novelapdf 107. Orphans
107. Orphans
A light autumn rain fell as Lin Mo, holding an oil-paper umbrella, walked along the mountain path back to Seven Absolutes Manor. Having just finished a meeting with the border general, his mood was heavy. The situation at the border was more tense than he had imagined, and the movements of the foreign tribes were also strange.
"Help!" A desperate cry for help came from the dense forest.
Lin Mo frowned, and in a flash, he disappeared from the spot.
In the woods, three masked men in black were attacking a boy. The boy was about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in rags, with many wounds on his body, yet he still resisted stubbornly. His swordsmanship was quite exquisite, but his strength was insufficient, clearly indicating that he was at his last gasp.
"Boy, hand over the stuff, and I'll spare your life!" the leader of the men in black shouted.
The boy gritted his teeth and didn't answer. He changed his sword stance and started fighting with his life on the line.
Lin Mo didn't want to cause trouble, but seeing a familiar look in the young man's features, a thought struck him. Looking at the black-clad men's fighting style, it was clearly the style of the Imperial Guards.
"Three adults bullying one child is going too far." Lin Mo walked out slowly.
The man in black was startled, clearly not expecting anyone to be in this desolate wilderness. The leader said coldly, "You'd better not meddle in other people's business."
Lin Mo smiled slightly: "I'm determined to meddle in this."
Before he finished speaking, he had already made his move. With a light tap of the umbrella tip, raindrops splashed, and the three men in black fell to the ground without even a chance to resist.
The boy, still shaken, stared warily at Lin Mo: "You...who are you?"
"Seven Absolutes Manor, Lin Mo." He folded his oil-paper umbrella. "And you?"
The boy hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "I...I'm called Li Yu."
Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat. Li was the imperial surname, and the character "Yu" was a generational title in the Crown Prince's lineage. Looking at the young man's features, he did indeed bear a resemblance to the deceased Crown Prince.
"Come back to the manor with me to heal your wounds first," Lin Mo said calmly.
Back at Seven Absolutes Manor, Lin Mo personally treated Li Yu's wounds. The wounds were deep, clearly indicating that the attack had been fatal.
"Why are they chasing you?" Lin Mo asked while applying the medicine.
Li Yu pursed her lips, refusing to answer.
Lin Mo didn't press the matter, simply saying, "Your swordsmanship is the 'Amazing Swan Sword Technique' of the Eastern Palace lineage. Although your skill level is lacking, the moves are authentic. If I'm not mistaken, you should be a descendant of the Crown Prince."
Li Yu's expression changed drastically, and she suddenly stood up to run away, but Lin Mo gently held her down.
"Don't panic," Lin Mo said. "I have a long-standing feud with the Imperial Guards; saving you is no accident."
Li Yu relaxed slightly, but remained wary: "How can you prove it?"
Lin Mo took out a token, the very one he had seized from the Imperial Guards: "Is this enough?"
Upon seeing the token, hatred flashed in Li Yu's eyes: "It was them...it was them who killed my father!"
It turned out that Li Yu was indeed the crown prince's orphan. Three years ago, the crown prince died suddenly, and everyone said he died of illness, but Li Yu knew that was not the case. That night, he personally witnessed several men in black sneaking into the Eastern Palace, and his father never woke up again afterward.
"My mother led me out of the capital, and we were hunted down the whole way..." Li Yu's voice choked with emotion. "Three months ago, my mother also... Before she passed away, she gave me this."
He took out a jade pendant from his pocket, which was engraved with special patterns.
Lin Mo took the jade pendant and examined it carefully. The jade pendant was of a special material, and the patterns on it were even more rare, seemingly containing hidden secrets.
"This should be a keepsake left by the Crown Prince." Lin Mo returned the jade pendant to Li Yu. "You should stay at the villa for now; it's relatively safe here."
After settling Li Yu in, Lin Mo immediately summoned his bodyguards.
"Increase manpower to closely monitor the area around the manor. Also, check if there has been any recent news in the capital regarding the Crown Prince's descendants."
The guards obeyed and left.
In the stillness of the night, Lin Mo was deep in thought alone in his study. Saving the crown prince's orphan meant he was officially drawn into the struggle for the throne. In his previous life, at this time, he had not yet come into contact with this level of conflict, but he vaguely remembered that several princes later fought openly and secretly for the throne, ultimately leading to a great disaster.
"Master," Lin Feng appeared silently in the study, "I've found out. The capital is indeed secretly searching for the Crown Prince's descendants; it's said the Third Prince gave the order."
Lin Mo sneered, "It really was him."
The third prince, Li Cong, was born to a concubine of the current emperor, and his maternal grandfather was the Minister of War, wielding considerable influence within the Imperial Guard. If the crown prince was indeed murdered, he was the prime suspect.
"There's one more thing," Lin Feng said in a low voice. "Our spies in the capital have reported that the Imperial Guards have been frequently mobilizing recently, seemingly searching for something."
Lin Mo remembered the jade pendant: "Understood, continue surveillance."
The next morning, Lin Mo went to visit Li Yu. The boy looked much better after a night's rest.
"Master Lin, thank you for saving me," Li Yu said, bowing.
"No need to be so polite." Lin Mo sat down on the edge of the bed. "Do you know the origin of that jade pendant?"
Li Yu shook her head: "Mother only said that this was an important keepsake left by Father, related to a major event, but she didn't have time to say what it was."
Lin Mo pondered for a moment: "You should focus on recovering. Once you've fully recovered, I'll teach you some self-defense skills."
In the days that followed, Lin Mo handled the affairs of the manor while secretly investigating the Crown Prince's death. According to intelligence from various sources, the Crown Prince's death was indeed highly suspicious. Furthermore, in recent years, the Emperor's temperament had drastically changed, and his attitude towards the princes had become strange.
That day, Lin Mo was instructing Li Yu in swordsmanship when a disciple suddenly reported, "Master, suspicious figures have been spotted down the mountain; they seem to be investigating something."
Lin Mo's eyes turned cold: "They've finally arrived."
He arranged for Li Yu to hide in a secret room, while he himself led several capable subordinates down the mountain to investigate.
At the foot of the mountain, several vendors were asking villagers for directions. Although their attire was ordinary, their demeanor and gait exuded a military air.
"They're spies from the Imperial Guard," Lin Mo whispered. "Don't alert them. Follow them and see who sent them."
The guards quietly followed them.
As evening fell, the guard reported: "Master, those people have stopped in a small town thirty miles away and joined up with another group. One of them, who appears to be the leader, is using a token from the Third Prince's residence."
Lin Mo pondered for a moment: "It seems the Third Prince has already received the news. Issue the order to strengthen the defenses of the manor; all unfamiliar faces must be thoroughly investigated."
Back at the villa, Lin Mo went straight to the secret room. Li Yu was waiting anxiously there.
"Are they here to arrest me?" The boy asked, his face pale.
"They're the Third Prince's men," Lin Mo said bluntly. "You're no longer safe here."
Li Yu gritted his teeth and said, "I'll leave now; I can't implicate the Master."
Lin Mo pressed down on his shoulder: "Now that I've saved you, I won't give up halfway. Besides..." He paused, "Don't you want to avenge your father?"
A flame ignited in Li Yu's eyes: "I want to! I think about it all the time!"
"Then stay," Lin Mo said. "Seven Absolutes Manor isn't an impenetrable fortress, but it can still protect one person. Besides, your father's death is likely connected to a much larger conspiracy."
That night, Lin Mo stood on the observatory, gazing towards the capital. Rescuing the Crown Prince's orphan meant officially becoming enemies with the Third Prince and even the Imperial Guard. The hatred from his past life was not yet resolved, and new grudges were added in this life.
But he had no regrets. Now that he had been given a second chance at life, he was determined to eradicate those forces that were harming the country and its people. The appearance of the crown prince's orphan might just be the will of Heaven.
The rain started again, drizzling down, as if telling untold secrets.