FVN 109. Secrets
109. Secrets
Although the Poisonous Scholar retreated, several hidden sentries around the manor were eliminated, and three disciples were poisoned and injured.
"Master, Young Master Li requests an audience," came the voice of a disciple from outside the door.
Lin Mo put down the report in his hand: "Please let him in."
Li Yu pushed open the door and entered, his face slightly pale, clearly still shaken by the events of the previous night. "Master Lin, I...I remembered some things about my father, which might be helpful to you."
Lin Mo gestured for him to sit down: "Take your time, there's no need to rush."
Li Yu took a deep breath: "Ever since that serious illness three years ago, Father Emperor has become a completely different person. He used to be very gentle and kind to both me and Mother Empress. But after recovering, he became irritable and easily angered, often punishing even his closest ministers."
Lin Mo seemed thoughtful: "The serious illness three years ago? When exactly was that?"
"It was the twelfth month of the seventeenth year of the Zhenguan era," Li Yu recalled. "At that time, my father suddenly fainted in the imperial study, and the imperial physicians were all helpless. Later, a wandering Taoist priest offered a dose of elixir, which my father took and quickly recovered."
"A wandering Taoist priest?" Lin Mo pressed, "Do you remember what he looked like?"
Li Yu shook his head: "I was young then, and I only remember that the Taoist priest wore a black robe and always had a veil over his face. But..." He paused, "I remember that the Taoist priest had a very strange mark on the back of his right hand, like a black eagle with outstretched wings."
Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat. The Black Hawk Mark—this was the secret mark he had discovered in his previous life when investigating the Imperial Guards. It turned out that the Imperial Guards had already begun infiltrating the royal family three years ago.
"Go on," Lin Mo said calmly.
"After Father recovered from his illness, he began to heavily rely on that Taoist priest, even appointing him as the Imperial Preceptor. From then on, Father rarely attended court, and most of the affairs of state were handled by the Imperial Preceptor and the Third Prince." Li Yu's voice choked with emotion. "Mother sensed something was wrong and repeatedly advised Father, but was instead confined to the Eastern Palace. Then...then that great fire happened..."
Lin Mo was silent for a moment, then handed over a cup of tea: "Do you still remember the specifics of the day the Eastern Palace burned down?"
Li Yu's hands trembled slightly: "That night, I had already gone to sleep when my mother suddenly woke me up. She handed me over to a personal guard and told me to escape through a secret passage. As soon as I entered the passage, I heard shouts of battle outside... Later I learned that everyone in the Eastern Palace that night..."
He couldn't continue, his eyes filled with tears.
Lin Mo gently patted his shoulder: "Your mother remained calm in the face of danger and saved your life. I will avenge this debt of gratitude for you."
Li Yu wiped away her tears, then suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, Mother once said that after Father's transformation, he always carried a strange fragrance. She said the smell made people dizzy, like...like sandalwood mixed with the smell of blood."
"The smell of blood?" Lin Mo frowned. This was indeed very unusual.
"Furthermore," Li Yu continued, "after Father Emperor recovered from his illness, he no longer ate his usual meals, but instead received medicinal cuisine prepared by the Imperial Preceptor. Once, I secretly saw that some kind of black powder was added to those medicinal meals..."
Lin Mo grew increasingly suspicious as he listened. The emperor's change was too sudden, and it perfectly coincided with the appearance of the mysterious imperial advisor. Add to that the unusual behavior...
"Li Yu, do you remember anything special in the Eastern Palace? Like your mother's notes, or the books the Crown Prince collected?"
Li Yu pondered for a moment: "The Empress Dowager does indeed have a secret study, which contains many ancient books. However, after the fire at the Eastern Palace, I don't know if those things are still there."
"Where exactly is it located?"
"Beneath the artificial hill in the backyard of the East Palace, there is a secret chamber," Li Yu described. "The entrance is beneath a stone crane sculpture; you need to turn the crane's beak to open it."
Lin Mo noted this information down and already had a plan in mind. If they could find the books collected by the Crown Princess, they might discover more clues.
"Master," Lin Feng rushed in, "we found something while cleaning up the battlefield."
He handed over a black token. The token was engraved with a black eagle with outstretched wings, exactly the same as the mark on the Taoist priest's hand that Li Yu had described.
"This was found on one of Poisonous Scholar's men," Lin Feng added.
Lin Mo took the token and examined it carefully. The token was cold to the touch, faintly emanating a chilling aura. He was very familiar with this aura—in his previous life, when fighting against the inner guards, he often felt this unsettling energy fluctuation.
"It seems that this Grand Preceptor is inextricably linked to the Imperial Guard," Lin Mo sneered.
Li Yu looked at the token, then his expression suddenly changed drastically: "This pattern... I've seen it on the Imperial Preceptor's robe too!"
All clues point to the mysterious Imperial Advisor. The Emperor's drastic change in temperament, the fire at the Eastern Palace, the actions of the Imperial Guards... all seem to be related to this person.
"Lin Feng, send men to investigate this Imperial Advisor's background," Lin Mo ordered. "Focus on his movements before he appeared three years ago."
"yes."
Lin Mo then said to Li Yu, "This information is very important. If there's anything else you remember, no matter how small the detail, please tell me."
Li Yu tried hard to recall: "The Imperial Preceptor rarely appeared in public, and even when he did, he always wore a veil. But once, I happened to see him take off his veil to drink water... His face was very pale, and his eyes were... were red."
Red eyes? Alarm bells rang in Lin Mo's mind. This was no longer an ordinary human characteristic.
Is there anything else?
"His voice is very peculiar, like two people talking at the same time," Li Yu added. "And he never eats or drinks, except for that one time I happened to see him."
Lin Mo fell into deep thought. Red eyes, a double voice, an otherworldly demeanor... these characteristics reminded him of a kind of evil magic recorded in ancient books—possession by a celestial demon.
If the emperor was truly controlled by the Heavenly Demon, then many things would make sense. A drastic change in temperament, the heavy reliance on sorcerers, the persecution of the Crown Prince's lineage... these are all methods commonly used by the Heavenly Demon.
"Master, has something come to mind?" Li Yu noticed Lin Mo's solemn expression.
Lin Mo pondered for a moment: "It's hard to say right now. But don't worry, I will definitely get to the bottom of this."
He walked to the window and gazed at the distant sky. If it was truly the work of a celestial demon, then this struggle would no longer be a simple contest for imperial power, but a matter of great importance concerning all living beings.
"Li Yu, you will stay at the manor during this time and not go out," Lin Mo instructed, turning around. "I will strengthen the manor's defenses and continue investigating these matters."
"Thank you, Master." Li Yu bowed.
After Li Yu left, Lin Mo said to Lin Feng, "Send orders to our spies in the capital to investigate the Imperial Preceptor's background at all costs. Especially investigate whether anything unusual happened in the capital during the time he appeared three years ago."
"Understood. There's one more thing, Master. We've received information that the Third Prince has recently been trying to win over the Fifth Prince, seemingly intending to join forces against us."
Lin Mo sneered, "As expected. But it's fine this way; let them fight like dogs, and we can take the opportunity to investigate the Grand Preceptor's background."
As night fell, Lin Mo was alone in his study, sorting through the day's findings. The possibility that the Emperor was possessed by a demon was growing stronger, but more evidence was needed. The Crown Princess's secret study might hold crucial clues, but the Eastern Palace was undoubtedly heavily guarded now, making infiltration no easy feat.
"It seems it's time to use that card." Lin Mo took out a jade talisman from a hidden compartment. It was a gift from an old eunuch he had saved in his previous life, who promised to provide assistance in critical moments.
Now, it's time to fulfill that promise.