Chapter 1994: Communicate with An Yaluoshan and Die! (1/2)
Edited by: Michyrr
”Pass on my order! Scour the entire city for An Yaluoshan. I need to know where they are. In addition, gather together all the pleasure-seeking scions of the great clans and have them look out for people speaking with a Youzhou accent, and also for any suspicious boxes that have been brought into the city recently. Tell them that this matter isn't to be leaked and that they will be richly rewarded if they succeed,” Wang Chong said.
Wang Chong had started out as one of those pleasure-seeking scions. Before the age of sixteen, he was a good-for-nothing who enjoyed cockfighting and dogfighting, but after the age of sixteen, he became a hero revered by the entire realm. This made him the idol admired by all the other scions.
Amongst these scions, anyone who dared to badmouth Wang Chong would be attacked by all the rest.
While many people in the capital wouldn't give the time of day to these hedonistic scions, Wang Chong knew that they were extremely capable, at times even more capable of finding information than the local hoodlums.
”Yes, Your Highness!” Zhang Que immediately replied.
Wang Chong saw that Zhang Que was hesitant to leave, and immediately asked, ”What's wrong?”
”Your Highness, forgive this subordinate for asking, but while your subordinate can understand searching for An Yaluoshan's whereabouts, boxes…”
Wang Chong's last order had come without warning, and Zhang Que, though he had served Wang Chong for a long time, had never received such a strange mission.
”Did you not notice anything strange at the city gate?”
Wang Chong looked at Zhang Que and shook his head.
Zhang Que was rather experienced, but sometimes, experience wasn't enough. One also needed a mind for detail.
”This…”
Zhang Que blushed in shame. He was a smart man, and while he may not have noticed it at first, Wang Chong's prompting had immediately made him realize what was wrong.
”Your Highness is referring to their luggage, correct?”
Wang Chong placed his hands behind his back and commented, ”An army of nearly seven hundred only brought two boxes of luggage. Even an ordinary merchant wouldn't bring so little.”
”But, Your Highness, when protectorate armies enter the capital, only thirty people are actually allowed to enter the capital. If it's just those people, two boxes would be enough.” Zhang Que had gathered a great deal of information, so after hesitating, he voiced his conclusion. ”Moreover, Youzhou is a prosperous area, so they might have only brought a change of clothes and planned to purchase the rest in the capital.”
”Really?”
Wang Chong indifferently added, ”Did you notice how heavily the wheels of the carriage carrying the boxes pressed into the ground? An Yaluoshan is a skilled and clever opportunist. When the Sage Emperor wanted to select women to be offered to the palace, he offered nearly one hundred Hu beauties as a gift. Now, with the feast of all countries imminent and all the other countries bringing tribute, An Yaluoshan is coming to the capital for the first time as the new Andong Protector-General. Would he really bring nothing but his clothes?
”If it was really just ordinary gold and treasure, there would be no need to hide it from me. It's clear that An Yaluoshan did not bring in his cargo through the eastern gate, and something suspicious is afoot. An Yaluoshan did not come to the capital this time for a simple visit!”
Wang Chong's eyes, thick with killing intent, narrowed.
He had merely found it strange at first that An Yaluoshan was coming to the capital, and developed some theories, but after their meeting, Wang Chong was confident that An Yaluoshan had come with ulterior motives.
But Wang Chong still did not know what this motive was.
A dark cloud of worry appeared on Wang Chong's brow.
The more furtive An Yaluoshan was, the greater the problem was. He needed to find out the truth.
Meanwhile, Zhang Que had turned ghastly pale, cold sweat drenching his face. He had only concerned himself with that shadow battle between Wang Chong and An Yaluoshan, never even noticing all the information contained in the details. This was undoubtedly a major error on his part.
”Yes, your subordinate will do so!” Zhang Que hastily said.
Wang Chong's eyes flashed as he added, ”In addition, have those members of the Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain teams still stationed in Youzhou remain at their stations and immediately report on any suspicious movements!”
”Yes!”
Zhang Que quickly departed, and after a few moments of thought, Wang Chong began to walk away.
He was going to discuss this matter with Xu Qiqin.
……
Elsewhere, amidst the surging crowds at the southern gate of the capital, a bronze carriage slowly made its way toward the gate.
”Ah!”
With a soft sigh, a chubby figure in the carriage slowly opened his eyes.
Before that man could speak, a refined and intelligent voice came from his side. ”What a pity! He's too cautious! In the end, he didn't strike!”
Gao Shang was seated there, looking at the human-shaped ritual tool of black glass in An Yaluoshan's right hand as he regretfully sighed.
'Those people' had gifted them a substitution ritual tool that could not only imitate one's form, but if given enough time and a stand-in, could also transfer a person's aura, Stellar Energy, and even a portion of one's Psychic Energy and mind into the substitute. All of these attributes would be imitated to perfection.
Most importantly, the ritual tool allowed for long-distance control. From a certain perspective, the man at the eastern gate had been An Yaluoshan himself, even though An Yaluoshan had not actually gone over.
”I said to you before that this man is very difficult to deal with and that it would be hard for your plan to succeed.”
An Yaluoshan came back to his senses, his face pale. Much of his energy had been drained, and it was clear that long-distance control was not free. Even for the 'Child of the World', it was a heavy burden.
”Mm.”
Gao Shang nodded, squinting as he began to think.
”I underestimated him!”
It seemed as if his first clash with Wang Chong had come away undecided.
”But since he didn't discover our real plan, he failed. Once the feast of all countries is over and we leave the capital, he won't get another chance to deal with us!”