Chapter 534

Sure enough, Su Qiao and the others didn't have to wait long before there was a result!

"My lord, Mr. Su, we've found something!"

A voice filled with excitement came from inside.

Su Qiao and Luo Yangxing's eyes lit up, and they quickly hurried over.

"Where?"

Beneath an antique shelf, there was a square green brick where a mechanism was hidden.

When Luo Yangxing and Su Qiao entered, they saw that the green brick had already been removed.

It revealed the mechanism and its trigger below.

It was a pull-type mechanism with a ring on top and what looked like a circular groove at the bottom.

Anyway, Su Qiao didn't quite understand how such a thing was designed.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard grabbed the ring and pulled it upward with force.

Click, click-click-click...

A series of sounds from the mechanism activating rang out.

Everyone in the room turned to look toward the sound and saw movement beneath the bed Su Qiao had inspected earlier.

Lifting the curtain, everyone saw that the step leading to the bed had been flipped open.

Yes, it had been flipped open!

In front of the bed, there had been a step about the thickness of a palm.

But to prevent bumping into it, it had been covered with a soft blanket.

Now that the step beneath the blanket had been flipped open, the blanket itself was also lifted, revealing a dark, pitch-black hole.

It was obvious: they had found it!

"Be careful. Send someone down to check."

Luo Yangxing's eyes gleamed.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard were experienced; first, they lit a candle to check the air quality.

They noticed the candle flame being blown, sensing airflow inside the secret passage.

Immediately relieved, the person who went down first, shielding his body with a shield, tied a sturdy rope around his waist, held a fire starter to guard against any traps, while those behind held the rope and slowly descended.

The others waited patiently above.

After about the time of a cup of tea's merit, there was movement inside the secret passage.

The person who had gone in had already roughly explored and returned.

"My lord, the space inside is large, there are secret rooms, signs that someone has stayed there, and no traps or mechanisms were found."

"Oh? Let's go in and take a look!"

Since there was no danger, they could go in and check.

Su Qiao was also curious about what was inside and followed Luo Yangxing in.

The steps and such in the secret passage were pitch black, with oil lamps along the side.

Even if they were lit, it still felt extremely gloomy.

Fortunately, this dark section wasn't far, and the interior was quite spacious, with no feeling of crowding.

After passing through the dark steps, Su Qiao, Luo Yangxing, and the others who had entered saw several secret rooms.

Calling them secret rooms, they were essentially several rooms specially built within the hidden passage.

However, there was nothing left inside them; on the ground, there were traces of people having lived there.

For example, oil paper that had held food, bedding and mats used for sleeping, and so on.

Seeing these, Su Qiao and Luo Yangxing could confirm that this was the place where those Japanese samurai had once stayed.

"Look, geta! Exclusive to the Japanese."

Su Qiao's eyes accurately locked onto a damaged geta in the corner of the wall.

Luo Yangxing followed Su Qiao's indication and saw it too.

"Yes, it is indeed Japanese, which proves the assassin had been living here before."

Luo Yangxing declared decisively.

"Someone come! Search this place thoroughly and see if there are any other clues!"

"Yes!"

After Luo Yangxing finished speaking, he turned and went out, and of course, Su Qiao followed.

No one had been in this secret passage for a long time, and it was full of dust.

If they were to inspect it carefully, it would inevitably stir up clouds of dust and dirt.

Su Qiao certainly didn't want to suffer in there.

After coming out, Luo Yangxing turned and instructed the Embroidered Uniform Guard outside: "Who purchased this house? Go check!"

"Yes!"

The secret passage was built so perfectly; it was certainly impossible that there had been no trace of activity at all.

The possibility of secretly using someone else's residence to build a tunnel, like a cuckoo taking over a magpie's nest, did indeed exist!

But it was unlikely, mainly because this secret passage was built so well; it must have been intended for repeated use.

It was not a secret passage meant to be used once and then abandoned.

If it were meant to be used once and then abandoned, building it in someone else's house would be understandable.

Here, the situation was completely different!

389, Ye Xiang Lou!

Just as Su Qiao and Luo Yangxing were waiting patiently for the inspection results.

While flipping through the registers of suspicious, long-unoccupied vacant houses, the Embroidered Uniform Guard made another discovery.

"My lord, this house was purchased by a silk merchant from Jiangsu and Zhejiang in the south. He didn't just buy this one; it seems he bought another house as well!"

"Hmm? Where is it? Is it far?"

Su Qiao and Luo Yangxing's attention was drawn over.

Hearing this, the Embroidered Uniform Guard immediately shook his head and said, "Not far. It's just two streets away from here. We can see it if we walk there!"

"Is that so? Then let's go check it out right now and see if that house has problems too!"

"Yes!"

After leaving this house, everyone followed the Embroidered Uniform Guard through winding turns. After walking for a short while, they crossed two streets.

Then, they stood at the entrance of another house.

"Is this the place?"

Seeing the house before them, the Embroidered Uniform Guard members kicked the door open and barged straight in.

It was still an empty house.

Similarly, it should have been unused for nearly half a year.

Having benefited from Su Qiao's careful observation of the previous house, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was even more cautious with this one, one hundred and twenty percent careful, inspecting it meticulously from inside to outside.

Without Su Qiao needing to act, they discovered a hidden mechanism inside a room in the rear courtyard.

Once opened, just like the previous house, it was a similar secret passage and hidden chamber.

This time, Su Qiao and Luo Yangxing did not go inside.

They simply handed it over directly to the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate.

The report upon their return was much the same.

It was also a base for Japanese samurai assassins.

However, Su Qiao and Luo Yangxing could understand.

During the previous assassination attempt, the number of these Japanese samurai assassins was by no means small; altogether, there were more than two hundred people!

With so many people, it was indeed impossible for them to hide in just one place.

Two places, or even several more, were quite possible.

Having destroyed these secret passages and confirmed that this was where the assassins had previously hidden.

It also connected many of the previously fragmented clues together.

Although no new clues had been found yet.

It still made everyone feel quite pleased in their hearts.