Encirclement

Fu Shaoping lay motionless in ambush amid the grass.

Half a cup of tea's worth of time passed.

The stone door opened again with a thunderous rumble.

The priestess and her companion emerged from the cave, but the infant they had carried inside was no longer in their arms. In its place was a child of about six.

As the two emerged from the valley,

the dark clouds shrouding the moon dispersed.

The valley's exit was suddenly bathed in bright moonlight.

The priestess glanced at the weeds ahead.

Her narrow eyes immediately narrowed further. The weeds along the path clearly showed that someone else had passed through not long ago. It had been too dark when they entered for her to notice!

Hidden in the grass, Fu Shaoping tightened his right hand around his Martial Suppression Saber.

He had intended not to beat the grass and startle the snake, waiting until the person behind all this appeared before taking them all down in one fell swoop. But if his hiding place was discovered, he would have to strike first.

The black-robed man behind the priestess crouched to inspect the ground, then rose and said,

"Lady Priestess, judging by these tracks, it must have been Ghost-Face."

Fu Shaoping's pupils contracted.

They knew about the Ghost-Faced Youth. What relationship did they have with him?

Meanwhile,

as the black-robed man spoke, he pulled a flute straight from his sleeve.

The Ghost-Faced Youth beside Fu Shaoping began trembling the moment he saw the flute. He sprang out of the grass and raced back the way they had come, as though fleeing for his life.

The flute sounded.

Halfway through his escape, the Ghost-Faced Youth let out a piercing scream.

He curled up on the ground, shrinking into a ball.

The black-robed man snorted coldly. Only after confirming that it was the Ghost-Faced Youth did he stop playing and say to the priestess,

"Lady Priestess, this Ghost-Face knows too much. Do you think it's time?"

The black-robed man drew a finger across his throat.

The priestess walked past the Ghost-Faced Youth, who lay curled in the grass, and said indifferently,

"Without him serving as the vengeful spirit of Five-Finger Slope, wouldn't anyone be able to enter this valley? He's nothing but a half-human, half-ghost creature we made ourselves. There's no need to worry."

"You're right, my lady. With the jade flute in our hands, he wouldn't dare try anything."

The two gradually disappeared into the distance.

Fu Shaoping remained motionless in his hiding place.

A cup of tea's worth of time passed.

Then a dark figure came drifting over like the wind, her toes brushing lightly against the grass. Standing atop the weeds, she glanced around, then sighed in relief.

"It seems I was overthinking things."

It was the priestess, who had doubled back!

Fu Shaoping's pupils contracted as he hid in the grass. He had predicted that she might wheel around for a surprise return, and he had been right. Seeing her stand suspended above the ground with only the weeds supporting her, he knew her strength far surpassed his own. Fortunately, he had restrained himself earlier and had not attacked.

This time,

he waited another cup of tea's worth of time after the priestess left.

Only then did Fu Shaoping pick up the Ghost-Faced Youth, still curled into a ball. Pushing off lightly with his toes, he used Ethereal Steps and took a roundabout route away, leaving almost no trace.

Along the way,

when they returned to the haphazard graveyard,

Fu Shaoping placed the Ghost-Faced Youth back in his own grave, stroked his head, and said gently,

"Just endure one more day."

With that,

he freed himself from the youth's tightly gripping hand.

He returned through the secret passage to Sunwood Forest. Old Zhan was waiting at the exit. Seeing Fu Shaoping safe and sound, he let out a small sigh of relief, but after hearing his account, he jolted.

"Shaoping, this is a grave matter. You can't resolve it single-handedly. Take my identification token straight to Chief Banner Chen and have him handle it!"

The infant trafficking in Endless Cliff Village had continued for decades.

That meant the entire village had become accomplices.

Moreover, they could not gauge the priestess's strength, though she was at least at the sixth level of the Body Tempering Realm.

Generally, unless someone had entered the Origin Core Realm or opened their Heavenly Eye, they could not discern another person's cultivation at all.

Having Chief Banner Chen, who was in the Earth Origin Realm, take action was undoubtedly the safest course.

"Uncle Zhan, I'll head back to town first!"

To avoid the long night breeding more trouble and the priestess discovering something amiss and fleeing,

Fu Shaoping immediately took Old Zhan's Town Martial Token. After passing through the secret passage to Five-Finger Slope, he swiftly employed Ethereal Steps and raced onward.

The night was deep.

After a full day's work, the villagers had long since gone to sleep.

With the sacrificial ceremony taking place the next day,

they were all conserving their strength.

Thus, he caused no commotion as he passed through the village. More importantly, he was simply too fast. Anyone not paying close attention would feel only a light breeze sweep past, without seeing him at all.

After reaching the fourth level of the Body Tempering Realm,

his stamina had improved considerably, but using his footwork technique all the way back to town still left him exhausted. Upon reaching the Hundred Households Office, he went straight to Chief Banner Chen's inner courtyard with Old Zhan's Town Martial Token in hand.

Only those of Commandant rank or above

could meet the Chief Banner directly without first being announced.

By then, the horizon had begun to pale.

As a martial practitioner, Chief Banner Chen was already up and preparing to practice at the training grounds. His pupils contracted when he saw the panting Fu Shaoping.

After hearing Fu Shaoping's report,

his whole body jolted!

Someone had conducted this filthy trade for decades under their Hundred Households Office's jurisdiction without anyone knowing.

The Intelligence Hall was truly growing more and more lax!

Had Fu Shaoping not been observant, bold, and meticulous, this could have become a disaster. Everyone in their Hundred Households Office would have been implicated, and his own official career would have been ruined. At the thought, a chill ran down Chief Banner Chen's spine, and his gaze toward Fu Shaoping grew even more approving.

"Junior Guard Fu, once this matter is settled, I'll certainly petition the Hundred Households Commander to award you a major merit!"

Having said that,

he told Fu Shaoping to rest in the inner courtyard.

He immediately went out and summoned every member of the Hunting Team.

Fu Shaoping dozed briefly in the inner courtyard, then woke at once upon hearing heavy footsteps outside.

He emerged from the inner courtyard.

Dozens of men stood in five orderly columns in the courtyard. At Chief Banner Chen's command, they silently departed from the Hundred Households Office in succession. About two hours later, they arrived a few hundred meters outside Endless Reach Village. After a brief rest, they took up ambush positions at the village's five entrances.

To make its villages easier to administer and to protect their inhabitants, the Great Wu Dynasty had built walls around them. The number of exits depended on the population. With tens of thousands of residents, Endless Reach Village was considered a large village and had five secure exits in total.

After everyone dispersed,

only Fu Shaoping and Chief Banner Chen remained in the courtyard.

"You'll ride with me to Endless Reach Village."

Chief Banner Chen's mount, a Yuanqu Horse, was a late-stage first-tier demonic beast that he normally cherished. Fu Shaoping was only the second person ever to ride it. Overwhelmed by the favor, he sat stiffly on its back, afraid it might throw him off.

The Yuanqu Horse truly lived up to its status as a first-tier demonic beast.

Its speed was astonishing.

The Qingzao horse he had purchased could not begin to match it.

Fu Shaoping was sorely tempted and planned to buy one himself once he had enough Origin Stones.

Although they departed later, they arrived at Endless Reach Village almost an hour ahead of the others. By then, the sun had risen above the horizon. They stopped well away from the village entrance. Chief Banner Chen leaped down and looked toward Endless Reach Village, speaking coldly.

"I'd like to see who has the gall to collude with Endless Reach Village in such a vile business."