Tracking Zhao Guang
Following Zhao Guang's gaze, Jing Shu and Zhou Nan were surveying the riverbank.
Yu Zhu lowered her head and quietly tugged at Jing Xu's sleeve, transmitting her thoughts through spiritual power, "There are too many irrelevant people here. That Zhao Guang has been staring at Senior Sister and the others."
"Bai Qian, you have urgent business to attend to. Could you send someone to take us to a place to stay?"
Bai Qian looked troubled and glanced at Bai Wei, who was comforting the woman.
Seeing so many people gathered around, Bai Wei immediately said, "Bai Qian, you take them to be settled first. I'll take care of things here."
Bai Qian escorted Yu Zhu and her group to a guesthouse resembling a courtyard house, and then hurriedly left.
Everyone gathered in the hall and chatted idly.
"I heard that two children died unexpectedly in Baicao Village before, and some people went missing. What kind of bad luck did they encounter?" someone asked.
"Maybe it's not bad luck, but karma."
"retribution?"
“That’s right. Everyone says that Baicao Village is rich in spiritual herbs, but did you know they are also skilled at raising Gu worms? Who knows what they use to raise them?” The speaker winked and made a knowing look. “Maybe they’re being targeted for revenge.”
"Gu worms? I've never heard of them before."
Things that can't be shown to others must be hidden well.
"This is such a pity. Children are rare in the cultivation world these days, and three of them have been lost at once."
Another person scoffed, "Instead of raising Gu to seek revenge, you might as well guess it was the work of the demons. Didn't they say recently that demons escaped from Bi'an Gorge?"
Before anyone could say anything more, Zhao Guang stepped forward to take charge.
"Let's not discuss this too much. Those who cultivate the Tao should be most wary of karma. It would be bad if we got into trouble with our words. It seems we won't be able to buy the medicine today. Let's find a room to rest and see what the people from Baicao Village say tomorrow, and whether we can continue this business."
The crowd, finding this reasonable, dispersed and went to their rooms to rest. Whether they continued their discussion behind closed doors remains unknown.
Yu Zhu and Jing Xu had important responsibilities, so they not only discussed things behind closed doors, but also set up a barrier to prevent eavesdroppers.
"I haven't had a chance to look at the communication jade tablet before. I wonder how the investigation is going on the other side, Senior Sister." Yu Zhu said as she picked up the jade tablet.
Jing Shu wrote on the jade tablet that they had gone to the Guiyi Sect's stronghold in the city and requested to see their investigation records. The Guiyi Sect members were initially surprised, but then treated them with courtesy and showed them the files.
The case file shows that during their first investigation, they searched all over Baicaozhai, Guiyicheng, and nearby towns, but found no trace of anyone. They also found nothing suspicious about the outsiders who entered and left the village at that time.
The second time, two children died. Autopsies revealed multiple toxins in their bodies, all of which could be found in Baicao Village. Baicao Village naturally cultivates poisonous herbs; the children may have accidentally touched or ingested them, leading to poisoning. This can only be investigated within the village itself.
This is the result of the Guiyi Sect's investigation; there's nothing more. Although the Guiyi Sect is the largest power in this area, it is not a modern government agency, so the investigation is closed at this point.
Later, Jing Shu asked them if they knew that someone had ambushed Bai Wei when she went to Ying Tian Sect. The Gui Yi Sect members were shocked and said they knew nothing.
"It seems there's nothing wrong with Guiyi Sect, but that Zhao Guang is suspicious. Ever since we told him it was our first time here, he not only inquired about our purpose, but I also felt him glancing at us several times along the way, seemingly casually." Yu Zhu said after looking at the jade tablet.
Jingxu: "Where is the woman who was with him?"
Yu Zhu recalled, "She seemed quite normal. By the river, her attention was focused on the mother and child. But they were in cahoots after all, so we couldn't let our guard down."
Jingxu relayed his suspicions to Jingshu, who replied that they were still examining the body from earlier that day and instructed them to keep a close eye on Zhaoguang and his companion.
Right now, everyone is staying indoors.
Yu Zhu then tossed Jing Xu the cultivation essentials of the Wind and Snow Technique, telling him to figure it out on his own first. She then sat by the window, from where she could see people coming and going.
As the sun sets, its afterglow spills into the courtyard, and wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys of the houses in the village.
There was also some commotion in the guesthouse, and sounds came from the hall.
Jingxu snapped out of his swordplay.
Yu Zhu: "I'll go out and take a look."
"Miss, Miss Zheng Qi just boiled some water, would you like some?"
As soon as Yuzhu entered the hall, someone greeted her.
"And who is Miss Zheng Qi?"
"She's the girl who was with Young Master Zhao." The man pointed out her location to Yuzhu.
Yu Zhu looked over and saw Zheng Qi drinking tea. When she saw Yu Zhu looking at her, she said, "I haven't been fasting, so I was thinking of making some food. When everyone found out, they suggested we make some together. The ingredients prepared in the courtyard are rich in spiritual energy. Miss, would you and that young master like to join us?"
Yu Zhu paused for a moment, then waved her hand, "I'll go ask him later."
Looking around the hall, Yu Zhu couldn't find Zhao Guang anywhere. She went to the kitchen to check, but he wasn't there either.
Yu Zhu quickened her pace, pretending to pass by Zhao Guang's room from the corridor under the eaves, and returned to her own room.
"Jingxu, something terrible has happened! Zhao Guang has disappeared!"
Jing Xu frowned. "He is indeed acting strangely. He probably took advantage of the darkness and the fact that everyone in the village was returning home before he made his move."
Yu Zhu paced anxiously.
"How about we..."
“Let’s go after him. It’s only just gotten dark, so he must have left not long ago. They ordered a large batch of medicine today, and Zheng Qi is still here, so he definitely hasn’t left the village. He’s very likely gone up the mountain.” As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Zhu rushed out of the room.
Seeing this, Jingxu followed him out.
The two ran quickly to the edge of Baicao Village, to the place where they climbed Shenrang Mountain, but still did not see Zhao Guang's shadow.
Amidst the overgrown weeds, a small path has been trodden out by the villagers searching for medicinal herbs. The path disappears into the depths of the dense forest, where, under the moonlight, the tree branches appear menacing and add to the eerie atmosphere.
Yu Zhu paused briefly before stepping onto the path, but Jing Xu grabbed her wrist.
"Senior Sister, it's dangerous in the mountains. Let's wait for Senior Sister Jingshu to arrive before making any plans," Jingxu sent a message to Jingshu, briefly explaining their destination.
Yu Zhu grabbed Jing Xu's wrist and said, "You also think he went up the mountain, right? It's a matter of life and death, and there's no time to lose."
Jingxu hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
"Don't worry, I brought plenty of pills and talismans this time, as well as many beads engraved with formations." After saying this, Yu Zhu walked straight into the deep forest.
Without hesitation, Jingxu lifted his foot and followed.
The two walked along the path for less than a quarter of an hour before it ended. It seemed that the people of Baicaozhai didn't usually go up to higher mountains.
Yu Zhu bent down and carefully examined the weeds under her feet, trying to find traces of Zhao Guang.
"Senior sister, if we don't find any trace of him, let's go back and go up the mountain again tomorrow at dawn."
Jing Xu had already seen many snakes and insects. Besides, Yu Zhu might still have a chance against Zhao Guang, but if they found their hiding place, there would be more than one person. Based on Jing Xu's assessment of Yu Zhu, his senior sister seemed somewhat reluctant to engage in direct combat.
Yu Zhu picked up a slender yellow petal and showed it to Jing Xu, "This is a petal of the Pingfeng Grass. They picked out this kind of medicine in the medicine warehouse today."
Yu Zhu walked in the direction the petals pointed, saying as she went, "Jing Xu, I know you're worried, but this is a missing persons case, more than twenty lives. It's always better to find them sooner rather than later. If you don't want to act now, you can wait for me here, or go back first. Just don't nag me anymore."
Jingxu paused, realizing he didn't know his senior sister well enough.
"Am I not my senior sister's power bank, or an instant-effect version of the Rejuvenation Pill? Or am I more useful when I'm with my senior sister?" Jing Xu followed her again.
Yu Zhu chuckled softly, and the modern words that came out of Jing Xu's mouth sounded rather strange.
The two walked another hundred meters or so, and their tracks became more and more obvious. There were signs that the weeds on the ground had been trampled. The path was winding, not leading straight to the top of the mountain, but rather to the other side of the mountain.
As night deepened and the dew grew heavier, the fog gradually spread.
Yu Zhu and the other person used their spiritual power to quicken their pace.
An hour later, the two spotted Zhao Guang's figure in the distance. To conceal his tracks, Zhao Guang hadn't used any magic along the way, but unfortunately, the flower petal still gave him away.
Soon, Zhao Guang arrived at several wooden houses surrounded by fences. In front of the houses, fields had been cultivated and some things were planted.
After speaking with the gatekeeper, he went inside. Figures gradually appeared in the open space in front of the house, and the sounds of fighting and cursing could be faintly heard.
Yu Zhu and Jing Xu concealed their presence and quietly approached the fence. Yu Zhu even took out an invisibility talisman and stuck it on the two of them. She also took a Rejuvenation Pill in advance. She also brought pills that could immediately enhance her strength, but strong medicine is harmful to the body, and she did not want to use them unless it was a critical moment.
The thick fog concealed the two men, who used their daggers to pry open a gap and peer inside. The people gathered in the open space were from Baicao Village, while Zhao Guang's group numbered about twelve or thirteen.
The two listened intently to the conversation between Zhao Guang and the leader.
Zhao Guang: "I told you to be careful. You kidnapped so many people and even caused a death. It won't be long before they find out about this place."
"Then why didn't you use more of the Calamity-Suppressing Grass? That stuff is really hard to grow if there aren't enough people. And the deaths weren't caused by us, they were caused by those people in the pavilion who were too eager for quick results," the leader said indignantly.
Upon hearing the word "human life," the people of Baicao Village immediately became agitated. "Human life? What human life? Has something happened to our child?"
They had seen these people bring the village children here by abduction, and then take them away.
The leader impatiently lashed out with his whip at them, yelling, "Enough talk, get back to your positions!"
The people of Bailizhai wanted to question him, but they were whipped and cried out in pain.
Zhao Guang: "Quickly gather everyone together and erase their memories."
Yu Zhu breathed a sigh of relief; it was alright that only her memory had been erased.
The leader chuckled maliciously, "Erasing memories is too much trouble, it's better to just kill them and be done with it."
Yu Zhu felt a sudden alarm bell ring in her heart. She made a series of hand gestures to Jing Xu, who understood and slowly released his spiritual power, merging it into the mist.
Zhao Guang seemed to disagree, saying, "It'll cause a big fuss."
The leader continued to urge, "Splash a few bottles of corpse-dissolving water, let it seep into the ground, and you're guaranteed to be left with no trace of the body. These adults have all cultivated, so they're easier to deal with than children. Do you think they'll just die like that? Anyway, we're demonic cultivators under the Demon God, so isn't killing normal? We can absorb the cultivation of these people and everyone can replenish themselves."
The others, upon hearing this, became excited and eager to act. The people of Baicao Village, their cultivation sealed, were powerless to resist, trembling like lambs awaiting slaughter, filled with dread and unease.
"You're right, the movement—is the fog on Shenrang Mountain really that thick?"
Zhao Guang's tone suddenly changed, and he couldn't even see the figure clearly a meter away.
"Something's wrong! Something's strange!"
The leader shouted, summoning a gust of wind that dispersed some of the fog, revealing that half of his men were frozen into ice sculptures.
Upon hearing their murderous intent, Yu Zhu instructed Jing Xu to begin setting up the Mirage Array. His cultivation was currently insufficient, requiring the use of physical objects to construct the array. Yu Zhu instructed him to use mist as a base, dispersing his spiritual energy within it to conceal her movements.
Although Jingxu disagreed, seeing Yuzhu's serious expression, he had no other choice but to give it a try.
Under the cover of the thick fog, Yu Zhu quietly approached Zhao Guang and his group, gently tossing the array beads at their feet to freeze them.
After the thick fog was blown away, the Solomon's Seal was suddenly exposed to them.
Several henchmen who were nearby immediately picked up their weapons and attacked her. Yu Zhu threw out a few array beads and a few talismans. Seeing that Yu Zhu was prepared, the leader cracked his whip and joined the battle.
Yu Zhu summoned a jade-green sword, clashing it against the whip. Taking advantage of her unpreparedness, Zhao Guang swung his blade forward. Yu Zhu noticed, but with the whip in front of her and the sword beside her, she could not dodge.
A thick fog suddenly appeared, obscuring Zhao Guang's vision. Yu Zhu quickly hid inside the fog.
Once again, Zhao Guang almost struck the Jade Bamboo with his sword, but the mist appeared again and enveloped it.
Zhao Guang sensed the situation carefully, then suddenly swung his knife at the fence, which was exactly where Jing Xu was hiding. Instantly, the wooden planks shattered, and debris flew everywhere.
Yu Zhu had just managed to subdue a few henchmen, but upon seeing this scene, she was greatly alarmed. Was Jing Xu alright?
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