“So… there really is someone behind all this who wants us dead?” Na Yan was himself shocked by his own speculation.

Regarding this statement, Na Tuo began to ponder.

Could there really be someone trying to kill both him and Na Yan?

His brows tightened, puzzled: “If that’s truly the case, then who exactly wants to kill us?”

“That requires investigation!”

“Investigate?” Na Tuo looked at him, snorted coldly, and directly stated his position: “Although Royal Father ordered us to join forces to find those assassins, do you think I would cooperate with you?”

A very good question indeed.

Na Yan understood his meaning: “So you want to investigate independently?”

“You and I both know very clearly that whoever can find those assassins first will have achieved merit before Royal Father. With such a good opportunity, why should I cooperate with you?”

All along, Na Tuo had viewed Na Yan as his opponent.

Since he was an opponent, how could they cooperate at this time?

He continued: “Moreover, right now those assassins want to kill you. The one who should be nervous is you. It has nothing to do with me!”

“You…”

“Also, you’d better pray that next time you’re lucky enough to have another fool come out to block a sword for you. Otherwise, I’ll just sit and wait to collect your corpse.”

Truly venomous words!

But they indeed suited Na Tuo’s character.

Having thrown down these words, he took an umbrella from a eunuch’s hand and strode away without looking back.

Leaving Na Yan grinding his teeth in place.

Yet he still maintained a calm expression, unwilling to show weakness before others.

He then also took an umbrella from a eunuch and left.

…

By now, day had broken.

Li Cheng hadn’t slept all night, his mind still on what his elder brother had said yesterday.

But what good would thinking about it do?

Du Mubai was already dead, elder sister had become a nun—everything… was over.

It was just that he spent the entire night accepting this truth.

Looking at the drizzle outside, he changed his clothes and left the manor.

Heading straight for Song Zhi’s old residence!

But the house was completely empty.

Even the cook from yesterday wasn’t there.

If not for Song Zhi’s few tattered books still sitting there, he would have thought the place was abandoned!

But where had everyone gone?

He hadn’t seen them last night either!

And Jingrong, Ji Yunshu, and the others—yesterday there was a landslide outside the city, and if carriages couldn’t leave by the official road, logically they should have returned here. But looking at the traces in the house, they had never come back at all.

How had they all disappeared?

Li Cheng came out of the house. Just as he reached the alley entrance, he ran into two scholars.

Discussing something.

The man in cyan robes said: “Yesterday was too terrifying. Fortunately I ran fast, otherwise I definitely wouldn’t have survived.”

The man in blue robes said: “Me too. Dead bodies everywhere. Just thinking of that scene, I can’t sleep.”

“I had nightmares all night long.”

The two walked forward holding umbrellas, hugging their arms.

Feeling their backs crawl.

“By the way, that poor scholar who blocked a sword for the Second Prince was truly unafraid of death. He charged straight over, and that sword went right through from his chest to his back. Ah, so bloody.” Just thinking of last night’s scene made the man in blue shudder.

Li Cheng happened to hear this and immediately grabbed the scholar’s arm.

Pulled hard.

The scholar stumbled forward several steps.

The umbrella in his hand collided with the one over Li Cheng’s head, both falling to the ground.

The drizzle instantly assaulted the two of them.

The man in blue froze, staring at the anxious person before him, demanding: “Who are you? Let go!”

Li Cheng asked: “You just said the one who blocked a sword for the Second Prince was a poor scholar?”

A poor scholar—who else could it be but Song Zhi?

“So… so what? Hurry up and let go of me.”

“Is that person Song Zhi?”

“Song Zhi?” The man in blue only felt his arm hurting. “I… don’t know. I don’t know the person you’re talking about.”

Song Zhi usually either read books in his room or went to the bookstore to read.

He basically had no contact with this year’s scholars, so it was normal that most didn’t know him.

Li Cheng was anxious as fire, gripping the man’s wrist harder, continuing to demand: “Then where is that person now?”

“He was taken away by the Second Prince.”

“Dead?”

“Don’t know. Anyway, he was taken away. Who exactly are you? Let go now.” The man in blue forcefully pulled his arm back.

Hiding it behind him.

Afraid Li Cheng would grab it again.

Li Cheng couldn’t care about anything else and ran straight to the Second Prince’s Manor.

At this moment, Na Yan hadn’t returned yet.

When he arrived at the manor entrance, before he could even cross the threshold, he was blocked by two servants outside.

“Young Lord Cheng, why have you come? What are you—”

“Move aside. I’m going in to find someone.”

“Find someone? Who could you possibly be looking for in the manor?” The servant was puzzled.

The Second Prince’s Manor and Li Cheng were poles apart.

Let alone what person!

Li Cheng was so anxious sweat broke out on his forehead. His gaze probed inside—he wanted nothing more than to charge in. Helplessly blocked by the servants, the worry in his heart momentarily turned to anger as he roared at the two servants: “I’m looking for that bookworm Song Zhi! Someone said the Second Prince brought him here.”

“Young Master… Song?”

They actually called him Young Master Song!

“Looks like he really is inside!” Without another word, Li Cheng pushed with his hand, shoving aside the servant blocking him.

He strode rapidly inside.

The servants chased behind, shouting: “Young Lord Cheng, Young Lord Cheng…”

Li Cheng passed through the front courtyard and caught a servant carrying a tray.

He immediately grabbed the servant’s collar.

Jerked him forward.

The servant’s whole body trembled, the things in his hands crashing to the ground.

Shattered plates everywhere.

“Where is Song Zhi?”

“Ah?” The servant hadn’t reacted yet, his eyes wide. “Young Master Song, he…”

“Speak!”

“In…” He pointed in a direction.

The manor’s main courtyard.

Li Cheng released him and jogged toward the main courtyard.

Upon entering, he saw the courtyard full of people.

It seemed Song Zhi was indeed inside.

When the manor’s people saw Li Cheng rushing in anxiously, they all looked at each other in confusion. Before they could stop him, Li Cheng’s figure had already charged inside.

Entering the inner room, he saw Song Zhi lying on the bed, completely drained of color.

His chest wrapped in bandages.

Unconscious!

On death’s door!

“Song Zhi?”

His heart felt like it would leap into his throat. He walked to the bedside to check, calling Song Zhi’s name several times.

Then he demanded of the maid in the room: “What’s his condition now?”

The maid flinched: “Young Master Song’s injuries are too severe. He hasn’t woken up.”

“Too severe? So you just let him lie here?”

“The imperial physicians… have already said that if Young Master Song can make it through these two days, then… he’ll be fine.”

Make it through?

Li Cheng despised many things in life, and one of them was despising the imperial physicians in the palace.

He furrowed his brows and rebuked: “Imperial physicians? Clearly just a bunch of quacks!”