Chapter 1598: Personal Interception

Government offices might conduct an investigation before making an arrest, but these individuals weren't official constables. Any suspicious person posing a threat to He Xiao's personal safety fell within their scope of action.

Besides, anyone wandering around the estate in the middle of the night, instead of sleeping, surely had malicious intent. Taking them down in one swift action was perfectly justified!

"Brother Zhao, that's very generous of you," He Lingchuan said, knowing that the good relationships he had cultivated were now paying off. Otherwise, Zhao Song would have a hundred excuses to decline if he truly didn't want to get involved.

Zhao Song immediately raised his arm, and thirty to forty people promptly took their positions.

"This number might not be enough," He Lingchuan commented. Cao Wendao's demonic puppets were likely formidable.

Zhao Song was equally decisive. Upon hearing it wasn't enough, he immediately added over three hundred more people.

While Zhao Song gathered reinforcements, He Lingchuan pulled Dong Rui aside and whispered instructions: "Ride the snail toad and proceed stealthily to set up an ambush. If Cao Wendao manages to escape..."

Demonic puppet masters employed a wide variety of tactics, and there was no guarantee that Cao Wendao lacked a contingency plan.

"I'll cut off his retreat!" Dong Rui quickly offered.

He Lingchuan then pulled out the spider ocarina, "Aunt Zhu's Eye Socket," from his robe and placed it in Dong Rui's hand. "This will give you an extra layer of protection."

Dong Rui wasn't musically inclined, but playing this instrument shouldn't be difficult.

"Alright," Dong Rui replied, then, in the spirit of asking when unsure, added, "What exactly is 'protection'?"

Dong Rui's eyes darted, and he made a request: "Can I borrow the Heavenly King's Scale to try out?"

He Lingchuan took a dry tobacco pipe from his robe and handed it to him. "Be careful not to blow yourself up."

This was a treasure Emperor Jiuyou had borrowed from the Weng brothers, and both He Lingchuan and Dong Rui had tested it multiple times. While others played with firecrackers, they played with explosive pellets.

Just as Zhao Song came to report that the personnel had fully assembled, He Lingchuan gave the immediate order, "Let's depart."

The three hundred or so individuals then gathered around He Lingchuan, departing the estate in a grand procession.

He Lingchuan wasted no time. On the way, he informed Zhao Song that these individuals were adept at using demonic puppets for contract killings, and that Situ Yu, the leader of the Allied forces, had died by their hand.

Zhao Song had only heard of wooden puppets, golden-armored bronze guards, and similar constructs, but was unsure what "demonic puppets" entailed. He Lingchuan explained, "They are mutated monsters controlled for one's own use. For instance, the fierce tiger and porcupine that appeared at Xiaotao Villa—they looked like demons yet not quite—those were demonic puppets."

"You mentioned contract killings earlier?" Zhao Song asked him. "Who hired them?"

"The captives didn't say; most likely, only their leader knows," He Lingchuan sighed. "However, I can make a fairly accurate guess."

Who would consider him such a thorn in their side? He didn't elaborate, but Zhao Song understood instantly and wisely refrained from speaking.

Who else could it be, if not Regent Qingyang?

The only individuals who dared openly oppose Regent Qingyang, apart from King Yao himself, were He Xiao. This was an unspoken understanding among all officials at court.

"Regardless, we must eliminate this hidden threat immediately!" Zhao Song declared, his expression hardening. "To dare commit crimes in Tianshui City shows utter disrespect for us!"

"The demonic puppets this individual controls are quite formidable, so Brother Zhao, you must not be careless."

Zhao Song chuckled. "We possess primal energy, so these demonic forces will have limited effect on us."

He was not boasting. The Yao Kingdom's primal energy was unparalleled in the Glimmering Gold Plain, possessing a powerful suppressive effect on cultivators and their divine abilities.

As soon as the group exited the estate's south gate, they headed straight for Taoxi Creek.

He Lingchuan understood that apprehending Cao Wendao required lightning speed; otherwise, the man, like an eel, would vanish in an instant.

He had previously captured several of Cao Wendao's disciples. Only Yang Chi survived after a brain worm was extracted; the other two died instantly on the spot, their deaths remarkably swift, occurring just before they could reveal crucial secrets.

At that time, he had suspected that Cao Wendao was able to monitor their conversations.

Just moments ago, when lightning struck, a faint blue light flashed twice in quick succession at the corner of Yang Chi's eye. This immediately reminded He Lingchuan of a particular tiny creature known as an "eye mite."

Eye mites could parasitize a creature's eyeball, establishing a visual and auditory link with the host. This meant that whatever the host heard or saw would be forcibly shared with the mite.

In the case of the missing messenger in Lingxu City, Xi Yunhe, operating under the alias Mai Xuewen, had secretly implanted eye mites into his old servant to eavesdrop on conversations between He Lingchuan and Zhongsun Mou.

The old servant remained completely oblivious, just like Yang Chi. Furthermore, eye mites were hidden deep within the flesh, undetectable by divine powers or spells. Their only peculiar trait was a stress response to strong light or sudden changes in illumination, which explained the faint blue glow at the corner of the host's eye.

This detail was recorded in Zhongsun Mou's personal files. Years ago, while traveling with He Lingchuan to Lingxu City, Bai Ziqi had made this particular information available for He Lingchuan to review.

Unexpectedly, this piece of knowledge proved suddenly useful today.

He Lingchuan used the insect puppets' affinity for their ancestral bugs to search for Cao Wendao in Tianshui City. Clearly, his opponent had anticipated this. The fact that Yang Chi and another person were implanted with eye mites and sent to separate inns was merely bait for He Lingchuan.

Once captured, He Lingchuan would undoubtedly interrogate Yang Chi rigorously.

By receiving this conversation through the eye mites, Cao Wendao could reverse-engineer a great deal of valuable intelligence.

For one, he could confirm that Wei Yishan was indeed the demonic puppet master!

The ability to trace origins using insect puppets was a skill only fellow practitioners possessed. Moreover, Dong Rui's various behaviors during the interrogation would immediately reveal to an expert like Cao Wendao that "Wei Yishan" genuinely possessed mastery in demonic puppetry.

Once this was confirmed, how many connections could Cao Wendao make?

The Scissor-tailed Tiger and Pill Bug Porcupine that appeared at Xiaotao Villa, the demonic puppet master, Emperor Jiuyou...

Even worse, He Lingchuan was almost certain that Cao Wendao had ties to Qingyang. If these assumptions or deductions reached Qingyang, He Lingchuan would be in serious trouble.

Therefore, his immediate priority was to capture or kill Cao Wendao and swiftly eliminate this threat!

Having discerned the presence of eye mites on Yang Chi, He Lingchuan decided to play along. He feigned instructing Dong Rui to retrieve Xiao An.

He didn't know that Cao Wendao had long been interested in Wei Yishan, but Xiao An was an experimental subject relentlessly sought by the Crimson Lodge Master. Cao Wendao wouldn't abandon her, so he would naturally keep a close watch on Yongquan Villa and Wei Yishan's whereabouts.

Whether he was observing with his own eyes or deploying insect puppets, there were always distance limitations, meaning Cao Wendao had to be staying nearby tonight.

At this time, the eastern suburbs of Tianshui City were covered in yellow mud, with large excavated pits everywhere. Even an ordinary person wouldn't want to go there, let alone Cao Wendao, who was accustomed to a comfortable life.

The one or two creek and river areas that still retained their original natural features were most likely Cao Wendao's preferred choices for spending the night.

For He Lingchuan, such a deduction was quite straightforward.

While Cao Wendao was still meticulously planning an ambush for "Wei Yishan" at his private camp dozens of miles away, He Lingchuan had already decided to put an end to him that very night by Taoxi Creek!

Taoxi Creek was located west of Yongquan Villa. The expansion of Tianshui New City had temporarily bypassed these tributaries, allowing the creek to retain its original natural beauty, untouched by the widespread excavation.

However, before they had traveled more than a hundred zhang, over twenty mounted figures emerged from behind a small hill, directly encountering them.

A sudden clap of thunder flashed across the sky, illuminating the mountainous landscape, and both parties clearly saw each other.

The leader of this group, emerging from behind the hill, wore a green robe and a high topknot. Her phoenix eyes conveyed authority without needing to express anger. It was Qingyang!

The moment he saw her, He Lingchuan's heart sank.

At this critical juncture, Qingyang blocking his path could only mean...

"Island Master He, still traveling so late?" Her voice was unhurried, cutting through the gentle rain and reaching everyone's ears.

"Regent Qingyang," He Lingchuan said, reining in his horse.

The Soul-Devouring Mirror, held close to him, hummed in response: "Still blocking the way so late?"

Since the two sides hadn't yet officially broken ties, He Lingchuan maintained a polite tone: "Still not resting at such a late hour?"

"The vagrants are agitated and have infiltrated Quiet Lake," Qingyang said softly. "I merely brought some people out to investigate. It seems Island Master He's Yongquan Villa was also disturbed? How is the situation there now?"

"Thanks to the Regent's blessing, those who needed to be caught have been caught, and those who needed to be driven away have been. Peace has been restored," He Lingchuan stated bluntly. "Your Excellency Regent, I have an urgent matter to attend to. I will visit Quiet Lake later!"

His words were clear: he had an urgent matter and would not be delaying.

Qingyang, a seasoned official with over a century of experience, seemed not to have understood, and chuckled to herself, "Young people are always so impatient. In these eastern suburbs of Tianshui, what else besides a few stray vagrants could possibly warrant Island Master He's personal presence?"

He Lingchuan opened his mouth to speak, but she continued without pause, "Since we've met by chance here, I actually have a matter I'd like to consult Island Master He about."

"A ch-chance encounter?" the Soul-Devouring Mirror sputtered angrily. "Isn't this old woman here specifically to block our path?"

Dong Rui also transmitted a message to He Lingchuan through the eyeball spider: "She's stalling for time!"

Qingyang was blocking He Lingchuan's path and speaking slowly. Wasn't this the classic tactic for stalling?

In other words, she and Cao Wendao had coordinated.

This location was very close to Quiet Lake. She had rushed out to intercept He Lingchuan, giving Cao Wendao precious time to escape!

The more than three hundred people behind He Lingchuan followed his lead. As long as He Lingchuan was stopped, Cao Wendao would be able to proceed unhindered.

The worst part was that Cao Wendao would certainly not remain passively by Taoxi Creek!

Once he left that area, it would be like a fish disappearing into the ocean, and He Lingchuan would never find him again.

But how could He Lingchuan shake off Qingyang now?

If he tried to force his horse forward, Qingyang would surely step in to block him. Although three hundred Yao Palace guards were behind him, would Zhao Song dare to openly challenge Qingyang?

Zhao Song was now completely silent, appearing to be a different person from the one who had been so indignantly righteous back at Yongquan Villa.

Therefore, these three hundred palace guards would be completely ineffective against Qingyang.

Qingyang's personal interception this time demonstrated swift, precise, and ruthless timing.

He Lingchuan could speak quickly and say he was in a hurry to pursue the culprit. However, he could easily imagine Qingyang feigning surprise and then suggesting, "Let's go together."

Even if he managed to catch up to Cao Wendao, with Qingyang present, could he successfully kill or capture him?

It was not a promising prospect.

What was he to do?

He Lingchuan's eyes flashed. Before he could speak, he heard Dong Rui's telepathic message:

"You keep her occupied; Cao Wendao is mine!"

*Hold on, don't be impulsive,* He Lingchuan thought, cursing inwardly. Then he heard Dong Rui continue:

"Do you think I would lose? Ha! Would I lose to a rigid, pedantic, untalented, and incompetent old geezer who just occupies a position? —Don't worry, I've got this!"