Thunderous Move

Just after the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the exploration and survey teams began to return.

The two groups of artisans who went to explore the way each consisted of two lean men.

The route map brought back clearly marked three paths leading to Eagle's Beak Peak: one was a shortcut often used by hunters but with many steep slopes; one was a longer but relatively gentle route that required crossing a turbulent stream during the rainy season; and the other was extremely hidden, almost hugging the cliff crevices, with narrow sections only wide enough for one person to pass sideways, but it went straight up to the mountainside, avoiding several possible lookout points.

They also discovered two dry, sheltered caves and a steady mountain spring.

Another group, consisting of a silent middle-aged craftsman and a slightly nervous young craftsman, encountered a pack of wolves.

The middle-aged craftsman used his experience to scare away the wolves by using torches and the terrain.

The young craftsmen, however, keenly noticed a path that had been trampled on but was clearly trying to cover up its traces, pointing to a mountain hollow they had never explored before.

Although we couldn't get to the bottom of it, we marked suspicious spots.

The Shura Guards and artisans responsible for surveying the area around the camp reported more precise information.

About three miles to the southwest, several sets of fresh footprints were discovered, which were not typical of local hunters. The soles of the shoes had a unique pattern, resembling official boots.

There was also a recently extinguished campfire with embers, beneath which lay the bones of leftover poultry, bearing marks of meticulously shaving the flesh with a sharp blade—a habit not typical of refugees or ordinary bandits. The wind direction and dew traces indicated that the group had come against the wind, hindering tracking but also suggesting their cautious approach and possible awareness of counter-tracking.

Ling Zhan listened carefully to each report, his gaze sweeping over the people who had returned after completing their missions.

The middle-aged craftsman in the exploration team had a calm and steady gaze, while the young craftsman, though pale-faced, had a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

The survey team discovered that the craftsmen who made the unique footprints had keen observation skills.

She already had a preliminary judgment in mind.

"very good."

Ling Zhan's voice was calm and steady, "Those who scout ahead and make contributions will receive a commendation. Those who discover suspicious footprints will receive a commendation. Those who remain calm when encountering a pack of wolves will receive a commendation. Go and rest; there will be plenty of food."

Simple words, yet they eased the tension in these new followers, their eyes revealing excitement at being recognized and a sense of belonging.

Initial trust begins to be built through shared tasks.

At this moment, Shen Hong walked towards Sun Qi, who was being watched alone and sitting in a corner.

The bright red feather swayed gently beside his simple hair bun, creating a strange harmony with his calm demeanor.

Instead of immediately questioning Sun Qi, he sat down a short distance away from him, took out his notebook and charcoal pencil, and quietly began drawing something. The charcoal pencil moved across the rough paper, making a soft rustling sound. He was drawing the simple layout of the camp, and the spot where Sun Qi had been sitting during the screening.

"Sun Qi is from Hongzhou."

Shen Hong spoke, his voice low, as if he were talking to himself, or as if stating a fact, "The warehouse records show that he can read. Qian Laoshu was missing half of his left ear and died under the rubble in the inner warehouse passage. Half of his body was burned, but the feature of his left ear is still there."

He looked up, his gaze clear as he looked at Sun Qi.

"The last time you saw him was 'the day before we stormed in,' when he said he was going to deliver the pamphlets to the inner treasury?"

Sun Qi raised his eyelids slightly but didn't speak, though Shen Hong caught the instant tightening of his jawline.

Shen Hong lowered his head and drew a circle around the spot where the money rat was on the notebook.

"The inner treasury is close to the furnace and is heavily guarded. That day, the furnace area was the first to be breached by Ling Feng and the Shura Guards, and the explosions and collapses occurred first. In the chaos, it was impossible for the people from the outer treasury to get close, let alone see the inner treasury manager come out 'hurriedly'."

He paused, his voice still calm, "You're lying. The last time you saw Money Rat wasn't that day at all. Or rather, you didn't even see him come out of the inner vault."

Sun Qi's breathing quickened almost imperceptibly.

Shen Hong continued: "'The Skinner' Sun Mao said that you are 'The Schemer's' hidden pawn."

He observed Sun Qi's reaction—his pupils suddenly contracted, followed by a barely concealed coldness.

"Even a hidden player needs a channel to send messages, right? The den of demons may have collapsed, but some rat holes may still be there."

Shen Hong's gaze seemed to casually sweep over Sun Qi's right hand, which was clenched into a fist and placed on his knee. "There's some very special mud on the inside of your sleeve, bluish-gray, with a fishy smell. There's no such soil in Qixia'ao. But there is an underground river under the Broken Soul Cliff on the southwest side of Eagle Beak Peak, and the mud on the riverbank is like this."

Sun Qi's body finally began to tremble slightly uncontrollably!

Every word Shen Hong uttered was like a precise needle, piercing the gaps in the armor he was trying so hard to conceal.

This kind of insightful, penetrating analysis was more terrifying and made him feel exposed than torture!

"That underground river, does it connect to the outside world?"

Shen Hong's voice was even softer, yet carried immense weight: "'Ghostly Calculation'... or someone else, did they tell you that after the landslide, that was the only way to survive? And the channel for transmitting the last message?"

Sun Qi's psychological defenses completely collapsed under Shen Hong's calm yet deadly "smelling" technique.

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins and desperate madness, his voice ripped apart.

"Yes! So what if it is! You're all finished! Master 'The Schemer' has already... Ah!"

His words abruptly ended!

Because Xuan Chenzi, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, had appeared beside Shen Hong like a gentle breeze at some point.

The old Taoist priest lightly flicked his whisk.

A gentle yet irresistible force instantly enveloped Sun Qi.

It left him speechless, only able to open his mouth in vain, his eyes filled with horror.

"Infinite Heavenly Venerable".

Xuan Chenzi's voice was calm, yet carried a profound insight that seemed to see through everything. "Young friend, you have already smelled its stench. Why listen to its foul language and disturb the peace? This fiend's heart is deeply troubled, and its words are likely mostly falsehoods, even containing deadly curses. Its value lies in the location of that 'rat hole.' Leave it to Ling Feng and let his men 'clean it up.' As for its inner demons, let the cycle of heaven deal with them."

Shen Hong was slightly taken aback, then understood.

Xuan Chenzi was protecting him, and also preventing Sun Qi from spreading despair or misleading information before his death.

He nodded, clearly marked the location of the Dark River at Broken Soul Cliff in the notebook, tore off a piece of paper, and handed it to Ling Feng, who had come after hearing the news.

"Southwest, beneath the Cliff of Broken Souls, an underground river passage," Shen Hong said succinctly.

Ling Feng took the note.

His cold gaze swept over Sun Qi, who was restrained by Xuan Chenzi and stood like a puppet.

He nodded to the old Taoist priest and waved for the Asura Guards to drag the man away.

The physical threat to Sun Qi's trail has been temporarily eliminated, but that secret passage must be investigated and sealed off immediately!

The water flowed to Hongzhou City, where undercurrents surged.

The morning light was just beginning to break through the darkness at the Hongzhou government office.

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, at the feet of the weathered stone lions of the Hongzhou government office, an inconspicuous indigo-blue coarse cloth bundle, covered with fresh mud splatters, looked as if it had been hastily left behind.

"Boss, look! There's a dirty bundle over there!"

A young constable, rubbing his sleepy eyes and preparing to begin his routine street patrol, nudged his companion's heel and pointed at the stone lion.

The old bailiff, addressed as "boss," yawned and glanced at him impatiently.

"Which blind beggar dropped this filthy thing? Pick it up and throw it far away, don't defile this government grounds!"

The young constable muttered something as he stepped forward and touched it with his foot in disgust. The old constable immediately stopped him and then carefully examined it himself.

The package wasn't tied tightly, and with this pull, it came undone, revealing a thick booklet bound with hemp thread inside.

There was no writing on the cover of the booklet.

But on the title page, a few lines of words circled in bright vermilion were like a red-hot branding iron, instantly burning into his eyes.

The Zhang family, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, purchased an embroiderer named "Red Peony" for 800 taels of silver, which was actually for the Vice Minister's private desires.

Delivery location: North entrance of Hongzhou Prefecture.

The Prince of Heyang's residence purchased a "literate steward" surnamed Chen for 1,200 taels of silver; she was actually the princess's informant.

Delivery location: Abandoned brick kiln in the south of the city.

He gasped in shock!

His expression changed drastically; he pointed at the booklet but couldn't speak. The old yamen runner turned pale after seeing it clearly.

The two seemed to see the Book of Life and Death of the King of Hell.

The old bailiff choked on his yawn, rushed forward, and snatched the booklet away.

His face instantly turned even paler than the bluestone slabs on the ground.

The vermilion ink stung my eyes, and every word pierced my heart!

What made his scalp tingle even more was that next to the cinnabar circle, there were several dark red, sticky, and dried marks that emitted a faint, metallic smell—just like congealed blood!

"My dear mother and ancestors..."

The old yamen runner's hands trembled like fallen leaves in the autumn wind.

"How did this...this deadly thing end up here?! Quick! Seal it up! Report to Lord Zhou! Hurry!"

In the backyard of the government office, Prefect Zhou Wenhuan was leisurely savoring this year's new tea.

They were planning which local gentry's house they would attend a banquet at noon.

A hoarse cry, distorted, rang out: "My lord! Something terrible has happened!"

Startled, he trembled and spilled the scalding tea all over himself.

"What's the panic! What kind of behavior is this!"

Zhou Wenhuan suppressed his anger.

Looking at the old yamen runner and the blue cloth bundle in his hand that felt like a hot potato.

When the "ledger," stained with "blood" and marked with vermilion circles around the names of high-ranking officials and princes of the imperial family, was presented with trembling hands.

Zhou Wenhuan felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and his vision went black.

His fingers trembled as he flipped through a few pages, the so-called "deals" recorded inside being horrifying in every single one.

The location, people, amount of money, and even the sordid details are all described in great detail.

Especially those names and locations that were highlighted by cinnabar, including "Jinxiu Pavilion".

It pierced his eyes like a poisoned needle.

"You bastard! You worthless scoundrel!"

Zhou Wenhuan slammed the ledger on the table, sending the teacup flying high into the air.

"This is a frame-up! This is a trap! They're trying to kill me!"

He was so angry that his whole body was trembling with fat.

Whether this ledger is real or fake, it will be a huge disaster if it falls into the gates of the Hongzhou government office!

It's impossible to cover it up now, should we report it?

With a vice minister and a prince involved, how many heads does a mere prefect have?

Not reporting it?

If any copies of this thing were to leak out, or if someone with ulterior motives were to expose it, his failure to report it would be a capital offense!

Cold sweat instantly soaked through the lining of Zhou Wenhuan's official robe.

He paced around the study a few times, his eyes darting around as he considered the pros and cons.

Finally, he stomped his foot hard, his face showing only the despair of someone driven to the brink of despair.

"Court is now in session! Summon all three shifts of yamen runners! Immediately! At this moment! Investigate for me!"

Who lost this package?

check!

All the shops, abandoned brick kilns, and Jinxiu Pavilion at the north entrance have been placed under my watchful eye!

And…go and fetch the legal advisor! Quickly!

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