Wan Qiang has come back but only to wake the two junior brothers up. Luo Yang received a slap in his face which was unfair compared to Wu Huan who only received a pinch to his cheek.
"If you're a normal person, you will only have to yell our names."
She frowned, "I wish to not be normal. What does it have to do with you? Do you care to know where Shi Lihua is then?"
"Shijie, did you find Shixiong?" Wu Huan was already getting dressed. His eyes no longer held the initial annoyance and drowsiness.
"Yes."
"Really?" Luo Yang finally got up on his feet.
They ran to the east side of the city where the East gate lied accompanying by a huge forest. Wan Qiang had told them that the East gate was for transporting goods, however, it was stretchy. Along the beaten path, in the middle of the forest, were slaps of broken wood and a few dead bodies. They were lying in their own pools of blood.
"Don't they look like mere servants?" Wan Qiang pointed to the simple attires of the corpses. "My guess is that someone attacked the shipments just recently. The blood was quite flesh when I discovered them."
"How did you think of searching here in the first place? There's not even a village around." Luo Yang muttered as he inspected the wood slaps.
"That's probably the carts or whatever they used to ship the goods. I only randomly stumbled here," Wan Qiang copied his action.
Wu Huan was looking out into the forest instead. His face was brighter than the past weeks but not from the orange glow of the lantern, "This seems more like either theft or assassination to me. What does shixiong have to do with it? He couldn't be the one killing these men, could he?"
"I don't know about you, however, this is the first big lead we ever have. Not checking the situation out would spell as a lost opportunity for me. Don't forget that we still have our duties as cultivators to protect the people." As she finished speaking, she flipped a corpse over. In the middle of the chest was a long slit-like wound. "Whoever the attacker is, they have something against the Yin Dragon Sect. Aren't you curious?"
Luo Yang smirked, "Why not?"
[Yin Dragon Sect? Come to think of it, I don't know much about them except hearing from the previous master.]
"Wu Huan?" It was Wan Qiang. Luo Yang and her have already started moving deeper into the forest. "What are you standing there for?"
They were going to search the forest first before checking up on the East gate to chip for some inside information. Apparently, Wan Qiang has some connections.
"Do you know what those people are shipping so late at night?"
"No. It's quite unusual for there to be any shipments in the East. My guess is the destination was meant for the Mo City. However, it has mostly been the Mo City transporting goods to here rather being transported to. Moreover, they only use the entrance and the south gates for the past decades. It's rarely the east."
"Shijie, if it's rarely used, why do they build it?"
"During the demon war, it's proven useful. After that, there's no use for that many gates."
Luo Yang scoffed as he looked around, "It sounds shady. The Yin Dragon Sect has been laying low for the past few years. I was starting to miss the pompous young master Yin at the annual conference. I bet he's busy coxing up a rebellion over his own father."
Wan Qiang flicked him at the back of his head, "Shut it, will you? Such an affair should never be spoken so leisurely."
Wu Huan chuckled despite his peaking curiosity. "I've heard about him from my past master too and I've never seen him so annoyed at anyone before."
"That's right. Why do I never see you at the conference?" Luo Yang waited for Wu Huan to catch up with him. He held the lantern closer to the other's face as if suspicious.
"There was one time I went," the little shidi scratched his nape. "I made such a ruckus that I wasn't allowed to go inside anymore."
"What ruckus?" The two raised their brows at him.
The image of phoenix eyes and strong hands pulling him away flashed across his head. His smiling lips turned upside down. "I can't remember much either."
They gave him an incredulous look but fortunately, they let it go. The three continued their search deeper into the forest. By that time, they had no idea where they were either. Luo Yang needed a pee break. And, Wan Qiang was ready to get out of there. Wu Huan was the only one sitting with a deep frown and chills on his spine. He had been hearing female voices from the time Luo Yang had wandered a little further for privacy. He had already returned but the voices never faded.
"Let's search until sunrise. One other thing I worry about is that there is no pursuer from the Sect."
"..."
Wu Huan gripped his hands, "What if they suspect us? Shouldn't we get out of here"
Wan Qiang rolled her eyes. "You're scared?"
"Scared?" He obviously felt a little hurt. "What if we all get into trouble? "
This was getting heavy. Luo Yang could feel it. And he couldn't have been more eager to divert the attention. "I think I hear someone."
A lie.
Wu Huan's face paled. "You did too? I thought I was the only one."
"What?"
"And, you only tell us now?" Wan Qiang looked furious. "Where?"
"I think it's ahead of us? But, it's a lot of voices. A lot of f-females'. "
Luo Yang smacked his forehead, too speechless to admit to his lies. But, he was thanking himself. "What are we waiting for then? I doubt those are ghosts."
Wu Huan, "..."