Chapter 176: Chapter 170: Returning to Qinghe County
"He got away?"
Veins throbbed on Zhao Lin’s forehead. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
He had thought his master had been driven to death by Chu Liu’s provocations, or perhaps killed by some despicable means like poison. He never expected it was a direct assassination.
With Zhu Huaishan’s level of cultivation, he would have been fine if he’d just been a little more guarded. Unfortunately, he never dreamed that the disciple he had raised with his own hands would murder him.
"It’s all my fault. I was too incompetent to protect Master."
Gao Yuan said self-reproachfully, "By the time we gave chase, Chu Liu had already escaped the city."
Zhao Lin consoled him, "You can’t be blamed. No one could have expected this. Did you report it to the authorities?"
"We did. But this is an internal sect matter. At most, the authorities will post a wanted notice and tighten the inspections at the city gates. The rest is just for show."
"Even though Chu Liu was lazy in his training, he’s a genuine Second Layer of the Qi Realm practitioner. What constable would dare try to arrest him? We’d be lucky if they just passed on a tip."
Zhao Lin knew this was the reality and didn’t hold out much hope for official help. He pondered for a moment before saying, "Senior Brother, where do you think Chu Liu would run?"
This was his primary concern. Chu Liu had killed their master, and for that, he had to pay with his life. Zhao Lin had to eliminate this traitor who had murdered his own master.
Gao Yuan shook his head and sighed. "For the past month, we brothers have been keeping the Chu family under secret surveillance while searching the outskirts of the county, but we’ve found nothing."
"The world is a vast place. If Chu Liu is determined to leave his home and hide for the rest of his life, finding him will be incredibly difficult!"
Zhao Lin disagreed with his senior brother’s assessment but didn’t voice his objection. He just picked up the teapot, refilled both their cups, and asked, "Where’s Senior Yuan? I haven’t seen him."
Gao Yuan glanced around and lowered his voice. "The Chu family has relatives in Songyuan County. Junior Brother Yuan thought Chu Liu might go to them for refuge, so he went over there to keep an eye on things."
"That’s thoughtful of Senior Yuan."
Zhao Lin nodded and glanced outside the teahouse. "Senior Brother, I’d like to see Master’s study."
Gao Yuan smiled. "Good. You can meet with the other brothers."
"No, now is not the time."
"Why?"
Zhao Lin’s voice grew grave. "Counting me, our Liuhe Sect has only six members. To put it bluntly, even if Chu Liu is holed up in some mansion right here in Qinghe County, we might not be able to find him."
"Right now, Chu Liu is in the shadows and you’re all in the open. Of course you can’t find him."
"But if I don’t reveal myself, then I’ll be the one in the shadows."
Gao Yuan thought for a moment and agreed. "You’ve thought this through, Junior Brother. I won’t tell the others you’re back yet."
Last year, when Zhao Lin was chief constable, he solved several cold cases in a row and was the main force behind the capture of the Drilling Mountain Leopard and his gang.
Reputations precede people. If Chu Liu found out Zhao Lin was back, he might really flee for good.
After leaving the teahouse, the two found a restaurant on the street and had something to eat.
They waited until evening, after the apprentices and disciples had left for the day, before entering the Liuhe Sect headquarters.
After Zhu Huaishan’s death, Gao Yuan, as the new Sect Leader, had moved into the main residence. However, because they were still in a period of mourning, his appointment had not been formally announced.
The study was just as it had been. To the right of the entrance stood Zhu Huaishan’s memorial tablet.
"Since you’re here, you should offer a stick of incense to Master," Gao Yuan said softly.
Zhao Lin walked up to the memorial tablet, lit three sticks of incense, and bowed deeply. He silently vowed, ’Master, rest assured. I will kill that animal and give you the justice you deserve.’
After paying his respects, Zhao Lin turned around. "Eldest Brother, what exactly was the situation?"
Gao Yuan walked over to the desk and pointed at the chair. "When we came in, Master was leaning back in this chair with a dagger plunged into his chest."
Zhao Lin went over and looked around, noticing the dark red bloodstains on the chair and the floor around it.
"What about the dagger?"
Gao Yuan pulled open a drawer and took out a dagger that glinted coldly.
Zhao Lin took it, a thought stirring.
The dagger was about eight inches long, double-edged, with a thin, sharp point.
A dagger this sharp, when thrust with full force, couldn’t be blocked even by a martial artist who had mastered the Armor-Protecting Skill—let alone an unprepared Zhu Huaishan.
The hilt was long, making up half the dagger’s total length. It was wrapped in a layer of stingray skin to prevent slipping from sweat. The skin was smooth and glossy, coated in a thick patina from years of handling.
It was clear the dagger’s owner was fond of the weapon, having handled it for many years.
Zhao Lin brought it to his nose and sniffed, catching the scent of sweat and oil.
’This is Chu Liu’s scent!’
"Senior Brother, is it alright if I take this dagger with me?"
"Of course. Take it."
Gao Yuan agreed readily without asking why.
Zhao Lin put the dagger away and said grimly, "Senior Brother, let’s proceed as we discussed. You and the others will investigate openly, and I’ll investigate from the shadows."
He had gathered enough information now and had a rough plan in mind.
Zhao Lin didn’t agree that finding one person in a vast world was so difficult.
In this day and age, most people’s lives were confined to a single county or city.
It’s difficult to leave one’s homeland and put down roots elsewhere. This was especially true for a pampered young master like Chu Liu, who had never known hardship. He might be able to survive after leaving the place he’d lived his whole life, but could he really endure such a life?
If he wanted a comfortable life, he couldn’t stray far from familiar people and places.
Therefore, Zhao Lin concluded that Chu Liu must still be in contact with the Chu family!
These were his own deductions, which he didn’t share directly with Gao Yuan.
Gao Yuan said apologetically, "This has been hard on you, Junior Brother. You should be at the Xingyun Sect cultivating, but instead you had to rush all the way back here."
Zhao Lin waved it off. "It’s nothing. As a disciple, this is my duty. By the way, Senior Brother, you should probably focus more of your energy on the sect itself. I noticed that quite a few apprentices have left recently."
Gao Yuan looked ashamed. "You’re right, Junior Brother. I’ve been neglecting that part of my duties lately."
