204: Chapter 204 Clues

Judging from their silhouettes, both individuals were about seven feet tall. One followed the other, separated by less than ten feet.

"Liu Fu, slow down a bit, you're going to tire me to death."

"Er Gou, if we don't hurry, they'll catch up to us. Just hang in there a little longer; once we pass this alley, they won't be able to catch us."

As the two were communicating, curses rang out from behind them, "You little brats, don't run! How dare you steal things from my Liu Family? You've got some nerve. If I catch you, see if I don't beat you to death!"

Upon hearing these curses, both of them shuddered.

"Er Gou, quick, climb the wall, there's no time!" As he spoke, the leading youth charged forward, his body moving like an ape as he leaped up and stood atop the perimeter wall.

The youth behind him was much slower in his movements, but after several running starts, he also managed to scale the wall.

At this point, the pursuers could only watch as the two disappeared into the distance, leaving behind a frustrated curse.

"Er Gou, you go back first. Since we were discovered by the Liu Family this time, I'm afraid we won't have another chance in the future."

"Alright. Then Liu Fu, I'm leaving first."

...

At the same time.

Mingshui Street, Jinhuai Branch.

Pei Tianquan's brow was furrowed as he paced back and forth in a side hall, seemingly weighed down by concerns.

This side hall was exactly where he handled daily official business.

However, for the past two days, the Jinhuai Branch's operations had completely stopped, so naturally, there was no official business to handle.

However, this did not mean that Pei Tianquan could remain idle.

Although Yin He's Family had not been found, after an investigation, he had still managed to find some relevant clues.

Yin He hailed from the East City Yin Clan and was a collateral Disciple of the clan.

The East City Yin Clan was not considered a Great Family; at most, it was an unranked Family. But even so, in the East District where Great Families numbered no more than five, the Yin Clan was still considered a large clan.

Between the collateral, direct, and primary lines, there were nearly a thousand people. As one of the collateral Disciples of the Yin Clan, Yin He's status was self-evident.

To say he was completely inconspicuous would not be an exaggeration.

To put it bluntly, even if Yin He died outside, the East City Yin Clan might not put much effort into investigating.

At most, Yin He's direct relatives would pay some attention.

After investigating, the clues Pei Tianquan obtained showed that Yin He's direct relatives had long since passed away.

Looking at it this way, the clues seemed to have suddenly cut off.

However.

Just when everything seemed to have no trail to follow, he obtained a clue.

Over a decade ago, Yin He had a mistress; she was a widow and was raising a child alone.

As soon as this clue was discovered, Pei Tianquan noticed something amiss.

In the Great Jing Dynasty, it was almost impossible for an ordinary widow to raise a child alone at a young age, even if they were raised in poverty.

Furthermore, he suspected that this child was very likely Yin He's.

If that were the case, wouldn't Yin He have remained in contact with this widow?

This discovery made Pei Tianquan somewhat ecstatic.

But once he calmed down, he felt he might be celebrating too early.

Even if the two had a connection in the past, it didn't necessarily link to Yin He's disappearance.

But regardless, he could only treat a dead horse as if it were alive.

"Two hours have already passed; I wonder if there are any clues," Pei Tianquan murmured.

Just as Pei Tianquan was feeling anxious about this, a scout dressed in a black robe hurried into the hall.

Upon seeing the scout, Pei Tianquan stopped pacing and hurriedly asked, "What is the situation?"

"The people have been found by your subordinate; they are near Hexiamen Street in the East District. The widow is named Li Chunmei, and the child is called Liu Fu," the scout stated directly.

"Is this child called Liu Fu the illegitimate son of Yin He?" Pei Tianquan asked.

"Regarding this matter, your subordinate also cannot be certain," the scout said after a moment of thought, lowering his head.

Hearing this, Pei Tianquan did not continue to press the issue.

This kind of secret that happened over a decade ago, if not personally admitted by the parties involved, could never be uncovered in a short time through indirect investigation.

Clearly, Pei Tianquan did not have that kind of time.

The only plan now was to have direct contact with Li Chunmei and her son.

Besides, he would have to take this step sooner or later, and as they say, sooner is better than later.

Thinking of this, Pei Tianquan had no desire to stay at the Jinhuai Branch and said to the scout before him, "There is no time to lose. Prepare the carriage immediately; I will personally take a trip to the East District."

"Yes, Elder," the scout said respectfully.

...

Before long, a carriage pulled up at the back gate of the Jinhuai Branch.

This time, Pei Tianquan did not choose the Dragon Scale Horse carriage exclusive to the Yuanhang Trade Caravan; he chose to ride in an ordinary carriage.

Even though the number of Dragon Scale Horses was no longer small.

In Jinhuai Prefecture City, Dragon Scale Horses were still an extremely scarce commodity.

As long as one went out, they were basically regarded as the symbol of the Yuanhang Trade Caravan, or rather, the symbol of the Pei Clan.

To a certain extent, this was simply too high-profile.

He was going on a secret visit this time, not to parade through the streets.

Starting from Mingshui Street and heading all the way east, they crossed three streets.

In about fifteen minutes, the carriage Pei Tianquan was riding in stopped on a main road at Xiamen Street in the East District.

Since the place where Li Chunmei and her son lived couldn't accommodate a carriage at all, Pei Tianquan had no choice but to dismount.

As soon as he stepped off the carriage, Pei Tianquan immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Back then, even Mingshui Street, which didn't look like much, would have been a paradise compared to this Xiamen Street.

One could say that this Xiamen Street was hardly better than the slums of Wuyang City.

For Li Chunmei and her son to actually live in such a place, one could well imagine their living conditions.

Looking at the surrounding dilapidated houses, Pei Tianquan's heart couldn't help but sink.

"You're saying that Li Chunmei and her son live in this tiny, broken alley?"

"Yes, Elder," the scout replied.

...