95: Trespassing into the Imperial Capital

"Grandpa, do you mean that Seventh Brother is the mastermind?" Meng Yun found this hard to accept. Memories of the past flashed before his eyes again, and he could not imagine that gentle, jade-like Seventh Brother committing such a brutal act.

"I don't have any clues; right now, it's only suspicion. I just came out of seclusion. I originally planned to risk returning to the Imperial Capital to investigate secretly, but since you are here, this is a good opportunity." King Tang looked solemn as he spoke to Meng Yun.

"Grandpa, are you suggesting we go to the Imperial Capital to investigate this matter in the capacity of Flowing Cloud Sect Disciples?" Meng Yun was originally extremely intelligent, but he had been somewhat lazy before. Now, suffering such a great blow had pulled him out of his former state of drifting through life.

King Tang nodded, placing his hand on Meng Yun's shoulder, and said earnestly, "Although the situation in the Imperial Capital is complicated, they certainly wouldn't dare to slight or harm a Flowing Cloud Sect Disciple. However, you must not go. Currently, among the former Emperor's descendants who are still alive, besides Meng Jingyi, who ascended the throne, only you remain. You cannot take the risk. Furthermore, I need to take action to enhance your Aptitude and cultivation. Stay here and Cultivate these next few days. Your two fellow sect members are not ordinary people; they will surely be able to investigate this matter thoroughly."

Meng Yun struggled slightly, but then lowered his head and said nothing more.

King Tang gently stroked his grandson's head with a pained heart, sighed, and remained silent.

The next day, early morning.

"What? You said Meng Yun went into seclusion with his grandfather, King Tang, and only left a letter for us?" Yang Kai had prepared to set off early that morning. After breakfast, he came to King Tang's tent but was stopped by his subordinate, who only relayed a few messages and handed him a letter.

Seeing that the armored soldier remained silent, Yang Kai knew it would be difficult to get information here. He quickly tore open the envelope, unfolded the letter. It didn't contain many words, and he memorized all the information with a single glance.

"Yang Kai, Grandpa needs to guide my cultivation, so I might be delayed for a few days. You and Zi Ning should set off first. Be careful on the road. If your investigation is not finished after I come out of seclusion, I will go to the Imperial Capital to find you."

Yang Kai put the letter away and took a deep look at the tent in front of him. He had a premonition that King Tang and Meng Yun were definitely inside the tent right now, but after hesitating, he did not use his Divine Sense to investigate. Meng Yun was his brother; since he had something difficult to explain, Yang Kai naturally wouldn't pry.

Returning to the tent where the two of them rested, Zi Ning was puzzled to see only Yang Kai return, and immediately suspected that something had changed.

"Meng Yun has some matters that will delay him here for a few days. I already have the map, so the two of us should head to the Imperial Capital first." Yang Kai did not elaborate but instead urged Zi Ning to depart.

Zi Ning readily agreed and handed the cloud boat over to Yang Kai. Yang Kai infused his magic power into it, and the small boat, originally the size of a leaf, instantly transformed into a massive ship more than ten zhang long. The two boarded the ship and set sail, speeding toward the Imperial Capital.

Inside King Tang's tent, the grandfather and grandson watched the cloud boat, which had turned into a streak of light, gradually disappear into the distance. Meng Yun then nodded to his grandfather, signaling that he was ready. King Tang immediately began setting up, and the entire camp entered a state of combat readiness, cautiously guarding against potential dangers.

Compared to the lively atmosphere when they arrived, with only Yang Kai and Zi Ning remaining, the mood on the cloud boat was much quieter.

"Yang Kai, what happened to Meng Yun? Is there anything we can do to help?" Perhaps sensing the solemn atmosphere, Zi Ning asked.

"I didn't see Meng Yun this morning; I only received a letter from him. I recognize this guy's handwriting, so it should be genuine, but he didn't mention what happened." Yang Kai, who had been deep in thought, took out the letter upon hearing her words and handed it over.

Zi Ning took it and read it carefully, turning the letter over and over. Then, as if she had discovered something, she leaned forward and lightly tapped two areas with her finger, saying excitedly, "Yang Kai, look at these characters."

Yang Kai turned his head curiously upon hearing this. He had read the letter several times and found no issues. Could Zi Ning actually have discovered a secret?

Following her fingertip, Yang Kai realized that the character for "heart" in the letter was indeed written in a special way. The script and language prevalent on the Liuyun Continent were somewhat similar to the world from which Yang Kai underwent Transmigration, but there were differences. However, Yang Kai had lived here for more than three years and had long grown accustomed to the local writing. Although he could understand the local script, when he wrote himself, he still preferred to write Chinese characters.

Over the years, Meng Yun had naturally noticed this habit of Yang Kai's, but he simply assumed Yang Kai was not good at writing and didn't think much of it, even imitating Yang Kai's writing style sometimes. The character for "heart" in this letter was clearly written in the style of a Chinese character, not the script of the Liuyun Continent. Yang Kai had previously focused only on the literal meaning and failed to notice this subtle difference.

"It seems Meng Yun is trying to warn us to be careful. Is it the Imperial Capital we should be wary of? Or is there someone else we need to be cautious about?" Yang Kai frowned deeply. The already clouded mission was now shrouded in another layer of gloom.

"Strange, I've known Meng Yun for years, and I never noticed anything wrong with that character. How did you see it?" Yang Kai suddenly asked, as if something had occurred to him.

Zi Ning, however, looked as if her secret had been exposed. She hurriedly shoved the paper back to Yang Kai and changed the subject, saying, "What do we do next?"

"We'll deal with whatever comes our way!" Yang Kai put the letter away. Knowing Meng Yun's intention, Yang Kai let go of certain reservations. Given his current strength and his status as a Flowing Cloud Sect Disciple, a plan quickly formed in his mind.

Seeing Yang Kai acting mysteriously, Zi Ning unhappily returned to the side and ignored him.

The cloud boat was extremely fast, and the location was not far from the Imperial Capital. As the two sped along, a magnificent city appeared in their view. Seeing this, Yang Kai once again urged the cloud boat, increasing its speed to the maximum, and reached the city gate in an instant, but Yang Kai had no intention of slowing down.

"Stop!"

"Who dares to trespass into the Imperial Capital!"

Yang Kai's actions quickly provoked angry shouts from the city guards. Immediately, a dozen or so people rushed out from various directions. Some were wearing armor, while others had been selling candied hawthorns just a second ago, but now they suddenly erupted and surrounded Yang Kai together.

"Scram!" Yang Kai snorted coldly. The cloud boat's defensive Formation fully deployed, completely enveloping the boat. The cloud boat then transformed into a cannonball, smashing directly toward the inner city. Everyone who tried to block its path was sent flying, looking utterly miserable.

"How audacious! Who dares to trespass into the Imperial Palace!" Just as Yang Kai controlled the cloud boat, about to break through the airspace above the inner city, a somewhat aged voice echoed. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi actually condensed into a palm, so clear that even the palm lines were visible, and heavily slammed down toward the cloud boat!

"Yang Kai, a Flowing Cloud Sect Disciple, is here by order to investigate! Who dares to stop me!"