Chapter 685: Ashore (2/2, Autumn Subscription)

"Really?" Fang Yue's face showed suspicion as he pressed, "Don't hide it from me, this matter is very important!"

"……It's, it's like this. After Lord Night asked me, I had the servants leave the city to specially feed your 【Liehong Horse】.

But not long after, that servant came running back in a panic, saying the horse was gone, and there was a pool of blood on the ground.

I suspected at the time that it was the Night Thief or some eerie thing that killed the horse.

But I was worried that if you found out about this, you'd blame me……so I quietly had someone buy a 【Liehong Horse】, kept it in the residence to care for it, planning that when you asked, I'd say this one I bought was your original……"

Her voice gradually lowered; Yang Hongxia's clever-by-half behavior was clearly not suitable to be spoken aloud.

If Fang Yue hadn't pressed her, she felt she could still have kept it hidden.

After all, horses all look the same—unless you've been around them for a long time, who could tell the difference.

Moreover, Yang Hongxia had even personally gone to pick one out, choosing a 【Liehong Horse】 that looked similar to the one in her memory as a replacement; from appearance alone it would be very hard to notice.

But now, though……

Yang Hongxia nervously looked at Fang Yue, only to see that Fang Yue didn't seem to have any intention of blaming her.

"Sure enough……the horse is gone."

After Fang Yue paced back and forth for a while, and just as another drop of Night Rain landed on his head, Fang Yue suddenly stopped his steps and said, "Go back first, I'll consider this matter myself. Same as before—if something happens, just send out a request for aid."

Only then did Yang Hongxia retreat, looking back every few steps. Seeing Fang Yue close the room door without even the slightest intention of seeing her off, she couldn't help but stamp her foot.

"This blockhead……"

Sighing, Yang Hongxia left the inn and headed toward Dayang Fu.

No sooner had she just returned to Dayang Fu than a servant hurried over to report.

"Eldest Miss! Eldest Miss! Something terrible has happened! Lord Night, Lord Night is dead!"

What?!

The literal meaning, the Eldest Miss understood perfectly, but put together, it left her entire person dumbfounded.

Lord Night……is dead?

Then who was the person chatting with me at the inn just now??

Very quickly, the Eldest Miss sobered up.

Lord Night was of course still alive, so the only possibility was that the servant's intelligence had gone wrong.

She first had the person calm down, then patiently inquired, and only then learned the general outline of the matter.

It turned out the Government had issued a notice: an internal Night Thief conflict had broken out at 【Dongliu Mountain】, and 【Ye Niu Niu】 had gone to suppress the thieves and met an unfortunate death.

The man was already dead, so the so-called charges and warrants naturally lost their meaning and were all rescinded.

"Is the news confirmed? Was the corpse seen?"

"Don't know, the Government didn't release any other information."

Yang Hongxia narrowed her eyes slightly. She knew Fang Yue was still alive, so the Government's side must definitely have faulty intelligence.

"Looks like the identity-cleansing method Lord Night mentioned is this one. Fake a death once, cleanse the identity, and then you can return to Dayang Fu openly and legitimately!"

Yang Hongxia was a little excited, because this meant she would soon be able to see Fang Yue again.

Just as she was thinking this, the servant continued.

"Also, 【Qing Si】 suddenly updated its personnel roster. Besides the deceased batch being excluded, another batch of people was added.

Most of them were transferred up from lower-level towns and villages—some have already reported in, some are still on the road. It's said the procedures are still being processed; because of personnel attrition, people were directly promoted to take up posts.

This one suspects Qing Si suddenly adding so many hands may be related to that eerie thing last night."

This kind of matter couldn't really pique Yang Hongxia's interest; after a brief inquiry, she didn't pay it much mind.

But what she hadn't expected was that the very next day, she saw Fang Yue, dressed all in white, come calling at the door.

Yang Hongxia hadn't recognized Fang Yue at first, because Fang Yue had changed his face again—only the black ring atop his head remained as eye-catching as ever.

"Lord Night……my friend, what business do you have?"

Fang Yue winked at her.

"I've heard the Dayang Merchant Caravan is in urgent need of Guests, to participate in the 【Martial Decision】. May I ask if you're still recruiting?"

"Of course we're recruiting! My lord, please come inside!"

The corners of her mouth lifting unconsciously, Yang Hongxia held back the surging excitement in her heart.

She led Fang Yue into the residence, brought him to a room, shut the door, and then they could speak openly with the skylight thrown wide.

"Lord Night? Is it Lord Ye Niu Niu?"

"It's me."

Fang Yue said with a smile.

He had now shed the Human Skin Mask and, in his true appearance, stood revealed before Yang Hongxia.

Since he'd decided to pursue the thrill, he had to see it through to the end.

Having decided to impersonate himself, naturally every aspect had to keep up.

As for why it took so long to report to 【Qing Si】, just say he was delayed on the road and that would do.

Qing Si was now full of "our own people"—what excuse couldn't be used.

With his identity cleansed and ashore, Fang Yue's mood was still quite good.

Have to say, Dou Hongyi got things done efficiently.

A matter only assigned yesterday was already implemented today, which left Fang Yue, seeing Dou Hongyi waiting at the door early in the morning, a bit dumbfounded.

As for Dou Hongyi saying he'd need to cooperate with some acting afterward.

Please, I just barely got my identity cleansed and ashore—would I possibly pull off another fake death??

Fang Yue agreed readily, but in truth had no intention of actually doing it.

"Lord Night……should I still call you Lord Night now?"

"I am now the Green Division's Ye Baiyi, also called Yese Liming. Naturally, you may continue to call me Lord Ye."

Yang Hongxia's heart leapt with joy. She had already grown somewhat accustomed to this form of address; suddenly changing it would have felt awkward. Now, without changing anything at all, she could bring Lord Ye back to Dayang Fu, and her eyes curved into crescents with her smile.

"By the way, Lord Ye, won't it be too conspicuous for you to head straight for Dayang Fu like this?"

"It doesn't matter. Right now the Government and the Tian Shang Alliance are overwhelmed by another matter and have no time at all to pay attention to my movements."

"Another matter…"

Yang Hongxia was stunned for a moment, then quickly understood.

"Is it about that strange incident?"

"Correct! That strange creature is far more difficult to handle than they imagined. According to the intelligence I have, last night the Government and the Tian Shang Alliance organized a batch of night patrol teams, and the result was that every single one was wiped out — not a single survivor. So today, not only is the Green Division urgently expanding its recruitment, even Blue Shan and the Tian Shang Alliance are recruiting."

The troublesome nature of the Nuomian Gui, Fang Yue had experienced firsthand.

The current him could probably fight it on equal terms.

But at Dongliu Mountain, during the time before he had cultivated to the Human Rank, Fang Yue was absolutely no match for it.

A Disaster-Rank high-grade strange creature — that is no idle boast! Its terrifying strength is something ordinary people simply cannot withstand.

I'm afraid that in all of Chunuan City, only the Phoenix Organization, or the Tian Shang Alliance's Alliance Master, has the strength to have a go at it.

According to the intelligence Dou Hongyi gave this morning, the joint patrol team organized by the Tian Shang Alliance and the Government last night suffered truly terrible losses, which finally made them realize the horror of a Disaster-Rank high-grade strange creature.

Having learned a painful lesson, the Government and the Tian Shang Alliance simultaneously issued expansion demands.

The Government had it easier — they could simply find people from the surrounding area. Dou Hongyi could even conveniently absorb Fang Yue, this White Clothes, in without any sense of incongruity, arousing no one's suspicion.

The Tian Shang Alliance was in a bit more trouble.

(End of chapter)