192: Chapter 192 Meeting, Doubts

"Young Miss, safe travels."

"When you meet Lord Chen, just act as you usually do. Don't be nervous; that is your most natural self..."

In front of the Lin residence, Xiao Qian's voice drifted faintly from behind.

Lin Wan ignored the maid's chatter and walked straight out the door.

She mounted her horse and headed straight for Six Doors.

The streets were bustling with people, and the sounds of peddlers crying out their wares were endless.

Yet, Lin Wan felt a strange sensation in her heart.

Anticipation, nervousness, and an indescribable sense of unease.

Half an hour later.

At Six Doors, Lin Wan walked in a hurry, the long saber at her waist clinking softly against her side with each step, producing a crisp sound.

She walked straight through the front courtyard and arrived outside the archives room.

Outside the archives room, a Constable was sitting there, engrossed in reading a casual book.

A glance at the book's content revealed it was mostly anecdotes about the Jianghu or stories that had been embellished by others.

"Stories about fallen leaders of the Righteous Path, or the love and hate within Jianghu Schools..."

These penny dreadfuls were half-true and half-false, all about happenings in the Jianghu, making them the perfect choice for passing the time.

Suddenly, a clear, melodious female voice rang in his ear:

"Where is Chen Ran?"

The on-duty Constable looked up, stunned, his expression changing instantly.

He shivered and hurriedly hid the book behind his back.

"Co... Constable Lin? Deputy Captain Chen didn't come in today."

Lin Wan frowned slightly. She didn't press the issue of him slacking off, but continued to ask:

"He didn't come? Did he ask for leave?"

"Not that I know of. But Lord Chen doesn't usually come for roll call. You know, his main duties are at the Celestial Prison..." The Constable gave a dry laugh.

Although Chen Ran held a high status within Six Doors and was the Deputy Captain of the Gold-Badge Constable team,

ultimately, he still held an official position within the Zhenyu Division. He had only been temporarily transferred by Lin Wan to assist, so there was no mandatory requirement for him to be stationed there.

"If he doesn't come for roll call, where does he usually stay?" Lin Wan pressed.

The Constable scratched his head, hesitating:

"This... I wouldn't know. Lord Chen has always been a loner. Apart from shift changes, he rarely drinks or gambles with us brothers."

Seeing there were no leads within Six Doors, Lin Wan didn't ask any more questions and turned to leave.

She visited a few other places Chen Ran might frequent.

The teahouse in the East City, the restaurant in the West City, and even the noodle stall at the street corner—she checked them all.

Nothing. She couldn't find him anywhere.

The excitement she had originally felt about meeting him gradually faded, replaced by doubt.

Leading her horse, Lin Wan arrived at the Zhenyu Division.

"Lord Chen?"

The officer in charge of registration flipped through the roster and shook his head.

"He is not here."

"Is he not on duty today?"

"Lord Chen's shifts have always been flexible. We truly haven't seen him today."

The officer closed the roster. Ever since Chen Ran's position was elevated to Prison Officer, he was no longer someone these officers could manage.

Where he went on a daily basis was certainly not something registered with them.

The officer closed the roster and looked at the stunning woman before him.

"Constable Lin, if you have something urgent, should I send someone to check his home?"

"No need." Lin Wan waved her hand.

She stood outside the empty duty room and stopped.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground.

"Strange, where could he have gone?"

Lin Wan sighed, her chest rising and falling, a sense of frustration seeming to block her heart.

It seemed she wouldn't be able to find him today; she had no choice but to head home.

However, Chen Ran was just an ordinary Prison Officer; apart from supervising prisoners, he seemed to have nothing else to do.

Yet, upon careful reflection, over these past few days, or even these past few months, his movements had always been elusive.

Seemingly regular, but in reality, there were no traces to be found.

Lin Wan suddenly felt that she didn't understand this subordinate of hers at all.

His character, his past, his friends... thinking about it carefully now, it was all shrouded in a layer of mist.

Chen Ran, what secrets are you hiding?

A gust of wind blew by, sweeping up the fallen leaves on the ground. She turned and left, her steps much slower than when she had arrived.

...

Outer City, South City.

The streets here were much narrower than in the Inner City, and the road surface was uneven and potholed.

The houses on both sides were low and dilapidated, emitting a musty smell, and the pedestrians passing by were much fewer than in the capital.

Chen Ran walked among the crowd, completely unremarkable.

He wore an ordinary green long robe, his pace unhurried.

All around were the noisy sounds of the marketplace. Peddlers crying out, children crying, and the sounds of fighting and scolding coming from afar.

Chen Ran passed through several small alleys, and the people around him became fewer and fewer.

Finally, he stopped in front of a secluded dead-end alley.

On both sides were towering gray walls with peeling plaster, revealing the dark red bricks inside.

At the end of the alley, weeds were overgrown. An old, abandoned water well was hidden in the shadows.

Chen Ran stopped. The well mouth was covered by a piece of rotten deadwood, covered in moss and insect-eaten marks.

It looked as if it had been abandoned for a long time.

Chen Ran lifted his foot and gave it a gentle kick. The deadwood rolled to the side, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The bottom of the well was pitch black and bottomless. A cold, damp aura rushed toward him.

Chen Ran did not hesitate and leaped down.

The wind whistled past his ears as he fell for a full ten zhang. His feet landed steadily without making a single sound.

The bottom of the well was a world of its own. The space was extremely spacious, covering an area of nearly a hundred zhang.

The surrounding stone walls were carved with complex array patterns, which emitted a faint, shimmering light.

Chen Ran looked around. Although he couldn't understand these patterns, it looked like they were used to conceal one's aura.

"According to the Blood Seed's perception, this should be a secret stronghold of the Red Lotus Demonic Cult?"

This location was where he had tracked them all the way, following the perception of the Blood Transformation Great Art.

A gust of cold wind swept through the cave, carrying a faint trace of Evil Qi.

A slight sound came from behind him, similar to the rustling of clothing fabric.

Under the perception of his soul sense, a blurry, graceful figure appeared behind him.

Chen Ran did not turn around; he just stood there quietly. The red light of the surrounding array patterns flickered, casting his face in a dark red glow.

"You certainly are bold, hiding such a thing within the capital."

Chen Ran chuckled, breaking the silence, and slowly turned around.

A few steps away, standing in the shadows, was a person wearing exquisite red satin, with a slender figure.

Jiang Mengli's lips curled into a faint smile, her voice echoing in the empty cave.

"The capital is not as secure as you think. There is no place my Demonic Cult wants to invade that has ever been able to stop us."

Chen Ran looked at her, his tone casual.

"A few days ago, you caused an earthquake in the capital. What was hidden in that secret treasury that possessed such power?"

Discussing this matter, Jiang Mengli shed her languid expression and became serious.

She extended her slender, jade-like fingers, and a dark red True Qi flashed from her fingertips, subsequently flowing into the array patterns on the surrounding stone walls.

Hum. The array patterns on the stone wall seemed to sense the aura, lighting up with bright red runes.

Rumble. A crack opened in the middle of the stone wall, then it moved to both sides, shaking up dust that filled the air.

Finally, it revealed a pitch-black passageway, leading to who knows where.

Jiang Mengli flicked her skirt and stepped forward.

"Let's go. What you want is in here."