This place is fun

Chapter 163 Secret
In the evening, the sky had already darkened. On the levee-like walls of Yishan City, the lights of the small houses lit up. Braziers were also lit at the four city gates and the main streets. The cold wind was biting, and the flames were jumping. With a series of rapid horse hoof sounds, Su Daoshan, who was dressed in armor, threw the stirrups and dismounted at the entrance of the West City Gate Inspection Office.

Yue Shifeng and others who followed closely behind also reined in their mounts and jumped off.

After the battalion commander Zhai Ling held a meeting in the afternoon and assigned tasks, the Dingzi First Battalion was now busy. The Second, Fourth, and Fifth Flags had already set off to Liuxianghe Town to assist other troops. The First Squadron of the First Flag, where Su Daoshan and others were, began to carry out patrol missions in Yishan City with other squadrons.

After two hours of patrolling, it was time to switch shifts with other teams.

The temporary inspection station was a requisitioned three-story shop. The front yard was originally where merchants parked and unloaded goods, but now the stables had been demolished and the debris had been cleared. Braziers were burning in all four corners, and weapons were piled in the aisles. Soldiers in armor went in and out of the wing rooms, and the armor plates on their bodies jingled.

Su Daoshan dismounted. The captain of the first squad of the third flag was already standing at the door of the patrol station, ready to change shifts.

Su Daoshan subconsciously turned his head and looked behind him. Not far away, Fan Caiyi was standing silently on a tall and majestic red horse. The jumping firelight could only illuminate her slender legs and the mount under her, while her face was obscured by the wide-brimmed hat with gauze hanging down, so it was not clear.

Su Daoshan bowed and said in a serious tone, "Please wait a moment, Senior Sister. I will go in and change my clothes, and then go home with you."

Fan Caiyi glanced at him, nodded imperceptibly, and then turned her head away, looking very cold.

In this regard, Su Daoshan could only pretend that he saw nothing. Anyway, nerds never understand other people's expressions. After clasping his fists, he turned and entered the inspection station. However, Yue Shifeng and others who followed behind him looked at each other, whispering as they walked.

"I heard that the people from Hangu have already left, why is Fairy Fan still here?"

"Yes. And I heard that in the evening, there seemed to be some major emergency in the camp..."

"Oh? What happened?"

"Who knows? Anyway, the camp is very busy. Scouts are out in all directions, and four or five groups of falcons have been sent out. General Han Luheng, the demon hunter leader Hua Chong, and several powerful men from the sect have all left the camp in a hurry, including the masters of Han Valley. Logically speaking, Fairy Fan should have gone one way..."

Everyone spoke in low voices, stealing glances at Fan Caiyi from time to time.

As everyone knows, in the afternoon, Meng Qiaofu and others went to the Nanshuwei Fort camp to look for Su Daoshan. Later, after the two Hangu elders left, Fan Caiyi stayed and followed Su Daoshan all the time, including the patrol just now.

If it were any other time, everyone would be envious. Now that Su Daoshan has entered Hangu and become Fan Caiyi's junior, the relationship between them is extraordinary. Even if this nerd is always dull and doesn't have the desire to get the moon first, just being by his side is still pleasing to the eye. Everyone wants to take his place.

But at this moment, everyone was tactfully staying away from her because everyone noticed that since the afternoon, the Snow Fairy's face had not looked very good, and she looked like an iceberg, emitting a chill that kept people away from her.

Soon, everyone completed the handover and changed their armor. Yue Shifeng and others said hello to Su Daoshan and left.

Before leaving, Yue Shifeng glared at Su Daoshan, while Yue Zhen looked at him with a half-smile in his eyes.

"Let's go." Su Daoshan changed into his usual blue shirt, went out, got on his horse, and galloped towards Sujiabao with Fan Caiyi. Along the way, both of them were silent, and only the crisp sound of the horses' hooves landing on the stone road in the cool night could be heard.

The West City Gate was not far from Sujiabao, but when passing a quiet farm, Fan Caiyi pulled the reins.

"What's wrong?" Su Daoshan stopped.

"Do you want to know the secret of Wanchang City?" Fan Caiyi took off his hat and looked at Roy. His eyes seemed to reflect the stars in the night.

"No!" Su Daoshan flatly refused. Curiosity kills the cat, and he didn't want to get into any trouble. When he heard Fan Caiyi's words, he knew that his senior sister might have some thoughts.

"Although my uncle handed her over to me and wanted me to keep an eye on her, I can only play the role of supervision and reporting. If she really wants to go somewhere, I can't control her. It will be fine as long as I don't get involved." Su Daoshan thought.

"What if I tell you that the secret of Wanchang City is related to the Prince's case more than ten years ago, and also to the entire Su Family Castle?" Fan Caiyi was not surprised by Su Daoshan's reaction, and his voice was calm and calm.

Su Daoshan's heart skipped a beat.

Not far ahead, the outline of Sujiabao was already very clear in the night. It was not yet time to go to sleep in the fort. From the gate to the watchtower and then to the center, lights were lit and braziers were burning everywhere. There were convoys full of goods still busy going in and out. From afar, you could vaguely hear shouts, calls and children's laughter, feeling the liveliness and vitality.

"What price do I need to pay for this secret?" Su Daoshan asked after a long time.

"It doesn't cost anything. Just listen to me and make your own decision." Fan Caiyi jumped off the horse, led the horse to an open space beside a grove, tied the horse to a tree, and then walked to the canal dam not far away and sat down.

Su Daoshan was silent for a long time before he sighed, tied up his horse, and walked to sit next to Fan Caiyi. Looking up, the night was like water, and the sharp star mark in the sky was still shocking.

"You should already know my true identity." In silence, Fan Caiyi reached out and pulled off her hair tie. As her long black hair flowed down, she shook her head slightly and let her hair fall to one side.

With just this one move, the girl's face, body, and clothes instantly changed into another person. Her body looked more delicate, and her curves were hotter. Her face changed from an oval face to a melon seed face, and her temperament was completely different.

If Fan Caiyi is a beautiful and cold iceberg, then the girl in front of him is a charming and sharp fire. The iceberg is just hard to get close to, but this fire exudes a dangerous and deadly temptation, making people want to fly over like a moth.

Witch Song Xier!
Su Daoshan nodded. Although he had known for a long time that Fan Caiyi was Song Xier, he only found out today that Song Xier was the real person.

"In Han Valley, besides Master and several uncles, you are the only one who knows this secret." Song Xier stretched out her hand and plucked a dogtail grass from the grass. She twisted her slender fingers and raised her eyebrows. She asked, "Isn't it strange that a demon woman became the direct disciple of the head of a righteous sect?"

"Yeah." Su Daoshan said.

"My father, Song Bingxian, was a third-rank official who served as the Southern Transport Commissioner. He was implicated in the Crown Prince case," Song Xier's voice sounded somewhat cold in the night. "I am the only one who survived out of the 63 members of my family."

The sentence was very short, and Song Xier's tone was flat, as calm as if she was talking about someone else's affairs, or reciting a simple record from a history book. But just this one sentence made Su Daoshan's hair stand on end.

When talking with Xie Xunbai before, he guessed that his senior sister seemed to have some connection with the prince case of that year, but he didn't expect that Song Xier was also a victim of this major case, and her experience was far worse than that of the Su family.

He studied history in his previous life, and he understood best the significance of descriptions like "there was a great famine, and people ate each other."

Song Xier didn't describe anything, but at this moment, Su Daoshan seemed to be able to see the bloody and tragic scene of that year, and feel the despair, pain and suffering experienced by the other 62 members of the Song family.

Compared with the Song family, the Su family's experience is nothing.

This is the real victim. "I was only two years old at that time, and was saved by a magic master. I entered the Cold Valley when I was thirteen. The reason why Master was willing to accept me as a disciple, in addition to my family background, was also for a reason..." Song Xier said, and suddenly asked, "Do you know what happened in Kyoto on the night when the Prince Case broke out?"

Su Daoshan shook his head.

Song Xier said calmly: "Of course ordinary people wouldn't know. Those who know are either dead or have their memories erased."

"Erase memory?" Su Daoshan looked at Song Xier in surprise.

"Is it strange?" Song Xier looked up at the star marks in the night sky and shook the red hairband in her hand. "Since the new era, extraordinary powers have awakened, and many things can no longer be explained by common sense. Besides, in addition to extraordinary professions, there are also secret weapons."

When he heard the secret weapon, Su Daoshan suddenly thought of the kite doll.

According to Ao Jiu, in addition to being invisible, one of the characteristics of the kite doll is that it can tamper with memory. As long as it is within its range, people will not only not be able to see the person tied by its kite string, but also subconsciously ignore everything that person does. This is why Fan Caiyi and Tu Sen fought so hard that no one in the team remembered except himself.

The Kite Doll is only ranked over 20 on the Earth List. If it were in Kyoto, there would definitely be more secret weapons with more terrifying power and larger range.

He nodded and asked, "So what happened in Kyoto?"

"Of course it was a big battle. The struggle for power is always bloody." Song Xier said calmly: "Two first-rank grandmasters died that night, and three second-rank grandmasters died. As for ordinary soldiers and warriors, there were countless of them."

Su Daoshan's pupils dilated slightly.

You know, in the warrior system, masters above the third rank are rare and are at the top of the pyramid. Especially the first rank grandmasters, each of them is a pillar of the sky and a treasure of the country!
In general, a small country or city-state that could produce a second-grade master was already considered strong. But unexpectedly, two first-grade masters and three second-grade masters died in Xi State overnight.

That was simply earth-shattering!
However, what was even more terrifying was that such earth-shattering news did not cause any waves. For fifteen years, people talked about various related gossips in the streets and alleys after dinner, but no one ever talked about the war that had broken out in Kyoto. It seemed that the former prince was simply deposed that night, and nothing happened.

This feeling is like a huge mountain of truth placed in the hall of history. However, all the people who pass by it subconsciously ignore it and turn a blind eye to it as if they are subject to some kind of taboo.

But Song Xier said, "The truth is, that night, Jiazheng was critically ill and urgently summoned the prince to the palace. There were no signs of anything at the time. Jiazheng had worked hard to train the prince to govern the country in his early years, and gradually gave up power in his later years. By the time he was bedridden, the prince had actually controlled the court. Therefore, the prince had no defense against the change, but he was unexpectedly taken down by the three elders as soon as he entered the palace."

Then she asked, "You know, Third Elder?"

Su Daoshan nodded. The so-called three elders were the three powerful old priests of the Xi Kingdom's royal family. In Xi Kingdom, everyone knew their reputation. It was said that these three were Taizu's personal guards. They followed Taizu in the founding of the country and fought in many battles. They were top-notch masters. After the founding of the country, the three of them took charge of the palace, and it has been more than fifty years.

You have to know that they were already over 40 years old when they followed Taizu. This means that they are already 100 years old now.

It is not uncommon for warriors to be physically strong and live to be over a hundred years old, but most warriors have hidden injuries in their bodies from years of fighting. Even if their lifespan is not shortened, they will start to decline after the age of eighty.

However, these three elders seem to be unaffected by time. Not only that, they become stronger with age.

To use the words of a first-class master from a super sect, when he stood in front of the three elders, he didn't even dare to make a move. The other party gave him the feeling that it was like an abyss, unfathomable.

Therefore, in Xi State, the three elders are the top of the pyramid of warriors and the pillar of the Qin Dynasty. Whether it is a noble family or a sect, if they want to be enemies with the royal family, they cannot avoid these three mountains.

Song Xier continued, "After the prince was captured, no one in the camp realized it. The only one who noticed something was wrong was the prince's flag bearer. Before anyone else could react, he mobilized the secret guards to try to rescue the prince..."

As she spoke, Song Xier turned her head and looked at Su Daoshan: "That's roughly what I know. As for why Jiazheng deposed the prince, and the specific circumstances of the battle that year, the whole thing is a big mystery. Even though we know that two first-rank and three second-rank masters died in the battle, we have no idea who the dead were. It's as if they were wiped out from the world."

Su Daoshan was stunned when he heard this.

As the saying goes, when a goose passes by, it leaves its voice behind; when a person passes by, he leaves his name behind. In this world, those who can reach the level of the first and second rank are all great figures who are famous all over the world. They are not unknown people, and it is impossible for them to die silently.

Su Daoshan did not find it strange that several great masters died in a struggle of that level, but it was a bit unbelievable that they died without even knowing their names.

He asked in confusion: "Since we don't even know who died, how do you know they are dead?"

"You will know when you go to Kyoto. Besides, some powers, although powerful, may not be able to hide from everyone..." Song Xier replied indifferently without giving a more detailed explanation, and continued, "In short, over the years, everyone has been investigating the truth of the past. Especially the major sects. If the truth is not revealed, I am afraid no one will be able to sleep well."

Su Daoshan silently watched the water flowing in the canal, and a dead leaf swirled by.

"In Xi Country, it is not the Chaoge alone that has the final say."

Xie Xunbai's words echoed in his mind again. At this point, he finally understood why Han Gu would accept a demon girl as his personal disciple, and he also finally understood why the prince case fifteen years ago had remained silent until now.

It’s not that no one checked.

On the contrary, many people are investigating. Especially the sect. This is the sect, the Xi Kingdom where the royal family and the noble families rule the world together, and it is also a small boat that is in a precarious situation under the invasion of the You Clan. The sect will never allow a person who is not in a legitimate position to take the helm, and it is impossible to trust the court that has not yet given an explanation.

Over the past fifteen years, undercurrents have been surging beneath the calm surface. Some have been clearing up, some have been covering up, some have fled and hid, and some have been secretly investigating. The court, the clan, the aristocratic families, the military... the forces in all aspects of the Xi Kingdom are fighting openly and secretly, and are intertwined. It's like a ball of sand, which is now barely taking shape under the external pressure of the You Clan...

And obviously, the truth that happened fifteen years ago is the key to all this.

What is even more obvious is that the Su family's life lies in the sect!
Although Su Daoshan didn't know what role Hangu played in this, nor did he know the stance of other sects, the fact that Fan Caiyi could become the direct disciple of the head of Hangu and could talk to him about these things without any scruples meant that...

Guo heard Song Xier say: "Now all parties are fighting secretly. The court is trying to find the former prince's bannerman and completely eradicate the roots. The major sects and families, including the military, are also secretly investigating the truth of the year. And families like us who are involved in the prince's case are like grass and trees in the wildfire. I don't know how many of them have been burned to ashes..."

As she spoke, Song Xier cast her eyes towards Su Daoshan: "You should understand that we are from the same path. The Song family of yesterday may be the Su family of the future, and the Investigation Bureau has already set its sights on you."

Su Daoshan thought for a moment and asked, "What does this have to do with the secret realm of Wanchang City?"

Song Xier said: "Originally, the flag bearer was the only clue to the truth of the past. As long as we find him, many things will be clear. However, the Investigation Bureau has been digging for so many years and has not been able to dig him out. How easy is that? Unfortunately, not long ago, we found a secret weapon in the secret realm of Wanchang City..."

(End of this chapter)