Nanyuan, Capital.

It was late and the night fog hovered around tall buildings. A reach of blue and gold glazed tiles glittered under the moonlight. And a river of palace lanterns brightened meanders of corridors and eaves.

The luxuriously decorated mansion was no other than the newly established residence of the Shenle Marquis.

Every night, it was guarded by hundreds of armed soldiers who would roam and patrol.

Ten days ago, something of great value had arrived at the mansion and it was guarded even more tightly.

Near midnight, Wan Li had no intention of sleep. He drank gloomily, accompanied by two beauties.

Seeing that Marquis was in a bad mood tonight, the ladies dared not to act flirtatiously. They just sat quietly and poured wine.

There was a grand banquet in the Palace right now and Wan Li was supposed to enjoy himself at home.

Unexpectedly, his father suddenly sent news that the Eastern Depot Master Leng Qingtang had solved the case of the poisoned wells and proved Concubine Yu and her baby innocent. Now he was pursuing the imperial decree to arrest Lei Huan. Wan Li was told to prepare himself and keep out of trouble.

If it was up to Wan Li, he would smother the trouble with pleasure. However, Priest Wu had cried and hugged Lei Huan in resistance, and so Wan Li couldn't force it.

After all, they got the map from Lei Huan at a huge price. If they killed Lei's people before he told them the secrets of the map, it would be detrimental to future cooperation.

In the end, Lei Huan had an idea. He expected that there would be big moves tonight, and so he sent Priest Wu to entice the enemy. Thus, they could draw out the people who coveted the map and opposed the Emperor.

The clock rang. Someone rushed to the outside of the hall after noisy footsteps and hurriedly knocked on the door.

"Your Highness, it's me!"

Wan Li squinted and waved at the women,

"Go out and let him in."

The women put down the chopsticks and walked out gracefully.

Priest Wu limped into the hall and bowed to Wan Li with difficulty,

"Your Highness."

Wan Li was burning with impatience. He frowned and stared at Priest Wu with scorching eyes,

"How was it? Did you catch them?"

"Your Highness, my master had cast the Black Matrix in the Swift Tower. Less than twenty people entered the circle, and only the weak ones would die. We can interrogate the survived ones. I am injured and need to retreat for now."

Priest Wu rolled his sly eyes and his face was deliberately twisted in a pretense of extreme pain.

He was ordered by Lei Huan to slip out of the backdoor of the Swift Tower so he could return to Nanyuan to guard the Kunhuang Island map.

Only the map in Nanyuan was real. From the very beginning, Lei Huan had never let his guard down against the Wan family.

Wan Li stood with his hands held behind his back. He nodded without thinking much,

"Well, you may go."

When Priest Wu turned around, an icy blast flashed by. He screamed and curled up, trembling.

Wan Li swirled and nimbly dodged the attack. He held his ground again and turned to look at the wall. There was a dagger attached with a note.

Wan Li pulled out the dagger and read the note,

"I've borrowed the map. See you at Kunhuang Island."

"No! The map was stolen!"

Wan Li roared and glared.

Priest Wu leaned over, his eyes shining with shock.

"Impossible..."

He shook his head mechanically,

"The map is now well hidden in the secret room here. How could it be stolen? Resourceful as they are, they can't know that location..."

Wan Li noticed Priest Wu's sharp gaze flickering with suspicion. He shredded the note and threw the pieces,

"What do you mean? Could I have stolen from myself?"

"Your Highness, calm down. I meant no such thing."

Read through, Priest Wu lowered his eyes in panic and spoke no more.

Wan Li was even more provoked. He grabbed Priest Wu's wrist,

"Let's go. I'll show you."

He dragged the priest out as he cried out of pain.

Wan Li sighed irritably, clamped Priest Wu under his arm, and rushed out of the hall.

Ten guards just finished patrolling the courtyard in the west and ran into Wan Li, whose face was lit by the orange lantern. They bowed and saluted,

"Your Highness."

Wan Li dropped Priest Wu and questioned his men,

"Have you checked the yard thoroughly?"

The leader nodded, "Yes, Your Highness. We've checked everywhere and there's nothing unusual."

Furious, Wan Li kicked him down and cursed,

"Useless waste. I've been stolen from. How dare you tell me that there is nothing unusual?"

He stepped into Linlang Courtyard and went into the study.

Everything looked in order and no one had been here. But Wan Li knew those thieves. The sight he saw at the moment was not enough to prove that the hidden treasure was intact.

Walking quickly to the desk, Wan Li turned the agate pen wash.

Some mechanism was activated. After some deep grumbles, the two bookshelves in the north split and revealed a hidden compartment embedded in the wall.

Under the light of the candlestick in Priest Wu's hand, Wan Li discerned what was in the compartment and heaved a sigh of relief.

A sheepskin lay there undamaged.

Indignant, Wan Li glanced at Priest Wu and returned to the desk to shut the bookshelves again.

Priest Wu approached Wan Li and flattered him,

"Your Highness, someone must be posturing to sow distrust between my master and Your Highness."

"Well, you know it clear why you had been fooled easily."

Wan Li strode out and went right back to his bedroom where his wife helped to clean and rest.

Before long, the door was slammed again. Wan Li was angry to hear Lei Huan calling loudly outside.

Wan Li ordered his wife to leave for the inner chamber and then put on his robe to open the door himself.

A man wearing a black robe dashed in, followed by his apprentice Priest Wu.

The man in black was Lei Huan who had killed the head of Tianyan Faction, Hong Zun, and fled.

The man less than sixty had dark skin and high cheekbones. His long brows flew by his pointy long face. Under them were his falcon eyes, a crooked nose, and a large mouth.

His Black Matrix had been defeated in the Swift Tower, which caused some internal injuries. He had taken a moment of meditating and adjusting before he hurried back to Nanyuan. As soon as he arrived, he heard what had happened from the apprentice Priest Wu.

Lei Huan was too hurry to pay the courtesy and shouted anxiously,

"Your Highness, you've bitten the bait set by the thief!"

Wan Li furrowed and gazed at him in shock.

"What did you say?"

Lei Huan smashed his fist and explained with regrets,

"The thief who sneaked in here didn't know where the treasure map was hidden, but he used the note on the dagger to trick you into thinking that he had stolen it. When you went to check it, you were pointing out the way for that thief!"

Wan Li felt a quiver down his back. His head swam as his ears rang and spots danced before his eyes.

Wan Li closed his eyes. When he recovered, he pointed his finger to the door and hurriedly spoke to Lei Huan,

"Quick! Go to Linlang Courtyard to check the map!"

Wan Li and Lei Huan led the way, and Priest Wu managed to keep up with a lame foot. The three returned to Linlang Courtyard shortly and triggered the switch on the desk.

However, to their surprise, the Kunhuang Island map remained intact in the secret compartment.

Lei Huan took out the sheepskin carefully and studied it again and again. After finding no abnormality, his face relaxed in confusion.

Who had feigned the attack?

Wan Li was already furious. He pointed at Lei Huan and Priest Wu,

"Both of you know nothing but overreactions. If the map is really gone, it would be you two fools who had lost it!"

Scolded for no reason, Lei Huan was helpless. He couldn't figure out the intention of the man who had darted the dagger.

If he was after the map, he could have succeeded in such a long time. Why didn't he do it?

Under Wan Li's glare, Lei Huan obediently put the sheepskin back and closed the compartment. The soldiers were instructed to step up their guards, and the night went by.