What Bad Intentions can the Yandere Crown Prince have?-Chapter 386 - 382: The Traitor of Tonghua Valley

The conversation had gone back and forth several times, and yet Mo Ji still hadn’t shown up.

Tang Xiaobai continued speaking to thin air, "I was just guessing earlier, actually, there’s no evidence proving it’s her."

Silence reigned in the surroundings.

Could it be that he’s already gone?

Tang Xiaobai shook her head. Just as she was about to leave, Mo Ji’s voice was heard again, "Reversing the cultivation technique does have its logic."

So he was still here...

Tang Xiaobai halted her steps and said, "I don’t really understand cultivation techniques and all, but this seems pretty dangerous, doesn’t it? Otherwise, Brother Tao wouldn’t have opposed it so strongly. Even if you really want to take the risk, you should at least find Zhong Chuchu first to clarify."

Mo Ji was silent again for a moment, then said, "It’s my duty to stay by the Young Master’s side."

Tang Xiaobai was shocked, "You’re thinking of going to find Zhong Chuchu yourself?!"

Silence.

"So you’re planning to personally find Zhong Chuchu to confirm how to break the evil skill’s restrictions of Tonghua Valley?" Tang Xiaobai exclaimed, "Is it to help Hua Jian?"

Still silence.

Could he have left already?

Tang Xiaobai looked around.

Outside Lizheng Hall was actually quite spacious, with few hiding spots, making it impossible to figure out where the great master Mo Ji might be hiding.

Maybe what I said struck a chord, and he left?

Tang Xiaobai thought for a moment and said, "I actually need to ask Hua Jian something. Come with me."

The Shadow Guard has a duty to stay by the Crown Prince’s side unless it’s to protect the Crown Princess Consort.

After a brief moment of silence, Tang Xiaobai finally heard Mo Ji’s voice again, "I follow your orders."

...

Hua Jian was placed in a small house within the East Palace East Gate, guarded by two Xuan Yi Guards at the door, both protecting and monitoring.

When Tang Xiaobai arrived, it was dusk.

Upon entering, she saw Hua Jian, dressed in white, sitting on the steps in front of the house, hugging her knees, and looking up with an innocent smile.

Perhaps because she hadn’t fully recovered from her injuries, her face was as pale as her clothing, her small figure invoking compassion.

Tang Xiaobai returned the smile, but Hua Jian’s gaze drifted away.

It floated through the air before coming back, her face still cheerfully smiling, with no apparent oddity.

Tang Xiaobai let her gaze wander as well.

Even she didn’t know where Mo Ji was. With Mo Ji’s skills, he surely wouldn’t be detected by Hua Jian, right?

"What brings the Crown Princess Consort to me?" Hua Jian asked, still sitting on the steps, propping her chin with one hand and tilting her head to look at Tang Xiaobai.

Tang Xiaobai withdrew her gaze and asked, "In your Tonghua Valley, have any disciples ever escaped?"

"Yes!" Hua Jian said while pointing to herself.

Hua Jian, ever since she quit treatment, had been behaving quite childishly. It wasn’t Tang Xiaobai’s first encounter, so she didn’t engage, simply watching her quietly.

Not getting a response, the young girl pouted, retracting her hand and saying, "Quite a few."

"Tell me more."

"About which one?"

Tang Xiaobai thought for a moment, then said, "Tell me about the year of Taixing eight."

Hua Jian hadn’t expected such a specific reference and was momentarily stunned.

"Can’t you remember?" Tang Xiaobai was getting a bit anxious.

Hua Jian’s eyes rolled, then she giggled and said, "In the eighth year of Taixing, I hadn’t even arrived at Tonghua Valley yet!"

Tang Xiaobai saw that she was going to be cheeky again and pretended to leave.

Just as she turned, Hua Jian added, "But I did hear some people mention matters from that year—"

...

Though the disciples of Tonghua Valley never grew physically, their minds matured.

As they grew older, they realized how cruel the evil skill was, not to mention Tonghua Valley only trained its disciples to be used as tools.

Because of this, disciples would occasionally attempt to escape, but Tonghua Valley’s influence was extraordinary. Most were captured before they even left the boundaries of Junzhou, and those who weren’t recaptured were confirmed dead outside.

There was only one exception.

"That senior sister, said to be a martial arts prodigy rarely seen in a century, had barely joined Tonghua Valley before being noticed by the Valley Master, who took her under his wing to personally teach her. That she secretly gathered more than twenty disciples to rebel during the Valley Master’s grand birthday night was unexpected..."

"Unfortunately, the plan failed on the brink of success. She set a fire and escaped amidst the chaos. Several others fled with her, but later, their bodies were retrieved and publicly flogged, except her;

"Although the Valley Master claimed she had died outside with no remains, the disciples speculated she had escaped—" At this point, Hua Jian smirked somewhat derisively, "Everyone thought that after that battle, Tonghua Valley should be severely weakened. Unexpectedly, they soon bought another batch of children," a pause, "I was bought in during that time."

"What was your senior sister’s name?"

Hua Jian shook her head, "I don’t remember, but her name had Hua in it."

"Did she also practice your whatever technique?"

Hua Jian laughed, "If she hadn’t practiced it, where would she get the ability to defect from Tonghua Valley?"

"So, when she left Tonghua Valley, she still looked like a child?"

Hua Jian nodded.

"Then...how old was she at that time?" Tang Xiaobai asked.

Hua Jian’s eyes shifted, staring directly at Tang Xiaobai, "Did you find her?"

"It’s possible," Tang Xiaobai answered cautiously this time, "If it is truly her, she might have found a way to grow up after leaving Tonghua Valley."

Hua Jian’s eyes lit up like a flint striking in the dark, "Maybe thirteen...or fourteen," she suddenly seemed uneasy, "I don’t remember. Didn’t you capture a lot of Tonghua Valley disciples? I remember there was one named Hua Miao; she stayed there the longest. Go ask her; she’ll definitely know!"

"I will ask," Tang Xiaobai sighed mentally.

This group of children had their bodies forcibly altered and used as instruments of death.

If there’s a chance, she truly wants to find a way to break this.

However, Zhong Chuchu doesn’t seem to want to be found.

Is it really necessary to try the method Zhong Chuchu mentioned without confirmation?

...

While Tang Xiaobai pondered whether to use Tao Fen or Gu Ling to lure Zhong Chuchu out for a meeting, a piece of news related to Gu Ling came from the Gu family.

When Tang Xiaobai heard it, she was slightly taken aback, "Why does Little Uncle suddenly want to get engaged?"

Though Gu Ling was of a mature age, he had remained single-minded in searching for his fiancée for so many years. Just when it looked like he was going to find her, why is he suddenly getting engaged?

"Is it Grandmother’s decision?" She could only think of parental authority.

Tang Jiaojiao shook her head, "The Ji Family over there have been wanting to replace the person continuing the alliance with the Gu family for years. It’s just that Little Uncle never agreed. This time, for some reason, he relented."

Tang Xiaobai frowned.

Could Little Uncle Gu be using this strategy to draw Ji Miaorong out?

This isn’t appropriate, is it?

What if it offends Ji Miaorong and makes her go even further away?

...

When Gu Ling was called to the Eastern Palace and heard Tang Xiaobai’s guess, he was stunned for a moment, then shook his head with a chuckle, "I didn’t think that at all."

Tang Xiaobai felt relieved, then asked, "Then why is Little Uncle..."

Gu Ling’s smile faded slightly, and he sighed softly, "She can come and go in Tonghua Valley as she pleases and isn’t among the disciples captured and brought back to the capital. Maybe she left with the rebel leader. Anyway, I’ve found her in a way, fulfilled a lingering concern in my heart. I owe her a debt of life-saving grace, which I will repay if given the chance, but as things stand between officials and outlaws, I won’t pursue it further or continue to wait."

Tang Xiaobai observed him for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Did you ever feel like Miss Ji was familiar when you interacted with her in Tonghua Valley?"

Gu Ling’s eyes flickered, lips pursing slightly, and he became somewhat tense while looking at her.

"Like... she resembles someone?"

...

Gu Ling acted faster than Tang Xiaobai had imagined.

The next day, Tang Xiaobai heard that the marriage talks between the Gu and Ji families had been put on hold.

Then, a scandal involving Gu Ling emerged.