285 THE TRUTH IS FOUND
“So, you are aware of the current situation in Dong Lang, Your Majesty?” With a slight shock on his face, Bai Chen immediately asked a question as he once again focused his attention on the Emperor.
“Of course,” replied the Emperor. “Before yesterday, my people could easily enter Dong Lang territory every day. That was the agreement between me and Emperor Bai Guowei to let our people cross each other’s boundaries. After all, we realize that neither humans nor werewolves can live without depending on each other, and that’s why we never limit each other’s movements except when the full moon occurs.”
Carefully, Bai Chen listened to the Emperor’s explanation. He knew how the werewolves and humans could cross each other’s boundaries on normal days except when the full moon occurred, and that was why his expression didn’t change after hearing the Emperor’s explanation.
“But yesterday there was a change in the border between the two empires,” continued Emperor Wu Shun. “When my people were about to cross the boundary between Wu Li and Dong Lang, they were intercepted by an invisible barrier, and that’s why they immediately returned to Wu Li before reporting the situation to me. That’s the reason why I was able to guess that something happened in Dong Lang.”
Last night, Bai Chen only heard from Yu Ming that something happened in Dong Lang, but he did not hear any information regarding the barrier around Dong Lang. It was only today that he heard how an invisible barrier around Dong Lang had suddenly appeared, and it had even blocked people from Wu Li from entering.
“I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Emperor Bai Guowei who put up the barrier,” Wu Shun added to his explanation. “I can’t say that he’s a close friend of mine, but I know his personality. I’m sure nothing bad happened between Wu Li and Dong Lang, and that’s why there’s no reason why Emperor Bai Guowei would suddenly put up a barrier without giving me prior notice. That’s why I believe Dong Lang is under the control of others now, and Emperor Bai Guowei is probably in danger.”
This time, Bai Chen didn’t show much change in his expression after he heard Wu Shun continue. He knew that someone else was controlling Dong Lang now, and that person was none other than someone from the Black Werewolf Clan.
He heard about it from Yu Ming yesterday, and now he was sure that the situation in Dong Lang was indeed urgent now.
“That person you are talking about is the head of the Black Werewolf Clan, Your Majesty,” Wu Jinhai suddenly chimed in from the side when the Emperor stopped talking. “I haven’t told you about it, but last night Yu Ming told me that it was the Black Werewolf Clan that suddenly launched an attack on the Rongyao Imperial Palace, and they managed to take down the Emperor. That’s why Bai Chen and I immediately headed to Wu Li, knowing that it won’t be safe for Bai Chen if he stays out there.”
.....
Bai Chen could see that Wu Jinhai indeed had a close relationship with his father even though his father was the current Emperor of Wu Li. The young man could even casually say Bai Chen’s name without bothering to mention his title, and not even the Emperor looked surprised by his son’s carefree attitude.
“So, it was Lord Shao who led the coup in Dong Lang?” Asked Emperor Wu Shun. “Was it because his daughter was killed during the Beast Hunting Event in the Forbidden Forest?”
That was also what Bai Chen thought about the reason behind the Black Werewolf Clan’s sudden attack on Dong Lang, but Bai Chen knew what kind of answer Wu Jinhai would give his father.
“Shao Meihui’s death was just their excuse. We both know that the Black Werewolf Clan has always wanted to usurp the throne from Emperor Bai Guowei, right, Your Majesty? I thought they were just waiting for the right time to launch an attack on the Rongyao Imperial Palace. Bai Renshu has died, and Bai Chen was not in the palace yesterday. Emperor Bai Guowei was alone in the palace, and that is why the people of the Black Werewolf Clan took the opportunity to launch an attack.”
Wu Jinhai had made an in-depth analysis of what happened in Dong Lang since last night, and he confidently stated his theory in front of his father. And perhaps what he said did make sense because Emperor Wu Shun did not immediately show his objection. On the contrary, the Emperor seemed to be deep in thought after hearing his son’s opinion.
“And perhaps it is time for me to reveal the results of my investigation regarding the tragedy that happened in the Forbidden Forest during the Beast Hunting Event,” Wu Jinhai spoke again, and this time, he also glanced at Bai Chen, as if wanting to let the man know that the information he was about to express must be heard by him too.
When Bai Chen heard Wu Jinhai’s words, he was slightly surprised. Before today, he didn’t know that Wu Jinhai was seriously investigating the tragedy that happened in the Forbidden Forest about a week ago. Back then, Bai Chen had even felt suspicious of Wu Jinhai because the man had even lied to Emperor Bai Guowei and Shao Yaoting, but now he knew that the masked man only wanted to find out the truth, and he didn’t plan to belong to someone’s side before knowing the truth.
“At that time, many people suspected Emperor Bai Guowei because of the people hired by him who broke the barrier around the Forbidden Forest’s core, but that was a just trap,” Wu Jinhai spoke again as he looked at the two men in turn. “Emperor Bai Guowei did employ the three men, but he didn’t know that the three men were actually working for a dangerous mercenary group consisting of humans and werewolves. The three men pretended to be soldiers in Dong Lang because someone paid them to do a mission in the Forbidden Forest, and that person is none other than Shao Yaoting.”