Zhixu City was, after all, Ba Yingshan's territory. If he truly paid attention, he could not be kept in the dark about any overt disturbances.
Upon receiving the news, he went to the guest room at once. Seeing Qi Yueru, he informed her face-to-face, “It’s confirmed, they’re leaving today.
It won’t be long now. Once Far-Gazing Tower has its goods in order, they’ll leave with them.”
Hearing the first half of the sentence, Qi Yueru was immediately ready to leave. But the second half made her freeze.
She asked, “What do you mean? How did Far-Gazing Tower get involved?”
Ba Yingshan didn’t see any problem with it. “They made a trip to Far-Gazing Tower.
They probably mentioned they were leaving, and Far-Gazing Tower’s delivery team will give them a ride out.”
Qi Yueru instantly flew into a rage.
“With Far-Gazing Tower’s people protecting them, how am I supposed to make a move after they leave? No, you have to find a way to detain those two!”
Ba Yingshan also grew angry upon hearing this. “What are those two brats worth, that I should be the one to act here? If I detain them, wouldn't it arouse suspicion? Aren't you just looking for trouble? Once they’re out, you’ll have plenty of time and plenty of ways to deal with them slowly.
You can do whatever you want. Right now, the ‘Jailer’ and his people are here, and they're clearly suspicious about the Dragon Bone matter.
How can I act recklessly?”
Qi Yueru retorted, “If they don’t have a guilty conscience, why would they seek protection from Far-Gazing Tower? The outside world is vast, with many obstacles. Once they use this opportunity to slip away, where am I supposed to find them in the heat of the moment?”
This was her true thought.
She found the local tyrant of East Nine Plains increasingly suspicious. If there really was a problem, seeking Far-Gazing Tower's protection meant he had made plans and must have an escape route all figured out.
This was something she absolutely could not tolerate; she couldn't allow such a loophole to let them escape.
Ba Yingshan said bluntly, “How you find them after they leave is your business.
I've helped you with things I should and shouldn't have. In any case, detaining them here is absolutely out of the question.
I'm telling you, we absolutely cannot have any more complications here. You all need to get out quickly.
Whatever grudges you have, you can settle them however you like after you leave.”
Seeing that he was genuinely angry and serious, Qi Yueru fell silent for a moment.
After her thoughts raced, she suddenly asked in return, “What if they are really the ones who murdered my son?”
Ba Yingshan said scornfully, “Whether they are or not is your business. I’ve said it, after you leave, you can seek revenge however you want.”
His meaning that it had nothing to do with him afterward was obvious.
Qi Yueru moved closer to him, her gaze scorching as she met his.
“If they are truly the murderers, why would they leave a treasure at the scene instead of taking it? Isn't it to deflect suspicion from themselves? They've already offended my son. One more offense or one less makes no difference, yet they abandoned such a valuable treasure.
What are they afraid of? I can't guarantee that my brother wasn't pried for information he shouldn't have revealed before he died.”
Ba Yingshan’s brow twitched.
He said coldly, “What shouldn't have been revealed? You’re making forced connections. Don’t give me that!”
Qi Yueru: “It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Is City Lord Ba really willing to gamble his fortune against such a worthless cur? The safest way is to end this quickly in my hands. That way, you can rest assured, and my Qi family can rest assured.
You also know that the ‘Jailer’ and his people are already suspicious. The slightest rumor could be a catastrophe for you.
City Lord Ba, any potential loopholes must be plugged in time!”
Ba Yingshan frowned, a look of hesitation on his face, but it was overshadowed by concern.
Observing his expression, Qi Yueru added more fuel to the fire.
“City Lord Ba's concerns are not without reason. It is indeed inappropriate to detain someone here.
But we can be flexible. Find an excuse to temporarily detain them.
After Far-Gazing Tower's delivery team has left, release them under the pretext of a misunderstanding or some other reason. That way, it won't stir up any trouble.
Within Zhixu City, a small matter like this should be something City Lord Ba has plenty of ways to handle, right?”
The Qi family had sent her here to make contact not just because visiting her son and brother was a legitimate reason, but more importantly, because she possessed a certain ability to adapt to circumstances.
Ba Yingshan's eyes flickered for a moment.
Without saying a word, he suddenly turned and left.
Watching him go, a triumphant and mocking expression appeared on Qi Yueru's face.
But then, the thought of her deceased son brought a wave of grief that she could not hide…
Inside the blacksmith shop, where sparks flew with clanging sounds, a bare-chested, whiskered, burly man directed several apprentices at their work. Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang entered to greet him, also to say farewell.
Since they were leaving, they came to say goodbye to an old acquaintance here.
Both of their weapons were forged here.
The blacksmith shop was at the very end of the row of storefronts belonging to Far-Gazing Tower. It was also part of Far-Gazing Tower, presumably to meet the needs of the people in the Land of Exile.
Shi Chun really just said hello and left. He wanted to go to the main entrance of Far-Gazing Tower to see if Miss Miao truly hadn't come.
The proprietress clearly didn't like him getting involved with her daughter, so it was possible she was deceiving him.
Wu Jinliang didn't want to go with him and used an excuse to stay at the blacksmith shop, shooting the breeze with the whiskered blacksmith, unwilling to face the proprietress's unpleasant expression again.
A row of shops, each with its own specialty. Customers stood at every doorway, people of all sorts bringing various items for appraisal, mostly strange stones or minerals.
After selling their goods, they received a piece of paper with a number written on it. With the amount on the paper, they could buy things in Far-Gazing Tower.
The change they received was also a newly written amount on paper.
This amount could not be taken out of the city.
As soon as one walked out of the city gates, the numbers on the paper would disappear. Therefore, before leaving, everyone would register it under their own name in Zhixu City, which was the so-called accumulation of “Merit.” If they needed to use it on their next visit, they could withdraw it without any deductions.
There were also many who, due to various accidents, would never return.
Such accidents were very common in the Land of Exile. Then, that ownerless money would naturally belong to Zhixu City.
The main hall of the establishment was a place specifically for selling goods. There were slightly fewer customers coming in and out, far fewer than those selling things.
On a long table in a corner of the hall, ledgers were piled high. A young man was sitting behind the table, chewing on the end of his brush as he went over the accounts.
After some writing and drawing, just as he was about to put down his brush, he let out a soft “huh,” realizing there was nowhere to place it. He looked all over the desktop and then scratched his head in confusion.
“The brush rest, where did the brush rest go?”
Shi Chun, who was walking over, found this amusing. He knew this young man and was quite familiar with him.
The young man was an apprentice at Far-Gazing Tower. It was unknown what his background was, but he had entered Far-Gazing Tower as an apprentice at a young age.
He was quite handsome, but his mind seemed a bit slow at times.
Shi Chun had already seen where the brush rest was.
Wasn't it right under that pile of ledgers? Ten to one, the young man had put it there himself.
It was right in front of him, yet the young man couldn't find it.
Just as Shi Chun was about to tease him with a reminder, he suddenly saw the young man bite the brush horizontally, freeing up his hands to take a piece of paper. He folded it repeatedly into a multi-layered '川' shape and placed it on the table.
He then took the brush from his mouth and casually rested it on the ridged paper, before continuing to flip through the ledgers.
A piece of paper, originally soft, thin, and weak, with just a few simple folds into a corrugated shape, instantly had its load-bearing capacity changed, stably supporting a brush.
This scene struck Shi Chun like a bolt of lightning. He stopped in his tracks, staring blankly at the paper that could bear weight after its form was changed.
In his mind, the scene of being immobilized by the Immobilization Talisman that night surfaced.
That azure-green substance was originally imperceptible to people.
Only because the glowing roots released from within the Immobilization Talisman gathered it, its presence was immediately revealed, which was very magical.
After that night, he often wondered what was going on.
The scene of the Immobilization Talisman being used, which his right eye had seen, had given him a direction to pursue after leaving.
Something he could never figure out, at this very moment, upon seeing this piece of paper holding up a brush, it was as if his soul was touched, and he had an epiphany.
“Chaos…” he once again muttered the content Shen Youkun had confessed. He vaguely realized a problem.
Could the bizarre scene his right eye saw be the world of chaos? Could it be that the world of chaos had always existed, but was simply invisible under normal circumstances?
To feel the existence of the various different substances in the world of chaos, could it be that one only needed to find the appropriate medium? The young man flipping through the ledgers unintentionally looked up and saw him standing there like a fool. He called out, “Chun Chun, Elder Sister Miao didn't come this time.”
As he spoke, he picked up his brush and continued to write and draw.
Sometimes he would put the brush down, and other times he would write and draw.
After writing several pages, when he looked up again, he found Shi Chun still standing there in a daze, which he found strange. He put down his brush, walked around the table, and waved his hand in front of Shi Chun.
“Chun Chun, what’s wrong with you? Feeling sad because Elder Sister Miao isn't here?”
“Huh?” Shi Chun came back to his senses and asked in return, “Miss Miao didn't come to Zhixu City?”
The young man shook his head. Just as he was about to say something, a loud shout suddenly came from outside.
“What are you doing? What are you doing? On what grounds are you arresting me?”
A chaotic commotion arose. The voice sounded like Wu Jinliang's.
Shi Chun turned to look, but the scene outside was already blocked by people coming and going, a natural tendency to watch a spectacle.
The next moment, that voice shouted again, “Chuntian, help!”
Was it really Wu Jinliang? Shi Chun’s expression changed.
He quickly dashed over, not hesitating to leap directly over the heads of the crowd and land on the steps outside. He saw that Wu Jinliang had been seized by several Zhixu City guards in armor, his arms twisted behind his back, his neck held down.
Shi Chun said in a deep voice, “What happened?”
Wu Jinliang, struggling to lift his head, said anxiously, “I don't know! I was just walking here about to go in, and they suddenly came sideways and grabbed me.”
Just as he finished speaking, a grimy man draped in a ragged cloth squeezed out from among the armored guards.
He was clearly not a city guard. He pointed at Wu Jinliang and clamored, “It was him! He deliberately bumped into me just now, and then my thing went missing.
He must have stolen my stuff.”
As soon as these words were spoken, an uproar broke out among the onlookers.
In this city, besides being forbidden to fight, they were naturally also forbidden to steal. Otherwise, the consequences would be severe.
The guards here didn't think their lives were very precious.
Shi Chun's heart also skipped a beat upon hearing this.
He stared at Wu Jinliang in disbelief. He naturally knew Wu Jinliang’s hands weren't exactly pure—in fact, whose hands could be clean in this Land of Exile? Who didn't take what they could? However, they were about to leave, so why bother with such petty thievery now?
Wu Jinliang immediately roared at the man, “Who the hell are you? When did your granddaddy ever bump into you?”
Shi Chun, his mind racing, was just about to speak up for Wu Jinliang, but unexpectedly, the man in the ragged cloth suddenly pointed at him.
“And him! I remember clearly, they're in it together.”
At these words, Shi Chun's eyes narrowed abruptly.
He instantly realized something was wrong. If the man had only targeted Wu Jinliang, he might have had some doubts about Wu Jinliang.
But now that he was also being accused, he knew for sure whether he had stolen anything, and he hadn't seen any collision with anyone while he was with Wu Jinliang.