"Did you find out where he went?"
Wang Chong lifted his head to look at Ma Yinlong and asked.
"I didn't chase after him. The forest is lush, making it easy for him to be discovered. Thus, the moment he entered the forest, he retreated. If I'm not mistaken, the place where the Goguryeon elites are gathered should be outside the city. "
Knowing that Wang Chong was referring to the assassin, Ma Yinlong said.
"Outside the city?"
Wang Chong's eyebrows twitched. He slowly turned his head around and gazed at the mountain peak beyond the city walls, deep in thought.
After looking around, he realized that the largest gathering point of the Goguryeons was located outside the city. Although it was a little strange, it made sense when he thought about it.
Firstly, they were connected by a secret passageway, allowing them to enter the city even at night. Secondly, even if their tracks were to be exposed, it would be convenient for them to escape.
"Do you have any thoughts on what to do next?"
Wang Chong looked at Ma Yinlong. The current Ma Yinlong was completely different from the disheveled middle-aged man he had seen at the Royal Jade Pavilion. His eyes were burning with an intense fighting spirit.
Ma Yinlong was the one who had released the assassin. Given Wang Chong's strength, he could have easily captured the assassin and interrogated him to reveal their location. However, Ma Yinlong didn't do so.
Wang Chong believed that he had his reasons for doing so.
As the person who had the deepest understanding of the Goguryeons and King Sosurim, Wang Chong believed that Ma Yinlong could be trusted in this aspect.
"The Goguryeon assassins are all death warriors, and it's impossible to extract any useful information from them. If we were to capture him, we might end up alerting them instead. "
Ma Yinlong knew what Wang Chong was thinking, and with just a few words, he explained the reason why he released the assassin.
"As for what happens next... After so many years, it's about time for them to appear! It's about time for this matter to come to an end. "
At the end of his words, Ma Yinlong sighed deeply, and a complicated look surfaced in his eyes.
...
Ma Yinlong applied for three days of leave. During these three days, he didn't mention where he would be going, and Wang Chong didn't ask either. From the "Fang of the White Tiger", who was favored by the heavens, to the "petty scribe" of the government office of the Ministry of Personnel, everyone had their own story behind them, and they did not dig into it.
However, three days later, Wang Chong saw Ma Yinlong's' results' in the Royal Jade Pavilion.
In front of Wang Chong, three middle-aged men in shabby clothes stood in a row in front of Wang Chong. Of the three, one was a seasoned bird trader with an exceptionally large eagle perched on his shoulder. The other was a one-armed drunkard with an empty left sleeve. Even from a distance away, Wang Chong could smell the stench of alcohol on him.
There was another one who looked particularly ferocious. It was obvious that he was the kind of mercenary expert who would sacrifice his life for anyone who gave him money.
Although the three of them looked a little different, they were not as simple as they seemed on the surface. But that was all.
There were at least a few thousand of such people in the capital.
In the past, Wang Chong wouldn't have even spared these three a glance, wouldn't have paid them much attention.
However, Ma Yinlong had spent three days to introduce them to him, so Wang Chong had no choice but to take a closer look at them.
"These people... Are they from the Bureau of Punishments back then?"
Wang Chong looked at the trio and asked. He wasn't a fool either. Wang Chong could sense the same emotions as Ma Yinlong from these people. If he wasn't mistaken, they were also those who were implicated in the case back then.
"Un, that's not entirely true. Solitary Wolf is from the Bureau of Military Personnel. "
Ma Yinlong pointed to the ferocious-looking mercenary expert who valued money more than his life, and said grimly:
"Back then, many officials and officials of the Six Bureaus were assassinated, and it caused a huge uproar. The few of us were the ones in charge of that case. If the case couldn't be solved, everyone would be implicated. I was demoted to the Bureau of Personnel to copy books, The Eagle fired me from my post, and I spent a few years in jail. When I was released, I had to disguise myself as a bird dealer. Even though Steel Arms wasn't imprisoned, he was crippled by the Goguryeons when he was investigating the case back then, and he spent his days getting drunk in taverns. As for Solitary Wolf, he concealed his identity and became a mercenary expert, working for anyone who paid him!
"Over the years, those brothers of mine from back then have either died or been severely injured. These are the only ones who managed to survive the assassination of the Goguryeons. "
Ma Yinlong spoke of the past with deep sorrow. The eyes of The Eagle, Steel Arms, and Solitary Wolf also reddened.
Even though Wang Chong hadn't been involved in the case back then, and he didn't know what they had gone through, he could sense it from Ma Yinlong's voice.
More than a decade ago, when King Sosurim assassinated influential officials of the royal court, they were still ambitious youths in the Bureau of Military Personnel and Bureau of Punishments, and they had bright futures ahead of them.
But because of this case, the brothers who had investigated the case with them back then had either died or been severely injured. They had fallen from the lofty position of young heroes into the dust, falling to their current state.
It was due to their sorrow that the reputation of King Sosurim rose, becoming the legend he was today.
The others in the room seemed to have noticed this as well, and the atmosphere turned heavy.
"Heh! Let's not talk about this anymore. Perhaps, this is fate. After fifteen years, we still can't escape from it! Since this matter started with us, let it end with us. The Eagle, Steel Arms, Solitary Wolf, and this is Wang gongzi. His grandfather... is Duke Jiu of the Tang dynasty! "
The trio had only appeared here out of respect for Ma Yinlong, but upon hearing that Wang Chong's grandfather was Duke Jiu, their expressions changed. Their gazes toward Wang Chong were filled with respect.
"Wang gongzi!"
The three prideful men lowered their heads at the same time and gave a deep bow.
"Wang gongzi, since you're Duke Jiu's grandson, you can't be considered as an outsider. Back then, due to the assassination of an important official of the royal court, we should have been executed. It was your grandfather and a group of officials who stood up to remonstrate with the Holy Emperor that we managed to survive. If gongzi has any instructions for us in the future, feel free to speak. "
Steel Arms said, and the other two nodded in agreement.
Hearing those words, Wang Chong's eyebrows shot up in astonishment. This was the first time he had heard of such a matter. Ever since he was young, including his previous life, he had never heard of it from his grandfather.
If not for the trio mentioning it, he would have been completely oblivious to it.
But thinking about it, such a huge case must have attracted a lot of attention. Given his grandfather's identity back then, it was only natural that he would be on the list of people paying attention to it.
If Ma Yinlong and the others were to be executed by the royal court, given his grandfather's temper, there was no way he would stand by idly.
"Wang gongzi, even though they look like they are in dire straits, lacking an arm, drunk, and fighting with their lives... they are still top-notch experts. In terms of their understanding of the Goguryeons and their martial arts, there is probably no one in the capital who can surpass them. "
Ma Yinlong introduced by the side.
"Even though Steel Arms only has a single arm, his remaining right arm is extremely formidable. The sword in his right hand is ferocious and incomparably sharp. Even I might not be able to withstand a blow from his right hand. Solitary Wolf loves to fight with his life on the line. Even the Goguryeon assassins would have to retreat before him. His strength isn't something that the guards in the King Residence can compare to. Back then, Solitary Wolf was already an expert in the Bureau of Military Personnel, and now, he's even more formidable.
"If gongzi keeps him by your side, he will be the best shield you can offer. Even if you were to encounter an assassination attempt from the Goguryeon, gongzi's life wouldn't be in danger. As long as Solitary Eye is still breathing, he won't allow anyone to approach gongzi. "
Ma Yinlong's words carried a deeper meaning, and even without any explanation, Wang Chong could tell that Ma Yinlong was looking down on the people around him, thinking that they wouldn't be able to guarantee his safety.
Even so, Wang Chong couldn't find any words to refute Ma Yinlong's words.
Regardless of whether it was Miyasame Ayaka or the experts of the Zhuang Clan and Chi Clan, none of them were capable of standing up to Ma Yinlong and the others. Putting everything aside, these people had been cultivating for much longer than Miyasame Ayaka and the others.
After all, they were still young!
"... However, I really couldn't tell! That Steel Arms reeks of alcohol, but to think that he's actually a formidable expert! "
Wang Chong thought.
He had a rough understanding of Ma Yinlong's means, and from what Ma Yinlong had said, the formidable Steel Arms was able to wield a sword with his right hand.
Of the three, Ma Yinlong had already introduced two of them, so there was only one left.
Wang Chong turned to look at the last person, The Eagle.
"As for The Eagle, heh, his martial arts aren't too high. However, he has some unique skills, and this is what we need right now. This is also the reason why I brought him here. "
As for the last person, 'The Eagle', Ma Yinlong didn't try to sell his connections.
"The The Eagle is the most formidable eagle tamer. Back then, he was publicly acknowledged as the number one in the capital. This is also the reason why he was transferred here to assist in the investigation of the Goguryeons. The eagles he trained are extremely intelligent, and they are skilled in tracking, scouting, and hunting.
"Back then, the person whom the Goguryeons wanted to get rid of the most wasn't me or One-eyed, but The Eagle. Even in the past few years, the Goguryeons have been trying to find news of him. Fortunately, other than us, no one else has seen him.
"I believe gongzi has noticed that the Goguryeons prefer to use specially trained ravens to transmit information. These ravens are extremely fast, and their talons are extremely powerful. Even Hai Dongqing is unable to catch them. However, the eagles trained by Old Eagle could successfully prey on them and track them without being discovered. If we wish to find the Goguryeons' base outside the city without being discovered, we will need to use the abilities of The Eagle. "
"Ah!"
Wang Chong widened his eyes in shock as he stared at The Eagle, who was dressed up as a 'bird merchant'. At this moment, he finally understood why Ma Yinlong was so insistent on bringing him here.
If he had the abilities of The Eagle, the Goguryeons wouldn't be able to hide from the The Eagle. Furthermore, no matter what kind of information they were sending, it would be captured in advance.
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