After a moment, dozens of eyes turned toward the stage set in the middle of the city square. The participants who were still at a distance moved closer after seeing a middle-aged man dressed like a royal official standing on the stage. Li Jie, Jian Ying, and Yung Yin also approached, stopping about ten meters from the stage."To open this event, allow me, General Wei Zi, to represent Her Majesty the Queen in expressing our deepest gratitude for your participation in this competition to search for the missing His Majesty, Emperor Huang Jia."The sturdy, wise-looking general with a strong jawline scanned the crowd. His gaze paused when he saw the only woman participating in the competition, Jian Ying. Then he continued his speech.In his opening, General Wei Zi recounted the disappearance of Emperor Huang Jia, which had now lasted more than three months. So far, there had been no clues or breakthroughs regarding the whereabouts of the Tong Dynasty

Li Jie and the others were surprised to find that Wei Zi was already waiting for their arrival. They suspected that Queen Yue Qi had leaked their plan to Wei Zi.The three of them walked, following Wei Zi’s steps toward a private chamber reserved for the royal family.Before they entered the room, Wei Zi looked around carefully to ensure that no one was watching them."Come on, get in!" he urged.The four of them entered the room and firmly shut the door behind them."So, you’ve finally arrived," said Queen Yue Qi as she emerged from another door within the chamber. The beautiful woman gave them a warm smile. For a moment, her gaze lingered on Li Jie before she moved toward a chair."Our respects, Your Majesty," said Wei Zi on behalf of the others. The four of them bowed their heads in respect."Sit down.""Thank you, Your Majesty."An awkward silence briefly filled the air after they had all

Without realizing it, Li Jie was being closely watched by two pairs of sharp eyes hidden in the darkness as he entered and exited his room.“We just need to wait here. Our surveillance target isn’t him, but the young man inside that room,” one of the watchers whispered.Inside the room, Li Jie unrolled a dried parchment depicting the palace’s floor plan and spread it out on the table. Carefully, he studied the map and committed it to memory. Alongside the palace layout, there were also maps of the residences of important officials outside the palace. The young man quickly memorized all the layouts and stored them in his mind.Shortly after, he exited his room but immediately sensed a presence nearby. He swiftly returned to his room.Li Jie could have easily incapacitated the owner of that aura, but he knew he couldn’t act recklessly. Until he found Emperor Huang Jia, he wouldn’t stir up trouble.“How can someone already be

Without their knowledge, Li Jie had once again infiltrated the grand residence. He lay flat, ensuring no one would notice him, with one ear pressed against the roof.He continued to wait for more crucial information to come from their mouths.Not long after, eight soldiers who had just returned from inspecting the rooms of Yung Yin and Li Jie at the palace were already present at Du Hao's residence."So? Did you get good results?" asked Prime Minister Tan Bo."Apologies, Prime Minister. They were both in their respective rooms," replied one of the soldiers.Prime Minister Tan Bo sighed heavily, stroking his white beard slowly. His mind wandered, full of questions about who the infiltrator could be if Li Jie and Yung Yin were each in their rooms."What is the current condition of Emperor Huang Jia, Prime Minister?" Du Hao suddenly asked.Li Jie, who was lying on the grand residence's roof, felt his heart pound, eager

"Commander Wei Zi was right. But it wouldn't hurt to also search the palace thoroughly for His Majesty’s whereabouts. If he's not in the palace, then I have no idea where else to look for him," replied Li Jie, his eyes glancing at a wooden chair left in the corner of the room."Very well. Once we arrive at the palace, we’ll deploy the soldiers to look for His Majesty. For now, let’s return!" responded Commander Wei Zi."But, Sir… it’s already late in the afternoon. If we insist on returning now, we’ll be deep in the forest by nightfall. Wouldn’t it be better if we stayed here for the night and returned in the morning?" asked Yung Yin.Commander Wei Zi slowly shook his head. "His Majesty and Her Majesty’s safety is my highest priority. If we go back tomorrow morning, we won’t reach the palace until midday. And we have no idea what could happen at the palace while we’re away.""Commander Wei Zi is right, Yung Yin. We should head back now rather than wait until morning," interjected Bayu