Volume One: Carefree Journey Amidst Indistinguishable Paper Leaves Chapter Thirty-Four: The Black Blade Battalion

Duan Canghai considered for a moment before finally turning back, crouching beside Yang Ning with a friendly smile. “Your Lordship, does the taste suit you?”

Yang Ning nodded with his mouth still full, thinking to himself that this fellow was bound to ask how he had escaped. Indeed, Duan Canghai continued, “Your Lordship, where are the kidnappers who captured you now?”

“The kidnappers?” By now, Yang Ning had finished off an entire roast chicken. He’d eaten quickly and now felt rather stuffed, letting out a belch. Duan Canghai immediately called out, “Qifeng, bring a towel.”

Qifeng hastily fetched a hand towel. Yang Ning took it, wiping the grease from his hands before replying, “You’re asking where those kidnappers went?”

“Exactly,” Duan Canghai said. “How did Your Lordship manage to escape? When we return, we’ll need to give an account to the household.”

Yang Ning replied, “They’re dead. All of them!”

“Dead?” Duan Canghai was taken aback. “Your Lordship, do you mean to say that all those who kidnapped you are dead?”

Yang Ning nodded. Qifeng couldn’t help but interject, “Your Lordship, how did they die? Surely… surely it wasn’t you who killed them?”

Yang Ning smiled. “There were so many of them—how could I kill them all? Someone else killed them.”

Duan Canghai and Qifeng exchanged a glance, puzzled. Duan Canghai asked cautiously, “Your Lordship, who were these others you speak of? Was it… was it someone who rescued you?”

Yang Ning knew well enough that since these men had come to rescue him, they would want to know how he’d escaped—every detail would need to be accounted for. “When I woke up, they were already dead,” he replied, having already prepared this answer. “If you want to go see the bodies, we can.”

Duan Canghai was even more astonished. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded. “Your Lordship, do you remember where they died? We must find out who kidnapped you so we can be on our guard in the future.”

Yang Ning realized that if he didn’t take them to see the corpses, they wouldn’t let the matter rest. And he had no good reason to refuse. He recalled that he had buried the real heir’s corpse in the bamboo grove—if he took them there, he’d have to be careful they didn’t discover it. As he hesitated, the sound of hooves signaled the return of the men he’d sent out on patrol.

“If Your Lordship has finished eating, shall we go take a look?” Duan Canghai suggested warily.

Yang Ning hesitated, then nodded. Without further delay, they cleaned up, and Duan Canghai had a horse prepared for Yang Ning.

Yang Ning knew these men probably didn’t suspect his identity; they just wanted to clarify the circumstances of his escape. Since Duan Canghai had arranged a horse for him, it was only natural for the heir to be able to ride. Without pretense, Yang Ning mounted and led the way.

He had already decided to steer them away from the bamboo grove if possible, but if they did stumble upon the buried body, he would have to find a way to slip away before they discovered it.

The horses were all of fine stock. Yang Ning kept track of the route, and before long, they reached the rear of the ancestral hall. From a distance, they could see the corpses strewn across the clearing.

Upon seeing the bodies, Duan Canghai and his men immediately drew their swords. As they approached, Duan Canghai’s expression turned grim, wholly different from the deference he’d shown Yang Ning earlier. “Protect His Lordship!” he ordered in a cold tone.

The group dismounted. Qifeng and two burly men guarded Duan Canghai, while the rest followed him forward.

Duan Canghai crouched, examining several of the bodies before turning to Yang Ning. “Your Lordship, are these the kidnappers who took you?”

Yang Ning shook his head. “I don’t know. When I woke up, they were all dead.” He pointed toward the ancestral hall. “There are more bodies over there.”

Duan Canghai nodded slightly. The man called Zhao Wushang asked, “Second Brother Duan, can you tell where these men are from?”

Duan Canghai’s expression was severe. “I can’t tell who they are, but there are some clues as to who killed them.”

Yang Ning had come closer and was about to ask when Zhao Wushang spoke for him. “Who was it?”

Duan Canghai pointed to the knife wounds on the corpses’ necks. “Look at their wounds. Nearly all are killed with a single slash to the throat. And see the cut…”

Zhao Wushang reached out and touched the edge of a wound, frowning. “It’s very thin—much thinner than our blades.”

“Exactly,” Duan Canghai agreed. “If I’m not mistaken, they were killed by men from the Black Blade Battalion.”

“The Black Blade Battalion?” At this, not only Zhao Wushang but the others turned pale. Qifeng blurted out, “Second Brother Duan, are you saying the Black Blade Battalion came here?”

Zhao Wushang was equally astonished. “Are you sure? Why would the Black Blade Battalion be here?”

From their expressions, Yang Ning could tell they were deeply wary of the Black Blade Battalion. He recalled that the men who had rescued Xiao Guang wore black scabbards, so Duan Canghai’s guess was likely correct.

Earlier, seeing Duan Canghai’s respectful manner, Yang Ning had dismissed him as obsequious, but now, realizing how quickly he’d identified the wounds’ origins, he understood that Duan Canghai was not to be underestimated.

“If the Black Blade Battalion has been dispatched, this is no small matter,” Duan Canghai muttered. “Could it be to help us rescue the Young Master?” He immediately shook his head. “No, it couldn’t be so simple—they would never act just to save the Young Master. Look at the wounds—swift and deadly, every strike to the throat, and the blade extremely thin. This is the Black Blade Battalion’s signature.”

The others exchanged uneasy glances, saying nothing.

Duan Canghai stood and strode toward the ancestral hall. The rest followed, with Qifeng and two men keeping a close guard on Yang Ning.

Inside, they were met with the sight of more bodies, which made them blanch. Duan Canghai and two men inspected the corpses before reporting, “These are not from the same group. It appears the Young Master was brought here by one party and then ambushed by another. The Black Blade Battalion seems to have appeared as well.”

“Second Brother Duan, were these also killed by the Black Blade Battalion?” Qifeng asked.

Duan Canghai shook his head. “No, these two groups fought each other. The Black Blade Battalion likely didn’t enter the hall.” He looked to Yang Ning. “Your Lordship, do you know anything about what happened here?”

Yang Ning glanced around, pointing at the burlap sack he had cut open. “They stuffed me in there. When I woke up, I crawled out and found everyone dead, so I ran off and met you on the road.”

Duan Canghai picked up the sack and saw the cut. “It seems someone slashed it open to let you escape.” He then searched the bodies, finding nothing until he checked the portly man in the gray robe. There, he drew out an oval-shaped bronze token. Yang Ning’s heart skipped a beat—he recognized that token. After the death of the Wood Immortal, Yang Ning had found a similar oval token on him, exactly like this one.

“Nine Heavens Tower?” Duan Canghai read the inscription and sneered. “So it was the Nine Heavens Tower who kidnapped the Young Master. No wonder they fled north—they must have intended to take him to Northern Han.”

“Damn it, Nine Heavens Tower!” Qifeng spat. “Those dogs must have been lurking in the shadows, waiting for a chance to strike. Heaven helped us—if another group hadn’t appeared, they’d have taken the Young Master to Northern Han, and who knows what would have happened.”

“Why did another group show up suddenly?” Zhao Wushang, whose expression was perpetually as cold as if everyone owed him money, frowned. “Why would they fight the Nine Heavens Tower spies?”

Duan Canghai’s face was grave. “Now that the Black Blade Battalion is involved, this is beyond us. We at least know it was the Nine Heavens Tower who kidnapped the Young Master. As for the rest, we can’t afford to dig too deep lest we get drawn in ourselves.” He glanced at Yang Ning, visibly relaxing. “In any case, the Young Master is safe—that’s all that matters. We can give a proper report back home.”

Qifeng nodded. “Second Brother is right. Some things are beyond us. Our job was to save the Young Master, and now that he’s safe, we shouldn’t meddle any further.”

Zhao Wushang hesitated, but ultimately said nothing.

“This place is remote and rarely visited; the bodies probably won’t be discovered for some time,” Duan Canghai said. “If the Black Blade Battalion left the corpses in the open, they clearly don’t care. We shouldn’t get involved. If someone does find them, let the local authorities investigate—they won’t learn anything anyway. If no one finds them, so be it.” He stood. “We shouldn’t linger here. Let’s leave immediately.”

Yang Ning had been worried they might search the area and perhaps head toward the bamboo grove, but upon hearing Duan Canghai’s order to leave, he finally relaxed.

These men wasted no time. Once they decided to go, they left the ancestral hall, mounted up, and departed.

Yang Ning asked, “Duan… Duan Canghai, where are we headed?”

“Your Lordship, is there somewhere else you’d like to go?” Duan Canghai’s expression softened into a smile. “If Your Lordship wishes to travel elsewhere, there will be time in the future. But you’ve been missing for more than ten days—everyone at the residence is terribly worried. The Dowager and Third Madam must be anxious day and night. We should return to the capital to put their minds at ease. What do you think, Your Lordship?”

Yang Ning thought to himself that catching up with the escort party to find Xiao Die was no longer feasible. Since that was the case, he might as well head straight to the capital. The young heir he was impersonating was the son of a second-rank military general, a position of great influence. In the capital, his power would be considerable—he could use this new identity to search for Xiao Die, which would be far more effective than scouring the world alone.

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