212: Chapter 212 Discovery

"No one?" Standing in a certain part of the courtyard, the man who had knocked scanned the area; wherever his gaze landed, there were only tightly shut doors and closed windows.

Unconsciously, a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. His face, which already lacked much color, grew even paler.

His tense pupils constricted instinctively.

This discovery ran counter to the result he had expected.

Before coming here, he had vowed and guaranteed success. If he couldn't find the person, missing out on the two hundred taels of reward money was secondary. He didn't want his path to advancement to be cut off just like this.

"Impossible. This guy isn't home. Could it be that he noticed something?" the man who knocked shook his head and murmured.

He didn't think he had much ability, but he did have areas where he felt confident.

He always kept an eye on outsiders. This time, the reason he chose noon was precisely because he had noted the other party's habit of going out.

Holding his breath and focusing, the man shook his head to clear his mind of stray thoughts. He stared intently at the wooden door, his gaze seemingly piercing through it to see what lay behind.

Suddenly, the man twitched his nose as the scent of firewood entered his nostrils.

This scent was very faint, coming from wood that had burned for a very short time. Had he not been extremely familiar with the smell of firewood since childhood, he would have been unable to distinguish it.

In other words, the other party had lit a fire not long ago. Either it hadn't caught fully, or it was extinguished immediately after being lit.

Regardless of the situation, this had happened within the last two quarters of an hour.

During this time, he had been staking out the vicinity of the alley and had never left.

This person was so cautious; it was absolutely impossible for them to be just an ordinary outsider.

Therefore...

"Someone's here." The man's expression hardened. He didn't lose himself in excitement over this discovery; instead, he slowly withdrew his gaze from the wooden door.

He had a faint, terrifying illusion that from some dark corner, a pair of eyes was staring fixedly at him.

Before long, the man's expression straightened, and his surging emotions gradually calmed.

He didn't rush to break in; instead, he quietly climbed back over the wall.

If the other party really was the person the Wu Family was looking for, then they most likely practiced martial arts.

With a constitution not much stronger than an average person's, he could handle the old, weak, sick, or disabled.

But if he truly faced a Martial Artist, even the weakest Foundation Establishment realm one, he would have absolutely no chance of survival.

Outside the courtyard.

Seeing the man return over the wall, the lead man frowned, feeling a faint sense of foreboding. Still, he tried to ask, "Is there an outsider in that house?"

The man didn't answer immediately but stepped quickly to the lead man and whispered, "Brother Xiong, listen to me."

The lead man's expression changed. He glanced around before saying, "Speak."

Having received permission, the man who knocked recounted everything he had discovered in the courtyard in detail.

Upon hearing this, a glint of contemplation flashed deep in the lead man's eyes. Then he spoke unhurriedly, "Xiao Fang, your discovery is very important. If the person in this house is truly the one the Wu Family is looking for, we'll have accomplished a great feat."

"Brother Xiong, what should we do then?" the man asked respectfully.

The lead man didn't answer immediately, a fierce light flashing in his eyes from time to time.

If everything was as he deduced, the safest way would naturally be to notify the Gang to send people for the capture.

After all, he was only a minor leader in the Gang, a mere Foundation Martial Artist.

Although the other party might not necessarily be stronger than him, he wasn't absolutely certain.

However, that wasn't what worried him the most.

If the other party truly was the person wanted by the Wuyang Pei Clan, being in Liuhe Town, they wouldn't be able to fight him for long.

As long as they weren't a Divine Strength Martial Artist, he might be able to give it a try.

Shortly after, the ruthlessness in his eyes faded, replaced by the relaxation that comes after weighing pros and cons.

The next moment, a suppressed, chilling voice sounded in the man's ear.

"Here's the plan: you go to the Wu Family first. Use my name and report exactly what happened; the Wu Family will decide what to do then. I'll stay here to prevent the thief from escaping. Remember, you must be fast."

"Yes."

...

Meanwhile.

A Dragon Scale Horse carriage bearing the Pei Clan emblem slowly entered Liuhe Town.

A two-hour journey wasn't considered long. In this world, the distance between counties was often measured in days of travel.

But for Pei Tianquan, every minute and second of these two hours felt long.

Now that he finally had a lead, he couldn't wait to find Yin He.

Although this matter had been plotted and planned by the Qian Clan, and the Old Ancestor hadn't blamed him, it had happened in the area he was responsible for.

Since it concerned the Family's interests, he had to take full responsibility; otherwise, he wouldn't have the face to remain in charge of the Jinhuai Branch.

"I hope everything goes smoothly." Pei Tianquan sighed softly, gazing at the carriage curtain.

As the carriage slowly moved further in, it stopped in front of an inn.

The inn wasn't large; it was just a temporary base arranged by Pei Tianquan.

As the scale of the Yuanhang Trade Caravan continued to expand, its business spread throughout Jinhuai, but it was mainly concentrated in the capital cities of various counties and Jinhuai Prefecture City.

Market trade in various towns was limited to within Wuyang County; they hadn't yet reached towns in other counties like Liuhe Town.

However, the powers in each town more or less had trade relations with the main cities and their own information channels, so they were not unfamiliar with the Yuanhang Trade Caravan.

The arrival of the Dragon Scale Horse carriage immediately attracted the attention of all the major powers in Liuhe Town.

Stepping off the carriage, Pei Tianquan gave the surroundings a faint glance and then walked into the inn.

To Pei Tianquan, none of the factions present were worth a second glance, so there was naturally no need to linger.

In fact, these factions had been waiting here ever since they received news that someone from the Wuyang Pei Clan would be arriving.

Every one of them wanted to establish a connection with the Yuanhang Trade Caravan or even the Wuyang Pei Clan. However, without a proper reason, they didn't dare to intrude rashly and could only try to become a familiar face in advance.

Only one person behaved differently from the rest, and the crowd around him clearly kept their distance.

At a glance, he stood out like a crane among chickens.

This man was eight feet tall with a resolute face, dressed in silks and satins that exuded a hint of steadiness amidst his nobility, clearly out of place with the surrounding crowd.

However, the most conspicuous thing about him wasn't his clothing, but his eyes.

While the others looked at Pei Tianquan with admiration and awe, his gaze was filled with excitement and fervor.

This person was none other than the head of the Wu Family, Patriarch Wu Shenglong.