Er Gou cursed and grumbled!
So he just hid for nothing?
Therefore, Wang Xun deliberately went to Guangde Tower that day and deliberately said those words after serving him the dishes, to provoke Cheng Chongyu?
To pull the rug out from under him?
But Er Gou didn't understand one thing, why would he need to set up this trap? A trap that could easily involve him if there was the slightest deviation?
Er Gou felt a dull ache in his head. In the past, such brain-racking matters were always handled by the shopkeeper. He looked at the cook, whose mouth hadn't stopped moving since the beginning, and suddenly understood why the shopkeeper used to give them that look of helplessness and disdain when he looked at the two of them.
The yamen officers never expected that the criminal they had been searching for would be hiding back in Guangde Tower. Cheng Zimò stood outside Guangde Tower, looking at the sealed door. His nose twitched.
"Do you smell anything?" he asked.
The county lieutenant shook his head, looking puzzled. "Smell what?"
"It smells like... stir-fried pork!"
The county lieutenant was speechless. "Are you hungry? How about we eat something first?"
"You really don't smell it?"
"No!" The county lieutenant said, "I think you're just hungry. Come on, I'll take you to that beef noodle shop at the end of the street."
The county lieutenant pulled Cheng Zimò towards the beef noodle shop. Cheng Zimò broke free from his hand and walked back. "I want to eat the steamed buns at the beginning of the street."
The county lieutenant gritted his teeth. "Fine, fine, whatever you say!"
As they passed Guangde Tower, Cheng Zimò couldn't help but glance back. He could smell the stir-fried pork, and it was particularly authentic.
Could it be that he was just craving stir-fried pork? In that case, he should go to Yucuì Tower on West Street.
After they had walked dozens of meters, the county lieutenant turned his head and his gaze fell on Guangde Tower, a faint glint flickering in his eyes.
…
Qing Yuan covered her ears, the sounds echoing in her ears, like roars or low moans, like desperate wails in the gaping maw of a beast, like the sobs of ethereal flowers swaying in the wind on the shores of hell.
The poison was destroying Qing Yuan's brain nerves.
Nan Shiying squatted beside Qing Yuan. She still had some powder in her hand, but in the current environment, it was unrealistic to research an antidote. She could only use a long needle to temporarily seal Qing Yuan's five senses and then block her celestial gate and the Baihui acupoint.
In fact, in a safe environment, the best way to combat hallucinations and auditory hallucinations was physical intervention—knocking the person unconscious.
However, Qing Yuan had previously tried to bash her head against a wall to commit suicide, and if she were hit again, Nan Shiying feared she would be driven insane.
Fortunately, the pill that could neutralize all poisons had alleviated her symptoms; at least, she was no longer crying out in distress.
The food provided by the Langhuan Army was good, but there was one thing: it wasn't poisoned.
For the Hengyuan Chamber of Commerce to transport the common folk of Linyuan to Liaojiang under the watchful eyes of the Langhuan Army, there must be someone within the Langhuan Army with enough status and authority to cover for them.
Even if due to delays and errors in information, they were not yet aware that their involvement in human trafficking had been discovered, the moment they saw them brazenly walking down from Changming Mountain, the mastermind behind it should have known that some things could no longer be kept secret. Therefore, the most reliable course of action now would be to eliminate them directly and restore everything to its original state.
After all, in the eyes of others, she, Feng Luan, was merely a close friend of the Regent. Even if she died in Wucheng, would the Regent truly travel to Wucheng to investigate the matter personally?
Unless absolutely necessary, the Regent would never leave the capital.
Therefore, they might take a desperate risk.
But why wasn't it poisoned? Was it because she was from Yaowang Valley? If it wasn't poisoned, then they would have to take action themselves!
…
"Young Master Cheng, it's getting dark. Let's go back!"
The county lieutenant tried his best to persuade him. He had followed Cheng Zimò around all day, almost traversing the entire Wucheng. The county lieutenant rubbed his legs; his waist could barely straighten.
Cheng Zimò looked at the county lieutenant. "I don't believe I can't find them. If Your Excellency the County Lieutenant is tired, you can return to your mansion to rest. What I said earlier was said in anger and doesn't count. With that, Your Excellency the County Lieutenant can be at ease, right?"
His intentions having been exposed, the county lieutenant gave a wry smile. "Ha, that would be for the best. That would be for the best."
"Then I'll take my leave. It's getting late, and apprehending the criminal isn't an urgent matter. Tomorrow, after you find the County Magistrate, you can negotiate with him. Our Magistrate is a kind Bodhisattva, perhaps he will agree."
After saying this with a smile, the county lieutenant no longer forced himself and turned to take his leave.
Cheng Zimò watched the county lieutenant leave. He paused, then walked towards Guangde Tower again. This time, he went around to the back door of Guangde Tower and encountered a yamen runner holding a wanted poster.
"Young Master Cheng!"
The yamen runner bowed and greeted Cheng Zimò.
Cheng Zimò asked him, "Have you returned to the yamen? Do you know where the County Magistrate is now?"
The yamen runner said, "The County Magistrate is definitely not in the yamen. The County Magistrate did not report for duty today."
"Did not report for duty? Then this wanted poster?"
"It was ordered by the County Lieutenant!"
"Is that so!"
The yamen runner knew some things and felt stifled, unable to tell anyone. Now that he saw someone he could talk to, he sidled up to Cheng Zimò and said in a low voice, "Actually... all these years, the major and minor directives have been issued by the County Lieutenant, while the County Magistrate, being devout and reciting Buddhist scriptures daily, doesn't concern himself with affairs. So, if Young Master wants to find our Magistrate, you can go directly to Linlong Temple, and you'll be sure to find him."
"Oh, right, Young Master, please don't say I told you!"
After speaking, the yamen runner felt relieved, then carefully cautioned Cheng Zimò. He had said what he wanted to say, but no one could know that he had told Young Master Cheng.
Cheng Zimò promised, "Alright, don't worry, I will keep silent."
The yamen runner thanked him repeatedly.
After the yamen runner walked away, Cheng Zimò remained in place. The yamen runner's words echoed in his mind. He said that for all these years, the person who had been managing the yamen and issuing directives was the County Lieutenant!
It was the County Lieutenant who lounged behind his desk, shirking his duties every day!
Cheng Zimò didn't know what these pieces of information put together pointed to. He just had a subconscious feeling that something was not right!
But he couldn't articulate why it wasn't right, or where the problem lay.
Unable to figure it out, Cheng Zimò decided to stop thinking about it. He looked around, saw that no one was there, and climbed over the back wall into Guangde Tower.
He followed the scent and walked towards the kitchen.
He heard activity in the kitchen. Cheng Zimò cautiously approached the kitchen when a cold glint suddenly shot out from the windowsill. Cheng Zimò hastily dodged, thus avoiding being pierced through the chest by the attacking cold glint.
Er Gou, holding a kitchen knife, leaped out from the window.
Cheng Zimò hadn't expected that this human trafficker would be so audacious as to double back and hide in Guangde Tower.
Er Gou saw the man in brocade clothes before him. He exuded an air of a soldier, his back straight, his body under his clothes strong and robust. However, his evasion just now had exposed his lack of martial arts skill.
"Who are you?"
This person didn't seem to be an accomplice of last night's group!
"Someone here to arrest you and bring you to justice!" Cheng Zimò's brows furrowed, his gaze towards Er Gou filled with hatred and disgust.
Er Gou clicked his tongue, understanding. This was a passerby who was brimming with a sense of justice.
The cook walked out of the kitchen slowly. She walked to Er Gou's side, wanting to take the kitchen knife from him. Er Gou didn't dare to let her. "No, no, no, this is just an ignorant bumpkin. Tie him up and hide him."
The cook glanced at Er Gou and slowly opened her mouth. "Dead people are the safest!"
"Isn't that what you taught me?"
Er Gou felt a pain in his molars. It was true that what she said was correct, but the martial world and the imperial court were different. In the martial world, people did as they pleased and killed when they disagreed. But this was Wucheng, and this righteous fool before him was not from the martial world, but a citizen of Wucheng.
People of the martial world killed, but they did not kill indiscriminately!
Besides, judging by this person's clothing and the demeanor he exuded, he was likely the offspring of a Langhuan Army general. In Wucheng, killing someone from the Langhuan Army? Was he crazy?
Er Gou looked at Cheng Zimò, wanting to ask how this guy had found them!
Seeing their demeanor and actions, Cheng Zimò felt that they were not like human traffickers, but more like martial world figures that Qin Si had mentioned. Did people from the martial world also engage in kidnapping?
"You..."
"You guys..."
Er Gou and Cheng Zimò spoke almost simultaneously.
"You speak first!" Er Gou offered the captive preferential treatment.
Cheng Zimò said, "You're not human traffickers?"
Er Gou nodded. "No!"
"Then why..."
"Don't ask!"
Cheng Zimò was silent for two seconds and said, "Since you are not, then I..."
Er Gou leaped to Cheng Zimò's side, placed the kitchen knife on his neck, and bared his teeth at him. "Since you're already here, stay!"
He said it nicely, his tone sounding like a negotiation, but the cold steel at his neck told Cheng Zimò that if he dared to say no, the knife would be embedded in his neck.
Cheng Zimò complied readily with Er Gou's invitation. "Okay!"