Chapter: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada

"Young master, are we heading straight for the Li Residence now?"

Watching Yang Qing stride out of the dungeon, Bu Er asked in a low voice from behind.

Yang Qing nodded. "That's right, to prevent any complications under the moonlight."

The key that Li Yi had handed him now rested quietly in the palm of his hand.

Even if Li Yi had not spoken, Yang Qing already had a pretty good idea of what kind of things might be stored in the secret chamber of the Li Household.

As soon as he and Bu Er headed in the direction of the Li Residence, they caught a faint scent of lamp oil carried along in the night wind.

"Bu Er, hurry!"

Yang Qing urged him on.

Bu Er bent down, hoisting Yang Qing onto his back, and his entire figure shot forward toward the Li Residence like a meteor.

Just as the two men approached the location of the Li Residence's study, they discovered that it had already become a sea of fire.

Because the head of the Li Household and the steward had both been thrown into the dungeon, the servants of the Li Household had fled in all directions, leaving no one to look after this sprawling estate.

Thus, by the time Yang Qing and the others arrived, the fire in the study had already grown beyond control.

The wildly dancing flames acted like an emotionless assassin, swallowing the entire study whole.

The fire was immense, even burning through and collapsing the entire roof beam, which crashed to the ground and sent a shower of sparks flying.

"Young master, seeing this fire, even if there were mountains of gold and silver inside, by now they should be burned to a crisp."

Watching Yang Qing stand motionless in the same spot, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on that sea of fire, Bu Er worriedly tugged at his sleeve.

"Let's head back. The county office will soon send men over to extinguish the fire. There are many houses in this area, and if we don't control the blaze, it will easily spread to the neighbors."

With that said, Yang Qing spoke no more.

Bu Er carried him on his back, once again employing his supreme skill to quickly whisk him away from the Li Residence.

After this frantic back-and-forth tossing about, the eastern horizon was gradually revealing a pale fish-belly white.

Bu Er brought Yang Qing back via small paths, scaling walls, and safely returned to the Yang Residence without any mishaps.

"Young master, you've stayed up the entire night. If this keeps up, your body won't be able to take it."

Upon returning to the estate, Bu Er saw that Yang Qing had no intention of returning to his room to catch up on sleep, but instead kept staring fixedly at the key given by Li Yi.

"I certainly didn't expect that here in Yan Prefecture, there was still a hidden mantis lingering in the shadows."

Bu Er naturally understood who the "mantis" in Yang Qing's mouth referred to.

"To actually manage to get ahead of us and destroy everything, truly a formidable method." Bu Er also let out a cold hum.

"However, even though the items have been destroyed, this mantis has practically turned into a dead bird."

Such a grand commotion, while causing Yang Qing to lose a bit of the initiative, had also successfully coaxed those who were hidden even deeper out into the open water.

"Bu Er, quickly convey my order to the city gate guards: today, regardless of who is on duty within the Yan Prefecture County Office, anyone lacking my token shall be strictly forbidden from leaving the city."

"Understood!" Bu Er acknowledged, his body moving in a flash before he vanished from sight.

As for Yang Qing, after casually scooping up some water to wash his face, he quickly set off toward the dungeon once again.

Just as he had anticipated, when he arrived inside the dungeon, the jailers responsible for guarding Li Yi and Li Hai were in the process of carrying their corpses back outside.

Seeing Yang Qing arrive, those jailers instinctively halted, looking at him with trembling trepidation.

This was because these two men were not ordinary criminals, but individuals connected to fierce bandits.

Such crucial prisoners had actually taken poison right under their noses, yet they, the ones charged with guarding them, had been completely oblivious. If blame were to be assigned, the crime of dereliction of duty was inescapable.

Yang Qing looked at Li Yi's peaceful countenance, thinking: No matter how you arranged it, it all ultimately came to nothing.

After gently draping a white cloth over Li Yi's face, Yang Qing waved his hand, signaling them to carry the bodies away.

Following that, he too stepped out of the prison behind them, heading straight for the inner hall of the county office.

Seeing Yang Qing enter, Dai Sheng immediately stood up from his chair, wanting to say something to him, but was cut off by Yang Qing raising a hand to press down his words.

"Everything that transpired at the Li Household is already known to this official."

"My lord, Prince Duan is still currently in Yan Prefecture, and originally this subordinate thought that capturing these two men from the Li Residence would surely allow us to interrogate something out of them."

"Who could have known that this affair would end up in such a state? This, this how can this be handled?"

Dai Sheng clearly had not yet recovered from this relentless string of blows.

Yang Qing did not answer, instead glancing at Dai Sheng's side. "Hmm? How is it that this official does not see Master Deng today?"

"Oh, yesterday Master Deng received a letter from home stating that his aged mother is gravely ill and he needs to make a trip back, so this subordinate granted him leave."

"Is that so? This Master Deng turns out to be a dutiful son; Lord Dai must reward him handsomely." After saying this, Yang Qing pursued it no further.

As the two of them sat in the main hall, Dai Sheng suddenly raised his head and saw that the very Master Deng they had just mentioned was being grabbed by the collar by Bu Er, dragged into the hall like a little chick, causing him to be utterly astounded.

"Guard Bu Er, Master Deng, what is the meaning of this?"

After Bu Er brought Master Deng before Yang Qing, he loosened his grip and dumped the man straight onto the floor.

Looking at the somewhat pale-faced Master Deng, Yang Qing spoke with evident interest, "I wonder where Master Deng's home is located?"

Master Deng paused for a moment before replying, "Deng Family Village, thirty miles outside of Yan Prefecture City."

Yang Qing understandingly remarked, "Thirty miles away; if one drives the carriage a bit hastily, making a round trip in a single day is indeed feasible."

"This official heard that your honorable mother is seriously ill. I wonder if she is feeling somewhat better now?"

Master Deng immediately dropped to his knees and prostrated himself. "Thank you for your concern, My Lord. With my aged mother gravely ill, as a child, I naturally should have boiled water, brewed medicine, and tended to her bedside. Alas, my mother possesses great righteousness and forced this humble one to return. A parent's command, this humble one dared not disobey, which is why I rushed back through the night."

"Oh? That is to say, Master Deng is truly a paragon of filial piety. It's just that this official has one matter that remains unclear, and I must ask Master Deng to enlighten me."

Hearing this, Master Deng froze for a moment. "I wonder what puzzles My Lord?"

"It is hardly any great matter, only that last night, someone came from Deng Family Village to report that a sudden rainstorm had triggered a flash flood. That flash flood washed away a wooden bridge leading into the village, and several people walking across the bridge at the time were swept directly into the river, their bodies still missing to this day."

"Now, seeing Master Deng return safely, this official's heart is naturally exceedingly glad."

Dai Sheng, standing off to one side of Yang Qing, wanted to piggyback on his words to offer Master Deng a few words of comfort, but upon noticing that the footwear Master Deng wore was a pair of impeccably neat cloth shoes, he raged, "Master Deng! You have some nerve! How dare you deceive this official!"

"My Lord, this humble one indeed returned to Deng Family Village yesterday and encountered that heavy rainstorm, but this humble one has always favored cleanliness, and furthermore had to rush back to report to My Lord for duty. Therefore, I changed into a fresh set of clothes before entering the city gate. This humble one does not understand how this constitutes deception."

Listening to his reply, the corners of Yang Qing's mouth curled slightly upward. "Last night, no danger was reported from Deng Family Village, nor did it rain."

"Master Deng, can you now tell this official where you went last night?"