Chapter 6: The Identity of the Pursuers

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He Lingchuan's face darkened. The He household had kept silent about the original He Lingchuan and the leopard falling off the cliff together. The sand leopard was later secretly transported back to the city for dissection, revealing that it had been severely wounded before it attacked He Lingchuan.

This confirmed the leopard demon's account: it had been severely beaten by its opponents and fled, with He Lingchuan's original body simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Unfortunately, the two pursuers, whom he and the leopard demon had killed together, carried nothing on them; no identifying items could be found.

Now, these two outsiders suddenly showing up to inquire about the sand leopard's whereabouts indicated a connection to those who had pursued the leopard demon and caused He Lingchuan's misfortune!

This lead couldn't be allowed to escape.

"Where are those two?"

"They're still at the tavern. Our Guild Master is waiting for your instructions."

"Keep them here."

"Alright," the messenger said with a chuckle. "Those two are incredibly arrogant, looking down on everyone. One moment they're complaining the local wine is sour, the next they're griping that the room stinks. Our brothers are already annoyed with them, so it would be best if they got a lesson."

He Lingchuan hesitated for a moment, then stood up. "Lead the way."

He knew that his arrival in this world wouldn't be all enjoyment without any hardship or effort. Since that was the case, he might as well take the initiative.

Uncle Hao, however, said, "I'll go first. Young Master, you can come later." With that, he left with the messenger.

As for why the Red and White Alliance came to provide the information, Guild Master Jin had previously invited He Lingchuan for drinks and music, and He Lingchuan had also helped him establish connections, so they had a certain level of acquaintance. In a small place, networks are always pervasive, and naturally, the Red and White Alliance also wanted to curry favor with Governor He.

When He Chunhua first took office, he discovered Blackwater City was a chaotic mix of people, with the most profitable businesses already divided among various factions. As governor, he naturally desired lasting peace and order under his jurisdiction. Furthermore, given Blackwater City's crucial geographical location, some shadowy forces also had to be brought under control. Therefore, to avoid escalating conflicts, he didn't cut off these people's livelihoods. Instead, adapting to local conditions, he issued the "Alcohol Permit Edict," requiring merchants and citizens to hold a permit to sell alcoholic beverages.

In other words, from then on, selling alcohol in Blackwater City required a license.

Regardless of who they were, everyone had to obtain an alcohol permit from the authorities, or they would be dealt with according to the law.

Common people do not contend with officials, and organizations like the Red and White Alliance, after all, could not openly defy the government. He Chunhua, with his tactical approach of both persuasion and suppression, eventually used the "Alcohol Permit Edict" to bring these unruly forces into line, slowly transforming Blackwater City into his own territory.

Any subtle development in the city would quickly be known to the He household.

This was the extent of the local power's capability.

The two outsiders walked out of a teahouse just as a strong gust of wind hit them. Before they could put on their veiled hats, the sand carried by the wind stung their eyes, making it impossible to keep them open.

The two cursed twice, rushed back to their inn for hot food, and then went down to the communal bathhouse.

After bathing for a while, they inexplicably started yawning incessantly and grew increasingly sleepy, eventually falling asleep in their wooden tubs.

"Splash!" Cold water hit their faces.

The two immediately woke up, realizing they were bound to chairs, facing a gray wall.

By the time He Lingchuan entered the inn's backyard, Uncle Hao had also emerged, water on his hands and a solemn expression. "We've interrogated them," he said. "They confessed."

"Are they still alive?" Uncle Hao already had a serious demeanor, and with his face stern, He Lingchuan's heart sank.

"...Yes, they're alive. They claim to be Second-Class Guards from Donglai Prefecture, sent to Blackwater City on the Grand Marshal's orders."

"Donglai Prefecture?" The words sounded somewhat familiar; he had to search for them in the original body's memories.

That fellow was an expert in feasting and entertainment, and also enjoyed martial arts and techniques, but paid little attention to anything else.

But the three words "Grand Marshal" that followed immediately after truly shocked He Lingchuan!

He remembered.

How many Grand Marshals could there be in the entire State of Yuan?

"The residence of Grand General of the Pillar of the State and Grand Marshal Dong Haoming was personally inscribed by the emperor as 'Donglai Prefecture'!" Uncle Hao stated, word by word. "He is the Eastern Queen's father, the King's father-in-law!"

"Are these two actually subordinates of the Grand General of the Pillar of the State?" He Lingchuan's expression changed drastically, but then he felt something was amiss. "If that's the case, why didn't they say so earlier? Why did they only confess after being tortured? Are they naturally so tough-skinned?"

Although they claimed to be guards, they were essentially Donglai Prefecture's private soldiers. While the nobles and aristocrats of the capital were not permitted to maintain armies, many high-ranking officials secretly kept private forces under various pretexts.

With discipline lax and many policy loopholes widening, everyone knew about it, but no one spoke of it.

"The mission was highly confidential, and the Prefecture had issued a gag order, forbidding them from revealing anything," Uncle Hao said. He extended his hand, revealing two tokens lying in his palm, stained with blood. "These are Dongming tokens, found on their persons."

Each token was the size of a mahjong tile, with similarly rounded corners, but as thin as a leaf. He Lingchuan took them, feeling how light they were. The words "Dongming" were engraved on them, along with a golden seal.

The purpose of the tokens was to prove identity while also preventing counterfeiting. The material of these two tokens was unique: neither gold, copper, iron, nor wood. They looked like jade but didn't feel like it when handled, as they had an elastic quality when pressed.

"These should be genuine," Uncle Hao said gravely. "I've seen Dongming Prefecture's tokens before, and these are identical. The Grand General of the Pillar of the State's fiefdom produces a peculiar wood that secretes a colorless, odorless, translucent resin after its bark is peeled. This resin solidifies upon baking. Objects made from it cannot be replicated elsewhere."

"Are these two really from Donglai Prefecture?" So, he was now in conflict with Donglai Prefecture?

No, it was Donglai Prefecture that had clashed with him.

Separated by thousands of miles, he had inexplicably offended the emperor's father-in-law?

Even the original He Lingchuan would have felt deeply troubled by now. He Lingchuan's mind was in turmoil. "Why would tracking an injured sand leopard become a top-secret mission?"

The original He Lingchuan had rampaged through Blackwater City for sixteen years, enjoying a wonderfully carefree life. How was it that less than two months after he stepped into this role, he ran into such a troublesome affair?

"These two were assigned to Blackwater City to find clues, but they know nothing else," Uncle Hao added. "Over ten other people were dispatched at the same time, heading to various locations near the Red Cliff trade route. Oh, and they were originally stationed in Wuzhao Ridge, so this time they departed from Wuzhao Ridge, not Donglai Prefecture itself."

Wuzhao Ridge and Blackwater City were in neighboring prefectures, less than two hundred li apart, which was much closer than the capital.

He Lingchuan simply said, "Oh," not paying much attention.

The current ruler was weak, and Dong Haoming, as a powerful faction, had followers throughout the land. What was strange about him stationing some people in Wuzhao Ridge?

"Will more people from Donglai Prefecture be coming later?"

"They don't know either." Uncle Hao glanced into the room twice. "We've finished questioning them. How should we deal with these two?"

The best way would be to kill them and dispose of the bodies without a trace.