“Could they have guessed that we were going to silence them, so they didn’t retreat along the designated route? With the strength of The Three Demons of the Yellow River, it’s impossible for them to fail— they must have escaped. Immediately send people to hunt them down; we must silence them. If this is exposed, that person in the Golden Throne Hall will seize the opportunity to make trouble, which would be bad for the family.”

“I understand. There’s one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“The person responsible for covert surveillance has returned to report that another group went in, wearing masks, their identities unclear, but they all seemed very strong, and none of them have come out.”

“Oh, there’s another group that hasn’t come out?”

The man in brocade clothes realized something was off. After pondering for a moment, he sneered, “Looks like someone got greedy and wants to keep the divine weapon for themselves. As expected. Spread the word that someone will attack the Duke of Yi’s residence tonight. I want to see how that one in the Taiji Palace will respond.”

“Could it be the Cui family? After all, the Cui family lost the competition, lost face, and also lost their treasured artifact. They urgently need a divine weapon to replace the Red Blood Blade.”

“Not bad, you’re starting to think.”

“It’s all thanks to your guidance, young master.”

The man in brocade’s gaze turned cold, and he said indifferently, “What I want are obedient dogs, not military advisors. What, are you trying to teach me how to do things?”

“Your humble servant deserves to die a thousand times. Please forgive me, young master.” The other party was shocked, realizing he had crossed a line. With a thud, he knelt down, prostrating himself, trembling with fear.

“If this happens again, you won’t live in this world any longer.”

“Thank you for your mercy, young master. I won’t dare again.”

“Get out!”

The other party scrambled up and fled as if his life depended on it.

The young master in brocade snorted coldly, looked up at the sky, his brows tightly knit, the leisure from before gone. Suddenly, he said, “It seems the intelligence was wrong. We underestimated the Duke of Yi’s residence. Go find out who killed The Three Demons of the Yellow River.”

“Yes!” In the shadows, a figure flickered and disappeared.

Chapter 8: Six Birds with One Stone

Taiyi Hall.

On his day off, John Thompson as usual came early to review documents. The world had just been unified, everything needed rebuilding, and the borders were unstable—there was much to be done. The hall was silent, with wisps of sandalwood smoke curling from the incense burner.

Suddenly, the commander of the Hundred Cavalry, David Thompson, hurried in, clad in armor and exuding an extraordinary presence. He cupped his fists to John Thompson, bowed deeply, and said solemnly, “Your Majesty, your humble servant has something to report.”

“David, what’s so urgent?” John Thompson put down the document, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes.

“Your Majesty, last night two groups infiltrated the Duke of Yi’s residence, but none have come out so far. The first group was three people, suspected to be The Three Demons of the Yellow River...”

“Wait a minute, are you talking about the ‘The Three Demons of the Yellow River’ who have been wanted for three years without success, and who dominated the Yellow River region? The three of them are skilled in joint attacks, and together have few rivals in the world. They went into the Duke of Yi’s residence last night and didn’t come out? How is that possible? Who in the Duke of Yi’s residence could take down all three?” John Thompson asked in surprise.

David Thompson quickly replied, “I do not know, Your Majesty. What’s even stranger is the second group. They wore masks, their identities unknown, but their strength was also formidable. There were eight of them, and not a single one came out. The hidden agents in the Duke of Yi’s residence reported that there were sounds of fighting in the backyard last night. When the guards rushed over, Young Duke Brooks said he was practicing martial arts and forbade anyone from entering the backyard.”

“What do you mean?” John Thompson sharply caught the key point, his eyes filled with even more disbelief.

“I dare not speculate, Your Majesty. Young Master Brooks has inherited much of the Duke of Yi’s martial prowess and is indeed strong, but he lacks real combat experience. It’s impossible for him to silently take out two groups of assassins.”

John Thompson asked coldly, “So you’re saying there’s another expert in the Duke of Yi’s residence?”

“That is also my guess, but the hidden agents report that the Duke of Yi’s residence still has the same people as before, no new experts. Also, the fight happened in the backyard, and by the time the guards arrived, it was over. Only Young Master Brooks lives in the backyard, and no strangers were seen. But... Young Master Brooks has no reason to...” David Thompson trailed off, as the speculation was too unbelievable to accept.

After pondering for a moment, John Thompson said, “It seems the Duke of Yi has a good son. I underestimated his martial skills. Increase surveillance on the Duke of Yi’s residence and find out the truth. We must not let this leak, to avoid misunderstandings. Also, pass on my decree: the Duke of Yi’s legitimate son, Henry Brooks, was attacked by villains. The magistrate of Chang’an County must solve the case within ten days, or be dismissed and investigated. We cannot chill the hearts of our military nobles.”

“As you command!” David Thompson bowed and left.

“Richard Thompson!”

“Your servant is here.” A eunuch entered from outside.

“Go to the Duke of Yi’s residence and deliver my decree. I already know about the attack and will investigate it strictly to give them justice. Also, send over some of the ginseng that Goryeo recently presented.”

“Your servant obeys.” The eunuch bowed and left.

John Thompson looked at the doorway, his gaze deep and unreadable. After a moment, he muttered to himself, “First use the divine weapon as bait, then quietly kill—what a move, luring the snake out of its hole. It seems the Duke of Yi has a worthy successor. Some things need a closer look.”

...

Duke of Yi’s residence.

After sending off the eunuch who delivered the decree, Henry Brooks felt somewhat heavy-hearted. Whether John Thompson’s promise or the ginseng, neither was important. What mattered was that John Thompson chose this moment to make his stance clear. What was hidden behind this?

He pondered for a while but couldn’t figure it out. After all, he wasn’t an ancient person, and his way of thinking was different. Worried about guessing wrong, he found Edward Grant and quietly asked, “Uncle Grant, what does His Majesty mean by this?”