Chapter 501: A Deadly Strike

Mei You, who had been stopped, looked confused, unsure what the Inspector intended.

A moment later, Lou Xiu seemed to muse to himself, "If Dong Wenshu knew Fan Wuzhe was compromised and that you had control over him, how could he possibly trust Fan Wuzhe to retrieve the item? Wouldn't that be an obvious self-exposure?"

Mei You held up the linked talismans in his hand and said, "But Fan Wuzhe couldn't possibly deceive me. He wouldn't be able to bear the consequences if the truth came out."

Lou Xiu responded, "Are you saying that everything that old stubborn Dong Wenshu has done in the past was an act? That would be too convincing an act. What I mean is, such cunning and depth don't seem like something Dong Wenshu is capable of."

Mei You countered, "So what do we do?"

Lou Xiu was also at a loss, but there was no time for detailed contemplation. Time was of the essence, so he decisively said, "Dispatch some men to Zhelanpo, but not all of them. Just send a concentration of skilled experts."

"Understood," Mei You replied. He then sent a message to Fan Wuzhe, warning him: "Inform me of any situation, no matter how small, or you will bear the consequences."

From the bookstore, Shi Chun replied on Fan Wuzhe's behalf: "Okay."

On the city wall, Lou Xiu also contacted the forces he had secretly deployed. He ordered a portion of them to head to Zhelanpo to prepare. Afterward, he messaged Shi Chun, demanding: "The item has been taken as you instructed. Where is Huang Yingying?"

He wanted to retrieve the item from the Xilinju and return it to Lord Axun to complete the loop, uncover the mastermind, and eliminate Huang Yingying, the witness.

Shi Chun replied: "Ask Dong Wenshu; he knows where she is."

Lou Xiu was momentarily stunned by this message. It seemed to confirm Fan Wuzhe's actions in meeting them and revealed why Dong Wenshu had been exposed.

Clearly, his previous judgment about Dong Wenshu was incorrect. Dong Wenshu was likely not the mastermind, and they didn't seem to care about his fate. He wondered if Dong Wenshu was being exploited or coerced.

The problem was, without concrete proof, he couldn't just confront Dong Wenshu directly. He would have to abduct him, and it couldn't be done openly.

Now, how to abduct Dong Wenshu was another issue. In broad daylight, and given that Dong Wenshu knew the City Lord, using the official forces of Dazhi City would be inappropriate...

In the pavilion atop the mountain, a female attendant again presented the linked talismans, reporting the new message: "Inspector Lou's secretly stationed perimeter forces have been urgently dispatched to Zhelanpo, mostly their skilled members."

Li Xianghong glanced at the message and said, "Inform Lord Poyuan to send reinforcements."

"Yes," the attendant responded, immediately complying.

In the teahouse, Shi Chun noticed that the literati were as talkative as ever. They knew everything from astronomy to geography, could decipher the intricate relationships between powerful figures in Heaven, and understood worldly affairs as clearly as if looking through a window. In short, they seemed to know everything.

Shi Chun had little to say about other matters, but when he heard discussions about topics within his expertise, such as the exiled lands, he felt like picking his ears.

Of course, this didn't diminish his admiration for these scholars. He genuinely felt he couldn't match their skill in poetry and prose. And occasionally, the sight of a young lady's delicate hand leaving ink on paper was quite elegant.

He then picked up the teapot and rose to pour tea and water for everyone, and arrange the stationery.

While he was busy, his associates were not idle either.

On a ribbon-like road in the grassland, Lao Changtai was also riding a Xilinju, not leaving, but instead trotting back leisurely towards Dazhi City.

He paid little attention to passersby until he saw Fan Wuzhe in white robes flash past. Only then did he look back at the strip of cloth tied to the horse's tail, then took out a linked talisman, hid it in his sleeve, and sent a message to Wu Jinliang.

After receiving a reply, he urged his mount to full speed and galloped back to Dazhi City.

Wu Jinliang, who had been hidden in the grass, sprang out from the roadside. Dressed as a masked young master, he quickly hung a piece of black cloth on the swaying grass leaves by the road.

Shi Chun had given Wu Jinliang the autonomy to decide on the most convenient transaction location, as Shi Chun couldn't observe the situation from within the city, and Lou Xiu's group was bound to set up arrangements outside the city. It was safest to have Wu Jinliang personally scout and choose the best spot.

After hanging the black cloth, Wu Jinliang quickly retreated back into hiding, then pulled out a linked talisman and sent a message to Shi Chun.

Shi Chun, busy in the bookstore, received the message and immediately returned to the small charcoal room.

From behind the counter, Third Miss Dong Liangying turned her head to watch him. A woman's keen perception noticed something unusual at this moment; she felt Shi Chun was changing teapots too frequently today.

She had noticed it earlier and then paid attention to the amount of water Shi Chun was pouring. Her conclusion was that there should still be plenty of hot water in the teapot, yet Shi Chun kept acting as if it were empty and going to replace it.

Moreover, as soon as he entered the charcoal room, he would sit down again.

She wondered, was he slacking off? It didn't seem like him.

Upon seeing the message, Shi Chun immediately took out the linked talisman used to contact Fan Wuzhe and sent the corresponding message: "When you see the black cloth hanging by the roadside, immediately throw the item from your mount into it. Don't worry about anything else; continue on your journey."

Fan Wuzhe, galloping on his Xilinju, quickly pulled out the linked talisman, briefly read it, and swiftly replied "Okay." He then pulled the black bag from his mount's back and began closely monitoring both sides of the road.

After a while, he caught sight of the swaying black cloth approaching by the roadside. He immediately flung the black cloth bag in his hand towards the target spot, while his mount swept past, continuing to gallop into the distance.

As the sound of hooves faded, Wu Jinliang, hidden in the woods, quickly found the drop point. He swiftly tore open the black cloth bag, poured out a charred Qiankun bag, picked it up, and quickly examined it.

The first thing he did was to take out and discard all linked talismans from the Qiankun bag. He then quickly sifted through the remaining items to check for any hidden linked talismans or similar devices that could secretly contain tracking functions.

After a quick but fruitless search, he still didn't understand what 'Quesi incense' looked like, so he collected all the remaining items.

He first sent a message back to Shi Chun: "Item secured."

Then he quickly made his escape.

He hadn't gone far when he burrowed into a pit covered by grass, pulled up Huang Yingying, who was chained by the neck and waist, and cast a spell to unlock the restraints on him. With one hand emitting a golden flame, and the other tugging at the chain like a dog leash, he yelled, "Go, burrow!"

"Alright!" Huang Yingying, his facial swelling not yet fully subsided, smiled fawningly. He found his bearing, knelt down, bowed his head, and with a burrowing motion, directly used Earth Escape Art, taking Wu Jinliang with him as they broke through the soil and disappeared underground.

Even underground, Huang Yingying dared not escape on his own. Being chained was only one reason; he was horrified to discover that the 'Little Gao' he had known all along was truly a master who hid his abilities. He realized Wu Jinliang could also use Earth Escape Art.

Last night, when 'Little Gao' was full of mischief and tormenting him, he had made Huang Yingying use Earth Escape Art to pull him around underground for fun. At the time, Huang Yingying had only vaguely sensed that this guy occasionally used Earth Escape Art, and it was the kind with demonic talent, just like his own. He had thought he was mistaken then, wondering if he was disoriented from being beaten and experiencing hallucinations.

Now, he clearly and unequivocally confirmed it: the other person's Earth Escape Art genuinely had demonic energy. This "Master Gao" was truly using demonic arts! *Damn*, this guy was actually a demon cultivator?

He was a demon, just like himself!

They had spent so much time together before, yet he hadn't noticed a thing. He was too deeply hidden.

The question was, what was this guy doing disguised as a human among people? It was a bit sinister. Could he be from the demonic path?

Knowing the truth but keeping silent, he continued to serve like an ox or horse underground, using the Earth Escape Art.

On the East City Gate tower, inside the room, Lou Xiu's brows gradually furrowed as he stared at the 'linked spell disk.' His gaze grew serious, noticing that the white light on the mirror surface had suddenly stopped moving.

He had placed a linked talisman with tracking capabilities among Lord Axun's belongings precisely to monitor the item's whereabouts after the transaction, thereby facilitating his subsequent plans.

The spot where the light on the disk had stopped was still far from Zhelanpo. Why had it stopped?

Was it a temporary halt, had something gone wrong, or was the mention of going to Zhelanpo merely a diversion?

Just as he was contemplating whether to dispatch nearby personnel to investigate that area, he suddenly sensed another message from the hidden mastermind. He immediately took out a linked talisman to read it.

It was better not to look; seeing it shocked him. The message read: "The City Lord has taken notice, has dispatched people to intercept Fan Wuzhe, and has sent people to apprehend Mei You for evidence."

These brief words filled his face with horror, and his heart was in turmoil.

First, there was fear.

Second, confusion: Who was this person, and how could they possibly know the City Lord's movements?

He instinctively felt it was a trick, but the white light on the mirror had indeed stopped, truly appearing as if it had been intercepted.

In the bookstore, Shi Chun, sitting in the small charcoal room and sending messages, switched to another linked talisman – the one given to Bai Qiru – and sent a new tip-off: "Huang Yingying is in Mei You's hands. Mei You intends to silence him. Delay will be too late."

This time, he had unleashed a lethal move, yet he put away the linked talisman with an air of calm detachment.

At the same time, he pulled out another linked talisman and sent a message to Xiao Sheng. Then he stood up, went out the door, and, snatching a moment of leisure from his busy schedule, stretched leisurely by the entrance.

On the bustling street, a passing Xiao Sheng seemingly brushed against him by accident, deftly taking a linked talisman – the one Fan Wuzhe used to contact Mei You.

Shi Chun didn't know if this talisman could be tracked. He had implicated Dong Wenshu precisely in case this talisman was located here. Now that it had served its final purpose, Xiao Sheng could take it and dispose of it.

Walking back up the steps, he looked at the people conversing inside the bookstore and saw Third Miss Dong Liangying behind the counter staring at him. He offered her a candid smile.

This smile carried a hint of farewell.

If he successfully acquired the item, he would naturally bid farewell and leave this place. It was indeed not a place for someone like him to linger.

As for the trouble with Fan Wuzhe, he had incidentally helped this family deal with it.

It was unlikely Fan Wuzhe would escape; he would most probably be captured by the City Lord's forces.

The attempt to implicate Dong Wenshu wouldn't truly involve him; it wouldn't withstand scrutiny. A simple check of the linked talisman on Fan Wuzhe would reveal that someone was plotting to frame Dong Wenshu.

Lou Xiu had long been under the City Lord's scrutiny and would likely not escape his predicament, thus also helping this family resolve that issue.

All of this could be considered repayment for the simple care he had received from this family during his stay.

As for whether this family could accept the truth revealed after Fan Wuzhe's capture, that was not his concern.

Still, as the saying goes, a woman's keen perception allowed Third Miss Dong Liangying to discern a different meaning in Shi Chun's smile...

In the pavilion on the mountain peak, Bai Qiru took out the linked talisman Shi Chun had given her.

Li Xianghong had indeed thrown it away earlier, but it was right under Bai Qiru's nose. Li Xianghong might not pick it up because Huang Yingying wasn't her husband, but could Bai Qiru herself not retrieve it just in case?