Chapter 52: Even the Yin Soldiers Have Yin Soldiers

"Really not here?" Song Lu asked with suspicion.

Lin Wanmo stepped aside: "If you don't believe me, search yourselves. I also want to know where that brat went; if you find him, I'll thank you."

Lin Wanmo could guess what Xu Yuan had gone to do, but he certainly wouldn't tell the two Purification Bureau Captains.

Song Lu, acting rashly, pressed his hand on his sword hilt and was about to really go in and search—only to be pulled back by his senior brother.

They had no warrant and could not simply burst in to search; that would violate the rules.

The two could only slink out of the alley in disgrace. Fu Jingyu vaguely felt something was wrong: "Yesterday Master Chen sent men to capture him, and this morning early he was already gone..."

Song Lu immediately slapped his scabbard and drew a conclusion: "Fled out of fear of punishment!"

Fu Jingyu looked at his junior sister; she was still quite cute, and as for her brain, it could grow slowly later.

"I am worried he went to find Lord Chen."

Song Lu was startled: "Is he so bold?"

"That brat's deeds in Qihetai Town—was there a single one that wasn't audacious?" Fu Jingyu quickened his pace: "Let's return first and ask Elder Yan to calculate."

Xu Yuan changed back into that set of silk and satin robes and blended into Wangjing Ward.

As he passed the entrance of Chunxiang Hall, he instinctively stretched his neck out—only to find Chunxiang Hall had hung a sign this morning early, closing for the day and giving the Misses a holiday.

He saw nothing.

Xu Yuan wanted to criticize, but had no material to work with.

Then he walked all the way to the back gate of a large mansion.

In Old Qian's memory fragments, he had exited through this very door.

Xu Yuan's gaze grew a fraction colder.

After rising this morning, Master Chen checked the almanac and, upon seeing "Prohibited to share a room," felt a bit regretful.

Several prominent families in this county were hosting a banquet for him tonight.

He had expected it to be at Chunxiang Hall, but now it seemed that wouldn't happen.

Master Chen could afford to disregard the County Magistrate's face; the Magistrate would leave after completing one term. But the local prominent families, like his Chen family, were rooted here for thousands of years.

The Chen family had moved here a hundred years ago, and the greatest figure they have produced so far is Master Chen himself.

As for retiring and returning to one's hometown, then still visiting such pleasure quarters... can a scholar's affairs be called whoring? It is clearly a refined literary gathering!

This old man is going to mentor young people from our hometown.

The entire Great Ming follows this custom; who dares say anything?

After breakfast, Master Chen gave an order and went to the rear garden again.

Since returning home, whenever he had no social engagements, he spent his time "reading" in the rear garden.

According to Master Chen's thinking, once he arrived at the rear garden, Old Qian should have come to report the results of last night's operation.

But after Master Chen had drunk two cups of tea in the "Xu Chun She" of the rear garden and Old Qian still had not appeared, Master Chen's expression suddenly changed: "Something has happened to Old Qian!"

Because he trusted Old Qian too much, Master Chen had not even arranged follow-up support or cleanup personnel for last night's operation.

Old Qian was always steady; matters entrusted to him were always completed flawlessly, and he was himself a Seventh-Rank Divine Cultivator. In a small place like Shanhe County, what could possibly go wrong?

Yet an accident happened precisely.

Master Chen immediately realized: "River Works Alley... does it truly have something extraordinary?"

After thinking for a moment, he ordered the scholar boy standing outside the door: "Go invite Master Ji over."

The scholar boy obeyed and left. Only then did Master Chen open the cabinet beside him; inside was a locked iron box.

He opened it, took out a bronze bell from within, and gave it a gentle tap.

In no time, an exceptionally burly old man entered, his hair snow-white yet his complexion ruddy like an infant's. With sharp eyes and a majestic gait, he stepped forward and clasped his fists: "Master."

Master Chen smiled slightly and said: "These few days, work hard and stay by my side; do not leave."

The sharp light in Master Ji's eyes grew brighter: "Master, is someone looking for trouble? Could it be someone from the North..."

Master Chen waved his hand lightly: "Master, there is no need to ask more."

Master Ji then lowered his head and stood aside, his tone revealing immense confidence: "Master, rest assured."

Master Chen nodded slightly.

After arranging the protective forces around himself and waiting a while longer, a subordinate wearing a military uniform walked in quickly: "Master, what has happened?"

"Old Qian has had an incident; go investigate and find out!" Master Chen's face was gloomy.

"Very well."

"Xing Guolong." Master Chen called him back: "We previously underestimated them. Qiao Ziang's things might truly be in their hands!"

"Rest assured, Master, I will search with great care," Xing Guolong promised.

Xu Yuan did not linger long at the mansion's back gate; after glancing at it as he passed, he walked out of that alley.

This alley was very deep, but inside there was only one household.

Outside the alley was a teahouse that had just opened. Xu Yuan entered, found a seat by the window, ordered tea and a plate of roasted peanuts, pretended to be there to listen to stories, but in reality his full attention was on the alley entrance.

Before long, he saw a middle-aged man wearing a military uniform walk briskly into the alley.

Xu Yuan put down his money, stood up, and left.

He deliberately waited a while, estimating that the man had already entered through the back gate, before walking into the alley.

Then Xu Yuan put on that ear-shaped device made of red wood and brass, pressed it against the wall, and listened carefully.

A servant was guarding the back gate; besides that, there were some extremely faint footsteps in the rear garden. Judging by the sound, they should be several fierce dogs.

Xu Yuan thought for a moment, opened his mouth and spat out a Longzhu Waidan, silently thinking: Lucky.

This is a Longzhu Waidan, condensing a "Tiger Soul."

This is one of the Yin Soldiers from Old Qian's bottles and jars.

Old Qian possesses an unparalleled, persistent drive for research in the realm of Spirit Cultivation.

He hunted this Tiger Soul from who knows where, and the tiger, while alive, had itself imprisoned six Chang Ghosts!

It was likely this that sparked Old Qian's interest; he killed them and refined them into Yin Soldiers—Yin Soldiers, even!

Xu Yuan tossed the Tiger Soul Pill over the wall; a special aura spread out. Xu Yuan listened with his ear flaps, and those fierce dogs all tucked their tails and fled.

Without this Tiger Soul Pill, Xu Yuan, having made no preparations before arriving, would truly have had a hard time dealing with these fierce dogs.

Xu Yuan took out the beast-tendon rope, saw that the courtyard wall was fully one zhang high, so he pasted two talismans on his legs again. After the beast-tendon rope hooked over the wall top, he tightened the rope while exerting force with his feet, and the whole person whooshed over the wall top in an instant.

After entering the courtyard, Xu Yuan immediately crouched low and looked around, then raised his hand and summoned the Tiger Soul Pill back.

Like a civet cat, Xu Yuan moved lightly and agilely to a tree more than ten zhang away.

Yet he dared not venture deeper.

Xu Yuan climbed the tree, tied himself securely to the trunk with the beast-tendon rope, then put his ear flaps on again and began eavesdropping on the entire back garden.

Snatches of conversation drifted intermittently into his ears.

Master Chen explained the matter in just a few words; Xu Yuan only heard him say that he might have taken something from Qiao Ziang.

Immediately after, Xu Yuan heard the footsteps of the person wearing a yesa walking out.

Xu Yuan removed his ear flaps, then lay motionless on the tree.

That person exited the back door; Xu Yuan waited a while longer before quietly slipping out.

Xu Yuan did not intend to follow that person.

The opponent sent Old Qian, a Seventh-Rank, last night; after Old Qian died, they sent this person to handle the matter.

This indicates that this person's strength must be superior to Old Qian's.

Following him would be seeking death.

Requesting monthly tickets!

There will be more tonight.

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(End of this chapter)