Constable Wang’s heart lurched, but he forced himself to remain calm as he stepped forward and saluted. “Reporting to the general, this is indeed the convoy under my escort. May I ask what instructions you have?”
The officer let out a cold snort and demanded sternly, “Instructions? Ten li ahead, we discovered extensive traces of burned corpses in the woods. The scene was a complete mess, and a major murder case is suspected! You passed through this area—did you see or hear anything unusual?!”
As soon as he said this, many of the exiles’ faces filled with fear, and the group began to stir.
Constable Wang’s heart pounded as well, and cold sweat instantly drenched his back.
Hadn’t the people already died?
How had this suddenly become a case involving burned corpses?
His mind raced as he tried to think of a way to respond. Just then, an ingratiating voice, eager to show off and completely out of place, rang out abruptly.
“General! We know! It was the Black Armored Guards! The Black Armored Guards—”
Zhang Dapeng had seemingly seized upon a lifeline—or an opportunity to distinguish himself—and hurried to speak, intent on revealing what he knew.
“Zhang Dapeng! How dare you spout nonsense in front of the general!” Constable Wang’s expression changed drastically. He barked the words harshly, his gaze so vicious it seemed he could kill him on the spot!
That idiot! At such a critical moment, he had to bring up the Black Armored Guards. Was he trying to get everyone killed?!
Constable Wang’s shout choked off the rest of Zhang Dapeng’s words, but the officer had already taken notice of him.
Constable Wang drew a deep breath, then turned to the officer and forced a smile more miserable than tears. Carefully avoiding the main issue, he explained, “Please calm your anger, General! This colleague of mine is fond of boasting and has a habit of spouting nonsense. He has offended you, and I will certainly punish him severely! As for the matter you asked about, I do not know the details. However, I do recall something.”
He paused, as though struggling to remember. “About three days ago, Commander Zhou Yan of the Black Armored Guards did indeed pass through this area with his men. He even left two soldiers with the convoy, saying they were here to assist with the escort.
“But after Commander Zhou departed, we received no further word from the Black Armored Guards. The two soldiers who had remained with us also left the convoy of their own accord two days ago, and their whereabouts are unknown. My position is lowly, and I did not dare make inquiries. I ask that Your Excellency investigate the matter carefully.”
His words were half true and half false. He described Zhu Zhixin and Wang Bohai’s departure as having been voluntary and claimed not to know where they had gone, completely severing any connection between the convoy and the Black Armored Guards’ movements. At the same time, he subtly implied that the Black Armored Guards acted mysteriously and were beyond his station to question.
The instant the officer heard the words “Black Armored Guards,” his expression changed.
As a local military officer, he knew all too well what the Black Armored Guards represented. They were the emperor’s personal troops, with a status far above ordinary officials!
If they had truly met with disaster here, it would be a case of earth-shaking proportions!
Not to mention a mere junior officer like him—even his superior would be unable to bear the consequences!
“Is this true?” the officer asked, his voice trembling faintly despite himself.
“Absolutely true! I personally saw Commander Zhou’s token,” Constable Wang replied firmly.
The officer no longer had the time to scrutinize the loopholes in Constable Wang’s words, nor to worry about what Zhang Dapeng had left unsaid. He abruptly wheeled his horse around and shouted at his men, “Quick! Full speed ahead!”
The soldiers had arrived quickly and departed just as quickly, charging toward the site where the traces of burning had been discovered as if fire were at their heels. All they left behind was a cloud of dust and a group of exiles still shaken to the core.
Once the soldiers had gone, Constable Wang spun around. His face was livid as he strode toward Zhang Dapeng, who remained frozen in place.
“Zhang Dapeng! You useless fool who can do nothing but ruin things!” Constable Wang roared. He lifted his foot and kicked Zhang Dapeng hard in the stomach.
Caught off guard, Zhang Dapeng let out a cry of pain, staggered backward, and fell to the ground.
“Are you trying to get us all killed before you’ll be satisfied?! Huh?!”
Constable Wang was clearly furious. The usually restrained man was now like an enraged lion. He rushed forward and unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks on Zhang Dapeng as he lay on the ground. “Do you think you can go around shouting about the Black Armored Guards?! If you want to die, don’t drag the rest of us down with you!”
His fists and boots fell like a downpour. Zhang Dapeng curled up and covered his head, crying out repeatedly, but he did not dare fight back. The yamen runners and exiles around them merely watched with cold expressions. No one stepped forward to intervene. In fact, quite a few of them wore looks of satisfaction.
Zhang Dapeng had always been irritating, and at a crucial moment he had nearly caused a catastrophe. He deserved it!
Cheng Yao watched the scene coldly, her thoughts elsewhere.
The soldiers’ appearance and questioning meant that the burned site had attracted attention after all. Although Constable Wang had managed to bluff his way past them for the moment, there was no guarantee that the soldiers would not find some overlooked clue among the ashes.
Her eyes flickered. Pretending to need to relieve herself, she leaned close to Zhan Haoting and whispered a few words before quickly making her way toward a dense thicket deep in a hollow between the hills.
After confirming that no one was nearby, she immediately focused her mind and activated her teleportation ability once more, heading to the site of the burning.
When she appeared in the woodland, which was covered in charred ashes and twisted remains, the soldiers had not yet arrived.
She did not dare waste any time. Fighting back her nausea and discomfort, she spread her mental power like a fine sieve and carefully scanned the entire area.
Just as she expected!
Beneath several partially burned corpses, she found a few fragments of black armor that the flames had failed to completely melt. The distinctive Pixiu-like patterns of the Black Armored Guards were still visible on them.
There was also half of a saber, crushed beneath a stone. Though scorched black, it was still faintly recognizable.
Cheng Yao’s gaze turned cold, and she immediately got to work.
Using a branch, she pried the fragments and the saber out and gathered them together. Then she took a small amount of lamp oil from her space and burned them a second time until they were completely deformed and impossible to identify.
At the same time, she carefully searched the surrounding area. Any object that might point to the identity of the Black Armored Guards—even a single unusual armor rivet—was found and destroyed one by one.
She had just finished when she faintly heard the noisy voices of soldiers in the distance.
Suppressing the dizziness and blurred vision assailing her, she did not dare linger. She immediately teleported back.
After returning behind the thicket, she straightened her clothing and walked out, then quietly made her way back to Zhan Haoting’s side.
Zhan Haoting’s deep gaze lingered for a moment on her slightly pale face before he took her icy hand in his.
Cheng Yao leaned against him as she sat down.
His large, powerful hand soothed the faint unease in her heart.
Meanwhile, the soldiers hurried back to the burned site.
The officer in command ordered his men to search thoroughly, as if he wished he could turn over every inch of ash.
Yet they were destined to find nothing.
Apart from a large quantity of charred bones and remains whose identities could no longer be determined, all mixed together, as well as melted fragments of ordinary swords and weapons, there was nothing else at the scene that could clearly prove who the dead had been.
There was not a single identifying object connected to the Black Armored Guards.
“How can this be?! That constable clearly said something about the Black Armored Guards…” The officer’s face was ashen as he roared at his men. “Search again! Search carefully!”
But no matter how thoroughly they rummaged through the site, the result remained the same.
The scene was clean in a way that felt deeply unnatural, as though someone had carefully cleared it before their arrival, erasing every crucial clue.
“Commander, there’s… there’s nothing here at all,” one soldier reported, his face and clothes covered in dust.
