Catching Monsters

Chapter 753 It seems we've indeed found the right person.

“Looks like?” Upon hearing this word, Baihu Hong Jingchuan’s furrowed brows relaxed considerably. He took a sip of wine and said in a deep voice, “If everyone were like you, every commoner would come to the yamen claiming to have found someone who looks like Jiang Yun, all for the reward money.”

"Are we going to investigate everyone one by one in our department? How many people do we have enough manpower to do that?" Hong Jingchuan waved his hand: "Get this person out of here."

Prefect Shi Qirui could only force a smile, secretly thinking that he might as well give these Imperial Guards some money and send them home.

They eat and drink extravagantly every day, and they even have to be served by the top courtesans of brothels. If they keep eating like this, the prefect's family won't have any surplus grain.

Soon, the person who brought Wu Tongzhan in prepared to drive him away, but Wu Tongzhan knelt on the ground and the person could not pull him away.

Wu Tongzhan said in a deep voice, "Your Excellency, we found that man by the river. He was seriously injured when we found him."

"This person is hiding his identity."

"Most importantly, this person also secretly sent a letter to the Sanqing Temple in the capital!"

Upon hearing this last sentence, Baihu Hong Jingchuan hurriedly raised his hand: "Wait!"

Hong Jingchuan stared intently at Wu Tongzhan, asking incredulously, "What did you say? This person secretly sent a letter to the Sanqing Temple?"

"Yes, absolutely!" Seeing the centurion's interested expression, Wu Tongzhan breathed a sigh of relief. He said in a deep voice, "This man claims to be named Zeng Yunfan, and his age..."

Soon, Wu Tongzhan slowly described Zeng Yunfan's physical characteristics.

Hong Jingchuan and the other Imperial Guards beside him exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disbelief.

The Zhou Kingdom is so vast that since Lord Jiang was wanted, he has vanished without a trace, and no one knows where he went.

Could it be that they really did run into him?

Hong Jingchuan hurriedly waved: "Your name is Wu Tongzhan, right?"

"sit!"

"Yes." Upon hearing this, Wu Tongzhan was overjoyed and quickly sat down at the end of the table.

Hong Jingchuan personally poured wine for Wu Tongzhan and said slowly, "Brother Wu, this Jiang Yun is a wanted criminal of our court. If it is really him, Brother Wu has made a great contribution!"

Initially, Hong Jingchuan did not take Wu Tongzhan seriously and planned to get rid of him.

After all, at first, Hong Jingchuan just thought this person was crazy for money and had gone to the government to report him because of the reward on the wanted poster.

However, this fellow was able to accurately describe Lord Jiang's physical features, indicating that he truly knew Lord Jiang's whereabouts.

That would be a different situation altogether.

How can we let this person go so easily?
Wu Tongzhan, overjoyed, said in a deep voice, "Lord Centurion, my strength has reached the seventh rank of the Tendon Refining Realm."

"The reward is secondary. I have trained hard for many years, hoping that one day I can serve the imperial court."

After speaking, Wu Tongzhan looked at the flying fish robes worn by the five Imperial Guards in front of him, his eyes filled with deep envy.

Guo Chengnian looks down on me, doesn't he? I'll see what kind of face he has when I become a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and enjoy immense prestige.

Just thinking about this scene made Wu Tongzhan secretly delighted.

Upon hearing Wu Tongzhan's words, Hong Jingchuan smiled faintly, naturally guessing his meaning. He slowly said, "Having made such a great contribution, if it is indeed as you say, that you have found Jiang Yun's whereabouts, what difficulty would it be to join the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

"Let alone just joining the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Brother Wu, you'd probably have to be on equal footing with me, at least a centurion."

Upon hearing this, Wu Tongzhan was slightly taken aback by Hong Jingchuan's words, then hurriedly stood up and knelt on the ground: "This humble subject thanks Your Excellency for your great kindness and virtue."

"Alright, let's take a look at that man first, to see if he is the fugitive Jiang Yun," Hong Jingchuan said in a deep voice.

The Imperial Guards present, upon hearing Jiang Yun's news, had long since lost all traces of their drunkenness.

Tiger Head Escort Agency.

Guo Chengnian was sitting in the hall, carefully studying the Purple Gold Fist. It had to be said that, after all, it was a unique secret manual of a second-grade expert. Guo Chengnian sighed slightly with some regret.

If I had obtained this Purple Gold Fist earlier and started cultivating it again, my realm might have been even greater than this.

The martial arts techniques that Guo Chengnian practiced were not particularly outstanding; they were ordinary techniques that he acquired within the escort agency after joining it.

This ordinary cultivation technique has a low ceiling; even with all his effort, he can only reach the seventh-grade Tendon Refining Realm at most.

Although he can no longer cultivate the internal energy cultivation method of the Purple Gold Fist, he can still learn the fist technique, which can greatly increase his strength.

However, in the future, with the help of the Purple Gold Fist, the newcomers to the Tiger Head Escort Agency will surely see their strength greatly increase.

Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Guo Chengnian's face.

Unexpectedly, at that moment, a gatekeeper from the escort agency rushed in, saying in a panic, "Chief Escort, Brother Wu is back."

"He's back, so why did he come all the way to tell me?" Guo Chengnian asked, frowning.

"He also brought five imperial envoys and imperial guards with him. I don't know what they were up to. They went straight to the backyard."

Guo Chengnian's expression changed drastically, and he trembled slightly. He hurriedly said, "What? Why didn't you stop me!"

The gatekeeper was taken aback, then pointed at himself: "Stopping them? Huh? Me?"

Let alone those five imperial envoys and Jinyiwei, even Wu Tongzhan wouldn't dare to stop them.

Upon hearing this, Guo Chengnian's face also turned pale. Oh no!
You should know that Zeng Yunfan is very likely a wanted criminal by the imperial court. If the Embroidered Uniform Guard finds Jiang Yun in this place at the Tiger Head Escort Agency...

Tiger Head Escort Agency was doomed.

Stories of the Embroidered Uniform Guard confiscating and exterminating entire families are countless. Could it be that Wu Tongzhan guessed Jiang Yun's identity and then went to the authorities to report him?
Damn!

Guo Chengnian clenched his fists. This bastard, didn't he consider the fate of Tiger Head Escort Agency if he did this?

Soon, Guo Chengnian rushed out like lightning, heading towards the courtyard where Jiang Yun lived.

"The five imperial envoys are not far ahead." Wu Tongzhan led five Jinyiwei guards dressed in flying fish robes slowly toward the courtyard where Jiang Yun lived.

Meanwhile, a number of bodyguards followed behind, eager to watch the spectacle.

"Right here."

Just as Wu Tongzhan was about to push open the door to a small courtyard, Guo Chengnian suddenly appeared like lightning, rushing in front of them and blocking their way.

Having reached an advanced age, Guo Chengnian was panting heavily. Seeing the five Imperial Guards in their flying fish robes, he felt a chill in his heart.

Finished!

Completely finished.

He gritted his teeth slightly, looked at the people in front of him, forced a smile, and said, "Wu Tongzhan, the imperial envoys have arrived. Why don't you bring them to the main hall so I can meet them?"

Even if this person wasn't the fugitive Jiang Yun, he didn't plan to stay at the Tiger Head Escort Agency.

If this person really is Jiang Yun, I will soon be able to join the Embroidered Uniform Guard and become an imperial envoy like Hong Jingchuan and others, receiving a salary from the emperor.

Wu Tongzhan naturally became less friendly towards Guo Chengnian.

Wu Tongzhan said in a deep voice, "Guo Chengnian, the Imperial Envoy is here to handle a case, how could he have time to visit you?"

Guo Chengnian forced a smile, looked at Hong Jingchuan and the others, and said in a deep voice, "Your Excellency, why don't you come to my place for a seat, have some tea, and rest?"

As he spoke, Guo Chengnian touched his clothes, reluctantly took out a fifty-tael silver note, and handed it over.

Hong Jingchuan's eyes lit up slightly when he saw the silver note; fifty taels was no small sum.

He was about to reach out his hand when Wu Tongzhan unexpectedly said, "Are you trying to get rid of a beggar?"

"Moreover, your Tiger Head Escort Agency may very well be harboring wanted criminals of the imperial court. Do you think you can resolve this with such a small amount of money?"

"Your Excellency, am I right?"

Hong Jingchuan's lips twitched. He could only take a deep breath and think to himself, "Even a mosquito is still meat, no matter how small..."

The opportunities for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to travel on official business were already far more numerous than available...

However, Wu Tongzhan had already made his position clear. If I really asked for help, wouldn't I become the beggar he was talking about?
He looked at the small courtyard and said slowly, "Let's take care of business first."

After saying that, he turned around and glanced at the bodyguards who had come with him, and said, "The Embroidered Uniform Guard is on official business. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter."

After saying that, Hong Jingchuan stepped forward and pushed open the gate to the courtyard.

Guo Chengnian's heart skipped a beat, but he really didn't dare to stop them, so he could only bite the bullet and follow them inside.

Wu Tongzhan smiled and followed the five Imperial Guards into the courtyard.

Inside the courtyard, Huang Jincheng was sitting and brewing Chinese medicine. This was a prescription given to him by Zeng Yunfan. He had run out to get some Chinese herbs specifically for this purpose. Zeng Yunfan had told him that this medicine could replenish qi and blood and nourish the body.

"Hey, Chief Escort, who are these people?" Upon seeing the flying fish robes on the men's clothes, Huang Jincheng jumped up excitedly and said, "Holy crap, flying fish robes, Imperial Guards! I've finally seen them!"

People like them, who in the martial arts world wouldn't want to join the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

Joining the Embroidered Uniform Guard would be a glorious thing for one's ancestors.

Although Qin'an County was a county seat, it was located in the northwest, which was considered a very remote place in the vast Zhou Kingdom. It was rare to see the Embroidered Uniform Guards there.

"Where is he?" Hong Jingchuan asked in a deep voice.

“He should be inside the house.” Wu Tongzhan, who was standing to the side, pointed to the small house and said, “Sir, I will go and bring him out for you.”

Hong Jingchuan glared at Wu Tongzhan, then ordered his subordinate, "Go knock on the door."

"Yes."

Upon hearing this, the subordinate nodded and quickly stepped forward to gently knock on the door.

Jiang Yun, who was inside the house, also heard the commotion outside the courtyard. Upon hearing the words "Imperial Guards," he did not panic. He slowly got up, opened the door, and saw the crowd outside the courtyard.

He recognized Hong Jingchuan somewhat, but couldn't remember who he was.

After all, he had countless commanders under his command, and even more centurions.

How could he possibly remember them all?

"Is it him?" Wu Tongzhan looked at Hong Jingchuan's expression with a hint of nervousness in his heart.

Of course he's nervous; this matter concerns his future career.

After seeing Jiang Yun come out of the house, Hong Jingchuan first said to his subordinates, "Close the gate to the courtyard."

Soon, the subordinate stepped forward and closed the courtyard gate.

After closing the courtyard gate, Hong Jingchuan and four other Imperial Guards quickly stepped forward and knelt before Jiang Yun: "Your subordinates greet Lord Jiang!"

Seeing this, Wu Tongzhan's mind went blank for a moment; it seemed he had indeed found the right person.

But something about the reaction of these five Imperial Guards seems a little off.
(End of this chapter)