Snow Willow Alley

Before Dugu Bo appeared, Yuan Yu had already visited Snow Willow Alley once.

Snow Willow Alley is located on the west side of Suotuo City. During the day, it sells flowers and wine, and at night, it sells messages.

Several old lamps hung at the entrance of the alley, their paper yellowed, and their light shimmered on the ground when the wind blew.

This place is only three streets away from the Soto Great Soul Arena.

The Spirit Arena, but this place seemed to have been overlooked by the hustle and bustle of the city.

There were wine jars, scraps of paper, and dark red stains that couldn't be washed off at the base of the wall.

Zhu Zhuqing glanced at it only once before slowing her pace even further.

Yuan Yu led Tang San and Zhu Zhuqing into the alley.

Xiao Wu wanted to go too, but Tang San persuaded her not to.

The reason is simple.

The college needs someone to guard it.

More importantly, Dugu Yan has already written to Dugu Bo, Yuan Yu doesn't want Xiao Wu to recklessly encounter Titled Douluo at this time.

Although Tang San didn't fully understand why Yuan Yu being so cautious, he still listened.

Zhu Zhuqing walked at the front.

She walked very lightly, barely disturbing the puddles in the alley.

Tang San kept glancing at the corners of the walls.

"Someone just sprinkled pesticide powder."

Yuan Yu asked, "Poison?"

"It's not poisonous. It's used to mask odors, to cover up the smell of blood and herbs."

Yuan Yu touched the hilt of the sword.

That means something was just dealt with here.

Zhu Zhuqing stopped ahead.

"The third room, there's dust in the door crack."

Yuan Yu looked up.

It was an old shop, the door half-closed, with a sign that read "Snow Willow Tavern".

Tang San squatted down and ran his fingertip along the edge of the door crack.

"The paper was burned."

Yuan Yu pushed open the door and went in.

The room was empty.

The tables and chairs had all been moved away, leaving only a layer of dust on the ground.

There were several drag marks in the dust.

It looked like someone had hurriedly moved the boxes away.

Tang San squatted down and picked up a bit of ash.

"The smell of the paper money still lingers even though it's been burned for a short time."

Tang San walked to the wall and lifted a Wooden Board.

There are a few scraps of paper that haven't been completely burned.

There was also a little black wax residue next to the corner of the paper.

Tang San picked it up and smelled it.

"The sealing wax isn't ordinary wax; it's mixed with moisture-proof powder."

Yuan Yu asked, "For the Chamber of Commerce?"

"It's more like something for people who travel long distances. It has a carriage, cargo box, and ledgers—all essential."

Zhu Zhuqing walked around the room.

There were two footprints at the back door. One heavy, one light. The heavy one meant someone had carried a box, the light one meant someone had just passed a message.

Yuan Yu glanced at her.

"Not bad, Zhuqing."

Zhu Zhuqing did not respond to the compliment.

"The footprints lead to the end of the alley, where there are tire tracks."

Yuan Yu nodded.

"They left in a hurry and didn't clean up properly."

Zhu Zhuqing suddenly whispered, "Someone's there."

Outside the window, three dark figures moved simultaneously.

A packet of poisonous smoke was thrown in through a crack in the window.

Tang San reacted extremely quickly, scattering medicinal powder from his sleeve, forcing the poisonous smoke to rise.

A burst of Lightning Flash appeared beneath Yuan Yu's feet.

"Lie down."

Zhu Zhuqing and Tang San both lowered their heads.

The Sun Wheel Blade sweeps horizontally, sheath still attached.

Lightning Flash exploded close to the windowsill.

The first person outside the window was thrown backward by the shock.

As soon as the second person climbed onto the roof, the Wind Pattern lit up.

Yuan Yu leaped onto the wall, his scabbard poking at the opponent's chest.

The man didn't even unleash his Soul Skill before crashing into the alley.

A section of the roof tiles shattered with a crash.

The few drinkers who had been hiding at the alley entrance watching the commotion immediately retreated behind the door.

Someone recognized Yuan Yu's White-Clad and Sun Wheel Blade, and gasped in surprise.

"Myriad Phenomena?"

The next moment, the entire alley fell silent.

Several doors closed at the same time.

Those who had been trying to peek over the edge to watch the commotion quickly withdrew their heads.

Rumors are circulating in Suotuo City that the Soul King Myriad Phenomena forced back the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon with a single strike.

The rumors sounded very distant from people.

The man was standing in Snow Willow Alley, and before he had even truly drawn his knife, two of the three Black Market Soul Masters had already fallen.

This is more effective than any rumor.

The third person turned and ran.

Zhu Zhuqing chased after him, pushing her speed to the limit.

The man swung his Short Blade.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass sprouted from the ground and wrapped around his ankle.

Bang.

The third person fell face-first into the puddle.

Zhu Zhuqing didn't stop; she walked right past the man and chased him to the end of the alley.

She crouched down to examine the tire tracks.

The wheels are wide, and the dents are very fresh.

But the tire tracks became messy at the intersection.

At least three cars passed by there, deliberately mixing up the tracks.

"Someone is there to meet you."

She turned around and said.

Yuan Yu jumped off the roof.

"The people who were supposed to be there to meet us didn't want us to chase the car."

The sound of a horse-drawn carriage came from the end of the alley.

Yuan Yu turned his head and saw only Black-Canopy Carriage turning the corner.

He didn't chase after them.

The Rosy Cloud Pattern did not light up.

That car was bait.

Zhu Zhuqing dragged the person back.

Yuan Yu squatted down and patted the other person's face.

"Who sent you?"

The man gritted his teeth.

"North of the City..."

Before he could finish speaking, black blood began to trickle from the corner of his mouth.

Tang San immediately grabbed his chin, but it was too late.

"Poison hidden in the teeth."

Zhu Zhuqing's face was cold.

"Death squad?"

Yuan Yu shook his head.

"Black Market Soul Master, money for a life."

Tang San pieced together the remaining scraps of paper that hadn't been completely burned.

Only a few words remained above.

"Luo Heng, VIP Passage, midnight."

Yuan Yu smiled.

"This stuff is more reliable than what's in the North of the City."

Tang San then pulled out an even smaller corner of paper.

There is half the word "Cheng" on it.

Half of the writing was burned off, making it impossible to decipher the full name.

Yuan Yu tucked the piece of paper into his sleeve.

"Procedure."

Zhu Zhuqing asked, "A name?"

"High Probability."

"People from the Snow Ridge Trading Company?"

"Uncertain."

Yuan Yu looked up at the night sky.

The more someone wants to hide, the more they prefer to have others show their face.

Zhu Zhuqing asked, "What about the North of the City?"

"Fake."

"Why?"

Tang San placed the charred corner of the paper in his palm.

"The burning paper here is for communication, and there's moisture-proof wax nearby, which means they were in a hurry to erase any traces of communication. If they really wanted to lead us to the body, they wouldn't have left the actual time and place in the same room."

Yuan Yu raised the Sun Wheel Blade, its Rosy Cloud Pattern faintly glowing.

"The North of the City is for us to see. The VIP Passage is where they didn't have time to clean up."

Tang San glanced at the knife in his hand but didn't ask any further questions.

When the three left Snow Willow Alley, the lights at the lane entrance were still flickering.

Yuan Yu glanced back.

The person behind the scenes deliberately left the words "North of the City" in order to transfer him away.

The real place to go is the VIP Passage the Spirit Arena.

Just then, a chilling Soul Power emanated from afar.

Tang San paused in his steps.

That aura was very strong.

Zhu Zhuqing also stopped.

Yuan Yu smiled.

"Dugu Yan's letter should have arrived."

Tang San did not laugh.

He could sense that the aura was not something an ordinary Soul Master could possess.

If the person who comes is indeed Poison Douluo, then tonight's situation will be even more troublesome.

But Yuan Yu seemed relaxed.

Tang San asked, "You guessed it all along?"

Yuan Yu said, "Dugu Yan's temper, it would be strange if she didn't come looking for Grandpa."

Zhu Zhuqing asked, "So that's why you let Xiao Wu stay at the academy?"

Yuan Yu paused for a moment.

"The academy has the Dean and Teacher Zhao, and Uncle Azure Luan and the others are also lurking in the shadows. It's even more dangerous for her to run around outside."

He spoke casually, but his feet were already moving quickly.

Tang San didn't ask any more questions.

Yuan Yu was always very sensitive to Xiao Wu's unusual behavior, but he never pointed it out.

This reluctance to point it out is itself a form of protection.

Zhu Zhuqing understood as well.

The three of them remained silent and hurried towards the academy along the dark alley.

Yuan Yu hung the Wine Gourd back on his waist.

"Let's go back to the academy."

On the way back, Zhu Zhuqing remained silent.

She only spoke when they were almost at the academy.

"You didn't chase the carriage just now because of Rosy Cloud Pattern?"

Yuan Yu nodded.

"Um."

What if Rosy Cloud Pattern is also deceived?

Yuan Yu smiled.

"That means the other side is capable. When you encounter someone capable, you shouldn't follow the path they suggest."

Zhu Zhuqing wrote down those words.

Tang San also noted it down.

This is not Soul Skill.

That's the method used to the Investigation Bureau.

Zhu Zhuqing suddenly realized that Agility Attack can chase people very quickly, sometimes it's just as important to stop and decide which path to avoid.