Chapter 808: Chapter 801: Departure
The night sky was filled with dense clouds, concealing the moonlight.
The fierce wind continued to howl, but the snowflakes that had been flying everywhere few days ago had long disappeared without a trace.
Inside the study of the City Lord Mansion.
The flickering candlelight illuminated the entire study as bright as day.
Clad in a brocade robe, City Lord Fang Datong sat in the chair in front of the desk, casually picking up the secret documents on the desk before him, and opened them one by one, examining the contents recorded on them.
Outside, the world was a frozen wasteland, and the study was equally cold and oppressive. Despite his seemingly thin brocade clothing, Fang Datong felt no trace of chill.
Merely within a normal breath, it seemed as if flames were continuously burning around Fang Datong.
“Puff…” A muted sound echoed.
It was as if a cold wind had blown by, pushing the door of the study open.
Fang Datong frowned, placing the letter he was only halfway through reading down casually.
He clearly remembered that the door of the study he was in had been securely bolted by him. Logically, no matter how fierce the outside wind was, it shouldn’t have been able to blow the study door open directly.
Standing up, he scanned around. After confirming that apart from the cold wind still howling outside, there seemed to be no abnormalities inside, he walked quickly to the door, closed it, and bolted it tightly again.
After doing all this, just as he turned around, ready to return to his seat at the desk, his expression changed, and he was momentarily frozen on the spot.
“It’s been so many days already, Fang Datong. Haven’t you found a conclusion to the investigation we tasked you with yet?” At the desk, where Fang Datong was just sitting, there were suddenly two figures, one white and one red.
Dressed in white, Tian Yin sat on the chair, while Seductive Lady in a red robe sat directly on the desk.
Both of them, one with a frosty expression, the other with a constant smile at the corner of her lips, had their gazes firmly fixed on Fang Datong.
“Your subordinate, Fang Datong, pays respect to Emperor Tianyin and Seductive Lady.”
With a shiver in his heart, Fang Datong instantly reacted. He knelt on one knee without hesitation, offering a grand salute to the two before him.
Immediately afterward, he tremblingly continued to report, “Emperor, Lady, during this period, I have dispatched everyone in the City Lord Mansion.”
“Unfortunately, despite capturing many people and filling the dungeons in the City Lord Mansion to capacity, it has produced little effect. We have yet to find any trace of the person you seek, honored lords.”
“Adhering to the principle of preferring to kill the wrong than let go, we thoroughly investigated everyone who has entered Donglin City in the past month. Of those people, they’re either dead by now or still detained in the mansion’s dungeon…”
With his head lowered, Fang Datong dared not lift it or meet the sharp gazes of Tian Yin and Seductive Lady.
To tell the truth, regarding the task entrusted by Tian Yin and Seductive Lady, he felt he had exerted great effort.
But without presenting impressive results, no matter how much he did, it was all in vain.
“Fang Datong, what should I say about you?”
“If I remember correctly, Donglin City has been under your control for a millennium now, and this is the extent of your control? Finding just one person has taken six or seven days, and still no clue?”
“I ask you, can you find the person or not? If you can’t, resign due to incompetence and let someone else take your place to control Donglin City!”
With a perpetually gloomy face, Tian Yin stared directly at Fang Datong, letting out a cold snort.
Seductive Lady, on the side, didn’t speak, but her beautiful eyes staring at Fang Datong were equally filled with coldness.
“Emperor, Lady, give me five more days, and I will definitely uncover that person’s whereabouts.”
“If I fail, I don’t have the face to continue as the City Lord of Donglin City. I will leave of my own accord and return to the Demon Palace headquarters!”
“At that time, I will accept any punishment from the Palace Masters without complaint!”
Lowering his head so much it almost touched his lap, Fang Datong gritted his teeth and promised.
His words were almost equivalent to taking a military oath, but did he have any confidence in finding the person sought by Tian Yin and Seductive Lady?
He had none at all. Given the current situation he found himself in, he was truly forced into a corner to make such an oath.
“Five days’ time, is it?”
“Remember what you said. If the time comes and you still haven’t found anything, don’t blame us for being merciless and unkind!”
Exchanging a glance, Tian Yin and Seductive Lady nodded.
After leaving a few words, a gust of cold wind blew past, and the two people who had just been in the study vanished completely as if they had never appeared.
…
At dawn, the continuous blizzard that lasted for quite some time finally stopped, and a red sun slowly rose from the horizon.
Sadly, the streets were still bitterly cold, and the newly risen sun couldn’t bring much warmth to the people of Donglin City.
“Damn the blizzard, it kept me cooped up indoors for such a long time. If I can’t find anything when I leave the city today, my household will run out of food!”
“Same here. Who would’ve thought this snowstorm would last nearly half a month? Had I known, I would’ve visited the gambling house fewer times and kept more cured meat at home.”
“Boss Wu, if you want to leave the city, this way won’t do; you’ll have to go through the East City Gate. Who knows what the City Lord Mansion is up to, closing all the city gates except for the East City Gate, allowing passage only there!”
…
With the weather finally improving, the streets were bustling, and many people formed groups, heading towards the city gate.
Unfortunately, upon receiving news that the city gates remained tightly closed, most people had to turn back and head to another city gate to continue.
“Giddyup…”
A haggard chestnut horse, a rickety carriage, and an elderly hunchbacked man who looked as if a gust of wind could blow him away leaned wearily against the railing, waving a whip as he blended into the crowd.
Sitting inside the decrepit carriage, Chen Hai leafed through a miscellaneous book at his leisure to pass the time.
The other servants in the mansion had already been dismissed by him.
After all, their abilities were limited, and it wouldn’t be suitable for Chen Hai to take them across a journey of millions of miles back to Golden Dawn Island.
When leaving Donglin City, he brought only Qingmu with him.
Unwilling to play the coachman to the bitter end, Qingmu couldn’t escape this misfortune. He took up the whip, driving the dilapidated carriage towards the only passable East City Gate.