Human Skin Lantern 2
You can travel from Yidu to Xiacheng by land or water, but the water route is faster. The Chuan River, north of Yidu, connects to Xiacheng, and you can reach Xiacheng in a day by heading north.
Under Ge Yun's urging gaze, Xiao Congzhi naturally chose the waterway, and Mo Huan also boarded the boat that Xiao Congzhi had rented.
Ge Yun was somewhat displeased by this and, avoiding others, said to Xiao Congzhi, "Young Master, this man's origins are unknown, and he acts rudely. Why let him follow us?"
Mo Huan, who had excellent hearing, could hear it all and gave a helpless twitch of his lips. He hadn't expected Ge Yun to have such sharp eyes. Even though he had acted so convincingly, he was still accused of being rude.
Xiao Congzhi agreed with Ge Yun's statement and said in a low voice, "I don't want him to follow. Do you think we can shake him off? We'll deal with whatever comes our way and see what his purpose is."
Mo Huan: ...
They rested for one night in Yidu and set off early in the morning. The weather was clear and cloudless when they set off, but dark clouds suddenly appeared halfway through their journey.
Before Xiao Congzhi could realize what was happening, the boatman lifted the curtain and came in from the deck, saying anxiously, "Young master, the weather is not looking good!"
Ge Yun, being a timid person, rushed to ask, "How is it bad?"
"With such a continuous stretch of dark clouds appearing at noon, it's probably going to be a storm, and I don't think it'll be small."
The Chuan River is wide, and the mountains on both sides are far apart. If we don't act quickly, a storm will break out, and we will surely be swept into the raging waves, facing a near-death experience.
Xiao Congzhi understood the seriousness of the situation, but at this moment he was able to calmly order the boatmen to steer the boat to one side of the shore as soon as possible.
The boatman, having received his orders, hurried off to row the boat, and Ge Yun, anxious, followed him out.
"I never expected that a storm could come on such a cloudless day." Mo Huan leaned back on the soft couch, eating grapes on the low table, his tone light and cheerful.
“It’s all about timing and fate. But I’ve been through a lot before, and I’ve never faced such a series of crises.” Xiao Congzhi said meaningfully.
Mo Huan was displeased upon hearing this and sat up to retort, "Well, I used to have it all smooth sailing too."
"Brother Mo, you see, this explains the problem. We should really part ways and stop traveling together."
"..." Mo Huan was silent for a moment before saying, "Brother Xiao, you are truly eloquent, but now that you're on this ship, I'm afraid you won't be able to get off for the time being."
"this……"
Just as Xiao Congzhi was about to say something, the boat jolted violently, likely due to a large wave. Immediately afterward, heavy and rapid raindrops pattered against the cabin.
Amidst the violent rocking, Xiao Congzhi stepped out of the cabin and encountered Ge Yun, who was soaked to the bone and drenched in rain.
Ge Yun called out, "Young Master, don't come out. The rain has started and is too heavy. We are still some distance from the shore."
"Clang...clang..." In the time it takes to utter just one sentence, lightning flashed and thunder roared, the sky suddenly darkened, and the rain poured down even harder.
The boatman cried out in panic, "Gentlemen, grab onto something and hold on tight, we're not going to reach the shore!"
Mo Huan frowned, walked to Xiao Congzhi's side, and asked, "The waves are too big, the boat will capsize sooner or later. Can you swim?"
Xiao Congzhi's face darkened upon hearing this, as he was not a swimmer.
At this moment, Ge Yun volunteered: "Young master, don't panic. I can swim. If you really fall into the river, I will save you."
As mentioned before, Ge Yun's mouth was blessed. As soon as he finished speaking, the ship was suddenly lifted up by the waves and flew to a high place, and then "whoosh," it was knocked down by an even higher wave.
The four people on the boat only had time to jump off and swim into the river.
The current was swift, and the four were immediately separated. Their vision was also extremely murky, and Xiao Congzhi could not see his surroundings at all. Ge Yun, who had just given his guarantee, had long since disappeared.
Although Xiao Congzhi couldn't swim, he had theoretical knowledge of it. He tried his best to hold his breath, calm his mind, and paddle his arms from top to bottom, hoping to float to the surface.
But as he held his breath until he reached his limit, the lack of oxygen made Xiao Congzhi begin to feel dizzy, and his paddling hands began to lose strength...
At this critical moment, a hand suddenly grabbed Xiao Congzhi's wrist and forcefully lifted him upwards.
Xiao Congzhi had never known that he was so familiar with the feel of Mo Huan holding his wrist. Even in this moment of blurred consciousness, he still clearly knew who had grabbed him, which gave him a sense of relief.
"Cough! Cough cough!" As soon as he surfaced, Xiao Congzhi began to cough violently.
Mo Huan, supporting Xiao Congzhi's body, was not at ease. He remained silent until Xiao Congzhi had recovered somewhat, then led the group to swim to the shore.
However, the riverbank was still too far from them, and the current was too swift. Mo Huan had already exhausted too much effort to save Xiao Congzhi, and was now struggling and gradually showing signs of weakness.
Xiao Congzhi reached out and pressed against Mo Huan's back, intending to transfer some internal energy to him. Mo Huan turned his head and nudged Xiao Congzhi's forehead, saying softly, "Don't waste your energy. Our martial arts are from different sources."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Congzhi's eyes widened. Although the two of them were currently at a critical moment of life and death, he had not expected Mo Huan to speak so bluntly.
Mo Huan did not miss the deep meaning in Xiao Congzhi's eyes, and said nonchalantly, "To be honest, I really have no strength left, Brother Xiao. I'm afraid we will both die here today. All secrets can only be taken to the coffin. Why don't you stop hiding them from me?"
"Brother Mo, you'd better save your energy and keep quiet. If you and I were to perish here, where would we find coffins?"
Mo Huan was surprised that Xiao Congzhi could still joke at this point. He tightened his grip on Xiao Congzhi's arm and was about to say something when he saw a figure on the river not far away.
"?"
Xiao Congzhi leaned close to Mo Huan's ear, his wet lips touching hers, and whispered, "Those are my men. We won't die here."
The next moment, Mo Huan exerted all his strength and lost consciousness.
When he woke up, Mo Huan felt that he was lying on a pile of straw. It was dark around him. He sat up and looked around. He realized that this must be a dilapidated temple because there was a Buddha statue next to him.
Xiao Congzhi sat not far away. Seeing that the person had woken up, he came over and said, "You have probably been unconscious for three hours. It is already late. We will continue our journey tomorrow."
Mo Huan nodded, his gaze falling on Xiao Congzhi's back, where a man and a woman stood, both dressed in close-fitting clothes. Were these Xiao Congzhi's people? Thinking this, Mo Huan narrowed his eyes.
"You expended a lot of your inner strength to find me." Xiao Congzhi said calmly at this moment, but when he took Mo Huan's pulse after coming ashore, he was really surprised that this person would actually exhaust his inner strength for him.
Mo Huan laughed upon hearing this, leaned on Xiao Congzhi's shoulder and whispered, "If I had known you had kept such a large number of people, I wouldn't have had to cause any trouble."
Xiao Congzhi stated the facts: "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have made it to their place."
Mo Huan didn't waste any time with pleasantries. He leaned his head on Xiao Congzhi's shoulder and closed his eyes. He was indeed quite tired.
Mo Huan possessed excellent physical strength and boundless internal energy, never having exhausted it. It was simply too exhausting to swim upstream against the current, like a turbulent river. He had gone to such lengths because, after spending these past few days together, he truly admired Xiao Congzhi and couldn't bear to see him fail.
A man and a woman standing not far away seemed unable to accept that their master was being leaned on by a wandering swordsman, so they came forward and insisted on introducing themselves.
“My name is Shen Yan, and this is my elder brother Shen Zhuo. We were traveling around this place when we saw you struggling in the river, so we came to your aid.”
Upon hearing this, Mo Huan opened his eyes and looked at Xiao Congzhi with amusement.
Xiao Congzhi's lips twitched, feeling slightly embarrassed by his subordinate's poor acting. He also blamed himself for not rehearsing his lines. Just as he was about to speak, Mo Huan tugged at his sleeve.
Knowing that Mo Huan wanted to use the misunderstanding to test him again, Xiao Congzhi thought for a moment and acquiesced. He then clasped his hands in a show of politeness and said, "I am deeply grateful and will repay your kindness in the future. I am Xiao Congzhi, and this is Mo Huan. We are on our way to Xiacheng."
Shen Yan was a talkative person. She clasped her hands and smiled, "It was just a casual thing. People of the martial world are not bound by such formalities. This rain should stop by tomorrow morning. My brother and I are also going to Xiacheng, so we can travel together."
"Alright."
Mo Huan interjected at this moment: "Did you two go to Xiacheng also for the matter of the Martial Alliance?"
Shen Yan glanced at Shen Zhuo, unsure how to answer. Shen Zhuo stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Hearing about the mysterious disappearances in Xiacheng, my younger sister went there out of curiosity."
Mo Huan sized up Shen Zhuo. This man was clearly a man of few words. Looking at his gait, eyes, and breathing, he was clearly a master with profound internal strength.
Mo Huan remembered that there were more than two people on the river at the time, and there were probably many of Xiao Congzhi's men hiding in the shadows. Now there was nowhere safer than next to Xiao Congzhi. With that thought, Mo Huan closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, trying to recover his strength and internal energy.
On the second day, when we arrived at Xiacheng, we could clearly see that the city gates were strictly checking people coming and going. Entering the city was relatively okay, but we were just asked more questions. However, we were basically refused when we tried to leave the city.
"Are they trying to seal off the city?" Mo Huan murmured as he watched yet another civilian being turned away after entering the city.
Xiao Congzhi composed himself and said with a light sneer, "How can a mere Jianghu force seal off a city? It's nothing more than colluding with local officials to pull off some foolish tricks that are like drinking poison to quench thirst."
Hearing this, Shen Yan chimed in, "Because the Martial Alliance is based in Xiacheng, the government in Xiacheng has always been a mere formality, and they only follow the Martial Alliance's lead. Sooner or later, the higher-ups will send someone to deal with them!"
"Although Miss Shen is in the martial world, she cares about the imperial court. She is truly admirable." Mo Huan's compliment was full of meaning.
Xiao Congzhi sighed inwardly. Shen Yan was still too young; if they acted together, they probably wouldn't be able to hide it from Mo Huan for more than three days. He tried to cut his losses in time: "Brother Mo, we've already arrived in Xiacheng. Perhaps we should part ways here?"
At this moment, Mo Huan also readily agreed, cupping his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your care, Brother Xiao. We'll meet again someday."
After parting ways with Mo Huan, Xiao Congzhi led Shen Yan and Shen Zhuo through a maze of twists and turns to a secluded mansion, which was the place he had arranged for them to stay in Xiacheng.
"Your Majesty!" Upon entering the courtyard, Shen Yan and Shen Zhuo immediately knelt down and respectfully bowed.
Xiao Congzhi composed himself, his gaze sweeping over the two kneeling figures, and slowly said, "Mo Huan has already guessed my identity, so be careful not to say the wrong thing."
Shen Yan immediately knelt on the ground, saying in fear, "My lord..."
Xiao Congzhi interrupted, "Let's not talk about the past." He said that, but he didn't let the two of them get up. He just silently looked ahead.
After a moment, Xiao Congzhi said, "Get up."
After saying that, he turned and went into the house, sat down in the main seat, and asked casually, "Have you investigated the disappearances in Xiacheng?"
Shen Yan dared not say more at this moment. Shen Zhuo stepped forward and replied, "Yes, the disappearances started a month ago. At first, the frequency was not high and did not attract attention. About half a month ago, it suddenly became serious."
"Is the government in Xiacheng not taking any action at all?" Xiao Congzhi spoke slowly, seemingly just posing a question, but it still made the usually composed Chen Zhu break out in a cold sweat.
"...Xu Tan, the leader of the martial arts alliance, personally went to the local prefect to try to cover up the matter."
Xiao Congzhi tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the chair, signaling Chen Zhuo to continue.
“A few days ago, a male corpse was found outside the city. He was one of the men who went missing that month.”
"Upon entering the city today, I didn't sense that the government had begun investigating this matter; it seemed more like they wanted to continue concealing it," Xiao Congzhi pondered, then added, "Fine, tonight, you will all come with me to a place."
"yes."
That night, Xiao Congzhi, Shen Zhuo, and Shen Yan all donned night clothes and, under the deep moonlight, arrived at the mortuary west of Xiacheng. The male corpse found outside the city was kept in this mortuary.
The mortuary was particularly eerie at night. White lanterns hung from the beams, but there were no candles, and white ribbons floated everywhere in the building.
At Xiao Congzhi's prompting, Shen Yan stepped forward, lit a white lantern, and handed it to him. She didn't know why her master had come to such a place, but having just been reminded of something during the day, Shen Yan dared not utter a single unnecessary word.
Xiao Congzhi came to Xiacheng out of curiosity, but now he wants to find out the truth and put an end to the prevailing atmosphere of Jianghu figures in Xiacheng.
"Did the coroner examine the body?" Xiao Congzhi asked, looking at the corpse covered with a white sheet.
Shen Zhuo replied, "The examination revealed that the coroner determined the cause of death to be excessive blood loss."
"My lord! It's better not to look." Seeing Xiao Congzhi reach out to lift the white cloth, Shen Yan couldn't help but remind him.
"It's alright." With that, Xiao Congzhi lifted the white sheet covering the corpse.
The body was indeed... extremely gruesome.
The man's eyes had been gouged out, and all his skin had been peeled off. Now he was a bloody mess, and his facial features were unrecognizable.
The weather had warmed up and become humid these past few days, so a strange, unpleasant odor filled the air, making it unbearable to think about. Xiao Congzhi forced himself to endure it, carefully examined the body before covering it with the white sheet again, then took a few steps back and asked Chen Zhuo, "Has anyone claimed his identity?"
“His mother recognized him that day,” Shen Zhuo replied with some difficulty.
Indeed, even if a person is so badly disfigured, a mother would still recognize them at a glance. However, this is too cruel for an elderly person with white hair.
Xiao Congzhi had intended to make some inferences based on the cause of death, but there were no other obvious wounds on the body, so he had to return empty-handed.
Back in the courtyard, Xiao Congzhi told Shen Zhuo and Shen Yan not to follow him for the next few days, but to go around and carefully investigate the details of each missing person, the more detailed the better.
"My lord, with all the martial arts sects gathered in Xiacheng now, it may not be safe."
Why are all the martial arts sects gathering in Xiacheng?
Apart from the Martial Alliance, only Diancang, Kongtong, and Qingcheng, the nine major sects, have their headquarters in Xiacheng. The rest are scattered all over the world and do not usually set foot in Xiacheng.
"It was about half a month ago, when the disappearance case was getting out of hand, that Xu summoned me."
Shen Yan voiced her guess: "Could it be that Xu Tan wants to gather martial arts experts to investigate the disappearance case?"
Xiao Congzhi shook his head and said, "No, this matter is also a bit strange. If it's appropriate, you can investigate it together."
"yes!"
"be safe."
At this point, Xiao Congzhi's face finally showed some expression. When he wasn't pretending, his temperament was extremely cold, and he exuded an imposing aura without anger. But after all, Shen Yan and Shen Zhuo had a bond with him because they had grown up together.
On the same night, Mo Huan also returned empty-handed.
He also donned night clothes, but his destination was the Martial Arts Alliance.
At that moment, Mo Huan was perched on the eaves of the house of Xu Tan, the leader of the martial arts alliance. Regardless of what his original purpose was to find out, now...
"Father! I disagree!"
"Nonsense! Marriage is a major life event, a matter of parental consent and matchmaker's word. How can you act on your own whims!"
"But my daughter really doesn't like that Jiang Xu..."
Xu Tan's heart softened at his daughter's pitiful look, and he asked in a gentler tone, "What about Hua Nanzhou, the eldest disciple of the Diancang Sect? He keeps coming to see you."
"He always keeps talking to me, but he's incredibly boring. Father, I don't want to get married yet."
"No, we're asking the prefect to cover up the disappearance case just for your coming-of-age ceremony and engagement. If it doesn't work out, it will be a huge loss."
"Father! You can't decide my life's most important matter based on this."
"Alright! In the next few days, the nine major sects will send people to the Martial Alliance, including many talented young people. You can choose from them. As long as they are suitable, I can accept them."
Indeed, Mo Huan risked coming overnight only to hear this trivial family gossip, which was extremely boring.
Watching Xu Tan's daughter angrily leave, Mo Huan shook his head helplessly and turned to leave.
The next day.
"What a coincidence to run into Brother Xiao here again!"
Xiao Congzhi felt his eyelids start to twitch. After sending Shen Yan and Shen Zhuo to do their work, he didn't want to stay in that empty courtyard, so he went to the most famous inn in Xiacheng, Yuelai Inn.
Early in the morning, as soon as he arrived, he encountered Mo Huan coming down from upstairs.
Indeed, Yuelai Inn has a great reputation, so it's understandable that this person would choose this place.
Xiao Congzhi forced a smile, stepped forward, and said, "Brother Mo should have known better; our karmic ties run deep."
"..." Mo Huan thought to himself that Xiao Congzhi's verbal skills had improved, but he was willing to respond to each move and asked meaningfully, "I wonder where Brother Xiao stayed yesterday? Did you not like staying at the mansion in Xiacheng?"
"Brother Mo is joking. Last night I stayed at the Tianya Inn on the other side. The conditions were simple. I'm just changing places today." Xiao Congzhi agreed while cursing Mo Huan's endless probing in his heart.
"Then you've come to the right place. In addition to its spacious and clean rooms and attentive service, Yuelai Inn is also renowned for its design."
"Oh?" Xiao Congzhi became slightly interested.
Mo Huan put his arm around Xiao Congzhi's shoulder and pulled him inside, saying, "Do you know what's the most unique thing about Xiacheng?"
"The Martial Arts Alliance?"
"..." Mo Huan didn't know how to respond for a moment, and could only reveal indifferently, "It's a lantern."
Having said that, the two turned a corner, and Xiao Congzhi, seeing the scene before him, could understand why it was a lantern.
Before them was a long corridor, with rooms on one side and a water curtain running from top to bottom on the other. The entire space was dimly lit, which served to highlight the countless lanterns.
On the water curtain, there are square lanterns, one side of which is attached to the stone wall. They are arranged haphazardly, with ink paintings of random scenes carved on them, emitting a dim yellow light that reflects off the water curtain.
A round lantern hangs at the entrance of each room, decorated with either landscapes or flowers and birds, and adorned with tassels. Its light can only illuminate the small area at the entrance of the room.
Mo Huan gave Xiao Congzhi a moment to appreciate it, and then explained: "The paper of the lantern, and the drawings on it, are all characteristics of Xiacheng. Every Mid-Autumn Festival, there is a lantern festival here. This inn uses this design to showcase the beauty of lanterns."
Xiao Congzhi wasn't completely unaware of the lanterns of Xiacheng; he would receive a few during festivals. However, even the most beautiful single lantern would become bland and uninteresting after a while. He stepped forward and examined the paintings on the lanterns closely. They were indeed exquisite. The lantern paper was extremely thin and fragile, so it was generally not possible to paint overly intricate meticulous paintings. Yet, the flower and bird paintings before him were remarkably lifelike.
Mo Huan pulled Xiao Congzhi's hand and touched it to the lantern. Only then did Xiao Congzhi realize that although the paper was thin, it was also flexible, but...
Xiao Congzhi suddenly turned to look at Mo Huan beside him, then at the hand being held, wondering when this person had become so skilled and when he himself had become so accustomed to it.
Mo Huan's actions were unintentional, but upon noticing Xiao Congzhi's slightly open eyes, he realized something was amiss. His fingers were intertwined with Xiao Congzhi's, their skin pressed together. Since it wasn't a critical moment, a certain ambiguity inevitably arose. Mo Huan quickly released Xiao Congzhi's long, slender, white fingers as if trying to cover it up, but couldn't help gently stroking his own fingers.
Xiao Congzhi noticed his movements, suddenly feeling the ambiguous atmosphere, blinked, and didn't know what to do.
The lantern's hazy glow softened Xiao Congzhi's appearance. From the moment Mo Huan first saw Xiao Congzhi, he thought to himself that the man was handsome, but now, with the atmosphere and light enhancing his appearance, he seemed even more alluring, causing his heart to skip a beat.
Xiao Congzhi opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again, finding himself speechless.
"Bang!"
A loud noise came from not far away, disturbing the ambiguous atmosphere and saving Xiao Congzhi and Mo Huan from their predicament.
The two men casually leaned over to look and saw that someone had fallen into the pool at the bottom of the water curtain. The pool wasn't deep, and the person struggled to climb out after a short while, cursing loudly at a hole. It seemed that the two men had gotten into an argument while eating in the lobby next to the pool.
After this disturbance, Xiao Congzhi and Mo Huan tacitly let bygones be bygones and returned to their rooms in rare silence.
As night fell, Xiao Congzhi, who had been idle all day, had nowhere to go. He had planned to have a pot of good wine to have a good dream, but the more he drank, the more he thought.
He must have been thinking about the strange atmosphere between him and Mo Huan during the day once again.
Xiao Congzhi never denied Mo Huan's beauty. If it weren't for that face, to prevent future troubles, Xiao Congzhi would have found a way to kill him after testing him in Qilin Village.
Mo Huan's handsome features were sharp, but under the dim light of the candlelight shining through the lantern paper, he could give people a gentle illusion.
She was his type. Thinking this, Xiao Congzhi took another swig of wine. There's an old saying that beauty can lead to trouble. He never indulged in beauty, but it turns out he just hadn't met anyone who moved him.
Just as he was thinking this, some noises came from the roof. They were faint, but they did not escape Xiao Congzhi's notice. Xiao Congzhi put down his wine cup, put his hand on his folding fan, and seemed to be deep in thought.
Without changing his clothes, he opened the window and came face to face with the person on the roof. As expected, the person dressed in black was Mo Huan.
Mo Huan was speechless. He knew Xiao Congzhi was there, so he had already been treated leniently enough!
"Brother Xiao."
Xiao Congzhi, slightly reeking of alcohol, approached Mo Huan and, too lazy to exchange pleasantries, said bluntly, "It's late and boring. Where are you going? Why don't we go together?"
Xiao Congzhi was too blunt, so Mo Huan had no choice but to nod in agreement. However, he was originally going to Xu Tan's place tonight, so he had to find another place.
The moonlight was bright, the wind was gentle, and the night was peaceful. Two figures, one in front of the other, rose and fell on the rooftop...
Mo Huan took Xiao Congzhi to the home of the male corpse, Guo's Rice Shop in the east of the city.
Upon arriving at the backyard of the Guo residence, Mo Huan whispered to Xiao Congzhi, "The male corpse's surname is Guo, and his given name is Shaoyu. He is the second young master of the Guo family's rice shop in the east of the city."
Xiao Congzhi could roughly guess that this was not Mo Huan's original destination, but since Mo Huan was able to come to the Guo residence so familiarly, was there something particularly noteworthy about him? Xiao Congzhi asked this question based on his own thoughts.
Mo Huan didn't dare to hold Xiao Congzhi's hand or put his arm around his shoulder at this moment, so he just waved to Xiao Congzhi from a distance, signaling him to follow.
Mo Huan led Xiao Congzhi around to the front of the house, where there was a courtyard that was still brightly lit late at night. Upon closer inspection, they found that no one was active inside; the owner was already asleep in bed, though he was tossing and turning and was not at peace.
Xiao Congzhi lowered his voice and whispered in Mo Huan's ear, "I didn't know Brother Mo had a hobby of watching people sleep in the middle of the night. I know you have other plans tonight, so stop pretending."
They were so close that Xiao Congzhi's breath tickled Mo Huan's ear, which was not only itchy but also extremely provocative. Mo Huan thought that keeping a distance was an unspoken agreement, but Xiao Congzhi didn't seem to think so. Mo Huan had no choice but to take the initiative to create some distance, tugging at Xiao Congzhi's sleeve, and the two retreated back to the backyard.
The Guo residence is very large, and the backyard is secluded and quiet, making it a suitable place for conversation.
"That man just now was Guo Shaotian, the eldest son of the Guo family. He was of mediocre talent. If Guo Shaoyu hadn't died tragically, his family's rice business would never have fallen into his hands."
"Are you saying that Guo Shaoyu's death might not be related to the disappearance case, but that there is another murderer?" Xiao Congzhi thought about Guo Shaotian's behavior of sleeping with the lights on late at night, and it was indeed suspicious.
Mo Huan nodded and used his lightness skill to fly onto the roof, seemingly intending to talk as he walked.
"It only took two days from Guo Shaoyu's disappearance to the discovery of his body. Logically speaking, the perpetrator of the missing persons case had been committing crimes for a month and his methods were becoming increasingly skilled. It is unlikely that Guo Shaoyu would suddenly slip through the net."
"If this was done by Guo Shaotian, then it was for the Guo family's rice business?"
"Guo Shaoyu is exceptionally intelligent, but he has a poor relationship with Guo Shaotian."
“I went to see Guo Shaoyu’s body last night. His skin had been peeled off all over his body. The methods were cruel. They were brothers after all. How could they be treated like this?”
Mo Huan stopped above a rooftop, waiting for Xiao Congzhi to stop, and said, "Wait a few days, and your men will be able to tell you all this. If you want to know now, what can Brother Xiao offer in exchange?"
Xiao Congzhi knew that Mo Huan wanted to know something from him, but instead of continuing the conversation, he said, "Brother Mo is quite something. You've only been in Xiacheng for two days, yet you know so much." He was also testing Mo Huan's abilities.
“He is indeed constantly on the go, unlike Brother Xiao, who only drinks tea at the inn during the day.”
"..." Xiao Congzhi had no choice but to ask, "What does Brother Mo want to know?"
"How about we talk about Ge Yun?"
Xiao Congzhi's face immediately darkened, but Mo Huan was still talking.
"On the Chuan River, if there were no storm, what would you do?"
"Chen Yan and Shen Zhuo will find a way to create an accident." Xiao Congzhi's face had lost all expression, and his voice was extremely cold under the moonlight. His fingers, hidden in his robe, pressed hard against the fan handle.
Mo Huan's gaze swept over Xiao Congzhi's robes, ignoring the murderous intent emanating from the man before him. He simply said, "It's not hard to see that Ge Yun calls you 'Young Master,' but he doesn't show you much respect. He's also very alert and has a sharp eye. He doesn't seem like a servant who's there to attend to you, but rather someone who's here to monitor you."
Xiao Congzhi didn't say much, quietly waiting for Mo Huan to finish his sentence. Mo Huan had some guesses about his identity, which was not a big deal, but Ge Yun's identity was special. If Mo Huan figured out the key to it, there would be endless trouble... He was not so willing to kill Mo Huan.
Mo Huan moved closer to Xiao Congzhi and said with a smile, "There's no need to be so nervous. We're evenly matched, and you can't kill me."
"..."
"If Ge Yun were here, you would put on a fake smile and pretend to be a very approachable gentleman, even though you are actually quite cold by nature."
Xiao Congzhi secretly reflected that he had been careless when they entered the illusion.
“Ge Yun was monitoring you, and you were putting on an act in front of him, so it’s understandable that you wanted to get rid of him. That’s why you decided to come to Xiacheng after just a few casual words from a martial arts figure at Yanlou that day. But man-made accidents are not as good as natural storms.”
"Mo Huan..."
Mo Huan raised his hand to stop Xiao Congzhi from continuing, then leaned even closer, breathing out hot air as he said, "I only wanted a heavy rain, but it turned into a storm. The Qilin blood is indeed powerful."
"!!!"
Xiao Congzhi didn't react for a moment, and abruptly turned his head to look at Mo Huan. They were so close that something gently brushed against him...
Mo Huan could no longer remain calm. He hurriedly retreated, his hand involuntarily touching his lips, then quickly lowering it as if to cover it up.
Upon seeing this action, Xiao Congzhi's mind went blank. He had never been so clear about what he was thinking, yet he couldn't make sense of even the slightest detail. He simply realized that Mo Huan's appearance looked even better under the moonlight.
Mo Huan was the first to calm down, and said dryly, "After he fell into the river, I pushed him away."
Xiao Congzhi replied dryly, "No wonder you used up so much internal energy. Fine, consider this a favor you did me."
The two stopped discussing in detail how Mo Huan could use Qilin blood, how he saved him in the Chuan River, and what it meant for Xiao Congzhi to shake off Ge Yun... It wasn't the right time to have a deep conversation yet.
Just like when they arrived, Mo Huan used his lightness skill to fly ahead, with Xiao Congzhi following behind. The two were very quiet.
When they heard strange noises coming from a dark alley not far away, Mo Huan turned to look at Xiao Congzhi, who nodded slightly, and they both hurried toward the alley.
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