Chasing Stars and Suns

Duanmu Yun was no brainless, unguarded figurehead; after all, it was she who handled the kingdom’s daily affairs. The current predicament could only be attributed to Lyte’s superior cunning, for the persona he had so carefully cultivated had already earned the deep trust of many high-ranking officials within the kingdom. Consequently, even a matter of such grave importance as imperial espionage could be entrusted to him, a former imperial prince.

“But this is a problem you can’t solve, is it?”

“The captains are preoccupied with other matters,” Lyte replied, shaking his head. “I cannot disturb them at a time like this.”

“Yet your method for finding the enemy is far too inefficient, isn’t it?”

“I don’t deny that this method lacks sophistication, but the Vermilion Bird Array has already initiated a new round of scans. Their time to act is running out.”

The Vermilion Bird Array.

This was a magical array deployed by Saintess Hai Zhu to protect the royal capital.

Beyond its standard function of repelling external attacks, it could also monitor anyone entering or exiting the capital.

Under normal protocols, mages of Martial Lord rank or higher were required official approval to enter the royal capital.

Following yesterday’s attack, Duanmu Yun had already requested a city-wide scan from the system managing the array, and it was anticipated that within a day, all imperial agents within the capital would be exposed.

“Though I am reluctant to admit it, there are indeed traitors within the Knight Order,” Lyte confessed. “Yet, it is thanks to these very traitors that I can anticipate these imperial spies, cornered and desperate, making a move against me in broad daylight.”

Lyte struck a pose, an air of noble selflessness about him. “Therefore, Shenhong, you should return quickly. Leave this matter to me.”

‘I wouldn’t be surprised if *you* were the traitor!’

Xie Shenhong sneered inwardly, yet his face remained solemn as he declared, “Then all the more reason I cannot return.”

“Why?”

“Having spoken with you for such a long time, it would be far too dangerous for me to be left alone afterwards.”

Lyte paused, slightly startled, then spoke with a contrite expression. “My apologies, I have implicated you.”

“It’s fine.”

Xie Shenhong waved his hand dismissively, not the least bit worried that Lyte would see through his thinly veiled excuse to remain by his side.

The cunning and treacherous Lyte would certainly not be foolish enough to show impatience at such a moment, but he quickly devised a solution.

As if suddenly realizing something, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

“Uncle De, it’s me. Please confirm the task I entrusted you with this morning once more, especially regarding Xiao Jing!”

At first glance, it sounded as if Lyte were tasking someone to check on his family’s well-being. Conversely, however, it could also be a coded command to initiate an attack.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Lyte’s expression darkened.

“Shenhong, let’s go!”

“What happened?” Xie Shenhong asked, feigning concern.

“My sister has been kidnapped!”

Lyte gritted the words through clenched teeth.

Huangfu Jing, twelve years old this year, was Count Huangfu’s biological daughter and Lyte’s nominal sister.

“How could this be?” Xie Shenhong exclaimed. “What are we to do now?”

Xie Shenhong spoke with feigned panic, yet inwardly, he let out an unsurprised sneer.

‘As expected of Lyte.’

‘After sacrificing his Gold-rank subordinates, this time he wouldn’t even spare his adopted sister… Of course, it could also just be a performance for his benefit, with only the imperial spies from rival factions ultimately suffering.’

‘But it didn’t matter; his task was simply to watch the show, and perhaps see if Lyte would expose any flaws in his act along the way.’ Lost in his thoughts, Xie Shenhong suddenly found himself being scooped up.

“Shenhong, hold on tight.”

“Oh, alright… No, no, no, what are you doing?”

It wasn’t until Lyte began sprinting wildly that Xie Shenhong came back to his senses, letting out a delicate, embarrassed yelp.

“My apologies,” Lyte explained. “Leaving you there would be far too dangerous, so this was my only option.”

Indeed, at Xie Shenhong’s pace, by the time they reached the rescue, everything would surely be too late. Xie Shenhong understood the logic, but why a bridal carry instead of simply carrying him on his back?

‘He might be dressed as a woman, and his voice might be feminine, but that didn’t mean he wanted to be treated like a girl!’

Alas, no matter how much Xie Shenhong protested inwardly, Lyte had no intention of stopping, maintaining an expression of utter concentration on his elaborate act.

Seeing this, Xie Shenhong calmed down considerably and asked:

“Do you know where the kidnappers are?”

“My sister has bodyguards with her; ordinary kidnappers wouldn’t be able to overcome them,” Lyte explained. “If they are imperial agents, I cannot pinpoint their exact location, but I do have a lead.”

‘So, were they heading to a secret base about to be abandoned, or a rendezvous point that had already been discovered?’

Xie Shenhong struggled to suppress his inner embarrassment, carefully observing Lyte and making a mental note of his performance throughout the journey.

Indeed, he could not directly speak of future events without paying the price of rebirth, but events that had already transpired, or reasonable deductions based on known information, were not subject to the same restrictions.

At this moment, the mere fact that Lyte knew the likely location of the imperial spies would be enough for Xie Shenhong to question his loyalty before Duanmu Yun later.

Lyte, for his part, maintained an appearance of being entirely focused on the rescue, and soon they arrived at the old district on the west side of the royal city.

Ten years prior, the old district had been the most prosperous area of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, and also the first area the Rhine Empire breached, unleashing a brutal massacre.

After the war, considering that rebuilding was inferior to new construction, and convinced that the royal capital would inevitably develop into a great city no less grand than the Rhine Imperial Capital, Saintess Hai Zhu enclosed an area ten times the size of the old district, constructing the royal capital as it stood today.

As for the old district itself, ten years had passed, yet only twenty percent of it had been redeveloped; the majority of it remained in ruins.

Consequently, this area had become a gathering place for impoverished citizens and criminals. Therefore, coming here first to search for a missing person seemed perfectly reasonable.

The problem, however, was that this area was populated by brazen brawlers whose strength was at the Black Iron rank, or even just slightly stronger than those without magic. Generally speaking, no one capable of threatening a noble daughter would be found here.

Lyte, evidently aware of this, proceeded without any pretense or hesitation, carrying Xie Shenhong into a densely ruined area, devoid of people and even proper roads.

‘Oh no, could I have fallen into a trap?’

Xie Shenhong suddenly felt a surge of unease.

Even setting aside the matter of the golden pocket watch, he himself held considerable value as a kidnapping target.

Yet, Lyte quickly set him down and began setting up a protective array around him.

“Shenhong, wait for me here.”

Lyte handed him a protective artifact.

Xie Shenhong knew full well that Lyte would never allow him to witness the battle, but why abandon him only after reaching such a dangerous place?

‘Was he planning to have him come over later to be the final witness?’

“My apologies, I was inconsiderate just now,” Lyte said. “I should have taken you to a safe place first… But as long as you don’t step out of the array, I will sense immediately if anything happens.”

‘Could this guy… still be trying to cultivate the image of a hot-blooded, reckless youth?’

Xie Shenhong was momentarily rendered speechless. Yet, from Lyte’s perspective, this approach was unexceptionable; how could the kingdom not favor a passionate, reckless, yet righteous and noble prince who had seemingly betrayed his own empire?

“I’ll stay obediently within the array,” Xie Shenhong said urgently. “Go find your sister quickly!”

“Yes, I’ll be right back!” Lyte replied, departing like a flash.

Xie Shenhong naturally had no intention of staying put, but a search would require time. At the very least, Lyte would pretend to take time, and Xie Shenhong wasn’t so foolish as to walk out the moment Lyte departed.

But while Xie Shenhong was not foolish, the world certainly had its share of fools.

In the blink of an eye, five men with ill intent emerged from a nearby patch of weeds.

‘Bandits?’

‘No, their strength is at the Silver rank.’

‘Which means—’

“Are you imperial agents?”