Chapter 693: Sudden Situation

Chapter 687: Sudden Development

All the guards bowed to He Lingchuan before mounting their horses and riding off in pursuit.

Jiao Yu had no choice but to follow, looking back every few steps.

The setting sun, red as blood, shone on its reddish-brown fur as it slowly disappeared at the end of the ancient road. The sound of the horses' hooves faded, soon becoming inaudible.

He Lingchuan watched their retreating figures. Compared to the imminent changes in Mount Xu, the actions of the Yanchi people in Lingxu City were, at most, a prelude to a storm.

Fu Shanyue's departure at this moment was indeed a wise move.

He sighed softly, then rode his sheep for two days until he reached Qingshi Town, a suburb of Lingxu City, where he sought lodging for the night.

The inn room was small but relatively clean.

Dong Rui was already waiting for him there. The Snail Toad had eagerly consumed a significant amount of Selfheal at Nian Zanli's warehouse, which bought them two more days for their preparations.

The two went to a restaurant. They spoke little, eating slowly and meticulously, then returned to their respective rooms to rest after the meal.

Lingxu City, South Lane Patrol Office.

It would be dark in another hour and a half.

Two patrolmen on the night shift had heard that tonight's meal would be good, featuring extra chicken legs, so they arrived early. However, before the chicken legs arrived, Madam Liu showed up first.

She looked anxious: "Qinzi, I saw that wanted criminal again!"

The older patrolman laughed, patting his younger colleague's shoulder: "Oh, your sister-in-law is about to earn a commendation!"

The younger patrolman rolled his eyes and asked Madam Liu, "Are you sure?"

Neither of them believed her.

"Let me see the wanted poster again."

Qinzi was reluctant, but since the office's meal wasn't ready yet, he had no choice but to get up and say, "Follow me."

The two carried a glowing spore lamp to the old case room and dug through a pile of old wanted posters.

Dust billowed up, and Qinzi couldn't help but sneeze.

Madam Liu flipped through them one by one, then pointed to one and said, "It's this person!"

The house had a leaky roof this summer, allowing moisture to seep in, and the portrait on the wanted poster was moldy.

"Still this one?" Qinzi pulled out the wanted poster and glanced at it. "Wanted List No. 87, Tu Yangzhi, a disciple of Bailin Valley, who murdered two divine envoys in Sura Kingdom seven years ago and fled. Hmm, he does look quite fierce. Are you sure it's this person?"

"Absolutely! I saw this portrait when it was first posted several years ago," Madam Liu nodded vigorously. "I noticed this person three days ago. He was eating noodles at the canned noodle stall at the west end of the street, sitting under the canopy. The mole on his forehead was exactly like the one in the portrait. And I just saw him again!"

"Where?"

"He just walked into Chunhe Cloth Shop, and I hurried straight here to report it to you," Madam Liu asked him, "If the report is successful, is there a reward?"

"If it really is Tu Yangzhi, there's a fifty-tael silver reward," Qinzi didn't think she would have such luck. "But every year, there are at least thirty to forty eyewitness reports of wanted criminals, and all of them turn out to be false. Madam Liu, those serious criminals rarely show themselves in public."

"Don't show themselves in public?" Madam Liu scoffed, "Do they not eat or relieve themselves? Do they stay masked all day? Come with me, I'm definitely getting those fifty taels of silver!"

The two returned to the front, and the older patrolman asked his colleague, "Well?"

He was watching with an amused detachment, but Qinzi, holding the wanted poster, said, "My sister-in-law is convinced she saw the fugitive Tu Yangzhi and insists on dragging me along."

According to regulations, patrolmen work in pairs and cannot operate alone unless under special circumstances.

The older patrolman was also reluctant. What kind of eyesight could this ordinary woman have? Nine times out of ten, she was mistaken.

He had come early just to eat an extra chicken leg; he preferred to avoid trouble.

But Madam Liu immediately kept assuring them, her voice exceptionally loud, so much so that anyone entering or leaving could hear her.

This woman was truly capable of causing trouble. He said resignedly, "Alright, alright, keep your voice down. I'll go with you."

They reported their departure, and the two men and one woman headed towards Chunhe Cloth Shop.

On the way, Madam Liu explained to the two, "This Chunhe Cloth Shop has been an old establishment for over a decade; several of us neighbors often patronized it. But ever since it changed ownership a month ago, business has dwindled. They don't have any of the attractive and popular colors found elsewhere! Now hardly anyone goes there. I reckon they won't last half a year before shutting down. Goodness, who dares to run a business like this in Lingxu City these days!"

The rent in Lingxu City was so expensive, and Chunhe Cloth Shop was a large store. Running a business like this would be a pure loss.

The patrolmen yawned.

Chunhe Cloth Shop was ahead. Qinzi muttered, "It's also right next to the public office."

The cloth shop was next to a government office. What kind of fugitive would deliberately come here?

Entering the cloth shop, just as Madam Liu had said, there were no customers inside. Only two shop assistants sat idle in the store, one munching on melon seeds, the other propping his head up, dozing off.

The one eating melon seeds saw Qinzi and the others enter and immediately stood up to greet them: "How may I help you, officers?"

Just as Qinzi was about to speak, Madam Liu said with a smile, "They're coming to my house for dinner, and they're just accompanying me to buy some fabric first. Could you take down that begonia-red bolt and let me have a look?"

The assistant went to fetch the fabric. The patrolmen looked around the shop, while the other assistant nodded and bowed obsequiously.

The shop had a front area, a backyard, and a wooden staircase in the middle leading to a loft. This layout was common in Lingxu City's shops, and there was often a storage room under the stairs.

The passage in front of the stairs was blocked by a half-curtain.

At this moment, a faint creak came from behind the curtain. Someone walked out of the storage room, intending to go upstairs to the second floor.

Qinzi took a big leap, directly pulling back the curtain and looking up.

The person had climbed two steps, heard the unusual sound, and turned back, his eyes meeting Qinzi's.

Qinzi was startled.

This person, this face!

That's right, it was strikingly similar to the portrait on the wanted poster; even the mole on his forehead was identical!

The man then asked him in a low voice, "What are you doing?"

Seeing the fierce glint in his eyes, Qinzi's heart pounded. Forcing himself to remain calm, he said, "I need to relieve myself urgently. Can I borrow a place?"

The man pointed towards the backyard.

At this point, the shop assistant also walked over: "Officer, the back is a storeroom. Is there something you need?"

"I just need to use the latrine."

The older patrolman also came over: "Did you eat something bad?"

Tu Yangzhi had already gone up to the loft. Qinzi glanced at the staircase and gave his colleague a look: "My stomach doesn't seem to hurt that much anymore; I can bear it."

The older patrolman paused, then understood: "Then let's go back. Why are we still standing here?"

No way, is it really him?

The man named Tu has cultivation. The two of them might not be able to handle him. They needed to go back and call for reinforcements.

As the two were about to leave, the assistant happened to block the doorway: "Are you two gentlemen not going to relieve yourselves?"

Qinzi waved his hand: "Move aside."

Suddenly, there was a clattering sound from the stairs; someone was coming down.

The two patrolmen instinctively turned their heads and looked up. Unexpectedly, a cold glint flashed ahead, and the assistant, holding a split-water stiletto, thrust it directly through the older patrolman's throat.

It went in the front and out the back, creating a gaping, bloody hole.

This casual murder came without warning. Qinzi, standing behind his colleague, suddenly saw the tip of the stiletto emerge from his neck. He couldn't help but let out a shout and draw his knife.

The sound of wind came from behind him. Qinzi swung his knife backwards, but was savagely kicked in the leg, the pain making him half-crouch.

He didn't know when a large bird had appeared before him. It was shaped like a stork, with a tall crest, and it was this bird that had kicked Qinzi, breaking his leg bone.

Someone then applied a rear naked choke from behind.

Qinzi watched with his own eyes as the fugitive Tu Yangzhi came down from upstairs and said, "No questions, just kill them directly."

With a snap, Qinzi's neck broke.

The patrolman's choked cry startled Madam Liu in the front of the shop. She was quite alert, glanced around twice, then turned and ran.

But before she reached the door, someone grabbed her by the collar. As soon as she opened her mouth, it was stuffed with a cloth gag.

She was taken to the back of the shop. An assistant went to the doorway and looked out twice, confirming that no one was paying attention. Good.

Tu Yangzhi interrogated Madam Liu.

Seeing the two dead bodies on the ground, she was trembling with fright and told them everything without needing to be coerced.

Everyone in the shop was present now; a total of four burly men, all with grim expressions. One of them said to Tu Yangzhi, "Old Tu, you've been exposed."

"We've been exposed," Tu Yangzhi hadn't expected that, despite living reclusively in Lingxu City, his whereabouts would be uncovered by a mere street woman. "These two patrolmen had just started their night shift. If they don't return by tomorrow morning, it will definitely arouse suspicion. Furthermore, they had already reported their visit to Chunhe Cloth Shop before coming here. Tomorrow, the patrol office will surely come to investigate this place first. Even after we clear out the cellar, I'm afraid some demons might still be able to smell the gunpowder barrels."

Another person added, "Not long ago, there was an incident at the inn, and the patrol duties in the south of the city were temporarily taken over by the Tongxin Guards. The Tongxin Guards are much stricter than the regular patrol office; they dig into every little detail. Our brothers at Jixin Ridge were also nearly exposed a few days ago."

"What do we do then?"

With a casual slap, Tu Yangzhi crushed Madam Liu's skull. "We can't make this decision ourselves. Let's consult with those above."

Soon, a bat flew out of Chunhe Cloth Shop and headed towards Dunyuan.

The flapping of wings echoed in the night.

Hearing the sound approaching, He Lingchuan opened his eyes, got out of bed, and pushed open the wooden window.

A magnificent figure jumped through the window and landed on He Lingchuan's shoulder.

It was a large parrot, with a red crest and blue back, brilliantly colored, about an arm's length from head to tail.

Such a splendid bird-demon was too conspicuous; it was truly unsuitable for delivering messages.

He Lingchuan held up this surprisingly familiar bird: "You are...?"

Fang Canran had mentioned to him that his family had a parrot nearly two hundred years old.

Years ago, it was rescued by ancestor Shao Jian and later delivered the grim news of Shao Jian's death to his daughter, Shao Yingying. This bird-demon, wanting to secure a meal ticket—no, to repay a kindness—then took up residence in the Shao family home. When Shao Yingying married into the Fang family, it became the Fang clan's heirloom bird.

The stories of Shao Jian's past that Fang Canran had heard were not passed down through generations of ancestors, but were firsthand accounts from this large parrot.

No wonder they were so rich in detail and sentiment.

"I am Elder Ling!" the parrot spoke human words. "There's an emergency!"

"Elder Ling" was indeed the name of Fang Canran's family heirloom parrot. He Lingchuan had to make it say it himself.

It leaned into He Lingchuan's ear and whispered, "A small arrangement we made was accidentally exposed tonight! The patrolmen who came probing have been silenced, but that won't delay things for long. Others outside might have heard the commotion. For the past month, patrol controls in the south of the city have been the strictest. I'm afraid that after dawn, Lingxu City will notice the anomaly and begin a thorough investigation!"