Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 39 Behind the Scenes

"Do you think the Prime Minister is only doing this for himself?" The woman sneered, with a hint of sarcasm in her tone, "He is just a pawn. There are bigger forces behind the scenes controlling everything."

Hu Bugui narrowed his eyes and said in a cold tone: "Who are you? Why are you telling us this?"

The woman did not answer, but just looked at Wu Tao deeply, turned around and disappeared into the night.

After returning to Chang'an, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao did not dare to take it lightly, as they knew that the real battle had just begun. Although the prime minister had been captured, the mysterious organization was still lurking in the dark, like a venomous snake, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

In order to eradicate this hidden force, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao secretly summoned their confidants to discuss countermeasures. In the dead of night, the candlelight flickered, and in the dim room, everyone's face was filled with solemnity.

"We must find the mastermind as soon as possible, otherwise Chang'an City will never have peace." Hu Bugui said in a deep voice, tapping the table lightly with his fingers, making a dull sound.

Wu Tao frowned slightly, and kept thinking about the look in the eyes of the mysterious woman. She always felt that things were not that simple. Suddenly, she seemed to remember something and stood up abruptly, "Oh no! Someone is watching us!"

Just as he finished speaking, there was a sound of breaking air, and several sharp arrows broke through the window and flew straight towards everyone!

Wu Tao's premonitions were always accurate. Before he finished speaking, several dark shadows passed by the window like ghosts, followed by a burst of dense air-breaking sounds, and sharp arrows carrying the breath of death were fiercely nailed to the door and wall.

"There's an assassin!" a guard shouted, drew his sword and stood in front of Hu Bugui.

The room suddenly fell into chaos, and everyone drew their weapons and looked around vigilantly. Hu Bugui remained calm in the face of danger, protecting Wu Tao behind him, and said in a deep voice with a hint of solemnity, "Tao'er, be careful!"

Wu Tao held Hu Bugui's arm tightly, but there was no panic in his eyes. He calmly observed the movements around him. The assassins were well-trained and quick in action, and they were obviously well prepared. There were not many of them, but they were all very skilled, coordinated well, and had a clear goal, aiming directly at Hu Bugui and Wu Tao.

Hu Bugui drew his sword, flashing with cold light and with a strong sword aura. He was highly skilled in martial arts and sharp in swordsmanship. Every time he attacked, he was as powerful as thunder and lightning, forcing the approaching assassins to retreat. Wu Tao was not to be outdone. Although she did not know martial arts, she was quick to react and agile. She used the tables, chairs and benches in the room as cover to avoid the assassins' attacks. She also used teacups, candlesticks and other objects in her hands to attack the enemy from time to time, sharing the pressure for Hu Bugui.

The battle lasted for about an incense stick of time. Seeing that he could not take the city down after a long attack and that his side had suffered casualties, the assassin retreated decisively and disappeared into the night.

Hu Bugui and Wu Tao did not relax their vigilance, they knew that this was just the calm before the storm. Although the assassin's sudden attack did not cause much damage, it was like throwing a stone into a calm lake, stirring up thousands of waves.

"It seems that we still underestimated the opponent's strength." Hu Bugui's face was solemn, his brows were tightly furrowed, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

Wu Tao nodded, his tone heavy, "They came well prepared, and their goal is clear. They obviously want to put us to death."

After a brief silence, Hu Bugui sheathed the sword in his hand and looked at Wu Tao with deep eyes, "Tao'er, are you afraid?"

Wu Tao shook his head without hesitation, "Don't be afraid! As long as I'm with you, I'm not afraid of anything!"

Hu Bugui felt warm in his heart, and he reached out to hold Wu Tao in his arms, saying firmly: "Don't worry, I will protect you!" The smoke cleared, and the room was in a mess. Hu Bugui waved his hand to signal the guards to carry away the assassin's body, and carefully searched every corner of the room, leaving no clues. Wu Tao also joined the search team. She was meticulous and observant, and soon found a jade pendant with a strange pattern on one of the assassins.

"Bugui, look!" Wu Tao handed the jade pendant to Hu Bugui, "This pattern is exactly the same as the one on the scroll we found in the secret room before!"

Hu Bugui took the jade pendant and examined it carefully, his expression becoming more solemn. The pattern on the jade pendant was indeed consistent with the pattern on the scroll they found when they wiped out the mysterious organization's base before, and the scroll recorded the internal structure and action plan of the mysterious organization.

"It seems that these assassins are not ordinary killers. They are inextricably linked to the mysterious organization before." Hu Bugui said in a deep voice, "Moreover, judging from their actions tonight, they know our whereabouts very well, which means that there is a high possibility that there is a traitor among us."

Wu Tao's heart trembled, realizing the seriousness of the problem. If there really was a traitor among them, the consequences would be disastrous.

"If he doesn't come back, what should we do now?" Wu Tao asked worriedly.

Hu Bugui put away the jade pendant, a cold light flashed in his eyes, "Tao'er, don't worry, I will investigate this matter thoroughly and bring the mastermind to justice! Now, what we have to do is to strengthen our defenses and speed up the elimination of the remaining forces of the mysterious organization. We must not give them any breathing space!"

"It seems we have to speed up," Hu Bugui said with a solemn expression, holding the jade pendant tightly in his hand, "I will arrange people right away and make sure to catch the remaining gang members in one fell swoop!" He turned around and was about to leave, but was grabbed by Wu Tao's sleeve.

"Wait, Bugui," Wu Tao frowned slightly, worry flashing in her eyes, "We know everything about them now, but they also know something about us. Will a rash move like this alert them?"

"Tao'er is right," Hu Bugui stopped and cast a deep gaze on Wu Tao's face, "We have to take a long-term view and not fall into their trap." He pondered for a moment and decided to investigate from within first to find out the traitor hiding in the dark.

A few days later, a seemingly ordinary package was delivered to Hu Bugui. He opened it and found a letter without any signature. Hu Bugui unfolded the letter and saw lines of beautiful handwriting:

"Your Highness, please do not act rashly. Be careful of the person beside you, and be even more careful... of the people around the Emperor."

Just a few words, but like a stone thrown into a calm lake, it stirred up thousands of waves. Someone close to the emperor? Could it be... A name flashed through Hu Bugui's mind, and his face suddenly became extremely ugly.

"What's wrong? What did the letter say?" Wu Tao saw that he looked strange and asked with concern.

Hu Bugui handed the letter to her and said in a heavy tone: "Read it yourself."

Wu Tao took the letter, read it quickly, and couldn't help but take a breath. If what the letter said was true, then they would be facing a more difficult enemy than before.