「Noon.」

Han Yuan, Huang Xian’Er, and Xu Feng met up at the inn to grab a bite to eat.

"I didn’t find anything on my end."

"Huang Kai and Zhao Lu rarely associated with anyone."

"And no one noticed any strangers around in the days before the incident."

Huang Xian’Er was the first to speak, having clearly spent the day investigating the area around Huang Kai’s residence.

After she finished, Han Yuan turned to look at Xu Feng.

"The County Yamen couldn’t identify that person either."

"According to them, he probably isn’t from this county,"

Xu Feng said in a low voice.

Han Yuan calmly took a sip of his wine. "I, on the other hand, made some progress," he said lightly.

"What did you find?" Huang Xian’Er asked curiously.

"Have you heard of the Wangling Sect?" Han Yuan asked with a smile.

"No..." Huang Xian’Er shook her head.

"I haven’t either... Is it some special Sect?"

Xu Feng asked.

"Not exactly... The Wangling Sect is an Evil Cult that only recently appeared in Wushan County Town."

Han Yuan told Huang Xian’Er and Xu Feng what he had discovered that day.

"This Wangling Sect certainly sounds strange."

"But what does it have to do with the Huang Kai disappearance case we’re investigating?"

Huang Xian’Er didn’t immediately make the connection.

"Lord Han means that the Wangling Sect is likely behind Huang Kai’s disappearance."

Xu Feng, however, understood Han Yuan’s implication.

"Exactly."

Han Yuan nodded.

"This whole affair... Let me lay it out."

"First, there’s the strange plague... I suspect the Wangling Sect is responsible for it."

"That way, they can use their talismanic water, which they claim can cure all diseases, to quickly attract a large number of followers."

"Huang Kai and Zhao Lu were Feiying Tribe agents planted in Wushan County. They probably discovered something, but the Wangling Sect found out about them and had them silenced before they could get the word out."

Han Yuan laid out his analysis.

Although it was all speculation with no hard evidence,

both Huang Xian’Er and Xu Feng felt that Han Yuan’s theory was very likely the truth.

It was meticulous and logical.

"If this is true,"

"then this Wangling Sect’s ambitions are likely immense."

Xu Feng said, worried.

But Huang Xian’Er asked, "So, where do we start?"

Han Yuan narrowed his eyes. "We’ll start with *that* person."

...

「Afternoon.」

Xu Feng went to the Wushan County Yamen again to gather information.

Upon hearing of his arrival, the busy Wei Changqing still came out to greet him personally.

Xu Feng got straight to the point. "Magistrate Wei, are there any leads on the person who was following us last night?"

"Still nothing."

"We’ve already sent Chief Constables and Government Officials to the nearby towns to make inquiries."

"I hope we’ll get a good result."

Wei Changqing sighed.

"I see..."

Xu Feng’s brow furrowed.

"Lord Xu, there’s no need to be so anxious."

"The Huang Kai couple couldn’t have just vanished into thin air for no reason."

"We’ll get to the bottom of this soon."

"Just this noon, someone delivered some top-quality Longjing tea."

"Lord Xu, please do me the honor."

Wei Changqing pulled Xu Feng toward the tea room for a drink.

Though Xu Feng was reluctant, he found it difficult to refuse.

「An hour later.」

A Government Official announced from outside, "Lord Xu, your subordinate is here to see you."

"Oh."

"Let her in,"

Xu Feng said softly.

Soon, the tall figure of Huang Xian’Er walked in, longsword in hand.

She saw Wei Changqing was also there and offered a brief fist-to-palm salute, but said nothing.

"You two take your time. I’ll go attend to my official duties."

Wei Changqing tactfully stood up and left the tea room.

Only then did Huang Xian’Er speak. "Sir, I’ve found the place."

"Are you sure?"

Xu Feng’s spirits lifted.

"Yes, I’m certain that’s it," Huang Xian’Er nodded.

A glint in his eyes, Xu Feng said, "Don’t be hasty. Let’s head back first."

With that said,

the two of them quickly left the County Yamen.

They didn’t even bother to say goodbye to Wei Changqing.

After they were gone,

Wei Changqing silently emerged from a corner outside the tea room.

His expression was dark and uncertain as he hurried to a room in the inner courtyard.

He pushed the door open to a room filled with swirling smoke and a strange, exotic fragrance.

A middle-aged man in a dark Magic Robe sat cross-legged on the bed, deep in Cultivation. Sensing Wei Changqing’s entrance, he opened his eyes. "Magistrate Wei, what is it?"

"I just overheard the conversation between that Xu Feng and the other Flying Eagle Guard."

"It seems they’ve found some place,"

Wei Changqing said gravely.

"What place?" The middle-aged man’s eyes narrowed.

"I don’t know what place... They were very cautious and didn’t reveal any information."

"But knowing the Feiying Tribe’s methods... could it be a place where they’ve stored clues?"

Wei Changqing speculated.

"Very possible... If Huang Kai really left something there... we’ll be in trouble."

The middle-aged man nodded.

"So what do you plan to do?"

Wei Changqing asked.

"If they really find something,"

"then we can only..."

The middle-aged man made a throat-slitting gesture.

"If three more Flying Eagle Guards die, I’m afraid I won’t be County Magistrate for much longer,"

Wei Changqing said with a frown.

"Don’t worry... I’ll have people continue to follow them tonight."

"They might not find anything,"

the middle-aged man said.

"I hope so."

Wei Changqing sighed.

...

「Late at night.」

The trio of Han Yuan, Huang Xian’Er, and Xu Feng once again slipped out of the inn.

They made their way toward a remote part of Wushan County Town.

The streets on either side grew increasingly dilapidated.

Finally, they arrived before a decrepit City God Temple.

The City God Temple had long been abandoned and was in a state of ruin. In the dark, dead silence of the night, it looked even more eerie and terrifying.

Even beggars probably wouldn’t dare to live in a place like this.

The three of them vaulted over the temple wall and made their way to the abandoned main hall.

The statue of the deity it once housed was long gone, and the floor was littered with rotten, filthy debris. The air was thick and foul-smelling.

Xu Feng went behind the Magic Altar where the statue had been, searched for a moment, and actually found a case file.

Xu Feng opened the file, his expression turning to one of shock and suspicion. "It’s about the Wangling Sect."

Just as the three of them were about to leave,

suddenly,

a footstep echoed from outside the hall.

A Swordsman wearing a Conical Hat and carrying a longsword walked in.

The Swordsman had a cold expression and a hideous scar on his face, making him look like a demon in the dim light.

"Who are you?"

Xu Feng frowned at the sudden appearance of the hatted Swordsman.

"The one who’s sending you on your way,"

the Swordsman in the Conical Hat said flatly.

"From the looks of you, you must be the Cold Blood Sword, Liu Bao, ranked sixty-second on the Black List,"

Huang Xian’Er said in a low voice.

"I didn’t think anyone would recognize me."

"A pity you found something you shouldn’t have."

Liu Bao slowly walked deeper into the hall.

But he noticed that even though these three Flying Eagle Guards knew who he was, there was no fear or alarm in their eyes.

Especially their leader, Xu Feng, whose eyes even held a trace of pity.

The next moment,

he saw the man standing in the middle suddenly flash him a grin, revealing a set of ice-cold white teeth.

For some reason, Liu Bao was suddenly overcome with a horrifying sense of impending doom, the hair on his head standing on end.

"Ranked sixty-two!"

"Worth seven hundred Contribution Points!"

BOOM!

The next instant,

Han Yuan lunged forward like a rampaging beast, chopping down fiercely at Liu Bao with a Hand Blade strike.

Liu Bao roared, thrusting his sword out.

CRACK!

The man’s Hand Blade was too terrifying; it shattered his longsword in a single blow, then descended upon Liu Bao’s head with terrifying, cutting force!

His entire head exploded like a squashed tomato!

Even Huang Xian’Er couldn’t bear to watch, squeezing her eyes shut.

Xu Feng, too, felt his heart pound with shock.