Chapter 378: Almost Exposed

Inside the Chengxi Office of the Purification Bureau, there truly was a Xu Yuan.

It was Lang Xiao Ba playing the role.

When Xu Yuan left, he tasked Lang Xiao Ba and Mao Dabin with handling the "aftermath."

Among these instructions, he told Lang Xiao Ba to disguise himself as Xu Yuan—making absolutely sure Gao Wanli saw no flaw.

Xu Yuan had not forgotten that there was still a mole named Gao Wanli within his own yamen.

After Lang Xiao Ba and Mao Dabin cleaned up the battlefield, they returned to the yamen, where Lang Xiao Ba received a so-called "assignment" and went to Luocheng.

Lang Xiao Ba circled outside the city, and upon returning, he had transformed into the likeness of Lord Xu.

After that, everything proceeded as normal.

There was no deliberate attempt to keep a low profile; doing so would only arouse suspicion.

Lang Xiao Ba, impersonating his lord, first reported to the Southern Office that he had been assassinated.

Then, a city-wide search was launched to find the assassin's accomplices.

On another front, a strange case had occurred within Wan Yun's jurisdiction, which he lacked the ability to handle, so he had sent someone to seek help from the lord.

The result was that the lord was ambushed on the road.

Lang Xiao Ba also took people along to solve this strange case as well.

Lang Xiao Ba's method was to mimic every single move Xu Yuan made with perfect fidelity.

Even Wan Yun, who had been following closely throughout the entire strange case, detected nothing.

If the Princess Consort adopted the second plan, she would certainly be deceived by Lang Xiao Ba.

The Princess Consort went again to the River Defense Camp's encampment.

The River Supervisor had already prepared a pool of things for her.

The task of capturing these things was pressed by the River Supervisor onto the Canal Gang, the Canal Gang pressed it onto the Fisherman Gang, and the Fisherman Gang... naturally pressed it onto the ordinary fishermen who made their living along the river.

Because the superiors were pressing hard, several dozen fishermen capsized and fell into the water over these past few days, never to return to shore.

Ruirui waited inside the Canal Zhancheng Yamen for news from those four Liu Liu.

Just as she had waited for Xiao Wu before.

Dafu wandered outside the city for two days.

After eating that nest of ants, it had been in a daze.

Today, it suddenly woke up.

Then, as if it had become smarter, it successfully returned to the city and successfully found the way home.

It burrowed back into the yamen's rear courtyard and lay down in its nest.

It let out a long sigh.

Finally, it felt a bit more secure.

Then it stuck its head out of the nest and peeked quietly into the courtyard.

Fan Zhezi hasn't noticed; I haven't been back for a long time, right?

If he discovers me... I'm afraid I won't escape a scolding.

"Lord Xu" was not in the yamen.

Their group encountered an assassination attempt in Chengxi.

Ruirui waited for several hours; as dusk approached, no one ever returned.

But news had already spread within the city:

Lord Xu had suffered a second assassination attempt.

The assassins were four people, all Liu Liu!

Having suffered two assassinations in just a few days, Lord Xu flew into a rage and incinerated all four into ash with a single fireball.

Ruirui then went out, rushing to enter before the city gates closed, and went to the place where the battle occurred to inspect it personally.

Only the next morning could she leave the city to report to the Princess Consort: "It was the Fu Zhong Huo of a Rank Dan Xiu."

"To incinerate four Liu Liu into ash with a single fireball, it must be at least the Fu Zhong Huo of a Wu Liu."

Lang Xiao Ba carried Wang Shen's heart.

When Wang Shen returned from Henggong Lane this time, Grandpa Shen gave her three patches of ointment.

She could use it three times.

The four dead Liu Liu were unimportant.

It could now be confirmed that the one inside the Purification Bureau yamen was the real Xu Yuan.

The Princess Consort then set off to invite Seventeenth Uncle.

Seventeenth Uncle no longer declined and set off immediately.

The Princess Consort then sent Ruirui to summon Gao Wanli.

Gao Wanli explicitly refused: she would not go.

I am a Liu Liu Artisan Xiu!

Do you know what a craftman of this level signifies?

In the world of Huangming, which faction would be willing to let an Artisan Xiu of this level risk going to some lawless land?

Therefore, Gao Wanli was full of confidence.

But Ruirui wore a faint smile on her face and said, "My status is lowly; I am merely a messenger. Indeed, I cannot invite High Lord Gao. I shall return now to report. My young master has always been respectful to the virtuous and will surely come personally to invite High Lord Gao."

Gao Wanli was utterly furious, staring fixedly at the maid with a faint smile.

"No need. I will go." Gao Wanli squeezed the words out between her teeth.

Ruirui bowed deeply in a wanfu gesture: "High Lord Gao, please."

In her heart, she was disdainful: *Playing the act? You'll still have to obediently follow orders. *

After Gao Wanli left, "Xu Yuan" also returned with his people.

Da Fu immediately felt guilty and quickly shrank his head back into his nest.

As "Xu Yuan" passed by its nest, Da Fu suddenly widened his eyes fiercely.

With a *whoosh*, he burst out of the nest and pecked "Xu Yuan" furiously, *ga-ga-ga*!

Lang Xiao Ba hurriedly tried to pin Da Fu down and drag him back inside to tell him the truth.

Then, embarrassingly, he discovered he actually couldn't handle the enraged Da Fu!

After getting pecked several bumps on his head, Lang Xiao Ba clutched his head and scrambled into the house—Da Fu chased him in.

Lang Xiao Ba froze. Although the process was different from what I imagined, the result was the same!

Lang Xiao Ba quickly closed the door, transformed back into his true form, and explained everything carefully.

Fortunately, by this time Gao Wanli had already left the yamen; otherwise, the deception might have been exposed.

The Princess of the Heir gathered her forces and headed toward Ghost Wushan.

On the way, she specifically passed through "Da Tian Po" village and slaughtered everyone, old and young, as well as chickens, dogs, sheep, and cattle, leaving nothing alive.

Thus fulfilling a "last wish" for Rongrong.

Afterwards, the convoy circled Ghost Wushan and arrived at Qihe Tai Town.

Subordinates hired a young guide in the town.

Coincidentally, he was also a servant in a newly opened inn in the town.

Xu Yuan, perched at a hidden high spot in the mountains, took a distant look at the Princess of the Heir's convoy. Upon seeing this young guide, he couldn't help but feel a bit dazed.

It was as if he had returned to a few months ago, when the Holy Maiden had also driven Ah Guang into the mountains to hunt him down...

Tian Jing, accompanying my lord, couldn't help but ask, "My lord, how strong are they?"

Xu Yuan waved his hand, signaling Tian Jing to hurry along with him.

"The old man beside the Princess of the Heir is of the Fourth Tier!"

Tian Jing shivered: "Fourth Tier?!"

Xu Yuan, however, remained calm and said, "Do not forget, that person's talisman has already been lost in Qidou Village."

Without the talisman, the evil spirits in the mountains do not recognize you as the Princess of the Heir.

To them, you are all fresh and delicious flesh and blood!

"But... even if you can provoke the evil spirits in the mountains to attack them, it would be difficult to kill a Fourth-Tier expert."

The Fourth-Tier evil spirits are all at Guanghuo Street.

Xu Yuan smiled: "Then we shall have to see if our son-in-law by marriage is up to the task."

"Son-in-law by marriage? Which one?" Tian Jing was confused.

"Never mind that for now," Xu Yuan played coy and said, "They will definitely go to Qidou Village first. We must also hurry to make preparations."

Xu Yuan then sped away toward Shang Tongguan Cliff.

Gao Guanzi returned to the village and, with a gloomy face, ordered the entire village to relocate.

Even though he was a mountain runner in the village, many opposed the order for the whole village to move.

Gao Guanzi was well prepared.

First, he kept a close watch on those who opposed most fiercely and mentally noted them all down.

Only then did he gradually reveal the benefits promised by Lord Xu.

When he mentioned, "Newborn children who pass the inspection can live outside the mountains," everyone fell silent.

"Move!" someone took the lead, and soon the entire village agreed.

The village was poor; everyone actually had few possessions.

After securing grain, iron tools, fire, and other essentials, the entire village followed Gao Guanzi in a grand procession toward Tongguan Cliff.

Clear traces were left along the way, making them easy to track.

(End of Chapter)