The River Sacrifice Festival

"What do you think?"

When they reached the courtyard, Sun Wangxian was the first to ask.

He An knew the truth of the matter, but at that moment he could still act as if he knew nothing.

"There are signs that someone rummaged through the room. It's obvious someone came in, but none of them remember a thing. That shows the intruder's strength is extremely high—ordinary people would never notice him."

"Putting that together with the deaths of the others, we can be sure. It was the Salvation Cult remnant who escaped."

"Exactly. It must have been him. I just don't know why that bastard came back instead of running for his life. What is he looking for?"

Sun Wangxian furrowed his brows as he pondered.

He An felt guilty, so he didn't dare say much. He simply followed Sun Wangxian's lead. "It's hard to say."

"The one thing we can be sure of is his true identity."

"And he definitely hasn't left!"

The two exchanged a glance.

Sun Wangxian said worriedly, "The three people he killed weren't very strong. That suggests he started by going after the weak."

"If that's the case, you're in trouble!"

"I fought him before. He's very strong, one of the best in the Blood Circulation Realm. I couldn't take him down on my own."

"That's not even the worst of it. I could tell back then that he was only one step away from Entering the Ranks."

"Now he's come back in such a brazen fashion. There's a good chance he's already broken through."

He An's expression turned serious.

A Martial Artist in the Blood Circulation Realm might not amount to much to him.

But if the man had Entered the Ranks, that would be a serious problem.

Even so, another question still troubled Sun Wangxian. "What do you think he's looking for? Why make such a big show of himself?"

He An: "..."

Before leaving,

He An left all the silver taels he had with him.

Worried that it wouldn't be enough, he even borrowed Sun Wangxian's silver taels and gave them all to the old woman.

That was his way of easing his guilty conscience.

All morning,

He An and Sun Wangxian went on to investigate two more murders.

Without exception, they found signs of rummaging in both victims' homes.

The two also learned more from the Government Office staff.

Taken together, the evidence convinced Sun Wangxian even more that the man had returned to look for something, though they still couldn't say exactly what.

On the road,

Sun Wangxian asked, "Brother He, what are you planning to do? Judging by the situation, you're very likely to be his next target."

"With his strength, you and your Eldest Brother wouldn't stand a chance against him, even together."

"What can I do? I'll just have to take things as they come."

"The enemy is in the dark and we're in the light. Fangcheng is so large that none of us will find him unless he makes a move and shows himself."

He An sighed, his mood inexplicably growing more restless.

In the end, they were still short on time.

"That's true."

Looking at He An's troubled expression, Sun Wangxian couldn't think of a good solution either.

Just as the two were about to return to the Town Martial Division, a flash of inspiration struck He An. He stopped and looked at Sun Wangxian, his eyes alight.

"Brother Sun, I've thought of something!"

"What?"

After checking that nothing seemed amiss around them, He An leaned close to his ear and whispered, "If we can't find him, why not make him come to us?"

"You just said I'm very likely to be his next target."

"So why not use me as bait and draw this fish hiding in the dark out of its lair?"

"As long as the man in hiding stops keeping out of sight, this will be much easier to deal with."

"He escaped once. Surely he can't escape a second time?"

Sun Wangxian thought for a few seconds, then said, "Luring the snake out of its hole really is a good plan. But I can't help feeling bad about using you as bait, Brother He."

"What if something goes wrong? You'd be taking a great risk."

He An curled his lip. It was as if he wouldn't be taking a risk without this plan to lure the snake out.

This man was different from Meng Cao.

As a Salvation Cult remnant, he would strike without mercy.

He was just as unpredictable when he went after people, acting entirely on his own whims.

Most importantly,

As a Clerk of the Town Martial Division, Meng Cao had plenty of things to worry about.

But what about this man?

He was all alone.

To put it bluntly, he could eat his fill without having to feed a family. What did he have to fear?

At worst, his head would fall and leave a bowl-sized scar!

People like that were the most dangerous.

That was only the first reason.

Second, He An truly felt guilty.

He didn't want more innocent people to die because of him.

The two crossed the street.

More and more people were appearing in the city.

They walked along the street carrying all kinds of things, as if they were preparing for something.

There were more peddlers too, not just ordinary people.

"Brother He, what's going on? Are all the people in Fangcheng so rich? Everyone's bought something!"

Sun Wangxian stared at He An with wide eyes, looking doubtful.

"You don't know?"

"Know what?" He An looked bewildered.

"The River Sacrifice Festival is in two days, on the ninth day of the ninth month. It's a major event for Fangcheng—no, for the entire Qingshui Commandery. The things they're carrying are for the festival."

He narrowed his eyes and looked He An up and down, as if he'd spotted an impostor.

The River Sacrifice Festival.

The grandest festival in their region.

Aside from the New Year, few festivals could compare.

And yet a man born and raised in Fangcheng didn't know about it?

He An scratched his head. Only then did he recall what he knew about the River Sacrifice Festival.

"Look at me. I'd completely forgotten about it."

Sun Wangxian shook his head and chuckled. "You, always focused on cultivation. You even forgot about the River Sacrifice Festival. Does that mean you're not planning to go up and compete for the First Incense either?"

"I heard the prize for the First Incense is especially generous this year. The County Governor personally promised it."

"I just don't know what the prize will be."

At the River Sacrifice Festival,

Any young Martial Artist could take the stage and compete for the incense offered at the ceremony.

The County Governor, the Centurions of the Town Martial Division, and the Patriarchs of the various families would all be there.

If someone really won the First Incense, it would be a great chance to make a name for themselves.

It wouldn't be unheard of for the winner to receive a promotion on the spot.

He An, however, couldn't have cared less about any of that.

He wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal his true strength just to become famous for a moment.

"I'll watch, but I'll pass on going up there. I'm no match for those people. I'd only make a fool of myself."

"That's true."

Sun Wangxian gave a bitter smile, clearly reminded of something unpleasant.