At the same time, Qi Yanjing was ascending the mountain alone.
After Meng Yihuan had been drugged and abducted, a terrified Miaoyan and her companions immediately ceased their skirmish with the bandits and rushed in a panic to find Qi Yanjing. Not long after, Princess Zhao returned to the Imperial City in a disheveled state. She reported to the authorities that they had encountered bandits, claiming she had escaped by jumping into a river, while Meng Yihuan had been captured. During the earlier chaos, Miaoyan and the others had not noticed the happenings on Princess Zhao’s side, and thus remained unaware that it was a maid disguised in Princess Zhao's retinue who had spirited Meng Yihuan away.
Qi Yanjing was consumed by fury. After investigating the bandits' background, he prepared to lead his troops to suppress them. However, just before setting out, he received word: to save her, he must come to the mountain alone with fifty thousand taels of silver, or Meng Yihuan would be killed. Hearing this, Qi Yanjing abandoned the plan to march with his troops and instead went to the Moon Shadow Pavilion to have his operatives follow him in secret. He would rescue her, and he would certainly annihilate the bandits as well.
Chapter 185