Chapter 120: Resolving Xie Daohan's Predicament

Duan Rong stood on the Martial Arts Arena until the midnight hour of Zi before he ceased his cultivation, returning to his previous rhythm; Duan Rong felt very fulfilled!

Especially after breaking through the bottleneck of Mental Power growth, he even felt that such high-intensity cultivation was, for him, a form of enjoyment instead!

He had a long-lost sense of satisfaction!

Duan Rong wiped the sweat from his forehead before walking to the weapon rack in the corner; he suddenly grabbed a Ghost Head Blade and silently recited, "Spirit Reader!"

Artifact: Ghost Head Blade

Spirit Artifact Tier: Second Tier

Devouring Requirement: Host Level 2 Mental Power (Met)

Devouring Effect: Abi Saber Technique Small Success

Duan Rong looked at this set of data appearing before his eyes, his expression unmoved, and he silently said, "Devour!"

Duan Rong decided that every night before sleeping, he would devour a saber technique!

In this world, I fear no one has ever mastered so many saber techniques!?

As the saying goes, quantitative change leads to qualitative change!

Duan Rong very much wanted to see what kind of mutation his swordsmanship would undergo after devouring enough Small Success saber techniques.

After entering the Spirit Sea, Duan Rong had a deeper understanding of the ability to devour artifact spirits.

Before, he still had a trace of worry, fearing whether there would be any adverse side effects if he devoured too many artifact spirits.

But ever since entering the Spirit Sea, he no longer had such worries!

The digested artifact spirits turned into mist, filling the Spirit Sea!

And the Spirit Sea was boundless; those mists of thought were so thin that even if they were filled with many more, there would be no problem at all!

Then he might as well devour to his heart's content!

"Red Training Boy, knowledgeable in all the martial arts of the world!"

Duan Rong lay on the dormitory bed, mumbled this with a dizzy head, and then fell into a deep sleep!

Seeing that it was about to be dawn, the lights were still on in the Constable's room at the County Government Office!

Xie Daohan sat hunched over the desk, using the light of the Candle Lamp to flip through the case files in his hands!

While reading, he picked up the teapot on the desk, wanting to pour himself another cup of strong tea to moisten his throat!

But when he lifted the pot, he discovered that the teapot was already empty; Xie Daohan had no choice but to pick up the teacup at his side and pour the little bit of water residue at the bottom into his mouth!

As Xie Daohan chewed the bitter, damp tea leaves in his mouth, he focused on scrutinizing the details of the major cases involving the Whale Tiger Gang from those years, word by word...

After Xie Daohan hit a wall at the West City Gate that day, he began to investigate the case of Xie Lei and Xu Ruhu...

After all, it concerned the death of Xie Lei; even if he were a commoner, he would risk his life to dig out the murderer, not to mention that he was the Head Constable of the County Government Office, in charge of criminal matters!

Because the clue of the Corpse Rot Poison pointed to the Whale Tiger Gang, he immediately launched an investigation into the Whale Tiger Gang!

But the results of the investigation left Xie Daohan greatly shocked!

The Whale Tiger Gang had completely disappeared from Xiangu County!

The core members of the gang had been almost entirely slaughtered in those three major cases several years ago!

And in the aftermath of that turmoil, the surviving Whale Tiger Gang Leader Zhou Shoushan and the strategist Wu Hui had originally been hiding in a residence, occasionally coming out to make purchases, but just a while ago, they suddenly vanished without a trace!

This made Xie Daohan even more suspicious, suspecting that this case was connected to Zhou Shoushan and Wu Hui...

That was why he came to review the files overnight, wanting to find some clues from the piles of old papers!

While Xie Daohan was struggling to investigate the case, Fan Yuanhai was spending his days carousing in Huaying Pavilion, but after several days, he had only seen Lian Ying among the Four Great Flower Shadows!

It was not that he was not diligent, but the Four Great Flower Shadows were simply too popular, with so many supporters and patrons that he could not get a spot in a few days!

But even so, Fan Yuanhai ran to Huaying Pavilion every day; as the saying goes, what one cannot obtain is the best!

This day, Fan Yuanhai had another drunken night at Huaying Pavilion, and it was only when the sky was bright that he returned to Chunfeng Inn with unsteady steps!

Seeing Fan Yuanhai running to Huaying Pavilion every day and not even eating his meals at the inn, the proprietress Xu Ru immediately became a bit angry!

When she ran the Zui Chun Lou brothel, it was Huaying Pavilion that beat her until she had to close down; now that she had switched to an inn, she was still having her business snatched by Huaying Pavilion, so how could she not be annoyed?

"Hu Huanhuan, you really are ruthless!"

The key was that this Fan Yuanhai was generous with his money, spending over ten taels of silver on a single meal without even blinking...

Guarding such a mountain of gold, yet he wouldn't spend it in her shop and instead scattered his silver at Huaying Pavilion; how could Xu Ru not be anxious?

She was just old; if she were a few years younger, she would even be prepared to throw herself into his arms...

Although Xu Ru was annoyed in her heart, she always kept a smile on her face, using her handkerchief to wipe the wine stains on Fan Yuanhai's shoulder while helping him up to the room on the second floor!

As soon as Fan Yuanhai reached the room, he pushed Xu Ru out, locked the door from the inside, and fell onto the bed to sleep!

Pushed by Fan Yuanhai, Xu Ru stumbled in the Corridor and only steadied herself by holding onto the railing; she leaned against the railing and scolded softly, "That thousand-cut thief, only knowing how to go to that filthy place of Huaying Pavilion to squander money! Can't he leak a little and feed this old lady..."

Xu Ru had only scolded a few words when snoring sounds came from Fan Yuanhai's room!

Xu Ru rolled her eyes, spat, and twisted her waist as she went downstairs...

After going downstairs, Xu Ru came to the counter, flipped through the account book, and began to clatter the Abacus on the counter!

Just as Xu Ru was making the abacus beads clatter loudly, a voice suddenly called out at the entrance of the inn, "Proprietress, does Fan Yuanhai live here?"

Xu Ru was calculating at a critical point and was about to sum up the end-of-month balance when she was suddenly interrupted; she frowned, glanced at the person who had arrived, and was immediately slightly stunned!

The man was about forty years old, looked dignified and steady, and was wearing a green official uniform adorned with a seahorse rank badge.

According to the official system, the seahorse badge was for a ninth-rank military officer.

After all, Xu Ru had run a brothel and an inn, so she was considered well-informed; although she did not recognize this person, she knew this official uniform—it was the uniform of a courier from the Transmission Office!

The Transmission Office was responsible for the delivery of official documents and was directly under the jurisdiction of the provincial government, having no involvement with local officials!

The Taiyi Sect governed Qingzhou and placed great importance on the confidentiality of official documents; not only did they develop a complete set of seal systems, but they also regarded the act of intercepting Transmission Office couriers or stealing official documents as treason, punishable by the extermination of the nine clans!

Moreover, most Transmission Office couriers were experts with accomplished cultivation!

"Oh... this gentleman, you look a bit unfamiliar..." Xu Ru immediately put on a flowery smile and went out to greet him!

That person, however, did not take up Xu Ru's conversational thread; with a straight face, he asked again, "Does Fan Yuanhai live here?"

Xu Ru's smile froze on her face, and with a hint of awkwardness, she said, "Yes, he is on the second floor!"

That person's gaze swept toward the second floor, and he said, "Lead the way!"

The way that person spoke carried an inherent air of authority that commanded respect without anger; Xu Ru's usual social charms were of no use at all and were shattered instantly.

"Sir, please this way!" Xu Ru could not help but straighten her expression, leading that person up the stairs and arriving before the door to Fan Yuanhai's room.

(End of this chapter)