TanTan had finally found a clue about the ironworking area. It was located on the outskirts of town, not too far away if they went on foot.
As they walked, TanTan wondered how she could get more information out of Prince FengEr. However, he seemed to be a sociable person and started the conversation himself.
"So, what will you do if you discover who owns the dagger, MuTan Mei? You know it's dangerous to confront them on your own."
"I'll find a way to catch them all. Most importantly, I want to ask them why they tried to kill me."
"Perhaps someone hired them to do it. The dagger seems to belong to an assassin, so whoever hired them must have a serious grudge against you. Can't you remember anyone who might have such a grudge?"
Right... Hua MuTan has so many enemies. Where am I supposed to start? I haven't even recovered all her memories yet. If I had to guess who might hate Hua MuTan the most, it would probably be...
"I don't know... Maybe Prince Li?"
TanTan accidentally said her thoughts aloud.
Prince FengEr's eyes widened. Then he burst into loud laughter.
"Wei Di? Hahahaha! No way! How could you suspect your own husband? Didn't he risk his life protecting you from the assassins?"
That's exactly what makes me so confused about him! He should be one of the most likely candidates to be my enemy, but he protected me instead...
"Yes, you're right, San WangGe... But I honestly can't think of anyone else who might hold a grudge against me. Remember, I've forgotten everything."
Prince FengEr looked at her thoughtfully.
Poor Hua MuTan... She has truly forgotten some of the powerful enemies surrounding her.
He felt that he should help her understand her past a little better.
"Would you trust me if I told you about some of the enemies you had in the past?"
"Who? Your sister?"
"Hahaha! Yes, she's one of them. But believe me, she's not really dangerous. At least she never hides her dislike of you. She's just an honest girl."
"That's true. I can see that. So, who else are you talking about?"
"Let's see... MuTan Mei, you used to be quite famous for your arrogance and fierce temper. No one dared to oppose you because you were Queen Grandmother's favourite. You know that, don't you?"
"Yes... And then?"
"But that was also why some people in the palace were jealous of you."
"Someone in the palace?"
Prince FengEr nodded and began explaining the situation within the royal family.
The King of Li Country, Li LongWei, had many concubines, and they were constantly competing for the King's and Queen Grandmother's attention. The highest position among them was naturally held by the current Queen, who was also the mother of the Crown Prince.
In the past, everyone knew that the arrogant Hua MuTan disliked the Queen and the King's other concubines. Almost all of them, including the Queen herself, had clashed with Hua MuTan at some point. However, with Queen Grandmother's protection, Hua MuTan had always managed to escape their schemes.
And there was another person who held a grudge against her.
The Crown Prince, Li LongYi.
"Even the Crown Prince?! But why?"
TanTan stared at Prince FengEr in confusion.
Prince FengEr simply smiled at her.
"Because you're too beautiful, MuTan Mei."
His answer only made TanTan more confused.
However, Prince FengEr didn't continue explaining. They had finally arrived at their destination.
"Ah, there it is."
In front of them was a large working area filled with men forging iron. The place was commonly known as the Ironworks, as forging iron was its main activity. It was also one of the major weapon-production centres in the town.
Although TanTan wanted to ask Prince FengEr more questions, she decided to put them aside for the moment.
Right now, we should focus on the dagger.
She began approaching the blacksmiths one by one, showing them the drawing of the dagger she had brought with her.
Unfortunately, none of them recognised its design. Some even rudely refused to provide any information.
After questioning several people, TanTan could only conclude that the weapon might have been made in this town or somewhere nearby. However, there was also a strong possibility that it had come from the capital.
The disappointing result left TanTan feeling rather discouraged.
During their break, she sat down at a small noodle shop and let out a deep sigh.
Prince FengEr ordered two bowls of hot noodles. He prepared a pair of chopsticks and handed them to her.
"Here. We'd better refill our energy before continuing."
The delicious aroma immediately reminded TanTan how hungry she was. She gratefully accepted the noodles and began eating.
Her eating manners were certainly nothing like Hua MuTan's usual elegant style. Yet, strangely enough, Prince FengEr found it refreshing.
He watched her with amusement, barely touching his own bowl.
From everything he had observed so far, he was becoming increasingly certain that this Hua MuTan was no longer the same person she had been in the past.
And rather than disliking the change, he found himself becoming even more attracted to her.
When TanTan finally finished her noodles, a glass of water was placed in front of her. Prince FengEr had thoughtfully prepared it for her.
"Um... thank you."
TanTan drank the water before noticing that Prince FengEr's bowl was still untouched.
"Aren't you going to eat, San WangGe?"
"Oh, dear... I was so mesmerised by the way you eat that I completely forgot about my own noodles."
Prince FengEr smiled at her, clearly flirting.
TanTan looked at him suspiciously.
This prince must be a playboy. He can flirt so boldly without even blinking!
Prince FengEr seemed to notice her suspicious expression, so he quickly clarified.
"Please don't be angry with me, MuTan Mei. What I mean is that your way of eating is so different from before."
"Oh... I hope I haven't embarrassed you, San WangGe."
"Of course not. I actually like the way you eat now."
There he goes flirting again...
Suddenly, Prince FengEr glanced around before leaning closer to TanTan. He seemed to want to say something without letting the other customers hear.
Confused, TanTan leaned closer to listen.
"MuTan Mei, it might be uncomfortable if you keep calling me San WangGe here. It's better if we don't reveal our real identities to everyone. That way, we might be able to gather more clues without attracting too much attention. Why don't you just call me Feng Ge? I'll call you Tan Mei."
TanTan looked around and finally understood what he meant.
Compared with the other customers in the noodle shop, their appearances stood out quite a bit. Several people nearby were already glancing at them curiously.
Perhaps it's not a bad idea. If we attract too much attention, people might refuse to tell us anything, just like some of those blacksmiths earlier.
"Very well, Feng Ge. But what should we do next?"
"Well..." Prince FengEr smiled apologetically. "Suddenly, I'm feeling rather hungry. Would you mind waiting until I finish my noodles first?"
TanTan didn't mind. While Prince FengEr ate, she continued observing the street, checking whether there were any iron workshops they hadn't visited yet.
Then her eyes caught sight of two suspicious-looking men.
They seemed to be looking around cautiously, making sure no one was watching them. A third man soon joined them, and all three disappeared into a narrow, quiet alley.
Something about their behaviour immediately caught TanTan's attention.
"Feng Ge... I think we should go now."
Without waiting for his reply, TanTan hurried towards the alley.
"Wait, Tan Mei!"
Prince FengEr quickly put down some money to pay for both their unfinished bowls of noodles before following her.
Behind a wall, TanTan carefully listened to the men talking in front of a small, old house.
When Prince FengEr arrived, she gestured for him to remain quiet and listen.
One of the men, who was dressed in clean black clothing, seemed to be the leader. The other two looked rougher and less tidy, probably his subordinates.
The leader turned towards one of them, a rather fat man with a long beard.
"Are you sure everything is ready? Nothing has been left behind?"
"Of course! All the weapons are safely stored away. We moved everything after that accident. Not a single weapon was left behind. You can trust me!"
The bearded man thumped his chest to reassure his leader.
"Keep your voice down, you fool!" The other subordinate, a skinny man, suddenly hit the bearded man.
"Hey! How many times have I told you not to hit my head?!"
"What? Do you want to fight?"
The two men began arguing like a pair of clowns performing in a circus.
"Enough."
The leader lowered his voice, clearly losing patience.
"Now take me to the place. I want to inspect everything myself before reporting to the High Master."
The two subordinates immediately stopped arguing and led their leader away. They headed towards the woods.
TanTan continued following them, but Prince FengEr suddenly caught her arm, stopping her for a moment.
"Tan Mei, I don't think following them like this is a good idea. Why don't we return and report everything to Wei Di? He can send soldiers to capture them."
Hand this clue over to Prince Li so he can solve the mystery before I do? No way!
"Are you afraid, Feng Ge? You can go back if you want. I'm going to keep investigating. Perhaps these men can lead me to the assassins."
TanTan continued walking, quickening her pace so she wouldn't lose sight of them.
Prince FengEr could only sigh.
"What a brave but careless girl..."
Nevertheless, he continued accompanying her.
The men eventually stopped in front of an old wooden lodge. It looked as though no one had lived there for a long time.
They cautiously checked their surroundings before entering.
TanTan watched them from a distance, hiding behind some trees.
"Now what do you plan to do, Tan Mei?"
Prince FengEr observed her curiously. He wondered what she would do in this situation.
"I want to search inside the lodge."
"Hm... That might be difficult. We can't simply barge in, and I doubt those men will leave without keeping watch."
Prince FengEr calmly assessed the situation, speaking as casually as though he were explaining how to choose fresh vegetables at the market.
Somehow, his calmness irritated TanTan.
"I know that!"
She continued thinking.
If only I could find a way to distract those three men...
She looked around the woods and noticed a hole in the ground. It looked like an abandoned natural well, although it wasn't particularly deep.
Then she turned towards Prince FengEr, an idea forming in her mind.
"Feng Ge, can you start a fire?"
"That's not difficult. But why?"
Prince FengEr looked at her in confusion.
TanTan smiled at him pleadingly before explaining her plan.
As he listened, Prince FengEr couldn't help smiling.
What an interesting plan... She's quite clever and bold.
A few minutes later, TanTan threw a burning stick near the front of the lodge. The flames weren't large, but they produced enough smoke to drift towards the entrance.
The men inside were startled and immediately rushed out to put out the fire.
"Why is there suddenly a fire here?!" the leader shouted.
"Look!" The bearded man pointed towards the woods, not far from the lodge. "There's another fire over there!"
The skinny man followed his gaze.
"Yes! There's a fire!"
"Both of you, go and check it out. If you find anyone there, kill them! Don't leave any witnesses!"
"Understood!"
The two men hurried towards the burning area. When they reached it, they discovered that the fire was only burning a few bushes.
They moved closer to inspect it.
Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet gave way.
Both men fell into the hole.
Since the hole wasn't particularly deep, TanTan and Prince FengEr quickly threw some burning branches into it and covered the opening with large pieces of wood. The smoke and heat kept the two men occupied as they struggled to get out.
Meanwhile, TanTan turned towards Prince FengEr.
"Now, I need you to distract the leader for long enough so I can search the lodge."
Prince FengEr still thought the plan was rather risky. However, since he had already agreed to help her, he decided to go along with it.
He deliberately made his presence known from a distance, successfully attracting the leader's attention.
The man immediately chased after him.
Now was TanTan's chance.
Knowing she didn't have much time, she rushed into the lodge.
Inside, she found several wooden boxes filled with weapons of unusual designs. There were daggers among them, but none looked like the poisoned dagger she was investigating.
TanTan felt disappointed, but she still took one of the unusual daggers with her, thinking it might come in handy if she had to fight her way out.
When she stepped through the entrance, however, she came face-to-face with the two subordinates who had escaped from the hole.
Their clothes were covered in dirt, and their faces were a complete mess from the smoke and ashes.
Damn it! I knew that hole wouldn't hold them for long, but I didn't expect them to get back so quickly!
"Who are you?!" the bearded man shouted, startled to see a woman coming out of the lodge.
"Let's catch her!" The skinny man immediately lunged towards TanTan.
But TanTan managed to dodge his grasp and ran towards the woods.
The two men were about to chase after her when a fierce voice suddenly stopped them.
"What is going on here?!"
They turned around and froze.
Standing behind them was their High Master, a cold and intimidating man dressed in black. A mask covered almost his entire face.
He was the same masked man who had previously thrown one of his subordinates off a cliff for failing to carry out an order.
Both men began trembling with fear and immediately dropped to their knees.
"Hi... High Master! Please forgive us!"
"Y-Yes! Please let us catch that woman! We'll kill her immediately! No one will ever know!"
The High Master stared at them coldly.
"...That woman didn't come here alone, did she?"
"We... we don't know..."
In a flash, the High Master moved and killed both men without hesitation.
Several black-clothed men suddenly appeared behind him.
"Get rid of these fools and remove all the weapons immediately. Don't leave anything behind."
"Yes, Master!"
The men immediately carried out his orders.
Meanwhile, TanTan continued running through the woods until she stumbled over a rock and fell to the ground.
When she tried to get back up, she heard the sounds of a fight nearby.
Following the noise, she discovered Prince FengEr fighting the leader who had chased after him.
TanTan was stunned.
From their movements, it was obvious that Prince FengEr was far more skilled than the other man.
Is Prince FengEr actually that good at martial arts?
A few moments later, Prince FengEr managed to overpower the leader and pin him down with his own sword.
His expression had become fierce and intimidating, completely different from his usual cheerful demeanour.
"Now tell me! Who is your master? What are you planning to do with these hidden weapons? Tell me the truth, and I, Prince Li FengEr, will spare your life!"
The leader realised he had no chance of escaping. But when he recognised Prince FengEr's identity, he suddenly laughed nervously.
"You'll never defeat our Master... He's far more powerful than you...!"
Before he could say anything more, a small poisoned arrow suddenly flew out of nowhere and struck his neck.
He died almost instantly.
Prince FengEr sensed that someone had fired the arrow and escaped into the trees. He was about to pursue the attacker when TanTan's voice stopped him.
"San WangGe... Is he dead?"
"I'm afraid so..."
Prince FengEr picked up the poisoned arrow and examined it carefully. Then he turned towards TanTan.
"Let's return to Li Mansion, Tan Mei. It's no longer safe for us to stay here."
TanTan couldn't argue with that. She nodded, but just as she tried to move, pain shot through her ankle.
"Ouch!"
"What happened?"
Prince FengEr immediately looked concerned.
"I think I twisted my ankle when I tripped over that rock. But it's all right. I can still walk."
"Let me see."
Prince FengEr knelt down to examine her ankle.
Somehow, his position made TanTan feel rather awkward.
He looked up at her after checking the injury.
"It's not too serious, but you shouldn't force yourself to walk. Let me carry you back to the Ironworks. We can have your ankle treated there."
"No... it's fine! There's no need to carry me. Just let me lean on your arm. That should be enough."
The thought of being carried by Prince FengEr was simply too embarrassing for TanTan.
"All right."
Seeing how uncomfortable she was, Prince FengEr didn't insist. Instead, he let her hold his arm for support.
Together, they slowly made their way back towards the Ironworks.