Chapter 392 - 240: The Frame-Up (Part 2)

Chapter 392: Chapter 240: The Frame-Up (Part 2)

Another voice spoke from within the secret room, its tone laced with viciousness.

Fang Yue’s heart sank. He realized he was in grave danger. People from the Observatory actually wanted to kill him, a thought that made his heart race with fear.

Fang Yue pressed himself tightly against the wall. Sweat trickled down his forehead, and a chill crept through him.

He understood that he had been dragged into a bottomless conspiracy, where the slightest misstep could get him utterly destroyed.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his rising panic. He knew he had to remain calm and not let a moment of alarm reveal his location.

The people in the secret room were still talking. Fang Yue strained his ears, listening intently in the hopes of catching more useful information.

"But how should we make our move? Fang Yue is always protected, so it’s hard for our people to get close," one voice said hesitantly.

"Hmph, what’s so hard about that? We can get someone else to do our dirty work. Let others deal with him, and we can just sit back and reap the rewards."

The other voice sneered, its tone dripping with malice.

Hearing this, a chill went through Fang Yue. He understood now: the people in the Observatory wanted him dead, and they planned to use someone else to do it.

A wave of retrospective fear washed over him, but it also strengthened his resolve to expose these people for who they truly were.

He remained hidden in the darkness, keeping a close watch on the secret room. He knew he had to stay vigilant and be ready for anything.

After a while, the people in the secret room seemed to have finished their discussion and began to leave one by one.

Fang Yue held his breath, cautiously watching their movements.

Once the last person had left, Fang Yue didn’t move immediately. He waited a little longer, making sure no one else was inside, before daring to tiptoe toward the secret room. ℯ

He reached the door, gently pushed it open, and slipped inside.

The secret room was pitch-black, and he could only rely on the faint moonlight and his memory to get his bearings.

He scanned his surroundings, trying to find any clues or evidence of the conspiracy within the Observatory.

However, aside from a few empty tables and chairs, there was nothing in the room.

Fang Yue couldn’t help but feel disappointed; he had hoped to find something useful.

He didn’t give up, however, and continued to search every corner meticulously.

Suddenly, his foot seemed to step on something. He bent down to pick it up and saw that it was a shattered Jade Pendant.

Fang Yue’s heart skipped a beat. The Jade Pendant looked familiar.

He examined it for a moment, then suddenly recalled the Jade Pendant Yun Qing had worn.

’Could this Jade Pendant be Yun Qing’s?’

’She was here before?’ Fang Yue was riddled with questions.

’Could she be part of the Observatory, too?’

Fang Yue pocketed the Jade Pendant, resolving to find Yun Qing and get some answers.

He knew this Jade Pendant was likely connected to the entire affair in some intricate way, and Yun Qing’s identity had suddenly become shrouded in mystery.

He carefully exited the secret room and retraced his steps.

~~~~~~~

"Intruder!"

"Sound the alarm!"

He had just stepped out of the secret room when suddenly, an alarm blared throughout the Observatory, shattering the tranquility of the night.

Fang Yue’s heart tightened. ’This is bad,’ he thought.

Fang Yue heard the urgent blare of the alarm, followed by a cacophony of frantic footsteps and shouts from all over the Observatory.

His heart clenched; he knew he’d likely been discovered. With no time to think about Yun Qing’s identity or the Jade Pendant’s origin, he immediately turned and sprinted toward the Observatory’s outer wall.

"Quick! Get the intruder!"

"Don’t let him escape!"

The shouts of the Observatory guards echoed from behind him, and Fang Yue knew they were on his tail. He didn’t dare hesitate, activating his Lightweight Skill to dart swiftly through the darkness.

The Observatory’s layout was complex, but with his exceptional memory and sense of direction, Fang Yue quickly found the secluded corner where he had first climbed over.

With a single bound, he easily vaulted over the high wall, escaping the Observatory’s perimeter.

"Hmph, you wretched thief! Do you think you can come and go from my Observatory as you please? Stay right where you are!"

Just then, a cold, sharp voice rang out behind Fang Yue. Immediately after, a powerful Qi locked onto him, making his heart pound in his chest.

Fang Yue’s heart sank. He knew an expert from the Observatory had made a move.

He didn’t dare hesitate, mustering all his strength to flee with every ounce of his being.

Behind him, that powerful Qi remained locked onto him, threatening to overtake him at any moment.

Fang Yue weaved through the darkness at high speed, constantly changing direction in an attempt to shake the tenacious Qi following him.

’I actually fell for it!’

It was then that Fang Yue finally realized: the person in black had deliberately lured him to the Observatory.

He realized the person in black had cleverly led him into a trap. The alarm and the pursuit were just part of the show, designed to incite a conflict between him and the Observatory.

Fang Yue’s mind raced. He knew he had to shake his pursuer quickly. If he were caught, the consequences would be dire.

He pushed himself to the limit, darting through the darkness and trying to shake the persistent Qi on his tail.

Behind him, the expert from the Observatory gave chase relentlessly, his speed so great that he was nearly a match for Fang Yue.

Fang Yue cursed inwardly. He knew this couldn’t go on; he had to find a way to lose his pursuer.

If he got tied down, he’d be in real trouble.

After all, he couldn’t just kill his pursuer, could he?

And he had no way of explaining why he had infiltrated the Observatory in the middle of the night.

Suddenly, Fang Yue’s eyes lit up. He saw a dense forest not far ahead.

An idea instantly sparked in his mind, and he charged toward the forest without a second thought.

Seeing this, his pursuer followed close behind.

Fang Yue plunged into the woods, using the cover of the trees to constantly change direction in an attempt to lose his pursuer.

Once they were outside the city, his pursuer seemed to hesitate for a moment.

That hesitation allowed Fang Yue to pull away, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished into the trees.

~~~~~~~

The next day, Fang Yue put on a disguise and prepared to return to Ganzhou Prefecture to gather some news.

However, he had just reached the city gate.

...when he discovered that today’s Ganzhou Prefecture was exceptionally different. Soldiers and government constables were everywhere, as if a war was about to break out.

"Did you hear? Last night, some incredibly audacious rebel broke into the Observatory and killed the Director for Gongzhou Prefecture!"

"I know! So brutal, so audacious! They say the scoundrel even chopped off the Director’s head!"

"Sigh, what is the world coming to? Someone dares to break into a place like the Observatory and kill the Director... Isn’t that just openly defying the Imperial Court?"

"Tell me about it. Gongzhou Prefecture has been getting more and more dangerous lately."

Fang Yue overheard two passersby discussing this as he entered the city gate.

He was stunned. He had infiltrated the Observatory last night, and somehow the Director ended up dead?

’How is that possible!’

Although he had overheard the conversation in the secret room and knew someone in the Observatory wanted to harm him, he hadn’t seen any sign of a struggle or heard any screams last night.

’I can’t believe this was their plan!’

It was clear to Fang Yue now: Yun Qing, and the people behind her, wanted to make him a scapegoat.

Yun Qing’s identity and motives suddenly seemed far more complex and mysterious, and Fang Yue realized he was caught in the middle of a massive conspiracy.

He decided to find a place to lay low first and then slowly investigate the truth of the matter.

He knew the most important thing now was to stay calm and vigilant and avoid getting himself into an even more dangerous predicament.

With a slight furrow of his brow, Fang Yue immediately headed into Ganzhou Prefecture City.