Chapter 52: Qi Shun Seals the County? Information Refresh!

Before heading to Jinzhou, Qin Wang needed to make a trip to the black market in Jingshan. According to intelligence, a mysterious fragment there would be of great help to him. As Jingshan was on the way to Jinzhou, it wouldn't be a detour.

"Brother, I'll follow your lead. We need to leave as soon as possible," Qin Xuemei said, recognizing the urgency of their situation. If the head of the Chen family returned and tracked them down, escape would be impossible. Though the odds were slim, it was better to leave early.

"Alright, I'll pack up. We'll depart for Jinzhou today, with a brief stop in Jingshan," Qin Wang agreed.

As the morning sun rose, in a large courtyard about five miles from the county office in Yanyun County, eight guards dressed in red, each armed with a long knife, stood watch.

Inside the main hall of the courtyard, a burly, sharp-eyed middle-aged man sat by a long knife. He addressed a hawk-nosed, lean young man before him. "Feiying, any news on the Sky Hawk?"

"Uncle, I regret to inform you that we have not yet located him," the hawk-nosed youth replied, ashamed.

"It's not your fault. The Sky Hawk's ability to steal the Red Sun Divine Art from Yan Baifei speaks to his exceptional skills in stealth and lightfoot. Continue the search. If we acquire the Red Sun Divine Art, our family's strength will soar!" Qi Shun's eyes burned with desire at the thought of the art. Yan Baifei, the top martial artist in Liangzhou, had dominated the martial world for thirty years with this art.

"Yes, Uncle!" Qi Feiying bowed respectfully and left.

Just then, a soldier rushed in, presenting a wax-sealed scroll. "Report, General, an eagle message!"

Qi Shun broke the wax seal and read, "The Heavenly Fortune Grand General is sending the Thirteen Taibao, General Zheng Lingyun. He'll arrive in Yanyun County in two days, and he asks for help in sealing the county to investigate his father's killer."

Qi Shun's eyes lit up. He was a deputy altar master of the Heavenly Fortune Alliance, assigned to Yanyun County to lay groundwork for their forces. Taking advantage of the recent upheaval caused by the exposure of Li Hongfei and the county magistrate Chen Hao by the Heaven's Secret Pavilion and the Hundred-Knowing Sage, he had rallied three thousand militia.

Now, with one of the Thirteen Taibao coming, he saw an opportunity. Helping Zheng Lingyun could earn him favor and ease his path upward in the Heavenly Fortune Alliance.

"Sealing the county will also aid in capturing the Sky Hawk and obtaining the Red Sun Divine Art!" Qi Shun's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

At 9 AM in the southern gate of the county, a long queue formed as dozens of militia soldiers inspected people entering and leaving the county.

"This line is too long! At this rate, I won't get back to Baiyang Town until nightfall!" complained one person in the queue.

"Don't you know? The former chief constable Zheng's son is coming. They're sealing the county to find his father's killer," another explained.

"Did you hear? The Chen family, one of the four major families, was exterminated by a mysterious expert last night. Blood everywhere! It was horrific!"

"The Chen family? That's impossible! Didn't their youngest son join the Immortal Sect? Who would dare? Aren't they afraid of retribution?"

Amidst the chatter, a middle-aged woman and a sallow-faced man exchanged worried glances from the back of the line.

"Brother, we should head back and reconsider our plans," Qin Xuemei said.

Qin Wang nodded, his expression dark. Just as they were about to leave Yanyun County, Qi Shun's sealing of the county had complicated matters. Their disguises wouldn't withstand thorough inspection. They turned back.

Half an hour later, they returned to their rented courtyard.

"Brother, we should try leaving at night," Qin Wang suggested after they ate.

"Even at night, the guards will be a challenge. How do we get past them?" Qin Xuemei worried.

"We can't risk staying. I have a plan. Wait for me here while I get some supplies," Qin Wang reassured her.

At 3 PM, disguised as a middle-aged couple, they rented another courtyard a mile from the southern gate. They planned to leave at the first watch when the guards would be most lax.

That night, at the early hours of the morning, Qin Wang received new information:

Daily Information Refresh!

Today's Information:

1) Yesterday, you exterminated the Chen family. Chen Kun, the head of the family, will return to Yanyun County in four days after failing to kill Su Dingfeng.

2) You killed Chen's matriarch, Zhuo Qiumei. She had written to her brother, Zhuo Qiuhang, the governor of Yunzhou, to celebrate her grandson Chen Yi's admission to the Immortal Sect. Zhuo Qiuhang, too busy, has sent his son Zhuo Yijian to Yanyun County to congratulate them and take Zhuo Qiumei to Yunzhou.

3) Yesterday, you tried to leave the county but were blocked. Qi Shun received an eagle message from Zheng Lingyun, asking him to seal the county to find his father's killer. Qi Shun will keep the county sealed until Zheng Lingyun arrives.

4) Qi Shun has two motives for sealing the county: to please Zheng Lingyun and to capture the Sky Hawk, aiming to seize the Red Sun Divine Art.

5) The Sky Hawk has already killed a militia soldier and is now disguised as one within the militia.