Hu Xiaotian had not sought out Zan Buliu like a desperate patient grasping at any doctor, nor had he gone merely to try his luck. He knew Zan Buliu quite well-his connections in Great Yong, and, more importantly, his abilities. As long as Zan Buliu was willing to help, he should be able to uncover some leads.
On his way back to his lodgings from Seven-Mile Flats, Hu Xiaotian made a special detour to the Prince of Yan's Residence in the Eastern City. The road leading there had already been sealed off, and he did not dare approach openly. Looking toward the residence from a distance, he saw soldiers searching and confiscating its contents. Li Chenzhou was clearly going to use this incident to turn the place upside down. Remembering the rare treasures the Prince of Yan had once collected in Buddha's Smile Tower, Hu Xiaotian could not help feeling sorry for the fellow. First, Xue Daohong had forcibly seized the Treasure-Gathering Studio. Now Xue Daohong was dead, yet Xue Shengjing had been saddled with a charge of plotting to usurp the throne. He could not even preserve the last scraps of his fortune.
Heading west from the Prince of Yan's Residence, Hu Xiaotian passed the Divine Farmer Society and saw that its main gate had been sealed. Once, its entrance had bustled like a marketplace, with an endless stream of people coming for treatment. Now the place remained, but its people were gone. After Liu Changsheng and his son were arrested, many disciples had been implicated, while many others had managed to escape. The Divine Farmer Society now stood deserted.
As Hu Xiaotian paused before the Divine Farmer Society's main gate, he suddenly heard a burst of wild laughter. Turning, he saw a middle-aged man with disheveled hair running