10: Chapter 10 Can't find any clues? Just follow the arrows!

"Brother Qin, you..."

Seeing Qin Muyuan kill someone in broad daylight on the street, Xiao Chang's eyelids twitched with fright.

Although his Xiao Family was very powerful in Qinghua County of Hongyan Prefecture, killing someone—especially in broad daylight on the street—was something even his Xiao Family didn't dare to do!

Not to mention Xiao Chang, even the two guards beside him who had seen plenty of blood were stunned silly, expressions of panic and confusion on their faces.

Only when Xiao Chang looked around and found that no one was paying attention to this street corner did he quickly order the guards to straighten the dead thug's head, making it look like he had merely been knocked unconscious.

It could only be said that thankfully, because Shi Yan had been severely bullied, she couldn't even beg in a location where people passed by and had to hide in such a secluded corner.

Otherwise, as soon as the thug died, someone would have discovered it!

Qin Muyuan didn't care at all about the reactions of these NPCs. What was killing a person on the street? When playing GTA 11, he had used guns to slaughter entire cities.

He squatted down to eye level with Shi Yan and asked, "So is your quest for me to give you money to bury your mother, or to help you find your dad?"

Although Shi Yan was terrified by Qin Muyuan's act of killing someone in public, at the thought that this Young Master might very well have killed for her sake, she forcibly suppressed the fear in her heart, gritted her teeth, and said:

"Y-Young Master... it's to help me find my dad!"

"My dad loves me and Mother very much. He wouldn't just abandon us like this. Dad must have been delayed by something, which is why he hasn't returned to find me yet!"

[The little girl Shi Yan has issued you a quest]

[Quest: Help Shi Yan find her dad, Shi Gandang]

[According to Shi Yan's description, Shi Gandang dotes heavily on his wife and daughter. His wife has recently passed away from illness and is not yet buried, and his daughter is left helpless and alone. Shi Gandang would never abandon them at such a time. Could there be more behind his disappearance?]

[Quest Rewards: EXP +250, Mall Points +1700, Little Girl Shi Yan's Gratitude *1, Colorless Thornmail *1]

"Then there really must be more to it."

Qin Muyuan thought as he scanned the quest panel.

Although he possessed Super Strength, his Super Intelligence was still running at all times.

Since Shi Yan's dad doted on her and her mother so much that he emptied his savings to treat her mother's illness...

How could he possibly abandon them and run away when his wife died and his daughter had no one to rely on?

Even using a tiny fraction of his Super Intelligence, it was obvious that something must have happened to prevent Shi Gandang from returning.

However, understanding the logic was one thing; how to find Shi Gandang was still a problem.

Just as Qin Muyuan was pondering, he suddenly noticed a [Quest Marker] function appearing on the panel.

Curiosity piqued, he activated it, and a blue arrow appeared in his vision, pointing toward the end of the street corner.

"Heh, you should've said there was a quest marker earlier!"

Qin Muyuan knew it! Although he possessed Super Intelligence, he was a pure action player at heart!

Thinking used up way too many brain cells. Give him a quest marker earlier, and he could've just hacked and slashed his way through!

He stood up and set off in the direction indicated by the blue arrow.

Nearby, after hearing Shi Yan's words, Xiao Chang also felt the desire to help her, though he hadn't yet figured out where to look for Shi Gandang's traces.

Seeing Qin Muyuan walk decisively in one direction, Xiao Chang quickly instructed one guard to handle the thug's corpse and brought the other guard to catch up with Qin Muyuan.

He asked, "Brother Qin! Brother Qin! Where are you going? Do you know where Shi Gandang is?"

"Of course. Just follow the quest marker arrow and we're good," Qin Muyuan replied without turning his head.

"Kwest? A-row?"

Xiao Chang didn't understand, but seeing Qin Muyuan so confident, he stopped asking and quickly followed along.

...

Soon, Qin Muyuan and the others arrived in front of a residence along Songhua Street.

On the residence's plaque were large letters reading "Squire Chens Residence".

Qin Muyuan looked at the quest marker text on his panel:

[Quest Marker: That thug mentioned Squire Chen earlier. Could the disappearance of Shi Yan's dad, Shi Gandang, be related to this Squire Chen?]

"Squire Chen? Brother Qin, do you think this Squire Chen caused Shi Yan's dad to disappear?"

Seeing Qin Muyuan stop in front of Squire Chens Residence, Xiao Chang asked thoughtfully.

However, reflecting on it, that thug had indeed been sent by Squire Chen.

Furthermore, he was constantly keeping an eye on Shi Yan, coming out to stop them as soon as they approached her, so Squire Chen was indeed heavily involved.

But then again, Brother Qin had just arrived in Qinghua County—how did he know where Squire Chen's residence was? How could he find Squire Chens Residence so quickly?

"Brother Qin, if you suspect Squire Chen is behind this, what should we do next?"

Xiao Chang asked. Looking at Qin Muyuan, he suggested, "Why don't I consult my father and use the Xiao Family's influence to force Squire Chen to hand over Shi Gandang?"

"No need to trouble yourself."

Qin Muyuan immediately waved his hand and retrieved the pure nail from his inventory.

Go back to consult the Xiao Family?

What was there to consult about?

Since the quest marker linked Squire Chen to Shi Gandang's disappearance, it couldn't possibly be wrong.

And since it was right, then...

Right under Xiao Chang's astonished gaze, Qin Muyuan raised the pure nail, gathered his inner energy into the nail, and slashed violently toward the main gate of Squire Chen's residence—

BOOM!

Falling Thunder Swordsmanship!

The pure nail was like thunder falling from the heavens, stirring up the sound of wind and thunder as it split the entrance doors instantly.

The main gates shattered, wood splinters flying everywhere!

Qin Muyuan kicked open the remains of the gate and strolled inside:

"Where is Squire Chen? Come out and face me!"

Outside the front gate, Xiao Chang watched Qin Muyuan split the main entrance with a single strike and force his way into Squire Chens Residence. He and the guard beside him were instantly stunned senseless.

"Th-this..."

Staring at the wide-open entrance, the guard couldn't squeeze out another word for a long moment.

Forcing one's way into a courtyard house in broad daylight—and not just an ordinary person's home, but a squire's compound!

This... this was equivalent to showing complete disregard for the laws of Huoyun Country!

Forget their Xiao Family; even a first-rank official in Huoyun Country's imperial court wouldn't dare do such a thing without a legitimate reason!

Xiao Chang was also thoroughly shocked by Qin Muyuan's actions. However, having already seen Qin Muyuan kill an official in broad daylight back in Xiaoshan Country, he quickly turned around and urgently instructed his guard:

"Quick! Head back to the mansion and get people! Have them mingle into the crowd watching the commotion to spread Shi Yan's tragic story, and link those tragic experiences to Squire Chen!"

"Ah? Oh, yes!" The guard froze briefly, not understanding why Xiao Chang wanted to do this, but he remembered the order and hurriedly turned around to run back to the Xiao Mansion.

Xiao Chang glanced at the gathering crowd who had heard the commotion and come to watch the spectacle, then smacked his fist into his palm.

Brother Qin rescued him from Heishui Prison and agreed to help that little girl Shi Yan find her father; he definitely wasn't a senseless villain who raided private residences without cause!

Therefore...

"Brother Qin barging into Squire Chens Residence must be for good reason! I should trust him!"

Thinking this, Xiao Chang also rushed into Squire Chens Residence under the watchful eyes of the crowd.