The man was kicked away and fell to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of scarlet blood before finally dying.
The others trembled at the sight, for the man had not been beaten to death, but poisoned.
The blood he spat out splattered on the ground and quickly turned black.
Everyone felt insecure.
When Chen Jingrong entered, there were people kneeling all over the courtyard.
She glanced at the person on the ground with disdain, as if looking at something dirty.
Then, a smile appeared on his face, and his gaze shifted to Chen Sheng's face.
"Sir, please don't be angry."
Chen Sheng looked up at her and asked, "Why are you here?"
Chen Jingrong didn't care about his attitude and continued, "I have good news for you, sir. News has come from the Tianyun Sect."
Upon hearing this, Chen Sheng's attention was immediately diverted.
"What's going on?"
"They found it deep in the Kunlun Mountains."
Chen Sheng's eyes lit up, and he asked with delight, "How is it?"
"There were many wild beasts around the tree, and progress was extremely slow at first. Later, the elders of the Tianyun Sect used some method to kill the wild beasts, set the tree on fire, and obtained the treasure inside the trunk."
Upon hearing this, Chen Sheng could no longer sit still and immediately went outside.
"Prepare the horses, let's go to Kunlun Ridge!"
No sooner had Ning Yao and her group left Lin'an City than Chen Sheng led his men toward Kunlun Ridge.
When Ning Yao and her group settled in the village, they brushed past Chen Sheng and his group.
——
The Zhao family of Songyang City.
Zhao Ze has been feeling uneasy these past few days. This unease comes on inexplicably and without any apparent reason.
At the beginning of the year, Nanjiang City found a water source, and he tried every means to benefit Songyang City, spending more than two months building a simple water transport hub.
Songyang City now has quite a few people, only slightly fewer than Nanjiang City.
It felt like we had returned to our most prosperous time.
The time the common people have to catch their breath is also the time he, as the city lord, can catch his breath.
"Master, something terrible has happened! There's a fire in the mountains!"
Before Zhao Ze could figure out his unease, he heard a report from his subordinates.
"Oh no, something really has happened!"
Zhao Ze rushed out of the room and stood in the courtyard, where he could see thick smoke rising from the Kunlun Mountains not far away.
"Oh no! Oh no!" Zhao Ze's face showed horror.
He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Assemble the troops! Go check it out immediately!"
The city lord's mansion was thrown into chaos.
"Father, Kunlun Ridge is on fire! This is a serious problem!" Zhao Xin took advantage of the chaos to find Zhao Ze.
Zhao Ze said with a serious expression, "Xin'er, you stay here and take charge of things. I'm going to go check on things."
Zhao Xin nodded: "Yes, I understand, Father. Don't worry."
Zhao Ze took two steps, then turned back and asked, "Where's your brother?"
Zhao Xin looked at him with a complicated expression: "I haven't seen my brother for several days. He hasn't come back since you reprimanded him last time."
For a moment, Zhao Ze's face showed anger, but then the anger subsided, replaced by helplessness and sorrow.
"Fine, if he comes back, let him stay in the manor and not wander around."
Zhao Xin nodded: "Yes, daughter understands."
The thick smoke rising from the Kunlun Mountains has already alarmed the cities in the north and south.
Not only did Zhao Ze from Songyang City lead his men up the mountain, but Wen Yuan from Nanjiang City also immediately began arranging troops and personnel to go to Kunlun Ridge to investigate.
"Sir, I am willing to go!"
Wen Yuan disagreed, saying, "There are enough people below, so let them go. Besides, Kunlun Ridge is fraught with danger, and we don't know where this wildfire started. You, a mere scholar, won't be of any help."
"And Qinglan..."
When Lin Qinglan was mentioned, Wen Yuan looked guilty.
That day, he took Lin Qinglan out, but he didn't bring her back.
This incident filled Wen Yuan with immense guilt, and to this day he is still sending people to search for Lin Qinglan.
Even more seriously, Lin Qingyu and his sister were entrusted to him by Ning Yao.
If anything goes wrong, he will be held responsible even if he dies a thousand times over!
With Lin Qinglan already missing, he could not possibly let Lin Qingyu take any more risks!
"My lord, you don't need to blame yourself. You can be a thief for a thousand days, but you can't guard against thieves for a thousand days. Qinglan will come back safely!"
Wen Yuan sighed.
Lin Qingyu said, "This trip to Kunlun Ridge is indispensable for me, because when we went south, Miss Ning and I crossed the Kunlun Ridge, and I know the situation inside better than anyone else."
Wen Yuan was taken aback: "You crossed the Kunlun Mountains back then?"
Lin Qingyu nodded: "Exactly, the students know which route is safer!"
The atmosphere froze, and after a long while, Wen Yuan relented.
"Alright, then you go. I'll send more people. You all need to be very careful!"
"The students will certainly live up to their mission!"
Lin Qingyu changed into light armor and touched the thing in his arms.
This was given to Lin Qinglan by Ning Yao on the day Lin Qinglan disappeared.
He found this during his search.
This was given to Lin Qinglan by Ning Yao when she left.
"Keep it with you at all times, and you'll be safe and sound..."
"But now that thing is gone, Qinglan, where are you?"
Lin Qingyu felt extremely depressed. She took a deep breath and suppressed her worries deep inside.
Let's go!
——
As dusk approached, a group of people hurriedly entered Nanjiang City, then left from the other side, heading straight for Kunlun Ridge.
In the early hours of the morning, Ning Yao and her group arrived outside Nanjiang City.
The city gates were already closed, so Ning Yao and the others had no way to enter the city.
"Sister Ning asked me to do it," Lin Qinglan said crisply.
Ning Yao looked down and asked, "Do you have a solution?"
Lin Qinglan nodded: "Yes! They know me."
Ning Yao thought about it and agreed.
Lin Qingyu followed Wen Yuan, and Lin Qinglan is probably well-known to many people.
At the very least, the soldiers in the city should know her.
Moreover, Lin Qinglan has been missing for many days, and her portrait has probably spread throughout the city.
Thinking of this, Ning Yao asked, "But the city gates are already closed, how can we let them know?"
Lin Qinglan's eyes lit up as she struggled to stand on the horse's back.
Ning Yao quickly helped her up and said, "Be careful!"
After Lin Qinglan steadied herself, she cupped her hands to her lips and shouted, "I am Lin Qinglan, and Lin Qingyu is my brother. Please open the city gate!"
Ning Yao was taken aback, then couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Your method is simple and crude."
“My brother said that many things don’t need to be done in a roundabout way. If we do things directly, we will save more time.”
As expected, the soldiers on the city wall heard the shouts from below and dared not hesitate.
The fact that Young Master Lin's sister from the Prefect's residence has gone missing is common knowledge throughout Nanjiang City.
Lord Wen said that no suspicious opportunity should be overlooked.
Ning Yao and the others did not have to wait long before they saw the tall city gate in front of them slowly open, and several soldiers ran out.
Seeing that there were quite a few people on the other side, they were on edge, but breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that it was Lin Qinglan.
"Miss Qinglan, where have you been? Lord Wen and Young Master Lin are very worried about you."
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