The bird formed by the tracking talisman had landed on the mast. Everyone thought that it had been drawn to its owner, Zhu Yunshan.
However, it had not!
This talisman had found the first-class expert who had killed those people on Turtle Back Beach last night!
"Where is he?" Zhuo Yun narrowed his eyes and whispered.
"He was behind the deck earlier." Zhang Chu pointed behind him and took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "I recognize the view of his back."
Zhuo Yun nodded, and his eyes flashed a golden light. He raised his hand and caught a talisman that also emanated a faint golden light.
It was a talisman that Zhang Li had given him; it could turn into a fire dragon.
With this talisman, forget a Spirit Condensation fighter, even a Spirit Transformation grandmaster would be injured if he was caught off guard.
"Brother Zhuo, should we report this to Mr. Zhang first?" Zhang Chu clenched his fists, and his shoulders trembled. "Will this mess with their plans to catch the demons?"
His words took Zhuo Yun by surprise.
"Little Brother Zhang, I'm not sure." He reached out and patted Zhang Chu on the shoulder. The power that he had just gathered in his body dissipated.
He really did not expect this brat, Zhang Chu, to look at the bigger picture.
It was not difficult for him to capture the killer from last night, but if he alerted the enemy and caused the demon to escape, would it not ruin their plan?
"Compared to the matter of capturing the demon, this person is nothing."
"How about this? Help me keep an eye on the person." He raised his hand and handed the talisman to Zhang Chu.
"If you find yourself in danger, activate this talisman with your vitality."
Zhang Chu had just entered the Body Refinement Realm and had yet to gather his True Essence. Nevertheless, he had enough vitality to activate the talisman's power.
Zhuo Yun himself was a first-class fighter in the Spirit Condensation Realm. If he got close to spy on the killer, he would definitely be discovered.
There was an inexplicable connection between experts.
Zhang Chu's cultivation was just right.
A Spirit Condensation Realm expert would not care about the gaze of a beginner martial artist.
Zhang Chu held the talisman in his hand and nodded firmly although his legs shook.
He knew that his life was cheap, and today was his only chance to do something great.
He felt a little more relaxed after he took a deep breath. His body swayed as he walked to the back of the deck and found a place to sit.
It seemed like he was having a hangover.
Needless to say, the clothes he was wearing gave off a sense of nobility, and he looked quite decent as a result.
Zhuo Yun nodded slightly and stood behind the ship's railing. His figure seemed to blend into the green willow that swayed in the wind. If one did not pay attention, one would not be able to spot him at all.
...
Meanwhile, in a room on the third floor, Yu Mengmeng and the woman before her were holding their heads and crying.
"Ms. Qu, I thought you were stuck in the flood…" Yu Mengmeng wiped her tears and softly said, "I didn't know you were in Luojing."
The woman in front of her was called Qu Shan, and she was the eldest daughter of the Qu family. They live just outside Yongzhou Prefecture.
The Qu family was a famous wealthy family. They had fertile land, mulberry fields, fish ponds, and fleets.
Qu Shan grew up by the river, and Qing Yue had saved her when she had fallen into the water.
Yu Mengmeng's story of the water demon saving the little girl was not entirely made up.
After Qing Yue saved Qu Shan, she became friends with her and the other girls.
Yu Mengmeng naturally knew them.
They watched each other grow up and dreamed of getting married as well as having children. They would play together in the river and even attend Mr. Su Ming's classes.
The group of girls even jokingly competed to see who would become Mr. Su's wife.
However, no one expected the village, the house, the fertile fields, and the mulberry fields to be swept away in a flood.
Yu Mengmeng and Qing Yue searched the outskirts of the city, but they never saw the girls.
After that, Qing Yue went back to the source and never returned. Only then did Yu Mengmeng come to Luojing to seek help from Su Ming, who had returned to Luojing three years prior.
"By the way, Ms. Qu, where's Qing Yue? The people on the ship know that she's a demon and want to capture her." Yu Mengmeng quickly grabbed Qu Shan's sleeve and spoke anxiously.
"Also, did she kill those people on the Luo River?"
Hearing what Yu Mengmeng said, Qu Shan revealed an anxious expression as well.
She stood up and said, "Qing Yue would never kill anyone. I-I'll bring you to her now."
The two of them quickly opened the door, but they were greeted by a shocking scene.
A young girl, who had a light red dress on and her hair tied up, was standing at the door.
"Yuyan…" Qu Shan called out.
The person before them was the princess of Prince Yu's residence, Zhao Yuyan. She had been staying with Liu Yue on the boat.
"She's a demon?" Zhao Yuyan's gaze fell on Yu Mengmeng, who was wearing a white Confucian robe and a handsome appearance.
Yu Mengmeng frowned, and Qu Shan quickly grabbed her arm.
"Mengmeng, Yuyan has been helping us. She also believes that Qing Yue is a good demon."
Qu Shan looked at Zhao Yuyan and whispered, "Princess, Mengmeng is a good demon too."
Hearing her words, Zhao Yuyan smiled. She took a step forward and grabbed Yu Mengmeng's arm with excitement. "I'm just curious about what a demon looks like."
"Come on, let's find Qing Yue. I really want to know who she is.
"She was really brave to escort so many women all the way to Luojing."
At this point, her expression became slightly solemn. "Sister Liu Yue has probably discovered who Qing Yue is. The Mystic Moon Guards are preparing to capture her."
These words made Qu Shan and Yu Mengmeng nervous. The three of them quickly held hands and went out.
As soon as they stepped out of the door, a commotion came from the hall below.
A group of constables in green robes had rushed into the boat.
"Last night, two guards were killed on the Cloud Boat. We suspect it to be the work of a demon. Our prefecture has accepted the case, and the Cloud Boat is now sealed off. No one is allowed to enter or leave!" The leader of the constables held a long saber and shouted.
The constables of Zhaoyang Prefecture sealed the front door of the Cloud Boat and stood with their sabers pressed against their chests.
For a moment, the entire boat was in chaos.
Many unkempt heads poked out of the rooms, but they shrank back when they saw the knife-wielding constables.
"Constable Hu!"
"It's Hu Shanhai. That guy is a d*ck."
"Sh*t, I'm being c*ckblocked by this guy on the Cloud Boat. I'll probably never have the chance to visit a brothel for the next three months…"
Many people were wailing and complaining on the Cloud Boat.
Hu Shanhai snorted coldly as he held his long saber. With a wave of his hand, a team of constables standing behind him rushed into the rooms on both sides.
"Don't even think about jumping off the boat to escape. There are already patrol officers waiting outside."
"This is related to an evil force. You know how serious this crime is.
"Those who jump off the ship and escape will be punished as demons and killed without mercy."
Hu Shanhai's voice resounded in the cabin.
The portholes that had been pushed open were closed again.
There were indeed several patrol boats surrounding the Cloud Boat.
A 30-year-old woman in a red brocade dress came forward, but Hu Shanhai pushed her away.
Aunt Yun, I, Hu Shanhai, have the authority to search your boat today. I won't give you any face.
"Even if Minister Chen from the Ministry of Works comes here personally, I won't take it easy on you."
How could a famous brothel like the Cloud Boat not have any support in Luojing?
The officials and nobles knew that Minister Chen Jin was the Cloud Boat's backer.
The Chen family was also a large family in Luojing.
Hu Shanhai's words made Aunt Yun feel insulted.
However, she had no choice but to put on a smile and go forward again.
"Hu Shanhai, since you know who owns the boat, I won't hide anything. I won't stop your investigation, but I hope you can give the boat and the Chen family some face.
"If you chase all the guests and girls on the boat out of their rooms in such a hurry, you will offend all the nobles in Luojing."
The constables were about to kick the doors open. When they heard Aunt Yun's words, they looked at Hu Shanhai.
His expression changed slightly, and he snorted coldly. "I'll give you an hour."
With that, he raised his hand, and a long green banner with faint golden patterns unfurled in his palm.
"The Spirit-controlling Sect's banner?
"The spirit-controlling path?"
Zhu Yunshan had been observing everything from the window sill. Right then, he turned around and looked at Zhang Li with curiosity.