Words such as "Shangyuan Festival" and "evil fiends" could be made out on the scrap of paper.
Zhao Feng rose and swept his gaze around the side room. Aside from the scorched patch and scattered ashes, nothing else had been left behind-no clothes, no bedding, no food scraps, not even footprints. Whoever had used this place had been exceedingly cautious. They had hurried away not long ago, clearing away almost every trace before leaving. Only that incompletely burned letter remained.
Was it deliberate, or an oversight? Zhao Feng's eyes flickered.
The Nine Nether Demon Sect's people had committed crimes for days on end without being discovered, which showed how meticulous they were. They could hardly be the sort to leave evidence behind through carelessness.
Several possibilities flashed through Zhao Feng's mind.
Whatever the answer, at least one thing had been confirmed: the Nine Nether Demon Sect's people had indeed been active here.
Zhao Feng left the side room and stood amid the overgrown weeds in the courtyard, looking up at the sky. Noon had already passed, and the sun had shifted a little westward. Sunlight filtered through the clouds, enveloping the entire courtyard in a hazy glow.
"My lord, should we expand the search?" Yue Lang came up beside him and asked in a low voice.
Zhao Feng shook his head. "No need. They're already gone. This hideout has been abandoned. Expanding the search would only beat the grass and startle the snake, letting them know we're investigating them." He paused, then turned to Yue Lang. "Make the area within ten li of here a priority surveillance zone. Arrange for the Dark Guard to watch it around the clock. Since they established a hideout here, they must know the area well. We can't rule out the possibility that they'll return."