Chapter 80: Lang Hua is Missing
Li Xuanyue studied him earnestly for several seconds, as if trying to discern the truth in his words.
A smile remained etched on Lang Huaâs face. He showed neither guilt nor fear, simply allowing her to scrutinize him.
After a long while, Li Xuanyue finally withdrew her gaze and waved her hand at him. “Since we are not going the same way, you should head back first.”
“This Princess has other matters to attend to, so I will not bring you along.”
The smile on Lang Huaâs face stiffened instantly.
“But, Princess…”
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something more to her. Unfortunately, Li Xuanyue’s mind was currently in chaos, and she had no time to pay him any attention.
Upon returning to Fenghe Hall, she settled down to think.
Everything that had happened today seemed far too unexpected. First, there was Hua Shanâs impatient attitude toward her, followed by his coldness and constant rushing. This was completely different from his usual demeanor, where he would enthusiastically pull her aside to talk.
Was her Father really hiding something from her?
Yin Xin entered from outside holding a bowl of silver ear and lotus seed soup. Seeing the Princess still sitting there in deep contemplation, she knew Li Xuanyue must still be upset about Hua Shanâs attitude at Xihe Hall earlier that day.
“Princess, have some silver ear and lotus seed soup to cool your internal fire.”
Yin Xin took the bowl from the tray and placed it on the table, speaking softly in her direction.
Li Xuanyue raised her eyes to look at Yin Xin. “Yin Xin, did you find Father’s behavior strange today?”
Yin Xin lowered her gaze and spoke in a hushed tone. “Is the Princess referring to the manner in which the Prince Consort spoke to you?”
Li Xuanyue nodded, continuing her train of thought. “The tone the Prince Consort used with the Princess today was indeed a bit cold.”
“It wasn’t just his attitude,” Li Xuanyue shook her head, interrupting. “Father is usually polite and gentle when speaking to anyone. Who in the clan doesn’t praise his good temper? Yet today, his speech was urgent, devoid of his usual warmth, and he appeared quite agitated!”
Having said this much, how could Yin Xin not hear that Li Xuanyue suspected Hua Shan of harboring a guilty conscience?
“It is a pity that Guard Xiao is missing now,” Yin Xin said dejectedly. “Otherwise, we could have asked him to investigate for us.”
“Can’t our own people go to Xihe Hall to investigate personally?”
Li Xuanyue said indifferently, “Yin Xin, since when have you become so dependent on Xiao Han?”
“His life or death is currently uncertain. He can only rely on us to find a way to save him. If even we sit back and do nothing, wouldn’t only death await him?”
Moreover, her intuition told her that Xiao Han was in Hua Shan’s hands.
As for why Hua Shan wouldn’t admit itâit was likely because Xiao Han had touched upon his bottom line, forcing Hua Shan to hide him away in secret.
Deep within a secret chamber, Xiao Han, dressed in black, was currently tied to a wooden stake.
The person who had bound him was none other than Hua Shan’s confidant, Xiao Ce.
“Mmph! Mmph!”
Xiao Hanâs eyes widened. He struggled incessantly, signaling for Xiao Ce to untie the ropes binding him.
However, Xiao Ce acted as if he saw nothing. He spoke to him with eerie calm. “Why did you run back?”
“And why did you have to see that scene?”
When Xiao Ce spoke, his tone was clearly laced with helplessness.
“Do you know how much effort I expended to keep you alive? Why couldn’t you cherish it?”
If it had been anyone else who witnessed Hua Shan holding Hua Sang and crying deeply last night, they would have long since been disposed of by Xiao Ce.
But Xiao Han and Xiao Ce were brothers.
Xiao Ce could not bring himself to take his own younger brother’s life. Therefore, he could only tie him up here and await Hua Shan’s orders.
Although both Xiao Han and Xiao Ce were Hua Shan’s confidants, one operated in the light, and the other in the dark.
The dirty, shadowy work had always been handled by Xiao Ce, the elder brother. Xiao Han, who stood in the light, rarely touched such matters.
It just so happened that when Xiao Han ran to Xihe Hall last night to investigate, he was discovered by Hua Shanâs death guards. As Hua Shan’s confidant, Xiao Ce naturally followed his master’s orders immediately and captured the intruder.
Even if Xiao Ce wanted to let him go now, it was impossible.
“For now, you will have to suffer a grievance and stay here. Once the Master’s matters are resolved, I will find a way to make the Master release you.”
Days returned to their usual rhythm, as if Xiao Hanâs disappearance had never happened.
Not only was there no news from the people Li Xuanyue had sent out, but eventually, they all vanished without a trace.
If one or two disappeared, it might be explained away. But Li Xuanyue had not sent merely two people; she had sent a full twenty.
One could imagine the gravity of that number. This was a squad of elite shadow guards. If elite shadow guards met such an end, wouldn’t ordinary guards face an even worse fate?
Just as Li Xuanyue was feeling troubled and unsettled by the strangeness of the situation, a maid hurriedly entered from outside the hall.
“Princess, a guard claiming to serve Consort Lang is asking for an audience.”
Li Xuanyue frowned, intending to refuse. But thinking that the other party might have urgent business with her, she held back.
“Let him in.” She ordered calmly.
A moment later, Feng Yi walked in from outside the hall.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
As soon as Feng Yi entered, he hurriedly bowed his head to Li Xuanyue.
“Speak. What business does your Consort Lang have with This Princess?” Li Xuanyue went straight to the point, skipping the usual pleasantries.
“Princess, my Master is missing.”
Ignoring the presence of others in the hall, Feng Yi suddenly raised his head, his face wet with tears as he broke the news to Li Xuanyue.
Li Xuanyue was already vexed by the disappearance of Xiao Han and her shadow guards. Upon suddenly hearing the news of Lang Huaâs disappearance from Feng Yi, she was so stunned she stood up from her wooden chair.
“Wasn’t your Master staying properly in Langya Hall? How could he vanish?”
As Li Xuanyue asked this, a bad premonition faintly formed in her heart.
Feng Yi nodded. “Master was indeed staying in Langya Hall, but the day before yesterday, he said he was going out to handle some matters and has not returned since.”
Li Xuanyue frowned. “Did you not send people out to look for him?”
How could Feng Yi not have sent people? It was just that the people he sent, much like Li Xuanyueâs, did not return. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have run here to seek help at the risk of being scolded by the Princess.
“The servants I sent out… all disappeared,” Feng Yi said, finding it difficult to speak the words.
The guards Lang Hua kept by his side were all elites. The moment he went missing, practically all of them were deployed. Yet, in the end, not a single one returned.
Either the opponent’s cultivation was too high, or they were too weak. regardless, the most important thing now was to find Lang Hua.
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