"Big brother, what's wrong?" The second Xue brother, still not understanding what was happening, was pulled out of the small tavern by his older brother. He remained in a state of confusion.
"We've been played by that old ghost Li Xing. He sent us to the constabulary, likely to use us as a distraction for others. We might not make it out of this one, brother."
"What? That old bastard Li is too despicable! When I see him, I'll tear him to pieces!" The second Xue brother cursed angrily upon hearing this.
"We can't stay here. Let's go quickly!" The eldest Xue brother, not daring to delay further, swiftly left with his younger sibling.
Meanwhile, in a nearby pavilion, the former tavern owner Li Xing, now dressed in luxurious attire, stood at the top, gazing towards the small tavern. Observing the Xue brothers exiting with angry expressions, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Master Li, you've thoroughly offended the Xue brothers now. Aren't you afraid they'll come after you later? They're not to be trifled with," Han Lu's figure emerged from below, softly commenting as he glanced at the departing brothers.
"Will they even be able to leave Fu City? The Qingmu Sword Sect people have arrived. They won't leave empty-handed. Let the Xue brothers serve as our Blood Moon Cult's explanation to the Qingmu Sword Sect," Li Xing replied nonchalantly, withdrawing his gaze.
"Who's that woman?"
"I've found out, but it's quite unexpected," Han Lu took out a hairpin from his chest, examining it gently.
"Oh? If it's unexpected to you, this woman must be quite famous in Fu City," Li Xing inquired curiously.
"She's the Thirteenth Lady of Mingyue Tower. I never imagined Wang Tong would have such a deep connection with her!" Han Lu said softly.
"It's her? This Wang Tong is interesting, hiding someone in a brothel. We certainly didn't expect that. Now that we know where she's hidden, let's act quickly!" Li Xing said in a deep voice.
"We're moving now?" Han Lu furrowed his brow.
"We can't wait. Although the Xue brothers are keeping the Qingmu Sword Sect people busy, if we delay too long and something unexpected happens, we won't be able to take that girl away!"
"Understood. Let's go now!" Han Lu nodded and turned to descend the stairs.
At that moment, atop the pavilion, a black-clad ninja who had been eavesdropping on their conversation vanished in a puff of white smoke after they left.
Elsewhere, Gu Xi'er and her group's carriage arrived at the small tavern, catching a glimpse of the departing Xue brothers.
"Xi'er, those should be the Xue brothers. Shall we deal with them now?" Aunt Qing inside the carriage pointed at the cloaked figures in the crowd.
"There are too many people here. If we act now, there will be heavy casualties. Let's wait until we're in a more secluded area to deal with them," Gu Xi'er said coldly, eyeing the crowded street.
"Understood!" Aunts Qing and Zi nodded, arranging for the carriage to follow the two men.
In the constabulary, Su Hao lay on a long bench with his eyes closed. Although he was the deputy chief, he didn't know much about the job, so he left most matters for Captain Wang to handle. He was comfortably resting, planning to go home after his shift ended soon.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the ground—one of the ninjas Su Hao had sent out.
"Master, we've found the killers of Wang Tong. They're the Xue brothers from the Blood Moon Cult. However, they're now being tracked by people from the Qingmu Sword Sect. We've also gathered some additional information," the ninja reported, kneeling on one knee.
"The Xue brothers have been found? Excellent. What's the other information?" Su Hao's interest was piqued.
"The owner of the wooden box is the Thirteenth Lady of Mingyue Tower. The hairpin stolen by the Xue brothers has been switched by Han Lu from the constabulary. Moreover, Han Lu is a member of the Blood Moon Cult. He and Li Xing, the cult's leader in Fu City, are now heading to Mingyue Tower."
"Han Lu is from the Blood Moon Cult? So that chill I felt yesterday must have been this guy cursing me behind my back. I'll have to deal with him when I get the chance," Su Hao recalled the unexplained chill he felt at the constabulary yesterday, convinced it was Han Lu's doing.
"What's their purpose for going to Mingyue Tower?"
"They intend to take a young girl from the Thirteenth Lady. Number Three is following them and will report any news immediately."
"A young girl? That must be the Blood Moon Cult's objective. Since we've found the Xue brothers, let's deal with them first!"
"They're my targets. If Gu Xi'er and her group kill them, my mission will be compromised," Su Hao said anxiously, standing up and preparing to leave the constabulary.
Outside the door, Su Ping and Constable Liu were conversing. Seeing Su Hao emerge, they quickly stood up.
"Young Master, are you going out?" Su Ping, sent by the Su family to protect Su Hao, prepared to accompany him.
"I'm just going for a walk around the constabulary. You don't need to follow me," Su Hao said, planning to deal with the Xue brothers discreetly.
"Alright, Young Master. Then let Liu accompany you. He's familiar with the constabulary and can show you around," Su Ping suggested, glancing at Constable Liu.
"I'll just walk around by myself. You two carry on with your work. I'll be back soon," Su Hao firmly refused, not wanting any tagalongs for his adventure.
"Very well, Young Master. We'll wait for you here," Su Ping and the others didn't press further, believing Su Hao would be safe within the constabulary.
Su Hao left without another word, exiting the constabulary alone. Outside, he found a secluded spot to change into clothes prepared by his ninja subordinates, then quickly headed towards the Xue brothers' location.
On a secluded street, the Xue brothers suddenly halted. They had long sensed they were being followed but feared causing a commotion in the busy market area. So they led their pursuers to this isolated spot.
"You've been following us all this way. It's time to show yourselves," the eldest Xue brother said coldly towards the pursuing carriage, his voice muffled by his cloak.
"Xue brothers, you killed Wang Tong. Today, you'll pay for it with your lives," Gu Xi'er said as she slowly descended from the carriage, her eyes sharp as she gazed at the Xue brothers.
"Such big words for a little girl. You think you can take down the Xue brothers? Let us brothers show you some real pain today," the eldest Xue brother said, a cruel smile playing on his lips as he stared at Gu Xi'er.
"How dare you!" Aunts Qing and Zi simultaneously leapt from the carriage, positioning themselves in front of and behind the Xue brothers, trapping them.
"Qingmu Sword Sect members?" The Xue brothers' expressions immediately turned serious as they sensed the Qingmu Sword Sect's unique energy emanating from Aunts Qing and Zi.
(End of Chapter)