The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 427 Identity
The dark figure ahead moved with astonishing speed, fluttering like cotton wool, and soon arrived at the southwestern city of Yuzhou.

Zhao Ti followed cautiously behind, glancing around with a puzzled expression.

Yuzhou City is extremely large, with people living in all four parts. It is divided into north and south by the Yujiang River. The area north of the Yujiang River is mostly inhabited by officials and nobles, while the area south of the Yujiang River is mostly inhabited by commoners.

South of the Yujiang River, the population is further divided based on their proximity to the riverbank. Those living near the Yujiang River are mostly long-time residents of the city or merchants.

The area near the south city wall was mainly inhabited by migrants seeking a living, and the environment there was relatively chaotic and the security was not good.

However, there were few residents in the southwest corner of the city because there was a large lake there, which was rich in jade water chestnuts that were offered as tribute to the Qianjing imperial family. Moreover, the Tiange Pavilion was also located there. Therefore, the government ordered that ordinary people were not allowed to approach, and that migrants from other places were not allowed to build shacks or simple houses there.

This large lake is called Yuling Lake. It is a living lake, and it is said that there is a river below that connects to the Yujiang River, so it never dries up even in drought years. It is a beautiful place in the bustling city.

How did we end up here? Zhao Ti wondered. There were no people living around Jade Spirit Lake. Although there were tourists during the day, it was closed to the public after 5 pm.

It seems he's not a notorious thief. Apart from the Heavenly Pavilion, there are no other buildings around Jade Spirit Lake. Surely a notorious thief wouldn't dare to enter the Heavenly Pavilion to steal?
The Heavenly Pavilion is not for ordinary believers. It has always been a place of official rank, bestowed by the imperial court. Moreover, most of the officials and disciples inside are skilled in martial arts, and there are quite a few of them. Anyone who tries to steal here will not get away with it.

It couldn't possibly be to steal the jade water chestnuts. Although jade water chestnuts are delicious, it's not worth the risk. After all, you have to go down into the lake to fish them out yourself. Although they are a tribute to the royal family, they are also sold on the black market, and the price is not outrageously expensive.

Zhao Ti was puzzled. At this moment, the area ahead gradually opened up. Since there were no houses by the lake, it was becoming difficult to continue hiding.

The light could be seen from afar; it was the moonlight reflecting off the lake, making this place appear brighter than other parts of the city.

Zhao Ti chased after them for a while longer, and seeing that they were almost at the lakeside, he pondered for a moment, then spotted a large tree on the side of the road and jumped up onto it.

Just then, the dark figure ahead seemed to sense something, suddenly stopped, and turned around to look.

At this moment, Zhao Ti, hidden in the tree canopy, could clearly see from above that although the dark figure was dressed in night clothes and had her head and face covered, she could not hide her graceful figure, slender waist, and soft, willow-like posture.

Hmm? Could it be a woman? Zhao Ti was surprised. Could she be a chivalrous woman from the martial arts world, a heroine from the wilderness? Or perhaps the female bandit from the "Bonnie and Clyde" bandit gang?
The dark figure stood still, stared for a few moments, then suddenly looked up at the large tree where Zhao Ti was hiding.

This is an ancient banyan tree, tall and majestic, with other trees connected behind it, extending along the road into the city.

The dark figure stared at the tree without moving, and Zhao Ti couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Had the other party discovered him?
I have never done tracking before. I was better at stealth and hiding than before, but I didn’t control my strength well when I climbed the tree, and there was a slight noise.

The shadowy figure watched for a moment, then slowly turned around. This time, however, it did not continue to use its lightness skill, but instead walked step by step towards the edge of Jade Spirit Lake.

Zhao Ti remained motionless in the tree. From here, he could see the scenery along the shore of Jade Spirit Lake, and even the center of the lake could be roughly seen by the moonlight. He wanted to see what this woman was planning to do before making any decisions.

Just as the shadowy figure had walked halfway, it suddenly turned back and looked at the tree again. Zhao Ti couldn't help but twitch his lips; the other party was quite cunning.

Seemingly finding nothing, the dark figure quickened his pace toward the lake. Just then, two more figures came running from another direction of Jade Spirit Lake.

The two figures were not dressed in night clothes, but their faces were covered with veils. Judging from their clothing, they were two men. One of them had gray hair and was probably an old man, while the other, judging from the way his hair was styled, seemed to be a young man.

"There are other people?" Zhao Ti wondered, hiding in the tree. It seemed they were with the shadowy figure, and he wondered what they were up to at the lakeside. He held his breath, intending to listen to what they had to say, but the three remained silent. The shadowy figure then gestured to the other two.

The gestures were strange, not the kind that are easy to understand, nor was it sign language. There was a mute old man living in Xinghua Lane. Zhao Ti often went to his house to play when he was a child, so he had some understanding of sign language.

After exchanging a few gestures, the three of them turned around and looked in this direction. Then they exchanged glances and slowly walked towards the tree.

Huh? What's going on? Zhao Ti frowned. What did the woman imply to the other two? Did she still suspect there was someone in the tree and call them to come and see?

He couldn't help but rub his temples. This woman was quite cunning. She had just noticed something was wrong, but she had only observed without coming over to check or cause any disturbance. Only now, after gathering her accomplices, did she come over, intending to harm him.

But would I care? I can't even find someone to spar with. It's perfect that these people are here. They're all wearing veils. If they're not exactly benevolent people, then I can have a good fight.

He pondered for a moment, then saw the three of them approach the tree, and heard the woman in black look up at the tree and speak in a soft, gentle voice: "Friend, shall we continue to hide?"

Zhao Ti remained silent, thinking to himself, "I'm not going out, what can you do to me?"

The woman wore a black veil, obscuring her facial expression, but her voice held a mocking tone: "My friend has followed me all this way. Is there anything you can't say in person? Why hide in the trees and remain invisible?"

Zhao Ti remained silent, merely observing the three men and speculating about their origins.

"Sister, are you sure there really is someone hiding in the tree?" the seemingly young man asked.

“Brother Liu, I suddenly felt a sense of unease halfway here, but I couldn’t sense anyone. However, when I got here, I heard a sound. The person who followed me must have jumped up into this big tree and hidden there,” the woman in black said.

"Miss, do you know which faction they belong to?" the silver-haired old man asked.

"I don't know, but it should be related to this matter." The woman in black shook her head: "But why are you following me?"

"This..." the silver-haired old man pondered, "If they were also outsiders, they certainly wouldn't act this way. Could they be from the Qin family of Yuzhou City?"

"The Qin family?" The woman in black's eyes sparkled like stars as she smiled slightly. "In that case, it's possible that it's the Qin family. After all, this is the Qin family's territory. Whether it's for their own family or to feign compliance with the court, they might send people to investigate. My family is not on good terms with the Qin family, so it's understandable that they would search everywhere and keep a close eye on things."

"Sister, since he is a member of the Qin family, why be so polite to him!" the young man snorted.

"What does Brother Liu mean..." The woman in black looked at him upon hearing this.

“A coward who hides his head and tail, since he’s been secretly following us, why bother with formalities with him…” The young man stared intently at the tree: “Just attack him directly.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his arm and struck forward. With a loud "boom," a gust of wind from his palm struck straight towards the treetop.

(End of this chapter)