slightly, smiling on the surface but eyes brimming with malice: “I never intended this. Isn’t it your own actions that forced me?”

“You ordered me to steal the blueprints—did you ever consider the current state of the city? The Academy is watched by everyone—how could I possibly succeed?”

“Then, just then, a secret letter arrived from home: the Prince was executed, your families either surrendered or were slaughtered—your escape routes were cut off.”

“I knew that if I gave you this letter, whether you fled or stayed, you’d kill me immediately to eliminate any risk.”

“And those children you ate—if I’d taken them in the capital, someone would’ve noticed. I had to spend a fortune acquiring them from elsewhere—all the silver I’d saved over the years was devoured by you in mere months!”

At this, his face twisted with venomous hatred.

“You only gave orders—you never considered pushing me to the brink. Fortunately, though Zhao Xianshi hid his whereabouts, he knew everything happening in the city and came to me himself. The intelligence came from him.”

“Hmph—if you were me, what choice did you have?”

“(Baka) Fool!”

“(Korusu) Kill him!”

The surrounding swordsmen and ronin glared with murderous intent, drawing their weapons.

Yu Yi Yuan Shiguan raised a hand, silencing them, then rose slowly and said calmly: “Then let’s say no more of this. What exactly does Zhao Qingxu want? And what can we gain?”

“Master.”

You Er stepped forward, bowing respectfully: “The Immortal Zhao merely asks you to lend a hand. The entire capital is hunting you—just hide carefully, occasionally show yourselves to create disturbances. The Immortal will provide both your hiding places and the children.”

“The court assumes you’ll flee by sea, but the Immortal has already arranged for you to depart northward to Korea. A hundred-man force awaits you in Mount Bai Tou, to be placed under your command.”

“Toyotomi Hideyoshi is old and won’t live much longer. The Immortal says the others in the ‘Hundred Ghost Seat’ are already discontent. When you gather them, you may yet accomplish great things!”

Yu Yi Yuan Shiguan lightly stroked the hilt of her sword. “Agreed.”

You Er beamed with joy, bowing deeply and sideways: “Master, the Daxuan Enforcement Hall is hunting you everywhere, and the Grand Master of the Canal Guild has already moved—he’s a half-step Patriarch. This place is no longer safe. Please follow me.”

Hearing this, all the ronin and swordsmen turned to Yu Yi Yuan Shiguan.

After being tricked once, they couldn’t be sure if this was another trap.

“Master, time is short.”

You Er bowed again: “Hong Zhenyue of the Canal Guild is no ordinary man. His disciples are scattered everywhere, and the Enforcement Hall agents are closing in—by their tracking skills, they’ll be here soon.”

“Let’s go.”

Yu Yi Yuan Shiguan finally spoke, her voice icy: “If you play any tricks along the way, I won’t spare you.”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

You Er exhaled inwardly, his face still plastered with deference, turning to lead the way ahead.

Night was like ink—a natural curtain.

Under You Er’s guidance, the group moved like ghosts, descending from the graveyard and taking only secluded paths.

They passed through abandoned fields outside the city, sparse woodlands; distant villages occasionally echoed with dog barks.

Though no one was around, all of them possessed keen spiritual senses, and a heavy pressure pressed faintly against their backs.

They knew: the pursuers were likely nearby.

After roughly half an hour, the distant official road became faintly visible.

In the shadow of a tree beside the bend, a row of large carts, covered in thick oilcloth, stood silently.

The air carried the dry, distinctive scent of hay and grain.

“Stop—this is it.”

You Er lowered his voice, pointing ahead: “The grain is mixed with a substance that blocks spiritual beast tracking.”

He walked to the cart and tapped the shaft three times.

Almost instantly, a corner of the oilcloth was lifted, revealing two silent, watchful faces.

They were local porters, ordinary in appearance, yet unmistakably reeking of a peculiar smoke odor. Seeing the Japanese group, their expressions remained utterly blank—cold, indifferent.

They nodded at You Er without speaking.

Smelling the stench rising from the hay bales, Yu Yi Yuan Shiguan’s eyes flickered with distaste, yet she raised her hand, signaling her followers to swiftly climb onto the grain carts and squeeze into the gaps between the sacks.

Yu Yi Yuan Shiguan was the last to board, moving with such lightness that not a sound was made.

Before slipping into the grain sacks, his cold gaze swept over the porters like a physical blade.

Yet those men merely lowered the oilcloth with wooden expressions, as if nothing had happened.

"Master... it's Fushou ointment..."

One ronin whispered a warning.

Yu Yi Yuan Shiguan instantly understood, his curiosity deepening.

These men were clearly Zhao Qingxu’s hidden agents.

According to intelligence, Zhao Qingxu had severed all ties—yet here was one still hidden.

The space inside the grain sacks was cramped and stifling, thick with dust and grain odor.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

From the distant road, the thunder of hooves echoed.

It was the elite patrol of the Commandant’s Office and the Enforcement Hall.

The sound was heading straight for the graveyard.

Yu Yi Yuan Shiguan exhaled in relief.

He’d gambled right—if he’d killed You Er earlier, facing wave after wave of Enforcement Hall experts, even with his skills, survival would’ve been impossible. Now, he could only take one step at a time.

After an unknown duration of jolting, the carts slowed.

Outside, voices surged in clamor—it was dawn, and they had reached the city gate.

The convoy’s men clearly knew the guards; after cursory checks, they entered the city.

After another unknown stretch of time, the cart finally stopped.

The oilcloth was lifted again—those same numb-faced porters gestured for them to disembark.

The group crawled out of the sacks, brushing off straw and dust.

Looking around, they saw before them a spacious courtyard.

The ground was paved with blue bricks; the surrounding walls were gray-tiled and whitewashed, bearing the subtle charm of southern water towns.