White-Robed Chief
chapter-420

"Uncle-in-law, aunt, elder cousin brother's not to be blamed," Lu Yurong said.

"Hm?" They turned and looked her way.

Leng Ying also looked over in curiosity, her eyes wide.

Lu Yurong said, "Those friends he has are all good-for-nothing sons from wealthy families who listen to anything he says. Everyone in the Fairy's Capital gives uncle-in-law face, so they tend to regard him reverently and respectfully. His personality has yet to mature, but already he's been treated as if he was more powerful than the Emperor himself. You still wonder how he would end up like this?"

King Jing nodded thoughtfully. "You have a point, Yurong. I have been negligent!"

His focus had always been on the affairs of the imperial court, so he barely paid any attention to Leng Feng. He left all these responsibilities to the princess instead.

The princess did impose a few rules for Leng Feng to follow, and he always promised to behave in front of her, acting like an obedient son. Once he left, though, he would drop his act and transform back to who he originally was. Although Consort Lu did attempt to punish and berate him countless times, she could never have brought herself to do so too harshly.

Consort Lu sighed. "Are we really going to send him back to the frontier for another round of training?"

"There's no reason not to," King Jing scoffed.

"It's too dangerous," said Consort Lu.

Lu Yurong muttered, "Aunt, I have an idea."

Consort Lu looked at her in alarm. "Yurong, don't give him any weird ideas!"

"This time it really is for his own good!" Lu Yurong's lips twitched into a smile. "Let him serve at my Public House as a scribe. Doesn't he think he's stronger than Chu Li? Chu Li also started off with no titles and ranks, but he managed to rise to rank one within two years. Since he thinks he's better than Chu Li, then let him try, lest he becomes too conceited for his own good."

"He has big ambitions but no talent! What can he accomplish?" King Jing jeered.

"Your Highness!" Consort Lu looked at him indignantly.

King Jing said, "Don't you even mention about him being a first-class. If he managed to reach rank eight, I would already be thanking the heavens!"

"When Chu Li first entered the Public House, he had no foundation nor knowledge on any martial arts at all," said Lu Yurong. "Elder cousin brother was much stronger than him. His martial arts wasn't bad, and he has been on the battlefield as well. How could he not reach rank eight in a year?"

Consort Lu nodded hurriedly.

Lu Yurong said, "We need to grind away that temper of his. Only in the Public House, where no one knows his identity, will he be able to realize what kind of person he really is and also the extent of his abilities. We shouldn't continue to let him think that he was born with uncle-in-law's privileges."

King Jing did not mutter a word.

This matter cannot be this simple. He glanced over at Lu Yurong.

If Leng Feng really were to enter the Public House, then he will be irrevocably intertwined with it. He would be branded with the mark of the Public House which would have a large impact on his future. He would become an anomaly among the imperial crown princes.

His own reputation would also be affected by having his son too close with the Public House.

Lu Yurong was his niece and not his son, so her relationship with the Public House had nothing to do with him.

Lu Yurong seemed to have guessed his thoughts. "Uncle-in-law, we can ask Leng Feng to hide his name and identity and tell people that he's going to the frontier. Nobody will notice."

"You're right." Consort Lu nodded immediately.

She found Lu Yurong's idea incredibly promising.

If he entered the Public House as a scribe, he would be safe. His safety was what she was concerned about the most. Nothing else could be more important than that.

Furthermore, becoming a scribe could grind away his impetuousness. That would be killing two birds with one stone. No plan could sound better than this one.

"Let me think about it." King Jing smiled. "Did Chu Li manage to find the hidden traitor when he came today?"

He did not have much hope. The residence was not like the outside because Lu Yurong had meticulously combed through this place and filtered out anyone suspicious. He felt like they were overcompensating.

"Chu Li said that Tian Shi is the assassin," Lu Yurong said reluctantly.

"Tian Shi?" King Jing was stunned by that name for a moment. Then, he chuckled. "Is Chu Li trying to cripple one of my arms?"

Consort Lu said, "It cannot be Tian Shi, he was saved from the streets by your uncle-in-law. If it weren't for your uncle-in-law, he would have died of sickness long ago. What's more, he has been meticulously counseling your uncle-in-law these past few years. How could he be the hidden traitor?"

"You're saying that Tian Shi knows Martial Art?" asked King Jing.

"Yes, his Martial Art should be very impressive," Lu Yurong said.

"Impossible." King Jin shook his head. "He doesn't know any Martial Art."

Lu Yurong frowned and said, "Logically speaking, Chu Li has no reason to lie to me."

"Could he have other agendas?" King Jing muttered. "But that doesn't make sense either. Chu Li may not even recognize Tian Shi."

"Then let's put him to a test," said Lu Yurong.

King Jing nodded to show his assent.

——

The evening lights were lit in the main hall of the Imperial Residence of King Jing.

Lu Yurong sat to King Jing's left, and Tian Shi sat to his right. Across them were two white-browed old men.

Tian Shi was a handsome man with a beard growing on his chin. He had an elegant and graceful disposition.

The two old men sitting opposite them had white hair and ruddy complexions. Their eyebrows were as white as their hair, and their faces as rosy as a baby's. It was obvious that they knew how to took care of their health.

King Jing frowned and said solemnly, "This is to address the matter involving the Holy Church of Light. A disciple of the Holy Church of Light might have infiltrated our residence, we must search for him thoroughly! It had been a tense few days at the Ministry of War after we heard of the infiltration. Everyone feared for their lives and remained alert at all times. I can't believe the Hunting Ceremony had allowed a disciple of the Holy Church of Light to sneak in. That just proved to us how frightening they can be. They're not afraid of death, and their strength is mighty. We must find out who they are!"

"Your Royal Highness, our residence is like an impenetrable fortress. How could a disciple of the Holy Church of Light sneak in?" One of the old men stroked his beard and laughed. "If it were any other residence, I would have believed it, but this will never happen in our residence."

"We're not that great either," scoffed King Jing. "The disciples of the Holy Church of Light are incredibly capable. They're able to conceal their own Martial Art and make even the Grandmasters look useless with their martial arts!"

"Your Royal Highness, where should we begin searching?" Tian Shi did a fist salute.

King Jing said, "Start with the maids. The people that are the most inconspicuous are always the most suspicious ones. Inspect every last one of the maids. Don't let any of them off the hook."

"Very well." Tian Shi nodded and heaved a sigh. "I would never have expected the Holy Church of Light to target our residence. Was it Lady Lu who found out about this?"

Lu Yurong smiled. "I merely took a guess. The Holy Church of Light may have eyes on every imperial residence. We won't be excluded as well!"

"In that case…" Tian Shi said calmly, "it seems we'll need to investigate this matter thoroughly."

"Senior Tian, I feel that this person is definitely one of the maids," said Lu Yurong, "and she's a maid who's very close to His Royal Highness."

"Hm, that makes sense," said Tian Shi.

He stroked his beard and exhaled heavily. He continued, "Your Royal Highness, you must be careful and make sure that this issue is being investigated rigorously."

"It truly is a shame…" Tian Shi suddenly let out a sigh and flicked his sleeve unwittingly.

If he was to do it in the past when King Jing was not alert at all, the king would not have cared about something like that.

However, after talking to Lu Yurong, King Jing had become extremely cautious of his surroundings. He lifted his palms and kept them near his chest without even being aware of doing so.

A muffled bang resounded as two forces collided. In an instant, a turbulent surge of energy permeated the air.

The two white-haired old men were thrown outside by the force. Lu Yurong held on to them just in time and sent them out of the main hall.

By the time she returned to the living room, King Jing and Tian Shi were already locked in battle.

King Jing was a Grandmaster and Tian Shi was supposed to be merely a scholar, but he was currently fluttering around like a spirit. His body movement technique was abnormally quick, and his palm thrusts were light yet ferocious, causing King Jing to retreat step after step.

King Jing said, "Tian Shi, I treated you well. Why are you doing this?"

"Forgive me, Your Royal Highness." Tian Shi's movements were lithe, his tone light. "My father died under your hands, so I must avenge him. I've no other choice!"

"Who's your father?"

"Tian Hong."

"Tian Hong?" King Jing knotted his eyebrows. He could not recall who that was.

Tian Shi said, "You've killed too many people, Your Royal Highness. How would you remember a minor rank nine official? I wanted to wait until Your Royal Highness had achieved his ambitions before taking any action but the future's never predictable. I had no choice but to take you out now!"

"Does it have anything to do with that disciple from the Holy Church of Light?" scoffed Lu Yurong.