Due to the heavy rain, the streets of Chong Ping County were overflowing with dirty water. This was a small county on a tributary of the Grand Canal that mainly relied on fishing. When the carriages passed by, the scales and organs of the fish that were soaked in the water were everywhere. The stench might have weakened under the washing of the rain, but it was still distinctly discernible. One could imagine what kind of scene this was on a normal day.
On the way here, Ning Yi had already asked about the situation in Chong Ping. Although it was said that this place relied on fishing for a living, in reality, other than fishing and distribution, this county mainly did the business of salting fish, and most of the salting materials were dead fish. Those that had died not long ago and had not yet rotted could not be sold, so they were dragged here to be salted into dried fish.
Although the current world was far from as good as the future, there were still many people who were willing to eat the fish that had just died. But it did not sound good to say that the fish were dead. Therefore, this small business in this county could be considered to be treading on a gray line. Since it was already gray, people would not be too particular about it. Usually, this place stank to the heavens, and some people of status were not too willing to come here. Therefore, it became a place for people from the underworld.
This time, Ning Yi and the others came to look for a person in charge of the Office of Secret Investigations. When the carriages stopped outside a small courtyard on the side of the county, the person was in the courtyard, hurriedly cleaning up a basket of overturned dead fish. Seeing that the carriages had stopped here, the person quickly picked up a few armfuls of dead fish on the ground and threw them into the basket. Then, he wiped his forehead and walked over.
After exchanging code words and asking for his name, Ning Yi and the others confirmed that the person in front of them was the person in charge of the Office of Secret Investigations here, Hao Jinhan. He used to be in the first batch of members of the Office of Secret Investigations. He had been sent to Liao to carry out a three-year undercover mission, and was only assigned here after he returned. At this time, the middle-aged man in front of them looked to be in his early forties. Although he was dirty and gave off a faint stench of dead fish, at first glance, he looked like an ordinary old farmer who worked all day. However, his posture was steady, and there was a calm aura in his eyes. Although the arrival of Ning Yi and the others made him somewhat uneasy, he still gave people a sense of reliability.
The Office of Secret Investigations had been established when they were fighting against Liao, and this group of people were all from the military. Their leader was a ten-man squad leader, and he had seven subordinates.
"Minister of Agriculture, Youngest Sister, Third Son … and a few of my disciples have all gone out today to deliver goods and to investigate the situation nearby. Inside … uh, it's a humble house, simple and crude. Sir, please make do with it, make do with it … "
After confirming each other's identities, the other party welcomed Ning Yi and the others into the courtyard. When they entered the room, it was indeed quite simple. Dried fish were hung all around, and there wasn't much light in the room. Hao Jinhan lit an oil lamp, then started a fire in the stove to boil water for the guests. When Ning Yi and the others said that they were "on our side" and went over to help, the man went out and picked up some of the dead fish in the sewage in the courtyard back into the basket, and then moved the basket of dead fish back to the opposite room.
He didn't waste too much time and simply changed his clothes. When he came over, he already had a lot of information in his hand.
"Mr. Cheng, these should be what you want. The movements of the bailiffs and soldiers in the nearby counties, and some scattered information. I … I haven't sorted them out yet. Please take a look first. "
"That's great." Hearing that the other party had brought these, Ning Yi smiled and took it. He looked at the beginning and asked, "Mr. Hao, do you have a map of the nearby areas?"
"Yes."
Hao Jinhan nodded and took an old map from the next room.
At this time, everyone had just entered the room. Some were moving things, and some were helping to carry water and boil water. Ning Yi took the stack of information and sat down at the table in the room. He then turned around and asked, "Mr. Hao, how accurate is this map?"
"It's about 60 to 70 percent accurate. If there are some inaccuracies, I'll also know about them."
"That's great." Ning Yi smiled. "Mr. Hao, please help me push it out and see what happened in the past two days. Come and sit."
At this time, Hao Jinhan's head and hands were still covered with the smell and mucus of the dead fish. Although he didn't look like a procrastinator, he was a little hesitant at this time. Ning Yi smiled and waved his hand. "It's okay. We don't have much time. We have to race against time."
Although Hao Jinhan was also a person who had seen the world, what he saw in front of him didn't seem to be the same as what he had expected. After a while, Ning Yi had already dragged him to sit at the table. Zhu Biao and the others brought warm water and other things. He also slightly cleaned his hands and head, and the others moved some boxes into the room. When Ning Yi began to browse the nearby information, seven or eight people who accompanied him this time had already gathered. Zhu Biao led the other more than ten people to begin to observe the situation in the surrounding area.
The incident near Chong Ping this time centered around Fang Qifo, and involved the authorities, Fang Baihua and the other Fang La survivors, and the three factions of the aristocratic families that suddenly appeared. For the Office of Secret Investigations, the intelligence from the authorities was already relatively transparent. Zong Feixiao and Tie Tianying had sent many bailiffs and constables to surround and intercept them. Although they weren't the main force in capturing the experts, some places were killed, and some places were forcefully breached. Putting together these clues, they could roughly piece together the situation of Fang Baihua and the others fleeing after they were scattered.
This time, among the people who came with Ning Yi, there was a group of companions who had followed Ning Yi to Shandong. After this period of training, they had also developed a good logical ability. This group of people gathered together and began to summarize the information in the intelligence reports. Hao Jinhan was a true local snake, and everyone would ask him questions from time to time. Originally, he was a little restrained by his swift and decisive style, but Ning Yi's words were kind and clear, so he immediately relaxed and began to combine the information, stating his own conjectures and discussing the surrounding situation with the others.
A portion of the information was then pieced together …
"… On the morning of the 11th of February, after the battle at Siping Hill, more than half of Fang Baihua's group had been scattered. The group of experts who appeared later and surrounded and intercepted them clearly had a tacit understanding with Tie Tianying and Zong Feixiao. The orders they received came from the magistrate's office, which should be the style of those influential families. We couldn't find out the exact situation, but in the Greenwood, some people became very nervous. They said that someone they couldn't afford to offend had come, but as for the details, they were very vague. Most of them only heard this from others … "
"The Greenwood is a mix of good and bad people, and everyone knows different people. These few days, rumors have been spreading everywhere, and some of the information is very unreliable. However, for the wind to blow for so long, I reckon that a few elders with status recognized someone but didn't dare to speak carelessly, which is why it ended up like this. Later on, when we heard that it might be an internal conflict in the Manichaeism Cult and even heard the name Wang Nantuo, we felt that we had to report this matter to the higher-ups. Who knew that Mister Cheng would come so quickly. "
"I've heard of the name 'Mad Tiger' Wang Nantuo before. More than ten years ago, there was an internal conflict in the Manichaeism Cult, and Sikong Nan's faction was pushed out. Wang Nantuo was the Right Protector, and his martial arts were ordinary. He couldn't be considered an expert or a grandmaster. If it was just Wang Nantuo and his group that were pushed out, it wouldn't be a big problem. However, if the remaining members of the Manichaeism Cult reincarnated in someone else's body, I'm afraid that it would be another disaster like Fang La's in the near future. " As Ning Yi spoke, he smiled and casually said, "Oh, that's right. On Fang Baihua's side, who were captured, who died, and how many of them are still outside? Have you heard of it, Mister Hao?"
When he heard Ning Yi mention that Wang Nantuo's martial arts were ordinary, Hao Jinhan's eyes flickered. It was obvious that he didn't agree with it. However, considering that a guest from the Prime Minister's Residence from the capital might have a limited understanding of martial arts, he naturally couldn't say anything. At this moment, he smiled and nodded. Then, he shook his head. "That's what I'm afraid of … However, I didn't reveal much about the situation on Fang Baihua's side. Right now, this information is in the hands of Zong Fei Xiao and Tie Tianying, so I'm afraid that they won't be able to inform the local authorities for the time being. However … I reckon that there aren't many people left. I heard that the famous Towering Blade Du Sha of the Green Forest also lost one of his arms in this battle. He might already be dead. "
"Oh?" The smile on Ning Yi's face didn't fade. "I've heard of Towering Blade Du Sha. He's a fierce bandit. Tyrannical Saber Manor … I'm afraid it's about time. "
"There are still some who are escaping, but it might be hard for them to escape. Someone said that they saw a steel saber in the camp where the Seven Buddhas of Fang were being escorted. It was as tall as a person and wide. It looked like the weapon of the rumored Tyrannical Saber Liu Dabiao … If they killed Liu Dabiao, Zong Fei Xiao and the others would have made a great contribution. "
"Haha."
When Hao Jinhan mentioned 'Liu Dabiao's weapon', Ning Yi had already opened his mouth and laughed. His joyful smile stopped in the air. After he finished speaking, he laughed again. He was originally sitting on a chair, but now, he leaned against the back of the chair. Then, he pinched his chin with one hand and made a contemplative expression. After a while, he looked at Hao Jinhan and opened his mouth. Hao Jinhan thought that he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't make a sound.
After a while, Ning Yi opened his mouth again. "That's a good thing. This doesn't matter. But … where are Zong Fei Xiao and Tie Tianying now? Where is the camp? If it's possible, we should go and greet them. The main thing is … we can't be careless about the Manichaeism Sect. "
"It's a little southwest of Siping Hill. Uh … according to the map, it's here …"
As Hao Jinhan spoke, Ning Yi smiled as usual, but he continued, "… Back then, the Manichaeism Sect developed rapidly because it relied on the protection of some large clans and aristocrats. Although Sikong Nan and his people were chased out, it doesn't mean that they aren't the Manichaeism Sect anymore. If they deceived some of the upper echelons, it will be the same thing next. Oh, here … Moreover, it's fine if the large clans keep slaves and thugs, but to secretly shelter these rebels, where are the laws of the country? Furthermore, after sheltering them for so many years, they didn't report to the imperial court or the government to clarify and whitewash these people's identities. What evil intentions do these people have? They are the enemies of the imperial court and the people … "
Ning Yi rambled on for a while. Hao Jinhan nodded his head, but he didn't understand the original meaning of Ning Yi's words. The Right Minister wanted to push for the northern expedition. There were allies and enemies in the imperial court. With Wang Ci as the leader, there would definitely be political enemies of the Right Minister among the large clans that participated in this expedition. These political enemies were related to the Manichaeism Sect, so the Right Minister could use them to make a fuss. The reason why he quickly sent out the news was also because of this reason. At this moment, "Cheng Zhouhai" was full of tricks. Hao Jinhan thought to himself, "My news is really good. The Prime Minister should be able to use it." He had also been to Liao and pushed for the northern expedition. Although his status wasn't high, he was still happy to be able to contribute.
The group of people analyzed for a while. Ning Yi excused himself to leave the room. When he stood under the eaves, he was slightly absent-minded. His fists were already clenched in his sleeves. Zhu Biao came from the side and said softly, "That Liu Dabiao …"
Ning Yi swallowed a mouthful of saliva and looked at him. After a while, he said in a low voice with difficulty, "If he's dead, I want to see his corpse."
Zhu Biao nodded, "Then tonight, do you want to make a move?"
Ning Yi shook his head and didn't say anything else. After a while, Zhu Biao saw his lips move. He opened his mouth and showed his teeth, but he didn't know what he was doing. The expression on his face changed. It looked like a smile, but it also looked a little ferocious. His expression changed a few times under the eaves before he finally found a seamless and warm smile.
So he just smiled like that, turned around and went back into the room. After a while, the sound of laughter came from the room …
*****
In the heavy rain, the two figures were still chasing each other.
The rain fell on their bodies. They couldn't feel it anymore. Their blood was boiling, and their bodies felt like they were burning. In the midst of running, they couldn't feel the pain anymore. There was only the alarm that kept pushing their bodies to the peak, buzzing in their ears and vision.
Rushing down the grassy slope, the attack from behind had already arrived. She turned around and exchanged two blows with the other party. The blood in her mouth sprayed onto the fat face, and then she rolled down the grassy slope.
The world was spinning. When she struggled to stand up from the ground, swaying, behind her was … the river.
The sound of wind breaking came from the front. She used both hands to block it, and her whole body flew into the air behind her.
Her petite body spun a few times in the air, and fell into the turbulent water with a bang.
The huge body chased her to the side of the river, grabbed a round stone, and swung it. With a bang, the stone smashed into the water. The girl only felt a pain on her shoulder, and her body dizzily spun deeper into the water. Blood had already dyed the water …
I can't sleep! That damn fatty will chase after me! She tried her best to stay awake, gritting her teeth, but her body was already on the verge of exhaustion.
On the riverbank, the huge body rushed into the water with a bang, creating a high splash in the heavy rain. It looked like a giant bear rushing into the water, closing in on its prey —
*****
At the same time, in another part of the mountain forest in the rain, a small episode was happening.
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