Chapter 416: The Fugitive Sinner

Zhong Huai'en soaked in the barrel for three days, battling the illness of the Green Blight for a full three days. In the end, he lost the fight and died in the barrel.

Elder Xu looked at Zhong Huai'en, sighing repeatedly, "What a pity. What a pity for this good barrel, and what a pity for this good golden liquid." Elder Xu had never had a good impression of the disciples from Sage Peak, but respecting the dead, he couldn't bear to let Zhong Huai'en die in a foreign land. He cultivated two eggplant-shaped figures, fashioned a stretcher, and sent Zhong Huai'en back to Sage Peak.

In terms of cultivating eggplant figures, Elder Xu differed slightly from Zhang Wanlong. When it came to refined appearance, Elder Xu truly couldn't compare to Zhang Wanlong. His eggplant figures all had the same look: thick eyebrows, large eyes, broad noses, square lips, and dark skin, clearly resembling weathered, rough men. However, in terms of combat power, these two eggplant figures were extraordinary. They carried Zhong Huai'en's corpse, traversing new territory, enduring mountains and rivers, and truly managed to deliver him back to Scoundrel's Ridge.

Inside the grand mansion, the Sage was cultivating. At a critical moment, a strong scent drifted into the bedroom, causing the Sage to immediately lose control and his interest in continuing his cultivation. Dismissing the women from his bedchamber, the Sage came outside the mansion gate and saw Zhong Huai'en's corpse.

A group of people knelt at the gate, waiting to apprentice themselves to the Sage. Due to Zhong Huai'en's appearance, they were now conflicted. They had been kneeling for many days, but should they get up now or not? This might be a test from the Sage; if they got up now, all their previous efforts would be in vain. But if they didn't get up, the smell was truly unbearable.

Several other disciples of the Sage, smelling the odor from their respective residences, came forward to witness. Seeing the glistening Zhong Huai'en, the disciples covered their mouths and shed tears. They covered their mouths not because they dared not cry aloud, but because they could also cover their noses at the same time. The tears were genuine; the smell truly stung their eyes.

The Sage looked at the two eggplant figures. They were still holding the stretcher, clearly indicating they had brought Zhong Huai'en back. With the person delivered, the sentiment also had to be conveyed. The two figures looked at the Sage and sang a folk tune as a farewell to Zhong Huai'en: "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! You idiot, hey! You idiot, hey! You, you, you, you, you idiot, hey!" This folk tune had a strong regional accent. The two eggplant figures had loud voices and harmonized perfectly.

After singing it twice, the Sage's veins began to throb. The disciples trembled with fear. They knew the consequences of the Sage's anger; these two men of unknown origin would surely lose their lives. The Sage raised an eyebrow, and one eggplant figure exploded on the spot! The golden liquid from inside the eggplant figure gushed out, spraying all over the Sage! The consequences were indeed severe; the Sage's clothes were soaked through. The disciples were not spared either, each having varying degrees of golden sheen on their bodies.

One disciple named Gong Ziming, who held considerable prestige among his peers, first wiped his own face with a silk handkerchief, then took out a new one, preparing to wipe his master. The Sage raised a hand, and Gong Ziming dared not step forward. No one else dared to make a sound. But the remaining eggplant figure didn't heed him. It continued shaking its head, looking at the Sage, and singing the folk tune in its regional accent: "You idiot! You idiot..."

The disciples and those who came to apprentice were all watching from the side. A wave of pressure swept over, and the onlookers scattered, leaving only a few trusted disciples who followed the Sage into the mansion.

Standing in the center of the courtyard, the Sage's voice was hoarse and deep: "Xu Han's provocation must have a purpose. Who is willing to go to Medicine King's Gorge to investigate this old villain's activities?" The disciples lowered their heads in silence. The Sage looked at Gong Ziming: "This is your area of expertise, so I'm sending you on this mission."

Gong Ziming didn't know how to refuse. As for gathering intelligence, it wasn't particularly difficult for him; he had previously gone to Inner Province to do so. However, if he were to investigate Xu Han and expect to return unscathed, it wouldn't be so easy. Could he shift the Sage's attention away from Xu Han?

Gong Ziming bowed respectfully and said, "Master, I heard that our junior brother was injured by the Greenwater Beggar." This was a legitimate point: Zhong Huai'en died at the hands of the Greenwater Beggar, so the investigation should focus on the Greenwater Beggar. Gong Ziming would rather deal with the Greenwater Beggar than stir up trouble with Xu Han.

The Sage also considered this point. He arranged for disciple Xing Zhongquan to go to Greenwater City: "After arriving in Greenwater City, first find your senior brother Bai Jin and ensure that Chu Shaoqiang's arrangements are carried out properly. For the Greenwater Beggar matter, follow Chu Shaoqiang's instructions, temporarily suspend contact with the outer provinces, do not let Chu Shaoqiang become suspicious, and especially do not let Inner Province misunderstand. As for Medicine King's Gorge, let Ziming go. Xu Han must be closely monitored to prevent him from taking action there..."

While the Sage was still assigning tasks, the eggplant figure's singing outside the gate hadn't stopped: "You idiot..." The Sage glanced at Gong Ziming: "Go and deal with him." Looking at the eggplant figure outside the gate, Gong Ziming didn't know how to proceed.

At Guanfang Hall, Liao Zihui was listening to Deputy Chief Tang Huanjie's investigation report. The bodies of the four people previously sent to Carefree Dock had been found. Autopsy alone revealed that the four had died from broken limbs and excessive blood loss, but who was responsible and what methods were used could not yet be determined.

Tang Huanjie said, "I suspect Chu Shaoqiang was responsible, but there's no substantial evidence yet."

"Evidence isn't important," Liao Zihui put down the report. "What I'm concerned about now is Chu Shaoqiang's intention."

"Do you think he's targeting us?"

Liao Zihui pondered for a long time: "Ostensibly, no. Chu Shaoqiang is from Inner Province, and Inner Province likely doesn't want to fall out with us yet. However, Chu Shaoqiang has deep personal grievances with us, so it's hard to say what actions he might take personally."

Tang Huanjie also found the matter difficult: "Inner Province doesn't want to fall out with us, and we can't engage in conflict with Inner Province, at least not directly target Chu Shaoqiang."

Liao Zihui reviewed the sequence of events: "At Carefree Dock, these four lost contact with us. This is inextricably linked to Li Qi."

"Do you suspect Li Qi is connected to Chu Shaoqiang?"

"I suspect Chu Shaoqiang was at Carefree Dock at the time. I suspect they were accomplices all along! Li Qi is not openly affiliated with Inner Province yet. Taking action against him wouldn't be considered a rift with Inner Province, and I'm very keen to give this person a warning."

Tang Huanjie said, "But Li Qi isn't easy to deal with either."

"We need to mobilize more personnel. Li Qi has caused us considerable losses in shipping fees. Because of this, the higher-ups will support our operation. Once Li Qi is dealt with, Chu Shaoqiang will naturally become more restrained. Then, we can deploy the Balancers, and through Sage Peak, ease relations with Chu Shaoqiang. The whole incident will surely be quickly resolved. Today, please work hard and draft a plan first. Tomorrow, we'll hold a meeting to finalize this operation."

The next morning, as Liao Zihui was holding a meeting with several deputy chiefs, Secretary Ling Sujun entered the room and reported an important situation to Liao Zihui: "Something has happened at Three-Headed Fork Prisoner City. Over three thousand people have escaped outside the city."

Liao Zihui frowned: "Is it still because of the dark matter flow?"

Ling Sujun nodded.

Deputy Chief Du Liyong said, "I sent someone to take a look at Prisoner City a couple of days ago. The situation there is indeed severe; many people die every day."

Liao Zihui knew the situation in Prisoner City, but that wasn't his concern. He was concerned about the escapees: "How did these more than three thousand people escape? There's a boundary outside Prisoner City."

Ling Sujun presented the report: "According to current information, they likely escaped through the New Territory."

Liao Zihui relaxed: "Let them fend for themselves. The New Territory of Prisoner City has no exit."

Everyone continued discussing the operation against Li Qi. In the afternoon, just as the operational plan was finalized, Ling Sujun entered Liao Zihui's office: "Envoy Liao, escapees from Prisoner City have appeared near Haichi Ridge."

Liao Zihui was startled: "Impossible, how did they get to Haichi Ridge? The New Territory of Prisoner City doesn't connect to Haichi Ridge!"

Ling Sujun shook her head: "The reason is unknown."

Liao Zihui couldn't sit still; something was about to happen: "Arrange for key personnel to go to Haichi Ridge and try to persuade the escapees to return."

"What about Li Qi's situation then..."

"The operation is temporarily suspended. First, deal with the Prisoner City matter."

At Haichi Ridge, on the edge of Three Ridges, a person stood near the boundary of the New Territory, anxiously awaiting news. This person was neither male nor female; they were over two meters tall, with extraordinarily wide shoulders. On their shoulders were three heads: the middle one was a woman, the left one a man, and the right one a child.

A biting wind howled, and the person shivered. The child on the right cautiously said, "Sister, I'm hungry."

The woman replied, "Just bear with it. Once we reach Haichi Ridge, there will be plenty of good food."

The man on the left said, "We only have so much money on us; what can we possibly eat?"

"It should be enough if we just feed ourselves," the woman replied, turning to look at the forest behind them. There were still many people in the woods, also waiting to eat. The man sighed. He, or perhaps it should be said they, waited quietly in the snow.

After waiting for over an hour, Pan Dehai's figure slowly appeared before them: "Everyone, you've suffered and toiled. I've brought you some food, a small token of my regard. Please don't despise it." A dozen sacks of grain appeared on the ground, estimated to be over a thousand kilograms.

The child was excited to see the food. The woman looked up at Pan Dehai: "Master Pan, can we enter Haichi Ridge now?"

Pan Dehai shook his head: "I'm afraid not right now."

The man asked, "Then when will it be possible?"

Pan Dehai was silent for a moment, then said: "I am a virtuous person, and I don't want to hide anything from you. Entering Haichi Ridge is not possible at any time. After you've eaten this meal, please find another way out."

The woman said, stunned, "Master Pan, but you promised us before..."

Pan Dehai sighed: "I promised before because I was afraid you would be desperate and become disheartened if you had no way out. As a virtuous person, I truly couldn't bear to see that."

The woman looked bewildered: "Master Pan, what is this all about?"

"Because Haichi Ridge has only recently had a few days of peace, and we don't want any more conflicts with the outer provinces. Everyone, listen to my advice: please return to where you came from. No one in Puluo Province dares to take you in."

The man gritted his teeth: "Elder Pan, it's wrong of you to go back on your word. We've waited here for two whole days, and we're practically falling apart from hunger. If you don't give us an explanation, we absolutely refuse to leave today."

Pan Dehai smiled: "You know you've been hungry for two days. To be frank, if you don't leave, I can also find a way to make you leave."