Emperor's Cunning Wife

"There was no body." The subordinate replied leaving the captain and his teammate baffled.

All eyes went to the man covered in wounds and the captain.

The man stood abruptly and stubbornly said, "I left it there, inside the bushes. The body was intact." Then the captain approached his side to suppress him his agitation.

"You, your captain, and I will search for the body. Five and three retrieve the three other bodies, and report any suspicious movements. Four sent this man to the infirmary." The newly arrived leader sent out commands before vanishing from where he stood.

Five and three went on a different direction according to the brief information the captain recounted while on the way. They slipped inside the courtyard and covertly found their mission.

Four dragged the man onto his back and hurriedly left to seek medical assistance.

On the other hand, the captain while carrying his injured personnel at the back reached their destination under the instruction of his injured subordinate. Green shrubberies came to their vision. Scattered twigs and leaves and the mark soil were signs to prove the injured man's words earlier.

"Just a few more steps."

The captain listened and went deeper where a mark made from leaves and twigs was formed. He halted and frowned.

"Are you sure it was here?" The captain inquired confirming their destination.

The leader following them also stopped in his tracks, his ears perked picking their exchanges, pair of eyes roamed the area but none had even seen a hair of their target.

"Impossible! It was here. I perfectly remember it was here!" Full of disbelief, he got down from his captain's back disregarding his wounds. His captain restrained him by holding his collar. While his eyes contained the same inquiry as the injured man, he was puzzled how a grown man's body disappeared, because he fully believed his subordinate will gain nothing from lying.

The leader stayed silent the entire period focusing on looking for clues. Suddenly he felt his boots got stained with something sticky, he looked down and lifted his boots, titling it to an angle visible to them three.

His movements drew the two's attention, and they also followed and lifted their boots only to see the same liquid stuck on the hills of their boots.

"Clear the paths. Be careful." The leader ordered.

Even without the leader's words, the two already begun clearing, each leaves and twigs were carefully handled with precaution. The two keep going until a puddle of liquid made from unknown substance was revealed.

The leader unsheathed his weapon, and submerged a part of the tip on the puddle. He lifted it and brought it closer to his nose to smell the scent of bone corroding powder.

Disheartened, he cleaned the sword with his sleeves and returned it to the sheath, "This is strange."

"What do you think Leader Mo?" The captain asked eager to know what happened to that injured man.

"I am not sure if it was bone corroding powder or something else. We better sent some samples to Physician Gao to get his opinion." The leader decided since there was no benefit in idle guesses. Physician can be called a confidant of the Emperor so His Majesty might permit him seeking the physician's consultation.

"But.." The subordinate of the captain had something to say but the leader gave him another task.

"Write a detailed report and submit it to the Dragon banner by Tomorrow. Third platoon captain should also help, I need your cooperation in recounting to the smallest of details." The leader said and walked out of the shrubberies.

The captain and his subordinate bowed, swallowing any questions.

"Yes Leader."

"Leader!" The captain called out recalling the weapons of the intruders.

"What? Save your questions tomorrow." The leader waved and hated people disturbing him from thinking.

"Leader, you better see their weapons! Their swords' edges were hard leaving uneven dents on my sword." The captain specified hinting the leader of clues that might add to their success of identifying the intruders' organization. Along his words, his sword was drawn; its edges were smeared by dents like it was that brittle.

The leader's curiosity piqued at the captain's remarks and proof. "Find it, when we return to the base, give it to me." As much as the leader wanted to stay and searched it with them, the sun was about to set.

"Yes!" Both of two acknowledge him at the same time.