There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 455 Catching a Scorpion

Rock's face turned deathly pale, and his legs began to tremble.

Li Shuchen's words struck at his deepest fear.

"I'll show you the way."

Li Shuchen's tone softened, "Be honest and tell me everything you know about how that Scorpion Lord contacted you, what his characteristics and habits are, what his possible identity might be..."

"Then, you'll redeem yourself by keeping an eye out for any other spies in the camp. I'll guarantee your safety, and I might even give you a respectable job in this Star Camp so you can live an upright life. How about that? Better than waiting to be silenced, right?"

Rock was torn by inner turmoil as he watched the faint lights of home gradually illuminate the campsite in the distance.

Then I remembered the chilling methods the "Scorpion" used...

Finally, his knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, sobbing as he spoke.

"I...I'll tell you...I'll tell you everything...Please, Miss Li and Princess...save me..."

Li Shuchen set off a firework in the open space; this was the signal she and Liang Yuying had agreed upon.

Within half an hour, the group, disguised, met up at a secluded spot.

Li Shuchen called out to Princess Zoya, and carrying the rock, walked towards the group.

The shielding ball was activated again.

“Speak, Rock, tell me everything you know about that ‘Scorpion Lord’ in detail,” Liang Yuying said in a steady voice, yet it carried an invisible pressure.

Rock swallowed hard, his voice dry.

“Every time he saw me, it was at the ruins of ‘Crow’s Nest’ in the west of the city. There’s an entrance to an underground passage there, leading to a secret room. It was always around midnight. He always covered his face, wore a dark cloak, so I couldn’t see his features, but he was very tall and thin, with long, slender fingers, and his voice… was a little high-pitched, as if he was deliberately suppressing it.”

"How can I contact you?" Gu Ziying pressed.

"He had a henchman, a one-eyed charcoal seller, who often loitered around the camp. He saw me hanging a tattered red cloth on the branch of the third dead poplar tree on the west side of the camp. We met at the usual place at midnight that night."

Rock confessed honestly, "Last time... the order to cause trouble was given to me by One-Eyed. He also gave me a small bag of silver coins and a warning: 'If things don't go well, you know the consequences.'"

"What exactly does the scorpion tattoo on his arm look like?" Li Shuchen asked again.

"It's dark blue, with an exceptionally long, curled tail that points upwards, as if it's about to sting. It's located on the inside of my left forearm."

Rock gestured, "Once, when he raised his hand, his cloak slipped open a little, and I caught a glimpse of it—the scorpion's eye...it seemed to have a tiny red stone embedded in it, which reflected light at night; it was quite frightening."

Liang Yuying and Li Shuchen exchanged a glance; the characteristics were quite clear.

"Besides making you cause trouble, what else did he make you do? Or did you overhear anything?" Zoya asked, her voice slightly tense.

Rock tried hard to recall

"He...he was very concerned about your every move in the camp, especially the attitude of those refugees towards you. Once he seemed quite angry and muttered, 'This little brat really knows how to win people over; she's much harder to deal with than that good-for-nothing market girl.' And...once his men seemed to mention something like, 'The King is getting impatient,' and 'When will Purple Star's ship arrive?'..."

Your Majesty? Purple Star's ship? Liang Yuying's eyes sharpened.

The Kingdom of Boyu currently has no princes with official titles, except for the late Prince Suleiman, but the late Prince is highly respected and seems unlikely to be...

Could it be some kind of code name? Or... a code name for the "master" on Purple Star's side?

"enough"

Liang Yuying stood up. "Yan Shi, you stay at the camp for now. We will protect you. If you see that one-eyed charcoal seller again, or notice anything unusual, report it to Miss Li or the princess immediately. Only by redeeming yourself through meritorious service can you have a chance to live."

Rock felt as if he had been granted a pardon and kowtowed repeatedly.

Two days later, in the dead of night

Ruins of the Crow's Nest in the West of the City

This was once an old temple, long since collapsed, leaving only ruins that, under the moonlight, resemble the skeleton of a colossal beast.

The owl occasionally let out a chilling cry.

Several dark figures, as if blending into the night, stealthily moved into position.

Li Shuchen and Liang Yuying personally led the team, accompanied by Zizhu and four other elite Mulan Army soldiers. Gu Ziying and Ye Bingli were responsible for providing support and security on the perimeter.

Zoya remained at the camp, secretly protected by Princess Changning and more Mulan soldiers.

Following the clues provided by the rocks, they quickly found the entrance to the secret passage, partially obscured by broken wooden planks, located behind a partially collapsed wall, extremely well-hidden.

Liang Yuying gestured, and Zizhu slid in gracefully first. A moment later, a safe insect chirping signal came.

The crowd filed in

The secret passage was narrow and damp, allowing only one person to pass by bending over, and the air was filled with the smell of mildew and dust.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a faint light and...voices could be heard from ahead!

Everyone immediately held their breath and pressed their ear to the wall to listen.

A deliberately lowered, high-pitched voice came (precisely the characteristic described by the rock).

"...What exactly does Purple Star mean? The 'King's' messenger only said to proceed according to plan, disrupt the situation, delay trade, and ideally make Zoya disappear completely. But what's happening now? Zoya's prestige is rising, and those Purple Star people are even secretly helping her! Even the Golden Camel is becoming a joke!"

Another, rougher voice, like that of a subordinate.

"My lord, please calm down. The Purple Star Mission is not a monolithic entity. That 'King' has his own arrangements. It's just that the woman surnamed Liang and that girl Li who appeared out of nowhere are really getting in the way... Especially that girl Li, she's incredibly wicked. She can even make a mess of that muddy place in the Camel Camp."

Lord Scorpion sneered, "What trouble can a mere girl cause? The key is Zoya! We can't let things continue like this! That good-for-nothing Basha is useless except for throwing tantrums and playing with women! The King is also senile, always hesitant and indecisive! We must take action ourselves..."

"My lord, what do you mean?"

"Find an opportunity to stage an 'accident' when Zoya goes out next time. Make it look like a peasant riot, or... the Purple Star Mission's inadequate protection. Remember, be clean and don't leave any traces," Lord Scorpion's voice was sinister.

A cold glint flashed in Liang Yuying's eyes, and she gestured for Li Shuchen to "do it."

"Hoohoo!"

Zizhu and two warriors rushed out first, like cheetahs pouncing on the source of the sound!

It was a small stone chamber, lit by two dim oil lamps.

A tall, thin figure in a black cloak, with his back to the entrance, turned around in alarm at the sound. His face was indeed covered with a black cloth, revealing only a pair of narrow, sinister eyes.

Two men in tight-fitting clothes stood beside him.

"Who goes there?!" Lord Scorpion shouted sharply, reacting with lightning speed as he reached for the curved sword at his waist.

But Mulan's army moved even faster!

Zizhu's short sword was already piercing his wrist like a venomous snake, forcing him to withdraw his hand and retreat.

Two other warriors engaged his men, and the clash of weapons echoed through the stone chamber.

Li Shuchen didn't rush to join the battle. Instead, he darted like a cat to a corner of the stone chamber and quickly rummaged through the piles of files and items there.

Liang Yuying guarded the door to prevent anyone from escaping or reinforcements from outside.