Chapter 1647: Surprising Explosion

Qingyang brushed a strand of hair from her temple just as the carriage passed the magnificent gates of the Tianshui East Expansion Project, rolling over a few grayish-white pebbles on the road.

The main road from Youhu Lake to Tianshui East Gate was paved with bluestone slabs, but with daily traffic, it was only normal for pebbles, grit, and even grass roots to appear on the road. No one would pay any attention to them.

However, as soon as the wheels rolled over them, these pebbles bounced up, sticking to the underside of the carriage, and then—

They directly exploded.

With a thunderous boom, thick smoke billowed sky-high.

Overseer Qingyang's carriage was exceptionally heavy and adorned with intricate carvings on its panels. Despite this, the explosion launched the entire vehicle over three meters into the air. It spun in four complete 360-degree rotations mid-air before crashing with a thud onto the adjacent hillside.

The hillside was uneven, causing the carriage to roll another four or five times. It finally came to a stop after smashing into a large rock!

The four fine horses pulling the carriage and the coachman were all torn to shreds on the spot!

The carriage Qingyang was riding in had exceptionally strong side panels that could only be pierced by specialized siege crossbow bolts. It was also inscribed with defensive formations, capable of withstanding ordinary attacks.

However, the explosion's epicenter was directly beneath it.

Even the most fortified carriage wouldn't have its floor specially reinforced. Despite a defensive formation, a large hole was blown through the carriage floor. When it hit the rock, the stone cracked with a crunch, and the carriage panel also dented inward.

Defensive formations, after all, have their limits. They couldn't withstand the mountain-splitting, rock-shattering power of this explosion.

The accompanying guards were also thrown around, disoriented. In particular, seven of Special Envoy Wu's guards, along with their horses, were blown away and died instantly.

Yuan Xuan, riding ahead, had the explosion's shockwave partially absorbed by two guards behind him. He himself was violently propelled forward by the blast. After landing, his eyes were blackened, and his insides felt as if they were burning.

"Enemy attack!" He spat a mouthful of blood as he spoke. "Palace Master!"

Yuan Xuan forced a surge of internal energy, scrambled up, and stumbled towards the carriage.

The carriage was overturned, bottom-up. The gaping hole in its underside was glaringly obvious, and a large section of the carriage body was also caved in. Yuan Xuan shouted hoarsely, "Protect the Palace Master!"

The other guards quickly gathered, forming a protective circle around the carriage.

Spies and informants hidden in the shadows witnessed this scene, all dumbfounded, and thought of reporting this incident as quickly as possible.

On a nearby cypress tree, a small spider crawled out to observe the situation below, then swiftly retreated back into the depths of the cypress leaves.

Special Envoy Wu's remaining guards were first stunned, then greatly alarmed, and rushed forward to check.

However, just as they reached the carriage, a side panel fell off.

A hand reached out from inside the carriage, pressing on the shattered door.

Then, Qingyang emerged.

She was glowing faintly with primal energy and appeared to have no external injuries. Her clothes and hair were disheveled from being tossed upside down multiple times, with two long strands of hair falling loose, mixed with a good deal of debris.

She flicked away wood splinters from her fingertips. Earlier, as the carriage tumbled, she had inserted her hands into the wooden panels to brace herself.

The sturdy carriage, three defensive spell formations, the protection of primal energy, and the magical artifacts she carried on her person—these four layers of defense—were what allowed Qingyang to appear completely unharmed.

But her face was ashen, and her eyes glinted with fury.

Yuan Xuan hastily asked, "Palace Master, are you injured?"

"It couldn't kill me!" Qingyang's anger surged. "But Special Envoy Wu is injured!"

Special Envoy Wu's guards were greatly alarmed and leaned in to look inside the carriage.

They saw him lying inside the carriage. His face was streaked with blood, his chest rose and fell, but his arm was twisted at an odd angle.

"Lord Wu, Lord Wu!"

"Don't move him! First, remove the panels!" Special Envoy Wu's hand was caught between two panels.

The guards took some effort to safely free Special Envoy Wu. He began to cough, each cough aggravating his injuries and causing unbearable pain.

Qingyang personally fed him a few pills. "They're for pain," she said. "Don't worry, your life is not in danger."

She had also protected Special Envoy Wu during the incident.

The guards exchanged glances. Lord Wu had sailed to Julu Port and disembarked, having endured the high winds and rough seas and crossed the famously chaotic Shanjing Plains. He had arrived safely within Yao Kingdom. How could he have almost lost his life here in the capital of Shanjing, the strongest nation!

Yuan Xuan went to help Qingyang, but she brushed his hand away. "I'm fine," she said. "First, send the other injured back to the lodge."

"Yes, my lady."

Qingyang casually tied up her hair. She then walked to the explosion site and squatted down to examine the charred ground.

The bluestone slabs on the ground couldn't withstand the blast and were no longer in place. A deep pit had also been blown into the road beneath. The pit shimmered slightly because the instantaneous high temperature had fused the sand and soil into crystals.

"This isn't ordinary explosive, but the kind used for splitting mountains and rocks," Qingyang stated gravely. "The explosive was buried deep underground; otherwise, the pit wouldn't be this deep. Yet none of you noticed anything unusual as my carriage passed, which means the exposed part was very small and inconspicuous."

Yuan Xuan angrily said, "Could it be the explosives used for terrain leveling in the Tianshui East Expansion Project?"

During the recent construction of Youhu Villa and the Tianshui East Expansion Project, the construction teams were constantly setting off explosives here and there, causing noise all day long. The Qing Guards were already very familiar with such explosions and could tell what it was just by hearing it!

A few guards galloped around the area. They returned with a man in his fifties and reported:

"This person was lurking suspiciously by the bridge."

The man cried out, "I've been wronged! I'm the caretaker for Youhu Villa! I only came over to take a look when I heard the commotion here!"

Youhu Villa was very close by. Although construction was halted, a large amount of materials were still accumulated at the site, and they would be stolen if left unguarded.

It was only a few dozen steps for the caretaker to walk from his residence to these main gates.

Yuan Xuan sneered. He then turned to Qingyang and said, "Palace Master, for safety's sake, please return to the lodge!"

The woods after the explosion were eerily quiet. No one dared to make a sound; only the distant rustling of guards carrying away bodies could be heard.

Was this sudden attack an act of retaliation, or a warning and intimidation?

Or perhaps both?

"Why retreat?" Qingyang walked to Special Envoy Wu's side and, seeing his injuries were properly bandaged and secured, she said, "Special Envoy Wu, come with me into the palace. I'll get justice for you!"

Having just been attacked, Special Envoy Wu was still dazed and disoriented. He looked blankly at Qingyang for a few moments and mumbled, "Alright."

Qingyang smiled at him. She then turned to Yuan Xuan and said, "Get another carriage. We're going to the palace."

So the Qing Guards brought another carriage from Youhu Lodge. Special Envoy Wu and Qingyang boarded it again, heading straight for Tianshui City!

Youhu Lake was not far from Yongquan Villa, and the loud explosion was heard at Yongquan Villa as well.

Everyone at the villa stopped what they were doing and looked intently towards the northeast.

He Lingchuan even let out a loud burp.

Zhao Song immediately dispatched three of his subordinates: "Go see what happened."

The explosion had come from the direction of Tianshui's eastern suburbs.

It was said that the area around this villa had truly been restless recently. Just a few days ago, a series of explosions had occurred at Taoxi Creek in the west. Now it was the eastern suburbs' turn?

Moreover, the location of that explosion was extraordinary.

"Could this explosion have happened within your construction site?" Zhao Song turned his head. "Island Master He, what do you surmise happened there?"

He Lingchuan gazed thoughtfully in the direction of the explosion for a long while before slowly saying, "I'm afraid we're in trouble."

Zhao Song's heart sank. "Island Master He, why do you say that?"

He Lingchuan said no more. He simply stated, "Let's wait for the news from your subordinates."

A little over half an hour later, the three palace guards Zhao Song had dispatched returned and reported urgently:

"Overseer Qingyang's carriage was blown up right at the main entrance of the Tianshui East Expansion Project. It was essentially torn to shreds, with its components scattered across the ground. Several horse carcasses lay nearby. There were bloodstains and torn fabric on the carriage."

Qingyang's carriage was quite distinctive, and as it frequently entered and exited Youhu, they all recognized it.

Zhao Song was greatly alarmed.

He Lingchuan's gaze sharpened. "The main entrance of the Tianshui East Expansion Project?"

"Yes, a large pit, over two meters deep and over three meters wide, was blown into the ground!"

"Considerable power," He Lingchuan frowned deeply. "That road was not only solidly compacted but also paved with large bluestone slabs. To blow such a large pit and destroy the Overseer's carriage means a very large amount of explosives was used."

He had personally supervised the construction of the main road for the Tianshui East Expansion Project, so its construction quality was, of course, beyond reproach!

Zhao Song couldn't help but ask, "How is the Overseer?"

"She seems to be largely unharmed. We found nearby witnesses who said Overseer Qingyang walked out of the carriage herself and seemed uninjured. But it appears someone else was carried out of the carriage."

"Someone else in the carriage? Who?"

The palace guards repeatedly said they didn't know.

"Overseer Qingyang has profound cultivation, so her life should not be in danger, but it's hard to say about others." He Lingchuan's expression was grim. "Brother Zhao, do you know what it means for the Overseer's carriage to be attacked and blown up right at the main entrance of the Tianshui East Expansion Project?"

Zhao Song was silent, then nodded.

He Xiao was in for trouble.

He Lingchuan sighed deeply. "Regardless of whether the Overseer was injured, everyone involved in our project is implicated in this matter."

What was the real problem here?

The problem lay with Qingyang's identity.

An Overseer sent by Beijia was attacked in the capital. The Yao King would have to provide an explanation for this matter.

There was someone else in her carriage, but they didn't know who. But He Lingchuan had a strong feeling that anyone involved in an incident at such a crucial moment was likely not an ordinary person.

Zhao Song couldn't help but ask, "In Island Master He's opinion, whose handiwork was this explosion?"

He Lingchuan shook his head decisively. "I don't know."

With insufficient information, he couldn't make a judgment.

He gave a wry smile, pointing at the two remaining jars of good wine. "Lord Zhao, let's finish this wine. Soon enough, a palace envoy will summon us to the palace."

"Ah?" Was He Xiao just giving up?

"Come, Lord Zhao, drink a few more cups with me!" Zhao Song had come today under the pretense of drinking to gather information. How could He Lingchuan let him come and go as he pleased?

Zhao Song's belly was already round from drinking, but seeing He Lingchuan's somber expression and persistent invitation, he could only agree.

Tianshui City these past few days truly felt like the calm before a storm. Even he, a diligent subordinate, could feel it. Alas!

He wondered what Overseer Qingyang would say about the Tianshui project and He Xiao once she entered the palace. Given He Xiao's current demeanor, he was going to have trouble later that night.