Chapter 389: Investigation

Duan Rong and the others galloped all the way, arriving at Ruyang City just as the Si hour of the morning was ending.

The group was both exhausted and hungry, their lips cracked and dry.

They reined in their horses not far from the city gate; although they were fine steeds capable of endurance, after such a long, desperate dash, the horses were already foaming at the mouth with listless eyes.

Xiao Yu said with an anxious expression, "Ruyang City is so large, and who knows where that girl is? Where are we supposed to look for her?"

Duan Rong glanced at Liu Shushan and asked, "Shushan, where is Shen Yanliu being held?"

Liu Shushan said, "He is being held in the Prefecture City Dungeon."

Duan Rong said, "Then we shall search near the dungeon. That girl must be scouting the location near the dungeon."

"Scouting?! Why would she be scouting?"

Duan Rong said, "Scouting, of course, is for breaking into the prison."

Xiao Yu's expression became even uglier; she felt that the girl Shen Mizhi was truly capable of doing such a thing.

Under the guidance of Liu Shushan, Duan Rong and the others immediately rushed to the vicinity of the Prefecture City Dungeon, and then the group scattered, splitting up to begin searching for Shen Mizhi.

Duan Rong glanced at the dungeon; he saw that its entrance was small and narrow, and it was filled with bunkers, clearly a place that was inconvenient to enter or exit, and easy to defend but difficult to attack.

This Prefecture City Dungeon was surely many times sturdier than the dungeon in Xiangu County.

Duan Rong walked to a street corner where there were only sparse pedestrians; at the mouth of the alley was a tea stall set up with a straw shed, with a few scattered people sitting inside.

Duan Rong moved his mind, and his Divine Sense suddenly expanded, carefully sweeping over the few people sitting in the tea stall, confirming that none of them were Shen Mizhi.

Duan Rong moved his mind again, directly enveloping the area and extending his Divine Sense to its maximum range.

He stood with his eyes closed under a tree by the roadside, like a shaman about to invite a spirit to possess him, his eyeballs rolling incessantly beneath his drooping eyelids.

Very quickly, Duan Rong locked onto Shen Mizhi.

She was wearing a Personal Attendant's outfit, and her face had been coated with a layer of pine wax, making her entire face look sallow and yellow.

This was the disguise Ximen Kankan had thought of for her last time, when Ximen Kankan brought her and Liu Shushan back to Xiangu County.

Although the situation was urgent this time, Shen Mizhi also knew that if she entered the city directly, she would be too conspicuous and would certainly be targeted by the officials, so halfway there, she had followed the previous method and changed her appearance with practiced ease.

With this change, Shen Mizhi's appearance was vastly different; if Duan Rong hadn't seen her in this guise last time, he might have missed her even after sweeping over her with his Divine Sense.

Once Duan Rong locked onto Shen Mizhi, he walked over quickly.

Just after passing a street corner, Duan Rong's figure suddenly paused, because under the probing of his Divine Sense, he discovered that Xiao Yu had already found her way to the vicinity of Shen Mizhi.

Xiao Yu's eyes were fixed, quickly scanning the face of every person nearby.

Xiao Yu had not yet discovered Shen Mizhi, but Shen Mizhi, standing a zhang away, had already seen Xiao Yu from afar.

Shen Mizhi's expression changed slightly, and her lips trembled; she could see the anxiety and nervousness Xiao Yu felt at this moment, and she also knew that Xiao Yu was worried for her.

A warm current rolled through Shen Mizhi's heart; she took a few quick steps forward, as if to rush over and meet Xiao Yu.

Just as she rushed out two steps, her pace suddenly faltered, her gaze sharpened, and she turned and walked quickly in the opposite direction.

But she had only walked a few steps when she saw someone flash over from the side, and without a word, the person brazenly wrapped an arm around her neck, resting it on her shoulder, and said, "What are you running blindly for? Why don't you help this young master to the inn to rest?"

Shen Mizhi was suddenly grabbed by the neck, and in her shame and anger, she was just about to strike, but she felt the voice was somewhat familiar; she looked up, and what met her eyes was none other than the face of Duan Rong.

Shen Mizhi's face turned beet red in an instant.

Duan Rong walked up to Xiao Yu just like that, with his arm around Shen Mizhi's shoulder.

Xiao Yu had already seen Duan Rong coming over with someone's shoulder in his arm from afar; she was a bit puzzled at first, but as they walked closer, she recognized Shen Mizhi.

Seeing that Shen Mizhi was unharmed, the heart Xiao Yu had been holding in suspense finally settled.

Xiao Yu looked at Shen Mizhi and said, "You silly girl, such a big thing happened, and you didn't even think to consult with me?"

Shen Mizhi looked at Xiao Yu's eyes, which held a hint of reproach but were filled mostly with concern; her eyes turned red, and she called out, "Sister Xiao..."

Shen Mizhi threw herself into Xiao Yu's arms, and her suppressed emotions erupted.

The reason she did not go to find Xiao Yu and the others was that she had already made up her mind: no matter what, she had to save her father. To save her father, there were only two paths: either break into the prison or raid the execution ground.

No matter which path it was, it was extremely dangerous, a matter of nine deaths and one life, and she did not want to implicate Xiao Yu and the others.

This matter, when it came down to it, was her own Shen Family's business.

Shen Mizhi sobbed in Xiao Yu's arms, and Xiao Yu's eyes also turned red. She had just lost her own father, and she could fully understand how Shen Mizhi felt at this moment.

If she had been present on the night her father met with disaster, she would have disregarded life and death just the same to save Xiao Zongting. The grace of birth and the grace of raising are higher than the heavens and thicker than the earth. Even if there were a glimmer of hope, she could not possibly give up!

"There are too many eyes and ears here; let's leave first," Duan Rong advised the two of them.

Hearing this, Shen Mizhi swallowed her emotions and looked up with teary eyes; Xiao Yu took a handkerchief and wiped her teary eyes.

After they rendezvoused with Ximen Kankan and Liu Shushan, they left that place and arrived at a rather secluded Separate Courtyard belonging to Liu Shushan's family.

After Liu Shushan had someone bring some tea and snacks, he dismissed the servants.

But Duan Rong still released his Divine Sense to confirm that there were indeed no idlers inside or outside the Separate Courtyard.

Ximen Kankan had already picked up snacks and tea to eat and drink; the group had been parched and famished from their journey, so they all ate some pastries.

Shen Mizhi, however, just sat there in a daze; Xiao Yu brought her a piece of mung bean cake, knowing that Shen Mizhi usually quite liked the light fragrance of mung beans.

Shen Mizhi shook her head in distress and did not take it.

Xiao Yu stuffed it into her hand and said, "You must eat even if you can't! If you don't eat properly, how will you have the strength and mental capacity to save your father?"

Shen Mizhi glanced at Xiao Yu and slowly began to eat.

After everyone had eaten at least a little, Duan Rong looked at Shen Mizhi and asked, "What do you plan to do about your father's situation?"

Shen Mizhi's gaze became sharp in an instant, and she said, "I have already seen the dungeon; the entrance is too small, and it is filled with bunkers, and I am not familiar with the paths or the environment inside, so breaking into the prison is almost impossible. I can only raid the execution ground!"

Duan Rong glanced at Shen Mizhi and thought to himself: This girl is truly speaking empty words; is the execution ground really so easy to raid? This is the Prefecture City; when the time comes, there will definitely be experts of the True Qi Realm lying in ambush near the execution ground.

The person being killed is the Inspector, the third-highest official in Ruyang Prefecture!

Besides the Prefecture Master of Ruyang Prefecture, there is the Prefectural Administrator who manages the money and grain of the prefecture, and the third-ranking official in the Prefecture City is this Inspector who manages the criminal law of the prefecture.

With such a high-ranking official being killed, how could the defense of the execution ground be lax?

Duan Rong said, "Is raiding the execution ground really that easy?"

Shen Mizhi said, "If I cannot rescue him, I will die at that execution ground; consider it seeing my father off!"

The look in Duan Rong's eyes changed. Truly a filial and valiant daughter!

Seeing Shen Mizhi speak so resolutely, and having lost his own father not long ago, Xiao Yu felt a deep sense of empathy. She immediately reached out, grabbed Shen Mizhi's hand, and said, "Sister Mizhi, rest assured! When the time comes, I will go with you!"

Hearing this, Shen Mizhi's eyes turned slightly red, and she stared blankly at Xiao Yu. She would never let Xiao Yu go with her to raid the execution ground, but Xiao Yu saying these words brought great comfort to her heart. This sisterhood was not formed in vain!

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong glanced at Xiao Yu. He really wanted to remind Xiao Yu that raiding an execution ground was a crime punishable by the execution of one's entire clan; did she not know she still had a husband?!

Duan Rong said, "Taking a step back, even if you succeed in raiding the execution ground, it will be obvious that it has to do with you. The government will surely issue a warrant for you and your father across all of Qingzhou. This is a major case involving a Prefecture Inspector, and it also involves an Outer Sect Disciple; the power of the Sect will also intervene. With a net cast wide, how could you escape?"

Duan Rong said this half for Shen Mizhi to hear, and half for Xiao Yu, to make her think about the aftermath and implications of this matter.

Xiao Yu immediately understood the meaning behind Duan Rong's words, and a flash of hesitation crossed her eyes. Although she sympathized greatly with Shen Mizhi, she and Duan Rong had just been married; she could not possibly throw away her own life to help Shen Mizhi save her father, especially in a rescue that had no hope.

But to stand by and watch, abandoning Shen Mizhi, was something she could not do either.

She looked at Duan Rong and asked abruptly, "Then tell me, what should we do?"

Duan Rong was stumped by Xiao Yu's question. Why was the ball being kicked to him?

This matter was inherently unsolvable; how would he know what to do?

Furthermore, he had no desire to save Shen Yanliu at all. This man was already guilty of heinous crimes and had a terrible reputation as an official; killing him was practically accumulating blessings for the people of Qingzhou.

However, with Xiao Yu asking like this, not only Liu Shushan and the others, but even Shen Mizhi looked at him with eyes full of expectation.

After all, over these past three months, no matter how thorny the cases they encountered were, as long as Duan Rong went, they would be solved in as little as a few hours or as long as a day or two.

They had long since become deeply convinced of Duan Rong's schemes and considerations.

Watching the gazes of the few people directed at him, Duan Rong suddenly felt the awkwardness of being unable to get off a tiger he was riding.

At this moment, he had no good plan, but he could not directly list all the official crimes of Shen Mizhi's father and tell her that he had no desire to manage this matter.

Duan Rong pondered for a moment and felt he could only use a stalling tactic. He coughed and looked at Liu Shushan, saying, "Shushan, you have been in the Prefecture City for a long time and should be quite familiar with the procedures for this kind of case. For this case of the Shen Family, how long does it generally take from the confiscation of property and imprisonment to the execution?"

Liu Shushan replied, "Such a major case must be reported to the Dali Temple in Shenyun Prefecture for review. Only after the Dali Temple verifies it without error can Ruyang Prefecture carry out the execution. After all, the person being killed is an Inspector who manages the criminal law of a prefecture; Ruyang Prefecture does not have the authority to execute him on its own."

Duan Rong asked, "How long does the Dali Temple's review generally take?"

Liu Shushan said, "That depends on whether the chain of evidence for the case is complete. If there are any points of doubt, the Dali Temple will conduct further investigations. If the chain of evidence is complete, it is estimated that it will take a month for the official documents from the Dali Temple to reach Ruyang Prefecture."

A look crossed Duan Rong's eyes, and he said, "That is to say, there is at least a month's time."

Liu Shushan said, "According to custom, that is the case."

Duan Rong estimated that for Shen Yanliu's case, the chain of evidence was likely already quite complete; with nails driven right in front of Tang Wanhong, what evidence could they not collect?

Duan Rong said, "Since there is still time, let us spend it investigating properly. Shushan, you are familiar with the local area of Ruyang Prefecture and have connections; you investigate the ins and outs of this case in detail. I will also go out to investigate, and then we will pool our information to see if we can find a breakthrough worth attempting a rescue."

In truth, Duan Rong did not believe they could find any breakthrough, but with everyone looking at him so expectantly, he could only fob them off.

Hearing this, Xiao Yu and Shen Mizhi felt that what Duan Rong said was reliable. After all, only after a detailed investigation could they find a solution, and since Liu Shushan also said that Shen Mizhi's father's case had at least a month, they had to investigate thoroughly before making a decision.

Xiao Yu said, "What are you going out to investigate? Let us go with you."

As soon as Xiao Yu spoke, Ximen Kankan and Shen Mizhi both looked at Duan Rong.

Duan Rong said, "You do not need to go."

"Why?" Xiao Yu and Ximen Kankan clearly wanted to go.

Duan Rong ignored them and first looked at Shen Mizhi, saying, "You should not go out. Even though you have changed your attire, there is still a risk of exposure."

Then he looked at Xiao Yu and said, "You stay here and keep her company."

Xiao Yu's eyes flickered, and she immediately understood Duan Rong's meaning; he was still worried that Shen Mizhi would be reckless and do something unexpected.

"Kankan, you follow Shushan and help him out."

Ximen Kankan looked at Liu Shushan and said, "What 'help out'? I am guiding him."

Liu Shushan laughed, "Fine, I appreciate your trouble!"

Ximen Kankan said, "Hmm. Since you are asking me to come out of retirement, I will reluctantly help you."

After the arrangements were made, Liu Shushan and Ximen Kankan changed their clothes. Liu Shushan wrote a few visiting cards and prepared some gifts, and the two of them went out.

Duan Rong, meanwhile, changed into a servant's outfit inside the Liu residence and also went out. He first ate a bowl of beef soup on the side of the street, then paced unhurriedly until he reached the Dungeon again.

Since he had already said the words, he still had to do some basic investigation. Since Shen Yanliu was locked in this Prefecture City Dungeon, he decided to scout it out properly, at least to understand Shen Yanliu's situation. What torture instruments were on him? Was he crippled or injured?

Duan Rong feigned leisure and paced to the tea stall on the side of the street. He bent down and walked into the tea shed, sat in a corner seat, and ordered a pot of strong tea and two fried dough sticks.

The owner of the tea stall was a middle-aged man with a slight limp. As he served the items, he glanced at Duan Rong lightly.

Duan Rong's heart stirred; the gaze from that moment was quite sharp, definitely not the eyes of a common street vendor.

He moved his mind, and his Divine Sense was released, instantly passing through the dantian of the tea stall owner.

Inner Breath Realm Fourth Layer!

An expert at the Inner Breath Realm Fourth Layer was actually running a dilapidated tea stall here; the daily income from this shack-built tea stall was likely barely enough to make ends meet.

This was highly unreasonable!

An expert at the Inner Breath Realm Fourth Layer could find any job as a guard that would be better than this, with higher income and more leisure.

"Unless..." Duan Rong sat there and glanced at the Dungeon not far away.

He took a light bite of the fried dough stick in his hand and had already guessed the identity of the tea stall owner. This person was likely a secret agent for the Dungeon, setting up a tea stall here year-round just to watch for any suspicious people.

Fortunately, the place where Shen Mizhi and Xiao Yu had hugged and cried that morning was not here; otherwise, he feared their group would have already been targeted.

Thinking of this, Duan Rong finished the two fried dough sticks and drank two bowls of strong tea before paying the bill and leaving. He did not want to stay here long, lest he attract the attention of the lame man.

(End of chapter)