Jade of Another World

Standing in his study, Nangong Jin frowned slightly, his mind filled with doubts. Recalling the Crown Prince case, from initially receiving the Emperor's commission to gradually uncovering those crucial clues, and finally having the Crown Prince stripped of his title, the entire process, though requiring considerable effort, also felt strangely smooth upon reflection.

The clues seemed to have been deliberately placed there for him to discover. Every time he found a key point, new clues would automatically emerge, naturally leading the investigation towards the Crown Prince. Everything was too coincidental, so smooth that it defied common sense.

Nangong Jin paced back and forth in the room, pondering to himself, "Behind all this, there's probably someone secretly pulling the strings, subtly guiding me to overthrow the Crown Prince. But who is this person? And what are their motives?"

He knew full well the complex situation within the palace, with various factions deeply entrenched. He was certain the person behind it all had a grand scheme, far beyond simply punishing the Crown Prince. Having sensed something amiss, Nangong Jin naturally wouldn't stand idly by. He immediately decided to launch a secret investigation, determined to uncover the mastermind behind it all and their true motives.

So, Nangong Jin first summoned all his subordinates who had participated in the investigation of the Crown Prince's case and carefully questioned them about whether they had encountered any suspicious persons or unusual situations during the investigation. The subordinates recalled one after another, and some mentioned that they had seen several suspicious strangers at the scene where they were collecting clues, but at the time they were focused on the investigation and did not pay much attention to them.

Nangong Jin noted down all these suspicious points and then assigned several trusted confidants to disguise themselves and secretly observe ministers who had previously clashed with the Crown Prince, especially those who had benefited greatly from the Crown Prince's downfall, to see if they could uncover any clues. At the same time, he himself began frequently visiting well-informed places like teahouses and taverns, trying to glean useful clues from rumors and gossip; after all, sometimes, untold truths could be hidden in the whispers of the common people.

However, this clandestine investigation was destined to be anything but easy. Nangong Jin knew he had to be extremely careful. If he alerted the person behind the scenes and they discovered his intentions, the situation would become even more complicated and unpredictable. Whether he could unravel the mystery and find the mastermind behind it all remained to be seen.

Nangong Jin had been investigating the city thoroughly, leaving no stone unturned, and finally discovered some unusual clues. Following these clues, he meticulously unraveled the mystery, eventually uncovering a secluded manor. The manor appeared ordinary, but the guards around it exuded an air of mystery, giving Nangong Jin a vague feeling that it must hold some crucial clues.

So, Nangong Jin planned a surprise inspection of the estate the next day. That evening, he returned home, but his usual composure was completely gone; he seemed restless and uneasy. Sitting at the dinner table, looking at the food laid out before him, he only ate a couple of bites before losing his appetite, his mind already wandering to the estate he was about to investigate.

Back in his bedroom, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. His mind raced with various possibilities, and he wondered to himself, "What could be hidden in that manor? Could there be letters between the Crown Prince and others secretly colluding? Or perhaps evidence of weapons being hoarded that hasn't been moved yet? Or maybe there are key objects that could directly identify the person behind it all?" These speculations swirled in his mind, making him increasingly anxious, wishing he could go to the manor right now to find out.

The next morning finally arrived, and Nangong Jin, accompanied by a group of trusted men, rode at full speed towards the manor. Along the way, the horses' hooves kicked up clouds of dust, and the expressions of the men were filled with tension and anticipation. However, when they stormed into the manor, they were all stunned. The manor was completely empty; there wasn't a single person in sight, let alone any important clues. Clearly, their plan had been known beforehand, and everything had been meticulously cleaned up, leaving no trace.

Nangong Jin frowned, his face turning grim, filled with both anger and regret. He was angry that someone had known about his actions beforehand, alerting the enemy and causing him to miss his target; he regretted not being more cautious, giving the other party an opportunity. Now the trail had gone cold, and it would likely be a long and arduous process to continue the investigation.

On that quiet night at the Prime Minister's residence, the moonlight shone like water in the courtyard. Lin Ning was sitting in her room, lost in thought by the candlelight. Suddenly, a soft sound broke the silence, and then a flying stone broke through the window and landed on the ground with a "thud".

Lin Ning was startled and quickly got up to check. After seeing that it was a message sent by flying stone, she cautiously looked around to make sure there was nothing amiss before carefully opening the letter. When she saw the contents of the letter—that Nangong Jin planned to launch a surprise attack on the manor—her expression instantly turned serious.

Knowing that this matter could not be delayed, she hurriedly left her room and rushed to the place where Lin Wan and Peng Yingchun were hiding under the cover of night. When Lin Wan and Peng Yingchun saw Lin Ning arrive so late and with such a serious expression, a bad feeling welled up in their hearts.

Lin Ning didn't beat around the bush and directly told the two the contents of the letter, then said, "The situation is urgent, we need to arrange for you to escape as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Peng Yingchun and Lin Wan exchanged a worried glance. Peng Yingchun couldn't help but ask, "Is the information in this letter reliable? What if it's just someone deliberately trying to confuse us?" Lin Wan nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with doubt.

Lin Ning frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and said, "To be honest, I'm not sure if this news is reliable or not, but given the current situation, we should be more inclined to believe it than not. If Nangong Jin really leads a surprise attack on the manor, we will have no way out. The best course of action is to leave here and find a safer place to hide."

Lin Wan bit her lip. Although she was still a little uneasy, she understood that Lin Ning was right, so she said, "Sister is right. Let's pack our things and get ready to leave. But where should we go right now?"

Peng Yingchun chimed in, "Yes, it's really not an easy thing to find a safe place to go in such a hurry."

While urging the two to quickly pack some necessary items, Lin Ning pondered and said, "Let's leave here through the secret passage first, and then make further plans after we get to a place I'm familiar with."

So the three of them dared not slack off any longer and hurriedly packed their things. Under the cover of night, they left the manor in a hurry. All the way, they were extremely nervous, afraid that someone would chase after them.

The moonlight enveloped the entire city, and in the hazy darkness, Lin Ning, Lin Wan, and Peng Yingchun hurried along, taking advantage of the cover of night to carefully make their way towards the pawnshop in the west of the city. They dared not stop for a moment, their hearts filled with tension and trepidation, fearing that they might be discovered if they were not careful.

Having finally arrived at the pawnshop, Lin Ning knocked on the back door with practiced ease. A moment later, the door creaked open, and Manager Wang poked his head out. He was taken aback when he saw Lin Ning, but then quickly ushered the three of them inside.

Lin Ning, disregarding pleasantries, hurriedly said, "Manager Wang, the situation is urgent. I'll have to trouble you to hide them well and make sure no one finds them." Manager Wang, seeing Lin Ning's grave expression, knew the matter was serious. He nodded and led Lin Wan and Peng Yingchun to the backyard. He first opened the entrance to a hidden basement, which was filled with some unremarkable items, but large enough for the two to hide in.

While helping Lin Wan and Peng Yingchun settle in, Manager Wang said, "Don't worry, just stay here and hide. I'll keep watch and won't let anyone else know."

Lin Wan and Peng Yingchun looked at Manager Wang gratefully. Lin Wan said, "Thank you for your help, Manager. We've really troubled you this time."

Peng Yingchun echoed her thanks, but Manager Wang waved his hand, indicating that they didn't need to be so polite.

After everything was arranged, Lin Ning looked at the sky outside and felt a little worried. If she didn't return to the Prime Minister's residence soon, it would easily arouse suspicion if the people there found out she hadn't come home all night. So, she said to Manager Wang, "Manager Wang, I have to go back to the residence to avoid any trouble. I'll leave things here in your care."

Manager Wang understood Lin Ning's concerns and said, "Don't worry, young lady, I'll take care of things here."

Lin Ning took a deep breath, turned and walked out of the pawnshop, disappearing back into the vast night. Along the way, she cautiously observed her surroundings, her steps quick yet as silent as possible, finally returning to the Prime Minister's residence. She quietly slipped in through the back door and tiptoed towards her quarters. Only when she was safely back in her room did she breathe a sigh of relief. However, the ordeal of the night left her unsettled, unsure of what awaited her next.

The next day, as expected, she heard about Nangong Jin's surprise attack on the manor. But one thing confused her: had Nangong Jin lost his memory? Lin Ning had previously thought that Nangong Jin's actions were solely to overthrow the Crown Prince; he should know Lin Wan and Peng Yingchun were at the manor—it was the manor he had chosen. Why then would he raid his own manor? It seemed many things were contradictory. Now it appeared Uncle Zhong was right: the person helping them all along might not have been Nangong Jin at all, but a man disguised as him. So, who was this person? And why was he impersonating Nangong Jin to be with them? What was his purpose? It couldn't be as simple as just helping them. All these questions gave Lin Ning a terrible headache. She didn't even know when the Nangong Jin beside her had changed. Which one was real, and which one was fake? Lin Ning couldn't tell at all. However, the one in the palace now must be the real Nangong Jin, the cold-blooded prince with whom she had a very distant relationship. Thinking about it, the person who played Nangong Jin was really much better than that grumpy, wooden-faced Nangong Jin. Lin Ning thought to herself.

The Crown Prince was also unable to sleep. After being stripped of his title, he was confined to his palace, filled with resentment and bitterness. He paced back and forth in his bedchamber, his mind replaying the events of the day. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that his current predicament was all because Lin Wan was no longer in his hands.

In his already somewhat distorted mind, he firmly believed that with the protection of the Heavenly Phoenix Maiden, the world would surely be his again. Lin Wan was the Heavenly Phoenix Maiden he believed could bring good fortune and protect him in achieving his great ambitions. Now that Lin Wan had escaped, it was as if his foundation had been ripped away, causing all his ambitions and plans to vanish like bubbles. How could he possibly accept this?

Gradually, the crown prince's expression became increasingly deranged, his eyes bloodshot, and his once handsome face now contorted with rage. He abruptly stopped and loudly summoned his personal guards and confidants, his voice echoing in the empty hall with an undeniable madness.

Before the guards and confidants could even pay their respects, the Crown Prince roared impatiently, "Listen up! No matter what it takes, no matter the cost, you must bring Lin Wan back to me! She is of utmost importance to me. As long as she is by my side, I can rise again!"

The personal guard looked troubled and hesitated before saying, "Your Highness, you are currently confined to the palace, which makes our movements very inconvenient. Moreover, Nangong Jin and the others are still watching outside. Finding Miss Lin Wan will not be so easy."

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince's eyes widened in fury. He strode forward, raised his hand, and slapped the guard across the face, shouting, "Useless trash! I don't care about these things. If you can't do it, what use are your heads to me? I've raised you for so long, not so you could come here and spout these useless words!"

Seeing this, the confidants quickly chimed in, "Your Highness, please calm down. We will do everything in our power to find Miss Lin Wan. Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we will definitely find her and present her to Your Highness."

The Crown Prince's anger subsided slightly, but his eyes still shone with madness and determination: "Hmph, that's for the best! You all go and make arrangements immediately, send out more people to investigate secretly. Once you have any news, report back to me immediately. I will be waiting for your good news in this palace. Don't keep me waiting too long, or you will all come to me with your heads!"

After saying that, the Crown Prince flicked his sleeves, turned around and sat back in his chair, gripping the armrests tightly with both hands, staring straight ahead as if he could already see the scene of Lin Wan being brought back.

Upon receiving that almost insane order, the Crown Prince's confidants dared not slacken their efforts and immediately mobilized their spies, who were usually hidden like spider webs, silently gathering intelligence. Now, these spies proved invaluable.

First, they located the manor that Nangong Jin had raided, knowing it must hold a secret. Then, they secretly sent people to interview previous residents, hoping to extract useful clues. These trusted men used every trick in the book, from threats to bribes, and finally, their efforts paid off. They obtained a barely perceptible clue from a former servant at the manor.

Following this hard-won clue, they meticulously unraveled the mystery, eventually tracing it back to a villager who, under duress, revealed the identities of the women and fled westward into the night. Meanwhile, at the pawnshop, Manager Wang, with his keen insight honed over years in this murky world, quickly noticed something amiss.

He noticed that there seemed to be some suspicious strangers loitering around the pawnshop all day, their eyes constantly glancing into the shop, unlike ordinary passersby. Manager Wang was startled and immediately realized that something was wrong; Lin Wan and Peng Yingchun's hiding place had probably been discovered.

He didn't dare to delay for a moment and rushed to the backyard to find Lin Wan and Peng Yingchun. He said anxiously, "Girls, I'm afraid someone is watching us here. We can't stay here any longer. You must escape through the back door. The back door leads to the back mountain. We should still be able to get out now. If we wait any longer, it may be too late!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Wan and Peng Yingchun turned deathly pale. They were both shocked and frightened, but they knew there was no time to hesitate. Lin Wan hurriedly said, "Manager Wang, thank you so much for saving our lives. We'll be leaving now. Please take good care of yourself!"

Peng Yingchun quickly echoed her thanks, and then the two hurriedly packed up their few important belongings before following Manager Wang toward the back door.

Shopkeeper Wang carefully opened the back door, peeked out, and after confirming that there was no immediate danger, said to the two men, "Go straight along this dark alley. Once you pass through this alley, you will see a mountain. Go up the mountain; it will be harder to be searched from there."

Lin Wan and Peng Yingchun nodded, gritting their teeth and suppressing their fear, before plunging into the dark alley. Their figures quickly disappeared into the night. Manager Wang stood there for a while, watching the direction the two had gone, silently praying that they would escape this ordeal. But what unknown dangers awaited them in the vast darkness was anyone's guess.