Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 296 Second Update

Chapter 296: Chapter 296 Second Update

"Pff—" Zong Yunqian leaped down from a large tree, frowning as he glanced around. He always felt that something was amiss; the Ghost Shadow would suddenly vanish. Compared to the one he initially encountered, which only rampaged wildly, the one appearing today seemed to have grown a brain.

Zong Yunqian hadn’t given up. For three consecutive days, he had been pursuing this Ghost Shadow. However, the strange thing was that when it first appeared, it seemed as if it was waiting for him specifically. But when he gave chase, it would always strangely disappear in the end.

Zong Yunqian wasn’t in a hurry. After all, a Ghost Shadow couldn’t cause much of an uproar in Zheng Capital, and besides, he had promised to discuss scriptures with his senior brother that afternoon—he couldn’t stand him up.

Equally puzzled was Ju Nanyi. People from Ju Nanyi had learned to be smarter in recent days. Instead of chasing the Ghost Shadow all over the mountains, they quietly noted its route.

This small act turned out to be significant. Over a few days, they discovered the Ghost Shadow behaved just like a person, leaving in the morning and returning at night.

This finding perplexed Ju Nanyi. According to the information they had, this Ghost Shadow shouldn’t possess any consciousness. Therefore, where it came from and where it went should be entirely unpredictable, yet this one proved to have a regular pattern.

Qin Yu came running from the other side, with a small group of disheveled men on horses trailing behind him, clearly having returned empty-handed from a long chase over several mountain tops.

"What, did that thing slip away again?" Yu Yuan felt somewhat deflated. After several days, they had wanted to impress the Crown Prince, but they couldn’t even catch a Ghost Shadow.

Qin Yu shook his head.

"We didn’t catch the Ghost Shadow, but I ran into Heir Zong. It seems Heir Zong is also after this thing," Qin Yu said, gasping for breath. He had encountered Heir Zong by chance, and though they were not close, Qin Yu had good eyesight, and Heir Zong had been running along the mountain roads for a considerable distance.

"No, we can’t let him snatch the credit again. Last time, we finally found the Ghost Shadow, but Heir Zong beat us to it. We definitely can’t let him get ahead of us this time," Yu Yuan said anxiously.

Qin Yu nodded.

"Don’t worry, I’ve arranged for people to follow—" Qin Yu said.

"Then what are we waiting for, let’s go after them—" Yu Yuan wished he could chase after them right now, and his subordinates were also eager to go, rushing out with him.

Qin Yu glanced at Ju Nanyi, then stood still for a moment.

"Follow them—" Ju Nanyi ordered, and the remaining men immediately spread out and chased after them. After so many days, they naturally didn’t want Zong Yunqian to steal their thunder.

The group ran through the mountain forest, and since they had been traversing these woods for years, they had developed strong legs, able to leap and bound almost as fast as monkeys.

"My lord, there—" Yu Yuan pointed to a shadow ahead and whispered to Ju Nanyi.

Still, Ju Nanyi felt something was off, a feeling that hadn’t just emerged today.

Zong Yunqian wasn’t moving quickly; in fact, compared to them, he seemed to be strolling around, looking here and there, even inspecting the trees on both sides.

All of a sudden, Zong Yunqian was in no hurry. Since this Ghost Shadow was different from ordinary ones, such a situation was possible. However, Zong Yunqian didn’t believe such a Ghost Shadow had entered Zheng Capital.

For one thing, such Ghost Shadows were extremely precious. Compared to the formation of a Ghost Shadow, the energy of one that had been domesticated was far more terrifying. Even if it hadn’t been completely tamed, its power was not to be underestimated.

Such Ghost Shadows are normally the treasured guardians of those mysterious clans in the Northern Border, rarely revealed unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, Zong Yunqian felt it was unlikely, which meant that Ghost Shadow had possibly encountered some unforeseen situation, leading to its unpredictable movements.

Given that, the best course of action would be to slow down and meticulously search for traces of Ghost Shadow. There was clearly no need to exhaust oneself chasing after it.

Zong Yunqian stopped in his tracks, and after recognizing the marks on a half-human-tall rock before him, a slight smile appeared on his face. Indeed, adopting a new approach often led to fresh discoveries.

Hidden inside the Stone Cave, Gui San suddenly sensed someone approaching and held his breath, eliminating all traces of his presence. Yet, the footsteps kept drawing nearer at an unhurried pace, causing Gui San’s heart to race uncontrollably. His two companions, gripped by the same tension, clutched the Black Jars in their hands tightly.

Elder Can had repeatedly instructed them to proceed with caution and avoid direct confrontation with Zong Yunqian at all costs. Over the past few days, Gui San, along with Gui Wu and Gui Liu, had been extremely careful, splitting up into three groups, but they had already witnessed the formidable prowess of that Disciple of Qiandao Temple.

The trio shared an unspoken understanding that the moment Zong Yunqian stepped closer to the cave’s entrance, Gui San would be the first to charge out and divert him, thereby ensuring the safety of Gui Wu and Gui Liu.

Zong Yunqian moved closer bit by bit, with Gui San prepared to rush out at any moment. Suddenly, Zong Yunqian halted his step and turned to look in the direction of the Imperial City.

"What does Gu Dao want from me?" Zong Yunqian wondered as he stared at the red signal rising into the sky, an emergency message from Gu Dao.

Zong Yunqian immediately turned around and dashed towards the Imperial City.

"My lord, why are you leaving?" Yu Yuan asked perplexedly. Just a moment ago, it seemed as though Zong Yunqian was up to something secretive, as if harboring some unspeakable secret. Yet the next moment, he abruptly headed for the Imperial City.

Ju Nanyi pondered for a moment, watching Zong Yunqian, who was already some distance away.

"Yu Yuan, Qin Yu, follow me. The rest return to the camp," Ju Nanyi said and, with that, the three of them rapidly pursued in Zong Yunqian’s direction. Upon reaching the Imperial City, Zong Yunqian made a beeline for Gu Dao.

"Princely Heir, you’re finally here." Gu Dao was at his wits’ end and, upon seeing Zong Yunqian, clung to him like a lifeline, quickly whispering a few words into his ear.

Zong Yunqian immediately looked at Gu Dao upon hearing this.

"It was Momo from the lady’s side who sent the message. We have no idea what her situation is now," Gu Dao said anxiously.

"Let’s go, show me the way." At that moment, Zong Yunqian could no longer afford to consider anything else; if his mother had somehow provoked Commandery Princess Chao Ren, causing her to say things she shouldn’t have, his entire plan might fall apart.

When Ju Nanyi returned, he found that Zong Yunqian had actually gone to the Riverfood Restaurant. Realizing his own misjudgment and about to head back, he suddenly noticed members of the Imperial Forest Guard inside the restaurant and paused in his steps.

...

When Zheng Nianru stepped out of her room, the person standing at the doorway was Wen Ling from the Imperial Forest Guard. The man, who had been seething with anger at the thought of his sister being bullied by someone inside, had been plotting revenge. But as soon as he saw Zheng Nianru, it was as if the life had been drained from him; he stood frozen, unable to move. Wen Ling could not describe his feelings at that moment, just as he could not describe the beauty of Zheng Nianru before him.

"Brother, it’s her—" The young Miss from the Wen Family immediately grabbed her brother’s arm and pointed at Zheng Nianru, speaking without delay.