Seeing Mu Changxi still looking composed, Song Chaoyu knew the matter was likely going very smoothly.
Indeed, Mu Changxi pulled Song Chaoyu to his side, then pointed at Huo Lei, saying, "With him in control of all of Qin Zhou, our actions will be much more convenient."
He then whispered to Song Chaoyu, "He already knows our identities. But rest assured, Huo Lei is a trustworthy person."
For Mu Changxi to so readily reveal their identities to Huo Lei, Song Chaoyu understood that Mu Changxi must have gone through hardships beyond anyone's imagination during the process of convincing him.
But as long as the outcome was good, what did the hardship matter?
Song Chaoyu tightly grasped Mu Changxi's hand. "I've also gathered information about Tan Ye. The most pressing matter now is to get Cong Fei and the others from outside to approach the city. I wonder how Cong Fei is doing."
Mu Changxi cast an appreciative glance at Song Chaoyu, seemingly surprised that Song Chaoyu had found news of Tan Ye so quickly.
However, bringing Cong Fei into the city was indeed urgent.
***
Fortunately, after Huo Lei took control of the city guards, the city gates were soon opened.
The people outside were not even aware of what had happened before the situation within the city stabilized.
However, when Song Chaoyu and the others emerged from the city, they discovered that Dong Shuang, Cong Fei, and their group had vanished!
By all accounts, Dong Shuang would not have taken Cong Fei away casually.
Firstly, Cong Fei's condition was already precarious. Further hardship and displacement could put his life in grave danger.
Secondly, they had given Dong Shuang signal flares. If they truly needed to leave, they would have used them.
Unless—
They never had the chance to use the signal flares!
This thought sent a chill down Song Chaoyu's spine.
The dilemma facing Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi seemed to grow: how should they choose now? Should they search for Cong Fei and Dong Shuang first, or go to see Tan Ye?
Fortunately, both of them were decisive individuals. After a moment of deliberation, they had their answer: they would look for Dong Shuang and Cong Fei first.
After all, Tan Ye was not going anywhere, and neither was the village.
The disappearance of Dong Shuang and Cong Fei was far too suspicious.
Moreover, the servants attending to Cong Fei had also vanished, which made Song Chaoyu deeply uneasy.
However, with Huo Lei's help, they at least wouldn't have to rely solely on themselves.
Not long after Huo Lei's men went out, they brought back news that Song Chaoyu did not wish to hear: based on the information provided by Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi, they had found the people attending to Cong Fei. But those two individuals had become two corpses.
This was not good news. Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi decided to go outside the city themselves to investigate.
In just over half a day, the area outside the city had changed completely.
The crowds that had been gathered outside the city had all been dispersed. Guards at the city gate were meticulously checking every person passing through. Though strict, the measures were not excessive.
The bodies of Cong Fei's two attendants were found in a small grove of trees outside the city.
That small grove was where Cong Fei and Dong Shuang had been hiding. Compared to the crowds at the city gate, the grove offered a degree of concealment.
And now, the two corpses in the grove were horrifying to behold!
It was clear that both of these individuals had been murdered!
Although they had not been dead for long, their bodies exhibited a strange bluish-gray hue. One of them was so shriveled, it was as if his blood had been drained.
From the terrified, unblinking eyes of these two men, it was evident that they had suffered immense torment before their deaths.
Furthermore, although their bodies were already stiff, both of them had their mouths agape, with a large number of insects crawling out. This sight sent a shiver down Song Chaoyu's spine!
But what made Song Chaoyu even more uneasy was that behind these two bodies, the signal flares they had given Dong Shuang were scattered haphazardly.
This clearly explained why Dong Shuang had been unable to send them a signal.
It wasn't that she didn't want to, but perhaps she never had the chance.
"How could this happen..."
Song Chaoyu frowned, staring at the scene before her, and had to prepare for the worst. "Did anyone see what happened here?"
To her surprise, Huo Lei's guard nodded. "One person said he saw the situation here while relieving himself. I've asked him to come and speak with you!"
Huo Lei's guard acted swiftly. Song Chaoyu noticed a hint of admiration in Mu Changxi's eyes.
As long as this Huo Lei did not follow in his adoptive father's footsteps, Song Chaoyu knew he would surely have a place in the imperial court in the future!
***
A moment later, the guard brought over a man who appeared honest and simple.
The man was clearly frightened and seemed to tremble upon seeing Song Chaoyu and the others.
With the guard's patient guidance, the man finally recounted what he had witnessed.
It happened about two hours ago. He had come to the grove to relieve himself and heard commotion outside, so he peeked out.
To his horror, he witnessed a ghastly scene!
He saw a tall man controlling insects from a gourd and killing the two men before him!
The man thought he was dreaming, but after pinching his thigh, he realized it was not a dream. So he hid behind some bushes, daring not to make a sound.
He said that after the man killed them, he took Cong Fei and Dong Shuang away.
They headed further south, but the man did not know exactly where they went.
His words made Song Chaoyu frown. Inwardly, she still harbored some doubt. "Are you sure you saw this scene? Not a dream, and no exaggeration? Was it just that one man who managed to kill these two people in an instant?"
"Yes."
The man replied with certainty, "Although I was frightened at the time, I'll never encounter something like this a second time in my life! I can confirm it was that one man who killed them instantly. But where he took them, I truly don't know."
After speaking, the man shuddered, clearly still feeling scared even recalling the event, which made him seem truthful.
Song Chaoyu's brow furrowed once more.
At the same time, Huo Lei approached. "Since it was such a strange man, finding his whereabouts shouldn't be difficult. I'll send people to inquire immediately. Don't worry too much."
How could they not worry?
But Song Chaoyu was still grateful to Huo Lei, and grateful that no matter when or where, they could encounter people who treated them with sincerity.