Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 133 Investigation Results

Qingfeng Temple was filled with incense and people were surging. Wu Tao, dressed in plain clothes, mingled among the pilgrims who came to pray. She looked calm, but her eyes were full of vigilance. A few nights ago, she and Hu Bugui discussed and decided to use their tricks to lure the snake out of its hole.

They had assembled elite troops in advance, disguised as pilgrims and monks, and ambushed around Qingfeng Temple, waiting for the sacrificial ceremony to begin, and then they would catch all the enemies hiding in the dark. Hu Bugui had assured her that this operation was foolproof and that those people would be brought to justice.

However, Wu Tao's heart was always filled with a lingering sense of uneasiness. The signal had not appeared yet, and the mysterious organization leader had disappeared without a trace. Everything was too peaceful, so peaceful that it frightened her.

"What's wrong, Taotao?" Hu Bugui, dressed in a monk's robe, was standing not far away. Seeing that she looked strange, he asked in a low voice.

"Don't you find it strange? Those people...seem to have disappeared out of thin air." Wu Tao lowered his voice, frowning.

When Hu Bugui heard this, a trace of solemnity flashed in his deep eyes. He held Wu Tao's hand and said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, I have arranged people to investigate secretly, and I believe there will be results soon."

However, things went against their wishes. In the next few days, they searched almost the entire capital city, but still found no clues about the mysterious organization, as if they had never appeared.

"How could this happen?" Wu Tao looked at the survey results in his hand, his heart full of confusion and uneasiness.

"It seems we underestimated them." Hu Bugui's face was gloomy, and his tone was solemn. "The power of this organization is far stronger than we imagined. They are hiding very deeply and are very good at hiding their whereabouts."

What made Wu Tao and Hu Bugui even more troubled was that some opposition voices began to emerge within the court. Some old officials believed that Hu Bugui should not interfere in the affairs of the mysterious organization, so as not to affect the stability of the court.

"Your Highness, this matter is of great importance and you must not act rashly!" Inside the imperial study, an old minister advised earnestly.

Hu Bugui's face was calm, but his eyes were extremely firm. "This matter concerns the safety of my father. I cannot sit idly by!"

Wu Tao was unaware of the debate in the court, but she knew in her heart that she and Hu Bugui were facing a huge challenge. If they were not careful, they would be doomed...

Wu Tao was in a state of confusion, and the feeling of uneasiness spread like a vine in her heart. She knew that Hu Bugui was under tremendous pressure at the moment, with questions from the court and threats from the mysterious organization, all of which were like huge rocks pressing on his shoulders.

"There must be something we have overlooked." Wu Tao repeatedly flipped through the documents in her hand, trying to find a clue. Suddenly, her eyes focused on a record of a transaction in a manor outside the city.

"Bugui, look at this." Wu Tao pointed to the address in the record. It was a remote manor outside the city, which had just changed hands a few days ago. "I remember a member of a mysterious organization that I investigated before lived near the outskirts of the city."

Hu Bugui immediately understood what she meant. The two looked at each other, quickly stood up, and ran straight out of the city.

The gate of the dilapidated manor was closed, and the ground was covered with fallen leaves, a scene of desolation. Hu Bugui kicked the gate open and walked in carefully with Wu Tao. The air was filled with a smell of decay, mixed with a faint smell of blood, which made people shudder.

The room was in a mess, with tables and chairs overturned and various pieces of documents scattered on the floor. Wu Tao's heart sank, and she had a strong premonition that they were a step too late.

"It seems that someone found this place faster than us." Hu Bugui squatted down and carefully examined the fragments on the ground, trying to piece together some useful information.

Suddenly, his eyes focused and he found a piece of blood-stained cloth from a pile of scraps of paper. Wu Tao was very familiar with the material and pattern of the cloth. It was the clothes of the palace guards!

"It's the palace guards!" Wu Tao's face turned pale, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet to his heart.

Before they could react, a burst of rapid horse hoof sounds came from afar, breaking the tranquility of the mountains. Hu Bugui and Wu Tao looked at each other, and a bad feeling arose in their hearts.

"It's too late, let's go!" Hu Bugui made a quick decision and pulled Wu Tao out through the back door.

As soon as the two escaped from the manor, they saw a group of men in black riding fast horses, galloping towards the manor. Each of the men in black held a sharp blade and was murderous.

"Chase!" The leader of the black-clad men gave an order, and everyone immediately chased in the direction where Hu Bugui and Wu Tao fled...

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui fled all the way, escaping wave after wave of pursuit. However, what made them even more desperate was the bad news that came one after another. Their most trusted subordinates and close friends were killed one after another, and even their families who were thousands of miles away were not spared.

The revenge of the mysterious organization came so quickly and cruelly that they were forced into a desperate situation.

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui fled all the way, exhausted, but they dared not stop. The sound of the horses' hooves of the pursuers behind them was like a death warrant, constantly reminding them of the danger they were in.

"Bugui, we can't run away anymore." Wu Tao panted, with a hint of determination in his tone, "If we continue like this, we will be caught up sooner or later."

Hu Bugui held her hand tightly, his deep eyes full of worry: "Tao'er, I know you are worried, but now is not the time for a head-on confrontation. They are outnumbered, and we must conserve our strength."

Wu Tao understood his concerns, but when he thought of those people who were implicated because of them, his heart felt as painful as if a knife was cutting through it.

"But we can't just watch them hurt the people we care about!" Wu Tao's eyes were red. "We must find a way to find out the truth and catch them all in one fell swoop!"

Hu Bugui embraced Wu Tao in his arms, gently stroked her hair, and said softly, "Tao'er, don't worry, I will definitely protect you and the people we care about. I promise you that I will bring them to justice!"

After hiding in the wilderness for several days, the two finally found a small village where they could temporarily stay. The villagers were kind and honest, and they extended a helping hand to them, providing them with food and shelter.

However, the brief calm was soon broken.

One day, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui received news that an inn in the city might be related to a mysterious organization. The two decided to disguise themselves and sneak into the inn to find out.

The inn was bustling with people, good and bad. Wu Tao and Hu Bugui pretended to be an ordinary couple, quietly observing the situation around them in a corner.

"Bugui, look, that man seems a little suspicious." Wu Tao lowered his voice and pointed at a man wearing a gray robe and a bamboo hat.

The man sat not far from them, drinking alone, his eyes glancing around from time to time, as if he was monitoring something.

Hu Bugui nodded, signaling Wu Tao not to act rashly, and he stood up and walked towards the shopkeeper to inquire about the news.

However, just as Hu Bugui was talking to the shopkeeper, something strange happened.

The man in gray suddenly stood up, flipped the table, and rushed towards Wu Tao. Wu Tao was caught off guard and fell to the ground.

"Tao'er!" Hu Bugui was shocked when he saw this and immediately rushed forward, but was surrounded by several men in black who suddenly appeared.

"Want to save her? Just follow us!" said the leader of the men in black with a grin.

Wu Tao was held hostage by the man in gray, unable to move. She looked at Hu Bugui anxiously, her eyes full of worry and fear.

"No! Let her go!" Hu Bugui's eyes were red with anger. He wanted to break through the encirclement of the men in black, but was entangled by them.

"Bugui, don't worry about me, just go!" Wu Tao shouted loudly. She knew that if she fell into the hands of the enemy, she would only become a burden to Hu Bugui.

However, how could Hu Bugui just abandon her? He fought hard, with ruthless moves, forcing back several men in black, but still unable to break through.

Seeing Hu Bugui's stubbornness, the gray-clothed man sneered, put the dagger in his hand against Wu Tao's neck, and threatened: "If you don't want her to die, surrender!"

Wu Tao felt the cold touch on her neck, and her heart went cold. She knew that she was doomed this time.

Hu Bugui looked at Wu Tao's pale face, and his heart ached. He knew that he could not hesitate any longer.

"Okay, I promise you!" Hu Bugui slowly put down the sword in his hand and allowed the man in black to subdue him.

The gray-clothed man smiled triumphantly, took Wu Tao and Hu Bugui out of the inn, and disappeared into the night...

The gray-clothed man held Wu Tao hostage, and together with a group of black-clothed men, they escorted Hu Bugui to an abandoned temple outside the city. The temple was dilapidated, overgrown with weeds, and exuded a gloomy and terrifying atmosphere.

Wu Tao was roughly pushed to the ground. The man in gray stepped forward and tore off her veil, revealing a delicate face with tears in her eyes.

"She is quite pretty, no wonder Hu Bugui is so infatuated with her!" The man in gray spoke frivolously, with evil light in his eyes.

Wu Tao suppressed the fear in his heart, stared at him coldly without saying a word.

“Oh, you’re quite courageous!” The man in gray sneered and turned to look at Hu Bugui who was tied up. “Hu Bugui, you are so lucky to have married such a fierce beauty! It’s a pity that you will all die here today!”

"You can kill me or chop me up, it's all up to you! But if you dare to touch Tao'er, I will make you live a life worse than death!" Hu Bugui said with his eyes wide open and gritted teeth, his eyes burning with rage.

“Hahaha, you’re about to die, yet you still dare to speak so arrogantly!” The gray-clothed man laughed loudly, then his face darkened and he shouted sternly, “Go ahead, kill Hu Bugui!”

The men in black received the order and rushed forward, brandishing swords and slashing at Hu Bugui. Although Hu Bugui's hands and feet were tied, he was not afraid at all. With his extraordinary martial arts, he fought a desperate battle with the men in black.

Wu Tao watched Hu Bugui being besieged by dozens of men in black. He was extremely anxious but could do nothing.

Hu Bugui fought alone against many enemies, and although he was extremely brave, he was no match for many enemies, and gradually lost the upper hand. He was wounded in many places, and his clothes were stained with blood.

"No return!" Wu Tao cried heartbreakingly, his eyes blurred with tears.

At this moment, a sharp arrow flew through the air and hit a man in black in the chest. The man in black fell to the ground, and the others were stunned when they saw this, and they all turned to look in the direction where the arrow came from.

In the distance, a group of people were seen galloping towards them, and the person leading them was none other than General Li, the commander of the imperial guards surrounding the emperor.

It turned out that when the emperor and the empress learned that Hu Bugui and Wu Tao were missing, they were extremely worried and immediately ordered General Li to lead troops to search for them. According to the intelligence, General Li learned that Hu Bugui and Wu Tao were trapped in an abandoned temple outside the city, so he rushed to rescue them without stopping.

"You bold lunatic, how dare you hold the Crown Prince and Crown Princess hostage? Why don't you surrender immediately!" General Li shouted angrily and led the imperial guards to surround the man in black.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the man in gray knew that today would not end well, so he wanted to kidnap Wu Tao and escape.

However, before he could do anything, Hu Bugui seized the opportunity, broke free, and kicked him to the ground.

The man in gray got up in a panic, glared at Hu Bugui fiercely, and turned around to escape.

"Want to leave? Not that easy!" Hu Bugui flew after him and started a fierce battle with the man in gray.

The two men fought back and forth with each move being ruthless, and it was difficult to tell who would win for a while.

At this moment, the man in gray suddenly took out a dagger from his arms and stabbed Hu Bugui fiercely.

Hu Bugui was unable to dodge and was stabbed in the left arm by the dagger, with blood immediately gushing out.

"Bugui!" Wu Tao exclaimed, and rushed forward desperately to stand in front of Hu Bugui.