If Yuwen Tong's words were true, did it mean that the mastermind was really from the Wan Kingdom?

"But why do they want me dead?" Ling Zhang was thrown into perplexity. "Just because Shan Congwen was humiliated at the front gate of the imperial palace that day?"

Yuwen Tong shook his head. "Risking being tracked down to avenge a humiliation in a minor conflict? Shan Congwen won't do such a thing as long as he's not soft in the head."

"Then why?" Ling Zhang was really very puzzled. How could they possibly benefit from his death?

"To frame somebody?" Ling Zhang himself shook his head first. Given what had happened earlier this day, people of the Wan Kingdom might not even be able to rid themselves of suspicions, let alone frame somebody else.

Yuwen Tong was also contemplating. Then he said, "Maybe this has something to do with the diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom's long stay in the Great Yue. Since they have made their move, there are definitely traces left behind that we can find."

Before this day, the diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom had been biding their time all along, touring the city every day, which had made it difficult to conduct investigation into their intentions, but now they had taken action, so there must be some leads they could find to inquire into this attack.

Yuwen Tong said, "Of course, there's also a ten-percent possibility that the Wan Kingdom has nothing to do with this, but currently, the emperor is even more anxious to ascertain who sent the assassin than we are. The harder other interested parties try, the easier it would be for us to identify what we need."

At this time, Ling Zhang came to a better understanding of the situation. "Was this why you had me keep the existence of the crossbow secret and provided His Majesty and the others with the assumption of a powerful weapon?"

Yuwen Tong nodded. "Yeah. With the existence of such powerful weapons in mind, the emperor, for one, would definitely suffer from insomnia, and he would also be bent on getting them."

Ling Zhang squinted at Yuwen Tong. This guy was pretty sly.

Yuwen Tong drew him into his embrace and sighed, "Just now it was so dangerous. If you hadn't reached the second layer of that mental cultivation method of internal energy...

Yuwen Tong didn't finish his sentence, but he was clearly experiencing a carry-over of fear. He cuddled Ling Zhang close, unwilling to let go of him, dead silent.

Ling Zhang also hugged him. "I'm okay. Me cultivating internal energy is something of inevitability. There's no 'if'. Don't think too much about it."

From the moment he'd been reborn, the course of his life had been changed forever. After rebirth, he would want to take revenge and break off his engagement for marriage, which meant that his making Yuwen Tong's acquaintance had been inevitable; his leaving Tanyang had been inevitable; and his living long enough to be found by his maternal grandfather had also been inevitable. Although there had been perils along the way, the prerequisite of all of them had been that the course of his life had been altered. There was no point making assumptions, and he didn't want Yuwen Tong to bear any unpleasant thoughts in mind.

Ling Zhang consoled Yuwen Tong for another few moments, telling him that he would eventually get through these dangers unharmed. He also said, "I'll grow stronger and stronger in the future, and I won't allow anybody a single chance to do me any harm. I'll go and consult my grandfather after we get back, and maybe he'll give me some tips that'll help me reach a higher level. Will you go with me?"

Yuwen Tong replied, "Sure."

Ling Zhang, hearing that his tone of voice had returned to normal, felt a sense of relief and added, "Though the assassin was aiming at me, those people's real target is definitely you, no matter who they are, so you're the one who's really in danger. This time we must track down the mastermind."

Yuwen Tong's eyes were cold and sepulchral. "We will."

No matter who this person was, they must pay the price for this.

The two of them had rested for only a short while when Yuwen Jin and the others showed up.

"Cousin, Brother Zhang, are you okay?" said Yuwen Jin anxiously on entry.

Tao Yi, Zhao Jiusi and the others also appeared to be in anxiety. They first paid their respects to Yuwen Tong and then looked at Ling Zhang.

Ling Zhang said, "I'm fine, still in one piece."

"I'm so glad to hear that." Yuwen Jin heaved a sigh of relief and then hurried up to his cousin to check on him. It was after confirming that Yuwen Tong was also unwounded that he slumped into a chair on the side, raised his hand and wiped the sweat away. "I was nearly scared to death. We couldn't go to the stands, and neither could we find out whether you were okay or not, and just now, before we came here, we were challenged for quite a while. Fortunately Guard Yao turned up and brought them here."

Tao Yi, Zhao Jiusi and others didn't dare behave casually as Yuwen Jin was. All of them were standing on the side, formal and unrelaxed, but their eyes were also on Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang.

"Now the horse race has been suspended, and the principal has been summoned by His Majesty. There's no telling whether the race will resume or not. If it doesn't, maybe the principal will take all of us to leave after he comes out. We might not stay here long. What about you and Brother Zhang, cousin?" Yuwen Jin continued.

"We'll wait until the guards conducting the search return," responded Yuwen Tong.

Yuwen Jin said, "Can I stay? I just want to know who was so bold as to make an attempt on you!"

Yuwen Tong said, "Save me some trouble, will you? Someone wants me assassinated. It's not necessarily safe staying by my side."

"That's yet another reason why I should stay with you – I have to protect you!" said Yuwen Jin.

Yuwen Tong looked at him, as if restraining the words that had sprung to his lips, a somewhat disbelieving look in his eyes.

Yuwen Jin, though finding the expression in his cousin's eyes rather hurtful to him, still refused to compromise.

"Marshal, we have some kung fu skills as well, and I'm sure there's something we can help with, however insignificant it might be!" Ji Feng ventured an offer.

As Yuwen Tong looked at them, Ji Feng and the others subconsciously straightened themselves.

"I appreciate that, but I can protect myself. You should stay close to the principal. Don't leave the team for no good reason."

It had been after summoning up all his courage that Ji Feng managed to make that remark, and it would take more balls than he had to contradict Yuwen Tong, so he had no choice but to obey.

"What about Brother Zhang?"

"I'll stay. You guys may go back to the principal first."

Yuwen Jin said reluctantly, "Fine."

And then after another few moments' talking, Yuwen Jin, Tao Yi and the others were escorted back to the team of students of the Imperial College by Yao Yi under Yuwen Tong's orders. As expected, before long, the principal of the Imperial College and the president of the Oriental Rite Academy led their respective teams of students out of the hunting ground.

Then Yuwen Feng showed up, along with eunuchs delivering food.

"I personally supervised them preparing this meal. You and Childe Ling may rest assured that these foods are safe, cousin," said Yuwen Feng.

Ling Zhang could tell that Yuwen Tong had rather mixed feelings about this. After all, currently Yuwen Tong was on quite bad terms with his uncle's branch of Yuwen family, which was why Yuwen Feng making an overture made Ling Zhang feel that his forbearance was quite impressive.

Yuwen Tong didn't decline Yuwen Feng's offer. Instead, he invited him to sit down and dine with him.

Yuwen Feng, somewhat pleasantly surprised, thanked his cousin and then sat down with Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang.

During the meal, from start to finish, Yuwen Feng didn't mention any of his family members, not even his father. He just talked with them about this attempted assassination.

Ling Zhang noticed that Yuwen Feng seemed to have changed his attitude and given up on the idea of acting as a mediator shuttling between his family members and Yuwen Tong, but he had no idea why Yuwen Feng had made this decision.

After the three of them finished the meal, the eunuchs cleared away the bowls, dishes and meal boxes. After a short while, someone showed up reporting that the emperor requested Yuwen Tong's presence in the stands.

Yuwen Tong, unwilling to leave Ling Zhang in the tent alone, took him along, and the eunuch delivering the message made no remarks about it.

The three of them went to the stands. The emperor and those courtiers clearly had also had their lunch, seeming in higher spirits. The reason why Yuwen Tong had been summoned was that palace guards conducting the hunt had sent someone back.

"They have an intimate knowledge of this hunting ground and have already fled," said the King Duan.

Yuwen Tong was not surprised, for word got out several days ago that the emperor was going to come here to watch the horse race. Anybody intending to assassinate someone here definitely had scouted out the lay of the land in this area beforehand.

"I've decided to go back to the palace first. Mingyuan will be put in charge of supervising them continuing searching this hunting ground. What do you think, Aiqing (a term of endearment used by an emperor or an empress to address an official in feudal China)?" said the emperor.

Yuwen Tong replied, "That's a very wise decision, Your Majesty. I second it."

The emperor inclined his head and then gave the order to return to the city.

Ling Zhang staying by Yuwen Tong's side followed the emperor's guard of honor, heading for the city. Maybe because of the attempted assassination, apart from Yao Yi and other personal bodyguards, around Yuwen Tong were also many palace guards, who were clustering around him and Ling Zhang circle upon circle protecting them against potential attack.

Along the way, it was inconvenient for Ling Zhang to talk with Yuwen Tong about anything, so he just kept silent.

Occasionally he would gave Snowflake a consoling pat. What had happened on the racetrack previously must've scared Snowflake, but it was still willing to let him stay on its back and behave affectionately towards him, which deeply touched Ling Zhang. He decided to take care of Snowflake's needs first after he returned, and he would also offer it some first-class fodder and a good bath as previously promised.

The traveling speed of the team was not slow, but maybe because the attack had cast a shadow on his mood, the emperor gave instructions to return to the city as quick as possible. Afterwards, Yuwen Tong was still summoned to the imperial palace by the emperor and had to leave Ling Zhang to Yao Yi and the others.

Though knowing very well that it was much more difficult to assassinate him in the city, and the mastermind, in order not to be identified, wouldn't make another attempt, Yuwen Tong was still a trifle worried.

Ling Zhang gave his hand a little squeeze, told him to relax and then return to the Ling Mansion with Yao Yi and some others.

The first thing he did after entering the residence was lead Snowflake to the stable to fulfill his promise.

What had happened in the hunting ground had also come to the knowledge of other people in the residential compound. Even on his way to the stable, Ling Zhang was escorted by over ten guards. Though somewhat resigned, he raised no objection, for he knew that it was because they were concerned about his safety.

After feeding Snowflake some first-class fodder, Ling Zhang groomed it, which took him quite some time. Snowflake kept rubbing its head against Ling Zhang.

Ling Zhang, after bathing it, led it outside to enjoy the sunshine. It was almost dusk. Worrying that Snowflake's fur might not dry off before dark, Ling Zhang wiped it with a piece of soft cloth.

He said to Snowflake, "It's been a tough day for you. Though the horse race was called off in midstream, you're still the best."

The big thrill that he had felt when he was on Snowflake's back in the racetrack earlier this day seemed to be coursing through him once again. Ling Zhang, eyes glinting, looked at Snowflake and said, "I'm sure there will be another chance in the future, and we will finish first place."

Snowflake gave a neigh, as if in response to his words.

"You think so as well, right? I always know you're a good boy," said Ling Zhang, stroking its head.

After sunset, Ling Zhang led Snowflake back into the stable, returned to his house, took a bath, changed and then asked Yao Yi, "There's still no news from the imperial palace? When will Yuwen Tong come back?"

"The Marshal should return soon," replied Yao Yi.

As expected, Yuwen Tong came back before long. After return, he also took a bath and changed first, and then enjoyed dinner with Ling Zhang.

"The emperor wanted me to send some men to the Wan Kingdom to look into that weapon."

Ling Zhang looked at him. "Does this mean that His Majesty has now fully believed that the Wan Kingdom was behind the attack?"

Yuwen Tong said, "He has a very suspicious mind after all. Even if concrete evidence is found, he would still suspect other forces, not to mention that all he has now is merely a conjecture. He's anxious to find out what kind of weapon that thing is, so he couldn't wait to ascertain the identity of the schemer."

Ling Zhang bobbed his head. "He wants you to send some men to the Wan Kingdom to investigate... Surely you're not going there as well, are you?"

Yuwen Tong shook his head. "No. I'll have others do it."

Ling Zhang secretly heaved a sigh of relief in the knowledge that Yuwen Tong was not personally going to the Wan Kingdom. He suddenly realized that he couldn't do without Yuwen Tong. The very thought of a separation of some time from Yuwen Tong made him feel upset.

Ling Zhang said, "That kind of weapon doesn't exist. If by any chance the truth is found out, His Majesty would know that the assassin's target was me rather than you. Would it be regarded as the crime of deceiving the emperor?"

Yuwen Tong said, "They themselves were the ones who drew the conclusion that I was the assassin's target. From start to finish, that short bolt was the only thing they saw. Given the circumstances back then, if you hadn't stopped and I hadn't cut the second bolt in half, it indeed would've missed you, which is an unquestionable fact. The worst case scenario is they suspect us. Without evidence, nobody could accuse us of deceiving the emperor."

Ling Zhang was still worried. "What if the mastermind is seized and then states their intentions?"

Yuwen Tong said, "Again, there's no evidence, is there?"

Ling Zhang did a double take. Indeed, those people wouldn't be able to show any proofs, because that short bolt was now in their hands.

After the two of them finished dinner, Yao Yi returned, telling them that there had been no message from the courier hostel so far, and news of the attempted assassination in the horse race had spread to the capital city. It had come to the knowledge of people in the courier hostel, but Shan Congwen, who was very poised, as yet had been behaving as usual.

Yuwen Tong asked, "What about those going in and out of the courier hostel?"

Yao Yi replied, "The diplomatic corps of the Wan Kingdom are the only customers staying in the courier hostel today. Shan Congwen hasn't received any invitations and been in the courier hostel all day along with other members of the diplomatic corps. As regards people going in and out of the courier hostel, apart from a small band of people delivering food there in the morning, there were also a group of people going there to transfer goods at night. Both the two bands only stayed in the rear yard for a very short time. There were nobody else."

Yuwen Tong queried, "Did you look into the background of those delivering food and those transferring goods?"

Yao Yi answered, "Yes, but nothing anomalous has been found so far. Tonight nobody has entered or exited the courier hostel except for the band of people going there to transfer goods, and the communication between them and staff members of the courier hostel were under our close watch."

Yuwen Tong, after a few moments' contemplation, said, "Shan Congwen's being quiet is itself something abnormal. Keep an eye open for them. These days the emperor's men as well as people of other sides definitely have all been staking out the courier hostel. Be careful not to be exposed."

Yao Yi nodded. "Yes, Marshal."

Nothing unusual happened the rest of the night. All sides were very quiet, as if waiting for someone hiding in the shadows to make their move.

The next day, Ling Zhang had to go to school. Yuwen Tong accompanied him there, and they paid a visit to Ji Yin once again.

The principal, after being informed that Yuwen Tong had come again, was almost as alarmed as the last time. Given the serious incident the day before, he started to fret the moment he heard about Yuwen Tong's arrival. For fear that an assassin might show up in his college, he hurriedly had Feng Zhangshi instruct college security guards, who were few in number, to stay close to Yuwen Tong providing protection.

Ling Zhang, on seeing the sweat on the principal's forehead, felt some sympathy for the principal who was clearly in panic.

The first thing Ji Yin did as he laid eyes on Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong was also ask about the assassin.

Neither of them told him the assassin's target had been Ling Zhang. After hearing their words, Ji Yin said, "It's rumored that the assassin was sent by the Wan Kingdom. Was it true?"

Yuwen Tong said, "All those are just speculations. There's no proof that the Wan Kingdom was behind it."

Ji Yin inclined his head. Though Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong's arrival had come as a surprise to him, he was very pleased to see them.

Ling Zhang stated the purpose of their visit, telling his grandfather that he'd encountered some difficulties during the process of cultivating the second layer of the mental cultivation method of internal energy.

Ji Yin, after hearing it, answered all Ling Zhang's questions one by one in the presence of Yuwen Tong and then said, "You've reached the second layer after cultivating for merely one month. There's no need to hurry. You'll naturally enter the third layer in due course. Your comprehension is very impressive, far better than that of any of your peers in the Millennium Pavilion. More haste, less speed. I suggest you maintain composure and take baby steps."

Ling Zhang, after hearing Ji Yin's replies to his questions, came to understand a lot that had been puzzling him previously. Feeling that he was seeing the light, Ling Zhang took Ji Yin's advice willingly without any contradictions.

"Grandfather, it was Professor Gu who recommended you. Does he know who you truly are?" asked Ling Zhang.

Ji Yin responded, "He doesn't. To his knowledge, I'm a scholar well-known in Youzhou. A few years ago he encountered a crisis in Shengzhou and I saved his life, which was why this time around when I asked him to help me land a job in the Imperial College, he came to my help without asking any questions."