Ma Tianhe looked distressed.
He naturally knew that his request was too difficult for Chu Zhiyuan.
But this secret agent leader was too important.
Many secret agents were only known to this leader. If this leader died, it meant that these agents would be out of contact, completely lost.
More importantly, this leader knew too many of Da Jing’s secrets.
He also had the list and contact details of the secret agents in Tianjing City.
If he were dead, that would be troublesome enough, but the greatest fear was him being captured alive by Da Meng.
If all the secrets were interrogated out of him, the entire network of secret agents in Tianjing City would be wiped out.
Centuries of accumulation would be destroyed in an instant, this loss would be too great, unacceptable.
Chu Zhiyuan said, "If he really gets caught, without enough leverage, we can’t exchange him back."
"Princely Heir..." Ma Tianhe helplessly repeated the severity of the situation.
Chu Zhiyuan surprisingly said, "Those secret agents operate on a single-line contact, but surely there must be some secret records? If an accident really happens, isn’t it like abandoning them?"
"If there are truly secret records, only the leader would know,"
Chu Zhiyuan frowned, "These secret records should be with the Emperor or the Director of the Inspection Department."
"As far as I know, there shouldn’t be such secret records. He doesn’t trust anyone, only himself."
"Do you judge him dead or alive?"
"Most likely captured by Da Meng, hopefully, Da Meng doesn’t know his true identity."
"Let’s go to his home," Chu Zhiyuan said.
"Princely Heir..." Ma Tianhe said, "The sooner the better."
"After seeing his home, then we’ll know whether he’s dead or alive. If he’s already dead, we won’t bother wasting time."
"...Very well." Ma Tianhe suppressed his anxiety and took out two masks from his sleeve, handing one to Chu Zhiyuan.
Chu Zhiyuan took them, handed one to Zou Fang, and kept one for himself.
The three left the small courtyard and headed to the Four Directions Pavilion’s main street.
The main street of the Four Directions Pavilion was guarded by the Imperial Guard, with guards every three steps, a post every four steps.
Once the three left the main street of the Four Directions Pavilion, they mingled into the bustling crowd.
Then they put on their masks and parted ways.
Ma Tianhe walked alone, turning right into a small alley, passing through it and turning into another alley, entering a house in the alley.
Moments later, Chu Zhiyuan and Zou Fang arrived in this courtyard.
"Princely Heir, this is old Xu’s residence, it should be one of his courtyards."
A crafty rabbit has three burrows; as the secret leader in Tianjing City, it was impossible for him to have just this one residence.
The mask he wore was of a plain-looking middle-aged man, drawing no attention.
Zou Fang also had a plain appearance as a middle-aged man, not eye-catching.
With these two faces, even if someone saw them, they’d find it hard to remember.
Chu Zhiyuan closed his eyes.
Under Super Sensing Illumination, the whole courtyard was mapped in his mind, from high to low, inside and out.
Footprints in the courtyard, traces, and all the faintly circulating auras.
Chu Zhiyuan opened his eyes, entered the house, and retrieved a strand of hair from the dirt floor.
This hair was long, fine, and resilient, with a sheen.
"This is..." Ma Tianhe was surprised.
Chu Zhiyuan said, "This is a woman’s hair."
Ma Tianhe was taken aback, "Old Xu has a woman?"
"He doesn’t have a woman?"
"Old Xu’s wife is in Yujing City, and their relationship is very good."
"Then it’s strange." Chu Zhiyuan pinched the strands between his fingers, closed his eyes, and propelled his super senses to the extreme.
"No way?" Ma Tianhe exclaimed, "Old Xu has another woman here?... It’s to disguise his identity, I suppose."
Chu Zhiyuan opened his eyes and pulled another strand of hair from the dirt floor.
This hair was completely different from the first, thick and short, slightly yellowish.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, "He’s still alive."
"Can we find him?" Ma Tianhe urgently asked.
Chu Zhiyuan looked eastward, "Let’s go, over there to check."
The three stealthily left the house, entered the alleys, weaving through one after another, occasionally emerging onto the main street, moving through the bustling crowd.
They eventually reached outside the East City Gate, and Chu Zhiyuan stopped, looking toward the eastern official road.
"Princely Heir..." Ma Tianhe looked at Chu Zhiyuan curiously, "Not in the city?"
That seemed peculiar.
If caught by Da Meng’s Rain Listening Platform, he should have been detained within Tianjing City, not outside it.
The most heavily guarded locations were the Imperial prison of Da Meng’s Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs, or the Rain Listening Platform’s secret surveillance.
Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, "Not in the city, the two are in the same place, let’s go, and have a look."
Chu Zhiyuan continued onward, diving into the nearby woods, hopping lightly over tree branches.
Zou Fang and Ma Tianhe followed behind him.
In one breath, they rushed over thirty miles, entering the mountainous region.
Peaks rose one after another.
Chu Zhiyuan stopped midway up a mountain, peering at a peak opposite.
In the woods on the opposite peak, there was a manor concealed by the surrounding trees.
Unless one approached closely, the manor wasn’t visible from either the mountain top or bottom.
"They are there." Chu Zhiyuan tilted his head slightly and smiled, "It looks like they aren’t captured but are hiding there voluntarily."
Earlier, he had inferred from the two strands of hair, speculating the woman had captured Da Jing’s secret agent leader Xu Jingwen.
But quickly discarded the notion. This content belongs to novel-fire.net
After all, as Da Jing’s secret agent leader, Xu Jingwen should have had guards around him.
But in that small courtyard, there were no traces of guards or signs of a struggle.
So Xu Jingwen wasn’t captured by this woman.
That meant the two left together and came to this villa.
As to why they came here, whether to escape danger or for some other reason, they’d find out soon enough.
Ma Tianhe said, "Did old Xu realize he was exposed and quickly withdrew?"
Chu Zhiyuan remained silent.
Ma Tianhe hastily said, "Princely Heir, am I wrong? Is old Xu in trouble?"
"He’s in a tender trap." Chu Zhiyuan blandly remarked, "Doesn’t appear he’s in trouble... his charming confidante isn’t an ordinary woman."
"A grandmaster from the Phoenix Sword Sect," Chu Zhiyuan said.
Ma Tianhe was taken aback, puzzled, "Old Xu got involved with a Phoenix Sword Sect master?"
He immediately frowned, "This is..."
He suddenly sensed something wrong.
Phoenix Sword Sect was one of Da Meng’s Four Great Sects, hailing from Emperor Li Hongzhao’s sect.
The disciples of the Phoenix Sword Sect didn’t have the same status as Da Jing’s Four Great Sects, rather they were comparable to the Four Demon Sects.
Disciples from the Phoenix Sword Sect were proud and held themselves in high esteem.
Xu Jingwen, within Tianjing City, was merely a common merchant, how could he enchant a disciple of the Phoenix Sword Sect?
Could it be the other way around, that he’s enamored with a female disciple of the Phoenix Sword Sect?
He pondered this and his face changed slightly, "Princely Heir, surely old Xu wouldn’t act recklessly!"
Chu Zhiyuan said, "Tender traps are the heroes’ graves, let’s hope he doesn’t go astray... let’s meet him."
"I’ll go with you, Princely Heir," Ma Tianhe hastily said.
Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, "I’ll bring him over."
His body flashed and he was off effortlessly.
Moments later, he returned, carrying a burly, robust middle-aged man.
This robust middle-aged man had an imposing presence with a lion-like nose and wide mouth, radiating integrity.
Ma Tianhe approached him.
The burly Xu Jingwen cupped his fists and smiled, "Lord Ma, it’s been a while."