Chapter 70: Maid (Please Follow for Updates)

Hearing the commotion now, Yang Yang Yun Chong did not turn his head; he began to speak silently, moving only his lips without making a sound.

Zhao Ti said coldly, "Yang Yang Yun Chong, what position do you hold in the Ming Cult?"

"Ah?" Yang Yang Yun Chong shuddered at the words and cried out in alarm; having lost all his Wu Gong, he collapsed onto the ground.

"What Ming Cult? The commoner does not know!"

Hou Er went over and dragged him around by the collar: "Just looking at you, it's clear you have no legitimate background; you are actually someone from a Jianghu sect. The Young Master is asking questions, so confess the truth!"

Zhao Ti chuckled, "Now there are Ming Cult followers who have come to the capital and defected to my service; they mentioned your name, and the other party said you are also a person of the Ming Cult."

"Who would dare to betray..." Yang Yang Yun Chong opened his mouth, then immediately realized his slip: "The commoner knows nothing of any Ming Cult."

Zhao Ti sneered slightly, and Yang Yang Yun Chong quickly lowered his head: "The commoner, the commoner..."

"You do not know that old man with white eyebrows and white hair, yet he knows you, and even said your status in the cult is not low!"

Yang Yang Yun Chong's face changed drastically: "An old man with white eyebrows and white hair?"

Zhao Ti nodded: "Do you remember who it is?"

"The commoner, the commoner truly does not know; the commoner just came to the capital to seek refuge with relatives!"

"Still talking nonsense! You already slipped up just now; denying it now is too late!" Hou San gave Yang Yang Yun Chong two sharp slaps, "Pa-pa!"

"I give you two days to consider: either defect to my service and enjoy glory and wealth, or..." Zhao Ti smiled, turned slowly, and walked out the door.

Watching the other's back, Yang Yang Yun Chong slumped to the ground, his mind in chaos. The image of the old man with white eyebrows and white hair was so distinctive that he knew immediately it was Bai Hong, the wandering swordsman Bai Mei, Yin Muchang from within the cult; but how could he have defected to the other side and sold out his own people? What had that dog official just called himself... My Lord?

After Zhao Ti left the rear courtyard of the Golden Wind Tower, Zhou Dong held his horse waiting; he boarded the carriage and said, "Go to Wang Fu!"

Although he was already ninety percent certain that the little maid would not continue to stay in Zhao Ji's residence, he still had to go and check to be at ease.

After a while, they arrived before the gate of Wang Fu, and Zhao Ti disembarked.

The guards on the steps looked panicked and hurriedly bowed: "The Prince has arrived..."

Zhao Ti said, "Is the Prince of Duan in the residence?"

The leader of the soldiers smiled ingratiatingly, "Yes, yes, does the Prince wish to see the Prince of Duan?"

Zhao Ti glanced at him; it was the Imperial Guard who had rolled down the stairs last time. He smiled, "Do you need to announce it?"

"No, no, the Prince, please, please..." While saying "no" with his mouth, he stepped into the gate ahead of everyone else, then ran inside at full speed.

Zhao Ti, accompanied by Zhou Dong, moved forward; no one dared to stop them, heading straight for the study.

Not far from the study, they saw the soldier leader panting with his tongue out, coming out from inside, followed by Zhao Ji, who revealed himself upon seeing Zhao Ti, standing upright with a look of anger on his face.

"Prince Yan, why have you come to my residence again?"

Zhao Ti ignored him, walked past, and went straight into the study; Zhao Ji could only step aside, saying angrily, "I do not welcome you here; you should return quickly, or I will go to the Zongzheng Temple to accuse you of trespassing in another's home."

Zhao Ti sat down on his own, then looked at Zhao Ji and said, "Eleventh Brother, I have a question for you."

Zhao Ji looked fully alert, blinking his eyes, "What question?"

Zhao Ti said, "Sit down first, then speak."

Zhao Ji looked puzzled, "Ask quickly so you can leave; I will leave the residence and go out immediately."

The corners of Zhao Ti's mouth curved, "Are there many maids in your residence?"

"What?" Zhao Ji jumped up at the words, "Prince Yan, last time you snatched so many treasures from me; this time you are even more audacious, do you want to snatch people too?"

Zhao Ti rubbed his chin, "Snatch people? This concerns life and death; you must answer truthfully."

Zhao Ji angrily said, "Do not frighten me; what life and death? I think you just saw the pretty maids in my residence when you committed violence last time, formed a plan in your heart, and now you are being even more audacious, wanting to occupy and snatch people."

Zhao Ti's face darkened, "You have also heard recently what mission I am carrying out, right?"

Zhao Ji was stunned, "Wasn't it the Ghost Ghost Fanlou?"

Zhao Ti said, "There were fish that escaped the net at the Ghost Ghost Fanlou, hiding in various residences; I ordered the captured thieves to have their portraits drawn, and one of them resembles a maid in your residence, so I came to check."

"You, do not spread alarmist talk; where did these escaped fish from the Ghost Ghost Fanlou come from?" Zhao Ji was stunned.

"I am doing this out of brotherly affection, so I came to check; even if I don't check, what can be done?" Zhao Ti sneered.

"I, I simply do not believe this; Prince Yan, you must be deceiving me..." Zhao Ji's eyes darted, and he said hesitantly.

"Since Eighth Brother does not believe me, I will leave." Zhao Ti smiled slightly, stood up, and walked out, saying as he went, "The thieves of the Ghost Ghost Fanlou kill without blinking, and they also love to eat human hearts and livers, flay skin and pull out tendons, every night when it is deep and quiet..."

"Prince, Prince Yan..." Zhao Ji saw Zhao Ti reach the door and hurriedly opened his mouth to speak.

"Does Eighth Brother have something else?" Zhao Ti turned his head.

"Did people from the Ghost Ghost Fanlou really escape?" Zhao Ji gasped.

"No." Zhao Ti continued walking out.

"Prince, Prince Yan."

Zhao Ti did not stop his steps.

"Eighth, Eighth Brother..." Zhao Ji ran ahead and smiled ingratiatingly, "Your younger brother was disrespectful just now; Eighth Brother, do not be angry. Was what was said just now true?"

Zhao Ti stopped his figure, looked at him, and said, "I interrogated the captured thieves; previously they wanted to commit a great crime, abduct a prince or duke to the underground of the Eastern Capital, and they sent out young girls to mix into the residences of the imperial clan, waiting for an opportunity to act."

"Then, then the maid Eighth Brother mentioned..."

"I saw that the portrait drawn by the thieves greatly resembles a maid in your residence; have your people bring them all out for me to see; if it is confirmed to be the thief, arrest and punish them immediately."

Hearing this, Zhao Ji shouted to Li Yan, who was standing nearby with his head tucked in, "Hurry and call the maids from all the courtyards over; do not miss a single one."

Li Yan ran to deliver the order, and after a while, "Whoosh," a group arrived, numbering fully fifty or sixty.

Zhao Ti looked at them one by one, from head to tail, frowned, and found none among them.

He said, "Has the Prince of Duan called everyone over?"

Zhao Ji said, "Eighth Brother, let me count; I do not know them all personally, only recognize how many there are in total."

Zhao Ti nodded, puzzled in his heart; the young woman he saw that night could not have been an inner family member; her dress and appearance were clearly that of a maid.

Moments later, Zhao Ji said, "Eighth Brother, they are all here; not one more, not one less."

Zhao Ti was slightly silent; seeing this, Zhao Ji patted his chest and said, "Eighth Brother, there are no thieves from the Ghost Ghost Fanlou inside, right? You really scared me."

Zhao Ti said, "Eleven, come into my room with me."

Zhao Ji, puzzled, followed him in and saw Zhao Ti standing by the table, picking up a brush to begin drawing on paper.

Zhao Ji watched for a few breaths and was greatly shocked: "Eighth Brother, your painting skills are so miraculous; I have never seen such a divine technique..."

Zhao Ti said, "Stop wasting words. Look and tell me if you recognize this young girl." He sketched the appearance and figure of that little maid, then pointed it out for Zhao Ji to see.

Zhao Ji was stunned, then took a deep breath: "Where did Eighth Brother meet such a beauty? Why is she dressed as a maid? Eighth Brother, do tell me; if she is not yet betrothed, I will immediately take her into the mansion; even making her a Wang Fei is not impossible."

Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes and said, "You truly do not recognize her?"

Zhao Ji said, "How could I recognize her? Tell me her background, Eighth Brother, and I..."

"Eighth Brother, don't go, you..."

Zhao Ti ignored him and walked straight out of the mansion gate. That little maid was not from the Duan Wang Fu yet appeared there; there was only one answer: she had come to find someone, disguised to seek someone within the Wang Fu!

The Duan Wang Fu indeed had spies planted by the Ming Jiao, but they could not investigate further; this mansion was not like his own residence, with hundreds of people inside, so how could there be time to interrogate them all?

Once outside, Zhou Dong said, "Where shall the Wang drive to next?"

Zhao Ti pondered for a moment: "Go to the Ba Zi Shui Kou and see what the situation is with that ancient tomb below."