That night in Qichuan City, Taihao did not close his eyes. Every once in a while, he would look out the window at the moonlight, as if waiting for something. However, although the silence of the night was broken by many sounds, there was no sign that that premonition would come true.

When the next day's light began to stain the sky red, Taihao looked out of the window, but saw an unexpected figure - the lord of Qichuan City, Qiu Gui. He stood outside Taihao's door, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

Tai Hao was slightly stunned and looked at Qiu Gui. His appearance made Taihao feel excited, and it seemed that he must have found out if there were any conspiracies among those guards and maids.

The door creaked open, and Qiu Gui's eyes like cold stars caught a glimpse of Taihao. He said lightly: "Lord Taihao, how was His Royal Highness the Crown Prince resting yesterday?" The concern and apprehension in his voice could not be concealed.

Tai Hao met his gaze, and knew in his heart why this city lord came. The dialogue between them is like a script that has been rehearsed countless times, and Taihao only needs to answer according to the established lines.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's rest has never been as peaceful as yesterday." Tai Hao replied, his voice full of deep exhaustion, but his eyes shone with determination, "He is full of anticipation for the upcoming journey." ”

Hearing this answer, a hint of relief flashed on Qiu Gui's face. He nodded and glanced at Taihao deeply, as if to confirm the truth of his words.

The corners of Qiu Gui's eyes curled slightly, and he said in a deep voice: "Lord Taihao, after a detailed investigation yesterday night, we have thoroughly investigated the ins and outs of the entire case. ”

There was a hint of fatigue in his words, but it was difficult to hide the firmness and determination in his eyes. "We tracked down ten maids and four guards, all of whom were secretly following the mission with special missions."

Tai Hao glanced up at him, his face expressionless, and did not show the slightest sign of curiosity. It's not that he's cold-blooded and ruthless, it's just that the long court struggles have taught him to be indistinguishable from mood.

"Did they say who sent it?" Tai Hao asked, his voice calm as usual, as if it were just one of his many ordinary questions, and not a major conspiracy that could overthrow the throne.

Qiu Gui shook his head: "They have a hard mouth, and so far, they have not revealed any useful information. However, we have found some hints among their items that they may be disciples of the 'Shadow Gate'. ”

Tai Hao's face changed slightly: "Crazy Shadow Gate? ”

"Yes, Lord Taihao." Qiu Gui took a deep breath, "It seems that it is necessary for you to guard against further actions of the Shadow Gate. ”

Tai Hao had never heard of the Crazy Shadow Gate, so he asked Qiu Gui, "How does this Crazy Shadow Gate exist?" ”

Qiu Gui showed Tai Hao the existence of the Shadow Gate in a deep voice, and his voice revealed a hint of awe and jealousy. From his mouth, Tai Hao learned about the horror of the mysterious organization of the Shadow Gate.

The Shadow Gate, as its name suggests, is a shadowy existence that hides in the dark. For a long time, they have been operating in the shadows of the rivers and lakes, and with their unimaginable stealth and ruthless assassination skills, they have terrified the big names in the rivers and lakes. Although rumors about them are widespread in the world, few people have actually seen them.

The members of the Shadow Gate are all masters of disguise and assassination techniques. They are adept at hiding themselves from their assassins, as invisibly as they are invisible. Just like this time, they took the form of guards and maids, lurking beside the prince, waiting for an opportunity.

Prior to an assassination attempt, the Shadowgate will draw lots to determine the identity of the actor and the enforcer. The perpetrators are tasked with the assassinations, while the law enforcers sit by and watch from the sidelines. Once the assassination mission was successfully completed, they were able to evacuate the scene uneventful. However, if the actor misses and fails, the enforcer will not hesitate to fire a hidden weapon to seal the actor's throat with a sword.

In order to prepare for possible unforeseen circumstances, the actors will cleverly hold a poison pill in their mouths before acting. In this way, they have a chance to protect themselves, regardless of whether the assassination attempt is successful or unsuccessful. If they fail, they swallow the poison pill and use it to cover up the fact of death; In the case of a successful assassination, they spit out the poison pills to show that they had nothing to do with the death of the assassin. This deliberate strategy undoubtedly increased the concealment and success rate of Operation Shadow Gate.

A chill welled up in Taihao's heart, and he was extremely shocked by this mysterious and terrifying organization. He realized that in the face of such a formidable enemy, their task would become extremely difficult and dangerous. However, he also understood that as loyal courtiers, they must do everything in their power to protect the prince's safety, even at the cost of their lives.

But such a mysterious organization is actually mixed with these guards and maids, so there must be their existence in the palace, but who instructed them? Is it Shaoling, or Princess Changxiang?

At this time, Mr. Yan Fang also walked out of the room, and Taihao told him about the Crazy Shadow Gate.

"Looks like we'll have to get out of here as soon as possible," Mr. Noonkata's deep voice echoed through the night, "and they must not be given any chance to blend in with our mission again." The head of this Crazy Shadow Gate, Lao Yu has heard of it for a long time, he seems to be polite on the surface, but in fact he is ruthless, and he is an out-and-out devil in the rivers and lakes. He's good at manipulating the darkness and doing some horrific assassinations. ”

Tai Hao asked, "Mr. Yan Fang, who is the head of this Crazy Shadow Gate, why have I never heard of it?" ”

Mr. Yan Fang said in a deep voice, "Their name is indeed like morning dew, because they have been at the helm of the princes and nobles of various countries all these years. They are not only active in the Eastern Empire, their footprints are like wild geese flying southward, crossing thousands of rivers and mountains, and sealing every inch of land in these countries. It is said that the death of the Turkic king last year was caused by their involvement. ”

He paused and continued to ask, "Do you know the famous Nine Great Sects on the rivers and lakes?" ”

Tai Hao said slowly, his voice was full of reverence and awe for the nine major factions: "I have heard many times that the nine major sects on the rivers and lakes are located on different high mountains, and each of these nine peaks carries the beliefs and expectations of the people in the rivers and lakes. They rise from the ground and soar into the clouds, just like the nine giants in the martial arts, each defending one side and jointly maintaining the balance of the rivers and lakes. These nine major schools are Taotang Mountain, Shude Mountain, Mengying Mountain, Kunwu Mountain, Heibai Mountain, Chiwang Mountain, Senwei Mountain, Wufu Mountain and Shenmin Mountain. But I don't know much about their details, only the 'Seven Heroes of the Black and White Mountain' on the Black and White Mountain and the 'Four Great Demons' on the Kunwu Mountain. ”

Mr. Yeonfang was just about to respond to Taihao's words when Prince Xuanbao walked out of the room. There was a hint of anxiety and expectation in his eyes, and he asked Taihao and Mr. Yanfang, "Mr. Yanfang, Lord Taihao, when are we leaving?" ”

Tai Hao immediately replied: "Back to His Royal Highness the Prince, we ...... Let's go! It's just that those guards and maids have found out that there are indeed hidden spies, and they don't know how to deal with it, and they ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to decide. ”

Xuanbao frowned, pondered for a moment, and then turned to Mr. Enkata, hoping that he could provide some advice. He said to Taihao: "I wonder what Lord Taihao thinks? ”

Tai Hao continued: "According to Weichen's words, this matter can be handled by this Qiu Gui City Lord, and we must not take them on the road again. ”

Xuanbao listened silently to their discussion, thinking about how to deal with the problem. In the end, he made a decision and responded, "Then let's do it according to Lord Taihao's wishes." ”

At that moment, Taihao discussed with Qiu Gui and said, "Lord Qiu Gui, we are going to set off immediately, and those guards and maids will be imprisoned in the Qichuan City Prison first. And please write to the court to explain this matter, and the emperor will decide it himself. What do you think? ”

Qiu Gui nodded, and said with a serious expression: "Don't worry, Lord Taihao, I will definitely handle this matter properly." I will immediately go to the imperial court and temporarily imprison the guards and maids in the prison of Qichuan Castle. At the same time, I will also send people to strengthen the guards of the city gate to ensure that no disciples of the Shadow Gate will come to rescue them. ”

Tai Hao nodded slightly and praised Qiu Gui. He could see that Qiu Gui was a shrewd and decisive official, and with him in charge of handling this matter, it would definitely go well.

In the afternoon of the same day, Tai Hao and Mr. Yan Fang, as well as the crown prince Xuanbao, slowly left under the gaze of the city lord Qiu Gui and General Cangshi. They led a hundred carefully selected soldiers, as well as chariots and horses, and began a long journey to Tibet.

Tai Hao, a young man known for his wisdom and bravery, looks like a sculpture in the afterglow of the setting sun, his gaze is firm and determined. Mr. Yanfang, although he is old, is in good spirits, and his bright eyes are shining with wisdom. The two of them walked side by side, like two solid rocks in the midst of time.

Prince Xuanbao is young, handsome and mysterious, and there seems to be a thousand worlds hidden between his eyebrows. His existence is like a distant poem, which makes people admire.

Those hundred soldiers were the elite of Qichuan City, and their faces were full of loyalty and perseverance. They followed Tai Hao and Mr. Yan Fang closely, like an iron chain, tenacious. The chariots and horses carried their determination and hope to the unknown distance.

When they left Qichuan City, there was no noise of gongs and drums, no firecrackers, only a faint pain of parting in the wind. However, their hearts are full of faith and expectation, as if telling themselves that this journey, although unknown, will be full of new adventures and challenges.

The moment they stepped into Minchuan City, it was as if they had stepped into another world. Surrounded by dense mountain forests, it acts as a natural barrier to isolate the hustle and bustle of the city. However, in the midst of this seemingly tranquil mountain forest, a sudden battle awaited them.

Without warning, dozens of black-clad assassins poured out of the forest, armed with sharp blades and murderous. Despite the surprise, the soldiers did not panic in the slightest. They quickly lined up, drew their blades, and showed amazing combat effectiveness and unity.

Seeing this, Taihao couldn't help but secretly marvel in his heart. These soldiers, obviously just ordinary guards, have the same combat effectiveness as well-trained elite soldiers. The tacit understanding and synergy between them seem to have gone through countless drills to reach such a level.

The battle soon began. Despite the large number of opponents, these soldiers were not afraid at all, which only inspired their fighting spirit even more. One soldier after another rushed into the enemy line, swords intersecting and sparks flying.

Taihao looked at this battle and felt a little uneasy in his heart. Although these soldiers are extremely brave, if this continues, there will definitely be soldiers. His mind was racing and he decided to find an opportunity to break through and leave this dangerous place.

However, just as he was about to act, he saw a scene that shocked him. A black-clad assassin slashed at a soldier from behind, but the soldier easily dodged the knife on one side of his body, as if he had a premonition. Then he spun around and slashed at the black-clad assassin's neck, causing him to fall to the ground.

Tai Hao was shocked in his heart, this soldier actually has the ability to predict the enemy's actions and react accordingly! This is an ability that only a seasoned veteran possesses!

Just as Tai Hao was wondering who had sent these black-clad assassins, a soldier stepped forward. "My lord, these bandits have all been dealt with."

Tai Hao bowed slightly. "Okay." He swept across the battlefield with a hint of doubt in his heart. "Is there any living mouth?"

The soldier shook his head. "One was hacked half to death."

Taihao took a deep breath. "Bring him back." He wanted to get information from the man about the assassination.

However, as soon as he finished giving the order, he saw the soldier draw his knife and stab himself in the abdomen, and he fell to the ground in an instant.

Taihao was stunned. What's going on? Who ordered them to intercept the team? A series of questions flashed through his mind.

He looked at the assassin's corpse and knew in his heart that it was all directed at His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. And now, they have to be even more cautious. Otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable.