Chapter 180

The twenty-third year of Jiajing, the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month.

Early morning.

Wang Hai and Xiao Si walked out of the Imperial Guard prison.

Several Company Commanders under Li Miao had already captured a few Ming Sect disciples, and the two of them had interrogated them overnight, just finishing.

The Ming Sect, actually, is not that hard to find.

The previous actions of the Ming Sect clearly meant one thing—I don't want to live anymore, I just want to give the Zhu family a hard blow before I die.

Under such a premise, the Ming Sect naturally mobilized its entire nest; everyone who could come, came.

With so many people, the consumption of food and drink is high, and the space needed is large. Shuntian Prefecture was already crowded with people, and a group of strangers who lived in seclusion suddenly appearing in the neighborhood was as conspicuous as could be. With the Imperial Guard's many years of cultivation in Shuntian Prefecture, it was not a difficult task to catch a few.

However, the results of the interrogation were not ideal.

These few disciples couldn't say anything.

Because they didn't even know what they were going to do; the Ming Sect didn't even tell them the exact gathering place. After capturing the Shaolin Temple, they only received an order to "go to Shuntian Prefecture, hide yourselves, and wait for the opportunity."

Where to hide, how long to hide, what to do, who to listen to—they knew nothing.

Wang Hai understood instantly that all the low-level and even middle-level disciples of the Ming Sect were abandoned pawns used to confuse the situation.

Ji Tianrui was hiding among the Ming Sect disciples, and the Ming Sect was hiding among the common people; there were hundreds of groups, and only two or three of them were the true executors of the Ming Sect's plan. No matter how good the Imperial Guard was at finding them, they couldn't pick out the true Ming Sect high-level members from these hundreds of groups in the short four or five days before the New Year.

And the Ming Sect high-level members could also disguise themselves.

It was already impossible to rely on following the vine to find the melon to ferret out the Ming Sect high-level members.

The matter still had to fall on Xiao Si.

After Xiao Si flipped through the Miao King's notes and combined them with the Gu techniques of the two Great Shamans, she had already resolved the hidden danger left behind in Tai'an City.

She also discovered a method in the Miao King's notes.

Ji Tianrui back then was a "furnace" specially cultivated by Yang Lixuan to absorb the Heavenly Human realm. Precisely because of this, Ji Tianrui turned against Yang Lixuan, and taking advantage of the Five Great Sects besieging the Ming Sect, she poisoned Yang Lixuan, leading to his death.

But, if we look at this matter from the other side—since Yang Lixuan had no feelings for Ji Tianrui from the beginning, how could he not have left a backup plan to guard against Ji Tianrui?

The Miao King's notes recorded one such method.

Descendants cultivated by the Miao King as "furnaces" all contain a Gu insect similar to a "love Gu" in their bodies.

Through some relatively bloody methods, one can refine a Gu insect capable of sensing the traces of these Gu insects.

Although Ji Tianrui is not a descendant of the first Miao King, and until now no one knows who her father is or why the second Miao King gave birth to her.

But treating a dead horse as a living horse doctor, one still has to try.

What if she is the same as Ji Tianrui, both being "furnaces"? What if she hasn't taken this Gu insect out yet?

Xiao Si immediately set about refining this Gu insect.

By the time it was refined, the sun was already setting behind the western mountains.

Xiao Si walked out of the Imperial Guard prison, her face pale; it was clear that refining this Gu insect was also a significant drain on her.

Wang Hai hurriedly went to greet her.

"Little sister, how did it go?"

"It's refined, but it's only half-finished."

Xiao Si raised her arm and opened her right hand.

On her right hand lay a huge butterfly, its wings colorful and vibrant, with four patterns resembling human eyes, looking extremely eerie. It was just that one of its antennae was broken, and the edges of its wings were incomplete; it looked listless, as if it didn't have long to live.

Xiao Si said.

"This thing still requires the Miao King to refine it personally to succeed. Even if a Great Shaman refines it, it won't work."

"If I weren't a human Gu with a special constitution whose blood could play some role, I wouldn't even have been able to refine this half-dead thing."

Wang Hai gently took the butterfly and examined it carefully.

"Then, can this still be useful?"

Xiao Si shook her head.

"I estimate it can only have half the effect."

"And, the time won't be long; I estimate that after one use, it will die. If I want to refine another one, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold up."

Wang Hai pondered for a moment.

"So, we only have one chance."

"Yes."

Xiao Si nodded, but frowned.

"Brother Hai, I have something I want to ask you."

Wang Hai nodded.

"I know what you want to ask."

"You want to ask why I must pursue Ji Tianrui before the Battalion Commander returns, right?"

"Yes."

Xiao Si spread her hands.

"Others don't understand, but I understand that you and I only care about the Battalion Commander. Whatever Great Shuo, whatever Emperor, we don't care. In this world, only the three of us are a family. And only the lives of the three of us will you take to heart."

"We are both people of dark poison; it is because the Battalion Commander accepted us that we can pretend to be normal people, laughing and playing, and living normal lives. If it weren't for the Battalion Commander, even if I had survived back then, I would have become a Great Shaman who recognizes no relatives. You would probably have been stabbed by your enemy in the end and died on the street."

Speaking of this, Xiao Si giggled.

"The Battalion Commander says all day that he is not a good person, but as a result, he spends all day saving this one and that one, and along with us, we seem to have become good people too."

Xiao Si restrained her smile and looked seriously into Wang Hai's eyes.

"But, it's enough that we don't harm people according to the Battalion Commander's wishes; why bother risking our lives?"

"Anyway, Ji Tianrui can't do anything to the Battalion Commander no matter what; if she wants to kill the Emperor, let her kill him, if she wants to overthrow the imperial court, let her go, why do we have to investigate in advance?"

"If the two of us die, the Battalion Commander would really be heartbroken, right?"

These words were without a ruler or father, and were rebellious.

But they were the true feelings of the two.

Wang Hai heard this and also smiled slightly.

"Of course, I know all these things you said."

"That's why I must investigate."

"Because I don't want the Battalion Commander to get involved in this matter."

"So, I want to find out Ji Tianrui's plot and location before the Battalion Commander returns, and then hand it over to the imperial court, letting the imperial court deal with her. It would be best if the imperial court kills Ji Tianrui before the Battalion Commander returns."

After speaking, Wang Hai urged his true energy to flow into the butterfly's body.

The butterfly trembled and woke up.

Wang Hai looked at the butterfly and said slowly.

"Little sister, haven't you noticed yet?"

"Ji Tianrui is clearly plotting against the Battalion Commander, wanting to drag the Battalion Commander into her plot as well. And this plot is aimed at the imperial court, aimed at the Zhu family, aimed at—the Emperor!"

"'Heavenly Humans', three paths combined. If the Battalion Commander's realm is exposed to the eyes of the imperial court, perhaps the Guard Commander can mediate for him. But what if he is involved in the Ming Sect's plot against the Emperor? The imperial court can sit firmly in the world and suppress Heavenly Humans for hundreds of years, absolutely not just by relying on elite soldiers and capable generals; among them, there must be Heavenly Humans who can rival the Battalion Commander!"

"The Battalion Commander might not care himself; it is because of the blood debt in Tai'an City and the fear that the Ming Sect will harm the common people of Shuntian Prefecture that he must kill Ji Tianrui."

"But, I cannot allow Ji Tianrui to drag the Battalion Commander into her plot."

"In my eyes, your life is more important than mine. But the Battalion Commander's safety is more important than both of our lives."

The butterfly flew high, turned a circle in mid-air, and flew tremblingly toward the outside of the courtyard.

"I'm going to find Miss Mei and Elder Gao."

Wang Hai said.

"Let's go together to see where Ji Tianrui is hiding."

(End of chapter)