HCB Chapter 17 Undercurrents
Chapter 17 Undercurrents
Xuan Yuanche and Su Yao stared at the assassin's corpse, their minds filled with doubt. Su Yao broke the silence first: "Your Highness, these assassins were highly trained and were definitely not ordinary killers. There must be a mastermind behind this meticulously planned operation." Xuan Yuanche's expression was stern as he nodded and said, "I also know that this matter is not simple and must be thoroughly investigated."
While strengthening security measures at the palace, they began investigating clues about the assassin's identity. Su Yao discovered subtle markings on the assassin's weapons and clothing, seemingly related to a long-vanished martial arts sect. Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanche immediately ordered the gathering of heroes from all walks of life in the martial arts world to inquire about this sect.
Soon after, an elderly man from the martial arts world came to pay his respects. The old man had deep eyes that revealed a sense of vicissitude. After seeing Xuan Yuanche and Su Yao, he slowly spoke: "Your Majesty, Princess, this sect is called the Shadow Sect. Many years ago, they stirred up trouble in the martial arts world. Later, they were suppressed by a joint effort of various sects and were almost wiped out. But it is rumored that they have secretly received funding from a mysterious force, thus going into hiding and practicing evil arts, seemingly waiting for some opportunity."
Xuanyuan Che asked, "Do you know what kind of mysterious force this is?" The old man shook his head: "This old minister has only heard of it. It is said that this force has intricate connections with the imperial court and the martial arts world. Their goal seems to be to overthrow the order of the entire world."
After a moment of contemplation, Su Yao said, "It seems that the palace intrigues and wars with neighboring countries that we have experienced before may all be part of this mysterious force's plan. They first instigated internal strife to weaken our national strength, and then used the hands of neighboring countries to try to completely crush us."
Xuanyuan Che clenched his fist: "I will never allow them to succeed. No matter how deeply this force is hidden, I will bring them out."
Just then, news arrived from a neighboring country that a coup had taken place, with a young general seizing power and expressing a willingness to negotiate peace with Xuanyuan Che's nation. Xuanyuan Che and Su Yao realized that this might be another move in the mysterious force's game.
To uncover the truth, Xuan Yuanche decided to travel to the neighboring country in person to meet with the new ruler. Although Su Yao was somewhat worried, she knew this was a crucial step in solving the mystery, and she urged Xuan Yuanche to be extremely careful.
Upon arriving in the neighboring country, Xuanyuan Che received a warm welcome from the new ruler. This young general, named Lin Yu, possessed a resolute gaze and an air of heroism. Lin Yu frankly told Xuanyuan Che, "Your Majesty, I had no intention of participating in this war. It was only through the collusion of some old nobles with a mysterious force that the country was dragged into conflict. Now that I have quelled the internal strife, I hope to coexist peacefully with your country and jointly resist that mysterious force."
Xuan Yuanche scrutinized Lin Yu, trying to determine the credibility of his words. After some conversation, Xuan Yuanche discovered that Lin Yu's understanding of the mysterious forces was also quite limited, but he mentioned a key figure—a strategist named Mo Yuan, who always manipulated everything behind the scenes and whose whereabouts were shrouded in mystery.
Xuanyuan Che returned to China with this news and discussed it with Su Yao. Upon hearing the news, Su Yao decided to start the investigation with Mo Yuan. They posted his portrait nationwide, offered a reward for his capture, and dispatched a large number of secret agents to search for his whereabouts.
However, just as they were fully focused on investigating Mo Yuan, strange phenomena began to appear across the country. In some areas, people suddenly fell into a deep sleep, impossible to wake; in others, strange plagues broke out and spread rapidly. Su Yao suspected that this was another conspiracy by mysterious forces, who seemed to be using evil magic to disrupt the country.
Using her modern medical knowledge and research into mysterious phenomena, Su Yao began searching for a solution. She ventured deep into the epidemic area, personally caring for patients and collecting samples for analysis. Meanwhile, Xuan Yuanche organized resources from the rear to support Su Yao's actions and strengthened control over various regions to prevent the spread of panic.
Through Su Yao's tireless efforts, she discovered that these strange phenomena seemed to be related to an ancient formation. To break this formation, they needed to find five spirit pearls, scattered in several mysterious locations throughout the country. Thus, Xuan Yuanche and Su Yao embarked on another arduous journey to find the spirit pearls. They knew that every step was fraught with danger, but for the sake of their country and people, they had to forge ahead.