In the Nuan Pavilion deep in the palace, Xiao Shaozong was squatting on a round chair, with a map hanging in front of him.
It was obviously a sea chart, with many islands and names marked on the edges of many islands, but many more islands were blank. Xiao Shaozong held his chin with both hands. At first glance, he looked like a naughty boy staring at Just like a plaything that I like very much.
Hearing the footsteps behind him, Xiao Shaozong did not look back. Only when the footsteps stopped behind him, Xiao Shaozong asked lightly: "Is there any news?"
"In reply to the prince, wherever Qin Ning may appear, we have sent people to closely monitor him, and no trace of him has been found." Coming behind him was Yanmo dressed as a eunuch, with his body slightly bowed: "The Yuan family and Tie Zheng People were also placed near their house to keep an eye on them, and there were spies in the mansions of officials close to them in Beijing, but Qi Ning was nowhere to be seen."
Xiao Shaozong sighed: "Don't you understand that the Yuan family and Tiezheng are just tools used by Qining. After using them, he guessed that we will definitely keep an eye on these two people, so how can we have anything to do with them again?" Contact? No need to waste manpower on them."
Yan Mo said: "Your Majesty, the capital is too big. If we really want to find Qin Ning, it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack. This...!"
"If Qining rescues his family members, he will definitely let them stay in the city." Xiao Shaozong squatted on the round chair, but kept staring at the sea map in front of him: "Have Lu Xiaochao's people discovered anything?"
Yan Mo shook his head and said: "After that night, I immediately sent someone to notify Lu Xiaochao and asked him to conduct strict checks at each door. Qining's family members will probably leave the city in disguise, but... there has been no news." He walked up to Xiao Shaozong and said softly: "Your Majesty, did Qi Ning guess that the city gate will be searched carefully, so...!"
Xiao Shaozong did not speak immediately. He was silent for a moment and then said: "There is no need to start with his family members. If I am not wrong, those women have already left the city."
Yan Mo was startled, Xiao Shaozong had jumped off the chair, stood on the ground, turned around and looked at Yan Mo and said: "Never underestimate our opponent, if he can't even arrange a few women to go out of the city, then he really doesn't deserve to be My opponent."
"Then has Qining also left the city?"
Xiao Shaozong shook his head, with a slight smile on his lips: "He won't leave, and he must be thinking about how to deal with me at the moment."
Yanmo said: "Your Highness is saying that Qining already knows that Your Highness controls the palace?"
"If he hasn't thought about it now, he would have died countless times." Xiao Shaozong sneered: "And Xiang Tianbei is with him. Even if Qining can't guess what happened in the palace, Xiang Tianbei will. tell him."
"I didn't expect that Xiang Tianbei's swordsmanship was inherited from Beigong Liancheng." Yan Mo's face was a little stiff and expressionless: "A master like Mo Ying was killed easily by him. With this person beside Qi Ning to help, then …!”
"Easy?" Xiao Shaozong let out a strange laugh: "Do you think Xiang Tianbei killed Mo Ying easily?" He walked slowly to a chair, sat down, leaned on the back of the chair, and said sharply: "Mo Ying is Mo Ying?" Lancang's first disciple, his martial arts was personally taught by Mo Lancang. Even if Master Kongzang of Daguangming Temple takes action in person, he may not be his opponent. Even if Xiang Tianbei has amazing swordsmanship, he will never be able to kill him easily. Dead Moying.”
"But... everyone saw that night, after Xiang Tianbei killed Mo Ying, he left safely." Yan Mo whispered: "Does the prince think he is faking?"
Xiao Shaozong smiled slightly and said: "I have heard about what happened that night several times. After Xiang Tianbei killed Mo Ying, he entered the carriage directly...!" He raised his eyes slightly and looked at Yan Mo: "He killed Mo Ying. It shocked everyone, Yanmo, if you were Xiang Tianbei and were seriously injured, how would you react at that time? Would you reveal any signs of your own injury?"
"Of course not." Yanmo said: "Qining was surrounded by hundreds of people at that time. Since I took action, I naturally took Qining away smoothly. If I showed any sign of injury at that time, those hundreds of people would never He will let us go easily. And after I am injured, Qining will definitely be distracted from protecting me, which will definitely lead to a desperate situation."
"Since you understand this truth, you will naturally understand that Xiang Tianbei must have been injured." Xiao Shaozong was thoughtful, silent for a moment, and then said: "Maybe Xiang Tianbei died that night."
Yan Mo smiled and said: "It's better this way. If Xiang Tianbei doesn't die, it will be a trouble."
"Be prepared for the worst in everything." Xiao Shaozong said: "Xiang Tianbei may be very lucky, but he is still alive now."
Yan Mo sneered and said: "Even if he is really alive, his injuries will never recover in a short time. The prince is right. Mo Ying is dead, and there is no way Xiang Tianbei will be unscathed. He deliberately concealed it that night, But it just proves that his injuries are serious. We have cut off Qining's power and financial resources. Even if Xiang Tianbei is still alive, he is nothing more than a useless person. What can Qining do with a useless person?"
"He really doesn't seem to have any trump cards in his hand." Xiao Shaozong sighed: "But many things in this world are uncertain, and the situation can change in an instant." After thinking for a while, he said: "Xiang Tianbei He is a disciple of Beigong Liancheng. Since he helped Qining this time, maybe he accepted the sword god's intention."
Yan Mo said: "The Grand Master is going to get involved in the dispute?"
Xiao Shaozong showed a strange smile and said coldly: "Those monsters...!" After a pause, he said: "Who can really guess their thoughts?"
Yan Mo whispered: "Is Beigong Liancheng in the capital? But...!" He cast his eyes on the sea chart, but did not say the next words.
Xiao Shaozong stood up again and walked to the sea chart. It was silent. Yanmo was silent for a moment and finally said: "Although Qining was not killed at all, it cannot be said that nothing was gained. At least... Mo Ying is dead. This person My ambition is getting stronger, and I don’t know who I am less and less. I was originally thinking about how to get rid of him, but this time Xiang Tianbei helped us solve the matter. And the news that Xiang Tianbei is a disciple of Beigong Liancheng is very He will be released soon, and Mo Lancang will know sooner or later that his beloved disciple died in the hands of Beigong Liancheng's disciples, so...!"
"Of course Beigong Liancheng knows that Xiang Tianbei's killing of Mo Ying will inevitably lead to a deeper conflict between him and Mo Lancang." Xiao Shaozong thought thoughtfully, his eyes deep: "Xiang Tianbei is a cautious person, no With Beigong Liancheng's permission, he will never take action against the disciples of Donghai. If this is the case, why would Beigong Liancheng let Xiang Tianbei take action?"
Yanmo's body trembled and he whispered: "My lord, do you think that the purpose of attacking Tianbei this time is not just to save Qining?"
Xiao Shaozong put his hands behind his back, stared at the star-like islands on the map, and said calmly: "As far as I know, although Beigong Liancheng and Mo Lancang are both great masters, they have never fought against each other. The one in Xichuan is dead. Now, the foundation of the so-called Longshan Agreement has been shaken. In addition, there is that matter that is imminent, and a direct confrontation between the Grand Masters is inevitable." He raised his hand and touched his chin: "This Several people have broken through the pinnacle of martial arts in the world and entered a new realm, but I believe that even if they enter a new realm, there will still be differences between high and low, strong and weak."
Yanmo nodded and said, "That's natural."
"But they actually don't know how deep each other's martial arts cultivation is." Xiao Shaozong smiled lightly and said: "There is only one thing, and for the few of them, no one will give up. Yanmo, in the sky Underground, as long as there is a fight, there will definitely be a result, and they are destined to have only one result." The smile on his lips became thicker: "Such a result can only be fought for with their blood, so Beigong Liancheng and Mo Lancang A battle is inevitable.”
Yanmo seemed to understand Xiao Shaozong's meaning: "Your Majesty, do you mean that the reason for Xiang Tianbei's attack is that Beigong Liancheng wants to know himself and the enemy?"
"Xiang Tianbei was taught by Beigong Liancheng many years ago, but he never made a breakthrough in swordsmanship. Then why didn't Beigong Liancheng give him more guidance?" Xiao Shaozong said slowly: "The reason is very simple. To reach the peak of swordsmanship, , to enter a real realm of kendo, you must understand the real kendo yourself. Beigong Liancheng needs a real swordsman, not an apprentice. He pointed out the key points of kendo, but can Xiang Tianbei become a true swordsman? As a swordsman, we can only look at whether Xiang Tianbei himself has that kind of understanding." After a slight pause, he pondered for a moment, and then said: "If Xiang Tianbei still cannot understand the true way of swordsmanship, then for Beigong Liancheng, that is A waste, but as long as Xiang Tianbei really breaks through the swordsmanship and enters the way of swordsmanship one day, it will be of great use to Beigong Liancheng."
"In other words, Beigong Liancheng pointed out Xiang Tianbei back then, just so that one day he could use Xiang Tianbei to test out Mo Lancang's martial arts cultivation?" Yanmo also suddenly became enlightened.
Xiao Shaozong nodded slightly and said: "Exactly. Mo Ying is Mo Lancang's direct disciple, and his martial arts cultivation is completely inherited from Mo Lancang. However, there are only a handful of people in this world who can really force Mo Ying to use his full strength, and Xiang Tianbei It happened that he realized the way of swordsmanship at this time, which played right into Beigong Liancheng's ambitions. With Xiang Tianbei's current cultivation level, as long as he used all his strength to attack, Mo Ying could only fight to the death with Xiang Tianbei without reservation. This battle was a battle of life and death for these two people, but for Beigong Liancheng, it was just a tool to gain a glimpse into the depth of Mo Lancang's martial arts."
"So that's it." Yan Mo suddenly realized: "Using this battle, Beigong Liancheng can see the realm of Mo Ying's master Mo Lancang from Mo Ying's martial arts cultivation."
"For ordinary people, naturally they can't do this." Xiao Shaozong sighed: "But for great masters like Beigong Liancheng, Mo Ying's every move can completely reflect Mo Lancang's general cultivation level, even if it doesn't He may have revealed Mo Lancang's true martial arts, but for Beigong Liancheng, even if he only knows a little more, he will definitely take the initiative in the duel with Mo Lancang." A strange smile appeared on his lips: " Perhaps when those two people were fighting life and death, Beigong Liancheng was nearby and had a clear view of everything."