novelhk Chapter 44 Three Heroes and Five Righteous Men
Chapter 44 Three Heroes and Five Righteous Men
The security at the Prince of Xiangyang's residence is much tighter than when he last visited!
Bai Yutang arrived at a courtyard not too far from Chongxiao Tower. Dressed in night clothes, he concealed himself among the trees, slowly closed his eyes, and a red mark appeared on his forehead. Wisps of mental power emanated from the mark, and the invisible force headed straight for Chongxiao Tower.
The entire scene inside Chongxiao Tower was laid out before him, taking in everything.
On the top floor of the building, a niche hangs quietly, above which lies a curved blade, its eerie, cold gleam silently testifying to its sharpness and danger.
Below the niche is a cabinet containing a bronze altar set.
As for what comes next...
Ok?
Why is there a gap on the Buddhist altar?
Bai Yutang's consciousness probed through the crack and found two people sitting inside, each holding a silver spear and staring intently at the movements inside the building.
There are actually people on duty inside Chongxiao Tower!
It was still hidden inside the Buddhist cabinet.
It's true what they say: it's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark! Luckily, I didn't rush in rashly, and since my intentions are invisible and colorless, I'm not afraid of them discovering me.
Bai Yutang focused his mind directly on the hanging niche.
"Bang!" The niche fell to the ground.
"Clang!" The curved blades fell simultaneously.
"Who?"
The two people inside the Buddha cabinet immediately became alert, searching for the person who had pushed over the hanging niche.
Silence!
Seeing that there was no movement around them, the two opened the back door of the Buddhist cabinet and rushed out, ready to look around.
The shrine couldn't have overturned on its own; someone must have entered the building.
But just as their feet touched the ground, Bai Yutang used his mental power to activate the switch inside Chongxiao Tower.
In an instant, a barrage of arrows was unleashed from inside the building.
"Oh no! We've fallen for their trap!"
The two men brandished their twin pistols, shielding themselves from the rain of swords coming from all directions, as they tried to return to the Buddhist altar.
But how could there be time to react to the fierce barrage of flying arrows?
The two could only concentrate on wielding the gun around their bodies with impenetrable precision, leaving no trace. However, as their attention was focused on the flying arrows, their footwork became erratic. They didn't know where they stepped on a mechanism, but the floor beneath their feet suddenly flipped, and the two of them fell straight down.
A copper net below instantly swallowed the two of them, and they were riddled with crossbow bolts.
"Ah!" Two screams pierced the sky, followed by a moment of silence.
The copper net fell to the ground, and the golden bell rang loudly. People outside the building heard the noise and immediately started banging on the gong, shouting loudly, "Someone has been caught! Someone has been caught!"
Before long, the mansion was brightly lit, and dozens of guards arrived at Chongxiao Tower, ready to see who dared to break into it.
When the crowd opened the copper net, they saw that it was covered in blood and the flesh was mangled. They could vaguely make out two people. After a closer look, someone exclaimed, "Aren't these Wang Shan, the Golden Spear General, and Wang Bao, the Silver Spear General?"
"They weren't on duty today, so how did they end up inside this copper net?"
Wang Shan and Wang Bao were responsible for guarding the building. They were not exactly familiar with the mechanisms inside, but they were certainly aware of them. How could they have suddenly fallen into a trap and ended up in such a predicament?
Just as everyone was wondering, the Prince of Xiangyang strode in through the underground gate, followed by a group of civil officials and ministers, as well as many martial arts figures surrounding him.
Having long held a high position, the Prince of Xiangyang now coveted the throne, and his aura grew ever stronger. Upon seeing him arrive, everyone immediately fell silent and kept quiet.
"I heard the golden bell resounding in all directions. Has something happened at Chongxiao Tower?" the Prince of Xiangyang asked calmly. He glanced around, and everyone who met his gaze unconsciously lowered their heads, their expressions becoming increasingly respectful.
The Great Sage Deng Che, responsible for guarding Chongxiao Tower, immediately stepped forward to answer the question posed by the Prince of Xiangyang: "Your Highness, two people have indeed fallen into the copper net. They are none other than Wang Shan, the Golden Spear General, and Wang Bao, the Silver Spear General. We have been patrolling inside and outside Chongxiao Tower and have not seen anyone else. It must be that the two of them accidentally triggered the mechanism and fell into the copper net formation."
"Hmm? Those two have been guarding the building for more than a day or two, how could they have accidentally triggered the mechanism? Someone must have entered the building. You must immediately send people to search carefully." The Prince of Xiangyang spoke decisively. He was naturally suspicious, and now that he was dealing with a matter that could cost him his life, he could not be too cautious.
Deng Che accepted the order and left.
The Prince of Xiangyang looked at the corpses of Wang Shan and Wang Bao, sighed and said, "Considering their dedication to guarding Chongxiao Tower for me during their lives, let them be properly buried. Take good care of their families as well. When I achieve great things, I will make a name for them after their death and bring honor to their descendants."
Everyone praised the prince for his benevolence and righteousness.
The Prince of Xiangyang waved his hand, ordered his men to take the brocade box out of the shrine, and personally took the box away. The rest of the group then gathered craftsmen to restore the layout of Chongxiao Tower overnight.
Bai Yutang secretly observed their actions and knew that the box probably contained the Alliance List he was looking for.
Seeing the route the Prince of Xiangyang was taking, he guessed that he was heading towards the inner study of the inner quarters. Taking advantage of his superior lightness skills, he rushed into the inner study and climbed onto the roof beam.
There were also mechanisms in the inner study. After the Prince of Xiangyang went in, he moved the desk to the side, revealing a snow-white wall. With a gentle tap, a board fell down, and a hidden compartment appeared before him. He put the brocade box in his hand into the hidden compartment, then covered it up. The desk was restored to its original state, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief. The things inside were related to his life and fortune, and he could not afford to make any mistakes.
The Prince of Xiangyang stayed for a while before leaving. After he left, Bai Yutang immediately fell from the roof beam and took out the brocade box from the hidden compartment according to his instructions.
Upon opening the box, one finds a booklet about the size of a divination book, with the cover inscribed "Gathering of Dragons and Tigers." Unfolding the first page, one sees the inscription: "Established on an auspicious day, the first day of the first year of the Tiansheng era." The first name is that of the Prince of Xiangyang, followed by the names of his court followers and those from the martial arts world who assisted him, totaling dozens of people.
This is the Alliance Lanpu.
Bai Yutang had no time to be happy. He tucked the booklet into his pocket, found a book in the study that was about the same size as the alliance list, put it back in the box, and then put the box back in the hidden compartment. Everything in the room was restored to its original state.
He then leaped onto the roof beam. Deng Che was currently searching the mansion from top to bottom, with people coming and going. Going out would easily lead to discovery. However, this study, because the Prince of Xiangyang had just left and important documents such as the alliance list were placed inside, would not be easily searched. This place had become the safest.
He could easily rest here for a while and leave when the guards outside are less vigilant.
Of course, he wasn't so carefree as to just sleep. Instead, he kept sketching out his escape route in his mind and how to deal with any possible unexpected events.
The commotion inside the Prince's mansion lasted for most of the night, only subsiding somewhat around the end of the 11 PM and the beginning of the 3 AM.