Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen: The Northern Yan Delegation

Jiang Chen finished a bowl of beef noodles and stepped out of the restaurant, belching contentedly.

He really shouldn’t have been walking so openly through the bustling streets, especially since he was currently being hunted by the Night Punishment Bureau. If he showed himself, he risked being captured immediately.

But after hiding for these past few days, he suddenly felt that avoiding the Night Punishment Bureau was not the solution. Instead, he needed to find a chance to negotiate with them.

After all, the person he wanted to see was in their custody. If he kept hiding and refused to meet, nothing would ever progress. That was no way to handle things.

Time was not on their side. Jiang Chen needed to seize an opportunity to break the deadlock. The Night Punishment Bureau was a formidable force he had to confront; if he played it right, he could turn them to his advantage. So now, he was waiting for an old acquaintance to make the first move.

A faint, almost imperceptible sound of footsteps came from behind, and a slender figure suddenly appeared before Jiang Chen’s eyes.

Without even looking, he knew this was Cat Shade—the elusive presence who was everywhere yet nowhere to be found.

“You finally showed up,” Jiang Chen said, seeing Cat Shade like an old friend, showing no intention of running.

Cat Shade looked surprised. “You’ve been hiding all this time. Why come out now? Have you decided you can’t run anymore and want to surrender?”

Jiang Chen smiled. “Miss Cat, you’re joking. I just wanted to get some fresh air. Look at the sunshine today—how could I waste such a fine day cooped up inside? Would you care to accompany me for a walk?”

Cat Shade was confident in her agility and tracking skills. As long as Jiang Chen was in her sight today, there was no way he would escape.

Side by side, they strolled through the busy streets. Jiang Chen told her, “Han Yuyang is not the murderer of Duanmu Hongtu. We risked everything coming to the capital to uncover the truth and clear his name.”

“The only lead we have now is locked away in your Water Pavilion’s dungeon. Have you gotten any valuable information from that man?”

Cat Shade replied, “No harm in telling you. His name is Liu Kui, a key member within the Xuanyan Mansion, long stationed undercover in Jinyang City. We know for sure he wasn’t in the capital when Duanmu Hongtu was assassinated, but whether he was in the northern border remains unknown.”

“Liu Kui is tight-lipped. Even under severe torture, he wouldn’t budge—only giving us trivial details, so we haven’t made any real progress.”

Jiang Chen took the opportunity to say, “Looks like I’ll have to intervene. Could you have someone from your family, like Shen Xueying, arrange for me to meet Liu Kui inside?”

Cat Shade snapped, “You think the Water Pavilion dungeon is open just for you? You can’t just walk in whenever you like! What are you thinking?”

She was annoyed by Jiang Chen’s audacity. They were nearing the point of confrontation—Cat Shade alone couldn’t capture Jiang Chen, but she could keep a sharp eye on him. That alone was enough.

“Seems you won’t let me go,” Jiang Chen said. “Then why don’t you come home with me? I’ll treat you to something delicious.”

Cat Shade’s expression flickered briefly. She wouldn’t admit that she was a loyal customer of their family’s pastry shop, secretly buying several egg tarts almost every day to reward herself.

If Jiang Chen knew that, it would surely make her lose face.

“All I can do is watch you and wait for my comrades to arrive so they can arrest you together,” Cat Shade said honestly.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted among the crowd. It seemed something extraordinary had occurred, causing a stir. Many hurried past Jiang Chen and Cat Shade, their gazes fixed on the city gate in the distance.

Someone shouted loudly, “The Northern Yan envoy has entered the city!”

“What kind of strange creature is that the leader is riding? I’ve never seen anything like it before!”

Jiang Chen quickly climbed to the second floor of a teahouse and leaned on the railing. Peering through the crowd, he saw a delegation of about fifty Northern Yan envoys swaggering this way.

They wore matching black garments trimmed with gold thread—the color symbolizing the Northern Yan royal authority. Their presence signified they carried the emperor’s mandate to negotiate with the Great Qin emperor.

Their arrival instantly drew the city’s attention. The most striking figure was the man at the front, astride a bizarre beast unlike any the Great Qin citizens had seen before.

Jiang Chen focused on the creature. It was covered in dark red fur, with thick, powerful legs resembling those of an elephant. Its broad, sturdy shoulders exuded a majestic, ironclad strength, radiating an imposing and domineering aura.

The beast had two horns on its snout, one long and one short, arranged front to back.

Cat Shade said, “That creature is called a Thunder Beast. It only exists in the fertile marshes of Northern Yan. The Northern Yan people regard it as an auspicious beast symbolizing the nation’s dominance. I didn’t expect them to bring it all the way to Jinyang City.”

Her tone was filled with disdain, clearly disapproving of Northern Yan’s arrogance.

Jiang Chen thought to himself, this creature was probably similar to a rhinoceros, though in this world, rhinoceroses looked quite different.

But rhinos were indeed dangerous animals. Once they lost control and charged, it was nearly impossible to restrain them—especially in such a densely packed crowd. They had to hope no accident would happen.

At that moment, the envoy suddenly changed direction, heading deeper into the crowded marketplace. Along the way, they recklessly knocked over many stalls set up by roadside vendors.

The merchants were furious but dared not protest, seeing it was the Northern Yan delegation.

At present, Great Qin was a weakened power compared to Northern Yan. The people of Great Qin felt no confidence.

The man riding the Thunder Beast laughed loudly, “This is all Great Qin’s capital can muster? Raise our Northern Yan battle flag here so everyone can see it and remember its colors and patterns!”

“Who knows, maybe in less than a year, our armies will trample Jinyang City. Then these people will be Northern Yan citizens!”

“Ha ha ha ha ha...”

His arrogant words sparked widespread resentment among the crowd—some felt indignation, others humiliation, and some were so enraged their lips bled from biting down hard.

Jiang Chen observed everything calmly and said, “When a nation grows weak, such things happen. Even the common people suffer humiliation. Truly disgraceful.”