Chapter 73: The Most Important Hunt

Yue Ying, with Zhao Yuanji in tow, had been running for most of the night. The horse they were riding on suddenly spasmed and collapsed, its hooves thrashing in vain to get back up.

Yue Ying had no time to worry about the horse. It was still night, and their cart had been bouncing along the uneven road at a sluggish pace. They had only managed to cover a little more than a hundred miles. They weren't even close to reaching Chang'an or Luoyang, and still had nearly a hundred miles to go just to get to Dengfeng. If they didn't move quickly, they would soon be overtaken.

By the time daylight broke and Zhao Yuanji was found missing, Guan Tianzhao would undoubtedly send his troops to search the entire region. The most crucial area to focus on would be the road heading to Chang'an—the very one they were currently on.

So, Yue Ying decided to have them continue on foot. Fortunately, Zhao Yuanji had trained in archery and horse riding since childhood and was in good physical condition. The two of them quickly made their way down the main road, trying to cover as much ground as possible before the pursuers arrived. They hoped to get closer to Chang'an, then find another path to take.

At the military governor's residence, things unfolded exactly as Yue Ying had predicted. By morning, Zhao Yuanji's maid went to check on her and found she was missing. After searching the area with no success, the maid reported it to Guan Tianzhao. Upon inquiry, he learned that Zhao Yuanji had left the night before with Yue Ying.

Further investigation revealed that Zhao Yuanji had come to the hall the previous evening to prepare tea for him. However, Guan Tianzhao hadn't actually seen her. Realizing something was terribly wrong, he immediately dispatched his men to search for her and discovered she had exited the city through the west gate the night before.

Guan Tianzhao immediately sent a thousand elite cavalry of his personal guards westward, not to hunt down Zhao Yuanji, but to block the route to Chang'an.

As long as they blocked the roads, preventing Zhao Yuanji from leaving Henan, Guan Tianzhao was confident she couldn't hide for long. He ordered the local officials to search their respective districts, and also had Hua Wuji summoned.

Though Hua Wuji was the leader of the Songshan Sect, the headquarters of the Tiandao Alliance was located in Zhengzhou, where he spent almost half the year. Upon receiving the order, Hua Wuji quickly arrived at the military governor's residence.

Dressed in green robes, with a kind expression and a few long whiskers beneath his brow, Hua Wuji resembled a Taoist sage. Though he was not an actual Taoist, he carried a certain mystical aura. As the top martial artist in Henan, a peak early-stage innate expert, Hua Wuji's Six Plate Sword Technique was said to be sublime. Even if he were to duel the head of the Emei Sect, the old nun Zhi Mie, with identical swords, she wouldn't last more than half an hour in his hands.

Ten years ago, Hua Wuji gained Guan Tianzhao's favor and, with the support of the army, took the position of Songshan Sect leader by eliminating his rivals. With Guan Tianzhao's backing, he soon formed the Tiandao Alliance, implementing a policy of "prosperity for those who obey, destruction for those who oppose," gradually establishing control over most of the martial world in Henan and becoming its most powerful figure.

In this context, Hua Wuji viewed Guan Tianzhao as his benefactor. Without him, Hua Wuji would not have been able to take control of Songshan Sect, nor would the Tiandao Alliance have risen to power. Hua Wuji had become Guan Tianzhao's loyal dog, willing to carry out any orders, even if it meant assassinating the emperor.

Despite his bad reputation in the martial world—referred to as a "hound," "lackey," or "puppy"—no one dared speak ill of him to his face.

Hua Wuji, always respectful, arrived at the military governor's residence as soon as possible. He immediately bowed to Guan Tianzhao.

"Subordinate Hua Wuji greets the Military Governor."

Although Hua Wuji was not an official, he always referred to himself as a subordinate.

"Sit."

Seeing that Guan Tianzhao's expression was grim, Hua Wuji carefully sat at the edge of a chair, waiting for orders.

"The princess has escaped."

Hua Wuji's expression changed immediately. "Master, I heard that the princess had been behaving normally after her return, without any signs of suspicion. She doesn't seem like someone with much scheming ability. How could she have escaped?"

Guan Tianzhao pressed his fingers to his forehead. "Last night, I was discussing important matters with Ambassador Feng. The princess was in the back, behind the screen, so she must have overheard something, and that's why she fled."

Hua Wuji was alarmed. He knew exactly what those important matters were—the real business that could change the entire world. If Zhao Yuanji learned of it and fled to Chang'an, the consequences would be disastrous.

"Master, do you know which direction she headed? Who was she with?"

"She left with Yue Ying. We've already checked. They left through the west gate last night, likely heading to Chang'an."

"So, your intention is...?"

Guan Tianzhao gave Hua Wuji a meaningful glance. "No matter what, she cannot reach Chang'an. That is our only goal."

"Rest assured, Master. Leave it to me. I'll handle it," Hua Wuji said, rising to take his leave. He hoped to redeem himself with this mission and earn Guan Tianzhao's approval.

"I've already dispatched troops to search everywhere. They left through the west gate, but we can't rule out the possibility of them deliberately setting up a diversion. I've also sent people to the other three gates, but the main focus is still the west, because they're clearly trying to reach Chang'an. My elite cavalry has already departed and is heading west to seal the borders to Luoyang. They're using a cart, so they won't be able to move quickly. My personal guard will reach the border before them and seal it off."

"Master's strategy is brilliant. Once the roads are blocked, they won't have anywhere to go. This will make things much easier. However, Master, no matter how many troops you have, Yue Ying is from the martial world, and he's skilled in evasion and stealth. I'm afraid the army alone won't suffice. It would be better if we, the martial artists, handle this."

"Yue Ying won't travel fast with the princess. Go ahead, catch them. There's a great reward in it for you."

Hua Wuji nodded and left to organize his men, determined to track down Yue Ying and the princess.

Based on Hua Wuji's calculations, they would likely be caught near Dengfeng, as they were traveling by cart. In one night, and with the day's journey, they would probably reach that area. So the focus of the search would be there.

This hunt was of great importance. If Zhao Yuanji didn't make it to Chang'an, then Guan Tianzhao's plan would succeed. If she did manage to escape, everything would fail. Guan Tianzhao's army would be utterly defeated.

As soon as Guan Tianzhao gave the order, his troops were mobilized.

Simultaneously, the entire martial world in Henan was on alert. Warriors with swords and knives appeared across the land, searching for any trace of the fugitives. The reward for catching them was high.

The hunt for two people—Yue Ying and Zhao Yuanji—was now a massive operation that would decide the fate of the Tang Empire.

Yue Ying had a strong sense of danger. As daylight broke, he realized they could no longer stay on the main road. Once Zhao Yuanji's disappearance was discovered, Guan Tianzhao's elite cavalry would catch up quickly. It would take less than three hours to get from Zhengzhou to Dengfeng, and they hadn't even reached it yet.

Feeling the urgency, Yue Ying decided to take Zhao Yuanji into the mountains.

The terrain was rugged and hard to navigate, but the deeper they went into the forest, the more hidden they would be. Yue Ying led Zhao Yuanji along the forest edge, where the trees would offer cover in case any troops appeared on the road.

After less than an hour of walking, they saw a cloud of dust rising in the distance. It was most likely a cavalry unit.

Yue Ying didn't dare to take any chances. He immediately led Zhao Yuanji deeper into the forest.

The cavalry didn't stop, though. They sped past and quickly disappeared into the distance.

"They've gone past us. They didn't find us. We're safe for now," Zhao Yuanji clapped her hands in excitement, thinking they had evaded the danger.

Yue Ying smiled bitterly. "Princess, this is not good news. Those are Guan Tianzhao's personal guards. Their mission is to block the border to Luoyang. We're probably not going to make it back to Chang'an."

Zhao Yuanji's excitement quickly turned to panic. "Then what do we do? If the borders are sealed, we can't get back to Chang'an!"

Yue Ying sighed. "There's nothing we can do. We'll just have to take it one step at a time."

Just then, more soldiers appeared, patrolling the road. Some martial artists were also working with the military, scouring the area in groups of two or three, searching every possible location.

Yue Ying was truly worried now. The army might be manageable, but those martial artists were a different matter. He wasn't confident they could evade them, especially with the princess in tow.

"Let's go, Princess. We have to move quickly, or it will be too late."

With that, the two of them disappeared deeper into the mountains, not caring about the direction, just pushing forward.

As the weather grew darker, the wind picked up, and a storm was approaching.

They trudged through the rain, weary but careful to hide their tracks.

In the midst of the storm, Zhao Yuanji could barely keep up. She was cold and hungry. "Yue Ying, I can't go any further. I'm exhausted, and it's too rainy. Can't we rest somewhere?"

Yue Ying was just as troubled. "In this storm, where can we rest?"

If Zhao Yuanji fell ill from the rain, they wouldn't be able to continue at all.

Suddenly, a bell rang through the mountains, its sound echoing through the storm.

Yue Ying looked up, trying to discern where the sound was coming from.

Note: In the development of Shaolin, the imperial court is an unavoidable factor, but since this is a story of the martial world, this section will be brief and won't distract from the main plot. Don't worry, the story will get back on track soon!