"Where's Zhou Yunsong?"
Before dawn, the patrol squad was changing shifts.
Jiang Yan looked around and realized someone was missing.
"Senior Jiang, Zhou Yunsong, he, he, he..."
Hong Liang stepped forward with a guilty conscience, stammering. Gritting his teeth, he sold Zhou Yunsong out:
"Zhou Yunsong went to Dark Moon Lake on his own to fish for mermaids. He wanted to earn more cultivation materials."
At first, Hong Liang had planned to cover for Zhou Yunsong, making up some excuse to fob Jiang Yan off.
But when he met Jiang Yan's gaze, his heart lurched. He was so nervous that all the smooth lies he'd prepared died on his tongue.
Dark Moon Lake?
Fishing?
Jiang Yan's face showed no expression. His voice remained level as he said:
"I understand. You can go back and rest."
Then he instructed the martial artists assigned to the latter half of the night's patrol:
"If you run into Zhou Yunsong, tell him to come see me."
"Of course, he can also choose not to come. He'll bear the consequences."
Whatever was going on between Zhou Yunsong and Chai Sanniang, Jiang Yan wouldn't pry. But if the man took his feelings out on other things, Jiang Yan certainly wouldn't tolerate it.
Otherwise, if Zhou Yunsong's negligence caused a lapse in the patrol and needless casualties, then even death wouldn't absolve him of blame.
Seeing Jiang Yan give his orders, Hong Liang sighed inwardly. Zhou Yunsong had made himself a troublemaker, and he was sure to pay for it.
With a martial artist of such profound skill deliberately taking him to task, Zhou Yunsong was bound to suffer on this trip to Dark Moon Lake.
"Ah!"
Just then, a faint scream came from the direction of Dark Moon Lake in the distance, catching everyone's attention.
Jiang