Chapter 469: Mr. Mai's Trace

Chapter 468: Traces of Mr. Mai

The old man let out a pained cry and passed out on the spot. His eyeballs had been gouged out and were rolling perfectly intact in Zhongsun Mou's spoon.

Zhongsun Mou casually picked up a cup, poured water to rinse the eyeballs, and then held one up to the light for a closer look. "Just as I suspected," he muttered, picking out a small, red worm-like creature from the eyeball. It squirmed on the tabletop. "An eye mite," he identified.

This mite was harmless to humans, and the old man hadn't even known it was planted on him. It served as a medium, allowing its user to share the vision of the eye mite's host. Because the eye mite itself was a parasite, the guards had found no traces of divine powers or magic when they previously searched the old man. However, this particular mite adjusted its body color when light changed abruptly, and it was this slight flaw that Zhongsun Mou had detected.

Undoubtedly, Mr. Mai was behind the tampering of the old man's eyes. This meant that whatever the old gatekeeper saw, Mr. Mai could also see, without needing to appear in person.

Zhongsun Mou was startled by the eye mite, but his surprise turned to delight rather than anger. "Eye mites cannot be too far from their master, or they will become ineffective," he stated. He ordered his guards, "Send more men to intensify the search; that fellow is very likely still hiding in town!"

His subordinates quickly went to work, dragging the old man away and then using clean water to wash away the bloodstains on the floor.

Zhongsun Mou walked to the window and took a long, deep breath. The subject of their investigation was cunning; these arrangements could not have been made on short notice, especially the eye mite trick. This implied that once the gatekeeper entered the courtyard, Mr. Mai had seen everything inside clearly through his eyes. Information such as how many people were pursuing him, what they looked like, and their relationships with each other had all been easily obtained by his opponent.

Half an hour later, a guard returned with a report: "The local authorities were very cooperative. Wanted posters for Mr. Mai had been put up throughout the streets and alleys of Frost Dew Town, with his portrait displayed on walls, and people were loudly proclaiming the reward beside them. Anyone who could report Mr. Mai's whereabouts would receive fifteen taels of silver, a substantial sum that attracted many townsfolk."

Some people clicked their tongues in surprise, saying that Mr. Mai seemed like a good person and they never expected him to be a wanted fugitive. It truly was a case of knowing a face but not the heart.

Zhongsun Mou's subordinates quickly went to inquire, and these townsfolk confirmed that Mr. Mai indeed looked like the portrait. Several merchants in town also sourced goods from him for their businesses. The old gatekeeper's description had been very accurate. Naturally, these merchants were now being detained for questioning.

Zhongsun Mou listened to the report with half-closed eyes, then suddenly asked, "By the way, what about the group led by He?"

"They have already left Mr. Mai's house and returned to the inn."

"Nowhere else?"

"No, they went straight back to the inn, without stopping anywhere else."

Zhongsun Mou chuckled softly. "I thought they had some other tricks up their sleeves. Turns out they're nothing special."

"But after you left, they remained at Mr. Mai's house for over two quarters of an hour."

"What were they doing?"

"We're not sure. Two Wind-Piercing Beasts were guarding the door, so we couldn't enter. We only know they gathered in the study and were talking, and seemed to be looking at something together."

Zhongsun Mou's expression darkened slightly, but he quickly understood. "They arrived a step ahead of me. They might have found something during their search, but they're unwilling to share it with me."

"Also, what exactly is the background of this He fellow? Does the Magistrate of Whitestone County have any information?"

"The Magistrate of Whitestone County also met him for the first time. Guard Jiao only mentioned that the Special Envoy is not from Chiyan Kingdom, and the Crown Prince holds him in high regard."

"Not from Chiyan Kingdom?" Zhongsun Mou was greatly surprised. "Fushan Yue actually appointed a foreigner as his Special Envoy?"

The guard couldn't answer that question. A Special Envoy was not just a title; they held corresponding privileges. To entrust such power to a foreigner, was Fushan Yue simply broad-minded, or did he place exceptional trust in this person? Zhongsun Mou knew this eldest son of Chiyan Kingdom better than anyone else. For Fushan Yue, such an arrogant and fierce individual, to show respect to someone, that person must possess significant capability. But due to his existing animosity, he hadn't been civil towards the He fellow.

Just then, another person reported: "My lord, the chewing tobacco has been identified. It is indeed produced in Qizhou, Chiyan Kingdom."

A half-tube of chewing tobacco was found hidden in Mr. Mai's desk and had been brought back for analysis. Zhongsun Mou scoffed, "Do we need them to identify it? Only chewing tobacco from Qizhou uses white-bark bamboo tubes, which exude a scent similar to citrus." Not only did each demon kingdom within Beijia have its own tobacco production, but even chewing tobacco from the same demon kingdom varied by region. Just as different lands nurture different people, so too do different regions' inhabitants prefer their local chewing tobacco. Zhongsun Mou knew that many nobles and merchants, when traveling, would bring their local chewing tobacco, as they were unaccustomed to other brands.

"A-also, the clothing brought back from Mr. Mai's bedroom cabinet."

"What about it?"

"We brought back twelve items, two of which are made of 'Yanghu White' fabric," the person said. "'Yanghu White' is an old brand from Qizhou, a specialty of Baisha Qu, and highly favored by the locals. Both of these items have been worn for some time; they are not new." If they were worn daily, they weren't placed there specifically to mislead.

Zhongsun Mou slowly said, "Baisha Qu in Qizhou?" That place was already close to the northern border of Chiyan Kingdom; another hundred *li* north would bring one to the territory of Spirit Void City.

A moment later, a guard reported again: "My lord, Mr. Mai's ledgers have been analyzed." They had practically emptied Mr. Mai's study, taking all documents and leaving not a single scrap of paper for He Lingchuan. Although these documents might all have been a ruse by Mr. Mai, Zhongsun Mou still believed they held significance, because these businesses were real. Everything that exists leaves a trace. With many subordinates, the analysis results were quickly produced:

Mr. Mai mainly dealt in medicinal herbs and oil, but these were small-scale businesses, at best medium-low in Frost Dew Town, attracting little attention. However, such fragmented businesses could not be sustained by him alone, especially since Mr. Mai only visited Frost Dew Town three or four times a year. Businesses required contact and face-to-face meetings, unless...

"He has a local warehouse in Frost Dew Town. He doesn't need to worry about goods coming in or out. Customers usually go there to sign for and pick up items."

"So, he's just a distributor?" Zhongsun Mou's expression instantly became serious. "He has a supplier!"

"Yes, we also found his source of goods. It's likely in—"

Zhongsun Mou interrupted him. "Near Baisha Qu in Qizhou?"

"Ah, no, it's in Qizhou, but at Hive Mountain," his subordinate quickly clarified. "It's probably twenty or thirty *li* from Baisha Qu."

Zhongsun Mou nodded. "A cunning rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow; he wouldn't directly expose his main hideout."

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door of the guest room. A guard opened the door and saw the old postman holding an oiled paper package. "Someone outside asked us to deliver this to the lord here," the postman said. The guard didn't dare hand the oiled paper package directly to Zhongsun Mou, instead opening it by the door. Inside, it contained a book.

Zhongsun Mou looked at it and let out a surprised "Oh?" "Who sent this?"

After He Lingchuan returned to the inn, he first filled his stomach, then went back to his room to meditate. Others thought he was simply resting, and even the impatient General Antelope didn't approach him with many questions. In fact, through the eye mite's perspective, he had taken in everything that happened at Zhongsun Mou's location. His own side had plenty of demonic beasts with considerable combat power, but when it came to reviewing documents and analyzing data, humans were needed. With limited human resources, it was better to simply take advantage of what Zhongsun Mou had already processed. That's why he had previously allowed Zhongsun Mou to take all the documents away — he couldn't have seized much himself at the time anyway.

"So, all clues point to the vicinity of Baisha Qu in Qizhou? Would Mr. Mai, who seems like a shrewd individual, leave such obvious clues?"

At that moment, a knocking sound came from the door. He Lingchuan opened the door. The inn employee standing outside handed him an oiled paper package. "My lord, someone specifically sent this for you," he said.

The ferocious tiger, which had been lying on the couch licking its fur, raised its head at the sound. He Lingchuan snatched the package. "What did that person look like? Where did they go?"

"It-it was the lame beggar from the back alley who brought it," the employee stammered.

He Lingchuan didn't wait for more details. He leaped downstairs and caught up with the beggar outside the inn in two steps. Being lame, the beggar couldn't walk fast. He pulled out two copper coins and flashed them before the beggar. "Which way did the person who asked you to deliver this go?"

The beggar pointed west.

Just then, Jiao Yu also emerged, having heard the commotion. He Lingchuan made it sniff the scent on the oiled paper package. "Chase!" This was using a fierce tiger as a dog. Jiao Yu had no time to complain and immediately ran forward, following the faint scent.

Only then did He Lingchuan leisurely ask the beggar, "What did that person look like?"

"Tall, wearing a gray cloak. The fabric was very good, but the brim of the hat covered his face, so I couldn't see what he looked like."

He Lingchuan tossed the copper coins to him and went upstairs.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the fierce tiger returned. Seeing it return empty-handed, He Lingchuan immediately consoled it, "No matter. It took the lame beggar a long time to reach the inn, which was enough time for Mr. Mai to make a calm retreat. Otherwise, why would he choose a lame person?"

"The scent disappeared halfway," Jiao Yu shook its head. "He used some spells to conceal himself. What's in the package?"

As Jiao Yu spoke, a few thumping sounds suddenly came from the floorboards outside the door, followed by a knock. The knocking had a distinctive pattern, and He Lingchuan knew immediately it was General Antelope. He opened the door to see the old goat shrunk to the size of an ordinary sheep, gazing up at him eagerly. "I heard something going on here!"

"You certainly have long legs," He Lingchuan remarked, knowing that General Antelope probably kept an ear on his activities, missing no slight movement. Honestly, whether human or demon, such dedication to one's kin deserved respect.

He let the goat in, took out the oiled paper package, and opened it in front of the two demons. Inside was a book, or more accurately, a notebook, perhaps only seventy or eighty pages long, but with a sturdy cover that clearly indicated it was brand new.

Jiao Yu was greatly surprised. "Oh, this is... 'Records of Honoring Deities'?" This significant work was a notebook written by Beijia's former Demon Emperor Wuchen in his later years. Nobles in Spirit Void City and all vassal demon kings possessed copies. Of course, commoners in Spirit Void City and the capitals of various demon kingdoms might also have copies in their homes.

Jiao Yu and General Antelope had, of course, both read this book. "Who would send you this?"

(End of Chapter)