Chapter 41: Sudden Turmoil

Chapter 41: Sudden Turmoil

If Chu Liuxiang discovered the Paradise Star treasure was fake, Stone Guanyin would be delighted—and her son Wuhua would share her joy.

But Li Chaofeng would not.

Stone Guanyin and her son had delayed killing the King of Kucha only because they were captivated by the allure of the Paradise Star. Once the truth emerged, they would execute the king immediately and return to Kucha Kingdom, where she would assume power as regent empress dowager.

The King of Kucha was too easy a target for Li Chaofeng’s tastes. He had no interest in serving as the king’s bodyguard or participating in any life-or-death battles. He simply wanted to witness the intensity of a duel between martial masters.

Observing rather than engaging suited him better.

Yet Li Chaofeng, after a moment’s reflection, revealed the “truth” his heightened senses had detected.

“The Paradise Star was indeed stolen secretly—but the thief remains by the King of Kucha’s side. It’s a woman.”

Since the plot had long deviated from its original course, Li Chaofeng chose to maintain his carefully crafted persona. Only by doing so would Chu Liuxiang and the others take his protection seriously.

“Is the King of Kucha faking this?” Ji Bingyan quickly reached the same conclusion as Li Chaofeng. Puzzled, he wondered what Black Pearl truly intended by leading them to Kucha Kingdom.

“To steal the Paradise Star? But it’s already back in the king’s possession.”

Could she possibly expect them to help restore the king’s throne?

Then Black Pearl truly overestimates Chu Liuxiang, Ji Bingyan mused. Even a Martial Master would struggle against an army.

Ji Bingyan adopted a passive stance.

“Forget it. If I can’t figure it out, I’ll wait. No action unless the enemy moves first.”

Li Chaofeng nodded in agreement.

When the sounds inside the tent subsided, Li Chaofeng and Ji Bingyan entered to find Hu Tiehua lounging with a servant girl massaging his shoulders, his expression one of pure contentment. Their clothes were slightly disheveled, evidence of their earlier intimacy.

The servant girl, Mayisha, stopped immediately upon seeing Li Chaofeng, bowing deeply. “Thank you for saving me today, Master.”

Li Chaofeng showed no pleasure at her gratitude. His eyes narrowed coldly as he pointed at Hu Tiehua.

“I didn’t save you. He did.”

The king had ordered guards to take Mayisha away but hadn’t pardoned her. Without Hu Tiehua’s intervention, the Kucha soldiers would still carry out the king’s command. Even if unnecessary, a king’s decree was absolute.

Hu Tiehua burst into laughter, his gaze lingering on Li Chaofeng’s youthful face. “Snake Xiaogui, I was completely pinned down by that rooster earlier. Without you, he wouldn’t have let me cause any trouble.”

Li Chaofeng ignored the remark, returning to his seat as Ji Bingyan had planned. He had indeed acted impulsively today—intervening in the king’s punishment of his servant girl in the heart of the royal camp was a provocation.

It was like walking into someone’s home while they slaughtered a pig and declaring, “A pig is a life too—how can you kill it?” A monarch’s power to grant or take life was absolute.

Ji Bingyan sighed helplessly. He knew Hu Tiehua’s meddlesome nature well, which was why he’d restrained him earlier. But he never expected Li Chaofeng, usually so composed and meticulous, to be just as reckless.

On second thought, from their perspective, the servant girl was an innocent victim—but also a convenient scapegoat to appease the king’s wrath. Yet to Li Chaofeng, with his heightened senses, everything in that tent seemed prearranged. The king had used Mayisha merely as a prop in his performance.

No wonder the king hadn’t gotten angry. But they’d also revealed Hu Tiehua’s formidable martial arts skills, leaving him trapped in the enemy’s main camp.

Still, Ji Bingyan remained confident. After years of training, Hufengzi’s skills had improved greatly. Chu Liuxiang was already a world-renowned Thief Lord, and Li Chaofeng possessed superhuman senses.

As long as Chu Liuxiang didn’t recklessly endanger himself, Ji Bingyan couldn’t imagine how they could possibly lose.

At nightfall, someone entered the tent—it was Chu Liuxiang, who had spent the day cozying up to the Pipa Princess. He found Hu Tiehua sound asleep, cradling a Kucha servant girl with a contented expression. Li Chaofeng hadn’t even opened his eyes, simply tugging Ji Bingyan’s sleeve before drifting back to sleep.

Ji Bingyan slowly opened his eyes. With Li Chaofeng’s superhuman senses nearby, he didn’t need to keep watch—though he couldn’t afford to sleep too deeply. Seeing it was Chu Liuxiang, he nodded and joined him outside to exchange information.

Chu Liuxiang had gathered details from the Pipa Princess: the king’s consort was gravely ill and slept separately from him. The king had only two daughters and no sons.

“You’re saying the Paradise Star is still with the King of Kucha?” Chu Liuxiang asked, surprised. “But the Pipa Princess told me it was stolen, and the king is discussing who to send to retrieve it.”

“The snake kid’s information should be accurate,” Ji Bingyan replied. Li Chaofeng’s intel had earned the trio’s complete trust, especially since it was easily verifiable.

Chu Liuxiang was the perfect person to confirm it.

“Can Snake Xiaogui locate the Paradise Star’s position?”

Ji Bingyan glared fiercely at Chu Liuxiang. He knew that reckless streak all too well—Chu Liuxiang was already plotting how to steal it.

That death-seeking spirit had resurfaced again.

But after a moment’s thought, Ji Bingyan sighed. He’d never changed in all these years. Entering the tent, he quickly emerged with Li Chaofeng in tow.

When Chu Liuxiang asked about locating the Paradise Star, Li Chaofeng scratched his chin and immediately provided the answer his nose detected.

“The location isn’t hard to find. The Paradise Star now carries a woman’s fragrance, and its owner is currently sleeping in the King of Kucha’s tent.”

“You mean the king’s consort?”

Chu Liuxiang’s eyes widened, then he grinned. A treasure hidden on a woman’s person? He was definitely more interested now.

Nodding to Ji Bingyan, he vanished into the night. Ji Bingyan sighed deeply and returned to the tent.

Li Chaofeng glanced toward the caravan where Shi Tuo and Wang Chong were conversing. Reflecting on their upcoming tasks and his own role, he shook his head helplessly and returned to the tent.

At dawn, Ji Bingyan was the first to wake, checking on Li Chaofeng, who was still asleep. As a meticulous man, he always assessed his current situation before planning ahead.

After a night in this unfamiliar camp surrounded by strangers, his first priority was to inspect the caravan—not just to ensure nothing was missing, but to check for any unwanted additions, like poison in their rations.

Approaching the caravan, he breathed a sigh of relief. Shi Tuo was still guarding it—no ordinary person could approach while he was on watch.

But his expression changed when he noticed something unexpected on one of the camels.

It was a letter.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end