Life or Death

The moon on the seventeenth of the first month was still bright.

Under the moonlight, a white figure streaked across the ground, speeding towards Haoran City ahead.

Lu Xiaofeng exerted his full strength, moving as if he were riding the wind.

Yet, he still felt his speed wasn't enough, wanting to go faster, even faster!

The more he ran, the heavier Lu Xiaofeng's heart became.

The suspicion in his mind seemed to be gradually coming true.

And this suspicion was actually quite simple… Boss Qian might not be dead at all!

If he said this out loud, he would probably be considered delusional.

Boss Qian had personally plunged a dagger into his own chest, and then Luo Ma, Jiang Long, and Zhou Ming had all verified it three times, confirming he was definitely dead.

Perhaps one person's judgment could be mistaken, but three people… two of whom were experienced Gold-Clad Constables, how could they be wrong?

However, the monks from Yunjian Temple who had been withdrawn two days ago.

Fourth Brother's action of snatching the body.

These things had planted a seed of suspicion in Lu Xiaofeng's heart, and it was gradually taking root and growing!

And as he pursued, this suspicion seemed to be gradually turning into reality.

The reason was simple: Boss Qian was a bit plump, likely weighing close to two hundred jin.

How fast could Fourth Brother run carrying a two-hundred-jin corpse?

He could make the exceptionally skilled Lu Xiaofeng chase for so long without seeing any sign of him?

But if Lu Xiaofeng's suspicion was true, then it would be understandable.

Boss Qian wasn't dead at all, so Fourth Brother didn't need to escape with a two-hundred-jin corpse. He just needed to get Boss Qian out of Yunjian Temple, and Boss Qian could wake up and run with him.

Thus, their speed would naturally be extremely fast.

Coupled with the time Lu Xiaofeng was delayed by Luo Ma, Jiang Long, and Yue Qing, and then giving chase, it was only natural that he still hadn't caught up by now.

"I never thought there was such a method of feigning death in this world, where one could survive even after stabbing themselves in the heart!"

Lu Xiaofeng grumbled inwardly, "Lu Xiaofeng, Lu Xiaofeng, how could you be so foolish?! Are there people in this world who would give up without even trying to fight back in a desperate situation and choose to commit suicide decisively? You should have sensed something was wrong then!"

But it was too late to say anything now. Calculating the time, Boss Qian and Fourth Brother might have already escaped into the Imperial City.

With hundreds of thousands of people in the Imperial City, finding them again would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Thump!

Suddenly, Lu Xiaofeng's footsteps paused, and he stopped.

He dropped from a tree and saw two sets of clothes lying on the ground below. He didn't recognize one of them, but the other was the set Boss Qian had been wearing earlier.

Lu Xiaofeng picked it up and looked.

Indeed!

The damage and bloodstains on the chest of this garment were still there, as if mocking Lu Xiaofeng's foolishness.

But at this moment, Lu Xiaofeng laughed.

So that's how it was, these two had changed their clothes here?

Although this move was very wise, making it easier to hide after changing clothes.

But they probably didn't expect Lu Xiaofeng to react so quickly and pursue them.

"If you remove the time spent changing clothes, perhaps… they haven't run into the Imperial City yet!"

Lu Xiaofeng looked around and found more footprints of the two nearby.

It seemed that the two of them, thinking they had escaped successfully, had not made any effort to conceal their tracks.

However, they weren't entirely foolish, as the footprints led in two different directions.

One led towards the Imperial City.

The other led towards the wilderness.

Lu Xiaofeng made his decision almost instantly, then dropped the clothes in his hand and ran towards the Imperial City.

Perhaps because they had eliminated Jile Tower too quickly, the city gates of the Imperial City had not yet been closed.

But it was already night, and not many people were entering the city.

Lu Xiaofeng approached the city guards and said, "Brother, I am Lu Xiaofeng, and I need to ask you something."

He handed over a piece of silver, and the guard's eyes lit up. He secretly took it and said, "So it's Great Hero Lu, I've heard much about you. What is it you need?"

"May I ask if, within a quarter of an hour… no, within half a quarter of an hour, a middle-aged man with a plump build and a prosperous appearance has entered the city?"

"Half a quarter of an hour…"

The guard thought for a moment and replied, "No. Let alone half a quarter of an hour, not even a full quarter of an hour."

"Really none? Think carefully?"

"Lu Xiaoxia, after nightfall, there are hardly any pedestrians. In the last half-hour, only an old man passed by, and then him."

The guard pointed to a young man who had just passed through the city gate and said.

The man looked to be in his early twenties, dressed in loose black martial arts attire.

"Brother! Brother!"

Lu Xiaofeng hurried after him and asked, "Brother, when you came, did you see a middle-aged man with a round figure, just within this half-hour..."

The man shook his head and said, "I haven't seen anyone."

"Alright... Thank you, brother."

Lu Xiaofeng sighed helplessly. It seemed he was still too slow. Boss Qian had probably already entered the city, blended into the crowd, and disappeared.

But Lu Xiaofeng was not one to give up easily.

As he walked back, he recalled any potentially useful clues.

Right, the dagger Boss Qian used to commit suicide!

And the clothes they discarded after changing.

Boss Qian had also mentioned that he had two concubines and several children outside...

"Speaking of which, that young man just now, I felt like I'd seen him somewhere before..."

Lu Xiaofeng stopped and looked back. The man had already disappeared into the city, leaving no trace.

The next day.

Pei Manor.

Qianjin Pavilion.

"Here, this is the antidote. After you take it, in about half an hour, the poison in your body will be cleared. Then, you can drink alcohol..."

Lu Xiaofeng took the small medicine bottle but sighed and set it aside, saying, "I'm not in the mood to drink right now."

"Oh? You haven't had a drink in four or five days, and now you can, but you don't want to?"

Zhou Ming asked curiously, "Could it be that something else is bothering you? Why don't you tell me, so I can be happy too?"

"Heh heh..."

Lu Xiaofeng was truly troubled today, he didn't even have the energy to bicker with Zhou Ming. He didn't respond at all to Zhou Ming's taunts.

"You say, is Boss Qian really dead?"

"Is Boss Qian really dead? That's a strange question. Is he going to come back to life?"

"Yeah..."

Before coming here today, Lu Xiaofeng had already visited Six Doors and asked Jiang Long the same question.

Jiang Long, naturally, had a look of utter bewilderment.

Boss Qian is still alive?

How could that be possible!

His death had been jointly confirmed by Luo Ma and Jiang Long, the two Gold-Clad Constables.

Even if his body was stolen, his death was already recorded in the files.

This case was already being prepared for closure.

It was Lu Xiaofeng. If it were anyone else, saying at this time that Boss Qian might not be dead, Jiang Long would have kicked you out of Six Doors and called you crazy, even if he had good manners!

However, Lu Xiaofeng still trusted his own judgment.

Everything he had experienced proved that Boss Qian was not dead at all!

"Right, do you have any experts in your manor who are skilled at drawing portraits from descriptions?"

"Yes, why?"

"Nothing much, I just want to find someone!"