Chapter 729

“Has Kong Shusheng disappeared?”

Wang Daoxuan frowned and said, “Has the Kong family come looking?”

Kong Shangzhao, though well-read and gifted, was merely a branch member of the Kong family; his father, Kong Zhenlin, was merely a merchant handling affairs for them, with low status in the clan.

Worse still, this boy defied convention yet clung to justice, thus offending the Kong family’s rightful heir.

He came to the capital specifically to flee trouble.

The only enemy this bookworm had was the Kong family’s rightful heir; his sudden disappearance is surely connected to him.

Yet Li Yan shook his head and said, “It’s probably not the Kong family.”

He lowered his voice: “The other two who vanished with him are Kuai Dayou and Lin Fatty.”

Wang Daoxuan was stunned. “How did these three end up together?”

“I don’t know.”

Li Yan sighed and shook his head. “Lately, murders have been frequent in the capital—committed by hidden Japanese demons. They strike without warning and evade searches by the City God Temple; it’s almost certainly Zhao Qingxu behind this.”

“Luo Mingzi and his group are chasing leads everywhere and have no time to search for these three, so they’ve asked us to help. The Jiang-Zhe Merchants’ Guild is frantic too—they’ve offered a large sum of silver, terrified something’s happened to Lin Fatty.”

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and smiled. “We all know each other; of course we’ll help if we can.”

“That’s exactly the problem.”

Li Yan secretly gripped the Dragon-Snake Tablet, shielding the area from detection, and whispered: “I’ve taken on a Heavenly Official task—I must stay at the academy. Old Sha is injured internally and needs watching…”

“No problem.”

Wang Daoxuan shook his head. “Finding three people? This Daoist and Wu Ba and Lu San are more than enough.”

Li Yan thought for a moment. “Alright. Daoist, watch your safety.”

They had grown accustomed to splitting up during their time in Shu.

Now, all of them have improved their cultivation: Wang Daoxuan has mastered the Five-Head Divine Scripture, Wu Ba inherited the Huaguang Sect’s martial methods, and Lu San’s strength has also grown. Besides, they’re in the capital—nothing to worry about.

As for Long Yan, she must stay behind to care for Sha Lifei.

…

After finalizing the plan, the three immediately gathered their gear and set out.

As dusk approached, they arrived at “Xi Jiangmi Lane,” southwest of Chengtian Gate.

“Gentlemen, this way, please.”

A clerk from the Commandant’s Office led them forward, speaking as they walked: “The yamen is crowded and noisy, so we arranged this courtyard for Master Kong—it’s only one street from the Commandant’s Office, and the Five Armies Command, Ministry of Justice, Censorate, and Court of Judicial Review are all nearby. Who knew trouble still came?”

Soon, a small blue-brick courtyard appeared before them.

It was modest in size but spotlessly clean, with a massive jujube tree in the yard.

Though merely an ordinary residence, its location alone was worth a thousand taels.

The neighbors were all minor officials from the Three Provinces and Six Ministries.

An old man waited anxiously at the gate; seeing them arrive, he rushed forward. “Master Wang, you’ve finally come—please save my young master!”

He moved to kneel.

Wang Daoxuan stepped forward and caught him. “Lin Bo, don’t panic. Take your time.”

The old man was Kong Shangzhao’s servant; they had met in Tongzhou and were familiar with each other.

Before he finished speaking, two more figures emerged from the courtyard.

One was short and stout, dressed in silk, with pale skin and a mustache, constantly wiping sweat from his brow. His features bore a resemblance to Lin Fatty.

The other was a thin, wiry youth in coarse cloth.

Lin Bo quickly introduced them: “This is Lin Fatty’s clan uncle; this is Kuai Dayou’s subordinate. Both are anxious and have been waiting here.”

“Greetings, Master Wang. Has Li Shaoxia not come?”

“Daoist, please save my elder brother!”

Both ignored formalities, speaking at once in frantic tones.

“Stop!”

Wang Daoxuan rubbed his temples. “Don’t rush. We need clues. Let’s go inside and talk.”

The group entered the courtyard, which instantly felt cramped.

“Tell me everything.”

Wang Daoxuan sat down and looked at them. “Before they vanished, did anything seem unusual?”

The youth in coarse cloth spoke first, eager: “Dayou had been visiting Master Kong often lately. The day he disappeared, he went out on some errand, acting secretive—even didn’t bring all his tools, just a small cloth bag. He hasn’t been heard from since!”

Lin Fatty’s clan uncle chimed in, voice trembling: “Daoist, my nephew has been missing over a day!”

“He was supposed to report to the Guild yesterday, but he never showed. The clerks said the night before, he drank with Master Kong and Master Kuai at a tavern—and then… ah! We’ve checked everywhere they frequented—no one’s seen them!”

“Secretive actions?”

Wang Daoxuan frowned thoughtfully. “They must be planning something. Lin Bo, did Master Kong show any odd behavior before leaving? Leave any note?”

Lin Bo wiped his tears. “He only said he was going to ‘check some ancient books,’ left in a hurry, and wouldn’t let me follow…”

“Oh—and he took several treasures from the house.”

“What treasures?” Wang Daoxuan asked quickly.

At that moment, the Commandant’s Office clerk spoke up: “They weren’t true treasures—just protective talismans Luo Daoist obtained from the Enforcement Hall to safeguard Master Kong’s safety, left in the house to ward off magical attacks.”

“We’ve checked them all—just jade pendants and amulets for soul protection.”

“The strange part? Master Kong took every single one. The place he went must be extremely dangerous.”

“Hmm…”

Wang Daoxuan’s brow furrowed.

These clues were useless—they only confirmed the three were secretly planning something.

Such secrecy meant they wanted to hide it.

Their disappearance coincided exactly with the academy’s opening ceremony.

Perhaps they were involved in something illegal…

No wonder the Commandant’s Office couldn’t find them—they deliberately concealed it.

Right now, with Japanese demons wreaking havoc in the city, it’s perilous.

None of them are fools—what could possibly make them risk their lives?

If Wang Daoxuan had taken the task merely out of friendship and boredom, he now felt a strong curiosity.

He glanced around and noticed something odd.

Lin Fatty’s clan uncle and Kuai Dayou’s subordinate were both visibly frantic.

But Lin Bo’s expression was strange.

Anxious, yet tinged with unease—his eyes darted nervously.