Chapter 1117: Stolen Light

“Oh, this is quite heavy. These two little rascals must have amassed a good sum.”

After saying that, he handed Ghost Ape a small treat, and happily put away the purse. The two young thieves not only failed to steal from them, but Ghost Ape had, in turn, pilfered from them.

He Lingchuan smiled and quietly said to him, “You’re being watched.” When children of that age commit theft, there are always adults watching from behind.

“Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?” Dong Rui deliberately jiggled his purse a couple more times, and two men followed them out, keeping a discreet distance behind them. The streets were crowded after all, and they passed by a government office, so the two men didn't rush them.

After passing through the foul-smelling, chaotic docks and the bustling market, they found a row of restaurants and inns ahead, their facades varying in size. He Lingchuan chose "Old Qian's Inn," which had the brightest sign and the cleanest entrance, and went in to request two superior rooms.

As they surveyed the inn's surroundings, the Soul-Capturing Mirror in He Lingchuan's possession alerted him: “Someone in the noodle shop across the alley has been watching this place.” What's more? He Lingchuan scanned the inn's ground-floor lobby.

There were also three tables of guests in the lobby. Two of the men were seated directly facing the main entrance, so no one could enter unnoticed. Although dressed as merchants, their gazes were exceptionally sharp. He Lingchuan and his companion also adopted local customs upon arriving at Flashgold Plains, dressing very plainly, like independent itinerant merchants. Here, dressing ostentatiously would be like boldly writing in big characters on one's face: “Come Rob Me!”

As soon as they entered, these two men began to scrutinize them, until He Lingchuan’s back disappeared upstairs. Unexpectedly, the rooms at this inn were surprisingly clean, the bedding was dry and fresh, and there was hot water on the table, aside from seven or eight mosquitoes resting on the wall, which looked rather menacing.

The innkeeper, feigning indifference, claimed there were only three superior rooms left, all of excellent quality, and thus each was expensive. They were at least twenty percent more expensive than decent rooms in good inns in Blade Harbor. Dong Rui suspected he was exaggerating. Old Qian's Inn had many rooms, but in a dilapidated place like Julu Port, how many VIPs could possibly fill all his superior rooms? However, he soon discovered that the innkeeper had not actually lied, as Old Qian's Inn had only four superior rooms in total, and the other two were already occupied.

He Lingchuan’s contact for this mission was also staying here. The inn was laid out in a '冂' shape, with all superior rooms on the second floor. After settling in, He Lingchuan headed towards the corner on the other side of the second floor.

“Hey, this area is full.”

Although these two were dressed as ordinary guests, their eyes gleamed with sharpness, and their backs were ramrod straight, their gaze on people like a hawk on chicks, instilling a subtle sense of dread. He Lingchuan, naturally fearless, pulled out a black token from his storage ring, and dangled it in front of them, “I’m looking for Jin Bai. This is the rendezvous token.”

There were no words on the token, but its surface constantly shifted, at one moment showing flowing water, then rugged mountains, and then swirling mist and clouds. When the token was inverted, the mountains and water also overturned and reformed. Such mystical artistry was difficult to imitate.

He Lingchuan was not from Mou State, so he couldn't use Mou State's official tokens. Therefore, Wang Xingyi had given him a special investigative token called the “Cloud-Turning Medallion,” which could represent agencies under Spirit Mountain when abroad. Spirit Mountain was not affiliated with any particular state, so it was not surprising that the identity tokens of Spirit Mountain envoys did not display elemental power. While holding the medallion, he could refer to himself as a Cloud-Turning Envoy.

The two men paused, startled, upon seeing the medallion. One of them took the medallion and said, “Wait here,” then walked deeper into the corridor, pushed open a door, and entered. After several moments, the door opened. The man's demeanor was now much more respectful. “Please enter!”

Three men were seated at a table in the guest room, and upon seeing He Lingchuan enter, they all rose to greet him. The leader was as tall as He Lingchuan, with a square face, large eyes, and a sharp gaze. He signaled the guard who had escorted He Lingchuan in, and the guard immediately returned to the corridor to resume his post. Then, the leader clasped his hands in front of him and bowed to He Lingchuan, stating in a deep voice, “I am Jin Bai, Deputy Commander of the Shadowfang Guard. What should we call you, Cloud-Turning Envoy?”

A barrier had been set up in the room, ensuring no sound would leak out. “‘He.’ He Lingchuan promptly stated his name, then retrieved his Cloud-Turning Medallion from Jin Bai’s hand.

“Please, have a seat!” Jin Bai had verified the token's authenticity; otherwise, he would not have been so polite to He Lingchuan. A Shadowfang Guard nearby served He Lingchuan tea.

The information from Wang Xingyi didn't mention it, but Fang Canran had personally explained it to He Lingchuan. The Shadowfang Guard was a private armed force under Emperor Mou, specializing in intelligence gathering, armed arrests, overseas pursuits, and private interrogations of serious offenders, serving as both the emperor's eyes and ears, and his fangs. In short, tasks inconvenient for the regular army or palace guards, Emperor Mou would assign to the Shadowfang Guard. Therefore, this organization held a very special status in Mou State's capital.

Jin Bai was the Deputy Commander of the Shadowfang Guard, a rank not particularly high, but one that allowed him to ‘oversee those of higher status.’ Comparatively, his position was equivalent to Fan Sheng, the Deputy Leader of the Concentric Guard in Lingxu City. A martial general who could hold this position might not have exceptionally high cultivation, but was fiercely loyal to the monarch. Mou State dispatching the Shadowfang Guard to escort the Illuminating Lamp demonstrated the importance it placed on this tribute. It seemed this caution was not unwarranted, as the item had indeed been stolen this time.

As strangers, Jin Bai naturally couldn't have much respect for He Lingchuan, but he maintained basic courtesy. As a direct subordinate of Emperor Mou, he clearly understood what the “Cloud-Turning Medallion” represented. Otherwise, why would a youth less than twenty years old before him warrant even a second glance?

He Lingchuan sat down, and first handed him a letter. The envelope was sealed, and Fang Canran had only told him not to open it, but to deliver it directly to the contact. Jin Bai took it with both hands, opened it, and his gaze sharpened. The envelope was unremarkable, and the letter paper was plain white, revealing faint cloud patterns only when held up to the light. This was Emperor Mou's personal stationery, “Plain Cloud Paper.” The paper bore only four characters, written in a flowing, vigorous hand: “Speak without reservation.” There was no signature or seal.

Having served Emperor Mou for many years, Jin Bai instantly recognized the handwriting. He abruptly stood up, bowed towards the west, and declared, “I respectfully obey Your Majesty’s decree!”

After the Illuminating Lamp was stolen, he had reported the news back to his country, continuing to search for the treasure's whereabouts, while awaiting the monarch's official reply. Whether their group should leave or stay, continue pursuing the treasure or return to await judgment, all depended on a single word from the monarch. Losing the tribute would certainly displease Emperor Mou. As it turned out, the Cloud-Turning Envoy sent by the Imperial Advisor had arrived, bringing with him the monarch's reply.

He Lingchuan had already moved aside, and his first words were, “Imperial Advisor Wang has asked me to investigate this case, so I’ll need Commander Jin to recall the details carefully.”

It was the Imperial Advisor who had sent him? Jin Bai composed himself: “Very well. We've just ascertained the whereabouts of the tribute and identified the culprits. Mr. He, you’ve arrived at a timely moment. I just sent another urgent message to the imperial capital for instructions, and a reply should arrive in a few days.”