Chapter 83

Kids playing house stuff—what the hell evidence is that?

Di Ying merely glanced at it, then casually flicked it away.

A strong wind swept the scroll to the ground instantly, like trash.

Gu Han raised his eyebrows, speaking coldly,

"Chief Di, may I assume you're trying to destroy evidence?"

Di Ying shook his head disdainfully,

"Only someone as young as you would treat this kind of thing as evidence."

He casually gestured, and the scroll floated in the air, pointing to the standard marked spot,

"This thing looks like demonic scribbles; you say it's a map, a city defense map, but I say it's a picture kids drew while playing house."

"Even if we concede that, my Gray Wolf Gang doesn't restrict members from taking private jobs; they need to earn money to support themselves and their families."

"Even if this really is a city defense map, it's still a task taken by my Gray Wolf Gang's members themselves—what does it have to do with me?"

Di Ying leaned back in his chair, utterly calm, paying no attention to Gu Han at all.

Gu Han's face turned grim,

"You think you can wash your hands of this just like that? As long as it's proven that your Gray Wolf Gang's people did it, you as chief can't escape blame."

Di Ying curled his lips, smiling faintly,

"Then please, Chief Gu, investigate thoroughly before coming to punish me."

Saying that, he suddenly waved his hand, and the private room door flung open.

"Take your leave, I won't see you out."

Seeing Di Ying's smug, all-knowing attitude, Gu Han flared with anger.

But he could do nothing against Di Ying, that old slickster.

Gu Han had just risen when he suddenly realized, this might be the private room he booked, right?

He immediately sat down, speaking coldly,

"Please leave; this is the private room I reserved."

Di Ying raised his eyebrows, took out a heavy pouch from his bosom, and tossed it onto the table.

"One hundred mid-grade origin stones, and the inner core of a three-star water-element demon beast—this private room is now mine, any objections?"

Gu Han's face turned grim,

"May I assume you're doing this...?"

Before he finished speaking, Little Wolf leapt onto the table and swallowed the demon beast's inner core in one gulp.

Gu Han: ……

"It's fine, let's go."

Gu Han grabbed the scruff of the spineless Little Wolf, taking the Flame Hound and leaving quickly.

The private room door shut abruptly as Gu Han left.

Only then did Wang Keyan sit beside Di Ying,

"Father, have you really not colluded with the Jian Chi State?"

Di Ying looked at Wang Keyan solemnly,

"Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

Wang Keyan shook her head without hesitation,

"Father, you're not."

Di Ying laughed while rubbing Wang Keyan's head,

"Isn't that enough? I don't need outsiders to understand my actions; as long as you and Di Kai believe in me, that's sufficient."

The usually proud Wang Keyan only acts like a genuine little girl in front of Di Ying.

Di Ying glanced at Di Kai, still snoring loudly on the sofa, and felt a headache coming on.

Given Di Kai's usual uselessness, if this fellow weren't his brother's child,

He would have long since taken a whip and beaten filial piety into him.

"Brother, I will surely avenge your grudge."

……

After leaving Clear Spring Tavern, Gu Han glared angrily at Little Wolf, still chewing the demon beast's inner core.

But Little Wolf paid no heed, licking the three-star fire-element inner core as if it were some priceless treasure.

"Sigh, in the end I'm just too poor."

Gu Han sighed helplessly.

If Little Wolf had ever seen anything good, he wouldn't have just shown that naïve, inexperienced look.

But that actually gave Gu Han a way out.

Otherwise, if he and Di Ying had remained locked in a stalemate, neither yielding, they'd truly have reached an impasse.

"Flame Hound, bear with me for a moment."

The Flame Hound nodded, without much ceremony, its body suddenly swelling to the size of a fine steed.

Gu Han mounted up, and the Flame Hound swiftly began searching the city for Guan Shan's trail.

Some city guards, upon seeing the Flame Hound charging wildly, had originally wanted to intercept it.

But when someone recognized the Flame Hound, they immediately stopped their companion.

After about the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, Gu Han found Guan Shan in the temporary meeting room.

At that moment, Guan Shan and the other camp chiefs were holding an emergency meeting under the organization of General Guan Zhen.

Gu Han could only wait outside.

Guan Zhen sat in the main seat, face solemn, and said,

"After a night's patrol, any results?"

He had already heard Guan Shan relay Gu Han's speculation.

If Gu Han's speculation proves true, his position as Mu Shan General is not guaranteed—but that's still a minor matter.

But if hundreds of thousands of Mu Shan Cheng's civilians die here, he cannot escape responsibility even with ten thousand deaths!

Guan Shan was the first to stand up,

"According to yesterday's city-entry inspection roster, all living members of the Jia Yu Merchant Guild have been detained and are being interrogated urgently."

The chief instructor of the First Camp, Zhou Kuan, followed closely and stood up,

"Most of the Jian Chi Merchant Guild's people have been found, but one of their deputy heads remains out of contact."

"The situation of the Hua Yu Merchant Guild and the Jian Chi Merchant Guild is similar; one deputy head and three escort heads have not yet been found."

After tallying the inspection results of each camp, it was found that a full five suspected Great Martial Masters have gone missing.

Moreover, there are as many as seventeen Martial Masters missing!

Such a massive force, even if a camp exerts all its strength, is not easy to deal with!

Upon hearing this, Guan Zhen's gaze became even more solemn.

"Now we are in the open while they are in the dark; they will surely conduct counter-reconnaissance against the city guard's patrols."

"We must mobilize every possible force; even if we have to dig three feet deep, we must quickly find their whereabouts!"

Upon hearing this, all the generals had faces as still as water, with stern gazes.

Almost all merchant guilds in Mu Shan Cheng have had trade relations with Jian Chi State.

When it cannot be determined that a merchant guild is innocent, we must investigate the entire guild from top to bottom.

If we indiscriminately detain everyone in prison for ten days to half a month, it will definitely cause public panic.

Such a workload is absolutely not small!

Moreover, many merchant guilds had recently been helping them transport materials for building fortifications from other cities, as well as various cultivation resources.

Although the interrogation is justified, it will definitely plant a thorn in these people's hearts!

"I understand everyone's difficulties, but this is also our duty as the garrison."

Guan Zhen said in a deep voice,

"Otherwise, once the Jian Chi State launches an attack, with internal and external collusion, the newly built fortress would surely crumble like a dike of a thousand miles broken by an ant hole!"

"Moreover, we now place the focus of our defense on the fortress; if the fortress is breached, relying solely on Mu Shan Cheng's own city walls would hardly have any significant defensive effect."

"This is a war of surging undercurrents, and also our first battle against Dan Ren Cheng."

"We absolutely cannot lose!"