Chapter 76
SLOWLY, WU DU DREW his sword. He warned, voice chilly, “Changliu-jun, I’ve got urgent business. Don’t make me fight you.”
Thinking Wu Du was joking, Mu Qing left the two men to it and wandered over to the side of the yard to kick his shuttlecock alone.
Expressionlessly, Changliu-jun unsheathed his own sword, ready for the standoff. Wu Du knew Mu Kuangda had to be in the residence. The man was too afraid to die—he would never depart for Jiang Prefectural City without Changliu-jun by his side.
Right on cue, Mu Kuangda’s voice rang out from the floor above. “What’s going on? Why are you back by yourself, Wu Du?”
The tension broken, Changliu-jun resheathed his sword. Wu Du kept his drawn, watching Changliu-jun with wary eyes. It wasn’t until Mu Kuangda came down himself and placed a hand over Wu Du’s wrist that he sheathed Flashblade.
Eyes still trained on Changliu-jun, Wu Du announced, “I have urgent news to report to you, Your Excellency.”
“Tell me upstairs,” Mu Kuangda replied, beckoning Wu Du to walk with him to the second floor.
The light in the room upstairs was hazy. Reeking of road-sweat, Wu Du removed his boots and entered.
“Wu-qing?” came Cai Yan’s surprised voice.
Never for a second had Wu Du expected the crown prince would be making a personal visit to the Mu residence. Instead of Lang Junxia, another attendant now sat beside Cai Yan.
“His Highness was just thinking of reaching out to you. We weren’t expecting you to come back to us instead,” Mu Kuangda said.
After bowing to Cai Yan, Wu Du turned a curious gaze to the man beside him. Surprise flickered through his eyes.
The man lounged against the table, drinking with a casual irreverence. He wore a military robe in dark red brocade; his left hand was adorned with a jade thumb ring accompanied by three more precious rings, while on his right, he wore a sheer glove. His eyes were hazy from drink. He belched, then raised his luminous goblet in an invitation for Wu Du to join him.
Frowning, Wu Du demanded, “What are you doing here?”
The man smirked. “His Majesty summoned me, so here I am. Is there a problem?”
Now it was Cai Yan’s turn to be surprised. “Zheng Yan, you two know each other?”
Zheng Yan shot Cai Yan a nonchalant glance and grunted an affirmative, then turned his eyes back on Wu Du with a lopsided smile.
“Save your catching up for later,” Mu Kuangda interjected. “Wu Du, what do you have to tell me?”
Wu Du pressed his lips shut, wary of speaking in the presence of guests. No doubt Changliu-jun had refused to announce his arrival earlier because the crown prince was here. Forgoing the details, Wu Du wordlessly took out a parcel wrapped in oilpaper and handed it to Mu Kuangda.
“Excellent,” Mu Kuangda said, delighted. He turned to Cai Yan. “News from Chang Pin. Please allow this humble subject to sort out the contents, Your Highness. I will make a copy for you afterward.”
“That will do nicely,” Cai Yan replied. “Since he’s here, I just so happen to have a small errand for Wu-qing.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Mu Kuangda said, stepping out to read Duan Ling’s letter in private. He closed the door behind him.
Silence descended over the room. Cai Yan was first to speak up with an assurance. “Zheng Yan is one of us.”
Wu Du made a shushing motion, signaling him not to reveal too much.
Cai Yan nodded. He thought briefly, then cut straight to the point: “Wuluohou Mu disappeared a month and a half ago. He didn’t even leave a letter of explanation.”
Zheng Yan snorted a laugh. “Capable men choose the right leader to serve. Don’t be too hung up on him, Your Highness.”
Anger flickered in Cai Yan’s eyes; he was clearly furious at Zheng Yan’s insubordination but powerless to act against him. Wu Du guessed at once that Zheng Yan had been sent on Li Yanqiu’s orders to replace Lang Junxia after the crown prince’s bodyguard had run off without a word. But this new bodyguard was heedless of Cai Yan’s rank and orders. Judging by Zheng Yan’s audacity in interrupting Cai Yan when he was speaking, Cai Yan had been enduring his company for some time.
“Wuluohou Mu first betrayed the late emperor, and now you, Your Highness,” Wu Du said. “He should be arrested.”
Cai Yan heaved a sigh and dismissed the idea with a wave. “It’s not that I blame him. But, well, not even Zheng-qing knows where he could’ve gone. Wu Du, if you…have any clues…”
“Just give it to him straight. Enough with this beating around the bush,” Zheng Yan interjected.
“Out!” Cai Yan barked in a rage.
Wu Du felt immensely awkward witnessing this interaction, but Zheng Yan wasn’t bothered in the slightest. Unabashed, he staggered out with his goblet and slammed the door shut behind him.
Cai Yan’s face was like rolling thunder.
“How can I be of assistance to you, Your Highness?” Wu Du asked, returning to the subject at hand.
After gathering himself, Cai Yan said, “I have come today not only to discuss the matter of the capital’s relocation with Prime Minister Mu, but also to ask you to search for Wuluohou Mu on my behalf.”
Wu Du went briefly silent, then nodded. “While the White Tiger Sect used to lead the Four Great Assassins, there aren’t many of us left in my generation. Wuluohou Mu is Xianbei, and everyone knows he slaughtered his own sect—I doubt he would listen to my commands. But if you give me the order, Your Highness, even if I can’t guarantee I’ll bring him back alive, I’ll at least bring back his body.”
Cai Yan fell quiet, his brow deeply furrowed as though he was making an extremely difficult decision. Finally, he said, “Do your best to bring him back alive.”
Wu Du nodded.
At that moment, Mu Kuangda knocked on the door and reentered the room. He said to Wu Du, “I believe I understand the situation. You must be exhausted from your journey—why not rest and have a meal to refresh yourself? I’ll need you to run another errand for me before dawn.”
Wu Du took this to mean that Mu Kuangda had a response regarding Tong Pass; most likely, he’d agreed to Duan Ling’s proposal. Wu Du bowed toward Cai Yan and took his leave while Mu Kuangda settled back down in front of the crown prince and rolled open a memorial to the throne.
By the time Wu Du left the prime minister, the sun was setting. As he walked down the corridor, he noticed a tipsy Zheng Yan talking to Mu Qing with a cup in hand, while Changliu-jun—sitting on the railing—watched him carefully, arms crossed before his chest.
Spotting Wu Du, Zheng Yan beckoned to him and began to approach. “Come, come, come! Drink a few jars with me. Let’s get hammered!”
Wu Du drew his sword and pointed it straight at Zheng Yan’s throat. “Master Wu’s going to bed,” he said coldly.
Zheng Yan conceded with a nod. “Drink with me when you’re up again.”
“We’ll see.”
Wu Du sheathed his sword. He tilted his head and sent a sideways glance at Changliu-jun, who acknowledged him with a derisive snort. Wu Du ignored him and hurried back to the remote courtyard where he and Duan Ling had made their home.
Nothing in their abode had been disturbed, but the flowers Duan Ling planted had wilted. Wu Du climbed into bed still wearing his dirty robes and passed out the second his head hit the pillow.
At Qin Ridge, Duan Ling dangled from the cliff’s face, an abyss yawning below. The second Bian Lingbai had swept his legs out from under him, pure survival instinct kicked in. When Bian Lingbai next stomped on his scrabbling hands, he’d screamed and deliberately let himself fall while swiftly unslinging the bow on his back. In one lightning move, he hooked the string over a jutting rock and clutched the bow with white-knuckled hands. He kicked the cliff wall, dislodging a loose stone that tumbled down and hit the bottom far below with a faint thud.
Back soaked in sweat, Duan Ling clung to the cliff face and listened as Bian Lingbai’s footsteps receded.
That was too close.