Outside the Lin Family Castle, a flurry of hurried footsteps rang out as a group of people approached.
Seeing the hook-nosed man leading the group, two members of the Medicine Gang, who had been crawling in the tall grass, hurriedly stood up and greeted him respectfully. "Chief, you’re here."
The hook-nosed man asked, "Where is that kid right now?"
"According to the intel we’ve gathered, someone saw him enter the Lin Family Castle. He hasn’t come out yet."
"What do the informants inside say?"
"No news yet."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the hook-nosed man spotted a white dove flying toward them. "It’s here!"
He reached out, and the dove landed on his shoulder. He then pulled out the letter from the small tube attached to its leg. Opening it, his gaze suddenly sharpened as he read the contents: "Suspect Tie Niu left the Lin Family Castle fifteen minutes ago!"
Seeing this, the two members who had been keeping watch outside the castle immediately spoke up. "That’s impossible! We’ve been staking out this place the whole time and didn’t see anyone leave at all."
The hook-nosed man scoffed coldly. "What’s impossible about it? He obviously slipped away in another direction."
Hearing this, the two fell silent, not daring to say another word.
The hook-nosed man’s eyes flickered as he muttered, "Tie Niu, I will catch you sooner or later!"
Meanwhile, after shaking off his tail, Su Chen hurried back to White Stone City.
Upon leaving the Mist Rain Tower, he had deliberately wandered around the Lin Family Castle for a long time, finally slipping away when the crowds grew thick. He didn’t take the main road back; instead, he specifically chose a narrow side path. As it turned out, this decision was the right one. He successfully shook off his pursuers and left the Lin Family Castle safely.
"I’d sooner believe Emperor Qin Shi Huang resurrected and wired me fifty taels than trust the Lin Family Castle not to leak my secret!" he thought.
Entering White Stone City, Su Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief. His lack of experience in the martial world was to blame; in his rush to make money, he had nearly exposed himself. Fortunately, he realized it in time. Otherwise, he might have already been successfully backstabbed by the Lin Family Castle.
"I have to be much more careful when making money from now on," he thought. "This Lin Family Castle can no longer be fully trusted!"
Returning home, Su Chen summarized the events and decisively added the Lin Family Castle to his untrustworthy list. He then began to wash up. After three exhausting days out and about, he had earned nearly fifty taels of silver. Although it still wasn’t enough to make one hundred taels, it was a decent haul, so he naturally wouldn’t mistreat himself.
After washing up, Su Chen found a restaurant, ordered a full table of dishes, and dug in with gusto. He had no fear of not finishing the food. His appetite was now equivalent to that of three normal adults—a capacity not to be underestimated. Once fully fed and watered, Su Chen generously left the money for the meal and departed under the waiter’s deeply respectful gaze.
It was already afternoon by the time he got home. Su Chen went straight to bed and slept soundly until dawn. By the time he woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.
After getting ready for the day, Su Chen opened the bamboo tube he had obtained from the Lin Family Castle, which contained information about Liu Tong. Unrolling the paper inside, he read: "Number Fifty-six, Liu Family Manor. Please burn after reading!"
Seeing those last few words, he chuckled softly. They were certainly keeping things mysterious. After tearing the slip of paper into shreds, Su Chen fell deep into thought.
To go? Or not to go?
After pondering for a while, Su Chen finally made a decision. "I’ll go check if this information is true or false first, and then figure out my next move."
At the Liu Family Manor.
Though it was called a manor, it was actually just like any ordinary village or town. The area as a whole was relatively large, roughly estimated to house over a hundred families. However, the households were scattered all over the place, giving the settlement a somewhat chaotic feel.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
"Uncle Tong, I brought your food."
In front of a slightly dilapidated courtyard, a little kid with horn-like braids was knocking on the wooden door.
CREAK.
The wooden door opened, revealing a gentle, smiling face. Seeing the child, the man took the meal from his hands. "Thank you, Er Niu." As he spoke, the man named Uncle Tong handed the kid a piece of candy.
Taking the candy, the kid grinned and thanked him. "Thanks, Uncle Tong!"
Just as the kid was about to leave, the man asked, "Er Niu, have you seen any strangers in the village lately?"
Er Niu scratched his head, thought for a moment, and shook his head. "I don’t think so."
"Alright, off you go then."
With that, the man waved his hand and waited for the kid to walk away. He scanned his surroundings. Only after confirming there was no one suspicious in sight did he close the door.
Up in a large tree not far away, Su Chen withdrew his gaze.
"If it weren’t for the Government Office’s wanted list, who would believe that this guy is a heinous murderer?" he thought.
Reflecting on his observations over the past three days, Su Chen couldn’t help but shake his head. Three days ago, when Su Chen verified that the information from the Lin Family Castle was true, he decided to take this job. So he stayed at the Liu Family Manor and observed Liu Tong for three days.
The only thing he gained from these three days of observation was the realization that this Liu Tong was an absolute shut-in. Whether it was day or night, he almost always stayed in his courtyard practicing martial arts and rarely went out. Even when he did step outside, it was only to empty out his slop and chamber pots. As for meals, he relied entirely on the little kid to bring them, not to mention everything else. If Su Chen hadn’t verified the information before coming, there was no way he would have connected a murderer with such a hardcore homebody.
Glancing at the sky, Su Chen took out the dried meat he had brought with him. By the time he finished eating, the sky was gradually turning dark. The laborers had mostly returned to their homes, and cooking smoke drifted from every household’s chimney.
Su Chen didn’t make a move immediately. Based on his three days of observation, Liu Tong would practice his saber techniques after eating. He waited for about three hours before Liu Tong finally finished his training and returned indoors to wash up. Su Chen remained unhurried. He waited quietly, taking the opportunity to close his eyes and rest his mind.
When the candle in Liu Tong’s room went out, Su Chen’s eyes snapped open, and he floated gently down from the tree branch. Liu Tong’s courtyard was situated on the outskirts of the Liu Family Manor. It was relatively secluded, with hardly anyone living nearby. It was obvious that he had specifically chosen such a courtyard to live in, which incidentally made things convenient for Su Chen.
Shortly after, Su Chen vaulted over the wall and entered the courtyard. He moved very slowly and cautiously, terrified of being discovered by Liu Tong. Fortunately, he didn’t make any noticeable noise during the process and didn’t alert his target.
Arriving outside the window of Liu Tong’s room, Su Chen pulled out the Sleeping Powder he had acquired from Qian Huan. This was the very drug Qian Huan had used to knock women unconscious. Su Chen had thought it was highly effective, so he had pocketed some of it. It functioned similarly to the aerosol knock-out sprays he’d seen in movies and TV shows from his past life. Su Chen deliberately increased the dosage of the Sleeping Powder, unleashing all of it on Liu Tong. He made sure it was enough to effectively take down even a Martial Artist who had reached Perfect Power Cultivation.
Estimating the time it would take for the Sleeping Powder to take effect, he waited for about five minutes. When he heard the sound of snoring, Su Chen poked his head out and peeked inside. He found Liu Tong lying on the bed, sleeping soundly, with that saber clutched firmly in his hand.
THUD.
Su Chen jumped in through the window. Looking at the unconscious Liu Tong, a flicker of doubt flashed through his eyes.
"No, something’s not right!" he thought.
His gaze landed once again on the saber gripped in Liu Tong’s hand, and his expression drastically changed. He immediately realized something was wrong. How could an unconscious person maintain a grip on a weapon?
"You’re pretending to be asleep?" Su Chen lowered his gaze, his voice carrying a probing tone.
As his words fell, Liu Tong, who had been snoring and feigning sleep, abruptly opened his eyes. He slowly sat up, fixing a pair of cold, indifferent eyes squarely on Su Chen.