People in the Qin Dynasty, entertained during the Warring States period

Yan Lingji spotted Cao Ze first, but she pretended not to see him.

"Ha, Firefighting Princess, out having fun?"

The veins on Yan Lingji's forehead were faintly visible, and she groaned helplessly in her heart, "Sure enough, it's happening again."

If watching Jingni with the baby and listening to Liwu play the flute made her want to go crazy...

Cao Ze teased her about being a fire-starter, which caused her to break down in tears!

Li Wu smiled and said, "It's not just about sightseeing; we also help those in need when we see them."

Yan Lingji felt nervous, worried that she had given herself away, so she hurriedly started praising herself.

Cao Ze looked at Yan Lingji in surprise. Could this demoness be a good person?

Yes, she must have been moved by him.

Cao Ze didn't think much of it, but noticed the Scorpion Sect that Yan Lingji mentioned, and a person dressed in tattered clothes, with a hunched back, who looked like a refugee.

It really is Li Kai.

Cao Ze glanced at the bustling crowd around him, and to avoid being noticed by anyone with ulterior motives, said, "You all enjoy your visit, I'll head back to Zilan Pavilion first."

Yan Lingji pouted and said, "Living in Zilan Pavilion every day, you're probably surrounded by beautiful women, indulging in revelry every night. Li Wu, what do you think?"

Li Wu could easily understand Yan Lingji's implied meaning, and said with a smile, "What can I say? Let him do whatever he wants."

Yan Lingji took a light breath and sniffed her delicate nose. She knew this would be the result. It's no wonder you're all left alone in your rooms, unable to even keep your own men!

Night was falling.

Cao Ze quietly left Zilan Pavilion.

As for Lady Mingzhu's request for him to investigate Wei Zhuang and monitor Ji Wuye, he had long since forgotten about it.

Nonsense, how could he not know what kind of person Wei Zhuang is, what his strength is, and what his purpose is?

As for Ji Wuye, with him under surveillance, how could he possibly have time for nightlife?

Cao Ze strolled to the outside of the Poison Scorpion Sect's lair, observed briefly, avoided the henchmen in the outer hall, and entered the Poison Scorpion Sect's main hall.

"Boss, why would that official want to arrest an old geezer?"

The underling fawned over the wine jar and poured wine for the sect leader, Poison Scorpion.

The scorpion downed the wine in his bowl in one gulp and scolded, "Don't pry into the affairs of the master! No one is to be disturbed by the master tonight!"

"Yes, yes, I understand." The squad leader glanced fearfully at the prison cells deep inside the back hall.

He knew that his boss had sided with Nightfall, and this person, according to his boss, seemed to be a very important figure in Nightfall, capable of wiping out their Poison Scorpion Sect with a wave of his hand.

Cao Ze waited patiently until Poison Scorpion and the gang leader left, then slipped into the back room.

Inside the cell, Li Kai remained unconscious. A vulture scooped up a ladle of ice water and splashed it on him.

"Cough, cough cough—"

Li Kai lifted his heavy eyelids, coughed rapidly, and then gasped for breath.

The vulture hissed hoarsely, "Li Kai, I'm giving you one last chance. If you don't talk now, I'll send you on your way!"

Li Kai took a deep breath and said, "I've already said it, the Baiyue treasure is in Liu Yi's hands. If you don't believe me, you can go and question Liu Yi face to face..."

He wasn't lying; everything he said was true. He also didn't hide his intention to use the vulture to kill Liu Yi.

Vulture remained silent. He only had one chance. If he failed, he would either be killed or flee from Korea. He knew the strength of Night Birds in Korea.

Cao Ze, who was eavesdropping outside the cell, thought it was strange. He was certain that Liu Yi had not obtained any Baiyue treasure, only a few boxes containing treasure.

If there is anything related to the Baiyue treasure, it can only be that empty box engraved with runes exclusive to the Baiyue royal family.

The vulture said in a deep voice, "Tell me everything you know, exactly what it is!"

He needed to determine whether Li Kai was lying.

Having worked at Bai Niao for many years, he had interrogated countless people. He wasn't afraid of tough guys, but he was afraid of people like Li Kai who spoke directly.

Because these people are likely to have anticipated being arrested, it is difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood. The only solution is to interrogate them repeatedly and compare the details before and after.

Li Kai took a breath. "Back then, Han and Chu formed an alliance to jointly attack Baiyue. Not long after the alliance was established, the late king passed away, and Crown Prince An ascended the throne. Therefore, the King of Han appointed me as the Right Sima of Han, to assist Bai Yifei, the commander of the allied forces."

The vulture remained silent, though he was aware of the matter.

Li Kai was born into nobility and served the King of Han for three generations. By Li Kai's generation, only Li Kai remained in the Li family. He benefited from the merits of his ancestors and was appreciated by the late king. After the King of Han ascended the throne, he was promoted and given important positions. At a young age, he became the Right Sima of Han and held military power in one region.

"continue."

Li Kai was already weak, and it took him a long time to recover before he said, "The war against Baiyue has not gone smoothly. Although the Baiyue people lack the strength in numbers and weapons, Baiyue is humid all year round and filled with miasma, so the allied forces have to proceed slowly."

"It was around that time that I discovered Bai Yifei was frequently mobilizing troops to search various parts of Baiyue. I learned by chance that he was looking for the legendary Azure Dragon Seven Mansions and the Baiyue treasure that was widely circulated in Baiyue."

"So, I secretly reported this intelligence to King Han, who ordered me to keep an eye on Bai Yifei's movements and also to investigate him..."

Li Kai couldn't catch his breath, gasped for air a few times, and then closed his eyes.

The vulture's eyelids twitched, and it quickly reached out to check Li Kai's breathing. Seeing that he was still breathing, it breathed a sigh of relief.

He was truly afraid that Li Kai might suddenly pass away, so he could only patiently wait for Li Kai to recover.

Cao Ze, who was eavesdropping outside the cell, had some guesses. He muttered to himself, "No wonder Han Wang An was so angry and afraid about Li Kai being alive in the original story, and he wanted Li Kai dead. It wasn't just because of his own bloody rise to power..."

After a long while, Li Kai slightly opened his eyes.

"The Azure Dragon Seven Constellations are ethereal and elusive. King Han only ordered me to secretly investigate the treasures of Baiyue. After many months of covert investigation, I have locked onto Fire Rain Manor as my target."

"So, I took the opportunity of pursuing the young lady of Fire Rain Manor to search for clues within the manor."

At this point, a hint of reminiscence appeared in Li Kai's cloudy eyes.

The vulture sneered, "Now your wife has become the wife of your enemy."

Li Kai was not angry. More than ten years had passed, and he had already expressed all the anger and resentment he needed to express. He only wanted to see his wife and daughter one last time before he died, and then perish together with Liu Yi.

"When everything was going well, unexpectedly, a traitor appeared among us. Liu Yi, who was my deputy, secretly defected to Commander Bai Yifei for some reason. Bai Yifei knew everything I had done."

The vulture asked, "Why didn't Bai Yifei kill you immediately to silence you?"

Li Kai mocked, "Military and national affairs are not child's play. Although Bai Yifei is the commander-in-chief, he cannot kill me openly."

Cao Ze silently complained, no wonder he could only be a master thief and assassin. With this kind of brain, he would be sold out in no time if he tried to survive in the officialdom.

No wonder Liu Yi, with his intelligence, was able to act as the victor, wiping out the three wolves with the broken hair all at once.

The vulture was momentarily speechless, then snorted, "Go on!"

Li Kai fell silent again. The past was too painful to recall. If given another chance, he would never again be loyal to the King of Han, which chilled his heart.

"Later, Bai Yifei sent me to fight against the Baiyue. On the first day of battle, the Zuo army that was fighting alongside me fled at the first sign of trouble, leaving me with only a few hundred personal guards, and we were caught in a bitter battle. It wasn't until later, when I survived a great ordeal, that I learned that Liu Yi had already betrayed me and conspired with Bai Yifei to kill me."

"When I climbed to Fire Rain Manor, it had already turned to ashes. You should know better than I do what happened after that."

The vulture narrowed its eyes slightly. "Is the Baiyue treasure really related to the Azure Dragon's Seven Mansions?"

Li Kai sneered and provoked Wu Jiu, saying, "You're even hesitant to kill Liu Yi, do you think you're qualified to get involved?"

Cao Ze, who was listening intently outside the cell, seemed to be deep in thought. Li Kai was definitely hiding something.

For example, why was Bai Yifei so eager to kill Li Kai instead of restricting Li Kai's investigation?

It should be noted that at that time, the Bai family was in an ambiguous relationship with King Han An, and it was impossible for them to kill the Right Sima, who was a confidant of King Han, at will.

Unless Li Kai has really found some clue that has Bai Yifei furious...

The vulture walked out of the cell and said to the scorpion, "Keep an eye on the man inside. If he dies, you can die too!"

The scorpion, with its fierce-looking face, replied meekly, "Yes, yes, sir, rest assured, I will keep a close eye on the person."

The vulture donned a black cloak and left through the Scorpion Gate.

Cao Ze glanced at it, then looked away.

Without a doubt, the vulture went to Liu Yi's residence to investigate something.

There's a parrot in Madam Hu's house; as long as the vulture has eyes, it won't go crazy.

After Cao Ze and the other scorpions finished feeding Li Kai, they accidentally opened the copper lock.

Li Kai looked at the young man in front of him in surprise, "You are..."

He remembered clearly that on that day at the theater, this young man was accompanying his daughter.

Cao Ze smiled faintly and said, "Who I am is not important. What is important is that I want to know what you didn't tell the vulture."

Li Kai chuckled, "You're smarter than that thief, but why should I tell you?"

"Just because my men helped you today, and because I'm taking care of your daughter and wife, what do you say?"

Li Kaixin was shocked. "You...you know who I am? No, how do you know about them?"

Cao Ze said slowly, "Weren't you the one who pushed the night-blooming jay cart at the theater that day?"

Li Kai remained silent. "So you found me out."

"It's hard not to notice when someone with questionable actions is secretly watching you. Okay, tell me about it."

Li Kai hesitated and asked, "How are they now?"

Madam Hu is very radiant, and Miss Nongyu is very beautiful... Cao Ze said solemnly, "They are very safe, and I have arranged for someone to protect Madam Hu. Neither Liu Yi nor Wujiu can harm her."

Li Kai said in a low voice, "Thank you."

"Can we talk now?" Cao Ze asked, one hand behind his back, looking at Li Kai.

Li Kai shook his head: "No, I can't say it. If I do, I'll hurt them."

"Them?" Cao Ze frowned. "Why?"

It's not exactly common knowledge that Madam Hu and Consort Hu came from Fire Rain Manor, but it's not exactly a secret either.

Why did Li Kai say that if he revealed the secret, it would harm Nongyu and Madam Hu?

He suddenly said, "Madam Hu and the others don't know this secret, do they?"

Li Kai nodded heavily: "Yes."

"This secret is not only related to the Baiyue treasure, but also to their safety..." Cao Ze muttered to himself, "Is it really impossible to tell? Even if it involves Hu Meiren?"

Li Kaidao: "No, even Beauty Hu will die."