Chapter 15: The Kyoto Villa

"Young Master, shall we head to the Academy or the capital residence?" Wang Tong spurred his horse forward and asked.

"Go to the capital residence first; we shall head to the Academy in a few days."

This so-called capital residence was none other than the Mansion of the General Suppressing the East located within the capital. Wang Yu felt that since he was a specially admitted student, he did not need to take any entrance tests, so there was no reason to rush to the Academy.

For commoner talents, attending the Great Cang Academy was truly a means to learn skills and secure a career. However, for the scions of noble and prominent clans like himself, one of the court's primary purposes in gathering them at the Academy was to instill loyalty to the monarch. As for the actual studies, that was secondary.

One could hardly believe that the resources a noble family pooled together to educate their descendants would be inferior to those of an academy. It was precisely because of this that individuals like him only needed to notify the court upon reaching the required age before heading to the Academy; they were exempt from the registration and examination procedures required of others.

The Mansion of the General Suppressing the East in the capital was situated in the East District, not too far from the Great Cang Academy. Those who could afford to live in this area were either wealthy or noble; there was no room for commoners here. Consequently, the area felt quite tranquil, lacking the bustling noise he had encountered upon entering the city.

After traveling for a while, the group arrived before an imposing mansion. Above the vermilion lacquer gates hung a plaque inscribed with "Mansion of the General Suppressing the East." Two majestic stone lions stood on either side of the entrance—this was their destination. Wang Yu dismounted, scanned the surroundings, and nodded almost imperceptibly.

With a creak, the gates were pushed open, and the servants from within came out to greet them. Leading them was a middle-aged man dressed in Confucian robes; this was Wang Yu's third uncle, Wang Yuan, who was also responsible for handling all the affairs of the mansion in the capital. Wang Tong had already sent a letter notifying Wang Yuan of Wang Yu's arrival, so they were clearly well-prepared.

"Greetings, Third Uncle!" Unlike Wang Tong, who was merely a distant relative with only a Grandmaster's strength that was barely worth noting, Wang Yuan was Wang Yu's direct uncle, and the proper etiquette had to be meticulously observed. Moreover, his third uncle had been entrenched in the capital for many years, and in many matters, Wang Yu could not do without him.

"No need for such formalities, nephew. It has been over a year since we last met; I have missed you dearly!" Wang Yuan took Wang Yu by the arms, appearing remarkably affectionate on the surface.

"I presume this must be Master Ling?" Wang Yuan said, turning his gaze toward Ling Donglai behind Wang Yu, not forgetting to offer a respectful bow.

Before Wang Yuan, Wang Yu was just a junior. If it had only been Wang Yu, Wang Yuan would never have come out to greet him personally; he would have left it to the servants. He might even have remained seated inside, waiting for Wang Yu to come and pay his respects. Today, Wang Yuan came out in person not for the sake of Wang Yu, but for the sake of the Heaven-Man realm expert, Ling Donglai.

Ling Donglai gave a slight nod, acknowledging the greeting before his mind drifted away again.

"Look at my memory. Since you and Master Ling have been standing outside, let us head in, let us head in..." Wang Yuan was accustomed to Ling Donglai's behavior. A Heaven-Man realm expert did not need to bow, not just to him, but even to the members of the imperial family.

The capital's mansion was naturally not as opulent as the one in Wu'an Commandery, but it possessed a touch of elegance. After arranging a courtyard for Wang Yu and ordering the servants to settle Zhao Yun and the Black Cavalry into an adjacent side yard, everyone finally began to get settled.

"Nephew, please look," Wang Yuan said, taking out a letter and handing it to Wang Yu once the others had left and only they—Wang Yuan, Wang Yu, and Ling Donglai—remained in the courtyard.

The letter contained very few words, and Wang Yu grasped the contents at a single glance. Channeling his internal energy, he reduced the paper to dust before speaking, "Does Third Uncle mean to say this was the Crown Prince's doing?"

Wang Yuan looked at Wang Yu, and seeing that his expression remained unchanged after receiving the news—showing neither joy nor sorrow—he couldn't help but nod inwardly. The message he had passed to Wang Yu was brief, but it held significant weight: the Crown Prince was infatuated with Bai Ruolan, the daughter of the Minister of Rites.

"At least based on the current situation, the Crown Prince is the most likely culprit," Wang Yuan's expression turned grave. "To be able to mobilize both the Imperial Guards and the Tribute Hall, it could only be a member of the imperial family!"

The so-called Tribute Hall was an institution established by the Great Cang Dynasty to recruit experts. To enter, one had to be at least at the Grandmaster level. The three Grandmasters who had attempted to assassinate Wang Yu—Chen Zishu, Chen Zili, and Chen Ziyi—were all members of this hall. The tokens Wang Tong had found were unique to the Tribute Hall, signifying their status as honored guests.

"Third Uncle, are you certain those three were from the Tribute Hall?" Wang Yu asked after a moment of reflection. After all, possession of the tokens did not necessarily mean the men were who they appeared to be. Sometimes, such tokens could be forged if the craftsmanship was sufficiently advanced.

"I have already had it investigated. A month ago, three Grandmasters surnamed Chen from the Tribute Hall announced they had gained some insight and went into seclusion together, and they have yet to emerge. Furthermore, the three portraits Wang Tong had sent over are undoubtedly these three men," Wang Yuan replied, clearly understanding Wang Yu's implication and sighing at his nephew's meticulousness.

"And what of the two who appeared later? Have you found anything?" Wang Yu asked again.

The two who had appeared later were far from simple: one was at the late stage of the Grandmaster realm, and the other had even reached the Half-Step Heaven-Man level. According to Ling Donglai, the two were skilled in synchronized combat techniques; together, they could contend with an early-stage Heaven-Man expert for a short time. Judging solely by this, the techniques they practiced were extraordinary—not the sort of thing one could easily come by.

Hearing Wang Yu ask about the remaining two, Wang Yuan frowned slightly. "I have ordered thorough investigations, but I have found no information on them whatsoever. Logically, given their cultivation levels, they should not be unknown. I have pondered this repeatedly, and only one possibility remains."