On the early morning when the sky was still gray in Kaoshan City, Chu Liang and Yun Zhaoxian set out very early and arrived at the edge of a large courtyard outside the city before sunrise.
Iron wires were wrapped around the high walls of the courtyard, like thorns, and only a corner of the flying eaves could be seen from the outside.
The surroundings were quiet, and the gate was tightly closed.
“The echo of Tianyin Wave is inside. Let’s rush in and catch him off guard!” Yun Zhaoxian couldn’t wait to say.
“Wait.” Chu Liang grabbed the big halberd on his back and stopped him.
“Hmm?” Yun Zhaoxian was puzzled. “Brother Chu, why are you holding my halberd?”
“…” Chu Liang was speechless for a moment, took a deep breath, and explained, “It’s too quiet around here. I feel something is off.”
“Isn’t it normal for it to be quiet at this time?” Yun Zhaoxian was confused.
Chu Liang shook his head. “I have already probed the entire front yard with my divine sense just now. It’s empty, and there’s nothing there. It’s too abnormal.”
His divine sense could only see the front yard, and there was not a single figure there. Not only were there no people, but there were also no insects or birds, which made him feel very strange.
“What should we do?” Although Yun Zhaoxian was confused, he still listened to Chu Liang.
“Let’s observe first.”
After speaking, Chu Liang took Yun Zhaoxian and flashed to the side of the street, crouching down and observing the courtyard.
After a short while, there was a rush of footsteps, and the sound of breaking through the wind.
Turning his head, he saw a team of black-clothed catchers with knives rushing over from the end of the street at a fast speed.
The catchers in Kaoshan City were probably at the second realm of martial artists, and the leader was at the third realm, which was already considered a master in the city.
A normal border town like this was usually equipped with this kind of configuration.
The team of catchers rushed over, and two of them kicked open the gate. Several people jumped onto the courtyard wall and entered the courtyard from various directions.
As soon as someone stepped into the front yard, they felt a wave of demonic energy rippling out.
Swoosh…
The grass and trees in the front yard suddenly stretched out, turning into long vine ropes that entangled the officials who entered, flailing around in the air.
Several officials with weaker cultivation were in a sorry state. Fortunately, the catchers who came in later supported them and cut off these vines with several slashes.
“Indeed, something’s fishy.” Chu Liang whispered with his divine sense probing outside.
These grass and trees were not demons, but had been enchanted with demonic techniques, similar to formations that would cause trouble for anyone who entered.
Immediately after, the officials rushed into the backyard.
A burst of blood spread out instantly!
There were probably more than ten corpses lying on the ground, all of them in a pitiful state, with blood flowing like a river.
“If we had rushed in recklessly earlier, and were slightly blocked by the formation in the front yard, when we entered the backyard, we would have been caught off guard by the officials who arrived just in time.” Chu Liang finally understood the purpose of this arrangement.”When that monster escapes and puts the blame on us…”
Although these officials are unlikely to have the power to detain the two, being discovered at the crime scene will still be troublesome for them.
If they stay, they may not be able to explain themselves clearly and will be detained for a period of time until the truth is revealed. If they forcibly leave, they will eventually be found at the mountain gate, and the pressure from the court will be placed on Heavenly Strength and Shu Mountain. The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths cannot tolerate disciples of the sects breaking the rules.
In any case, by the time they clear things up, the envoy of the demon clan will have already left the city calmly.
“So cunning!” Yun Zhaoxian saw the situation clearly and exclaimed, “If it weren’t for Brother Chu’s quick thinking, I might have fallen into the trap.”
“That’s why it’s always good to stay calm in times of crisis.” Chu Liang could only smile.
“But…” Yun Zhaoxian was puzzled again, “Was his arrangement specifically prepared for us?”
“It should be.” Chu Liang said, “The matter of the Hidden Forest Mountain must have been known to the envoy of the demon clan. Since you were able to track the Hidden Forest Mountain, it’s not surprising that he guessed you left a divine ability on him. It’s hard to use the same trick twice against such a cunning enemy.”
“Ah?” Yun Zhaoxian finally realized, “Was my Heavenly Sound Wave broken? Damn it, I won’t be able to catch him again.”
“Don’t worry, let’s go back first.” Chu Liang turned around and said.
…
Shortly after the two returned to the inn, the official announcement was issued.
Last night, an extremely heinous family massacre occurred in the city. All 17 members of the family were killed, and the perpetrator is still at large.
The victim was a medicine merchant in the city, and some precious medicinal materials were indeed lost from the home, including the most precious one, the Minghai Golden Lotus.
It is preliminarily judged to be a murder for money, and the officials have immediately sealed off the city and offered a large reward for the whereabouts of the perpetrator and the Minghai Golden Lotus.
The city of Kuo Mountain is adjacent to the Southern Territory Mountain, where many cultivators venture into the mountains to collect medicinal herbs, which are then sold in the city. Therefore, there are many medicine merchants like the victim in the city, and everyone is now in fear due to the sudden incident.
The officials attach great importance to this matter.
“Minghai Golden Lotus…”
After reading the announcement, Chu Liang muttered this name.
He seemed to have heard it mentioned by the “Sha” in the Soul Realm Space before. To reach the third level of the Five Elements Realm, he needed heavenly materials and earthly treasures belonging to Yin and Water. Among them, the Minghai demon was a suitable choice.
The Minghai Golden Lotus is one of them.
It can help fifth-level cultivators break through, indicating that it is indeed a valuable treasure.
Moreover, this item comes from the far south and grows in the Minghai, which is quite rare near the Southern Territory Mountain.”I can’t sense his whereabouts anymore.” Yun Zhaoxian tried a few more times, but there was no response from the Heavenly Sound Wave.
The echo from the crime scene earlier was deliberately set by the divine messenger to lure him into a trap.
“It’s okay. He was outsmarted this time.” Chu Liang analyzed, “He probably reported himself to the authorities after the murder, intending to throw you off and attract the attention of the officials. Then he could get rid of your pursuit and escape. But…we didn’t fall into his trap, and the officials didn’t catch the suspect. They chose to seal off the city immediately.”
“At the time of the crime, the city gate was still closed, so he had no chance to escape. The divine messenger is probably also sealed inside the city now.”
“If he forcefully leaves the city of Kao Shan, he will definitely attract the attention of the officials unless he has some secret passage. As a demon clan, he shouldn’t take such a risky move within the Yu Dynasty. Before that happens, we still have a chance to catch him inside the city.”
Yun Zhaoxian stared with his big eyes, listening to Chu Liang’s calm analysis, feeling like he couldn’t keep up with him.
But after Chu Liang finished speaking, he immediately nodded, “Brother Chu is right…it’s similar to what I was thinking.”
Then he lowered his head and thought for a long time before asking, “So where do we go to catch him?”
“Let me think about it. There must be a way.” Chu Liang said calmly.
After Yun Zhaoxian left, he didn’t ponder on his own, but took out the Soul Arresting Order.
Whether it was the officials or them, they were considered forces on the right path.
The perspective was ultimately limited.
If he wanted to investigate this kind of thing, he had to ask the brothers on the underworld.
So he probed his divine sense into the Soul Arresting Order and sent out a message proactively.
【Chapter 58】:”Respected Master, I have found some information about the underworld creatures. I learned that there is a Minghai Golden Lotus in Kao Shan City at the moment. However, the specific location is unknown. I don’t know if I can seek help from fellow disciples?”