Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Wu Tao's plan was perfectly executed. A few days later, the rumor that Hu Bugui and Liu Rufeng had found the hiding place of the mysterious organization spread like wildfire and became a hot topic in the palace.

"Have you heard? Lord Hu and his men have found the lair of those traitors!"

"Is it true? Where are they hiding? How did you find them?"

"Shh, keep your voice down, this is confidential..."

Similar conversations continued to unfold among the palace maids and eunuchs, and everyone was full of curiosity and anticipation for the news. However, they did not know that this seemingly accidental leak was actually under Wu Tao's control.

In order not to arouse suspicion, Wu Tao specially arranged several confidants to pretend to accidentally reveal the news and secretly observe the reactions of the people around them. Sure enough, among the many palace people, a seemingly inconspicuous palace maid behaved particularly abnormally.

The maid was named Xiaolan. She was usually quiet and inconspicuous, but the day after the rumor spread, she sneaked out of the palace and went to a dilapidated temple on the outskirts of the city. Wu Tao had already anticipated this and arranged for someone to follow her in secret.

After Xiaolan entered the ruined temple, a man in black had been waiting for a long time.

"How's it going?" the man in black asked, his voice low and rapid.

"Your Excellency, the news has been successfully spread, and Hu Bugui and the others seem to believe it firmly." Xiaolan replied in a low voice, with a barely perceptible nervousness on her face.

"Very good, this is a reward for you." The man in black nodded with satisfaction, took out a bag of heavy silver from his arms and threw it in front of Xiaolan.

"Thank you, sir!" Xiaolan immediately smiled and quickly held the silver tightly in her hand.

However, at this moment, the door of the dilapidated temple was suddenly kicked open, and several nimble soldiers rushed in and surrounded Xiaolan and the man in black.

"Who are you? What do you want to do?" The man in black was shocked and asked sternly.

"Humph, you are the mastermind behind this, right?" A soldier sneered and pointed at the man in black, saying, "We have been keeping an eye on you for a long time!"

At the same time, Wu Tao, who was hiding in the dark, saw this scene and a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Fish, it's hooked..."

As expected by Wu Tao, the defense measures carefully arranged by Hu Bugui and Liu Rufeng were easily cracked by the mysterious organization after Xiaolan betrayed them. That night, a large number of men in black sneaked into the palace, and a chaos began. Outside the palace, shouts and screams shook the sky, flames soared into the sky, and thick smoke billowed, illuminating the night sky like daylight. In the bedroom, the emperor hid behind the screen in panic, holding a jade ruyi, a symbol of imperial power, tightly in his hand, but he couldn't stop shaking.

"Your Majesty, don't panic. I am here to protect you!" A general in armor and holding a sword stood in front of the emperor. His tone was firm, but there was a hint of uneasiness in his eyes.

However, his words were quickly interrupted by a sneer.

"Protecting the emperor? Just relying on you good-for-nothings like you?" As the words fell, a figure wearing a black cloak and with his face hidden in the shadows slowly walked into the bedroom, his tone full of disdain and ridicule. Behind him, dozens of men in black filed in and surrounded the bedroom.

"Who are you? How dare you trespass into the palace? Aren't you afraid of being executed along with your entire clan?" The emperor forced himself to remain calm and asked in a stern voice, but his voice was trembling a little.

The leader of the men in black ignored the emperor's questioning and just smiled coldly and waved his hand. Several men in black immediately stepped forward and subdued the emperor and the general.

"Your Majesty!" The general struggled hard, but was knocked unconscious by a palm from the man in black.

"How dare you! You traitors, let me go right now!" The emperor was held hostage by the men in black, struggling weakly and roaring.

The leader of the men in black walked up to the emperor, looked down at him, and said in a cold tone: "Your life and death are now in my hands. I advise you to be sensible." After that, he ordered his men to take the emperor away and disappeared into the night.

At this time, in another palace, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao were fighting bloody battles, trying to carve out a bloody path. However, facing the enemy's overwhelming offensive, they gradually felt powerless.

"Taotao, be careful!" Hu Bugui waved his sword to block the attack of a man in black and shouted anxiously.

Wu Tao was besieged by several men in black and was in danger. Although she was smart and brave, she could not beat four hands with two fists.

"We can't go on like this, we must retreat!" Wu Tao shouted to Hu Bugui while resisting the attack.

Hu Bugui also knew the situation at the moment, gritted his teeth and nodded. The two fought and retreated, and were eventually forced to evacuate the palace under the fierce attack of the enemy.

In the darkness of the night, the two men's embarrassed figures disappeared outside the palace wall, leaving behind a field of mourning. This was the first time they had failed in their attempt, and it was such a complete and despairing failure.

Outside the palace wall, the night was as dark as ink, and the cold wind biting at the bone. Wu Tao supported Hu Bugui, stumbling through the dark alley. Hu Bugui's face was as pale as paper, and the blood at the corner of his mouth was shocking. Every step he took seemed extremely difficult.

"Bugui, how are you? Hold on!" Wu Tao asked anxiously, with a hint of trembling in his voice.

"I'm fine, but..." Hu Bugui was about to say something when he suddenly had a violent cough. Blood gushed out of his mouth, staining the collar of his shirt red.

"Stop talking, let's leave here first!" Wu Tao's heart tightened, and he supported him more forcefully and quickened his pace.

However, their whereabouts seemed to have been exposed, as they heard hurried footsteps and the sound of weapons clashing behind them.

"Chase! Don't let them escape!"

Wu Tao looked back and saw a group of men in black holding swords and knives, chasing after him aggressively, obviously determined to pursue him.

"Damn it, they're catching up!" Wu Tao gritted his teeth, his heart filled with despair. In their current situation, it was impossible for them to escape.

At this moment, a dark shadow suddenly appeared in front of them, blocking their way. Wu Tao was startled and instinctively protected Hu Bugui behind him, looking at the person vigilantly.

"Who are you? What do you want to do?" Wu Tao asked sternly.

"Don't be afraid, we are here to help you." A deep voice came from the shadows, with a hint of smile in the tone.

Before he finished speaking, the black shadow rushed towards the pursuers like a ghost, and several men in black fell to the ground amid the flashes of swords and sabers. Wu Tao could see clearly that the man who came was a man in night clothes, a bamboo hat, and a stern face. He danced with a long sword in his hand with great vigor and every move was deadly.

"You go first, leave this to me!" The man shouted to Wu Tao while fighting fiercely with the man in black.

Wu Tao knew that this was not the time to hesitate, so he looked at the man deeply, supported Hu Bugui, turned around and disappeared into the darkness.

Under the man's cover, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui finally escaped the pursuers and came to a secluded house. The man simply bandaged Hu Bugui's wound and left quietly, leaving only one sentence before leaving: "Take good care of him, I will come to find you again."

Wu Tao was extremely anxious after settling Hu Bugui down. She wiped the sweat off his forehead while reflecting on tonight's actions.

"How could this happen? The plan was obviously perfect, why did it fail?" Wu Tao murmured to himself, feeling full of self-blame.

She knew that the failure of this operation meant that they would face even more severe challenges, and Hu Bugui's injuries made her even more worried.

"Bugui, you must be okay..." Wu Tao held Hu Bugui's hand and prayed silently in her heart. Wu Tao's heart was shocked. Could it be that mysterious man? She helped Hu Bugui up and followed the sound to the window. Under the night sky, a dark figure stood on the high wall, carrying a long sword. The night wind blew his black cloak, like a messenger of the dark night.

"Is it you?" Wu Tao asked in a low voice.

The shadow turned around, revealing a sharp-edged face under the bamboo hat. It was the black-clad swordsman who had saved them earlier. "It's me." His tone was calm, but it revealed an irresistible majesty.

"Who are you? Why are you helping us?" Wu Tao asked vigilantly. After experiencing betrayal, she no longer dared to trust anyone easily.

The black-clad swordsman was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "I was asked by someone to come and lend you a helping hand."

"Entrusted by someone?" Wu Tao was even more confused. "Who?"

"Now is not the time to tell you." The black-clad swordsman said firmly, "I only ask you, do you still want to save the emperor and clear Lord Hu's grievances?"

Wu Tao nodded without hesitation, "Yes! Of course I do!"

"Okay." A hint of appreciation flashed in the black-clothed swordsman's eyes. "Tomorrow at noon, I will wait for you at Qingyun Temple outside the city." After saying that, he jumped up and disappeared into the night.

Wu Tao looked at the direction he left, feeling mixed emotions. The appearance of this mysterious swordsman undoubtedly brought them hope, but also brought more questions. Who is he? Who entrusted him with this? All of this was like a huge mystery waiting for them to solve. And she vaguely felt that all of this seemed to be inextricably linked to her time travel...