Chapter 22

Yifeng hasn't appeared for several days.

Logically speaking, he shouldn't have shown up at all.

Judging from Yao Liuliu's reaction, Shen Yu guessed that it wasn't a friendly farewell.

However, since she didn't want to talk about it, Shen Yu wouldn't deliberately reopen old wounds.

The streets became lively.

To be precise, not many people want to see this kind of ghostly spectacle.

With the Hundred Gates Sacrifice Ceremony imminent, Sanhe Town became a transit point, attracting farmers from within a dozen miles to sell their grains and vegetables. Following past practice, the town's shops welcomed almost everyone, allowing them to make a profit – a mini-boom before the festival.

However, more than half of the shops suddenly refused to accept goods, and even regular customers were turned away. Farmers who had come early in the morning with their loads and carts had to leave empty-handed by evening.

Goods were damaged on the way, and grains and vegetables rotted at the bottom of the baskets, making it impossible to even sell them for a good price.

After making inquiries, Shen Yu discovered that it was Mo Yuntang that was putting pressure on the shops that had dealings with them, preventing them from receiving the goods.

Yan Rifu said that this was something they deliberately did for the government to show, to put pressure on them.

Perhaps this is why Qiu Chiyan hasn't returned for several days in a row.

His re-examination of his past was effective, but it also provoked a backlash.

In the end, the influence of the martial arts world was greater in Sanhe Town.

Yao Liuli went to bed early, but Shen Yu stayed up late.

She lay on her pillow, staring at the faint candlelight by the bedside, counting how many times a cool breeze leaked in through the window cracks and blew the flame askew.

On the tenth time, she finally got up, quickly tidied herself up, and skillfully climbed out the window.

The night was deep, and only half a moon remained in the sky.

She was just about to take a casual stroll when she saw several people sneaking towards the inn from the shadows at the street corner.

Tonight, she was dressed in a dark blue robe, which made her inconspicuous in the darkness. Those people, hiding their guilty consciences, didn't have time to look up.

Shen Yu had excellent night vision and saw several people lying around the inn's main gate and back entrance, with one of them pulling something out of his pocket.

There's no need to delve into the intentions of someone visiting late at night; it's unlikely to be anything good anyway.

Shen Yu lightly jumped to the ground and silently stood behind the person holding the tinderbox. With a clean and swift chop, the person collapsed without even uttering a sound.

The others were also knocked unconscious while groping in the dark.

She woke up Gong Er and told him to tie the man up.

The next morning, in the busiest morning market area, people who went out to buy things discovered a group of men in black who were tied up.

In front of them were tinder and kerosene, and on the ground was an oversized confession written in charcoal pencil, with a circle drawn in the middle and a sign for the Moyuntang shopkeeper.

The common people should focus on enjoying the spectacle, and only report it to the authorities after they've had their fill.

Within a few hours, several versions of the story circulated on the streets. Some said that the chivalrous warriors who had offered sacrifices to the Hundred Gates had finally upheld justice and caught the local tyrant. Others said that the Mo Yun Tang members had started fighting among themselves, and that the Second Branch, which had just arrived from afar, had encountered such a thing, clearly indicating that they were the ones who did it.

Shen Yu was drinking tea at the inn when Zhao Ze rushed over in a flurry.

"Manager Shen, what happened this morning... did you do it?" He lowered his voice as if afraid that strangers would hear.

“Yes,” Shen Yu said slowly, taking a sip of tea from her teacup.

"Are they going to burn down the inn?"

"It happened last night. I briefly asked those people, and they said it was only sent over this morning to make a fool of themselves."

"Is everything alright at the inn?" Zhao Ze asked, receiving an affirmative answer. He didn't immediately question anyone, but he was somewhat worried.

"It's okay, I just happened to run into them when I went out. They didn't have time to do anything."

Zhao Ze scratched his face: "...You went out in the middle of the night?"

"Ah... go upstairs for some fresh air. Want some tea?" Shen Yu handed Zhao Ze a cup of hot tea.

The tea was scalding hot, and he had to switch hands twice to barely keep it steady.

He coughed and brought the conversation back to the main topic: "I won't be staying long today. I just came to check on behalf of Qiu Chiyan... There's something else I'd like to ask the manager."

Zhao Ze took out a small box from his pocket, handling it very cautiously, as if he didn't really want to touch it.

He opened it carefully, keeping a distance from Shen Yu.

A faint fishy smell wafted out, and inside the box lay a small, milky-white insect, about half an inch long, curled up quietly, its life or death indiscernible.

"Where did this come from? It's a rare item." Shen Yu wanted to pick it up to take a look, but Zhao Ze quickly moved away.

"Don't touch it, don't touch it!" His tone was even more urgent than before, and he didn't even want to look at the thing. "It was delivered this morning on express. It was obtained from a caravan in Sanhe Town by the brothers from the county government next door, who got it from Moyuntang."

"Do you have a plausible explanation for searching the caravan?" Shen Yu countered.

Zhao Ze rubbed his hands together, a little embarrassed: "Shopkeeper, you're very perceptive. We don't have a search warrant. This is... some of our brothers are from the underworld, quite skilled at switching things out, and they prepared ordinary substitutes beforehand, so..."

Shen Yu understood: "I've seen similar ones before, mind-controlling Gu, which can force people to speak or to die. They're very expensive. Do they have many? It seems to be a different type than the one I was infected with last time."

"That's the problem," Zhao Ze said seriously. "According to our investigation, far too many people have died from Gu worms, and they weren't even important figures. It's understandable that Mo Yuntang wants to use Gu to control downstream merchants, but..."

“It’s risky and costly, there’s really no need to do it,” Shen Yu casually replied.

"Yes, it was a business matter, and the amounts involved weren't that large. Why would someone have to resort to this method of murder?"

"Because the Mind Control Gu can be reused, or rather, it must be reused." Yao Liuliu walked over slowly, waving a rag.

"You recognize this?" Zhao Ze turned to look at her, somewhat surprised.

But considering how surprised everyone in the inn was, he wasn't surprised at all.

Yao Liuliu sat down at the table, tossed the rag aside, and said in a calm voice, "The Mind-Controlling Gu is a very special type of Gu worm. It does not need the nourishment of a person's flesh and blood. Instead, it likes mixed blood. The more it comes into contact with it, the more active it becomes. It is also called, 'testing medicine'."

"So, according to you, they really are cultivating Gu, and they didn't buy them?"

"It's definitely better to cultivate your own Gu (a type of poison) than to use it directly." Yao Liuliu glanced at the little worm. "If merchants were to use these things, how arrogant must Moyuntang be in private?"

Shen Yu closed the box and pushed it back: "What's the use of getting this? There are risks involved."

"I don't know. Qiu Chiyan asked someone to get it for him, saying it would only be useful if it was delivered here."

Yao Liuliu rested her chin on her hand and said softly, "Perhaps, we can use Gu worms to lure out the one who cast the Gu."

"...Can it be done?" Zhao Ze was very skeptical. He already thought this thing was very strange, and he knew nothing about it.

"It's rumored to be possible, but of course I've never seen it with my own eyes. The first person the Mind Control Gu absorbs must be the one who cast the Gu. If any Gu Master finds that their worm is missing, they will definitely try to get it back; they won't just leave it out there."

"Shouldn't the one who cast the curse be in the caravan? What's the point of bringing him to Sanhe Town?" Shen Yu asked.

"Are you stupid? If we don't catch them red-handed, who would admit to controlling people using that method?" Yao Liuliu narrowed her eyes and tapped her temple. "Moyuntang is currently putting on a tough front, but it's actually in chaos internally, so they have to divert attention. But if they can't control the situation outside either, they're definitely finished. They've acted arrogantly for years, planting countless seeds of trouble, and countless eyes are watching them, waiting for them to make a mistake. So instead of investigating this and that now, it's better to light the fuse and let it self-destruct. When they're at their last gasp, it'll be good enough if they don't fight amongst themselves and cause more trouble."

"Great job, Yao Liuliu." Zhao Ze excitedly tapped the table twice. "You've got some skills. I thought you were someone who didn't use your brain."

"That's a bit harsh!" Yao Liuliu rolled her eyes. "I'm just lazy, not stupid."

"Alright, thank you both. I'll go back to work now." Having obtained useful information, Zhao Ze was about to leave.

"Hey, wait a minute, when are you guys going to finish and come back?" Shen Yu called out to him.

"That's hard to say. Moyuntang is like a firecracker right now; nobody knows when it'll explode. Don't worry, manager, your cooking is so delicious; I'll definitely be coming here often to mooch off you!"

Seeing Zhao Ze run away without grasping the main point, Yao Liuliu shook her head with disdain.

Shen Yu sighed, without even realizing it herself.

Turning to face Yao Liuliu, she changed her expression: "That's not right. You usually don't get involved in these things, so why are you being so proactive today?"

“This isn’t…” Yao Liuliu’s confidence waned, “This whole Mo Yuntang thing was started by him. I’m cleaning up his mess, otherwise none of us will have a good life.”

"He didn't kill the person."

"...Sigh, you wouldn't understand even if I told you. Go get back to work."

Shen Yu was left alone in the lobby.

Thinking back to what Yao Liuliu just said about Gu worms, I can't help but feel a little scared.

If it weren't for Ye Wushuang's medicine, she probably would have taken even longer to clear the remaining poison.

Therefore, we need to have this on hand at this time, in case they resort to desperate measures.

I acted on my idea as soon as I had it.

She greeted her companions, then shouldered a bamboo basket and a short knife, and plunged into the mountains.

This is a good opportunity to avoid the martial arts figures who have recently come to challenge us. Hopefully, Gong Er and Yao Liuliu can get rid of them while keeping the inn intact.

The mountain she frequented was located at the western end of Sanhe Town, densely covered with bamboo and trees, with a stream flowing deep into it. The mountain was treacherous, but fortunately, she had already forged her own path.

The road into the mountains was long, and she knew the way well, but she didn't return that night.

This is normal. If she encounters something she wants to gather that delays her return to the city, she will rest outside the city. The people at the inn are all familiar with her habits.

But she still did not return the next day.

Gong Er and Xu Dahe went out of the city to search for her in the places she frequented, but they found no trace of her.

On the third day, they searched for another day, asking at inns and post stations outside the city, but no one had seen her.

On the fourth day, Yao Liuliu couldn't wait any longer and decided to go to the government office to ask for help.

Yan Rifu was stunned when she came to report the case.

Who can do anything to Shen Yu?

The news of her fierce battle with Shi Yang of Moyuntang has spread far and wide. If anyone is stronger than her, that's beyond the jurisdiction of their small, run-down government office.

He made a quick decision and reported it to Qiu Chiyan.